A biographical, historical and chronological dictionary: containing accurate accounts of the lives, characters, and actions, of the most eminent persons of all ages and all countries; : including the revolutions of states, and the succession of sovereign princes / By John Watkins.

John Watkins

Date:: 1807

Credit: A biographical, historical and chronological dictionary: containing accurate accounts of the lives, characters, and actions, of the most eminent persons of all ages and all countries; : including the revolutions of states, and the succession of sovereign princes / By John Watkins. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$easion, giving up the kingdom of the East Angles to those of the Danes who embraced the Christian religion. Having $ome respite,he put his kingdominto a state of defence, and increased his navy; and having recovered London from the Danes, he soon brought it into a flourishing state. After a rest ot'someyears,an immense num- ber of Danish forces landed in Kent; on which those who were settled in North- umberland broke their treaty, and fitting out two fleets sailed round the coast, and committed great ravages. They were, how- ever, soon defeated by Alfred, who caused several of the piratestobeexecuted at Win- chester as an example. Thus he secured the peace of his dominions, and struck terror into his enemies, after fifty-six battles by land and sea, in all of which he was per- sonally engaged. But what makes him most an object of admiration, is his character as a • reformer of laws and manners, and the pro- cmoter of-learning. He composed a body of statutes, instituted the trial by jury, and divided the kingdom into shires and tith- ings. He was so exact in his government that robbery was unheard of, and valuable goods might be left on the high-road with- out danger of being meddled with. He also formed a parliament, which met in ^London twice a year. The state of learn- ing in his time was so low in England, that from the Thames to the Humber hardly a man could be found who, understood Latin. To remedy this evil, he invited learned men from all parts, and endowed schools throughout his kingdom; and if he was not the founder of the university of Ox- ford, certain it is he raised it to a re- putation which it never enjoyed before; and among other acts of munificence to that eminent seat of learning, he founded University-college. He was himself a learn- ed prince, and composed several works, and translated others from the Latin, particu- larly Boetius’s Consolations of Philosophy. He divided the twenty-four hours into three equal parts, one devoted to the service of God, another to public affairs, and the third to refreshment. To Alfred, also, Eng- land is indebted for the foundation of her naval establishment, and he was the first who sent out ships to make the discovery of a north-east passage. In private life he was benevolent, pious, cheerful, and affa- ble; •and his person was amiable, dignified, and engaging. He died in 901, aged fifty- three. By his queen Elswitha, Afred had two sons and three daughters. He was suc- ceeded by Edward his second son, com- monly called Edward the Elder.—Biog. Br. Alfred or At.ured, the son of Ethel- red the Unready, by Emma, daughter of Richard I. duke of Normandy, born A. D. 1003. TheravagcsoftheDanesinduced his fa- ther to send him with his brother, afterward Edward the Confessor, to Normandy, where they were educated. On the death ol Ca- nute he landed in England with a chosen , hand of Normans, and would have succeed- ed in dethroning Harold, surnamed Han- foot, if it had not been for the treachery of earl Godwin. Alfred was taken prisoner, . and his eyes were put out; after which he r was confined in the monastery at Ely, where I he died, or rather was murdered, about j 1037.—B og. Br. Alfred, an English prelate in the tenth century, was a benedictine in the abbey of Malmesbury, qf which he became abbot, and afterwards bishop of Exeter. He was esteemed the m®st learned man of his age, and wrote, 1. De Naturis Rerum. 2. The Life of Adelmus. 3. The History of the Abbey of Malmesbury.—Pits. Alfred, surnamed the Philosopher, an Englishman of the 13th century, who was greatly esteemed at Rome, where he served the cardinal Ottoboni, whom he attended to England on his being appointed legate. He died about 1270. He left five books on the Consolations of Boethius, four upon the Meteors of Aristotle, and one upon vegeta-^ bles.—-Leland. Bale. Pits, Alfride or Elfrid, the illegitimate son \ of Qswy,king of Northumberland,on whose!] death he was violently persecuted by Eg- 4 frid his brother; and to avoid his violenceal he retired to Ireland,or, according to others, i.. to Scotland, where he led a philosophical.d life. His brother, however, followed him j with implacable malice, and waged war 1 with those who granted him an asylumi* In this contest Egfrid was slain, on which* the Northumbrians elected Alfride to they vacant throne in G36. He greatly endeared* himself to his subjects, and was a libera !i encourager of literature, being himself learned prince. He died in 705.-—Bcda Histm Eccles. Biog. Br. Algardi (Alexander), a painter ant j sculptor of Bologna. He studied undeil Lewis Carrachi, and died at Rome in 1G4.S1 There is in the church of St. Peter of then Vatican a fine bas-relief by him, represent Sj ing St. Leo appearing before Attila; anc; at Bologna, a group of the beheading of* St. Paul.—Aforeri. Alcarotti (Francis), a polite writeri* was born at Padua in 1712. He received i t liberal education, and then visited diflferenil countries; he was at Paris in 1733, wheri® he composed his Newtonianism for the LaJ dies. After making a long stay in Franca he came to England, and then went to Oer 1 many. Frederic, king of Prussia, made hira chevalier of the order of merit, cpcatct* him a count, and appointed him his chair \ berlain. The king of Poland also highlil esteemed him, and gave him the title o’S privy counsellor of the aflairs of war. Thfl count died at Pisa in 1761; his works wei a published in Italian at Leghorn, 1765, iff] 4 vols. Svo. and afterwards translated into] French, in 8 vols. 8vo. Algarotti was a ma • t>f lively but superficial genius, and thoujt}i$

A biographical, historical and chronological dictionary: containing accurate accounts of the lives, characters, and actions, of the most eminent persons of all ages and all countries; : including the revolutions of states, and the succession of sovereign princes / By John Watkins.

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