a force to prevent succours being sent to it, he proceeded under cover of the night, and succeeded in surprising the fort and camp of the enemy, both of which were taken without much resistance.

Such an unexpected turn of good fortune determined him not only to object to offers of peace, but also to make an attack on Goa. In this he succeeded, having in the attack killed 3000 of the enemy.

He then built a fort at Calicut, and sailed to Aden, in hopes of making himself master of it, but was disappointed, and obliged to return. Soon after he fell sick and died, having first had the mortification to hear of his being recalled by the king.

To this commander, historians say, that "The Portuguese owe the foundation of the immense power, which they once possessed in India; and that had they pursued the maxims he laid down, they might have enjoyed it to this day." This may be strictly true; but when they assert, that "by his exploits he had raised the arms of his country to the highest pitch of glory," we cannot subscribe to the opinion.

To defend one's country against the attack of a foe, who unjustly invades it, and in such cases to repel force by force, is, we believe, both just and honorable; but however, our minds may, for a moment be dazzled by the glare of military exploits, cool reflection will convince us, that the man who actuated by false fame, or the more sordid motive of filthy lucre, attacks a defenceless nation, who never offended either him or his sovereign, is no less culpable in the eye of justice, than the high-way man, who robs a traveller, because he knows him to possess money and to be unarmed.

Albuquerque, however, is universally represented to have been both a soldier and a man of humanity. The time in which he lived was highly superstitious, and contrary to the genuine principles of the christian religion, it was then deemed no crime to commit depredations upon the Heathens. Viewing the sub

ject in this light, the faults of Albuquerque, might have been more those of the times in which he lived, than of his own heart.

At all events, it is certain, that his death was most sincerely lamented by all the people of Goa, where he was buried with great funeral honours.

ALCIBIADES, in elevation of birth, yielded to none of the Greeks; he was the son of Clinias, nephew of Pericles, and lineally descended from Ajax; in his person, while a youth, he was beautiful, and when a man, remarkable for comeliness: his fortune was large beyond most of the nobility of Athens. His abilities were so great, that an ancient author (C. Nepos) had asserted that nature in him had exerted her utmost force, since, whether we consider his virtues or his vices, he was distinguished from all his fellow-citizens; he was learned, eloquent, indefatigable, liberal, magnificent, affable, and knew exactly how to comply with the times; that is, he could assume all those virtues when he thought proper; but when he gave a loose to his passions, he was indolent, luxurious, dissolute, addicted to wo men, intemperate, and even inclined to profaneness. Socrates had a great friendship for him, corrected in some degree his manners, and brought him to the knowledge of many things of which he would otherwise have remained ignorant. His family had always been on good terms with the Lacedæmonians; Alcibiades likewise affected to shew great respect to the people of that country, until he observed the Ambassadors of Lacedæmon applied themselves wholly to Nicias, his rival, and his dependants; he then resented it very much, and used every influence to work on the minds of the Athenians to the prejudice of that people.

Alcibiades, after many changes of fortune, was at last banished; but even in his exile he endeavoured

to restore the power of his country; of which the Spartans having intelligence, procured him to be assassinated.

ALCMAR, a lyric poet, and a native of Lacedæmon, flourished about 174, B. C. He was a man of a very amorous constitution, is accounted the father of love verses, and said to have first introduced the custom of singing them in public. He is reported to have been one of the greatest eaters of his age; upon which we may make this remark, that if he had lived in our times, he would have found such a quality extremely inconvenient, as all his exertions either as an author or a poet would have scarcely afforded him a sufficiency of dry bread.

ALDRED, Abbot of Tavistock, was promoted to the bishopric of Worcester, A. D. 1046. He was so much in favor with king Edward the Confessor, that he could easily prevail on him to do whatever he pleased. He likewise obtained a like ascendancy over the minds of Harold and William the Conqueror, who were the successors of king Edward. In 1060, Kinzius, archbishop of York dying, he was elected in his stead: but thought fit, likewise, to retain the bishopric of Worcester, with the archbishopric of Canterbury, as some of his predecessors had done. He soon after went to Rome in order to receive the pallium from the Pope: but being found guilty of simony and also very ignorant, he was obliged to set out without gaining his object. On his way home he and his fellow travellers were attacked by robbers, who took from them all they had. This circumstance obliged them to return to Rome, when the Pope, actuated, perhaps, by compassion, gave him the pallium: but he was obliged to resign his bishopric of Worcester.

Edward the Confessor dying in 1066, Aldred crown ed Harold, his successor; and upon his death likewise crowned William the Conqueror. This prince was imperious to every person in his dominions, except to Aldred, whom he always looked up to with the utmost reverence. John Bromton gives us an instance of the king's submission, which, at the same time, shews this prelates' haughtiness. It happened, one day, as the archbishop was at York, that the de puty governor met the archbishop's servants coming to town with several carts loaded with provisions, and upon being informed to whom they belonged, he ordered that they should be carried to the king's store-house. The archbishop immediately sent some of his clergy to the governor, commanding him to make satisfaction for the injury; and threatening him with excommunication, if he refused to comply.

sent an answer equally haughty, On this, Aldred proceeded to London, to make his complaint to the king, whom he thus accosted'; Hearken O William, when thou wast but a foreigner, and God to punish this nation, permitted thee to become master of it; I consecrated thee and put the crown on thy head, with Llessings; but now since thou art become the persecutor of God's church, and his ministers, I pronounce a curse upon thee instead of a blessing. The king, terrified at this discourse, fell upon his knees, and humbly implored the prelate to inform him by what crime he had deserved so severe a sentence. Aldred was at first implacable, but upon the promise of many presents, and of a severe punishment being inflicted on the governor, he at last condescended to forgive

The governor offended at this proud geo-:

him.

Such anecdotes abundantly shew the ascendancy, which in those dark ages, the church had obtained over both prince and people, and in the present instance, may occasion a question, which was most surprising, the haughtiness of the archbishop, who VOL. I.

dared thus insult his sovereign, or the king's stupidity who suffered such audacity from an ignorant and over-bearing priest. Thank God, we now live in a more enlightened period.

"

ALDRICH (HENRY), an eminent scholar and divine, was born at Westminster, in 1647, and educated in the university at Oxford, where, after taking a master's degree in April, 1669, he entered into holy orders, and soon after became an eminent tutor in that college. In the controversy with the Catholics under James, I he bore a considerable part, and Bishop Burnet ranks him amongst those eminent elergymen, who examined all the points of popery, with a solidity of judgment, a clearness of argument, a depth of learning, and a vivacity of writing which had not before that time appeared in our language." . Besides attainments in letters, he possessed very great skill in architecture and music. The three sides of the quadrangle of Christ Church, Oxford, were designed by him, as was also the chapel at Trinity College, and the church of All Saints in the High-street. His abilities also, as a musician, have caused him to be ranked amongst the greatest masters of the science; he composed many services for the church, which are well known in England, as are two catches of his, "Hark the Bonny Christ Church Bells;" the other, "A Smoaking Catch," for he himself was, it seems, a great smoaker. He died December 14th, 1710.-Besides his argumentative pieces, with respect to religion, he also wrote a system of logic, entitled "Artis Logice Compendium," he also printed a work entitled the Elements of Architecture, and likewise an elegant edition of several of the most eminent Greek classical writers. »<

the one,