with ardour throughout the wide field of natural, chemical, and experimental philosophy; and in his thirtieth year, he commenced giving a course of instructions to an association of literary gentlemen. He was elected a fellow of the Linnæan Society, and three years later, was appointed to deliver a series of lectures at the Royal Institution; this was speedily followed by his becoming lecturer on chemistry at Guy's Hospital, an office which he continued to fill for many years. He made some valuable discoveries in chemistry, and in 1807 was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. But whilst fame and wealth opened before him a brilliant career, the religion of the New Testament became increasingly influential in his life and conduct, preserving him from the fascinations of worldly interest and honour, and attracting him to a course of devotedness to the service of God, and to the promotion of righteousness amongst men. William Allen was from conviction, as well as education, a member of the Society of Friends; yet he was no sectarian—his heart was open to embrace as brethren all the true followers of Christ. In conjunction with many of these, both in his own and foreign lands, he was actively engaged in originating and maturing a great variety of plans for the benefit of his fellowmen. He slept little, rose early, giving the first portion of the day to retirement and prayer; he shrank from no effort, he yielded to no discouragement in the pursuit of duty—all the best faculties of his soul were devoted to the cause of christian benevolence. In his house was commenced that grand movement which has resulted in expunging from the statute-book a great variety of sanguinary enactments. With untiring zeal he laboured to effect the extinction of slavery and the slave trade; he gave his support to the practice of vaccination when in its infant state; originated plans for the establishment of savings banks, and made large sacrifices of time and money in aid of the destitute poor in Spitalfields. He hailed with joy the advent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and became one of the earliest and most efficient founders of the British and Foreign School Society. He was for many years the treasurer of this valuable institution. Through the influence of himself and an excellent friend who was his fellow-traveller in Russia, the Emperor Alexander was induced to sanction the introduction of scripture lessons into the schools of that vast empire. In the Christian church to which he belonged, William Allen held the office of a minister of the gospel, and in this capacity he visited most of the countries of Europe, declaring to people of every rank the unsearchable riches of Christ, visiting the outcasts in prisons and the sufferers in hospitals, and pleading in the presence of sovereigns and princes the cause of the ignorant, the destitute, and the oppressed. As his day's work approached its termination, his spirit became deepened in humility; he died in the seventy-fourth year of his age, in the faith and hope and peace of the gospel. His life and correspondence were published by Gilpin, London.—S. C.
ALLEN, William, a wealthy tradesman of London, who died at an advanced age in 1686. He wrote a number of lucid and vigorous tracts on various theological subjects, which were highly esteemed. Bishop Kidder preached a funeral sermon for him; and his collected papers have a perface by Bishop Williams. He was at first a dissenter, but conformed in 1658.—J. E.
ALLENT, Pierre-Alexandre-Joseph, a French military man of considerable reputation under the first empire and the Restoration; born at St. Omer in 1772; died in 1837. Commencing his career as a common artilleryman in 1792, he had become chef de bataillon in the army of Buonaparte, whose cause, however, he did not embrace during the Hundred Days, having in the meantime been created chef de l'etat major in the National Guard. Under Louis Philippe he rose to be a peer of France. Allent was a man of great general ability, and distinguished particularly for his knowledge of artillery and fortification. He has left some works of merit on military subjects.—A. M.
ALLEON DULAC, Jean-Louis, a French naturalist, born at St. Etienne in 1723. His writings possess considerable interest. He died in 1768.
ALLESTREE or ALLESTRY, Richard, was born, March, 1619, at Uppington in Shropshire, and studied at Christ Church, Oxford. During his academical career he took part in the civil war on the king's side, and was present at the battle of Kington field. In 1643 he became M.A., but shortly took up arms again, and served the king till the end of the war. He then took orders, and became censor of his college. The parliamentary visitors expelled him, June, 1648, for the part he had taken against the Solemn League and Covenant, and he retired to Shropshire, where he became chaplain to the Hon. Francis Newport, to whose father, Allestree's father had been steward. By him he was sent to France, where his father. Lord Newport, had died, to look after his property; and after the escape of Charles from the battle of Worcester, Allestree was chosen as the organ of communication between the king and his adherents. In this service he displayed much zeal, tact, and courage, and even when seized, 1659, at Dover, managed to save his papers. He was soon released, and, on the accession of Charles II., was made canon of Christ Church, king's chaplain, and in 1663 regius professor of divinity, on the death of Dr. John Creed. This important post he filled with great success till 1679, when his failing eyesight compelled him to relinquish it. He had been previously appointed provost of Eton, 1665, which post he held till his death, 1680. He was the friend of Hammond and Fell, and was very instrumental in maintaining the succession of the English bishops during the downfall of the church. He left behind him various works mentioned by Wood, of which the chief are a sermon "preached at Westminster on the consecration of four bishops," and forty sermons, published after his death. He was buried in Eton chapel.—J. B., O.
ALLESTRY, Jacob, a minor English poet. He studied at the university of Oxford, and died in 1686.
ALLEY, William, a reforming clergyman of the church of England, persecuted in the reign of Mary, but made bishop of Exeter under Elizabeth. He has left, besides other works, a collection of sermons, which he styles " Πτωχομυσεῖον or the Poor Man's Library," London, 1565, 1571. Died in 1571.
ALLEY, Rev. Jerome, LL.B., an Irish divine, born in 1760, and educated in Trinity college, Dublin. He was rector of the parishes of Beaulieu and Drumcar in the diocese of Armagh, and a member of the Royal Irish Academy. He wrote several poems and pamphlets, and in 1826 published "Vindiciæ Christianæ, a comparative estimate of the Greek, the Roman, the Hindu, the Mahometan, and the Christian religions." He died shortly afterwards.—J. F. W.
ALLEYN or ALLEN, Cardinal. See Alan.
ALLEYN, Edward, famous as an actor, and as the founder of Dulwich college, was born in the parish of St. Botolph, London, on the 1st September, 1566. His life is one of peculiar interest, not only because of his excellence as an actor, to which Heywood and Ben Jonson bear testimony in flattering terms, nor even on account of the munificent deed of charity with which it closed, of which Lord Bacon says, "I like well that Alleyn playeth the last act of his life so well," but chiefly because in the records of it which have been preserved, we are brought into close contact with the greatest names in the history of the English drama. It is with strange feelings, for example, that one reads a letter from Alleyn's wife, in which she tells her husband of some poor fellow coming to ask the loan of money, and saying "that he was known unto you and Mr. Shakspeare of the Globe;" and of the said Mr. Shakspeare, on being appealed to by the cautious dame, replying that "he knew hym not, only he herde of hym that he was a roge."
We have no record as to when Alleyn first appeared on the stage, but he had risen to eminence ere 1592, and was famous for his representation of Greene's "Orlando Furioso" and Marlowe's "Jew of Malta." He took a prominent character in several of Shakspeare's plays the first time they were acted; for, with the great dramatist, Alleyn seems to have been on terms of close intimacy. There is an old letter written by George Peele, where we read that, on one occasion, "when we were all merry at the Globe," he "did not scruple to affirm pleasauntly" to Shakspeare, "that he had stolen his speech about the qualitys of an actor's excellencye in Hamlet hys tragedye, from conversations manyfold whych had passed between them, and opinions given by Alleyn touching the subject" We are told, indeed, that Shakspeare did not quite relish the joke, but that Ben Johnson put an end to the strife by a witty compliment to Alleyn, saying that doubtless he must have stolen it, for he had seen him act times without number. In the year 1592 he married Joan Harwood, at the same time entering into partnership with her stepfather, Philip Henslowe, in the proprietorship of the Rose theatre on the Bankside. Only a few months after his marriage, the theatres in the metropolis were compelled to close on account of the outbreak of the plague, when we find Alleyn betaking himself to the provinces at the head of a strolling company. Some time after his return, he
