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ALEXANDER considerable interest, including one on the "Physical Phenomena attendant upon Solar Eclipses," read before the American philoso- phical society at their centenary meeting in 1843; one on the "Fundamental Principles of Mathematics," read before the American as- sociation for the advancement of science in 1848; one on the "Origin of the Forms and the Present Condition of some of the Clusters of Stars, and several of the Nebulse," read at the meeting of the American association at Albany in 1850 ; and several communications to the same association relative to the "Form and Equatorial Diameter of the Asteroid Plan- ets," and also on the "Harmonies in the ar- rangement of the Solar System, which seem to be confirmatory of the Nebular Hypothesis of Laplace." ALEXANDER, William. I. First earl of Stirling, a Scottish poet, courtier, and speculator, born about 1580, died in 1640. He was the son of a private gentleman, was at an early age trav- elling tutor to the earl of Argyle, and about 1604 became attached to the court of James I., who in 1614 knighted him and appointed him gentleman usher to Prince Charles and master of requests. In 1621 he received a royal grant of Nova Scotia, and made strenuous efforts to sell it in parcels, issuing a glowing description of the country in a pamphlet entitled "An Encouragement to Settlers." To aid him, Charles I. in 1625 created the order of baronets of Nova Scotia, the title to be conferred upon purchasers of large tracts, and granted him the privilege of coining base copper money. According to Sir Thomas Urquhart, after sell- ing 300 of these baronetcies, instead of 150, to which number they were to have been limit- ed, and those who emigrated to the colony having failed to make a settlement, Alexander disposed of all rights and interests there to the French on his own account. He obtained from the king in 1628 a charter of the lordship of Canada, and from the council of New England a grant of territory, including Long Island under the name of the island of Stirling ; and he had also received at different times royal grants of five baronies in Scotland. But not- withstanding all these favors, he died so in- volved that his family estates were given up to his creditors. He was appointed secretary of state in 1626, keeper of the signet in 1627, a commissioner of the exchequer in 1628, and an extraordinary lord of session in 1631. In 1630 he was created Viscount Stirling, and in 1633 earl of Stirling, Viscount Canada, &c. James I. called Alexander his philosophical poet. His works are numerous, and all didac- tic, heavy, and turgid, even when in the dra- matic form. The principal are "Doomsday," in more than 10,000 lines, and "Four Mo- narchicke Tragedies," viz. : "Darius," "Julius Caesar," "Croesus," and "The Alexandrian Tragedy." His titles expired with the fifth earl, his last male descendant, in 1739, but sev- eral claimants have since arisen. II. A major ALEXANDER OF HALES 287 general in the American revolutionary army, born in New York hi 1726, died Jan. 15, 1783. Claiming the earldom of Stirling, , to which many of his contemporaries believed him to be entitled, he is generally known in American history as Lord Stirling. Having received an excellent education, more partic- ularly in mathematics, he attained a high reputation as a man of science. During the French and Indian war he was a member of the military family of Gen. Shirley, acting at different times as commissary, aide-de-camp, and secretary. After the close of the war he went to Scotland, where he spent a large por- tion of his fortune in the unsuccessful prosecu- tion of his claims to the title and estates of Stirling. On the breaking out of the war of the revolution he was appointed colonel of a regiment, and while stationed at New York previous to the arrival of Washington from Boston, he fitted out an expedition consisting of a pilot boat and some smaller boats, with which he put to sea at night, eluding the vigi- lance of the sentinels of the British frigate Asia, which then lay in the harbor, and cap- tured a transport laden with stores for the enemy at Boston. He opened the battle of Long Island, where, though he fought with ob- stinate bravery, he was compelled to sur- render, after having secured the retreat of a large portion of his command. Having been exchanged, he fought under Washington at Brandywine, commanded the reserve at Ger- mantown, and led a division at Monmouth. He died from an attack of gout. The name of Lord Stirling will always occupy an honorable place in American history, not only for his unques- tioned patriotism and personal courage, but also for the part he took in exposing and de- feating the designs of the "Conway cabal." ALEXANDER OF APHRODISIAS (in Caria), sur- named the Expounder from his commenta- ries on Aristotle, flourished at the beginning of the 3d century of the Christian era. His most important work, " On Fate," in which he controverts the doctrine of necessity, was pub- lished by Orelli at Zurich in 1824. His other writings, mostly made up of notes upon Aris- totle, were highly valued by the Arabs. ALEXANDER ARCHIPELAGO. See ALASKA. ALEXANDER HAL AS, king of Syria from 150 to 146 B. C. He pretended to be a natural son of Antiochus Epiphanes, and his claim to succeed him was supported by the Romans and several of the princes of Asia. He de- feated the troops of Demetrius Soter, and took possession of his throne, after which he aban- doned himself to pleasure. Demetrius Nica- tor, son of Demetrius Soter, dethroned him and drove him into Arabia, where he was murdered by the chieftain with whom he had taken refuge. ALEXANDER OF HALES, an English theologian, surnamed the Irrefragable Doctor, died Aug. 27, 1245. A great part of his life was passed at Paris, where he taught philosophy and theology.