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13, 1796: died teg no. Born at Turin, Au at Florence, April 17, 1869. A Piedmontese statesman and political reformer, for a short time premier in 1848. Alfieri, Count Vittorio. Born, of noble parents, at Asti in Piedmont, Jan. 17, 1749: died at Florence, Oct. 8, 1803. A celebrated Italian dramatist. Atnine years of age he was placed in the Academy at Turin, at thirteen began the study of civil and caca me into po e ion of large wealth. From 1767 to 1773 he nonical law, which he soon abandoned, and at fourteen roamed adventurously over Europe, returning to Turin in the latter year. In 1775 his play "Cleopatra" was succe fully produced. He then went to Tuscany to complete "Philip II." and "" "Polynices," two tragedies originally written in French prose, which he now versified. While in Florence he formed a connection with the Counte of Albany, which endured for twenty years. He resided for a time in Rome, leaving it in 1783 for a period of travel: on his return he joined the counte in Alsace, living with her there and in Paris, where he went in 1787 to oversee a complete edition of his works. In 1792, at the outbreak of the Revolution, they returned to Florence where he pa ed the last eleven years of his life. He left 21 tragedies and 6 comedies, besides 5 odes on American Independence, various sonnets, and a number of prose works, among which are a "Panegyric on Trajan," "E ays on Literature and Government," and a "Defense of Louis XVI.," which includes a satirical account of the French Revolution. His tragedies are "Philip II." "Polynices," "Anti gone" (the sequel of "Polynices"), "Virginia," "Aga "Orestes," "The Conspiracy of the Pazzi," "Agis," "Sopho- "Abel," memnon," "Don Garcia," "Rosamunda," "Mary Stuart," "Timo- leon," "Octavia," "Merope," "Saul," nisba," "Myrrha," two tragedies on the elder and younger which he called a "tramelogedia," is a sort of mixture of Brutus, and two on the subject of Alcestes. lyric and tragic poetry. He wrote six comedies which he attempted to make a vehicle for his political sentiments. They are satirical, not dramatic. They are "One," "Few," "The Divorce." They were never played. He also wrote "Too Many," "The Antidote," "La Fine str in a," and an autobiography. He was a strict observer of dramatic unities, and left out all secondary characters. His bold, vigorous, lofty, and almost naked style founded a new school in Italian drama. His works were first collected and published after his death by the Counte of Albany. The edition is in 35 volumes, published at Pisa 1805-15. Thirteen volumes contain his posthumous works. Alfinger (äl'fing-er), Ambrosio de. Died 1532. A German soldier, appointed in 1528 agent of the mercantile house of the Welsers (of Augsburg), which held Venezuela as a hereditary fief on condition of completing the conquest of the country for Castile and colonizing it. After ravaging the vicinity of Lake Maracaybo, he marched into the highlands of New Granada, and had nearly from a wound by an Indian arrow. reached the rich country of the Chibchas when he died marked by horrible cruelties. Alföld (ol'feld). [Hung., 'lowland.'] The great central plain of Hungary. Alfonso (al-fon'sō) I., or Alphonso, (a-lon'zō). Born 693: died at Cangas, 757. olic" on account of his zeal in erecting and en His inroads were or Alonzo Dunlop, Hist. of Prose Fiction, I. 167. mankind. Alfonso XIII. of Pedro, duke of Biscay, a descendant of the Vis i gothic dowing monasteries and churches. He was a son son Favila he succeeded. He is said to have wrested kings, and son-in-law of Pelayo, king of Asturias, whose Leon, Galicia, and Castile from the Moors. Alfonso II., or Alphonso. Died in Oviedo, 842. King of Asturias 791-842, surnamed "The governor of Merida, in 830. Chaste." He defeated Mohammed, the Moorish Alfonso III., or Alphonso. Born 848: died 912. King of Asturias and Leon 866-910, sur named "The Great," eldest son of Ordoño I. His reign was filled with internal struggles and external conflicts, especially with the Moors, over whom he was His succe es extended almost uniformly victorious. his dominions from the Duero to the Guadiana. In 910 he abdicated in favor of his son Garcia on account of civil wars raised by his sons. Alfonso IV., or Alphonso. Died 933 (1). King of Leon 924-927 (?), surnamed "The Monk," eldest son of Ordoño II. He abdicated, on the death of his wife, in favor of his brother Ramiro, and retired to a cloister, was taken prisoner at Leon in an attempt to regain the throne, was blinded, and was confined till his death in the monastery of St. Julian. Alfonso V., or Alphonso. Born 994: died 1027. King of Leon and Castile 999-1027, son of Bermudo II. whom he succeeded. He recaptured killed at the siege of Viseo. Leon, which had been lost during his minority, and was Alfonso VI., or Alphonso. Born 1030: died 1109. King of Leon and, as Alfonso I., of Castile, surnamed "The Valiant," son of Ferdinand the Great whom he succeeded in Leon in 1065. He succeeded his brother Sancho in Castile in and taken prisoner at Valpellage (Golpe lier a). In 1085 he 1072.he From 1068 until 1072, when Sancho died, the brothers were at war, and in 1071 Alfonso was defeated captured Toledo from the Moors and was himself de (of Aragon). feated near Zalaca by Yu uf ibn Tashfyn in 1086. His Alfonso VII., King of Leon and Castile. See Alfonso I. (of reign witne ed the exploits of the Cid. Alfonso VIII., VIII., or Alphonso (Alfonso Ray1157. King of Leon and, as Alfonso II. (or mond). Born 1106: died at Tremada, Aug., III.), king of Castile, 1126-57, son of Urraca, daughter of Alfonso VI. (and wife of Alfonso VII.), and Raymond of Burgundy, her first himself emperor of Spain in 1135. husband. He extended the frontiers of Castile from the Tagus to the Sierra Morena Mountains, and proclaimed 1188-1230, son of Ferdinand II. He gained a bril. Alfonso IX., or Alphonso. King of Leon liant victory over Mohammed ibn Hud at Merida 1230. He was married first to The res a, daughter of Sancho I. of Portugal, and later to Be renga ria, daughter of the king of Castile: both marriages were di olved by the Pope as being within the degree of affinity prescribed by the canon law. Alfonso IX., or Alphonso (also reckoned as VIII. and as III.). Born 1155: died 1214. King of Castile 1158-1214, surnamed "The Noble" or "The Good," son of Sancho III. He was defeated by the Moors at Alarcos in 1195, and in alliance with Aragon and Navarre defeated the Moors at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. Alfonso X., or Alphonso. Born 1221: died at Seville, April 4, 1284. A celebrated king of Leon and Castile, 1252-82, surnamed "The Wise" and "The Astronomer," son of Ferdinand III. He laid claim to the duchy of Swabia, and crown: the first time he was defeated by Richard of twice unsucce fully attempted to secure the imperial Cornwall, and the second by Rudolf of Hapsburg. From 1261 to 1266 he waged war with the Moors with varying fortune. He was dethroned by his son Sancho in 1282. Alfonso is celebrated as the author of the code "Las Siete Partidas," the basis of Spanish jurisprudence, and for the Alphonsine tables, a set of astronomical observations compiled at his command. [Alfonso] first made the Castilian a national language by his great Code and other works, gave specimens of prose causing the Bible to be translated into it, and by requircomposition which left a free and disencumbered course ing it to be used in all legal proceedings; and he first, by for all that has been done since, - a service, perhaps, greater than it has been permitted any other Spaniard to render the prose literature of his country.