Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/218

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A L S O P. the Gentleman's Magazine [B], and Tome in " The S(u- " dent." He feems to have been a pleafant and facetious companion, not rigidly bound by the trammels of his pro- feflion ; and does not appear to have published any Ser- mons. Mr. Aifop is refpeclfully mentioned by the facetious Dr. King of the Commons (vol. I. p. 23^.), as having en- riched the commonwealth of learning, by " Tranfhrior.s of " Fables from Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic; and not lels detrac.ting]y by Dr. ikntley, under the na^e of " Tony " Alfop, a late editor of the JElbpean Fables." [E] Particularly in J 73 5, p. 384, an " years." In the fame vo'ume is a Ode (with a tianiLtion) to tlv; Rev. fine Latin Verfion of the " Te Deum. 1 *' Sir John Dolbrn, which declares his love In 1737, p. 63 I, ion. e compliments aie lor tobacco and a tru- poe'.ical in;o- paid to hknin" Ode'ab Atpico Percivalli Ier.ce ; Sappho r?prc?cl.iag him as "a con'cnpta, qua nupens Atlopi inep- " trmnt bard, who ban fcart.'ly paid " tiis ieff ondetur. ' four cilVrings to the Mints in th:ec ALSTEDIUS (JOHN-HENRY), a Gerrrian proteftant di- v'.ne, fomp time prpfeflbr of philofophy and divinity at Her- born in the county of Nafiau, afterwards profefljr at Alba Vittp,D:ar.j a j, , j n 'Pranfy 1 vania, where he continued till his death, twfH!' which happened 1638, in his fiftieth year. He applied him- feif chitfly ;.o compof>; methods, and to reduce the feveral branches of arts and iciences into fyitems. His " Encyclo- <6 psedia" has been much efteemed even by Pvoman catholics ; it was printed at Lyons, and fold very well throughout ail France. His Thefaurus Chronologicus" is by fomeeiteemed one of his beft works, though others fpeak of it with con- tempt. Vo'lius mentions the" Encyclopaedia" in general, but De Sclent. f pea ks of his treatife c ' Of Arithmetic" more particularly, and Mathem. ,, p. 326. allows the author to have u?en a man of great reading and univerfal learning. Baiilet has the following quotation from a German author, in regard to this writer; " AHtedius has

  • ' indeed many good things, but he is not fufBcicntiy accu-

" rate ; neverthtlefs his " Enryclopsedia was received with <l general applaqfe, when it firfr. appeared ; and may be of " uie to thole who, being destitute of other helps, and no? " having the authors, are defuous of acquiring fume know-

  • ' ledge of the terms of each profeffion and fciente. Nor can

" we praile too much his patience and labour, his judgement,

    • and his choice of good authors j and the abftracls he has

" made are not mere fcraps and unconnected rhapfodies, fince 4< he diverts the principles of arts and fcu-nce-i into a regular 44 and uniform order. Some- parts are indeed better than others, i: fame being infignificant and of lutle value,as his hiftory and " chronology.