moved to Cambridge, and took the degree of master of arts; or, as Wood rather thinks, that of bachelor of laws. He was afterwards sent to Rome to the pope, by Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, to manage some affairs relating to the church. He continued there about nine years, and was created doctor of laws in some Italian university. On his return he was made chaplain to cardinal Wolsey, and commissary or judge of his court, when he was legate a latere, but he was accused of great dishonesty in the execution of that office. He assisted the cardinal in first visiting and afterwards dissolving forty small monasteries, for the erection of his colleges at Oxford and Ipswich. His church-preferment was considerable. Archbishop Warham gave him Aldyngton, with the chapel annexed, March 6, 1510, in which he was succeeded by Erasmus; and in the following year his grace presented him to Riseburgh, in the deanery of Riseburgh. In 1524 he was presented to the perpetual vicarage of Alborne, and he had, by the favour of Wolsey, the church of Dalby on the Woulds in Leicestershire, though it belonged to the master and brethren of the hospital of Burton Lazars. In the latter end of the year 1525, he was incorporated doctor of laws of the university of Oxford; and March 13, 1528, upon the death of Dr. Hugh Inge, he was consecrated archbishop of Dublin, and about the same time was made chancellor of Ireland. In 1534 he was barbarously murdered in an insurrection, by Thomas Fitz-gerald, eldest son of the earl of Kildare, in the fiftieth year of his age. He wrote some treatises on ecclesiastical affairs, which remain in manuscript.'.

ALLEN (THOMAS), an eminent mathematician of the sixteenth century, was born at Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, Dec. 21, 1542, and was a descendant, through six generations, of Henry Allen, or Alan, lord of the manor of Buckenhall in that county. He was admitted scholar of Trinity college, Oxford, June 4, 1561, became fellow in 1565, and in 1567, took his master's degree. From a strong inclination to a retired life, and a dislike to entering into holy orders, to which, according to the statutes, he must have been called, he quitted the college, resigned his fellowship, and went to Gloucester-hall (nowWorcester college), in 1570. Here he studied very closely, and acquired

Wood's Athenæ.-Gen. Dict.-Biog. Brit.-Tanner.-Fiddes's Life of Wolsey.-Strype's Memorials, vol. I. pp. 73. 125.-Nichols's Hist. of Leicestershire, vol. III. p. 258.

a high reputation for his knowledge in antiquity, philoso phy, and mathematics. Having received an invitation from Henry earl of Northumberland, a great friend and patron of the mathematicians, he spent some time at the earl's house, where he became acquainted with those celebrated mathematicians Thomas Harriot, John Dee, Walter Warner, and Nathanael Torporley. Robert earl of Leicester had a particular esteem for Mr. Allen, and would have conferred a bishopric upon him, but his love of solitude and retirement made him decline the offer. He was also highly respected by other celebrated contemporaries, sir Thomas Bodley, sir Henry Savile, Mr. Camden, sir Robert Cotton, sir Henry Spelman, Mr. Selden, &c. His great skill in the mathematics made the ignorant and vulgar look upon him as a magician or conjuror; and the author of a book, intituled "Leicester's Commonwealth," has absurdly accused him of using the art of figuring, to bring about the earl of Leicester's schemes, and endeavouring, by the black art, to effect a match betwixt him and queen Elizabeth. It is more certain the earl placed such confidence in Allen, that nothing material in the state was transacted without his knowledge, and he had constant information, by letter from Allen, of what passed in the university. Allen was very curious and indefatigable in collecting scattered manuscripts relating to history, antiquity, astronomy, philosophy, and mathematics, which collections have been quoted by several learned authors, &c. There is a catalogue of them, bearing date 1622, among Anthony Wood's papers in the Ashmolean museum. He published in Latin the second and third books of Ptolemy, "concerning the Judgment of the Stars," or, as it is commonly called, of the quadripartite construction, with an exposition. He wrote also notes on many of Lilly's books, and some on John Bale's work, "De scriptoribus Maj. Britanniæ." Having lived to a great age, he died at Gloucester-hall, Sept. 30, 1632, and was buried with a solemnity suited to the greatness of his character. He bequeathed a valuable portrait of himself, which has since been engraven, to the president of Trinity college and his successors. Mr. Burton, the author of his funeral oration, calls him not only the Coryphæus, but the very soul and sun of all the mathematicians of his time. Mr. Selden mentions him as " omni eruditionis genere summoque judicio ornatissimus, celeberrimæ academiæ Oxoniensis decus insignissimum: a

person of the most extensive learning and consummate judgment, the brightest ornament of the university of Oxford." Camden says, he was "Plurimis optimisque artibus ornatissimus; skilled in most of the best arts and sciences." Mr. Wood has transcribed part of his character from a manuscript in the library of Trinity college, in these words: "He studied polite literature with great application; he was strictly tenacious of academic discipline, always highly esteemed both by foreigners and those of the university, and by all of the highest stations in the church of England and the university of Oxford. He was a sagacious observer, and an agreeable companion.1

ALLEN (THOMAS), a learned diviue, was born in the year 1573, educated in the king's school at Worcester, and from thence removed to Brazen-nose college, Oxford, 1589. He was elected a probationer fellow of Merton college in 1593. He afterwards went into orders; but, instead of preaching, he applied himself to the more abstruse and critical parts of learning. This recommended him to the esteem of sir Henry Savile, by whose interest he obtained a fellowship of Eton college in 1604, and whom he assisted in his elaborate edition of St, Chrysostom. While at Eton, he assisted the studies of Dr. Hammond, then a school-boy, particularly in the Greek language. He wrote "Observationes in libellum Chrysostomi in Esaiam." He died Oct. 10, 1638, and was buried in Eton college chapel. He was a benefactor in books to the libraries of Brazennose and Merton colleges."

ALLEN (THOMAS), a non-conformist clergyman of Norwich, was born in that city in 1608, and educated at Caius college, Cambridge. He appears to have been minister of St. Edmund's, Norwich, where he was silenced by bishop Wren,. in 1636, for refusing to read the book of Sports, and other non-compliances peculiar to the times. Two years afterwards he went to New England, and was a preacher at Charlestown until 1651, when he returned to Norwich, and had the rectory of St. George's, from which he was ejected for nonconformity in 1662, and during the same period he preached in a meeting called the congregational church. He afterwards preached in the latter place, as he had opportunity, and without molestation, till

1 Gen. Dict.-Biog. Brit.-Warton's Life of Sir Thomas Pope, p. 416.--Ath, Ox-Fuller's Worthies.

Ath. Ox.Harwood's Alumni Etonenses, p. 62.-Biog, Brit,

the time of his death, Sept. 21, 1673. He published several pious practical treatises; but the work which obtained him most reputation, was his "Chain of Scripture Chronology, from the creation to the death of Christ, in seven periods," 1639, 4to. One of his biographers compares him to Bucholtzer, who, being weary of controversy, betook himself to chronology, saying that he would rather compute than dispute. '

ALLEON (DULAC JOHN LEWIS) was born at Lyons, and for a long time was a practitioner there at the bar. He united, however, a knowledge of the law with a taste for natural history, which last induced him to retire from business to St. Etienne in Forez, where he could more conveniently pursue his inquiries into the properties of fossils and mineralogy in general. He accordingly published "Memoires pour servir a l'histoire naturelle du Lyonnois, Forez, et Beaujolais," 2 vols. 12mo, 1765; and " Melanges d'histoire naturelle," which first appeared in 1763, 2 vols. 12mo, but afterwards there was a new edition in 6 vols. He died at St. Etienne in 1768,2

ALLESTRY (JACOB), an English minor poet of the seventeenth century, was the son of James Allestry, a bookseller of London, who was ruined by the great fire in 1666, and related to provost Allestry, the subject of the next article. Jacob was educated at Westminster school, and entered at Christ-church, Oxford, in the act-term 1671, at the age of eighteen, and was elected student in 1672. He took the degree in arts; was music-reader in 1679, and terræ filius in 1681; both which offices he executed with great applause, being esteemed a good philologist and poet. He had a chief hand in the verses and pastorals spoken in the theatre at Oxford, May 21, 1681, by Mr. William Savile, second son of the marquis of Halifax, and George Cholmondeley, second son of Robert viscount Kells (both of Christ-church), before James duke of York, his duchess, and the lady Anne; which verses and pastorals were afterwards printed in the "Examen Poeticum." He died of the consequence of youthful excesses, October 15, 1686, and was buried, in an obscure manner, in St. Tho mas's church-yard, Oxford,3

1 Calamy.-Mather's History of New England, book iii. p. 215.

2 Dict. Hist.---Biog. Universelle.

? Ath, Oxon,-Nichols's Poems, vol. III. where are specimens of his poetry.

1

ALLESTRY, or ALLESTREE (RICHARD), an eminent English divine, was born in March 1619, at Uppington near the Wrekin in Shropshire. He was at first educated at a free-school in that neighbourhood, and afterwards removed to one at Coventry, taught by Philemon Holland the translator. In 1636, he was sent to Oxford, and entered a commoner in Christ-church, under the tuition of Mr. Richard Busby, afterwards master of Westminster school. Six months after his settlement in the university, Dr. Fell, dean of Christ-church, having observed the parts and industry of young Allestry, made him a student of that college, where he applied himself to his books with great assiduity and success. When he had taken the degree of bachelor of arts, he was chosen moderator in philosophy, in which office he continued till the disturbances of the kingdom interrupted the studies and repose of the university. In 1641, Mr. Allestry, amongst other of the Oxford students, took arms for the king, under sir John Biron, and continued therein till that gentleman withdrew from Oxford, when he returned to his studies. Soon after, a party of the parliament forces having entered Oxford and plundered the colleges, Mr. Allestry narrowly escaped being severely handled by them. Some of them having attempted to break into the treasury of Christ-church, and having forced a passage into it, met with nothing but a single groat and a halter, at the bottom of a large iron chest. Enraged at their disappointment, they went to the deanry, where having plundered as much as they thought fit, they put it all together in a chamber, locked it up, and retired to their quarters, intending next day to return and dispose of their prize; but, when they came, they found themselves disappointed, and every thing removed out of the chamber. Upon examination it was discovered, that Mr. Allestry had a key to the lodgings, and that this key had been made use of. Upon this he was seized, and would probably have suffered severely, had not the earl of Essex called away the forces on a sudden, and by that means rescued him from their fury. In October following, he took arms again, and was at the battle fought betwixt the king and the parliament's forces under the command of the earl of Essex upon Keinton-field in Warwickshire; after which, understanding that the king designed immediately to march to Oxford, and take up his residence at the deanry of Christ-church, he hastened thither to make preparations