town, about the tenth of August 1649, and put the inhabitants to the sword, sir Arthur the governor was cut to pieces, and his brains beaten out with his wooden-leg. Wood says, that he was created doctor of physic, May 1, 1641, and that he left behind him a daughter, Elizabeth Thompon, alias Aston. According to Clarendon's account, sir Arthur's conduct was not upon the whole favourable to the royal cause, and as a commander he seems never to have been popular. 1

ASTON (Sir THOMAS), a brave and loyal gentleman, was the son of John Aston, of Aston in Cheshire, esq. by his wife Maud, daughter of Robert Needham, of Shenton in Shropshire. He was entered a He was entered a gentleman commoner of Brazen-nose college in Oxford, in 1626-7, but was soon called home by his relations, and, being married, was created a baronet in July 1628. In 1635 he was high-sheriff of Cheshire, and firmly attached to the cause of Charles I. Upon the approach of the rebellion, he wrote some pieces against the Presbyterians, and was afterwards the first man in his county that took part with the king. During the civil war, he raised a party of horse for his majesty's service, which was defeated by a party of rebels under sir William Breerton of Honford, near Nantwich in Cheshire, July 28, 1642; but sir Thomas escaped with a slight wound. Some time after, he was taken in a skirmish in Staffordshire, and carried prisoner to Stafford, where endeavouring to make his escape, a soldier gave him a blow on the head, which, with other wounds he had a little before received, threw him into a fever, of which he died March 24, 1645. His body was carried to Aston, and interred in the chapel belonging to his own house. His writings were, "A Remonstrance against Presbytery," Lond. 1641, 4to. "A short survey of the Presbyterian discipline." "A brief review of the Institution, Succession, and Jurisdiction of the ancient and venerable order of the Bishops." These two last were printed with the "Remonstrance." He also made "A collection of sundry Petitions presented to the King and Parliament," 4to, 1642.2

ASTORI (JOHN ANTHONY), a learned Italian antiquary, was born at Venice, Jan. 16, 1672, and soon made very extraordinary proficiency in classical and polite literature.

Biog. Brit.-Clarendon's History.-Wood's Ath, Ox, vol. II. 2 Biog. Brit.-Ath. Ox. vol. II.

In 1698, he lost his parents, and went into the church, where his merit procured him the offer of preferment, which his love of a literary life induced him for the present to decline. He became member and secretary of the academy of the Animosi at Venice, and was likewise a member of that of the Arcades of Rome, under the name of Demade Olimpico. He likewise carried on an extensive correspondence with the most eminent scholars of his age, both Italians and foreigners, particularly Alexander Burgos, bishop of Catania; father Guglielmini, Fardella, Lazzarini, Apostolo Zeno, Scipio Maffei, Poleni, Morgagni, &c. In his latter days he was master of the choir, and canon of the ducal church of St. Mark; and died in Venice, June 23, 1743. He wrote, 1. "Commentariolum in antiquum Alcmanis poetæ Laconis monumentum," Venice, 1697, fol. reprinted in the "Galleria di Minerva," and by Sallengre in the "Novus Thesaurus antiquitatum Romanarum," Hague, 1718, fol. 2. "De Deo Brotonte Epistola," reprinted in both the above collections. 3. Many letters and dissertations on Medals, &c. in various collections. 4. "Mantui, tragoedia sacra musice recitanda," Venice, 1713. 5. "Supplices, tragoedia sacra," ibid. 1713; besides many lesser pieces in Greek, Latin, and Italian, in the collections. 1

ASTORINI (ELIAS), born in the province of Cosenza in the kingdom of Naples in 1651, was first a Carmelite, and afterwards professor of mathematics and natural philosophy. He died in 1702, leaving the following publications, 1. "A dissertation on the life of the Fœtus in utero,' 1686. 2. "A translation of the Elements of Euclid," 1691. 3. "A treatise on the power of the Holy See," 1693. 4. "A translation of Apollonius on Conic Sections," 1702, 4to.*

ASTRONOME (L'), the name, or assumed name of a person who lived in the ninth century, and wrote "The life of the emperor Lewis le Debonnaire," at whose court he is supposed to have enjoyed some office. He is said to have had many conferences with that prince on astronomical subjects. The life was written in Latin, and has been translated into French by the president Cousin. The original is in Du Chesne's Collection of Historians. 3

1 Biog. Universelle.-Mazzuchelli.-Saxii Onomasticon.

2 Dict. Historique.

3 Ibid.-Biog. Universelle.-Moreri.

ASTRUC (JOHN), a very celebrated French physician, was born in 1684, at Sauve in the diocese of Alais. His father, who was a Protestant clergyman, bestowed great pains upon his early education, after which he was sent to the university of Montpelier, where he was created M. A. in 1700. He then began the study of medicine; and in two years obtained the degree of bachelor, having upon that occasion written a dissertation on the cause of fermentation, which he defended in a very able manner. On Jan. 25, 1703, he was created doctor of physic, after which, before arriving at extensive practice, he applied to the study of medical authors, both ancient and modern, with uncommon assiduity. The good effects of this study soon appeared; for in 1710 he published a treatise concerning muscular motion, from which he acquired very high reputation. In 1717 he was appointed to teach medicine at Montpelier, which he did with such perspicuity and eloquence, that his fame soon rose to a very great height; the king assigned him an annual salary, and he was at the same time appointed to superintend the mineral waters in the province of Languedoc. But as Montpelier did not afford sufficient scope for one of his celebrity, he went to Paris with a great number of manuscripts, which he designed for the press. Soon afterwards, however, he left it, having in 1729 accepted the office of first physician to the king of Poland, which was then offered to him; but here his stay was very short, as he disliked the ceremonious restraint of a court. He again therefore returned to Paris, and upon the death of the celebrated Geoffroy, in 1731, he was appointed regius professor. The duties of this office he discharged in such a manner as to answer the most sanguine expectations; and he drew, from the other universities to that of Paris, a great concourse of medical students, foreigners as well as natives. At the same time he was not more celebrated as a professor than as a practitioner, and his private character was in all respects truly amiable. He reached a very advanced age, and died May 5, 1766. Of his works, which are very numerous, the following are the principal : Origine de la Peste," 1721, 8vo. 2. "De la Contagion de la Peste," 1724, 8vo. 3. "De Motu Musculari," 1710, 12mo. 4. "Memoires pour servir à l'Histoire naturelle de Languedoc," 1737, 4to. 5. "De Morbis Venereis, libri sex," 1736, 4to, afterwards enlarged to two vols. and translated into French by Jault, 4 vols. 12mo.

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6. "Traité des maladies des Femmes," 1761-1765, 6 vols. 12mo. 7. "L'Art d'Accoucher reduit à ses principles," 1766, 12mo. 8. "Theses de Phantasia," &c. 9. "De motus Fermentativi causa," 1702, 12mo. 10. "Memoire sur la Digestion," 1714, 8vo. 11. "Tractatus Pathologicus," 1766, 8vo. Besides these, in 1759 he published "Traité des Tumeurs," 2 vols. 12mo; and one or two treatises not connected with medicine, one with the singular title of "Conjectures sur les Memoires originaux qui ont servi à Moise pour ecrire la Genese," Paris, 1753, 12mo, and a dissertation on the immateriality and immortality of the Soul, Paris, 1755. His work on the venereal disease, and those on the diseases of women, and on midwifery, have been translated into English.'

ATANAGI (DENNIS), a native of Cagli, in the duchy of Urbino, came to Rome in 1532, where he was distinguished for his taste and eloquence; but having a reluctance to any regular profession which might have afforded him an opportunity and means to cultivate literature, he soon fell into extreme poverty. In 1560, however, he became corrector of the press at Venice, and there had like to have been sacrificed to the rage of a student belonging to the university of Padua, who having committed a work to his correction, Atanagi adopted it and published it under his own name. This is the only incident recorded of this eccentric genius, whom the Italians consider as a very pure writer, and one of their best critics. He published, 1. Rhetoricorum Aristotelis, necnon paraphrasis Hermogenis tabulæ, à D. A. collectæ," Venice, 1553, 4to. 2. "Lettere famigliari di XIII. uomini illustri," Rome, 1554, 8vo. 3. "Rime di M. Bernardo Cappello," Venice, 1560, 4to, with a long dedication by the editor. 4. "Sonetti, Canzoni, rime ed egloghe pescatorie di Berardino Rota," Venice, 1567, 8vo. He also published Rota's Latin poetry, with a Latin preface, very elegantly written. 5. Rime e versi Latini di diversi, in morte d'Irene di Spilimbergo," Venice, 1561, 8vo. 6. "Delle Lettere facete e piacevoli di diversi uomini grandi e chiari e begl'ingegni, raccolte, &c. libro primo," Venice, 1561, 8vo. The second volume, in 1574, was published after Atanagi's death. 7. "Il libro degli uomini illustri di Caio Plinio Cecilio, ridotto in lingua volgare, &c." Venice, 1562, 8vo.

'Dict. Hist.-Biog, Universelle.-Encyclop. Brit. Haller Bibl. Med. Saxii Opomasticon.

8. "De le rime di diversi nobili poeti Toscani," Venice, 1565, 2 vols. 8vo, one of the best collections of the kind. The time of Atanagi's death has not been ascertained, but it is supposed to have happened about 1574.1

ATHANASIUS (ST.), an eminent father of the Christian church, of the fourth century, was born at Alexandria, of heathen parents. He was noticed, when very young, by Alexander, bishop of that see, who took care to have him educated in all good learning, and when of age, ordained him deacon. He took him in his company when he attended the council of Nice, where Athanasius distinguished himself as an able and zealous opposer of the Arians. Soon - after the dissolution of the council, Alexander died, and Athanasius was appointed to succeed him in the government of the church of Alexandria. This was in the year 326, when Athanasius is supposed to have been about twenty-eight years of age.

Arius and some of the principal of his followers renounced their opinions, and subscribed to the Nicene faith, by which means they obtained the countenance and favour of the emperor Constantine, who wrote letters to Athanasius, insisting upon his re-admitting Arius into the church, and receiving him into communion; but this he peremptorily and inflexibly refused to do, though urged warmly by sovereign authority, and menaced with the rod of imperial vengeance. While thus he lay under the emperor's displeasure, his enemies took the opportunity of bringing against him many grievous accusations, which, however, appeared in the end to be false and groundless. Among others, they charged him with threatening that he would take care no corn should be carried from Alexandria to Constantinople; and said, that there were four prelates ready to, testify that they had heard such words from his own mouth. This so much incensed the emperor, that he exiled him into France; though some writers intimate, that this sentence was not the effect of his resentment, but his policy, which indeed is more probable. It was the desire of the emperor to remove all frivolous disputes about words, to allay the heats and animosities among Christians, and to restore peace and unanimity to the church, and perhaps he looked upon Athanasius as a great obstacle to his favourite design, as he

1 Biog. Universelle.-Dict. Historique.