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 ALEXANDER — ALEXANDRIA pelled to sign his abdication; he was then hurried to the and the king’s firmness in the matter greatly strengthened Danube at Rakhovo, transported on his yacht to Reni, his position, which was made even more secure by the and handed over to the Russian authorities, by whom he death of his father shortly afterwards. was allowed to proceed to Lemberg. He soon, however, Alexander, William (1824 ), Protestant returned to Bulgaria, owing to the success of the counter- Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, was born revolution led by Stamboloff, which overthrew the provi- at Londonderry 13th April 1824, and educated at Tonbridge sional government set up by the Russian party at Sophia. Grammar School and at Exeter and Brasenose colleges, OxBut his position had become untenable, partly owing to an ford. After holding several livings in the north of Ireland ill-considered telegram which he addressed to the Tsar on he was made bishop of Derry and Raphoe in 1867, and was his return ] partly in consequence of the attitude of Prince elevated to the primacy in 1896. An eloquent preacher and Bismarck, who, in conjunction with the Russian and the author of numerous theological works, he is best known to Austrian Governments, forbade him to punish the leaders literature as a master of dignified and animated verse. His of the military conspiracy. He therefore issued a mani- poems were collected in 1887 under the title of St Augusfesto resigning the throne, and left Bulgaria on the 8th tine’s Holiday, and other Poems. His wife, who died in September 1886. He now retired into private life. A 1895, was also known as a writer of graceful poetry, and parfew years later he married Fraulein Loisinger, an actress, ticularly for her hymn “There is a Green Hill far away.” and assumed the style of Count Hartenau (6th February Alexandra, Queen. See Edward VII. 1889). The last years of his life were spent principally at Gratz, where he held a local command in the Austrian Alexandretta, or Iskanderun (Alexandria ad army. Here, after a short illness, he died on the 23rd Issum), the principal port of the Aleppo vilayet, founded by October 1893. His remains were brought to Sofia, Alexander in memory of the battle of Issus. The town where they received a public funeral, and were eventually was formerly unhealthy, but since the drainage of the deposited in a mausoleum erected in his memory. Prince marshes and the provision of a better water - supply, its Alexander possessed much charm and amiability of manner ; sanitary condition has greatly improved and trade is he was tall, dignified, and strikingly handsome. His increasing. Population, 8000 (Moslems, 5500; Christians, capabilities as a soldier have been generally recognized by 2500). It is the seat of a British vice-consulate. See competent authorities. As a ruler he committed some Aleppo. errors, but his youth and inexperience and the extreme Alexandria, the chief seaport and, next to Cairo, difficulty of his position must be taken into consideration. He was not without aptitude for diplomacy, and his in- the largest city in Egypt. It suffered severely during the tuitive insight and perception of character sometimes revolt of Arabi Pasha in June and July 1882, when, both enabled him to outwit the crafty politicians by whom he before and after the bombardment of the forts by the was surrounded. His principal fault was a want of tenacity British fleet, great disorders broke out in the town. On and resolution; his tendency to unguarded language un- 11th June over 400 Europeans were massacred by the fanatical Mahommedans, and on the night following the doubtedly increased the number of his enemies. bombardment (11th July) incendiary riots caused great The literature relating to Prince Alexander’s reign is still scanty. loss of life and property, for which Egypt had eventually See Drandar. Le Prince Alexandre de Battenberg en Bulgarie. Paris, 1884.—Koch. Fiirst Alexander von Bulgarien. Darm- to raise £9,000,000 to meet the claims for compensation stadt, 1887.—Matveyev. Bulgarien nach dem Berliner Congress. made chiefly by Europeans. Since then it has been Petersburg, 1887.—Bourchier. “Prince Alexander of Batten- visited by two epidemics of cholera (1883 and 1897). berg,” in Fortnightly Review, January 1894. (j d B ) Nevertheless under the British occupation it has recovered its former commercial and industrial prosperity, as shown Alexander, king of Servia (1876 ), was born by the rapid increase of the population, which rose from 14th August 1876. He succeeded to the crown on 6th 213,000 in 1882 to 320,000 in 1897, including over March 1889, when his father, King Milan, abdicated and 46,000 Europeans, chiefly Greeks and Italians, and about proclaimed him king of Servia under a regency until he 100 English families. Most of the foreign trade of Egypt should attain his majority at eighteen years of age. King passes through this seaport, the imports and exports of Alexander on 13th April 1893, being then in his seven- which advanced from £5,000,000 and £13,000,000 teenth year, made his notable coup d’etat and took the respectively in 1881 to £9,945,000 and £15,068,000 in royal authority into his own hands. After a banquet on 1899. The vessels entered were 3305 of 1,192,000 tons that day he made a stirring appeal to the army, pro- in 1881, and 2805 of 2,414,674 tons in 1899; the clearclaimed his majority, and dismissed the regents and their ances for the corresponding years being 3250 of 1,304,000 ministry. His action was popular, and was rendered tons and 2758 of 2,389,058 tons. In 1899 the British still more so by his appointment of a Radical ministry. entries were 747 of 1,150,231 tons, and clearances 741 of In May 1894 King Alexander, by another coup detat, 1,139,698 tons. Alexandria was the first Egyptian town abolished the constitution of 1889 and restored that of provided with a municipal council, on which the govern1869, thus reinstating King Milan and Queen Natalie in ment, the foreign merchants, and natives are represented. their constitutional rights as members of the royal house A great deal has been done to improve the town, which is of Obrenovitch. His attitude during the Turco-Greek provided with several new thoroughfares, electric light, war of 1897 was one of strict neutrality. In 1898 he and electric tramways, while the suburb of Ramleh has appointed his father commander-in-chief of the Servian been greatly enlarged, and is now occupied chiefly by army, and from that time, or rather from his return to English residents. A new quay and promenade, extensive Servia in 1894 until 1900 ex-King Milan was regarded wharves and graving docks are also being constructed, as the de facto ruler of the country. But on 21st July while a projected channel 30 feet deep and 300 wide will 1900 King Alexander publicly betrothed himself to enable large vessels to enter the port at all times. Madame Draga Maschin, a widow, formerly a lady-in- Amongst the scientific and literary establishments are the waiting to Queen Natalie. The projected union aroused Egyptian institute, an athenaeum, with courses of lectures, great opposition at first, and ex-King Milan resigned his a public library, and an archaeological museum. In the post, an example followed by all the government officials; last-mentioned, founded in 1893, are now safely housed the marriage, however, was duly celebrated on 5th August, the antiquities, especially Greek and Roman, which are 262