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/174

 138 A L C O C K. ALCOCK (JoHN), doclor of laws and bifliop of Ely in the reign of king Henry VII. born at Beverly in Yorkshire, and educated at Cambridge. He was firft made dean of Weft- minfter, and afterwards matter of the rolls. In 1471, he Godwin, dewas confcrated bifhop of Rochtfter j in 1476, tranflated to inSV P ifc. 8 ' the fee of Worcefter; and in 1486, to that of Ely, in the Elienf. anno room of Dr. John Morton, preferred to the fee of Canter- 1486. bury. He was a prelate of great learning and piety, and fo highly efteemed by king Henry, that he appointed him lord prefsclent of Wales, and afterwar-Js lord chancellor of Eng- Id. ibid. land. Alcock founded a fchool at Kingfton upon Hull, and built the fpacious hall belonging to the epifcopal palace at Ely. He was alfo the founder of Jefus college in Cambridge, for a m after, fix fellows, and as many fcholars. This houfe was formerly a nunnery, dedicated to St. Radegund ; and, as Godwin teils, the building being greatiy decayed, and the revenues reduced almoft to nothing, the nuns had all forfaken it, except two ; whereupon bifnop Alcock procured a grant ll >!d. ^ from the crown, and converted it into a college. But Cam- notorious for their incontinence, that king Hemy VII. and pope Julius II. confented to its diflolution : Bale accordingly calls this nunnery " fpiritualium meretricum ccenobium, a cenirvii:.^'" communi 'y of fpiritual harlots." Bifhop Alcock wrote f " feveral pieces, amongft which are the following four: I, " Mons perfeclionis." 2. " In pfalmos penjtentiales." 3. ' Homiiix vulgares." 4. Meditationes piss." He died^ October i, 1500, and was buried in the chapel he built at Kingfton upon Hull. ALCUINUS, or ALBINUS (FiAccus), a famous Englifli de writer of the eigh h century, born in Yorkfiiire, or, as others Swjpt._Brit.tH us, not far from London. He had hit, education firft under Venerable Bede, and was afterwards under the tuition cent, vii ca f. 57 cap. 17. of Egbert archbifhop of York, who made him keeper of tfye library which he foun Jed in that city. Alcuinus flourished abour the year 780, was deacon of the church of York, and at lull abbot of the monaiiery of Canterbury. In 793, he went to France, being invited thither by Charlemagne, to confute the herefy of Felix bifliop of Urgel. He was highly efteemed by that prince, who not only honoured him with his friendfbip and confidence, but becacru:. his pupil, and was infrruciesl by him in rhetoric, logic, mathematics, and divi- nity. The year following he attended Charlemagne to the council