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/199

 A L E X A N D E R. into twelve hour-, as il.j. uthor tall.-, titan, fame yt-.ir he was (worn in one of the ;;riu!cr.. the prelence to piincc Ch .,.!v, , matter ot the requdis, a;;,! c .: !u-:,:i hi::i [':: i. bfknightfeood ; fo th it n_- IHAV . rackr (..{" a liatci'man than a poet, lie projeded ;!.- lei ! ment of a colony at Nova Scoth, to be c.. pence of himfelf, and of fueh adventurers us v Id he en- gaged in the undertaking;. His mainly gave !.,,,. a r.i;r, . , that country in 1621, and >!i 1 intend io have crc^t.-.l an I cf baronets, for encouraging and furore:- : > ' work, but died before this was put in cxccinun. Ilisf.n Charles I. was fo fond of the fcheme, that loon after his a<-- cellion to the throne, he appointed fir William AlexanJ. : lieutenant cf Nova Scotia, and founded the order of knizhts baronet in Scotland, who were to contribute their aid to the faid plantation and fettlement, upon the conddcration i;. having a liberal portion of land alluttiii him there. The number of thefe baronets were not to exceed one hundred and fifty, and they were to be endowed with ample privi- leges and pre-eminence to all knights called Equites Aurati : but none of them were to be created baronets, either of Scot- land or Nova Scotia, till they had fulfilled the conditions de- figned by his majefty, and till the fame were confirmed to the king by his lieutenant there. The patents were ratiried in parliament; but after fir William fold Nova Scotia to the French, they were made fhorter, and granted in gcneial terms, with all the privileges of former baroiu;, ; and it ia now an honourable title in Scotland, conferred at the kin pleafure, without limitation of numbers. Tiii, i-.!i m-j. n I enterpiize of fir William Alexander's was inveighed agaii.it by many perfons : fir Thomas Urquhart, his own country- man, has particularly cenfured him upon this account [A]. The king, however, flill continued his favour to iir Wil- liam, and in 1626, appointed him kcictary of State tor [A ] " It did not fatisfy his arcbition," fjys he, " to hve a lauicl from the " Mufes, and be eftee-neti a king among ' " poets; but he muft be a kingof fome 11 new-founrf-land, and, like another " Alexander indcfd, fearching aHcr rcw " worlds, havr the loveieignty of Novi ' be a poet: had he flopped ihcrr, it haJ. liccn wi-ll; but the tiime i't hit honour muft have fome oil WI.M Y-UU to n ; I'kc another king Arthur, !-e mnft nave hn tlio'.. ro/o fn . number." "The DifcTrry . ." Sco'.iu ! Ke u as born a poet, and aim- ex^u.litc j^v.-!, &c. found in the I: " ' ' u> be a king ; therefore would he of Wcr:?!', the D*y att i.ve his nml titlr from king Jan:??, fight, SvJ," J-5-j f '. -^7. " who wjs born a king, arJ ::rr,id :j
 * Doom s Day, or tl t Day c
 * .i % Scotland;