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LEFT ATTILA S35 ATTRACTION Europe, and they threatened the Eastern Empire, and twice compelled the weak Theodosiug II. to purchase an inglorious peace. Attila caused his brother Bleda to be murdered (444), and extended his dominion over all the peoples of Germany and exacted tribute from the Eastern ATTILA, THE HUN and Western emperors. The Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Gepidse, and a part of the Franks united under his banners, and he speedily formed a pretext for leading them against the Empire of the East. He laid waste all the countries from the Black to the Adriatic Sea, and in three encounters defeated the Em- peror Theodosius, but could not take Constantinople. Thrace, Macedonia, and Greece all submitted to the invader, who destroyed 70 flourishing cities; and The- odosius was obliged to purchase a peace. Turning to the W., the "scourge of God," as the universal terror termed him, crossed with an immense army the Rhine, the Moselle, and the Seine, went to the Loire, and laid siege to Orleans. The inhabitants of this city repelled the first attack, and the united forces of the Romans under Aetius and of the Visi- goths under their King Theodoric, com- pelled Attila to raise the siege. He re- treated to Champagne, and waited for the enemy in the plains of Chalons. When the victory of Attila seemed as- sured the Gothic prince, Thorismond, the son of Theodoric, poured down from the neighboring height upon the Huns, who were defeated with great slaughter. In the following year Attila tried to seize upon Italy, and demanded Honoria, the sister of Valentinian III., in marriage, with half the kingdom as a dowry. When this demand was refused he conquered and destroyed Aquileia, Fadua, Vicenza, Verona, and Bergamo, laid waste the plains of Lombardy, and was marching on Rome when Pope Leo I. went with the Roman ambassadors to his camp and succeeded in obtaining a peace. Attila went back to Hungary, and died on the night of his marriage with Hilda or Ildico (453), either from the bursting of a blood vessel or by her hand. ATTLEBORO, a town in Bristol co., Mass., on the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad; 32 miles S. W. of Boston. It was incorporated in 1694; contains nearly a dozen villages; and is principally engaged in the manufacture of jewelry, watches and clocks, silver- ware, hats, buttons, and cotton and woolen goods. It has a National bank, high school, public library, and daily newspapers. Pop. (1910) 16,215; (1920) 19,731. ATTORNEY, a person appointed to do something for and in the stead and name of another. An attorney may have general powers to act for another; or, his power may be special, and limited to a particular act or acts. A special attorney is appointed by a deed called a power or letter of attorney, specifying the acts which he is authorized to do. An attorney at law is a person qualified to appear for another before a court of law to prosecute or defend any action on behalf of his client. The rules and qualifications, whereby one is authorized to practice as an attorney in any court are very different in different countries, and in the different courts of the same country. ATTORNEY-GENERAL, a govern- mental law officer. In the United States the Department of Justice is presided over by the Attorney-General, whose duty it is to furnish all legal advice needed by Federal authorities and conduct all litigation in which the United States is concerned. He is also called upon to recommend persons to fill the places of judges of the United States Circuit and District Courts. There is an Attorney- General in each State whose duty it is to furnish legal advice to the Legislature; he represents the State in suits at law, and aids in prosecuting offenses against the State. In England the highest legal function- ary permanently retained, on a salary, to take the part of the crown in any suits affecting the royal (by which is really meant the public) interests.^ In precedence, he ranks above the Solicitor- General. ATTRACTION, in natural philosophy, a force in virtue of ..which the material