Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 1.djvu/52

 by his terse and epigrammatic style. The larger part of Alexander's writings and lectures, however, was on theological subjects and much of it was prepared for English pulpits. Not so powerful as Magee, he became, probably, the most brilliant Anglican preacher of his day. No one approached him as a master of felicitous and striking phrase. His sermons were not so closely reasoned as Liddon's, but their effectiveness was much enhanced by their delivery without manuscript, by a splendid and sympathetic voice and a dignified presence. 'My habit,' he wrote, 'is to prepare carefully and to take into the pulpit a complete skeleton of the discourse, and as much argumentative or illustrative matter as might occupy some minutes in delivery, trusting for the rest to the suggestions of the moment founded upon previous thought.' His sermons on great occasions were very numerous, two notable examples being his discourse at the enthronement of his old friend Magee as archbishop of York on 17 March 1891, and that before the Lambeth conference in Canterbury Cathedral on 4 July 1897. Steeped in the writings of Pearson and the great Caroline divines, he wrote and spoke with a just sense of proportion, and knew how to distinguish things essential from things of secondary importance. His Oxford prize essay on the 'Divinity of Christ' was reprinted twice in a slightly modified form, in 1854, and again in one of his latest books, 'Primary Convictions' (1893, 2nd ed. 1898). This work also contains the substance of lectures delivered in America in 1892; it deals with the main topics of the Christian creed, and in picturesque and impassioned language dwells upon its beauty, its reasonableness and its response to the aspirations of the soul. His reasoned apologetic is reverent, telling, and brilliant; but he did not read German, and he took the critical labours of Germany at second hand. In 1876 he delivered at Oxford the Bampton lectures on the 'Witness of the Psalms to Christ and Christianity' (1876; 3rd edit. 1890). This contains much that is permanently valuable and suggestive, from the theological rather than the critical side. The same may be said of the 'Leading Ideas of the Gospels' (1872, 3rd edit. 1898), which grew out of Oxford sermons preached in 1871. His commentaries on the Johannine epistles (1881) in the 'Speaker's Commentary ' and hi the 'Expositor's Bible' (1889) abound in devout and beautiful thoughts and in proofs of a refined taste.

A convinced unionist in politics, Alexander showed his rhetorical power to advantage at the Albert Hall, London, in 1893, in his speech against the second home rule bill; but he had friends in all political camps. The most delightful of hosts, his conversation was full of interest and esprit. and even in extreme old age a literary problem or nice point of criticism would be eagerly taken up by him and discussed with his old fire. With the manners and the courtesy of a grand seigneur he combined the fatherly dignity of a prince of the church. He resigned the archbishopric on 30 Jan. 1911, and died in retirement at Torquay on 12 Sept. 1911. He was buried in Derry Cathedral cemetery beside his wife who had died on 15 Oct. 1895. Alexander was hon. D.C.L. Oxon (1876), hon. LL.D. Dublin (1892), hon. D. Litt. Oxon (1907), and he received the G.C.V.O. in 1911. On 15 Oct. 1850 he married Cecil Frances (daughter of John Humphreys, D.L.), well known as a hymn writer [see, Suppl. I], by whom he had two sons and two daughters.

Alexander's portrait was thrice painted: (1) for his family, by C. N. Kennedy, when he had been twenty-five years bishop of Derry; (2) for the palace of Armagh, by Walter Osborne; and (3) by Harris Brown for presentation to the National Gallery of Ireland by friends, representing all religious denominations, on his resignation of the primacy. A synod hall at Armagh is being built (1912) in his memory, and in Derry also his name is to be associated with a monument. A cartoon by 'Spy' appeared in 'Vanity Fair' in 1895. In addition to the works enumerated he published 'The Great Question and other Sermons' (1885; 2nd edit. 1887), and 'Verbum Crucis' (1892), and he edited Ephesians, Colossians, Thessalonians, and Philemon (1880) in the 'Speaker's Commentary.'

 ALGER, JOHN GOLDWORTH (1836–1907), journalist and author, born at Diss, Norfolk, and baptised on 7 Aug. 1836, was the only son of John Alger, a corn merchant of that town, by his wife Jemima, daughter of Salem Goldworth, yeoman, of Morning Thorpe, Norfolk. Educated at Diss, Alger 