Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/675

Rh A L S A L S 637 vand was left uncultivated. In the subsequent war between France and the empire of Germany, arising out of the attempt of Louis XIV. to seize Holland, that part of Alsace which remained to Germany was again overrun by the French. Although this war was termi nated in 1678 by the treaty of Nimeguen, the French monarch was desirous of incorporating a still larger amount of Rhine territory ; and accordingly, in 1680 he laid claim to a number of territories, belonging to princes of the empire, which he alleged had been dis membered from Alsace. It was ordered that these territories should be at once restored to that province under the crown of France, and several independent sovereigns were cited to appear before two chambers of inquiry which Louis had established at Brissac and Metz. The princes appealed to the German emperor and to the Diet ; but the previous wars had so exhausted the power of the former that nothing could be done to resist the aggression. In 1681 the French troops under Louvois seized Strasburg, aided by the treachery of the bishop and other great men of the city. A further war broke out, but by the treaty of Ratisbon in 1684, Strasburg was secured to France. Again the war was renewed in 1688, and continued for nine years, when, at the peace of Ryswick, in 1697, another considerable portion of Alsace was ceded to France. Some remaining territories of small extent were acquired by the French after the revolution of 1789. It will be seen from the foregoing sketch that Alsace was originally French, that it then became German, and then French From the middle of the tenth century, however, the popu lation has in the main been Teutonic ; and the French conquests of the seventeenth century, while modifying this element, still left it predominant. The people continued to use German as their native tongue, though the educated classes also spoke French. Pro testantism was professed by a large number of the inhabitants ; and in many respects their characteristics identified them rather with the race to the east than that to the west of the Rhine. In process of time, however, they considered themselves French, and lost all desire for re-annexation to any of the German States. Alsace suffered a good deal in the war of 1870-71. The earlier battles of the campaign were fought there; Strasburg and other of its fortified towns were besieged and taken ; and its people were compelled to submit to very severe exactions. The civil and military govern ment of the province, as well as that of Lorraine, was assumed by the Germans as soon as they obtained pos session of those parts of France, which was very shortly after the commencement of the Avar. The Alsatian rail ways were reorganised and provided with a staff of German officials. German stamps were introduced from Berlin ; the occupied towns were garrisoned by the Landwehr ; and requisitions on a large scale were demanded, and paid for in cheques which, at the close of the war, were to be honoured by whichever side should stand in the unpleasant position of the conquered. The people, notwithstanding their German origin, showed a very strong feeling against the invaders, and in no part of France was the enemy resisted with greater stubbornness. It was evident from an early period of the war, however, that Prussia was resolved to reanuex Alsace to German territory. When the preliminaries of peace came to be discussed at Versailles in February 1871, the cession of Alsace, together with what is called German Lorraine, was one of the earliest con ditions laid down by Count Bismarck and accepted by M. Thiers. This sacrifice of territory was afterwards ratified by the National Assembly at Bordeaux, though not without a protest from the representatives of the departments about to be given up ; and thus Alsace once more became German. By the bill for the incorporation of Alsace and German Lorraine, introduced into the German Parliament in May 1871, it was provided that the sole and supreme control of the two provinces should be vested in the Emperor of Germany and the Federal Council until January 1st, 1873, when the constitution of the German empire was to be established. Bismarck admitted the aversion of the popu lace to Prussian rule, but said that everything would be done to conciliate the people. This policy appears really to have been carried out, and it was not long in bearing fruit. Many of the inhabitants of the conquered districts, however, still clung to the old connection, and on the 30th of September 1872 the day by which the people were required to determine whether they would consider them selves German subjects and remain, or French subjects and transfer their domicile to France 45,000 elected to be still French, and sorrowfully took their departure. The German system of compulsory education of every child above the age of six was introduced directly after the annexation. The population in 1871 amounted to upwards of 1,060,000. ALSEN, an island in the Baltic, situated off the coast of Schleswig, in the Little Belt. It formerly belonged to Denmark, but, as a result of the Danish war of 1864, was incorporated with Germany. Its area is 105 square miles ; the length nearly 20, and the breadth from 3 to 12 miles. The island is fertile, richly wooded, and yields grain and fruit. Sonderburg, the capital, a town of 5475 inhabitants, with a good harbour and a considerable trade, is situated on the narrow channel that separates Alsen from the mainland. Population, 22,500. ALSOP, VINCENT, a celebrated Nonconformist divine, was educated in St John s College, Cambridge. He received deacon s orders from a bishop, whereupon he settled as assistant-master in the free school of Oakham, Rutland. He was recovered from indifferent associates here by a very worthy minister, the Rev. Benjamin King. Subsequently he married Mr King s daughter, and &quot; becoming a convert to his principles, received ordination in the Presbyterian way, not being satisfied with that which he had from the bishop.&quot; He was presented to the living of Wilby in Northamptonshire ; but was thence ejected by the Act of Uniformity in 1662. After his ejection he preached privately at Oakham and Wellingborough, sharing the common pains and penalties of Nonconformists e.g., he was imprisoned six months for praying with a sick person. A book against Sherlock, called Antisozzo (after Socinus), written in the vein of Andrew Marvell s Rehearsal Trans- prosed, procured him much celebrity as a wit. Dr Robert South, who cannot be supposed to have been favourably disposed towards the Nonconformists, publicly pronounced that Alsop had the advantage of Sherlock in every way. Besides fame, Antisozzo procured for its author an invita tion to succeed the venerable Mr Cawton in Westminster. He accepted the call, and drew great multitudes to his chapel. The other books he published showed a fecundity of wit, a playful strength of reasoning, and a provoking indomitableness of raillery. Even with Dr Goodman and Dr Stillingfleet for antagonists, he more than held his own. His Mischief of Impositions in answer to the latter s Mischief of Separation, and Melius Inquirendum in answer to the former s Compassionate Inquiry, remain historical landmarks in the history of Nonconformity. Later on, from the entanglements of a son in alleged treasonable practices, he had to sue for and obtained pardon from King James II. Tliis seems to have given a somewhat diplomatic character to his closing years, inasmuch as, while remaining a Nonconformist, he had a good deal to do with proposed political-ecclesiastical compromises. He died May 8, 1703. (A. B. o.) ALSTED, JOHANN HEINKICH, a German Protestant divine, and one of the most voluminous writers of the 17th century, was born in 1588. He was some time pro fessor of philosophy and divinity at Herborn, in the county of Nassau, and afterwards at Weissenburg in Transylvania, where he continued till his death in 1638. His Encyclo paedia, the most considerable of the earlier works of that class, was long held in very high estimation. It was pub lished in 1630, in two large folio volumes, the whole having been composed by himself. His Thesaurus Chrono logic has gone through several editions. He published in 1627 a treatise, De Mille Annis, in which he asserted