Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/210

APP the year of Rome 303; and notwithstanding his strong aristocratic prejudices, he gave his support to the popular measure of creating the Decemviri, of whom he was appointed one. His tyrannical conduct, however, produced great commotions in Rome; and his attempt upon the chastity of Virginia, the daughter of the centurion L. Virginius, so incensed the army, that he was arrested and thrown into prison, where, according to Livy, he destroyed himself, or, according to Dionysius Halicarnassus, was put to death by order of the tribunes.— was elected censor. 442, and rendered his period of office memorable by constructing the aqueducts of Rome and the Appian way, or Regina Viarum. He triumphed over the Samnites in two successive campaigns; and in his old age gained the surname of Cæcus, from having become blind. Cicero pronounces a high encomium upon the patriotism with which he exerted himself, although suffering from age and blindness, to prevent the senate from granting to Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, a peace which would have been dishonourable to the Roman name.—(Cic. Tusc. Disp. de Animi Perturbationibus; De Senectute; Cato Major; Livy, iii. 33, &c.)—F.  * APPLEGATH,, famous for his inventions in the art of printing, was born in 1790, at Mile-end, near London, and was educated at Dr. Wanostrocht's, Alfred house. Camberwell. He became partner with his brother-in-law, Edward Cowper, late professor of mechanics in King's college. When associated with that gentleman, Mr. Applegath made the machine for stereoplates in 1816, and the type perfecting machine in 1818; and when the great attempt was made, in 1816-20, by the Bank of England to prevent the forgery of their notes, Mr. Applegath invented and took a patent in 1818 for the plan adopted. When Mr. Cowper retired in 1820, the subject of our notice pursued his inquiries alone, and made improvements in the perfecting machine, and contrived several new machines for the Morning Herald and St. James' Chronicle, which were patented in 1821, 1822, and 1824. In 1826 he made the machine for the Times, known by the name of the "four feeder," and also several machines for the imperial card factory in Russia, and many machines both for block and plate in silk printing. In 1846 he devised the rotary vertical machines, which have printed the Times ever since at 12,000 and 13,500 impressions per hour, and has just completed a ten feeder for the service of the Penny Standard. He is now engaged in several machines for printing in colours, from the largest handbill down to a perfumer's label, one of which produces the picture on coloured cards at one operation. Mr. Applegath considers himself only a tyro in comparison with the wide field yet remaining unoccupied.  APPLETON,, an English admiral in the time of the Commonwealth, who was celebrated for having fought a desperate battle with the Dutch fleet under Van Galen, in the harbour of Leghorn, in 1652.  APPLETON,, an American divine, born at New Ipswich, U.S., 1772, who in 1797 became pastor of the church at Hampton in New Hampshire; and in 1807 was appointed president of Bowdoin college in the state of Maine, where he died in 1819. A collected edition of his works was published at Andover in 1837.  APPONY,, an Austrian diplomatist, born in 1782, who was successively ambassador at Florence, Rome, London, and Paris, where he exercised his diplomatic functions for many years.  APPULEIUS,, a Roman ambassador, sent with C. Petronius into Asia, 156 ., to inquire into the origin of the hostility between Attalus, king of Pergamus, and Prusias, king of Bithynia.  APPULEIUS,, a Roman who in 44. was quæstor, probably in some part of Asia Minor, and gave his support to Brutus after the death of Julius Cæsar.  APPULEIUS,, a Roman consul in 29 ., and subsequently proconsul in Spain, for a victory in which country he had a triumph in 26. <section end="210H" /> <section begin="210I" />APPULEIUS,, a Roman, who was elevated to the consulship in. 14, the year of the death of Augustus, and who, with Sextus Pompeius, was among the first who took the oath of allegiance to Tiberius. <section end="210I" /> <section begin="210J" />APPULEIUS, a native of Madaura in Africa, flourished in the reign of the Antonines, and is reckoned by some as the most original philosopher of the second century. He received the rudiments of his education in Carthage, removed afterwards to Athens, where he became enamoured of the Platonic philosophy, and he seems likewise to have studied at Rome. His delight in observing the various characters of men, led him to spend a great deal of time in adventures and travels; and after thus visiting many parts of Italy, Greece, and Asia, he settled in his native country, where, especially at Carthage, he received many public honours, and became illustrious as a philosopher and litterateur. Several of the works of Appuleius have come down to us, some of them on philosophical subjects. The work by which he is best known, and which was most probably his latest, is his "Metamorphoses," often styled the Golden Ass. This strange book is a humorous romance, picturing in very strong and vivid colours the prevalent magical delusions, and the utter licentiousness of the times. Some have absurdly supposed an allegorical meaning to underlie the work; but there can be little doubt that Appuleius simply describes what he had seen or heard of during the course of his adventures. Appuleius shows extraordinary mastery over the Latin language. His descriptions are most precise, while they are given with great spirit and vividness. The book abounds in wit and humour, is always lively and sparkling, never wearies, and has some passages of great force, eloquence, and thoughtfulness.—J. D. <section end="210J" /> <section begin="210K" />APRAXIN, a distinguished Russian family bore this name:— was born in 1671, and in 1710 was elevated to the dignity of count of the Russian empire, and privy councillor. After the death, in 1682, of the Czar Theodor, he became the favourite of Peter the Great, and co-operated with that celebrated monarch in all his great projects, and especially in those relating to the Russian navy. In 1692 he was appointed governor of Archangel; in 1700 he became governor of Azov; and in 1717 he held the dignity of president of the college of the admiralty, with the titles of general, admiral, and senator. During his life, which terminated in 1728, he distinguished himself in the naval and military service of his country, retaining at once the favour of the czar, and great popularity among his contemporaries. His brother, , served in the Russian army under Peter the Great, and died in 1720. was born in 1702, entered the army at the age of seventeen, and advanced rapidly through the various stages of military rank, to that of field-marshal in 1756. In the campaign of 1737 he served against the Turks, and was present at the storming of Ockzakow; at the conclusion of the war he had the command of the Russian army in Astrakhan; in 1742 he was ambassador to the Persian court; and in 1757 he had the chief command of the Russian army intended to act against Frederick the Great. Died in 1758.—F. <section end="210K" /> <section begin="210L" />APREECE, AP RHYS or RHESE,, a Welsh antiquarian, born early in the 16th century. In 1574 he graduated in civil law at Oxford. His works are all connected with the antiquities of his native country; perhaps the most interesting of them is his "Defensio Regis Arthuri," in which he attempts to prove the historical verity of the life and exploits of King Arthur.—J. B. <section end="210L" /> <section begin="210M" />APRES DE MANNEVILLETTE, ', was an eminent French hydrographer, born at Havre in 1707, who devoted himself during several voyages to the improvement of the charts necessary to navigation, in which, by the accuracy of his scientific surveys and observations, he did vast service to mercantile and naval enterprise. His great work, consisting of numerous charts and memoirs, and styled "Le Neptune Oriental," appeared in 1745. He is said to have been the first navigator who carried into effect Halley's suggestion of determining the longitude by the observation of lunar distances; and to have been the first French seaman who explored the route pursued by Boscawen in 1748, through the Archipelago north-east of Madagascar. He died in 1780.—F. <section end="210M" /> <section begin="210N" />A´PRIES, a king of Egypt, son of Psammuthis, who is apparently the Pharaoh-Hophra of the scriptures, in whose reign Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar, 586. <section end="210N" /> <section begin="210Onop" />APRONIUS,, a Roman eques, who in. 8 was consul suffectus. In. 14 he served under Drusus in Pannonia, on occasion of his mission to the revolted legions; subsequently he was a general of the army of Germanicus, and obtained a triumph for his military services. In. 20 he succeeded Furius Camillus as proconsul of Africa; and in. 28 was proprætor of Lower Germany, where he is supposed to have fallen in a battle with Frisians. His son,, was elected consul with Caligula,. 39.—F. <section end="210Onop" />