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ARA ARAGON, ', a Spanish jesuit and philologist, travelled as a missionary in Paraguay two years from the beginning of 1616. Having resumed his labours in 1629, he died about the middle of that year from overexertion.  ARAGON,, a Spanish historian, archbishop of Saragossa, was a grandson of Ferdinand, king of Castile and Aragon. Died in 1575.  ARAGON,, a Portuguese theologian of the first half of the seventeenth century.  ARAGON,. See.  ARAGON, ', duke of Hermola, a Spanish antiquarian of the sixteenth century.  ARAGON,. See.  ARAGONA ' or, princess of Tagliacozzo, and wife of Ascanius Colonna, was born at Naples, and descended from the kings of Aragon. She was distinguished for her extraordinary beauty, to which all the wits of the time paid tribute. The poems written in her praise were collected by Jerom Ruscelli, and published at Venice under the extraordinary title of "A Temple to the Divine Lady Donna Joanna of Aragon, erected by the greatest wits, and in all the principal languages in the world." But she is celebrated as well for the qualities of courage and prudence, which were displayed in the active share she took in the disputes between the Colonnas and Pope Paul IV. Died in 1577.—J. B.  ARAGONA, ', a celebrated Italian poetess, born about 1510, was the illegitimate daughter of a Ferrarese lady and of Tagliavia, cardinal-archbishop of Palermo. Her beauty, as well as her talents, surrounded her with admirers, among whom were reckoned the most celebrated men of her time. She resided some years at Venice, then at Ferrara, and afterwards at Rome, where she married. The last years of her life were passed under the protection of Leonora Toledo, duchess of Florence, to whom she dedicated a volume of her poetry, "Rime della Signora Tullia di Aragona e di diversi a lei," 1547. We mention two of her romantic poems, "Dell' Infinita d'Amor," and "Il Meshino, or The Unfortunate." Her death occurred about the year 1565.—J. S., G. <section end="216H" /> <section begin="216I" />ARAGONA,, a Sicilian cardinal, author of some works on ecclesiastical subjects. Died at Rome in 1604. <section end="216I" /> <section begin="216J" />ARAGONESE,, an Italian artist, a native of Brescia, who flourished about 1567. He was celebrated rather as a fine designer than as a painter.—(Lanzi's History of Painting in Italy.) <section end="216J" /> <section begin="216K" />ARAJA,, was born at Naples in the year 1700. The success of his operas of "Berenice," produced at Florence, and "Amor per regnante," at Rome, led to his engagement as chapelmaster at St. Petersburg to the Empress Catherine. Here he produced his "Abiatare," "Semiramide," "Scipione," "Arsace," and "Scleuco," and wrote the first opera that ever was composed in the Russian language, "Cephalo-et Procrès," for which the empress, in expression of her national spirit, presented him with a magnificent sable skin. He returned to Italy in 1759, and is said to have died at Bologna.—G. A. M. <section end="216K" /> <section begin="216L" />ARAKCEJEFF,, chiefly famous from his having established the system of military colonies in Russia. Born in 1769 of a noble but poor family in Novogorod, he obtained a cadetship in the corps of artillery and engineers, and in very early youth manifested the qualities for which he was distinguished in later life of extraordinary exactitude and fidelity in the execution of the orders of his superiors, and firmness, amounting to cruelty, in the maintenance of discipline among his inferiors. He frequently declared that all the actions of men might be classified under two heads—actions commanded, and actions prohibited. He was raised by the Emperor Paul from the command of the miniature army allowed him when grand duke by the Empress Catharine, to the post of general and commander of St. Petersburg, where his despotic brutality occasioned the suicide of Colonel Lehn. Held in universal detestation, he was unwillingly dismissed by Paul, recalled, and again dismissed, until shortly before the emperor's violent death. Paul, instinctively aware that he was surrounded by enemies, was desirous of the protection and support of the iron will and tried fidelity of Arakcejeff, and dispatched a courier to recall him. Count Pahlem, the chief of the conspirators, delayed the courier, and hastened the execution of the plot, so that Arakcejeff arrived too late to save the emperor. Received into favour by Alexander, he was nominated minister of war in 1802, and in 1812 we find him at the emperor's head-quarters and assisting in his councils of war during that critical period. He persuaded Alexander to adopt the system of military colonies, an innovation specially odious to the Russian peasantry, as interfering with the cherished privileges of their rural communes, which may emphatically be termed the national institution of Russia. Constant bloody revolts took place, and great numbers of officers, landed proprietors, and government employés were killed by the exasperated peasants. The firmness and cruelty of Arakcejeff, however, prevailed; the rural populations were decimated, and their resistance literally drowned in blood, but the military colonies were established. The institution was so utterly antagonistic to the nature of the Russian people that it never prospered. On the death of Alexander, Arakcejeff was neglected, and his system, though maintained by Nicholas I., remained undeveloped, and was abandoned shortly after the accession of Alexander II. Arakcejeff, though capable of ordering and witnessing with composure the most terrible punishments and executions, was personally a notorious coward, and never took part in any engagement. He attributed this defect to an excess of nervous irritability. He died forgotten at Wologda in 1834. He may be regarded as the type of zealous servility.—M. Q. <section end="216L" /> <section begin="216M" />ARA´LDI,, an Italian painter of the school of Parma. He was a pupil of Bellini. There remain an Annunciation by Araldi, and altarpieces in several churches. Lanzi pronounces him an indisputably good artist in the mixed style, called "antico moderno." Died about 1528.—(Lanzi's History of Painting in Italy. <section end="216M" /> <section begin="216Zcontin" />ARAM,, a man of considerable erudition, was born at Ramsgil, a village in Netherdale, Yorkshire, in 1704. Though almost entirely self-educated, he acquired a very extensive acquaintance with languages, and knew something of heraldry and botany as well. He passed as usher from one school to another, and was employed in this capacity at Lynn in Norfolk, when he was arrested on a charge of murder. The circumstances which led to his arrest were these:—A skeleton was found near a limekiln at Thistlehill, in the neighbourhood of Knaresborough, and was supposed to be that of a man named Clark, whose sudden disappearance some years before had attracted attention. A man named Houseman, who proved to have been an associate of Eugene Aram, trembled violently when questioned; and, taking up one of the bones, said, "This is no more Clark's bone than it is mine; Clark never was buried here." Further examination brought out the statement that Aram had murdered Clark, and the body was found buried in St. Robert's Cave, near Knaresborough. On the 3rd of August, 1759, Aram, Houseman, and a man of the name of Terry, an innkeeper at Knaresborough, were arraigned for the murder before Justice Noel. No evidence was offered against Houseman. On his testimony Aram was convicted; Terry was acquitted.

When Aram left Knaresborough some fourteen years before, it was under suspicious circumstances. Clark, a shoemaker at Knaresborough, had lately married, and was in some degree of credit in his neighbourhood. In concert with Aram and Houseman he planned and executed a fraud, by which several persons were swindled. On pretence of giving a wedding party, he borrowed several pieces of plate; at the same time he contrived to get into his possession cloth, leather, and other things, from shops in the town, and soon after disappeared. Aram's wife overheard her husband and Houseman speak of murdering her, as knowing more of their secrets than they wished. From that moment she believed that Clark was murdered by them. Within a few days, some of the property was found in Aram's garden; some was also traced to Houseman. No plate was found, and it was supposed that Clark had fled with it.

These incidents, occurring some fourteen years before, had gradually faded from memory; but when Aram was accused, they were at once revived, and suggested a motive for the act. No witnesses were called for him at the trial. He read an elaborate but unavailing defence, relying exclusively on the improbability of the accusation being time. After his conviction, he is said to have confessed the murder to two clergymen appointed by the judge to visit him; but the fact of such confession is not sufficiently authenticated. On the morning of the day of his execution, he made an attempt on his own life; and a paper was found in his cell, in which he justified his intended suicide. "To die is natural and necessary. Perfectly sensible of this, I <section end="216Zcontin" />