Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/77

AGU drive them to still more violent proceedings. The parliament resisted, and by a coup d'etat was exiled to a distance from Paris. At length the registration was effected, and Dubois was rewarded with the promised promotion to the dignity of cardinal. D'Aguesseau, after sharing in the obloquy justly cast on Dubois, was again dismissed and banished. The five years he now spent in literary retirement and domestic enjoyment, he always called the happiest days of his life. In 1727, on the death of Dubois, he was invited to Paris by Cardinal Fleury, Dubois' successor, and in 1737 again accepted the office of chancellor. Henceforth, withdrawing his mind as much as possible from political and ecclesiastical contentions, he devoted his energies mainly to law reform, introducing important ameliorations, and seriously contemplating that gigantic enterprise of national codification, to which the writings of Pothier and Domat powerfully contributed, and which was completely accomplished after the Revolution. No country could have required such a measure more than France. It consisted of many provinces, originally distinct states, having each special institutions, and a separate jurisprudence of its own—circumstances inevitably producing interminable conflicts of legal principles and jurisdiction, and all those evils, direct and indirect, which flow from the "glorious uncertainty of the law." Retaining his mental vigour unimpaired, D'Aguesseau finally retired from public life in 1750, and spending the remainder of his days chiefly in the devout study of the holy scriptures, died in 1751, at the age of eighty-three. His collected works were first published in 1759, in 13 vols. 4to.—E. M.  AGUIAR,, a Spanish miniature painter in oil, of the seventeenth century, a disciple of Velasquez, and celebrated for his striking felicity in taking likenesses.  AGUILA, C. F. E. H., an engineer officer and traveller, author of various works, the most important of which is a history of the reign of Gustavus III., king of Sweden, of whose assassination he was an eye-witness. Died at Paris in 1815.  AGUILA,, a Spanish artist of the sixteenth century, who in 1570 painted the celebrated monument of Alfonso the Wise in the cathedral of Murcia.  AGUILA,, a Spanish painter, whose productions, which are in the style of Murillo, and finely coloured, have been highly admired, died at Seville in 1736.  AGUILAR,, an accomplished Jewess, daughter of Emanuel Aguilar of Hackney, and author of an eloquent book, "The Women of Israel," London, 1845. Died at Frankfort, 1847, at the age of 31.  AGUILE´RO,, a Spanish historical painter of some celebrity, a native of Toledo, flourished about the end of the 16th century. Most of his pieces were destroyed by an accidental fire.  AGUILLON,, a Belgian jesuit, successively professor of philosophy at Douay and of theology at Antwerp, author of an able treatise on optics, was the first to diffuse among his countrymen a taste for mathematical studies. Born at Brussels in 1567, he died in 1617. <section end="77H" /> <section begin="77I" />AGUIRRE,, a Spanish Benedictine, of great talents and considerable learning, successively theological professor at Salamanca, censor and secretary to the Spanish Inquisition, author of numerous ecclesiastical works, was born at Logrono in 1630. Pope Innocent XI., in 1686, conferred on him the dignity of cardinal, as the reward of his ability and zeal in promoting the interests of the papacy. Died in 1699. <section end="77I" /> <section begin="77J" />AHAB succeeded his father Omri on the throne of Israel, about 918 years before Christ, and reigned twenty-two years in Samaria, which had been built by Omri for the royal city. He married Jezebel, the daughter of the Zidonian king, and at her instigation introduced the impure worship of Baal, and became noted as one of the most idolatrous and cruel of the kings of Israel. His life is associated with the name of Elijah, who boldly denounced his sins, and thus exposed himself to persecution. The character of Ahab is well illustrated by the story of the vineyard in Jezreel, which he coveted, and at last seized; his wife having secured the death of Naboth, its proprietor, by a false accusation of blasphemy. For this the prophet denounced a fearful curse on his house, the fulfilment of which we read of in the sacred history. Ahab was for several years at war with Syria, and at last, having allied himself with Jehoshaphat of Judah, went against Ramoth Gilead. He entered the battle in disguise, having persuaded Jehoshaphat to occupy the royal chariot, but was wounded by a random arrow, and died before the evening.—J. B. <section end="77J" /> <section begin="77K" />AHASUE´RUS or ACHASVE´ROSH, the title of four Median and Persian kings.

(1.) The father of Darius the Mede, is mentioned in Daniel ix. 1, and is most probably Astyages.

(2.) The king to whom we are told (Ezra iv. 6) an accusation against the Jews was brought, is probably the tyrant Cambyses, the immediate successor of Cyrus.

(3.) The king of whose fickleness and tyranny we read in the book of Esther. In the third year of his reign, he made a great feast for 180 days. During the revelry he sent for Vashti, to show her beauty to his guests. She refused thus to violate the rules of Eastern decorum. The king was enraged, and divorced her; and, after a while, the young Esther was chosen her successor. Haman, a royal favourite, being displeased with Mordecai the Jew, who had been Esther's guardian, plotted against his nation, and obtained from the king an edict for the destruction of all the Jews on a certain day. Esther having heard of this, used her influence with the tyrant, and though the laws of the Medes and Persians could not be altered, another decree was at once published, empowering the Jews to act on the defensive. In consequence, 800 of the native subjects of Ahasuerus perished in Shushan, and 75,000 in the provinces. Several incidents in the life of Xerxes, the invader of Greece, correspond to what we are told of Ahasuerus, and the arguments in favour of his being the king mentioned in Esther are almost conclusive, though some maintain that the character and incidents point rather to Artaxerxes Longimanus.

(4.) The Ahasuerus mentioned in Tobit xiv. 15, in connection with the destruction of Nineveh, must be Cyaxares I.—J. B. <section end="77K" /> <section begin="77L" />AHAZ, the eleventh king of Judah, succeeded his father Jotham, about 775 years before Christ, and reigned for sixteen years. During his reign, Judah was invaded by the allied kings of Israel and Syria, against whom Ahaz sought and obtained assistance from the king of Assyria, who attacked and conquered Damascus. On a visit to that city, Ahaz saw and admired an altar of peculiar construction, and ordered various changes in the temple at Jerusalem, to make it correspond with the Syrian model. He was guilty of great idolatry, the kingdom was in a most unhappy state under his administration, and the accession of his son, the good Hezekiah, was hailed with universal joy.—J. B. <section end="77L" /> <section begin="77M" />AHAZIAH (1.), the son of Ahab, who succeeded him on the throne of Israel, about 897 ., and reigned for two years, following the evil practices of his father, under the direction of Jezebel. During his reign, the Moabites revolted from Israel. He died in consequence of a fall from the roof of his palace. <section end="77M" /> <section begin="77N" />AHAZIAH (2.) or Jehoahaz, the sixth king of Judah, son of Jehoram, and grandson of Ahab, by his mother Athaliah. He closely resembled that king of Israel, and being allied with his relative Jehoram, in the war against Hazael of Syria, he was with him at his summer palace of Jezreel when Jehu appeared to take vengeance on the house of Ahab. After Jehoram was slain, Ahaziah was pursued, and received a wound, of which he died at Megiddo, having reigned only one year, 885 .—J. B. <section end="77N" /> <section begin="77O" />AHIAH, probably the same as Ahimelech (see ). This was the name of other two persons mentioned in the Old Testament, in 1 Kings iv. 3, and in 1 Chron. viii. 7. <section end="77O" /> <section begin="77P" />AHIMAAZ (Brother of anger), a faithful follower of King David during the revolt of Absalom, was the son and successor of Zadok the priest. <section end="77P" /> <section begin="77Q" />AHIMELECH (Brother of the king), the priest at Nob, who supplied David with bread as he fled from the face of King Saul, for which he and his house were destroyed by the tyrant. <section end="77Q" /> <section begin="77R" />AHITHOPHEL (Brother of foolishness), a counsellor of King David, who joined Absalom in his revolt. <section end="77R" /> <section begin="77S" />AHLE,, a poet and musician, son of the following, born at Mühlhausen in 1650, succeeded his father as organist of St. Blaise. He left many works connected with his art, including both songs and sacred pieces, with instrumental accompaniments. <section end="77S" /> <section begin="77T" />AHLE,, a noted German musician, born at Mühlhausen in 1625. He studied at Göttingen and Erfurt, was appointed in 1649 organist of the church of St. Blaise in his native town, and died in 1673, leaving a great many works, chiefly motets and hymns, with some instrumental compositions. <section end="77T" /> <section begin="77Unop" />AHLSTROM,, a Danish astronomer of the seventeenth century, wrote a book entitled "Disputatio Mathematica de triplici solis facie adulterina, in hoc horizonte ortivo, die 23 Octobris, anni 1690." <section end="77Unop" />