Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/59

ABENCERBAGES. ABENCEHRAGES, aljriis. ■ra'jf-z; .S>. pron. !il)«>irtha-r;i'Hfts. Ai-cordiii'; to U'j;cnil. a nolile Moorish race whose struggles with the family of the Zegris and tragical destrurtion furni>sh the material for the historical romance Iais _een so embel- lished by legend that it is ditlicult to say what is true and what is imaginary.

ABEN-ESRA, ji'ben ez'ra. properly Abha- uam-bex-^Meiimux-Ksra (1002-lUi7). One of the most learned Jews of his time, lie was born in Toledo, Spain. He died .January 23, 1107. He was master of the Hebrew, Arabic, and Ara- nuiic languages; had considerable knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, and medicine: was a scientific observer and a poet, ami generally dis- tinguished himself as a sagacious thinker. He visited Lombardy. Provence, France, Egypt, and England, and passed the later years of his life in Koine, everywhere teaching grammar, theology, astronomy, etc., besides writing works on He- brew grammar and composing numerous poems. His Commentaries on the Old Testament are the most important- of his works, though his scientific method occasioned opposition upon the part of the Talnuulists. He also prodviced some treatises on astrology, since published in Latin. The schol- astic writers mention AbeuEsra as Auknake or AvENAKU. An Englisli translation of his Isaiah has been made by M. Friedliindcr ( London, IST.'i). of his Cant'icirs by H. .J. Mathews, with original text in Friedliindcr, Miscetlani/ of Be- l^reir Literature, vol. ii. (London, 1877).

ABENSBEBG, li'bens-berK. A town in Low- er Bavaria, Germany, situated IS miles south- west of Ratisbon (Map: Germany, 1) 4). It has warm springs and ruins of a castle. On April 20. ISOO. Xapoleon here defeated the Austrians and opened the way for the victory of Eckmiil. Pop., 1900. 2202.

ABEOKUTA, ii'liAA-kiio'tA. A large city in Yoruba, on the Slave Coast, north of Lagos, with which it is connected by rail (Map: .Xfrica. E 4). It is situated on an elevated plain and is surrounded by a higli mud wall. It occupies an extensive area, but its general appearance is that of a very large village. .Abeokuta was founded about 182.) as a result of the shive- luuiling expeditions of the natives of Dahomey and lba<lon. It was founded ])rimarily on the lines of a confederation for mutual protection, each tribe, however, preserving its individual rights and customs. The population is esli- mated at from 80,000 to l.SO.OOO. and consists of about GO difl'erent tribes. The inhabitants are diietly artisans and traders, and show nuieh skill in their buildings and textiles, ABERBROTH WICK, ab'er-brothlk. See.

AB'ERCARN (Celtic . aicr. conlluence of rivers -■ tiacl. earn, a conical heap of stones). A town in Jlonmouthsliire. Englanil, five anil one- half miles southwest of Ponlypool. It is a pro- gressive municipality, owning waterworks and cemeteries. Pojiulation. mostlv engaged in coal mining. 1891. 10,400; 1901, 12,"COO.

ABERCROMBIE, :-ib'erkrum'bI, James. See . ABERCROMBIE, John (1780-1844). An eminent Scotch physician. He was born at Aber- deen, and graduali'd in medicine at Edinburgh in 180:i. He practiced his profession in the Scottish capital, and soon became recognized as the first consulting physician in Scotland. Among the honors bestowed upon him wera the degree of M.D. from Oxford, the rectorship of Marischal College, the vicc-|)residency of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the oOice of physician in "or<lin;uy to His Majesty for Scot- land. Besides his professional writings he pub- lished huiuiries Co)ieernin(i llie InteUvetual I'ow- ers (Edinburgh, 1830), and I'bilosophti of the Moral FecUiiys (London, 1833), both of which attained a remarkable |)opularily. They cham- ])ioned the views of the Scotch school as repre- senteil by Dugald Stewart, but had no origi- nality, and therefore have now little philosoph- ical value.

ABERCROMBY, ab'er-krinn'bi, or Aber- cROMBie, James (ITO(i-Sl). . British soldier, born at Glassbangh. Scotland. He entered the army as colonel in 1740. and was raised to the rank of major-general and sent to Amer- ica in 17.50, where in 17.58 he replaced Lou- don as conimander-inchicf of the British and colonial forces. On .luly 8, 1758, at the head of 15,000 men, he attacked Ticonderoga (q.v.). but was repulsed with a loss of fully 2000 men. This attack was the culmination of a career of incapacity, and in September he was superseded by Sir '.Jeffrey Amherst. Returning (1759) to England, he became a member of Parliament, and was conspicuous as an upholder of George lll.'s colonial i)olicy. For his record as an officer in America, consult: Parkman, Monteuhn and Wolfe (Boston, 1884).

ABERCROMBY, (1734-1801). A distinguished British general. He was born at Menstry. near TuUiliody, Scotland. October. 1734. He was educated at Rugby, iind studied for the legal profession at l'".iliMl)urgli and Leipzig, but preferred the army, and a cornet's commission was obtained for him in 1750. In 1758 he accompanied his regiment to Germany. where he saw active warfare, and gained experience in army management. At the conclusion of peace, he was stationed in Ireland for several years. He married in 1707. and by 1773 had risen to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He entered Parliament after a bloodless duel with his defeated opponent, and strongly opposed the American war, a course particularly honorable, as he desired active service. The war with France gave him his opportunity. Family influence and his reputation procured his promotion to be major-general of a brigade ordered to Flanders, where be distinguished himself so highly as to be publicly thanked by the Duke of York. Under him the Duke of Wellington, then Lieutenant-Colonel Wellesley. commanding the Thirty-third Regiment, received his baptism of fire. Abercromby was knighted on his return to England in 1795. and was surprised to find himself famous as his country's greatest general. The disastrous campaign, however, bad shown him the deterioration in army discipline, and his energies were devoted to the reorganization of the whole army system. In 1790 he conducted a successful expedition to the West Indies. In 1797 he went to