ALSACE (Germ. Elsass), a former province of France, divided after the Revolution into the departments of Haut Rhin and Bas Rhin, and incorporated since the war of 1870 with the German empire. It is bounded on the north by the Rhine palatinate, on the east by the Rhine, on the south by Switzerland, and on the west by the Vosges Mountains; and it comprises an area of 3344 English square miles. The district possesses many natural attractions, and is one of the most fertile in central Europe. There are several ranges of hills, but no point within the province attains a great elevation. The only river of importance is the Ill, which falls into the Rhine after a course of more than 100 miles, and is navigable below Colmar. The hills are generally richly wooded, chiefly with fir, beech, and oak. The agricultural products are corn, flax, tobacco, grapes, and various other fruits. The country has a great wealth of minerals, silver having been found, and copper, lead, iron, coal, and rock-salt being wrought with profit. There are considerable manufactures, chiefly of cotton and linen. The chief towns are Mühlhausen and Colmar in the upper district, and Strasburg in the lower. The province is traversed from east to west by the railway from Strasburg to Nancy, and the main line north and south runs between Basle and Strasburg....

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 “becoming a convert to his principles, received ordination in the Presbyterian way, not being satisfied with that which he had from the bishop.” 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 Transprosed, 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 invitation 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, ...

ALSTED, Johann Heinrich, a German Protestant divine, and one of the most voluminous writers of the 17th century, was born in 1588. He was some time professor 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 Encyclopaedia, the most considerable of the earlier works of that class, was long held in very high estimation. It was published in 1630, in two large folio volumes, the whole having been composed by himself. His Thesaurus Chronologies has gone through several editions. He published in 1627 a treatise, De Mille Annis, in which he asserted that the reign of the saints on earth was to begin in 1694.

ALSTON, Charles, M.D., a botanical and medical writer, was born in the west of Scotland in the year 1683. He began his studies at the university of Glasgow; and on the death of his father, prosecuted them under the patronage of the Duchess of Hamilton. After studying at Leyden under Boerhaave, along with Alexander Monro (1716— 19), he returned to Edinburgh, and shared with Monro, Rutherford, Sinclair, and Plummer, the honour of laying the foundation of the renowned school of medicine there. He lectured on botany and materia medica with increasing reputation till his death in November 1760. He was a man of great ability, and an assiduous student of science. His most valuable work is his Lectures on Materia Medica, 2 vols., 1770.

ALSTROEMER, Jonas, a Swedish industrial reformer, was born at Alingsaes, in West Gothland, on the 7th Jan. 1685. He left his native village at an early age, and in 1707 became clerk to Alberg, a merchant of Stockholm, whom he accompanied to London. After carrying on business for three years, Alberg failed, and Alström (as the clerk then called himself) engaged in the business of shipbroker on his own account, which eventually proved very successful. After travelling for several years on the Continent, he was seized with the patriotic desire to transplant to his native country some of the industries he had seen flourishing in Britain. He accordingly returned to Alingsaes, and in 1724 established a woollen factory in the village, which after preliminary difficulties was completely successful. He next established a sugar refinery at Gothenburg; introduced improvements in the cultivation of potatoes and of plants suitable for dyeing; and directed attention to improved methods in shipbuilding, tanning, and the manufacture of cutlery. But his most successful undertaking was the importation of sheep from England, Spain, and Angora. In return for his services he received many marks of distinction. He was created (1748) knight of the order of the North Star; and a few years later received letters of nobility, with permission to change his name to Aiströmer. He died June 2, 1761, leaving several works on practical industrial subjects. A statue was erected to his honour in the exchange at Stockholm. One of his sons, Clas (i.e., Claude), was a naturalist of considerable eminence.