PROSPERO, in Latin, Prospere Alpinus, a celebrated physician and botanist, was born at Marofica in the republic of Venice in November 1553. In his early years his inclination led him to the profession of arms, and he served some time in the Milanese. By the encouragement and persuasion of his father, who was a physician, he retired from the army, and devoted his attention to literature. To prosecute his studies with more advantage, he went to the university of Padua, where he was soon after elected deputy to the rector and syndic to the students. But in the discharge of his official duties, which was distinguished by prudence and address, he was not prevented from pursuing the study of physic which he had chosen. He continued his medical studies with zeal and success; and after having acquired the necessary qualifications, he was admitted to the degree of doctor of medicine in 1578. Soon after, he left the university, and settled as a physician in consequence of an invitation from the citizens in Campo San Pietro, a small town in the Paduan territory.

In the course of his studies he had paid particular attention to plants, and had become an enthusiastic in botanical science. The sphere of his present practice was too limited to afford him much opportunity of prosecuting his favourite study. He wished particularly to extend his knowledge of exotic plants; and the only means to attain this, he thought, was to study their economy and habits in their native soil. And to gratify this laudable curiosity an opportunity soon presented itself. George Emo, the consul for the Venetian republic in Egypt, appointed Alpini his physician. They sailed from Venice in September 1580; and after having experienced a tedious and dangerous voyage, arrived at Grand Cairo in the beginning of July the following year. Alpini spent three years in Egypt, and, by his industry and fidelity, greatly improved his botanical knowledge. With this view he travelled along the banks of the Nile, visited every place, and consulted every person from whom he expected any new information. From a practice in the management of date trees which he observed in this country, Alpini seems to have deduced the doctrine of the sexual difference of plants, which was adopted as the foundation of the celebrated system of Linnaeus. He says, "That the female date trees, or palms, do not bear fruit, unless the branches of the male and female plants are mixed together; or, as is generally done, unless the dust found in the male flowers, or male flowers, is sprinkled over the female flowers."

When Alpini returned to Venice in 1586 he was appointed physician to Andrea Doria prince of Melfi, and during his residence at Genoa, acquired so great a name as to be esteemed the first physician of his age. The Venetians became jealous that the Genoese State should number among its citizens a person of such distinguished merit and reputation, whose services might be... be essentially beneficial, and whose fame might be highly honourable, to his native country. In the year 1593, he was recalled to fill the botanical chair in the university of Padua, with a salary of 200 florins, which was afterwards augmented to 750. He discharged the duties of his professorship for many years with great reputation, till his declining health interrupted his labours. He died in the year 1617, in the 64th year of his age, and was succeeded as botanical professor by one of his sons. Alpini wrote the following works in Latin: 1. *De Medicina Ægyptiorum, libri iv.* "Of the Physic of the Egyptians," in four books; printed at Venice, 1592, in 4to. 2. *De Plantis Ægypti liber:* "A treatise concerning the plants of Egypt;" printed at Venice, 1592, in 4to. 3. *De Balismo Dialogus:* "A dialogue concerning the Balm of Gilead;" printed at Venice, 1592, in 4to. 4. *De Prefiguranda vita et morte ægrotantium libri vii:* "Seven books concerning the method of forming a judgment of the life or death of patients;" printed at Venice, 1601, in 4to. 5. *De Medicina methodica, libri xiii:* "Thirteen books concerning methodical Physic;" Padua, 1611, folio; Leyden, 1719, in 4to. 6. *De Rhapontico Disputatione:* "A disputation held in the school at Padua concerning the Rhaponticum;" Padua, 1612, and 1629, in 4to. 7. *De Plantis Exoticis, libri ii:* "Of exotic plants, in two books;" Venice, 1699, in 4to. He left several other works, which have never been printed; particularly, 8. The fifth book concerning the physic of the Egyptians. 9. Five books concerning the natural history of things observed in Egypt, adorned with figures of plants, stones, and animals. (Biog. Diet.)

**ALPINIA.** Sec Botany Index.

**ALPINUS.** Sec Alpini.

**ALPISTE,** or **ALPIA,** a sort of feed used to feed birds with, especially when they are to be nourished for breeding. The alpitte feed is of an oval figure, of a pale yellow, inclining to an Isabel colour, bright and glossy. It is an article of the corn-chandlers and seedmen's trade.

**ALPS,** in Geography, a range of high mountains, separating Italy from Gaul and Germany, in the form of a crescent. They take their rise from the Vada Sabatia, or Savona; and reach to the Sinus Flanaticus (now Golfo di Carnaro of the Adriatic), and the springs of the river Colapis (now the Kulpe); extending, according to Livy, 2000 stadia in length, or 250 miles: they are divided into several parts, and accordingly have different names. From Savona to the springs of the Varus, where the Alps lie against the sea of Genoa, they are called *Maritime,* now le Montagne di Tenda. These extend from south to north, between Gaul to the west, and Genoa to the east, beginning at Monaco on the Mediterranean; then running out through the east of the county of Nice, and between that and the marquisate of Saluzzo, terminate at length at Mount Vifo, between Dauphiné and Piedmont. Hence to Sufa run the *Alpes Cottiae* (Sueton.) *Cottane* (Tacitus); mountains extremely high, separating Dauphiné from Piedmont, and extending from Mount Vifo to Mount Cenis, between the *Alpes Maritimes* to the south, and the *Graiae* to the north. The *Alpes Graiae* (Pliny), so called from the passage of Hercules, begin from Mount Cenis, where the *Cottiae* terminate; and run out between Savoy and the Tarentese to the west, and Piedmont and the duché d'Aoste to the east, quite to the Great St Bernard, where the *Alpes Penninæ* begin. They are also called by some *Graiae Alpes,* and *Graiae Mons* (Tacitus); which extend from west to east, between St Bernard and the Adula, or St Gothard; and thus they run out between the Valais to the north, and the Milanese to the south. With these are continued the *Alpes Rhaetiae,* to the head of the river Piave; a part of which are the *Alpes Tridentinae,* to the north of Trent. To these join the *Alpes Noricæ,* reaching to Doblach in Tyrol, to the north of the river Talamiento; thence begin the *Alpes Carnicae,* or of Carniola, extending to the springs of the Save; and the last, called *Alpes Pannonicae,* and *Juliae,* extent to the springs of the Kulpe. Some, however, extend the Alps to the north of Dalmatia; others, again, to Thrace and the Euxine. But their termination at the Kulpe, as above, is more generally received. They were formerly called *Albia,* and *Alpionia* (Strabo.) Through these mountains Hannibal forced his passage into Italy, by pouring vinegar on the rocks, heated by burning large piles of wood on them, by which means they became crumbled, (Livy.) They are covered with perpetual snow.

The Alps are the highest mountains in Europe; being, according to some geometricians, about two miles in perpendicular height. They begin at the Mediterranean; and stretching northward, separate Piedmont and Savoy from the adjacent countries; whence directing their course to the east, they form the boundary between Switzerland and Italy, and terminate near the extremity of the Adriatic sea, north-east of Venice. It was over the western part of those mountains, towards Piedmont, that Hannibal forced his passage into Italy.

The prospect from many parts of this enormous range of mountains is extremely romantic, especially towards the north-west. One of the most celebrated is the Grande Chartreuse, where is a monastery founded by St Bruno about the year 1084. From Echelles, a little village in the mountains of Savoy, to the top of the Chartreuse, the distance is five miles. Along this course, the road runs winding up, for the most part not five feet broad. On one hand is the rock, with woods of pine trees hanging over head; on the other a prodigious precipice almost perpendicular; at the bottom of which rolls a torrent, that, sometimes tumbling among the fragments of stone which have fallen from on high, and sometimes precipitating itself down vast descents with a noise like thunder, rendered yet more tremendous by the echo from the mountains on each side, concurs to form one of the most solemn, the most romantic, and most astonishing scenes in nature. To this description may be added the strange views made by the crags and cliffs, and the numerous cascades which throw themselves from the very summit down into the vale. On the top of the mountain is the convent of St Bruno, which is the superior of the whole order. The inhabitants consist of 100 fathers, with 300 servants, who grind their corn, press their wine, and perform every domestic office, even to the making of their clothes. In the Album of the fathers is an admired alcaic ode, written by the late ingenious Mr Gray when he visited the Chartreuse, and which has since been published among his works.

The glaciers of Savoy are also justly reckoned among the the most stupendous works of nature. These are immense masses of ice, lodged upon the gentler declivities amidst the Alps, and exhibiting representations beyond conception fantastic and picturesque. In the extraordinary narrative of M. Bourrit's journey hither, we meet with the following account of the Prieré, in the valley of Chamouni. "We had (says he) the magnificent prospect of a chain of mountains, equally inaccessible, and covered with ice; and above the rest that of Mont Blanc, whose top seemed to reach, and even pierce, the highest region of the clouds. The chain upon which this mountain looks down like a giant, is composed of masses of rock which terminate in pikes or spires, called the Needles, and which are ranged like tents in a camp. Their sides appear lighter and more airy, from the ornament of several hollow breaks and furrows fretted in the rock itself, as well as from the different streaks and panes of ice and snow, which, without changing the general character of their form, or the majesty of their appearance, give them a picturesque variety. Lower down, the eye surveys with ravishment, the hills of ice, and the several glaciers, extending almost into the plain, whilst this appears like an artificial garden, embellished with the mixture of a variety of colours. We have a picturesque opposition to this chain, which is formed by innumerable mountains at the distance of near 50 leagues, between whose tops we have a glimpse of those several plains which they environ."

M. de Sandurc, who had visited those mountains about two months before M. Bourrit, felt himself naturally electrified in this place. This extraordinary phenomenon seems not to have been experienced by the latter or his company; but they heard a long continued rumbling noise like that of thunder, which was rendered more awful by the silence of the place where they stood. This noise proceeded from the subsequent causes, viz. the avalanches of snow, which separated from the tops of the mountains, and rolled down to the bottom; considerable fragments of the rocks which followed them, overturning others in their fall; and maffy blocks of ice, which precipitated from the summits.

The valley of Montanvert appears to be peculiarly romantic. "Here (says M. Bourrit) we beheld a spacious icy plain entirely level. Upon this there rose a mountain all of ice, with steps ascending to the top, which seemed the throne of some divinity. It likewise took the form of a grand calcaire, whose figure was beyond conception beautiful; and the sun, which shone upon it, gave a sparkling brilliance to the whole. The valley on our right hand was ornamented with prodigious glaciers, that, shooting up to an immeasurable height between the mountains, blend their colours with the skies, which they appear to reach."