ALEXANDER, a learned monk in the reign of Henry VIII. Where he was born, though of no great importance, was nevertheless a matter of virulent contention among his former biographers. Bale, who was his contemporary, is of opinion he was born in Somersetshire. There is indeed a village of his name, and a numerous family, in that county. Pits thinks he was born in Devonshire. Mackenzie is positive he was a Scotchman; but without proof, unless we admit as such his name Alexander. He was, however, educated in Oriel-college, Oxford. After leaving the university he went abroad, and continued some time in France, Italy, and Germany, where he acquired a competent knowledge of the languages of those countries, as appears from several translations of books, which which he afterwards published. On his return to England, he was made chaplain to his patron the bishop of Tyne, who likewise appointed him a priest of St Mary, at the college of Ottery in Devonshire, founded by Grandison bishop of Exeter. After the death of his patron, he became a Benedictine monk of Ely. On the dissolution of that monastery, he first obtained the vicarage of St Matthew at Wokey in Somersetshire; and, in 1549, being then doctor of divinity, was presented to the vicarage of Much Badew in Essex. In 1552, he was appointed rector of Allhallows, Lombard-street, which he lived to enjoy but a very short time. He died at Croydon in Surry in June 1552. He is generally allowed to have improved the English language, and to have been one of the politest writers of his time. He composed several original works; but was chiefly remarkable for his translations from the Latin, Italian, French, and German languages. His version from Sallust of the war of Jugurtha is accurate, and not without elegance. His lives of several saints, in heroic verse, are still unpublished. His Stultifera navis, or The ship of fools, is the most singular of his performances. It was printed by Richard Pynson at London, 1509, in folio; and contains a variety of wooden plates, which are worthy the inspection of the curious.

Barclay, William, a learned civilian, was born in Aberdeenshire in the year 1541. He spent the early part of his life, and much of his fortune, at the court of Mary queen of Scots, from whose favour he had reason to expect preferment. In 1573 he went over to France, and at Bourges commenced student of civil law under the famous Cujacius. He continued some years in that seminary, where he took a doctor's degree; and was soon after appointed professor of civil law in the university of Pont-à-Mousson, then first founded by the duke of Lorraine. That prince afterwards made him counsellor of state and master of requests. Barclay, in the year 1581, married Ann de Mallaville, a French lady, by whom he had a son, who became a celebrated author, and of whom the reader will find an account in the next article. This youth the Jesuits would gladly have received into their society. His father refused his consent, and for that reason these disciples of Jesus soon contrived to ruin him with the duke his patron. Barclay now embarked for Britain, where King James I. offered him a considerable preferment, provided he would become a member of the church of England: but not choosing to comply, he returned to France in 1604; and, soon after his arrival, was appointed professor of civil law in the university of Angers, where he died the year following, and was buried in the Franciscan church. He was esteemed a learned civilian; and wrote elaborately in defence of the divine right of kings, in answer to Buchanan and others. The titles of his works are, 1. De regno et regali potestate, &c. 2. Commentarius in tit. pandectarum de rebus creditis, et de jurejurando. 3. De potestate pape, &c. 4. Primitia in vitam Agricolae.

Barclay, John, son of the former, was, as we have above mentioned, so great a favourite of the Jesuits, that they used all their efforts to engage him in their society. His father would not consent, and carried his son with him into England, who was already an author, for he had published "A Commentary upon the Thebais of Statius;" and a Latin poem on the coronation of King James, and the first part of Euphormio, 1603. He returned to France with his father; and after his father's death went to Paris, and soon after came back to London: he was there in 1666. He published "The History of the Gunpowder Plot," a pamphlet of six leaves, printed at Amsterdam. He published at London in 1610 "An Apology for the Euphormio;" and his father's treatise De potestate pape. And at Paris, 1612, he published a book entitled Pietas, in answer to Cardinal Bellarmine, who had written against William Barclay's book concerning the power of the Pope. Two years after he published Icon Aninorum. He was invited to Rome by Pope Paul V. and received a great deal of civility from Cardinal Bellarmine, though he had written against him. He died at Rome in 1621, while his Argens was printing at Paris. This celebrated work has since gone through a great number of editions, and has been translated into most languages. M. de Peiref, who had the care of the first edition, caused the effigies of the author to be placed before the book; and the following distich, written by Grotius, was put under it.

Gente Caledonius, Gallus natalibus, hic est, Roman Romano qui docet ore loqui.

Barclay, Robert, one of the most eminent among the Quakers, the son of Colonel David Barclay, descended of the ancient family of Barclays, was born at Edinburgh in 1648. He was educated under an uncle at Paris, where the Papists used all their efforts to draw him over to their religion. He joined the Quakers in 1669, and distinguished himself by his zeal and abilities in defence of their doctrines. In 1676 he published in Latin at Amsterdam his "Apology for the Quakers;" which is the most celebrated of his works, and esteemed the standard of the doctrine of the Quakers. The Theses Theologicae, which were the foundation of this work, and addressed to the clergy of what fort ever, were published before the writing of the Apology, and printed in Latin, French, High-Dutch, Low-Dutch, and English. The dedication of his Apology to King Charles II. is very remarkable for the uncommon frankness and simplicity with which it is written. Amongst many other extraordinary passages, we meet with the following: "There is no king in the world who can so experimentally testify of God's providence and goodness; neither is there any who rules so many free people, so many true Christians; which thing renders thy government more honourable, thyself more considerable, than the accession of many nations filled with flattery and superstitious fools. Thou hast tasted of prosperity and adversity; thou knowest what it is to be banished thy native country, to be over-ruled as well as to rule and sit upon the throne; and being oppressed, thou hast reason to know how hateful the oppressor is both to God and man: if, after all those warnings and advertissements, thou dost not turn unto the Lord, with all thy heart, but forget him who remembered thee in thy distress, and give thyself up to follow lust and vanity, surely great will be thy condemnation."—He travelled with the famous Mr William Penn through the greatest part of England, Holland, Holland, and Germany, and was everywhere received with the highest respect; for though both his conversation and behaviour were suitable to his principles, yet there was such liveliness and spirit in his discourse, and such serenity and cheerfulness in his deportment, as rendered him extremely agreeable to all sorts of people. When he returned to his native country, he spent the remainder of his life in a quiet and retired manner. He died at his own house at Ury on the 3d of October 1692, in the 42d year of his age.