JOHN ALPHONSO, a famous philoso- pher and mathematician, born at Naples on the 28th of January 1608. He was professor of philosophy and mathematics in some of the most celebrated univer- sities of Italy, particularly at Florence and Pisa, where he became highly in favour with the princes of the house of Medicis; but having been engaged in the re- volt of Messina, he was obliged to retire to Rome, where he spent the remainder of his life under the protection of Christina, queen of Sweden, who ho- noured him with her friendship, and by her liberality towards him softened the rigour of his hard fortune. He continued two years in the convent of the regu- lar clergy of St Pantaleon, called the pious schools, where he instructed the youth in mathematical stu- dies. He died there of a pleurisy, the 31st of De- cember 1679, in the 72nd year of his age. He wrote in Latin, 1. Euclid restored. 2. The theory of the influence of the planets in medicine, deduced from physical causes. 3. Of percussive force. 4. Of natu- ral motions depending upon gravity. 5. An historical and meteorological account of the burning of Mount Aetna, in the year 1669. 6. Of the motion of ani- mals; and several other works, some of which are in Italian.