AL'ISON, Sir ARCHIBALD, Bart., b. at Kenley, Shropshire, in 1792, was the younger son of the Rev. Archibald A.. author of the Essays on the Nature and Principles of Taste. Ills mother was D3rothea Gregory, daughter of Dr. John Gregory of Edinburgh. In 1800, his father removed to the Scottish metropolis, where he had accepted the senior charge in the Episcopal chapel in the Cowgate, and thus A. had the advantage of studying in a city then, as now, distinguished for its politeness and learning. At Edinburgh univer sity he obtained the highest honors in Greek and mathematics. After he had finished his curriculum, he became a member of the Scottish bar in 1814, but spent a consider able number of years on the continent, before devoting himself to legal avocations. In 1822, he was named advocate-depute, which office he held till 1830. He now began to appear as a writer on law, politics, and literature. His Principles of the Criminal Law of Scotland, published at Edinbnrgh in 1832, is consid3red a standard authority on the subject. In the following year lie published a sequel to the work, entitled The Practice of the Criminal Law. In 1834, he was appointed sheriff of Lanarkshire, by Sir Robert Peel ; in 1845, the students of Aberdeen elected him "lord rector" of ?arischal col lege ; in 1851, he received the same honor from Glasgow university, and subsequently the title of D.C.L. from the university of Oxford. He received a baronetcy in 1852. His
great work is undoubtedly The 1Rstory of Europe during the French Revolution (10 vols. 8vo, 1839-42), which narrates the events from 1789 to 1815 ; a continuation, under the title of The History of Europe from the Fall of Napoleon to the Accession of Louis _Napo leon (9 vols.), was finished in 1859. Ho also publtshed a Life of the Duke of _Marlborough, The Principles of Population, etc., Free Trade and Protection, England in 1815 and 1845, besides contributing for many years to BlarkwoodS Magazine a series of tedious articles on tory politics. It is very difficult to characterize Sir A. A.'s magnum opus, The Ri'story of Europe. Although a work of immense industry, of very respectable accuracy, written with great animation and tolerable candor, it has failed to impress critics with a high idea of Sir A. A.'s abilities. The style is at times excessively wordy, and even when animated it is never picturesque. Neither has he much insight into events or charac ters. Nevertheless, as his work supplied a felt want, and is sufficiently entertaining for a large class of readers, it met with an excessive popularity. It has gone through numerous editions, and has been translated into German, French, Arabic, and other lan guages. A. d. May, 1867.