Alan, Cardinal. See Allan.
Alan de l'Isle (Alarms de Insulis), so called be- cause, as most writers say, he was a native of Ryssel, in Flanders, now Lille (L'Isle, Insula) in France, or it was the name of his family. He obtained the name of "the Universal Doctor," being equally well skilled in theology, philosophy, and poetry. It is said that a great part of his life was spent in England. The opinion that he was the same as Alan of Flanders (q. v.) is now generally rejected. He was born in 1114, and died about 1200. Having been appointed to the episcopal see of Auxerre or Canterbury (the place is as uncertain as the fact), he soon resigned his func- tions in order to retire to the monastery of Citeaux, where he seems to have devoted himself to alchemy. Of his alchemical labors, we only know his aphorism (dicta) on the philosopher's stone. Alan calls the amalgam resulting from the union of gold or of silver with mercury the "solution of philosophers" (solutio philosophorum), and adds that great advantages may be derived therefrom. His works are, 1. Doctrinale Mi- nns, or the book of parables (Gons. 1491, 4to) ; 2. Doc- trinale Minus Alterum, or Liber Sententiarum et Dicto- rum, Memordbilium (Paris, 1492, 4to) ; 3. Elucidatio supra Cant'ica Canlicorum (Paris, 1540) ; 4. Lib. de Planctu Naturae, on the vices of the age and their rem- edy ; 5. A nt id audi anus, sive, de officio viri in omnibus vir- tutibusperfecti: libri ix (Hasle,'l53G, 8vo; Ant, 1621): this work is also called the " Encyclopedia," from its professing to contain every thing divine and human which man ought to meditate upon and admire; 6. De arte seu articulis Catholicw fidei (published by Masson, Paris, 1612, 8vo); 7. Aluni Magru 'do Insulis explana- tionum in prophet iam Merlini Ambrosii, Britanrti, libri vii ( Francfort, 1607, 8vo) ; 8. Liber pwi/itintialis, ded- icated to Henry de Sully, archbishop of Bourges. Sev- eral other works of Alan are found in manuscript in
the libraries of France and England. Another work of his on morals has been discovered during the pres- ent century at Avranches (see Kavaisson, Rapport sur Us Bibliotheques de VOuest de la France, Paris, 1841, p. 157). The work Opus Quadrijiartitum def.de Catholica contra Valdenses, Albigcnses et alios hujus temporis he- reticos, which was formerty enumerated among his works, is probably not from him, but from Alan de Podio (q. v.). — Cave, Hist. Lit. ann. 1151 ; Mosheim, Ch. Hist. cent, xiii, pt. ii, ch. ii.
Alan de Podio, an ecclesiastical writer, who is probably the author of the work Opus Quadiipartitum dejide Catholica. See Alan de l'Isle. No partic- ulars of the life of this author are known. His sur- name points to Provence. Another work of his has been discovered during the present century at Av- ranches (see Ravaisson, Rapport sur les Bibliotheques de VOuest de la France, Paris, 1841, p. 157); and he is also supposed to be the author of a work dedicated to the Abbot Ermengaldus, of St. Gilles, and designated in the manuscript as Oculus, Oraculum Scriplurce Sa- cra; AHquivoca, etc.
Alan of Flanders (Alanus Flandriensis), bishop of Auxerre, born in Flanders at the beginning of the 12th century, died in 1182. Some historians, as Oudin (q. v.), identify him with Alan de l'Isle (q. v.), while others, like Cave and the authors of the Histoire Lit- teraire de France, regard them as different persons. He became a monk at Clairvaux, under St. Bernard, in 1128 ; was, about 1139, made the first abbot of Ri- voir or Rivour, in the diocese of Troves, in Champagne, and, in 1151 (or 1152), bishop of Auxerre. H.e is the author of a life of St. Bernard (included in Opera St. Bemardi, torn, ii, 1690, fol.).
Alarm (HWltn, teruah', a loud sound or shout, as often), a broken quivering sound of the silver trum- pets of the Hebrews, warning them in their journey in the wilderness (Num. x, 5, 6; comp. Lev. xxiii, 24; xxv, 9; xxix, 1). When the people or the rulers were to be assembled together, the trumpet was blown softty ; when the camps were to move forward, or the people to march to war, it was sounded with a deeper note (Jahn, Bibl. Archdol. § 95, v). Hence a war- note or call to arms, or other public exigency in gen- eral (Jer. iv, 19; xlix, 2; Zeph. i, 16). See Trum- pet.
Alasco, John. See Lasco.
Alb, Alba, a long white tunic in the Church of Rome, worn by all ecclesiastics during service, and answering to the surplice in the Church of England, excepting that the alb is narrower in the sleeves, and fits the body more closely, being often gathered at the waist by a girdle. The ornaments at the bot- tom and wrists are call- ed apparels, and it is also sometimes em- broidered with a cross upon the breast. See Vestment.
It was an ancient custom to clothe the newly-baptized in al- bis, in white garments. These garments were delivered to them, with a solemn charge to keep their robes of in- nocence unspotted un- til the day of Christ. This dress was worn from Easter-eve until the Sunday after East- er, which was called
Dominica in albis ; that is, the Sunday in white, whence the namo Whitsunday. The garment was usually made