"There was an ancient sage philosopher,
Who had read Alexander Ross over."

He was born in Aberdeen in the year 1590; but his parentage has not been ascertained, nor have the circumstances of his early life been recorded. He has been generally confounded with a contemporary of the same name, of whom some account will be found in the next memoir. At what time he quitted Scotland is unknown; but it is supposed that not long after his arrival in England, he was appointed master of the grammar school of Southampton, and chaplain to Charles I. These appointments were probably procured through the influence of Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, to whom he expresses his obligations in the dedication of his "Commentum de Terrae Motu Circulari Refutatum." This work appeared at London in 1634; and though professedly written against Lansbergius and Carpentarius, two advocates of the Copernican theory, contains, in fact, an epitome of all the arguments that have been adduced against that system. The Latinity is respectable, and the argument is managed with considerable skill. During the struggles of the great civil war, Ross espoused the royal cause, and his writings are filled with praises of the king, and denunciations of the parliament. It has been remarked by Echard, however, that he "so managed his affairs, that, in the midst of these storms, he died very rich, as appears from the several benefactions he made." His death took place early in 1654. We learn from the MSS. of Sir Robert Sibbald, that, by his will, dated 21st February, 1653, and probated 19th April, 1654, among numerous other benefactions, he left £200 to the town council of Aberdeen, for the foundation of two bursaries; £50 to the poor of Southampton; £50 to the poor of the parish of All-Saints; and £50 to the Bodleian library. There is scarcely a subject in the wide range of literature, on which Ross has not left a work. His first publication appears to have been poetical: "Rerum Judaicarum Libri Duo", London, 1617. To these he added a third book in 1619, and a fourth in 1632. The rarest of his poetical effusions bears no date, but is entitled. "Three Decads of Divine Meditations, whereof each one containeth three parts. 1. History. 2. An Allegory. 3. A Prayer. With a Commendation of a Private Country Life." This work has been priced so high as £8 8s. "Four Books of Epigrams in Latin Elegiacs," also appeared without a date; and in 1642 he published, "Mel Heliconium, or Poetical Honey gathered out of the Weeds of Parnassus. The first book is divided into vii chapters, according to the first vii letters of the alphabet, containing 48 fictions, out of which are extracted many historicall, naturall, morall, politicall, and theologicall observations, both delightful and useful; with 48 Meditations in Verse." But his most celebrated work in the department of poetry, is his "Virgilii Evangelisantis Christiados Libri xiii.," which was published at London in 1634, and again in 1638 and 1659. This is a cento from Virgil, giving a view of the leading features of sacred history, from the murder of Abel to the ascension of Christ. It excited considerable notice in its day, and was more lately brought before the public attention by Lauder, who accused Milton of having plagiarized it. Lauder says, that by many Ross’s Christiad is esteemed equal with the AEneid. The opening lines may serve as a specimen:--