Alfonso X

Alfonso X (1226-1284), surnamed the Wise, or the Astronomer, was king of Castile and Leon (now in Spain), was celebrated as an astronomer and a philosopher. After various successes over the Moors, first one son and then another rose against him and drove him from the throne. He died of chagrin at Seville two years later. His fame connects itself with the preparation of the Alfonsine Tables, and the remark that "the universe seemed a crank machine, and it was a pity the Creator had not taken advice." It was a saying of his, "old wood to burn, old books to read, old wine to drink, and old friends to converse with".

Nearby pages
Alfonso XIII, Alfred, Alfred Adler, Alfred Austin, Alfred Bate Richards