AVILA, Gil Gonzales de. See Dávila, Gil Gonzales.
AVILA Y ZÚÑIGA, a'vf-la e thoo'nye-ga,
Luis de (c. 1490-1552). A Spanish diplomatist and chronicler of the wars of Charles V., born at Placencia, in Estremadura. He seems to have stood high in favor with the Emperor, whom he accompanied on his expeditions to Africa and on his campaign against the Schmalkald League, and who intrusted him with embassies to the Popes Paul IV. and Pius IV. His Comentarios de la guerra de Alemana, hecha por Cálos V. en 1546 y 1547, is valuable as the record of an observant eye-witness; but the evident spirit of partiality in which it is written justifies the Emperor's own comment: "Alexander's achievements surpass mine, but he was less lucky in his chronicler." The latest edition is that of Madrid, 1852. The work has been translated into several languages.
AVILER, a've'la',
Augustin Charles d' (1653-1700). A French architect, born in Paris. He built the Porte-du-Peyrou, erected at Montpellier in honor of Louis XIV., and various structures at Béziers, Nimes, Carcassonne, and the archiepiscopal palace at Toulouse. His principal book is the Dictionnaire des termes de l'architecture civile et hydraulique, which remained unpublished until 1738.
AVILES, a've-las'. A seaport of some im-
portance in the Province of Oviedo, Spain. It is
situated 19 miles north by west of the city of
Oviedo, at the mouth of the chief branch of the
Aviles, which is here crossed by a bridge, and is
navigable at high water for vessels of the largest
size. It has several good squares, handsome
buildings, and gardens. In addition to the castle,
the two churches, three monasteries, and a hospi-
tal, there is a naval academy. Pottery and weav-
ing are the industries of the town. There are
copper mines in the vicinity, and a considerable
trade is carried on in articles of copper, as well
as in coal, which is obtained not far from the
town. Population, in 1897, 12,100.
AV'ISON, Charles (1710-70). An English composer. He was born at Newcastle, Eng., where, after having studied in Italy, he became organist in 1736. He wrote an Essay on Musical Expression (1752), in which he ranked the French and Italian composers above the Germans, and which created a considerable stir in the musical world of the time. He composed sets of concertos and sonatas which were very popular. He figures in Browning's Parleyings with Certain People.
AVI'TUS, Alcimus Ecdicius (? — c.525).
A French ecclesiastic. He became bishop of
Vienne in Burgundy, and was of very consider-
able prominence in the Church at that time. At
a conference held in 499 between Arian and
Roman theologians, he was the chief representa-
tive of the Romans, and by his influence there.
together with his subsequent conversion of King
Sigismund of Burgundy, did much to check the
spread of Arianism in that kingdom and through-
out Gaul. He also presided in 517 at the Synod
of Epaone, which established forty canons in
definition of the relations of the Church in
Burgundy toward the civil power, and more
especially toward heretics. Of his extant writ-
ings, comprising homilies, epistles, and poems, the
most important is the didactic epic, De Spiritalis Historiæ Gestis (wrongly known as De Mundi Principio). His collected works were edited by Sirmond, Bibliotheca Maximorum Patrum, Vol. IX. (1643). Consult Binding, Geschichte des Burgundischen Königreichs (Leipzig, 1868).
AVIZ, a'vesh (named after Aviz, its original
seat). An order of knighthood in Portugal, in-
stituted by Alfonso I., in 1162, in imitation of
the Order of Calvatrava, and having, like it,
for its object the subjection of the Moors. From
1213 to 1385 it acknowledged the authority of
the grand master of Calvatrava. In 1789 the
Order was secularized and membership in it
made a reward of merit. By the present usage,
the King of Portugal, who is Grand Master of
all orders, wears the decorations of the first
three orders of Portugal — those of Christ, Saint
James, and Aviz — united in one medal. The
order was extended to Brazil in 1823.
AVLONA, av-lo'na (the ancient Greek Av'/uv,
AiilOa) , or Valo'na. A seaport in Albania, Euro-
pean Turkey, in the Vilayet of Janina, on the
Gulf of Avlona (Map: Turkey in Europe, B 4).
It has a safe and spacious harbor and consider-
able trade in oil, wool, grain, and turtles. The
inhabitants manufacture arms and engage in
fishing. The population numbers about 6000.
AVOCADO, av'S-kfi'do, Hp. pron. a'v6ka'D6
(from Mex. ahuocatl) PEAR, or Alligator
Pear (Persea grafissima) . One of a genus of
plants of the order Laurineæ, comprising one
hundred species or more, all natives of sub-tropi-
cal Asia or America. It is a native of the West
Indies and Central America, and is the only
species of this order cultivated for its fruit.
The flowers are green, about half an inch across;
the fruit is pyriform, about four inches long,
yellow or brownish purple. The leaves are ellip-
tical, narrow toward the base, about six inches
long. The flesh of the fruit is soft and its flavor
somewhat resembles that of butter. It is eaten
with wine or spices. It finds a ready sale in the
large cities of the United States. Its cultivation
in this country is chiefly confined to the
southern part of Florida and to southern Cali-
fornia. For illustration, see Alligator Pear on
Abutilon plate.
AV'OCET. See Avoset.
AVOGADRO, ii'vo-ga'dru,
Amadeo, Conte di Quadregna (1776-1856). An Italian physicist. He was born at Turin and became professor of physics there in 1820. He was the author of a large number of scientific memoirs, and first published his celebrated rule in the Journal de Physique, in a paper entitled: "Essai d'une manière de déterminer les masses relatives des molecules élémentaires des corps, et les proportions selon lesquelles elles entrent dans les combinaisons." See Avogadro's Rule.
AVOGADRO'S RULE. One of the fundamental principles of chemistry. It is usually formulated as follows: Under the same conditions of temperature and pressure equal volumes of gases and vapors contain equal numbers of molecules. It may appear strange, at first sight, that an idea of this nature should be incorporated in the very foundation of an exact science like chemistry. For the very conception of matter as made up of molecules is nothing but an hypothesis; and even if this conception is correct,
