ALECSANDRI, or ALEXANDR1, VASILE (1821-f89o)  , Rumanian lyric poet, was born at Bacau in Moldavia on the 21st off July 1821 . His father was the Spatar Alecsandri, of Jewish and Italian origin, who had settled in Moldavia in the 18th century . Vasile was educated first in Jassy and afterwards (1834-1839) in Paris . In 1839 he started on' a long journey through the Carpathian Mountains, and was the first to collect Rumanian popular songs, no doubt influenced by Western examples . He first published his collection in 1844 . His Dome i Lacrimioard, lyrical poems, appeared at Paris in 1852, and in 1852--1853 he produced at Jassy a fuller collection of popular ballads and songs: He then adapted some French plays for the newly founded Rumanian theatre, and wrote some original pieces . His connexion with the revolutionary movement of 1848 compelled him to seek shelter in the west of Europe, and he visited England, where a beautifully illuminated edition of his poems was printed in the original Rumanian language . In 1867 he published some fugitive pieces, written in a lighter vein, and entitled Pastele; these were followed in 1871 by the Legende of similar character . More serious are his dramatic writings which began with Despot Veda and culminated in Ovid . In later life Alecsandri took an active part in politics; he became minister for foreign affairs from 1859 to 186o, and in r885 was appointed Rumhnian minister in Paris . He died on the 26th of August 1890 at his country seat, Mirces§ti . His best title to fame consists in the fact that he gave the first impetus to the collection of Rumanian popular songs and first drew attention to their inimitable charm .

See L . Sainsanu, Autorii Romani

modern (1891), pp . 90 and 318 . A complete edition of Alecsandri's writings in nine volumes was published at Bucharest in 1875 seq . (M .