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    "source_title": "Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911)",
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    "title": "BALL",
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    "verified_text": "ball, sir alexander john, bart. (1759-1809), british rear-admiral and governor of malta, came of a gloucestershire family. he entered the navy, and in 1778 was promoted lieutenant. three years later began a close association with rodney, and, two days after his chief's crowning victory of april 12, 1782, ball was promoted commander, and in 1783 he became captain. at this time he spent a year in france with the double purpose of learning the language and living economically. nelson, then a captain, was at this time by no means favourably impressed by his future friend and comrade, and spoke of him as a \"great coxcomb.\" it was not until 1790 that ball received a command. from that year, however, he was continuously employed. in 1798, assistance rendered by him to nelson's ship in heavy weather caused the latter to forget his former animosity, and from that time the two were close friends. under nelson's command ball took part in the battle of the nile, and his ship, the \"alexander,\" was the particular opponent of brueys' flagship, \"l'orient,\" which blew up. two months later he was ordered to the blockade of malta, which was kept up without a break for the next two years. ball committed the blockade to his first lieutenant, and himself led the marines and local militia, which made the siege on the land side. his care for his men laid the foundations of his popularity with the maltese which continued till his death. after the fall of malta, ball practically retired from the service, in spite of nelson's urgent entreaty that he should continue afloat, and from 1801 (when he was made a baronet) to 1809 he was governor of malta, where he endeared himself to the people by his regard for their interests, and his opposition to the policy of treating the island as a conquered dependency. his friendship with lord nelson, whose letters prove his high regard for him, was only broken by death. ball died on the 20th of october 1809 and was buried in malta. sir alexander ball was kind to coleridge and is highly praised by him in _the friend_, \"the third landing place.\" there are numerous mentions of ball in nelson's _despatches_, in sir h. nicolas' edition. [v.03 p.0263] ball, john (d. 1381), an english priest who took a prominent part in the peasant revolt in 1381. little is known of his early years, but he lived probably at york and afterwards at colchester. he gained considerable fame as a preacher by expounding the doctrines of john wycliffe, but especially by his insistence on the principle of social equality. these utterances brought him into collision with the archbishop of canterbury, and on three occasions he was committed to prison. he appears also to have been excommunicated, and in 1366 all persons were forbidden to hear him preach. his opinions, however, were not moderated, nor his popularity diminished by these measures, and his words had a considerable effect in stirring up the rising which broke out in june 1381. ball was then in prison at maidstone; but he was quickly released by the kentish rebels, to whom he preached at blackheath from the text, \"when adam delved and eve span, who was then a gentleman?\" he urged his hearers to kill the principal lords of the kingdom and the lawyers; and he was afterwards among those who rushed into the tower of london to seize simon of sudbury, archbishop of canterbury. when the rebels dispersed ball fled to the midland counties, but was taken prisoner at coventry and executed in the presence of richard ii. on the 15th of july 1381. ball, who was called by froissart \"the mad priest of kent,\" seems to have possessed the gift of rhyme. he undoubtedly voiced the feelings of the lower orders of society at that time. see thomas walsingham, _historia anglicana_, edited by h. t. riley (london, 1863-1864); henry knighton, _chronicon_, edited by j. r. lumby (london, 1889-1895); jean froissart, _chroniques_, edited by s. luce and g. raynaud (paris, 1869-1897); c. e. maurice, _lives of english popular leaders in the middle ages_ (london, 1875); c. oman, _the great revolt of 1381_ (oxford, 1906).",
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