answered the " Protestant's Apology" in a work entitled "A Catholic Appeal for Protestants," 1606, 4to. Some farther particulars of Anderton's works, although none of his life, may be seen in our authority.'

BRERETON (JANE), an English poetess, was the daugh ter of Mr. Thomas Hughes, of Bryn-Griffith near Mould in Flintshire, by Anne Jones, his wife, and was born in 1685. Being observed to be endowed by nature with a great ca pacity, her talents were assiduously cultivated by her fas ther, who was himself a man of excellent parts. Mr. Hughes, however, dying when she was only sixteen, she soon lost these advantages; but early discovered a turn for poetry, which her acquaintance encouraged. In Jan, 1711 she married Mr. Thomas Brereton, at that time a commoner of Brazen-nose college, Oxford, only son of major Brereton, son and heir of William Brereton, esq. of Cheshire. Her husband soon spent his fortune, and went over to Paris; and some time after this, a separation having taken place, she retired, 1721, to her native coun try, Wales, where she led a solitary life, seeing little company, except some intimate friends. About this time Mr. Brereton obtained from lord Sunderland a post belonging to the customs at Park-gate near Chester; but in Feb 1722, was unfortunately drowned in crossing the water of Saltney, when the tide was coming in. Mrs. Breretom then retired to Wrexham in Denbighshire, for the benefit of her children's education, where she died Aug. 7, 1740, aged fifty-five, leaving two daughters, Lucy and Charlotte, the latter probably the author of "The Rattle," a song, in Fawkes and Woty's "Poetical Calendar," vol. XI. p. 14.

Mrs. Brereton was amiable in every relation of life; and possessed talents for versification, if not for poetry, which she displayed some years as a correspondent to the Gentleman's Magazine, under the signature of Melissa, where she had a competitor who signed himself FIDO, and who is supposed to have been Thomas Beach (See his article, vol. IV). After her death a volume was published of" Poems on several occasions; with letters to her friends; and an account of her life," London, 1744, 8vo.

BRERETON (OWEN SALUSBURY), the son of Thomas Brereton, esq. of the county Palatine of Chester, was born in 1715. He received his education partly at West

1 Dodd's Church Hist. vol. II.

2 Censura Literaria, vol. II. See some particulars of her husband in Biog. Dramatica. Qu. Whether related to the subject of the next article ?

minster-school, on the foundation, and partly at Trinity college, Cambridge, and, on the death of his father, inherited the ancient family estates in the above-mentioned county, and in Flintshire. In 1738, Mr. Brereton was called to the bar, and in 1746 became recorder of Liverpool, which office he filled with great impartiality and dignity during fifty-two years. In 1796, on his proposing to resign, the corporation requested him to retain his situation, and appointed a person to discharge its active duties.

Mr. Brereton became a member of the society of arts in 1762; and by his assiduity, zeal, and order, filled the distinguished office of vice-president with great credit to himself and advantage to the society, from March 1765 till his last illness in 1798. He was also an early member of the royal society and the society of antiquaries. The Archæologia of the latter contain his "Observations on Peter Collinson's Account of the Round Towers in Ireland;" his "Tour through South Wales;" his "Extracts from the Household Book of Henry VIII;" his "Account of a painted Window in Brereton Church, Cheshire;” and that of "A non-descript Coin," supposed to be Philip VI. of France. Mr. Pennant has also, in his Welch Tour, described and given an engraving of several Roman antiquities found at a Roman station on his estate in Flintshire. Mr. Brereton was a bencher of the hon. society of Lincoln's-Inn; filled the office of treasurer, and was keeper of the Black Book. He also represented the borough of Ilchester in parliament. He took the name of Salusbury with an estate, and became constable of the castle of Flint, a valuable privilege to his adjacent possessions. His domestic happiness was manifest to his numerous and respectable acquaintance, among whom were some of the most learned men of the age. He died Sept. 8, 1798, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, and was interred in St. George's chapel, Windsor. His wife was sister of sir Thomas Whitmore, K. B. and with her he lived happily for more than fifty years. They had five children, who all died young he bequeathed the rents of his estates to her during her life, and after her decease, which happened in 1799, to his relations, the only son of the late general Trelawney, of Soho-square, and the second son of the rev. sir Henry Trelawney, bart. of Cornwall.'

Transactions of the Society of Arts, vol. XIX. to which a portrait of him is prefixed.

BREREWOOD (EDWARD), a learned mathematician and antiquary, was the son of Robert Brerewood, a reputable tradesman, who was three times mayor of Chester. Our author was born in that city in 1565, where he was educated in grammar learning at the free school; and was afterwards admitted, in 1581, of Brazen-nose college, Ox, ford, where he soon acquired the character of a hard student; as he has shewn by the commentaries he wrote upon Aristotle's Ethics, when no more than twenty-one years of age. In 1596 he was chosen the first professor of astronomy in Gresham college, being one of the two who, at the desire of the electors, were recommended to them by the university of Oxford. He loved retirement, and wholly devoted himself to the pursuit of knowledge. And though he never published any thing himself, yet he was very communicative, and ready to impart what he knew to others, either in conversation or in writing. His retired situation at Gresham college being agreeable, it did not appear that he had any other views, but continued there the remainder of his life, which was terminated by a fever the 4th of November 1613, at forty-eight years of age, in the midst of his pursuits, and before he had taken proper care to collect and digest his learned labours; which, however, were not lost; being reduced to order, and published after his death, in the following order: 1. De ponderibus et pretiis veterum nummorum, eorumque cum recentioribus collatione," 1614, 4to. This was published by his nephew, Robert Brerewood of Chester, who was commoner of Brazen-nose college in 1605, aged seven teen; and who succeeded our author in his estate and fortunes. It was afterwards reprinted in the eighth volume of the Critici Sacri, and in the apparatus before the first volume of the polyglot bible. 2. "Enquiries touching the diversity of Languages and Religion, through the chief parts of the world," 1614, 4to, published also by Robert Brerewood, who has written a large and learned preface to it. 3. "Elementa Logicæ in gratiam studiosæ juventutis in acad. Oxon." 1614, 8vo. 4. "Tractatus quidam logici de prædicabilibus et prædicamentis," 1628, 8vo. 5. “Treas tise of the Sabbath," 1630, 4to. 6. A second treatise of the Sabbath," 1632, 4to. 7, "Tractatus duo, quorum primus est de meteoris, secundus de oculo," 1631. 8. "Commentarii in Ethica Aristotelis," 1640, 4to. Mr. Wood tells us, that the original manuscript of this, written

with his own hand, is in the smallest and neatest character that his eyes ever beheld; and that it was finished by him Oct. 27, 1586. 9. "The patriarchal government of the ancient Church," 1641, 4to.1

EBRETON, BECTON, or BRITTON (JOHN), bishop of Hereford in the thirteenth century, was born in England, and educated there, and after he had made himself master of the Latin tongue, he applied himself to the study of the law, in which he made so great a progress, that he was created doctor of civil and canon law. He distinguished himself in this profession by his admirable talents in the decision of the most difficult causes; and by this means procured himself very considerable interest at the court of king Henry III. who raised him on account of his merit to the bishopric of Hereford. Bale acknowledges his eminent abilities in the law, but expresses himself in very severe terms against him on that account, as neglecting his episcopal duties. He made a large collection of the laws of England from various authors, digested into one volume, which Leland tells us was of great advantage to king Edward I. the son and successor of Henry III. and to the whole nation. He died in 1275, and was succeeded in his see by Thomas Cantilupe.

BRETON (NICHOLAS), " a writer," says Phillips," of pastorals, sonnets, canzons and madrigals, in which kind of writing he keeps company with several other contemporary emulators of Spenser and sir Philip Sidney," flourished in the reign of queen Elizabeth, but very little is known of his personal history. Sir Egerton Brydges produces very probable evidence that he was of a Staffordshire family. He was a writer, says Dr. Percy, of some fame in the above reign, and published an interlude entitled "An Old Man's Lesson, and a Young Man's Love," 4to, and many other little pieces in prose and verse, the titles of which may be seen in Winstanley, Ames's Typography, and Osborn's Harleian Catalogue. He is mentioned with great respect by Merés in his second part of Wit's Commonwealth, 1598, p. 283, and is alluded to in Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady, act 2, and again in Wit without money, act 3. The ballad of Phillida and Corydon, reprinted by Percy, is a delicious little poem; and if we

:,」

Ward's Gresham Professors.Ath. Ox. vol. I.-Fuller's Worthies.—Account of the family of, Gent. Mag. vol. LXI. p. 714.-Archeologia, vol. I. p. xx. Gen. Dict.-Bale and Pits.

may judge from this and other specimens given in our references, his poetical powers were distinguished by a simplicity at once easy and elegant. '

BRETONNEAU (FRANCIS), born at Tours in 1660, became Jesuit in 1675, and died at Paris in 1741, at the age of eighty-one. He was revisor and editor of the sermons of his brethren Bourdaloue, Cheminais, and Giroust, Paris, 18 vols. 8vo, and 12mo. Pere la Rue applied to him on this occasion the epithet made for St. Martin: «Trium mortuorum suscitator magnificus." He published likewise an edition of the "Euvres spirituelles" of le Vallois, with a life of the author. Brétonneau was a preacher himself. His sermons, in 7 volumes 12mo, published in 1743 by Berruyer, are composed with eloquence. He was deficient in the graces of action; but he had all the other parts of a good orator. His private virtues gave considerable weight to his sermons. Brétonneau also wrote, 1." Reflections pour les jeunes-gens qui entrent dans le monde," 12mo. 2. "Abregé de la vie de Jacques II." 12mo, taken from the papers of his confessor. It is a panegyric from which historians cannot extract much.

BRETONNIER (BARTHOLOMEW JOSEPH), advocate of the parliament of Paris, and an eminent law writer and pleader, was born at Montrotier, about four leagues from Lyons, Feb. 24, 1656. After studying languages and phi losophy at Lyons, he came to Paris in 1677 to apply himself to law, and in 1680 was appointed an advocate. Having conceived a preference to the written over the common law, he made the former his particular study, and traced its origin with the true spirit of an antiquary. This course of study produced a very much improved edition of the works of Claude Henrys, 1708, 2 vols. fol. and afterwards a work of great utility in the French law, which he undertook at the request of the chancellor D'Aguesseau, entitled "Recueil des principales questions de droit qui se jugent diversement dans differens tribunaux du royaume," 1718, 12mo, reprinted with additions in 1756, 2 vols. and in 1785, 4to, both with additions by Boucher d'Argis. He died April 21, 1727.*

BRETT (JOHN), a naval officer, of whose family we have no account, was, soon after the rupture had taken place

1 Phillips's Theatrum.-Bibliographer, vol. I, and II.-Ritson's Bibliogra phia. Censura Literaria, vols. II. and V.-Ellis's Specimens, vol. II.

2 Dict. Hist.-Moreri.

3 Ibid.