republic he distinguished himself at the bar, especially when he returned to Venice, which he had been obliged to leave for a time in consequence of some indiscretion. At his leisure hours he cultivated polite literature, and particularly poetry and history. His poems are not without ease and elegance, although in other respects they partake largely of the vicious and affected style of his age. He died at Venice, Dec. 17, 1713, and preserved to the last his love of study. Besides five dramatic pieces, all set to music, he wrote 1. "Istoria delle guerre d'Europa delle comparsa delle armi Ottomane nell' Ungheria l'anno 1683," Venice, 2 vols. 4to. These two parts were to have been followed by four others, two of which were put to press in 1700, but it does not appear that they were ever published. 2. "Composizioni poetiche consistenti in rime sacre, eroiche, morali ed amorose," Venice, 1702, 12mo. 3. " Opere de Claudio Claudiano tradotte ed arrichite di erudite annotazioni," Venice, 1716, 2 vols. 8vo. This translation is in high esteem, and the notes, although not so erudite as the title expresses, are yet useful. '

BERENGARIUS, or BERENGER (JAMES), a physician and anatomist of the sixteenth century, was a native of Carpi in Modena, whence some biographers have called him by the name of CARPIUS, or CARPENSIS. He took his doctor's degree at Bologna, and first taught anatomy and surgery at Pavia. He afterwards returned to Bologna in 1520, and taught the same studies. He was there, however, accused of having intended to dissect two Spaniards who had the venereal disorder, and had applied to him for advice, which, it was said, he meant to perform while they were alive, partly out of his hatred to that nation, and partly for his own instruction. Whatever may be in this report, it is certain that he was obliged to leave Bologna, and retire to Ferrara, where he died in 1550. By his indefatigable attention to the appearances of disease, and especially by his frequent dissections, which in his time, were quite sufficient, without any other demerit, to raise popular prejudices against him, he was enabled to advance the knowledge of anatomy by many important discoveries. His works were, 1. "Commentaria, cum amplissimis additionibus, super anatomia Mundini," Bologna, 1521, 1552, 4to, and translated into English by Jackson,

1 Biog, Universelle.

London, 1664. 2. "Isagogæ breves in anatomiam corporis humani, cum aliquot figuris anatomicis," Bologna, 1522, 4to, and often reprinted. 3. " De Cranii fractura, tractatus," Bologna, 1518, 4to, also often reprinted. He was one of the first who employed mercury in the cure of the venereal disease.1

BERENGARIUS, or BERENGER, the celebrated archdeacon of Angers, was born at Tours in the beginning of the eleventh century, of an opulent family, and became the disciple of the famous Fulbert of Chartres, under whom he made rapid progress in grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, and what were then called the liberal arts. On his return to his country in 1030, he was appointed scholastic, or master of the school of St. Martin. His reputation soon reaching foreign parts, the number of his scholars greatly increased, and many of them were afterwards advanced to high rank in the church; nor did he quit his school when made archdeacon of Angers in 1039. The opinions, which have given him a name in ecclesiastical history, were said to have been first occasioned by a pique. In a dispute with Lanfranc, archbishop of Canterbury, on a very trivial question, he happened to be defeated, and what was worse, his scholars began to go over to that rival. Berengarius, on this, took Erigena for his model, and attacked the mys tery of the eucharist, as the popish writers term it, but in plain language, the doctrine of transubstantiation. Bruno, bishop of Angers, Hugh, of Langres, and Adelman, of Brescia, in vain endeavoured to cure him of his heresy, and his writings, which were taken to Rome, were condemned in two councils held by pope Leo IX. in 1050, and himself excommunicated. He then went to the abbey of Preaux in Normandy, hoping to be protected by duke William, surnamed the Bastard, but that young prince summonsed a meeting of the ablest bishops and divines, who again condemned Berengarius, and the council of Paris, in Oct. 1050, deprived him of all his benefices. This loss he is said to have felt more severely than their spiritual inflictions, and it disposed him to retract his sentiments in the council of Tours, in 1055, in consequence of which he was received into church-communion. In 1059 he was cited to the council at Rome, by pope Nicholas II. and having been confuted by Abbo and Lanfranc, he ab1 Biog. Universelle.-Haller Bibl. Anat.

jured his errors, burnt his books, yet had no sooner reached France, than he protested against his recantation, as extorted by fear, and returned to his studies with the same spirit of inquiry. At length, however, Gregory VII having called a new council at Rome in 1078, Berenger more seriously abjured his opinions, returned to France, and passed the remaining years of his life in privacy and penance. He died Jan. 6, 1088, aged ninety. There have been many disputes betwixt protestant and popish authors, as to the reality or sincerity of his final recantation. His sentiments, however, did not perish on his recantation, or his death, and he may be considered as having contributed to that great reformation in the church which afterwards was carried into lasting effect by his successors. The greater part of his works are lost, but some are preserved among the works of Lanfranc, in the collections of d'Acheri and Martenne; and, in 1770, Lessing discovered and published his answer to Lanfranc, "De corpore et sanguine Jesu Christi." 1

BERENGER DE LA TOUR, a French poet of the sixteenth century, was born at Albenas or Aubenas in the Vivarais. From the preface to one of his works it appears that he studied law, and that his family had intended him for some post in the magistracy, but that he had found leisure to cultivate his poetical talents, in which he was not unsuccessful. His verses are easy and natural. The greater part were addressed to the poets of his time, many of whose names are not much known now, or to persons of distinction. We learn from one of his pieces that he lived under Francis I. from another, under Henry II. and it is supposed that he died about 1559. His published works are, 1. "Le Siecle d'or," and other poems, Lyons, 1551, 8vo. 2. "Choreide," or, "Louange du Bal aux Dames," ibid. 1556, Svo. 3. "L'Amie des Amies," an imitation of Ariosto, in four books, ibid. 1558, 8vo. 4. "L'Amie rustique," and other poems, ibid. 1558, 8vo. This last, a work of great rarity, is printed with a species of contractions and abbreviations which render the perusal of it very difficult. 2

BERENGER (JOHN PETER), a French miscellaneous writer, was born at Geneva in 1740, and in early life quitted the mechanical employment to which he had been dés

1 Dupin. Mosheim.-Biog. Universelle,-Moreri.-Saxii Onomasticon.

2 Biog. Universellt.

tined by his parents, for those studies to which he was invited by the political troubles of his country. As by birth he was classed among those who are at Geneva called natives, but who do not acquire the rank of citizens, because born of foreign parents, his first effort was to establish, in some of his writings, the necessity of equal political rights. This dispute being referred to arms, Berenger, after his party was defeated, was banished, along with many others, by a decree of the sovereign power, February 10, 1770. On this he retired to Lausanne, and employed his time in various literary undertakings, until his return to Geneva, where he died in June, 1807. He published, 1. An edition of the works of Abauzit. 2. "Histoire de Geneve, depuis son origine jusqu'a nos jours," 1772-75, 6 vols. 12mo. In this, the more distant ages are given in a summary manner, having been sufficiently detailed by Spon, but much light is thrown upon the political history of the last century, which he brings down to 1761, and to which sir F. D'Yvernois' work, "Tableau historique de revolutions de Geneve," may be considered as a sequel. 3. “Geographie de Busching abregée, &c." Busching's work is here abridged in some parts and enlarged in others, Lausanne, 1776-79, 12 vols. 8vo. 4. "Collection de tous les voyages faits autour de monde," 1788-90, 9 vols. 8vo, reprinted in 1795. 5. "Amants Republicains, ou Lettres de Nicias et Cynire," 1782, 2 vols. 8vo, a political romance relating to the troubles of Geneva. 6. "Cours de geographie historique, ancienne et moderne de feu Ostervald," 1803 and 1805, 2 vols. 12mo. 7. An edition of the "Dictionnaire geographique" of Vosgien (Ladvocat), 1805, 8vo. 8. Translations from the English of "Laura and Augustus," and of" Cook's Voyages." 9. "J. J. Rousseau justifié envers sa patrie;" and some lesser pieces mentioned in Ersch's "France Litteraire." M. Bourrit attributes to him a translation of Howard's history of Prisons, but this, it is thought, was executed by mademoiselle Keralio.'

BERENGER (RICHARD), esq. many years gentleman of the horse to his majesty, a man of considerable literary talents, and for his personal accomplishments called, by Dr. Johnson, "the standard of true elegance," published, in 1771, "The History and Art of Horsemanship," 2 vols. 4to, illustrated with plates. The history, which occupies

1 Biog. Universelle.

the first volume, displays much research and acquaintance with the classics and with other writers of remote antiquity. Previously to this, Mr. Berenger contributed three excellent papers, No. 79, 156, and 202, to the "World," and in Dodsley's collection are a few of his poems, written with ease and elegance. He died in his sixty-second year, Sept. 9, 1782.1

BERENICIUS, a man utterly unknown, who appeared in Holland in 1670, was thought to be a Jesuit, or a renegade from some other religious fraternity. He got his bread by sweeping chimnies and grinding knives, and died at length in a bog, suffocated in a fit of drunkenness. His talents, if the historians that mention him are to be credited, were extraordinary. He versified with so much ease, that he could recite extempore, and in tolerably good poetry, whatever was said to him in prose. He has been known to translate the Flemish gazettes from that language into Greek or Latin verse with the utmost facility. The dead languages, the living languages, Greek, Latin, French, and Italian, were as familiar to him as his mother tongue. He could repeat by heart Horace, Virgil, Homer, Aristophanes, and several pieces of Cicero and of the Plinies; and, after reciting long passages from them, point out the book and the chapter from whence they were taken. It is supposed that the "Georgarchontomachia sive expugnatæ Messopolis" is by him.'

BERETIN. See BERRETINI.

BERG (JOHN PETER), a learned divine, was born at Bremen, September 3, 1737, and died at Duisbourg, March 3, 1800. He was distinguished as a theologian and philosopher, and a man of very extensive learning. He was eminently skilled in the Oriental languages, particularly the Arabic, and for many years acquired much fame by his lectures on the holy scriptures, in the university of Duisbourg. He published, 1. "Specimen animadversionum philologicarum ad selecta Veteris Testamenti loca," Leyden, 1761, 8vo. 2. "Symbolæ litterariæ Duisburgenses ad incrementum scientiarum à variis amicis amicè collatæ, ex Haganis factæ Duisburgenses," vol. I. 1783; vol. II. 1784-6. If this be the same work with his "Museum Duisburgense," it is a sequel to the "Museum Haganum,"

British Essayists, Preface to the World.-Thrale's Anecdotes, and Boswell's Life of Johnson.

2 Moreri.