of any of the classical authors) contain the most complete exemplification of all Longinus's rules relating to sublime writing. After his death was published "Conspectus Bibliothecæ Bergerianæ;" also " Libri Manuscripti et impressi, collati cum Manuscriptis ex Bibliotheca Jo. Gul. de Berger," 1752, 8vo. Another brother, JOHN GODFREY DE BERGER, was an eminent physician, and published, 1." Physiologica medica," Wittemberg, 1701, and often reprinted. 2. "De Thermis Carolinis commentatio," ibid. 1709, 4to. He died October 3, 1736.1

BERGER (THEODORE), professor of law and history at Cobourg, was born at Unterlautern in 1683, studied at Halle, and accompanied several young gentlemen on their travels. He died November 20, 1773. HIS" Universal. History," published, in German, at Cobourg, folio, is highly esteemed by his countrymen, and passed through five editions. It has since been continued by professor Wolfgang Jæger, 1781, folio. 2

BERGERAC (SAVINIEN CYRANO DE), was born about 1620, in the castle of Bergerac in Perigord, and was at first very indifferently educated by a poor country priest. He afterwards came to Paris, and gave himself up to every kind of dissipation. He then entered as a cadet in the regiment of guards, and endeavoured to acquire reputation on the score of bravery, by acting as second in many duels, besides those in which he was a principal, scarce a day passing in which he had not some affair of this kind on his hands. Whoever observed his nose with any attention, which was a very remarkable one, was sure to be involved in a quarrel with him. The courage he shewed upon these occasions, and some desperate actions in which he distinguished himself when in the army, procured him the name of the Intrepid, which he retained to the end of his life. He was shot through the body at the siege of Mouzon, and run through the neck at the siege of Arras, in 1640; and the hardships he suffered at these two sieges, the little hopes he had of preferment, and perhaps his attachment to letters, made him renounce war, and apply himself altogether to certain literary pursuits. Amidst all his follies he had never neglected literature, but often withdrew himself, during the bustle and dissipation of a soldier's life, to read and to write. He composed many works, in which he shewed some genius and extravagance of imagination. Biog. Universelle.-Blair's Lectures.-Saxii Onomasticon,

2 Biog, Universelle.

Marshal Gassion, who loved men of wit and courage, because he had both himself, would have Bergerac with him; but he, being passionately fond of liberty, looked upon this advantage as a constraint that would never agree with him, and therefore refused it. At length, however, in compliance with his friends, who pressed him to procure a patron at court, he overcame his scruples, and placed himself with the duke of Arpajon in 1653. To this nobleman he dedicated his works the same year, for he had published none before, consisting of some letters written in his youth, with a tragedy on the death of Agrippina, widow of Germanicus. He afterwards printed a comedy called "The Pedant," but his other works were not printed till after his death. His "Comic history of the states and empires of the Moon' was printed in 1656. His "Comic history of the states and empires of the Sun," several letters and dialogues, and a fragment of physics, were all collected and published afterwards in a volume. These comic histories and fragments shew that he was well acquainted with the Cartesian philosophy. He died in 1655, aged only thirtyfive years, his death being occasioned by a blow upon his head which he unluckily received from the fall of a piece of wood a few months before.

The earl of Orrery, in his "Remarks on the life and writings of Swift," has taken occasion to speak of him in the following manner: "Cyrano de Bergerac is a French author of a singular character, who had a very peculiar turn of wit and humour, in many respects resembling that of Swift. He wanted the advantages of learning and a regular education; his imagination was less guarded and correct, but more agreeably extravagant. He has introduced into his philosophical romance the system of des Cartes, which was then much admired, intermixed with several fine strokes of just satire on the wild and immechanical inquiries of the philosophers and astronomers of that age; and in many parts he has evidently directed the plan which the dean of St. Patrick's has pursued." This opinion was first quoted in the Monthly Review (vol. X), when Derrick translated and published Bergerac's "Voyage to the Moon," 1753, 12mo. But Swift is not the only person indebted to Bergerac. His countrymen allow that Moliere, in several of his characters, Fontenelle, in his "Plurality of Worlds," and Voltaire, in his "Micromegas," have taken many hints and sketches from this eccentric writer. There

have been various editions of his works at Paris, Amsterdam, Trevoux, &c.: the last was printed at Paris, 1741, 3 vols. 12mo.1

BERGHEM (NICOLAS.) See BERCHEM.

BERGIER (NICOLAS), an eminent French antiquary, was born at Rheims, March 1, 1567, and not 1557, as asserted by Bayle, Moreri, and Niceron. After finishing his studies at the university of that city, he became preceptor to the children of count de St. Souplet, who always testified his respect for him on account of the pains he bestowed on their education. He then was admitted an advocate, and appointed law-professor and syndic of the city, a place which he filled during many of the elections. His talents and virtues were so highly estimated by his fellow-citizens, that as a mark of their confidence they employed him on their affairs at Paris. During his visits to that metropolis, he commenced a friendship with Dupuy and Peiresc, and formed an acquaintance with the president de Bellievre, who obtained for him the place of historiographer by brevet, with a pension of two hundred crowns. He was on a visit at the country-house of this celebrated magistrate, when he was attacked by a fever, which terminated fatally, August 18, 1623, in his fifty-seventh year. The president honoured him with an affectionate epitaph, which is printed in his two principal works. He is particularly known in the literary world by his "Histoire des grands chemins de l'empire Romain," a work in which he was assisted by his friend Peiresc, who furnished him with many necessary documents. It was first printed in 4to, 1622, and in the course of a century became very scarce. In 1712 the first

book of it was translated into English, and published at London, in 8vo, entitled "The general history of the Highways in all parts of the world, particularly in Great Britain." In 1728, John Leonard, bookseller and printer at Brussels, published a new edition of the original, 2 vols. 4to, from a copy corrected by the author; and one yet more improved was printed at the same place, in 1736, 2 vols. 4to. They are both scarce, but the first is reckoned the best printed. It has also been translated into Latin by Henninius, professor in the university of Duisbourg, with learned notes, and the remarks of the abbe Du Bos, for Grævius's antiquities, vol. X.; but Bayle is mistaken in supposing that this

I Biog. Universelle.-Dict. Hist.-Moreri, et L'Avocat in Cyranɔ.

work was translated into Latin and Italian by Benedict Bacchini, who, however, made some progress himself in a work "De viis antiquorum Romanorum in Italia," and doubtless would have availed himself of Bergier's labours. Besides this history of the Roman roads, Bergier had begun a history of Rheims, the manuscript of which the president de Bellievre wished Andre Duschesne to complete, but some obstruction arising on the part of the chapter of Rheims, who refused Duschesne access to their archives, he declined proceeding with the undertaking. The son of the author, however, John Bergier, unwilling that the whole should be lost, published the two books left complete by his father, with a sketch of the other fourteen of which it was to consist. This was entitled "Dessein de l'Histoire de Reims," ibid. 1635, 4to. Bergier was also author of 1. "Le point du Jour, ou Traité du Commencement des Jours et de l'endroit ou il est etabli sur la terre," Rheims, 1629, 12mo. The first, a Paris edition, 1617, was entitled "Archemeron." His object is to attain some general rule for avoiding the disputes respecting the celebration of the Catholic festivals. 2. "Le Bouquet royal," Paris, 1610, 8vo; Rheims, 1637, 4to, enlarged, an account of the devises and inscriptions which graced the entrance of Louis XIII. into Rheims. 3. "Police generale de la France," 1617. 4. Various Latin and French poems inserted in the collections, but we cannot pronounce him very successful as a poet. 1

BERGIER (NICOLAS SYLVESTER), a French writer of considerable note, was born at Darnay in Lorraine, December 31, 1718. In the career of promotion he was first curate of Flangebouche, a small village in Franche-Comté, then professor of theology, principal of the college of Besançon, a canon of the church of Paris, and confessor to the king's aunts. Throughout life he was one of the most strenuous opponents of the modern philosophers of France. He acquired an early name by some essays on various literary subjects, to which the prizes were adjudged at Besançon; and his reputation was considerably heightened by his very ingenious and plausible work, entitled "Elements primitifs des Langues, &c." Paris, 1764, 12mo. Soon after he published another, which was favourably received by the learned world, "Origine des Dieux du Paganisme et

1 Biog. Universelle.-Gen. Dict.-Niceron, vol. VI.-Moreri.-Memoirs of Literature, vols. IV. and VII,

les sens des Fables decouvert, par une explication suivie des Poesies d'Hesiode," Paris, 1767, 2 vols. 12mo. When about the same time he found religion attacked in every quarter by a combination of men of talents in France, he determined to endeavour to counteract their schemes. With this view he wrote "La Certitude des Preuves du Christianisme," 1768, 12mo, particularly directed against the "Examen critique des Apologistes de la religion Chretienne," improperly attributed to Freret; and it was allowed to have been written with much sense, precision, and moderation. This work, which occasioned more friends and more enemies to Bergier than any other, passed through three editions in the same year, besides being translated into Italian and Spanish. Voltaire, to whom the popularity of any writings of this tendency must have been peculiarly unpleasant, affected to answer it in his "Conseils raisonables," written with his usual art, but more remarkable for wit than argument. Bergier answered the "Conseils," the only instance in which he noticed any of his adversaries in public. He had another more contemptible antagonist, the noted Anacharsis Cloots, who published what he, and perhaps no man else, would have called "Certitude des Preuves du Mahometisme." About this time the clergy of France, sensible of Bergier's services, gave him a pension of two thousand livres, and offered him some valuable benefices, but he would only accept of a canonry in Notre Dame, and it was even against his inclination that he was afterwards appointed confessor to the mesdames, the last king's aunts. Free from ambition, modest and simple in dress and manners, he was desirous only of a retired life, and at Paris he lived as he had done in the country, in the midst of his books. This study produced, successively, 1. "Le Deisme refuté par lui-meme," Paris, 1765, 1766, 1768, 2 vols. 12mo, an examination of the religious principle of Rousseau. 2. "Apologie de la Religion Chretienne contre l'auteur du Christianisme devoilé," (the baron Holbach) Paris, 1769, 2 vols. 12mo. 3. "Examen du Materialisme, ou refutation du systeme de la Nature," Paris, 1771, 2 vols. 12mo. 4. "Traité historique et dogmatique de la vraie Religion, &c." Paris, 1780, 12 vols. 12mo. This is, in some respect, a collection of the sentiments of the ablest writers against infidelity. 5. "Discours sur le Mariage des Protestants," 1787, 8vo. 6. "Observations sur le Divorce," ibid. 1790, 8vo. He also compiled a the