BEAUVOIS, AMBROSE DR. 



LET, SAMUEL. 



Beaueobre broke the seals, and preached a* usual on the Sunday, 

 in coneequenc* of which he wa* obliged to take refuge in Holland. 

 From Holland he went to Deeeau, in 1880, ai chaplain to the Priu- 

 oeee of Anhalt Deauu. Hi* first work wa* ' Defense de la Doctrine 

 dee RefonneV Magdeburg. 1691 In 1694 be removed to Berlin, 

 and took charge of one of the French Protestant churches in that 

 capital Ha wa* afterward* made chaplain to the court, inspector 

 of the French college, 4c. He enjoyed the favour of the king, 

 Frederic William L, whose son, the Crown Prince, afterward* the 

 Urrat Frederic, also conceived great regard for him. Beausobre passed 

 the remaining forty -six yean of hi* life at Berlin, where he died in 

 June 17SS, much regretted, both on account of his personal character 

 and hi* extensive learning. He wrote numerou* work*, the principal 

 of which is hi* ' Histoire critique de Mauichee et du Manicbeume,' 



3 vols. 4to, 1734-39. The first part of this work is historical : the 

 author derive* hi* account of Manes, or Maui, from Syrian, Persian, 

 and Arabic authorities, and exhibit* the great discrepancy existing 

 between their narrative* and those of the Greek and Latin writer*. 

 The second part treat* of the doctrines, rites, church discipline, and 

 moral* of the Manichean*. The work is full of varied and interesting 

 erudition. The second volume wa* edited by Formey after Beausobre'* 

 death, with a short biography of the author by the editor. Beauso!<re 

 undertook, with L'Enfant, a French version of the New Testament 

 from the Greek text, which contains a long and valuable introduction, 

 and numerous explanatory note*: 2 vols. Svo, Amsterdam, 1718, re- 

 printed in 1741. The introduction was translated into English, 

 1724. He also began a history of the Reformation on a very large 

 scale, which he left in an imperfect state. It was published at Berlin 

 in 17 S ', in 4 vols, Svo. In conjunction with other literary men, he 

 began the journal and review called ' Bibliotheque Germaniqne,' the 

 first volume of which appeared in 1720, and which was carried to the 

 fiftieth volume. Beausobre continued to the hut to be one of the 

 principal contributor*, and wrote nearly half of each volume. A 

 sequel to this work was begun after Beausobre's death by Mr. Formey, 

 under the title of ' Nouvelle Bibliotheque Germanique.' Beausobre 

 wrote also ' Remarque* critiques et philologiques BUT le nouveau 

 Testament,' published after bis death at La Haye (the Ha?ue), 2 vols. 



4 to. His ' Sermons ' were published in 4 vols. Svo. Beausobre left 

 several other work* in manuscript, complete and incomplete, espe- 

 cially on the various sects of the dark agea, the Pauliciaus, the 

 Albigeusea, Ac. 



BBAUVOIS, AMBROSE MARIA FRANCIS JOSEPH PALISOT 

 DE, a celebrated French naturalist and traveller, was born at Arras on 

 the 27th of July 1752. His father, who was an advocate, educated 

 him for the legal profession ; but his bias for the study of natural 

 history wa* so strong that from an early age he was more frequently 

 in the fields with bis friend and preceptor Lestiboudois than in the 

 court* of law. In the year 1772 he wa* appointed receiver-general of 

 crown rents, which be held for about five years. Upon the suppression 

 of this office in 1777, be appears to have abandoned his profession, and 

 to have determine*! upon devoting himself exclusively to bis favourite 

 pu i suite. The French government had planned on expedition to the 

 wet coast of Africa, for the purpose of founding a settlement which 

 migbt serve a* a counterpoise to the mercantile influence of the English 

 in that part of the world. Palisot de Beauvois eagerly embraced what 

 appeared a favourable mean* of exploring a country rich in every 

 branch of natural history, and never before trod by the foot of an 

 European naturalist; and be obtained permission to accompany the 

 expedition at hi* own charge. On the 17th of July 1786 he sailed 

 from Rocbefort for Benin, in which and the neighbouring kingdom of 

 Oware he spent about fifteen month*, investigating it* natural pro- 

 ductions with a seal that even the dreadful fevers of the country, with 

 which he was attacked, were insufficient to destroy. While here he 

 planned a journey screes Africa to Abyssinia; but after having pene- 

 trated the interior for a considerable distance, be wa* compelled to 

 return in consequence of hi* companion* becoming frightened at the 

 danger* of the route, and at the multiplying difficultie* by which they 

 found themselves opposed at every step. On his return to the coast 

 he wa* attacked so severely by icurvy and yellow fever, that, to use 

 bis own words, after seeing more than five-sixth* of his companions 

 pensh, and having been himself several time* in the very jaw* of 

 death, it became indispensable, for him to abandon the country, 

 leaving behind him the principal part of his collection, which consisted 

 of akin* of animal*, insect., dried plant*, and mineral*, to be for- 

 warded to Franc*. Fortunately, a part of theu had previously been 

 rat to M. de Josaieo, and a part was put on board the .hip in which 

 he embarkr.1 for St Domingo, otherwise the whole fruit of so much 

 aval and raftering would have perished ; for what he left behind him 

 wa soon after burned, along with the settlement, by an English expe- 

 liUoo. I* poo his arrival at Cape Francois in St. Domingo, in 1788, 

 7*r! h .?* c ** > * P** 1U 7 re swtabliibtd. Here be formed an opinion 

 o decidedly averse to alav* emancipation, that when it wa* found 

 imposaiM. any longer to keep the bUck* in subjection, M. da Beauvoi. 

 , deputed by U,*Freochautboriae*of 8t Domingo to proceed to 

 the United State*, in the bone of obtaining asStano* from the 

 AsMTtaan government Upon bis return from this frnitles* mission. 

 to KM, U found the ialaod in confusion ; hi* collections, which had 



in the conflagration of Cape 



Francois ; and the negroes, now become the masters, who naturally 

 saw nothing in him but a persecutor, threw him into prison. 



While lying in prison, in daily expectation of being taken out for 

 execution, he was enabled to escape by the faithfulness of a mulatto 

 woman, to whom, some time before his departure for the United 

 States, he had humanely granted her freedom. She not only effected 

 his liberation, but procured him- the means of reaching the United 

 States. Thus was his life preserved by the devotion of one of that 

 very race which be thought worthy of little short of eternal bondage. 

 On his arrival at Philadelphia, penniless and friendless, he learned 

 that hi* name had been inserted in the lists of proscriptions, and that 

 it was no longer safe to return to France. But, undismayed at hi* 

 apparently hopeless condition, he succeeded, by the teaching of music 

 aud languages, in supporting himself honourably, and soon attracted 

 the notice of the few persons who at that time, in North America, 

 occupied themselves with natural history. 



Upon the arrival in the United States of the French minister Adet, 

 De Beauvois no longer found himself straitened for means. He forth- 

 with abandoned his occupations, and determined upon exploring the 

 more remote parts of North America. He accordingly examined the 

 Appalachian Mountains, and penetrated into the country of the Creek 

 and Cherokee Indians, still collecting objects of natural history in all 

 its branches. Among other things, he discovered the jaws and molar 

 teeth of the great Mattodon on the banks of the Ohio, and he brought 

 the tooth of a Stegalonyx from the west of Virginia. Upon his return 

 to Philadelphia loaded with acquisitions, he learned that hit pro- 

 scription had been erased, and that, by singular good fortune, bis 

 patrimony had not been sold. He immediately repaired to France, 

 where he found his aff.iirs in lamentnblo disorder, and his viff 

 unfaithful. He divorced his wife, sold a portion of his property in 

 order to free the remainder from incumbrances, renounced the p< ril 

 of travelling, and thenceforward devoted himself to the examination 

 and publication of his collections ; but of these he found that only 

 what he brought with him from Philadelphia and the small collections 

 which he had forwarded while in Africa to M. de Jussieu bad escaped. 

 These however sufficed to occupy him, in conjunction with the general 

 questions of natural history, for the remainder of his life. In 1806 he 

 was called to the Institute as the successor of Adanson ; in 1S15 he 

 was created Titular Councillor of tho University of Paris by Napo- 

 leon I., upon bis return from Elba; and in January 1820 ho died from 

 on attack of diarrhoea. 



After his return to France, Palisot de Beauvois was tho author of a 

 considerable number of works, come of which were inserted in tho 

 transactions of learned societies, some in the 'Encyclopedic Mctho- 

 dique,' and the remainder were published separately. All UM-M'. 

 except his ' -Ethdogamie,' may be supposed to have contributed more 

 or less to the progress of science ; but the works on which his repu- 

 tation chiefly depend are his ' Flore d'Oware ' and ' De 1 

 published in twenty parts, in folio, between 1804 and 1821 ; his 

 Insects ' of the same country, of which fifteen parts in folio appeared 

 between 1805 and 1821 ; and bis ' Agroatographie,' which appeared in 

 one volume, Svo, in 1812. The defects and they are many which 

 may be found in the ' Flora ' of Oware were more than compensated 

 by tho merits of the ' Agrostographie.' At the time of its publication 

 all that related to the systematic arrangement of grasses was in great 

 disorder. Tho genera of this important natural order, witli the 

 exception of what had been done by Dr. Robert Brown in his 

 ' Prodromtis Flora Nova) HolUnditc,' were nearly na they had been 

 left by Linnicus, although the number of species had prodigiously 

 increased. It was necessary to recast the whole order, in doing which 

 new principles bad to be established, and ancient prejudices to be 

 unsparingly attacked. This was done by Palisot de Beauvois in a 

 mami' r which reflected the greatest honour both upon his skill and 

 knowledge. Objections were loudly raised against bis new arrange- 

 ment; but it was accepted by the public, and has become the basis of 

 the more perfect system, which at this day seems to be everywhere 

 recognised as the most conformable to reason and to nature. 



(Biographie Univerttlle; flore d' Oware; and Enai d'wie Nouvelle 

 A grottoffrtxphie. ) 



BEAZLEY, SAMUEL, architect and playwright, was the son of a 

 surveyor in Parliament-street, Westminster, where he was born in 

 1786. In early life Mr. Beasley served as a volunteer, and some of 

 his adventures in the Peninsula and France were, as related by himself, 

 of a somewhat romantic character. Mr. Beazley's chief claim to 

 remembrance as an architect arises from the fact of his having erected 

 a larger number of theatres than any other contemporary architect 

 in England, or probably in Europe. The Lyceum (both the present 

 one of that name, and the one on its site destroyed by fire in 1830), 

 the St. James'* and the City of London theatres in the metropolis 

 were built by him ; also two or three in the province*, and two in 

 Dublin. He likewise furnished the drawings for two in Belgium, one 

 in Brazil, and one or two in India, Tho Strand front of the Adelphi 

 and the colonnade of Drury-lane theatres were also erected by him 

 and we believe that he executed other works in connection with 

 tli'fiirrv His theatres, though not remarkable for any high order 

 of artistic design, have the very great merit of affording the whole 

 of the auditory a tolerably good view of the stage, while their acoustic 

 properties are considerably above the average. Among his other 



