613 



BEDMAR, MARQUIS DE. 



BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VON. 



611 



previously been married to the Duke of Brabant, first cousin of the 

 D uke of Burgundy, but despising his tame spirit she eloped from him, 

 and sought an asylum in England. Brabant however kept possession 

 of her territorial dominions, which Gloucester claimed and sought to 

 recover by force. For this purpose he entered Hainault with 5000 

 English men-at-arms, besides other forces, shortly after the decisive 

 defeat of the French king at Verneuil. The Duke of Burgundy hast- 

 ened with his troops to the aid of his kinsman, and Charles VII. was 

 saved from ruin. 



The siege of Orleans, memorable as one of the most extraordinary 

 incidents in history, was commenced on the 12th of October, 1428. 

 The fortunes of Charles hung upon the issue, and he was in despair. 

 He was saved by the assistance of Joan of Arc, and the English raised 

 the siege. [ARC, JOAN OF.] This memorable effect of superstition 

 of supernatural confidence on the one side and supernatural awe on 

 the other was followed by a succession of disasters to the English 

 arms, which, while they deeply afflicted, tasked all the energies of the 

 Duke of Bedford. With a force drawn from the garrison towns of 

 Normandy he marched against Charles, who had just been crowned at 

 Rheims, but failed in provoking him to risk a battle. Charles moved 

 towards Paris. The Regent hastened after him, and after breaking 

 the sptll of the Maid's charm by repulsing her from the walls of Paris, 

 compelled the French army to fall back upon the Loire. After various 

 skirmishes, defeats, and successes, the Maid was captured when 

 attempting a desperate sally from Compicgne on the 23rd of May, 1430. 

 With the subsequent fate of the Maid of Orleans we have here no fur- 

 ther concern, than to state that the Regent joined in bringing her to 

 the stake. 



In 1432 the Duchess of Bedford, sister to the Duke of Burgundy 

 and the great cement of their friendship, died. Within four months 

 after the Regent married Jacquetta, daughter of the Earl of St. Pol, a 

 vassal of the Duke of Burgundy. This marriage gave great offence to 

 the Duke of Burgundy. Cardinal Beaufort laboured to reconcile the 

 two princes, but the attempt failed. After the war had languished for 

 upwards of two years, overtures were made on the part of Charles to 

 Burgundy, and the result was a treaty of peace between them. This 

 treaty was the death-blow to the English interest in France, and so 

 affected the Regent that he die J of mortification and anxiety at Rouen 

 on the 13th of September, 1435, a fortnight before the treaty between 

 Charles and the Duke of Burgundy was formally signed. 



Like most of the immediate descendants of John of Gaunt, the Duke 

 of Bedford was a patron of literature. He purchased and transported 

 to London the Royal Library of Paris, which Charles V. had increased 

 to " nine hundred volumes ;" and his brother Gloucester presented 

 600 books to the University of Oxford, 120 of which cost 1000J. 



BEDMAR, ALFONSO DE CUEVA, MARQUIS DE, was born in 

 1572. Having distinguished himself greatly by political sagacity, by 

 fertility of resource, and by an acute judgment of men, he was chosen 

 in 1607 by Philip III. of Spain, as ambassador to Venice, that embassy 

 being considered the most difficult to fill of any. The Venetian 

 republic had given great offence to Spain by siding with France, and 

 by endeavouring, with the assistance of the Netherlands and Switzer- 

 land, to preserve the balance of power in Europe. After a long residence, 

 which enabled Bedmar to understand all the weaknesses as well as the 

 strength of Venice, he imagined that it would not be difficult with the 

 aid of certain conspirators, and the outward assistance on which he 

 could rely from Spain and Naples, to render himself master of the 

 city. The armies of the republic had been exhausted by war. The 

 fleet was in fine condition, but engaged on the coast of Istria, where 

 was then the seat of war. He communicated his plans to the Duke 

 d'Ossuna, viceroy of Naples, and to Don Pedro of Toledo, governor of 

 Milan, but only hinted at them in his communications to the Duke 

 d'Uzedes, the prime minister of Spain. Bedmar engaged one Renault, 

 a Frenchman, to hire foreign mercenaries, whom he was to conceal in 

 the town ; and he was also to corrupt and buy over the troops of the 

 republic, a task not esteemed difficult The navy it was considered 

 would exhibit more fidelity. The viceroy of Naples therefore under- 

 took to provide persons who had gained celebrity as privateers, or 

 rather pirates, but who were well known for their skill, to join the 

 Venetian fleet for the purpose of embarrassing or defeating their 

 attempts at defence. The conspirators were to attack and seize the 

 arsenal, the doge's palace, the college of senators, and other important 

 positions. The Milanese troops were to arrive at the precise time on 

 the opposite shore of the continent. The mariners in the plot were to 

 convey them across. A Spanish squadron entered the Adriatic to be 

 ready to assist. Then the city was to be given up to plunder, and 

 Venice was to be exterminated. The day for carrying tho plot into 

 execution was fixed for Ascension-day, during the bu-.tle occasioned 

 by the ceremony of the doge's marrying the Adriatic. Just on the 

 eve one of the conspirators discovered the plot ; all the others that 

 could be found were seized, tried in saeret, and executed. Bedmar, 

 as ambassador, was not formally accused, but was ordered to quit 

 Venice immediately. Some historic doubU have been thrown on this 

 transaction, whether it was not a Venetian super-subtlety to discredit 

 Bedmar ; but by the best judges it is held as sufficiently established 

 in its main facts. The event forms the subject of Otway's ' Venice 

 Preserved.' On leaving Venice Bedmar retired to Flanders, where he 

 acted M president of the council, and in 1622 he there received from 



the pope a cardinal's hat. He afterwards went to Rome ; obtained 

 the bishopric of Oviedo, in Spain; and at Oviedo he died, in 1655. 



In 1612, a little tract called 'Squittinio della liberta Veneta' was 

 attributed to him, most probably erroneously. It was published 

 anonymously, and made a considerable noise at the time. It was 

 mainly directed against the privileges of the Venetians. 



(Saint Rijal, Conjuration centre Venise; Daru, Histoire de Venise.) 



* BEECHEY, FREDERIC WILLIAM, is the son of Sir William 

 Beechey, the painter, and was bora i.a London in 1796. Having 

 entered the navy when only ten years old, he was engaged as early as 

 1811 in an action off Madagascar, resulting in the capture of the 

 French frigates 'Renomme'e,' 'Clorinde,' and 'Ne're'ide.' In 1S18, when 

 the ' Dorothea ' under Captain David Buchan, and the 'Trent ' under 

 Lieut. John Franklin, were dispatched in search of the north-west 

 passage, Beechey sailed with Franklin, with the rank of lieutenant. 

 Lieut. Beechey had already distinguished himself as an artist, and also 

 by his attention to natural history, and it was given to his charge to 

 collect and preserve such objects as were practicable, or make drawings 

 of such as were not. This voyage, though unsuccessful in its main 

 object, contributed many useful results to science and to natural 

 history, and an account of them in n narrative of the voyage was 

 published by him in 1843. For the ability displayed as au artist in 

 the voyage he was rewarded by a parliamentary grant of 2001. In 

 1819, Lieut. Beechey took part iu an expedition under the command 

 of Sir Edward Parry (then commander), which penetrated to 113 54' 

 W. long, within the arctic polar circle. In 1821 he was commissioned, 

 together with his brother, H. W. Beechey, to investigate by land the 

 coasts of North Africa to the east of Tripoli. Of this undertaking he 

 published a most interesting narrative, with descriptions of the ancient 

 Syrtis, Pentapolis, and Cyrenaica, with a valuable and detailed chart 

 of the coast, extending from Tripoli to Derna, or from 13 to 23 

 E. long. After his return home he was appointed to the command of 

 the ' Blossom,' with the rauk of commander, and directed to endeavour 

 to penetrate the Polar Sea by the Pacific Ocean and Behring's Strait, 

 while Franklin made the attempt over-laud from North America. 

 Beechey sailed in 1825, and returned in 1828 ; the voyage having lasted 

 two years and a half. The extreme point reached in boats was 71 23' 

 of N. lat, and 156 21' of W. long. While at Barrow Point, Franklin 

 was at Point Turnagain, thus they were only 150 miles apart, but not 

 being aware of each other's position, neither advanced. In 1827 Beechey 

 received the rank of post captain, and during the summer of this year 

 succeeded in discovering to the south-east of Cape Prince of Wales, 

 and near to Behring's Strait, two most convenient harbours, to which 

 he gave the names of Port Clarence and Port Grantley. After this 

 voyage Captain Beechey remained unemployed for eome time, as his 

 health had suffered ; but he occupied himself in preparing nnd pub- 

 lishing accounts of the various voyages in which he had been engaged. 

 In 1828, the year of his return, appeared ' Proceedings of the Expedi- 

 tion to explore the Northern Coait of Africa, from Tripoli eastward, 

 in 1821 and 1822 ; ' the ' Voyage to the North Pole ' followed ; in 1831 

 appeared the ' Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Bullring's 

 Strait ;' succeeded by the Botany and Zoology of the same voyage, in 

 two expensive quarto volumes. He had also been employed, between 

 1829 and 1839 iu surveying the coasts of South America and Ireland. 

 In 1854 he was created Rear-Admiral of the Blue. 



BEECHEY, SIR WILLIAM, R.A., a celebrated English portrait- 

 painter, was born at Burford in Oxfordshire, in December 1753. He 

 was originally articled to a conveyancer, but having a stroug love for 

 painting, he determined to pursue it as a profession, and he obtained 

 admission into the Royal Academy as a student in 1772. 



Though with many able rivals, some of whom were the most 

 eminent painters of the English school, Mr. Beechey early distinguished 

 himself, and was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1793. 

 In the same year he was appoiuted portrait-painter to the Queen, of 

 whom he painted a whole-length. In 1798 he executed his principal 

 work, a large equestrian picture of George III., the Prince of Wales, 

 and the Duke of York, attended by Generals Dundas, Sir W. Fawcett, 

 and Goldsworthy, reviewing the Third and Tenth Dragoons ; for 

 which he was elected a Royal Academician and knighted by the king. 

 This picture is now at Hampton Court. 



From this time Sir William painted the majority of all the persons 

 of distinction, rauk, and fashion of his time, including several portraits 

 of nearly all the members of the royal family. Among his portraits 

 are also those of Lord Nelson, Lord St. Vincent, Sir W. Hamiltou, 

 Lord Cornwallis, Mr. Addington, afterwards Lord Sidmouth, John 

 Kemble, &c. He will not take permanent rank with the great portrait- 

 painters, but hU portraits generally gave satisfaction, especially 

 in their attitudes -and expression. His colouring was gay and light, 

 and his earlier pictures were well-modelled; but his latest works arc 

 negligently executed. There is a portrait of Nollekens by Sir William 

 Beechoy in the National Gallery. He died at Hampstead iu tho 

 month of January 1839, at tho ago of 86. He was twice married, 

 and left a numerous family. 



(Art-Union Journal, February 1839.) 



BEER, MEYER. [MEYEBBKKR.] 



BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VON, was born on the 17th of December 

 1770 at Bonn. His father and grandfather were both musicians by 

 profession ; the former occupied the situation of principal vocal tenor, 



