BIRD, JOHK. 



BISHOP, SIR HENRY ROWLEY. 



ThU Ti.it to London produced a great changn in his taste ; no long*r 

 *ati*fi*d with the humble character of hi* usual subjects, he fonook 

 th characterietios of rural and domestic lira, in pursuit of tha 

 imaginary grwlnea* of religious and historical eubjecto the 'Fortitude 

 of Job.' the Death of Sapphira,' the 'Crucifixion,' and th ' Burning of 

 Ridley and Latimer,' and even the ' Embarkation of Louis XVIII. fur 

 France,' which at mot could be but a costume ahow. ThU last under- 

 taking WM a great mUfortune to Bird : he rrquired the portrait* of 

 many person* of rank, native and foreurn ; the prevailing upon theee 

 penoni to tit waa a trouble and a difficulty which Bird bad never 

 contemplated, and be completely failed in his attempt lie died in 

 1619, in hi* forty-eighth year, leaving hi* pageant unfinished. He was 

 buried with all the honour* of the city in the cloisters of Briitol 

 Cathedral. Three hundred gentlemen followed hi* body to the grave : 

 hi* son, a child of feven yean of age, waa the chief mourner. Bat 

 though at the desire of the citizen* the funeral waa a public one, the 

 ex pence of it waa left to be borne by hia widow a matter which 

 subsequently led to much recrimination. 



Of the kind of picture by which Bird gained hia popularity, he 

 executed several which have not been mentioned u the 'Block- 

 amith'* Shop,' the 'Country Auction,' the 'Qipay Boy,' the 'Young 

 Recruit,' ' Meg Merriliea,' the ' Game at Put,' and some of hi* earliest 

 work*, aa the * Village Politician*,' and the ' Poacher,' in six scenes. 



(Cunningham. Lint of On matt eminent Brituh Painter*, Ac.) 



I'.IUD, JOHN, a celebrated mathematical instrument maker, wai 

 born near the close of the 17th century. He waa brought up a cloth- 

 weaver in the county of Durham. What first occasioned him to turn 

 hia thought* to the art in which he afterwards so much excelled was 

 hia accidentally observing, in a clock maker's shop, the coarse and 

 irregular divisions of the minute* and second* on a clock dial-plate. 

 Be came to London in the year 1740, and began hi* career by dividing 

 astronomical inatrumente both for Graham and Siuon, and afterwards 

 c-irried on business iu the Strand. Hia celebrated Greenwich quadrant 

 wai mounted February 16, 1750. Another instrument was erected in 

 the Oxford Observatory. His list work waa the mural quadrant for 

 the Ecole Militaire at Paris, with which D'Agelct and the two La 

 Landea determined the declinations of 50,000 stars. In 1767 he 

 received 500i. from the Board of Longitude, on condition that he 

 should take an apprentice, instruct other persons aa required, and 

 fnrniah, upon oath, descriptions and plates of his method*. He died 

 March 31, 1776, aged sixty-seven years. 



WKDK, WILLIAM, who is numbered among the most celebrate.] 

 of our ecclesiastical composer*, was born about the Tear 1540, and 

 educated aa one of ' the children' in the chapel of Edward VI., pro- 

 bably under the ' famous Thomas Tallin,' whose pupil he certainly was 

 at an early period of his life. In 1563 he was chosen organist of 

 Lincoln Cathedral, and in 1575, conjointly with Tallin, he became 

 orpaimt to Queen Elisabeth, as well aa gentleman of her chapel. He 

 died in 1 623. liirle arem* to have been highly e* teemed, both in his 

 private and profeaakmal capacity. That he waa great in hi art, at a 

 time however when tliat art exhibited more of study than genius, his 

 competitions afford indisputable evidence. Hi* complete Service, 

 together with three Full Anthem*, published in Boyce's ' Collection,' 

 prove hi musiwl learning, which is further evinced in his ' Cantiones 

 Sacra;,' -a sacred songs for many voices, printed, under letters-patent 

 frutii Queen Elisabeth, in junction with his master Tallis, and repub- 

 liabod a few years back by the Society of Munical Antiquarians. He 

 also contributed largely to ' Queen Elizabeth's Virginal-Book,' " a 

 magnificent folio manuscript curiously bound in red morocco," now 

 in the Brituh Museum, containing nearly seventy pieces for the organ 

 and virginal He alto published other works, chiefly with Latin words, 

 all of them displaying deep study, and a profound knowledge of florid 

 counterpoint But he is now generally known is in fact well known 

 everywhere by his canon ' Non nobia, Domine," a unique composi- 

 tion, hich ha* rather gained than lost by the operation of time, formed 

 a* it is of materials so enduring, that in *pite of the love of novelty, 

 which in musio is so influential, it has maintained it* ground during 

 nearly two nut uric* and a half. Some attempts have been from time 

 to time made, particularly on the continent, to tear so valuable a leaf 

 from Uirde's laurela, but be is still left in full possession of this, his 

 rictwtt. tMVer-fswltoff ornament. 



BIKKIiKCK. OKOROB, M.D., was born January 10, 1776, at Settle 

 iu Yorkshire, when his father was a merchant and banker. He dis- 

 played an early predilection for mechanical and scientific subjects, 

 which led him to select the medical profession a* his pursuit Ho 

 nmmenoad hi* medical studio* at Leeds, and at the age of eighteen 

 repaired to Edinburgh, where he remained one session. The following 

 wii.ur be became a pupil of Dr. Uaillie in London ; but at its clote he 

 again went to Edinburgh, and at the termination of hi* fourth aetsion 

 took bis degree. Hi* reputation in the university was already con- 

 siderable, and h bad formed a friendship with Brougham, Jeffrey, 

 iidny Smith, V. Horner, and others who afterwards attained eminence. 

 While at Edinburgh be was elected to the profesaorahip of the Ander 

 ooian Institution at Olasgow, and in November 1799 commenced hia 

 rat count of Itcturea there on Natural and Experimental Philosophy. 

 There waa at that time no maker of philosophical inatruinrnta at 

 Ola*tow, and be was obliged to have bin philosophical a,.jratus made 

 by ordinary workmen, fie bad employed tinman to construct a 



model of a centrifugal pump; and it waa in the cellar which formed 

 the workshop, while surrounded by the workmen who had made it, 

 but were ignorant of its UM, that he waa first struck with the idea of 

 giving a gratuitous course of lectures for the scientific instruction of 

 the mechanics of Glasgow. In March 1800 he communicated hia wishes 

 on this subject to the trustees of the Andersonian Institution, who 

 retarded tiie proponal an visionary, and nothing was doue during the 

 session. At its close Dr. Birkbeck returned to Yorkshire, and in 

 preparing the prospectus of his courses for the ensuing session, he 

 announced his intention of establishing a class "solely for person* 

 engaged iu the practical exerciso of the mechanical arts, men whose 

 education in early life has precluded even the possibility of acquiring 

 the smallest portion of scientific knowledge." In the style of these 

 lectures he promised that he would study " simplicity of expression 

 and familiarity of illustration." On hU return to Glasgow a printed 

 invitation was circulated in the different manufactories, which contained 

 an offer of tickets for the admission of the most intelligent worktnru 

 iu each manufactory into the mechanic*' class at the Anderaoniaii 

 Institution. The number who accepted this offer was not large, and 

 the first lecture was attended by only seventy-five persona; but it 

 gave so much satisfaction, and excited such general inter, at, that at 

 the second lecture the number was increased to two hundred ; at tha 

 third lecture above three hundred mechanics were present, and at the 

 fourth above five hundred ; and as the theatre of the institution would 

 not accommodate many more persona, it became necessary to limit the 

 number of tickets. At the close of the course his claas of mechanics 

 presented him with a silver cup. Dr. Birkbeok continued his lectures 

 to them for the two succeeding seasons. In 1801 he relinquished the 

 professorship, and was succeeded by Dr. Ure. 



In 1808 Dr. Birkbeck settled iu London, where he soon obtained a 

 good practice as a physician. While in active practice iu London as 

 a physician. Dr. Birkbeck had few opportunities of following up the 

 labours which he had commenced at Glasgow for the a ivaucement of 

 scientific knowledge amongst artisans ; but it was a subject which ho 

 had always at heart In 1820 he gave a gratuitous course of seven- 

 teen lectures at the London Institution. Iu February 1S'J3 the 

 mechanics of Glasgow who attended the lectures at the Andersoniau 

 Institution, as a mark of respect for his character, and in gratitude 

 to him aa the ' liberal-minded projector and founder ' of the mechanics 

 class, asked his consent to allow his portrait to be taken. In July of 

 the same year they resolved to establish a school for their own instruc- 

 tion, to be called the Glasgow Mechanics Institution. Many circum- 

 stances now tended to a general development of Dr. birkbeck's 

 favourite plans. In 1821 a School of Arts had been established at 

 Edinburgh, through the exertions principally of Mr. Leonard Homer. 

 In the 'Mechanics Magazine' for October 11, 1823, a paper appeared 

 entitled ' Proposals for a London Mechanics Institute.' Dr. Birkbeck 

 was at this time engaged in preparing an Essay on the Scientific 

 Education of the Working Classes, and ho wrote to the ' Mechanics 

 ***"""" ' (of October 18th), offering information and every assistance 

 in his power in the formation of the projected iustitutiou. He was 

 soon actively engaged in this object, and on the llth of November 

 1823, presided at a public meeting at the Crown and Auchor, which 

 was attended, amongst others, by Dr. Lusbington, Jeremy Bentham, 

 David Wilkie, and Cobbett ; Lord Brougham, who had attended the 

 preliminary meetings, waa absent from other engagements. After 

 another meeting, on the 2nd of December, the first officers of the 

 ' London Mechanics Institution ' were appointed on the 15th of 

 December. Dr. Birkbeck was elected president, which office he filled 

 till hia death. At the formation of tha institution Dr. Birkbeck 

 generously lent the sum of 37001., for the purpose of building a lecture- 

 room, &c. On the 20th of February 1821 he delivered an inaugural 

 address on the opening of the institution. 



Dr. Birkbeck's professional and scientific pursuits, and his services 

 in various way*, in connection with objects of public utility, were 

 continued to the last He died December 1, 1841, at his residence in 

 Fiiisbury-rquarc, London, of a severe internal disease which occasioned 

 great suffering. He left a sou by hi* first wife, and two sous and two 

 daughters by bis second wife, who survived him. Hia funeral was 

 attended by a Urge procession of the working-classes, the members of 

 the Mechanics Institute and other societies, the committee of the 

 Polish refugees and a number of Poles; and among the private 

 carriages waa that of the Turkish ambassador : altogether about a 

 thousand persona were present 



BISHOP, Sill HKNHY KOWLEY, was born in London in 1780. 

 He received his musical education under Signer Biauchi, who was then 

 settled in London as composer at the Opera House. In 1806 Mr. 

 Bishop obtained the appointment of composer of ballet music at the 

 opera, a post he occupied for some time ; but little more than the 

 title* of the pieces written by him have been preserved. The first of 

 his long aerie* of Engliah operas, 'The Circassian Bride,' was produced 

 at Drury Lane Theatre on the 23rd of February 1809, with great 

 success ; but on the following evening the theatre was destroyed by 

 fire, and the score of his opera perished in the flames. For the next 

 sixteen or seventeen year* he wrote almost incessantly for Drury Lane 

 and Covent Garden theatres, at the latter of which he for several years 

 held the office of composer and musical director. During this period 

 he is said to have produced upwards of seventy operas, ballets, and 



