913 



BREDOW, GABRIEL GODFREY. 



BRENNUS. 



911 



dying on the 5th of August in the following year. While hia death 

 within a year and a half afterwards proves nothing more than that he 

 did not live to see his designs for the edifice fully realised, the fact of 

 his assisting with the abbot in the ceremony of laying the first stone 

 affords strong proof that lie was the architect or designer of the 

 fabric, it being a very unlikely thing that he would have taken an 

 active share in such a ceremony had the building been the work of a 

 rival artist. That Bray possessed talents equal to the occasion is 

 beyond all doubt, it being admitted even by those who would reduce 

 his fame, that he erected the nave of that other singularly beautiful 

 structure, St. George's Chapel at Windsor, commenced by Edward IV. 

 Sir Reginald's arms, crest, and device, R B., and a hemp-break, occur 

 in many places on the ceiling of that building, and in the south aisle 

 there is a chapel still called after him, in which he was buried. 



BREDOW, GABRIEL GODFREY, born at Berlin in 1773, was 

 professor at Eutin in Holsteiu at the same time aa Voss, afterwards 

 at Frankfurt-on-the-Oder, and lastly in the University of Breslau. 

 He was a learned and laborious man, especially in matters concerning 

 ancient and modern history. He wrote ' Handbuch der alten 

 Geschichte' ('Manual of Ancient History,' translated into English, 

 London, 1827), ' Untersuchungen iiber Geschichte Geographic und 

 Chronologic' ('Researches on History, Geography, and Chronology'), 

 and ' Historische Tabellen,' which are a series of chronological tables, 

 in which the principal events of the history of the various countries 

 of the world are placed in synchronical order by meas of parallel 

 columns. This last work went through several editions during the 

 lifetime of the author, and consisted of ten tables, which carried the 

 series to 1799. Bredow died in 1814. An edition was made after his 

 death, which contains an additional table, including the events of 

 Napoleon's time to 1811. Bredow'a tables were translated into English 

 (1820) by Major James Bell, who added a twelfth sheet, carrying the 

 series of events to 1820, besides adding other columns concerning 

 British and Indian affairs. This work of Major Bell has likewise 

 gone through several editions, in the latest of which he baa added 

 another table, which brings the series down to 1833, and also a table 

 of Oriental chronology. The work contains also four tables of literary 

 and scientific chronology, translated from Bredow's text, and arranged 

 likewise in synchronical order, exhibiting the progress of the human 

 mind in the various countries from the oldest records in existence ; 

 and lastly, a similar table of the principal painters, classed according 

 to the various schools, taken from the notes of M. Van Bree. It is 

 altogether a useful work, and executed with considerable industry, 

 although not wholly exempt from inaccuracies in some of the details. 

 As a book of reference it is clearer and more comprehensive than the 

 ' Atlas Historiquc ' of Le Sage. 



In the latter tables added by Major Bell, the writer has somewhat 

 departed from the sober matter-of-fact style of the German professor, 

 and has occasionally indulged in qualifications, either laudatory or 

 condemnatory, applied to political parties and transactions, which 

 appear out of place in a work of pure and simple chronology. 



Bredow wrote also a 'Chronicle of the 19th Century," in which he 

 spoke of Napoleon's power, then at its height, with a boldness that 

 acquired him a name among the patriots of Germany. 



BREISLA'K, SCIPIONE, was born at Rome in 1748, of a family 

 originally from Germany. Cardinal Scipione Borgheae stood godfather 

 to him, and gave him his own Christian name. Brieslak early 

 distinguished himself for his application to the physical sciences, by 

 which he attracted the attention of the learned Stay of Ragusa, who 

 offered him a professorship of mathematics and physics in a college 

 newly established at Ragusa. In that city Breislak became acquainted 

 with the Abate Fortis, from whose conversation he derived a fresh 

 impulse towards the study of natural philosophy. After remaining 

 several years at Ragusa, Breislak returned to Rome, where he was 

 appointed professor in the College Nazareno. He mainly contributed 

 to form the rich cabinet of mineralogy of that institution, and he 

 made excursions to the hilla near the lake of Bracciauo, north-west of 

 Rome, to investigate their geology and mineralogy. He published 

 the result of his observations, 'Saggio d'Osservazioni sulla Tolfa, 

 Oriolo e Latera,' in 1786. Afterwards, on his going to Naples, he 

 wan employed by that government in several mining researches, and 

 in constructing a vast distilling apparatus on the volcanic mountain 

 called La Solfatara. His health becoming seriously affected by these 

 labours, he was obliged to desist, and was appointed teacher to the 

 student* of artillery in the royal military college of Naples. He 

 made frequent perambulations through the province of Terra di 

 Lavoro for the sake of geological research ; the results of his obser- 

 vations are contained in his ' Topograpia fisica della Campania,' 

 Florence, 1796, afterwards translated into French, with additions; 

 and an essay on the volcanic formation of the seven hills of Rome, 

 ' Voyages dans la Campanie,' Paris, 1801. Breislak had been driveu 

 to Paris by the events of 1799. At Paris he was cordially received by 

 Fourcroy, Chaptal, Cuvier, and the other scientific men of that 

 capital. Having returned to Italy at the end of that war, he was 

 appointed in 1802 inspector of the national manufactory of saltpetre 

 and gunpowder of the Italian republic, and member of the Italian 

 institute. From that time he resided chiefly at Milan. He wrote 

 several treatises on the manufacture of saltpetre. ' Del Saluitro e 

 dell' Arte del Salnitrajo,' 'Memoria sulla Fabbricazione e Raffmazione 



Bioa. Div. vot. I. 



dei Nitri,' 'Istruzione Pratica per le piccole Fabbricazioae di Nitro, da 

 farsi dalle persoue di campagna.' Breislak continued in his office of 

 inspector through the various changes of government, and also under 

 the Austrian administration till bis death. In order to encourage 

 the study of geology, which was then still in its infancy in Italy, 

 Breislak published in 1811, his 'Inti-oduzione alia Geologia,' which 

 he afterwards enlarged and published in French under tbe title 

 of 'Institutions Gdologiques,' Milan, 1819. This work was well 

 received, and was immediately translated into German. Breislak was 

 elected a member of most scientific societies in Europe. In 1816, 

 together with Monti, Giordani, and Acerbi, he formed the plan of 

 the well-known Italian scientific and literary journal, 'Biblioteca 

 Italiana,' which speedily attained the first rank among the periodicals 

 of that country. In 1822 he published ' Descrizione Geologica della 

 Provincia di Milano,' which was printed at the expense of the Austrian 

 government of Lombardy. Breislak died at Milan, February 15, 

 1826, universally regretted both for his scientific merit and his 

 personal qualities. His rich collection of minerals passed into the 

 hands of the Borromeo family. 



* BREMER, FREDERIKA, an eminent Swedish novelist, was born 

 in 1802 at Abo in Finland. About the time when Finland was ceded 

 to Russia, her father removed with his family into Sweden. For some 

 years Frederika remained in the house of the countess of Sonnerhjelm, 

 but her education was completed in an establishment at Stockholm. 

 At an early age she began to write French verses ; the formation of 

 her literary taste and habits is however attributable to the study at a 

 somewhat later period of the great poets and prose writers of 

 Germany, especially of Schiller. She did not appear before the 

 public as an author until she had read and observed much, and 

 widened her sympathies by travel and by intercourse with various 

 grades of society. The keenness of observation and delicate skill in 

 painting family life, exhibited in her early writings, gained for her 

 considerable notice in her native country and in Germany, but it ia 

 perhaps not too much to say that it was the great success of the 

 English translation by Mrs. Howitt, of Miss Bremer's 'Neighbours,' 

 published in 1842, and confirmed as that success was by the 

 translation of 'Home,' which appeared in 1843, that caused her even 

 in Sweden to bo regarded as among the chief living novel-writers. 

 These charming stories were in speedy succession followed by other 

 somewhat similar sketches and studies of the northern domestic life, 

 among others appearing, ' The Diary, or Strife and Peace ; ' ' The H. 

 Family ; ' ' Brothers and Sisters ; ' ' Nina ; ' ' The President's 

 Daughter ; ' ' Life in Dalecarlia,' &c. ; all, or nearly all of which were 

 translated by Mrs. Howitt. 



Miss Bremer had already visited England, and travelled through 

 Germany, when in 1849, she determined to extend her journeying to 

 the United States, where her novels had achieved a popularity at least 

 equal to that which they had won in England. On her return she 

 published a florid account of her reception, and her estimate of the 

 country and the people, under the title of ' Homes of the New 

 World.' It was issued, simultaneously, in 1853, in Sweden, England, 

 and the United States, and was much read. It is chiefly remarkable 

 however for lavish indulgence in the redundant style, and somewhat 

 exaggerated sentiment which had too strongly characterised some of 

 her later novels. Since her return to Sweden, Miss Bremer has been 

 much engaged in the promotion of various philanthropic schemes for 

 ameliorating the condition of her sex, and for extending education 

 among the poor. 



BRENNUS, the Latinised form of the Celtic Brenin, ' king,' Two 

 individuals are known in history by this name. 



1. The first was the hero of an early Roman legend, which relates 

 to the migration of the Gauls iuto Italy, and their march to Clusium 

 and Rome. In the account given by Diodorus (xiv. 113, &c.) of this 

 singular invasion, the name of Brenuus is not mentioned ; in the 

 narrative of Livy (v. 33, &c.), he figures as the " regulus Gallorum," 

 or chieftain of the Gauls. When he arrived at Clusium the inhabit- 

 ants called on the Romans for aid. He engaged with and defeated 

 the Romans on the banks of the Allia, the name of which river they 

 ever after held in detestation. (Virg. ' ^En.,' vii. 717.) The whole city 

 was afterwards plundered and burnt; and the capitol would have been 

 taken but for the bravery of Manlius. At last, induced by famine and 

 pestilence, the Romans agreed that the Gauls should receive lOOOlbs. 

 of gold, on the condition that they would quit Rome and its territory 

 altogether. The barbarian brought false weights, but his fraud was 

 detected. The tribune Sulpicius exclaimed against the injustice of 

 Brennus, who immediately laid his sword and belt in the scale, and 

 said " Woe to the vanquished." The dictator Cauiillus arrived with 

 his forces at thia critical time, annulled the capitulation, and ordered 

 him to prepare for battle. The Gauls were defeated ; there was a 

 total slaughter, and not a man survived to carry homo the news of 

 the defeat. The date of the taking of Rome, assigned by Niebuhr, is 

 the 3rd year of the 39th Olympiad, B.C. 382. (' Hist Rom.,' vol. ii. 

 pp. 509-567, English translation.) 



2. A king of the Gauls, who (B.C. 279 ; ' Clinton,' voL i. p. 237) made 

 an irruption iuto Macedonia with a force of 150,000 men and 10,000 

 horse. Proceeding into Greece, he attempted to plunder the temple 

 at Delphi. He engaged in many battles, lost many thousand men, 

 and himself received many wounds, In despair and mortification, he 



