520 



BKTIJLEHEM BKZA. 



Jerusalem, at the foot of a hill covered with vines 

 mid olive trees, which, howcxcr, is not the mount of 

 Olives mentioned in the Hihle. An aqueduct con- 

 veys water from the hill to the village. It lias 300 

 houses, and 2400 (', reek and Armenian inhabitants, 

 who make wooden rosaries and crucifixes, inlaid with 

 mother of pearl, for pilgrims ; also cxci llcul white 

 wine. In a rich grotto, furnished with silver and 

 crystal lamp-, under the choir of the church of a con- 

 vent in this village, a trough of marble is shown, 

 which is said to be the manger in which Jesus was 

 I. lid after his birth. There are three convents there, 

 for Catholics, Creeks, and Armenians. The greatest 

 ornament of the place is the stately church erected 

 by the empress Helena over the place where Christ 

 is sakl to have been born, and bearing her name. It 

 is built in the form of a cross, and the top commands a 

 fine \icw over the surrounding country. Several 

 spots mentioned in the Bible are -ho\\ n here. 



BETHLEHEM. There are many places in the Unit- 

 ed States with this name. One of the most import- 

 ant is the borough and post-town in Northampton 

 county, Pennsylvania, on the Lehigli, twelve miles 

 S. W. Kaston. fifty-four N. N.W. Philadelphia. Po- 

 pulation in 1810, 1436; in 1820, 1860. It is plea- 

 santly situated, regularly laid out, built chiefly of 

 stone, and inhabit* d wholly by Moravians, who have 

 a bishop there. 13. contains two academies, one for 

 young ladies, and another for boys. 



BKTROTHMENT, in law ; a mutual promise or com- 

 pact between two parties, by which they bind them- 

 selves to marry. The word imports giving one's 

 troth, i. e. true faith or promise. Betrothment 

 amounts to the same with what is called, by civilians 

 and canonists, sponsalia or espousals, sometimes de- 

 tponsation, and, by the French, fianyaiUes. Betroth- 

 ment is either solemn (made in the face of the church), 

 or private (made before witnesses out of the church). 

 According to the Roman law, betrothment ought to 

 l>e made by a stipulation, i. e., a contract, in which 

 one binds himself, by an answer to a question put to 

 him, to the fulfilment of a contract. As betrothments 

 are contracts, they are subject to the same rules as 

 other contracts ; for instance, that they are valid only 

 between persons whose capacity is recognized by 

 law ; and the use of fraud, violence, or intimidation, 

 vitiates the contract. The consent of both parties, 

 of course, is required. This may be expressed either 

 verbally, or by writing, or by action. In Germany, 

 the consent of the parents is always necessary, if the 

 parties are under age, not yet sui juris. But if the 

 parents withhold their consent unreasonably, the per- 

 mission of the judge is allowed to sanction the contract. 

 If the opinions of the parents are diverse, the law 

 gives effect to that of the father. Some provincial 

 laws require the consent of the relations, and the 

 presence of witnesses. Betrothments contracted 

 thus, according to law, are called sponsalia publica ; 

 others are called sponsalia clandestina. The latter 

 are, in some places, utterly invalid ; in others, only 

 punishable. By the common German law, however, 

 they are valid in every case in which consummation 

 or consecration by the priest has taken place. The 

 parents, in these cases, are not allowed to apply for 

 a dissolution of the contract, nor can they refuse their 

 consent, except for highly important reasons. Public 

 betrothment induces the obligation to marry. In case 

 of refusal to complete the contract by marriage, the 

 injured party is allowed an action at law to com- 

 pel its performance ; but, since unhappy marriages 

 sre among the greatest misfortunes, the means of 

 compulsion applied by the law are never great, 

 amounting only to a small fine, or a short imprison- 

 ment. If circumstances take place which, if hap- 

 pening' before the betrothment, would have neces- 



sarily prevented it, the party a fleeted by thrm fs 

 allowed to recede from the engagement, and the mo- 

 dern laws allow only an action for damages. In 

 Germany, betrothment generally takes place in a 

 small company of relations and friends. In Kii^ia, 

 it was once binding and indissoluble, like marriage, 

 but is now a mere form accompanying the marriage 

 ci rrmony. 



BETTKRTOX, Thomas, a celebrated actor in the 

 reign of Charles II., was born in Westminster, in 

 1035, and excelled in Shakspeare'-. characters of 

 Hamlet, Othello, Brutus, and Hotspur. In Hi.'!f, 

 he opened a new play-house in Lincoln's-inn-fields, 

 but did not succeed. He died in 1710, and was 

 buried in Westminster abbey. He wrote, the Woman 

 made a Justice, a comedy; the Amorous Widow, or 

 the Wanton Wife ; Diocletian, a dramatic opera, &c. 

 The Unjust Judge, or Appius and Virginia, a trage- 

 dy, was written originally by Mr John Webster, and 

 altered by B. 



BETTINKLLI, Saverio, an Italian author, born at 

 Mantua, in 1718, studied there and at Bologna, under 

 the Jesuits; entered, in 1736, the novitiate of this 

 order, and taught, from 1739 to 1744, belles-lettres 

 at Brescia, where lie made himself known by some 

 poems composed for the use of schools. In Bologna, 

 where he studied theology, he continued to cultivate 

 his poetical talents, and wrote for the theatre of the 

 college his tragedy of Jonathan. In 1751, he was 

 intrusted with the direction of the college of nobles 

 at Parma. After having remained there eight years, 

 he traveled in France and Germany, and relumed 

 to Verona, where he remained till the year 1767, 

 engaged in preaching and instruction. After the 

 suppression of the Jesuits, in 1773, he returned to 

 his native city, where he resumed his literary labours 

 with renewed zeal. He published several works, 

 among which some were intended for ladies ; as, his 

 Correspondence between two Ladies, his Letters to 

 Lesbia on Epigrams, and likewise his Twenty-four 

 Dialogues on Love. He began, in 1799, a complete 

 edition of his works (Venice, 1801, 12 vols. 12mo.) 

 He preserved the cheerfulness and serenity of his 

 spirit to the age of ninety years ; and died in 1808, 

 with the composure of a philosopher, and the devo- 

 tion of a Christian. Besides his works already men- 

 tioned, we cite his Dell' Entusiasmo delle belle Arti, 

 Risorgrnievto negli Studj, nelle Arti e ne' Costumi 

 dopo il Mille (3 vols.), a superficial work, which is, 

 however, not destitute of new and just views. The 

 Lettere died di Virgilio ag'li Arcadi attracted great 

 attention. The ideas expressed in this work of the 

 two great names of Italian poetry, particularly of 

 Dante, involved him in many contests. His Poesie 

 (3 vols.) contain seven poemetti, sixteen letters in 

 blank verse, sonnets, canzoni, c. Although this 

 collection does not show any great poetical power, 

 yet it is always elegant and ingenious. It is pre- 

 ceded by a treatise on Italian poetry. 



BEY, among the Turks, signifies a governor of a 

 town, seaport, or small district. The Turks write 

 the word beg. (q. v.) See also Beglerbeg. 



BEZA (properly, de Beze), Theodore ; next to Cal- 

 vin, the most distinguished for genius and influence 

 among the preachers of the Calvinistic church in the 

 16th century. Born of a noble family at Vezelay, in 

 Burgundy, June 24, 1519; educated in Orleans, un- 

 der Melchior Volmar, a German philologer devoted to 

 the reformation ; and early familiar with the ancient 

 classical literature, he became known, at the age of 

 twenty years, as a Latin poet, by his petulant and 

 witty Juvenilia, (a collection of poems, of which he 

 was afterwards ashamed). In 1539, he was made a 

 licentiate of law, and, in the same year, invited by 

 his family to Paris. He received from his uncle the 



