BREMEN BRENNUS. 



673 



merly an archbishopric, but erected into the duchy of 

 Bremen in 1648, was one of the leading members of 

 the Hauseatic league. At the Reformation, the city 

 embraced the Lutheran religion, and expelled the 

 archbishop. Since 1562, Calvinism has been the pre- 

 vailing religion. By the peace of Westphalia, the 

 crown of Sweden came into possession of the secular- 

 ized archbishopric, under the title of a duchy. When 

 the elector of Brunswick gained possession of the 

 duchy in 1731, the prerogatives of a free city were 

 confirmed to B. B. is divided by the Weser into the 

 old and the new towns. The fortifications have been 

 demolished, and on the ground where they stood a 

 garden, in the English style, was laid out in 1802, ex- 

 tending, in a semicircle, round the old town, from one 

 bank of the Weser to the other : the garden is pro- 

 vided witli running water, and wide clean walks. 

 Outside of each of its gates is a retired place, planted 

 with fir-trees, affording sheltered walks, and room for 

 sports of various sorts. There is, also, much taste 

 displayed in the arrangement of the trees, shrubs, and 

 plants. Adjoining it are the finest houses, which 

 have a good view of the river, the city, and the sur- 

 rounding country. The principal buildings, besides 

 the churches, are the senate-house, with its cellar of 

 Rhenish wine, the former archiepiscopal palace, con- 

 verted, in 1819, into the city hall ; the exchange, a 

 museum, theatre, hospital, city library, and two 

 orphan asylums. The water-works furnish the old 

 town with pure soft water. The number of inhabi- 

 tants is estimated at 38,000; that of the houses is 

 5350. The city contains a gymnasium (academy), 

 and, for scientific instruction, a pcedagogium. The 

 magistrates (two of whom may ue Lutherans), are 

 four burgomasters and twenty-four senators, composed 

 partly of the learned and partly of the mercantile 

 professions. If matters of general moment arise, the 

 IVittheit (wisdom), consisting of all the citizens who 

 pay taxes, is convoked. The territory belonging to 

 the city is about seventy-four square miles, and con- 

 tains 48,500 inhabitants. From 1810 to 181 3, B. was 

 the capital of the French department of the Mouths 

 of the Weser. The congress of Vienna admitted it 

 into the German confederacy, as a free city, with one 

 vote in the general assembly. B. and the three other 

 free cities have, together, a vote in the diet. The 

 revenues amount to 400,000 florins ; the debt to 

 4,500,000 florins. The constitution is, like that of 

 Hamburg and Lubeck, a relic of other times. A 

 thousand antiquated forms render the government of 

 this small city a complicated web of jarring interests. 

 These free cities do not even possess the liberty of 

 the press, and their existence depends on the mutual 

 jealousy of the powers which surround them, with 

 whose whims they must always comply. The only 

 advantage of which they can boast is the comparative 

 lightness of the taxes. The chief points deserving 

 ot remark in the political constitution of these cities 

 are, that they have four burgomasters chosen for life, 

 a senate, chosen from among the citizens, also for life ; 

 likewise meetings of the citizens, either in primary 

 assemblies or by delegates, whose opinion and con- 

 sent are seldom asked, except when new taxes are to 

 be imposed ; and, finally, a number of subjects not 

 represented.^ In 1820, the toll at Elsflethwas abolish- 

 ed ; but the accumulation of sand between Vegesack 

 and B. has not ceased, and vessels deeply laden can 

 go up the river only to Bracke and Elsfleth, or, at 

 most, to Vegesack. Their cargoes are, therefore, 

 discharged into lighters, which is inconvenient and 

 expensive. The herring and whale fisheries carried 

 OH from this city are important, and the trade, princi- 

 pally in German linen, to St Thomas and South 

 America, is increasing. Olbers and Heeren were 

 born at B. B. lies in Ion. 8" 48' 3" E.; lat. 53 4' 45" N. 



BRENNER, in the Tyrol. Mount B., propeily so 

 called (also mons Brennius), rising between Inspruck 

 and Sterzing, and between the rivers Inn, Aicha, and 

 Adige, 729 fathoms above the level of the sea, is 6063 

 feet in height. The road from Germany to Italy tra- 

 verses this mountain. It is 4376 feet high, and about 

 twelve miles long. At its foot is the pass, called Lueg 

 or Lug, where the milestones of Maximin and Maxen- 

 tius are standing ; the first of which was erected in 

 236, or the year of the victory over the Allemanni, 

 and indicates the distance of 130 Roman miles to 

 Augsburg. The B. has been the chief position for 

 the defence of the Tyrol. In the last revolution of 

 the Tyrolese, in 1809, particularly in August, they 

 defended themselves gallantly in this place against 

 the Bavarians and French, who were advancing, cut- 

 ting off their communication with Italy, until Novem- 

 ber. See Alps, Roads over. 



BRENNUS ; the name of several princes of the ancient 

 Gauls, and expressive of their dignity. Its derivation 

 from the old Celtic word brenn (chief, leader) is not 

 improbable. A leader of the Sennones, a Gallic na- 

 tion in the upper part of Italy, who is mentioned under 

 this name, made an invasion into the Roman territory 

 about the year 390 B. C. Anins, an Etrurian, having 

 failed in an attempt to obtain justice at Rome in a law- 

 suit with his ward, addressed himself to the Sennones 

 for the purpose of revenging himself. Enticed by the. 

 description of the fertility of Etruria, they conquered 

 the whole country from Ravenna as far as Picenum. 

 They then laid siege to Clusium, the inhabitants of 

 which city had recourse to Rome for assistance. The 

 Romans, in consequence, sent three brothers of the 

 Fabian family to remonstrate with B. B. replied, that 

 his right lay in his sword. The Fabii, provoked by 

 this haughty answer, entered the city under pretence 

 of negotiating, exhorted the inhabitants to perseve- 

 rance, promised them assistance, and even conducted 

 a sally at their head. B. resolved to avenge this 

 breach of faith, and, raising the siege of Clusium, di- 

 rected his march towards Rome, after having in vain 

 demanded the surrender of the Fabii. They were ap- 

 pointed military tribunes, and, at the head of 40,000 

 men, went forth to meet the enemy. A battle was 

 fought near the river Allia, not far from Rome ; the 

 Romans were totally defeated, and B. took possession 

 of the city, which had been previously abandoned by 

 the inhabitants. The capitol only was provided with 

 a garrison ; but several aged citizens of rank, priests, 

 ex-consuls, and generals, amounting in the whole to 

 about forty, had resolved to remain in the city, and 

 devote themselves to the infernal deities. Attired in 

 their sacerdotal, consular, and triumphal robes, like 

 victims decorated for the sacrifice, they seated them- 

 selves in their chairs of office, in the middle of the 

 forum, awaiting death. When B. arrived at the fo- 

 rum, he was struck with astonishment at their vene- 

 rable aspect. The Gauls looked upon them as so 

 many statues of deities, and feared to go near them. 

 At last one ventured to approach M. Papirius, and 

 stroke his beard, upon which the latter struck him 

 with his ivory sceptre, and was immediately massacred, 

 together with his companions, by the infuriated Gauls. 

 Rome was sacked, and all the inhabitants who yet re- 

 mained in their houses were slain. B. then assaulted 

 the capitol, and, being repelled with considerable loss, 

 he set fire to the city, and levelled it with the ground. 

 The capitol, however, was so strong, that he resolved 

 to reduce it by famine. Detached parties, at the same 

 time, plundered the plain country, and exacted con- 

 tributions from the neighbouring cities. Such a party 

 appeared before Ardea, the place where the valiant 

 Camillas lived in exile. This magnanimous patriot 

 persuaded the senate of Ardea to defend their city, 

 made a nocturnal attack on the besiegers, and caused 



