BIOGRAPHY 



405 



order of the king, on the steps of his own altar, 1170. 

 The king denying all share in the murder was absolved; 

 but in 1174 did penance at his tomb. Becket was canon- 

 ized by Alexander III. in 1173. 



Beckford, William, born in 1760; an English mil- 

 lionaire and distinguished author. When only twenty 

 he published a clever satire, "Biographical Memoirs of 

 Extraordinary Painters." After some foreign travel 

 he entered parliament, and published his great work, 

 "The Romance of Vathek." in the French language, a 

 book which excited the widest admiration. The chief 

 episodes of the remainder of his life were the erection, 

 at enormous cost, of two vast mansions in England and a 

 "fairy palace" in Portugal. Died, 1844. 



ll.-ckham, John C repps WIcklifTe, governor of 

 Kentucky; born in "Wickland." Bardstown, Ky. ; 

 educated in common schools, Bardstown, Ky., and 

 1884-86. Central University. Richmond. Ky. ; was page 

 <icky House of Representatives, 1881-82; prin- 

 cipal Bardstown High School. 1888-91. Began practice , 

 of law, 1893; elected to Kentucky legislature. 1893-96-97; , 

 elected speaker session 1898; nominated for lieutenant- 

 governor, 1899, declared by legislature elected; became 

 governor upon death of Goebel, February 3, 1900; nomi- 

 nated by Democratic Convention, July 20, 1900, and \ 

 elected for term ending 1903, reflected, 1904, and served 

 1907. 



llcde, J, Adam, congressman, journalist; born on 

 farm. Lorain County, O., 1856; educated in Ohio public | 

 schools; learned printer's trade; taught school; did 

 work as reporter on newspapers West and South. Origi- 

 nally Republican, but supported Cleveland in 1888 and 

 1892; appointed United States Marshal for district of 

 Minnesota but resigned within a year; returned to 

 Republican party on financial issue. 1896; campaigned 

 d States, 1896, 1898, 1900. Member Congress, 

 eighth Minnesota district since 1903. 



Beer her. Henry Ward. Rev.* son of Lyman 

 Beecher, an eminent New England Congregational 

 preacher and theologian; born in 1813; entered the 

 Congregational ministry in 1834, and in 1847 became 

 pastor of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, which place he 

 held till his death. Mr. Beecher was considered by many 

 as the most eloquent divine of the Nineteenth Century, 

 and was scarcely less distinguished as a writer and lec- 

 turer on popular subjects. Died, 1887. 



Beet ho \ en /-ren). Ludwig Von, a very eminent 

 (lerman composer, born at Bonn in 1770. He studied 

 under Haydn. His numerous symphonies, of which the 

 finest are the "Battle Symphony, and the "Pastoral 

 Symphony " ; his operas, of which " Fidelio " is the most 

 admired, and his other works, abounding in originality 

 :us, have imparted to him an unfading celebrity. 



llela sro. l>a\id, dramatic author; born in San 

 Francisco; educated at Lincoln College. Calif. Author: 



Maryland. Hie Wife." 



. irity Ball." " Lord Chimile-. 

 " Men and Women." " La Belle I he < lirl I Left 



Behind .ttsofOak. Hie Darling 



of the <}ods." "Du Barry," "Sweet Kittv Bellairs." 

 "Adrea." Manager of Mrs. Ixlie Carter, David W ar- 



I Blanche Bates. 



Itclis.i riliH (bfl-f-tar'-f-im), a Roman reneral. \\h 

 : the F.mperor .lu-t iman with skill, valor, and 

 success. In his old .-me he is said to have become blind, 

 and to have suffered much from poverty; but there are 

 reasons for doubt um the truth of these representations. 

 Di.-d. 566, 



Belli \\. Harold, Kvrle- >lon.-\ . actor; born in 



..-Hew. chaplain 



cathedral at Calcutta; was cadet I'.iurl -vimr 



seven yean*, then went to Austt.-dian ^.Id tn-ld-; worked 

 ' Ibourne newspajHTs; returned to I'tmland; made 

 Stage dehir I. Bnchton idmg 



man ami tnr in London; c-ame to Lmted States a- 



subsequently starred jointly with Mrs. .laim-s Br<>\\n 

 .ding nMes with her m : irarna 



m all 1 . mulish-speaking conn:- Uradi ! exploi 



' 



ige at head of own companv in In 

 October. 1902. Author: "Yvonne," b-lai. 



< harlotte Corday," and several adapta- 



iteiiini. Giovanni, 

 eon of Jaoqpo Bellini, himself a p . i the 



tea.-herof 1 ,- ,.- - - n, I ,-.,-, i h work* II- 



some mat historical piece* for the hall of the < 



Venice, win. h were destroyed by In 

 ; MJ. 

 Hi-Mini. Vim CM70. born m 1802; an Italian 



composer, and a disciple of Rossini. The son of a Sicilian 

 organist, he proceeded to the royal music school of Naples 

 where he produced his first opera. He attracted atten- 

 tion with "11 Pirata." brought out at Milan and played 

 successively in all the European capitals, and in 1831 

 1 the production of his greatest opera. " La Somnambula," 

 ! established his high reputation. This was followed by 

 the tragic opera "Norma," and in 1835 by "I Puritani. 

 the composer's last work. He died in 1835 and was 

 buried in Pere la Chaise at Paris. 



Bellmann. Karl Hie had. born in 1740; a - 

 lyrical poet of considerable popularity. The nature of 

 his verse is indicated by the name given to him the 

 I Swedish Anacreon. Died. 1795. 



Belmont. August, banker; born in New York. Febru- 

 ary 18, 1853; son of prominent banker of same name, 

 now deceased; graduate of Harvard. 1X75. and at once 

 entered the bank; now head of August Belmont &, Com- 

 pany, American rej in-sent at ives of European banking 

 firm of Rothschilds; is officer and director of many large 

 railway, banking, manufacturing and other corporations; 

 president Interborough Rapid Transit Company. 



Bern. Joseph, born in 1795; a brave and skillful 

 Polish general. He served as general of artillery in the 

 Polish Revolution of 1830. and afterwards traveled in 

 Europe. He joined Kossuth in 1848 in the revolt against 

 Austria, and won several battles for the national cause. 

 I^ater, he entered the service of the Turkish Sultan, adopt- 

 ing the Mohammedan religion. Died, 1850. 



Item ho. Pietro. born in 1470; an eminent Italian 

 cardinal, and a profound scholar. His early life he 

 spent studying in one city and another, and he attained 

 such a reputation for culture that when, in 1. ">!:.'. 

 to Rome he was appointed one of the pontifical secretaries, 

 and in 1539 he was created cardinal. He wrote prose 

 and verse, both in Italian and Latin, and his composi- 

 tions are most remarkable for their purity of style. 

 Died. 1.M7. 



Benedict. M.. i monk who founded the first religious 

 order in the West; was born at Nur?ia. in the Duchy of 

 Spoleto. in 480. At an early age he retired to a 

 to devote himself to study; this austerity gained him 

 fame. By him the monastery of Monte Cassiim. mar 

 Naples, was established in .">_'S. One leading principle 

 which he laid down was, that the order should maintain 

 themselves by the labor of their hands, which 

 conduced to their subsequent prosperity. He died in 



Beniamln, Judah Philip, born in 1811; an Ameri- 

 can politician, who later became a distinguished mem- 

 ber of the Ktmlish bar. He \v:is born in the West Indies. 

 and practiced as a barrister at New irlcans. He sat in 

 the senate, and became attorney-general and - 

 of state to the Confederate Government under Jefferson 



Davis. When the cause of the South was lost, he Hed 

 to F.imland. and was, by influence, at once called to the 

 English bar, obtaining a large practice and l 



Ili-imt II. James <. onion. j>t ;< 



Herald"; born in New York. May 10, 1841; son of 

 journalist of same name; educated by private tutors; 



: "The Herald" and a large fortune. Iv 

 a time ndoti edition and still pul 



.ition of "The Herald"; Inaugurated publica- 

 tion in I'.iiL-ian.l of storm warnings transmitted from the 

 tinted stair- pj If . Stanley to Africa to find 



Livingstone. 1S74-77; Jilted out Jeannette i>lai e\pe- 

 d.t.on. IS7.; established John \V. MackayK 



the Commercial (Mackay-Bennett) Cable < 

 a prominent yachtsman; i his time 



but keeps active 111:1 



llclll ll.i III. Jc n in \ 



hsh writer on political economy and juriupmdci. 

 born in 171S. and died 11 



Ili-nioii, I hom. is n.. an eminent American 

 man, born in North Carolina in 17.SJ; died 



dint; a seat in Congrem from Missouri for thirty 



II poll 



liirtv Year- .braces a hi- 



the government from 1K20 to 1850, and is rccocmied 

 as a standard authority. 



He, I., nuliih divine. 



lor the keenne** of his intellect and the great - 

 lift nature. He \\ as born in It- 



Dublin. In I7i*. he published hi 

 and in 17U> hi* "Principles of 

 \ mg the non-rxiiitrnre of mat- 

 .-.l.ich he n 



to England he made the a<-<|uaintnne of the great 

 MICH of i',. da\ . iid m 17.- 1 was made Dean of 

 Deny. In 1725 he pub hrme for Oonvett- 



ln the Savage American* 

 Involved UM MM! M oi ooUesji .-.- HM Bonds* an.i 



