B E A 



greatly to revive ancient literature, and Scioppvus bears 

 very honourable toftimony to his talents as a critic. To- 

 vards the clofc of his life he was artliftcd with a diabetes, 

 and obtaining no relief from the baths of IJaden in SwilTer- 

 land, he died at Strafburg in 1 547. He was no lefs dif- 

 tinguilhed by his integrity and modefty, and his mild and 

 conciliating temper, than by his great learning. He pro- 

 fefTed great regard for Luther, and detellcd the tyranny 

 which the clergy txeroifed at that period ; but he never 

 openly declared in favour either of Lutl'.er or of any other 

 reformer. Although he was no lefs difpleaftd than Eraf- 

 mus with the errors that had blended tliemfclves with re- 

 ligion, he was an enemy to fchlfm, and wilhed, by prudent 

 reformation, to preferve the unity of the Cliriftian Qhurch. 

 Of his works, written in I-atin, which were numerous, we 

 fliall only mention his " Obftrvations on Piuiy's Natural 

 Hillory," his " Notes on Livy," his " Preface and Anno- 

 tations to Tacitus," his " Epidle pretix.cd to lirafmua's 

 edition of the Works of Origen," his " Pnface to the Works 

 of Erafmus," and his" Origiues Gothicx:" to which we may 

 add his beil work, entitled" De rei)us Germanire libri trcs," 

 printed at Ulm in i^^xj,^, with the annt^tations of James 

 Otto. Jortin's Life of Erafmus. Gen. Biog. 



BEAU, Chari.f.s Lf, was born at Paris in 1701, and 

 became profeffor of rhetoric in the colv-ge dts Grafllns, 

 then profclTor in the college-royal, fecretary to the duke of 

 Orleans, and perpetual lecrctary and peniionary of the 

 academy of infcriptions. Like Kollui, he united the charms 

 of eloquence will) profound erudition, and was no lefs, th.in 

 this eminent profclFor, beloved by his pupils. His moft 

 confiderable work was his " Hillory of the Lower Empire," 

 in French, 22 voU. I2mt)., which is written in a correft and 

 elegant ftylc. He alfo wrote fevend learned dilTertations 

 in the " Pvlemoirs of the Academy of Belles Lettres," and 

 fome " Hiftorical Eulogies," on the academicians. His 

 private characler was amiable, and he was much tfleemcd 

 for his worth and generofity. He died at Paris in 1778- 

 His younger brothf, Johk Lewis Le Bhai;, was profeilor 

 of rhetoric in the college des Gir.lTins, and member of 

 the academy. He publidied a difcourfcon the condition of 

 fortune moil fuitable to a man of letters ; and an edition 

 of "Homer, Greek and Latin," 2 vols. 1746, and of 

 "Cicero's Orations," 3 vols. 1750; both with notes. 

 Nouv. Dic^. Hift. 



Beau Port, in Geography, a fpacious and commodious 



'harbour on the S. E. part of the Falkland iflands, capable 



of accommodating a large fleet of (liips m perfett fafety. It 



is almolt furro.jnded by tlie land, has good anchorage, and 



fufficient depth of water. 



BEAUBASSIN Bay. See Chignfcto. 

 Beaubassin Bay, is alfo a bay on the fouth coaft of the 

 ftrait of Maghellan, at the S. E. angle of the ftrait, where 

 it extends to tlic W. It is nearly oppofite to Wallis's har- 

 bour on the north coaft, is a fpacious bay, and has an open 

 entrance. 



BEAUCAIRE, a town of France, and principal place 

 of a dillriel; in the department of the Gard, on the rlgiit 

 fcank of the Rhone, oppofite to Tarafcon, with whicti it 

 hiis a communication by a bridge of boats. This town cur- 

 ries on a confiderable commerce in wool, filk, ilufls, fpices, 

 drugs, leather, cotton, &c. ; and it has an annual fair 

 which lads for fix days. The part of the Rhine is well 

 conftrufted. The principal building is the collegiate church. 

 N. lat. 43° 48'. E. long. 4° 30'. 



Beavcaire de Pfguilon, Francis, in Biography, a 

 polite fcholar of the fixteenth century, was dcfcended from 

 au ancient family of the Bourbonnois, and born in 15x4. 



B E A 



In confcqnence of his literary reputation, be was appointed 

 preceptor to cardinal Lorrain, the fecond fon of the firft 

 duke of Guife, and attended him to Rome. On his re- 

 turn, he was promoted to the bilhopric of M'etz, and at- 

 tended his patron to the council of Trent, where he diftin- 

 guifhed himfelf by his eloquence. He waj likeuife of 

 fmgular fervice in refcuing the fathers of the council from 

 the perplexity occafioned by different opinions concerning 

 marriage ; for he drew up a decree, framed in terms fo 

 ambiguous as to be accommodated to the variety of opi- 

 nions that were held, and- by the d'fferent fenfcs in which 

 it might be interpreted to fatisfy all parties. However, he 

 gave offence to the votaries of the papal power by main- 

 taining the independence of the tpifcopal order, and his opi- 

 nion on this point was difavowcd by the cardinal of Lorrpin. 

 In 1568 he refignrd his bidiopric to Lewis, cardinal of 

 Lorrain, and retired to his caftlt of La Chrtte in the Bour- 

 bonnois. Here he employed himfelf in compofing a " Hif- 

 tory of his own Times," which was written in Latin, and 

 comprifed the events from the year 1462 to 15'^7. This 

 work was difcontinucd about three y.ears before his death, 

 which happened in 1591. It remained in MS. for fcveitil 

 years, the author having declined tl.e publication of it for 

 fear of giving offence ; but being found in his library by 

 Philip Dinct, he printed it at Lyons in 1625, in folio. It 

 is deemed a well-written, and upon the whole, a faithful 

 hillory ; though too favourable to the houfe of Guife, and 

 very hoilila to the Hugonot party. Beaucaire, fome time 

 after he had taken polfefiion of his fee, engaged in a con- 

 troverfy with the Calvinilts upon the future ftate of /hil- 

 dvcn dying unborn. Gen. Ditl. 



BEAUCF.or Beausse, 'mGeography,th( name given be« 

 fore the revolution to a country of France, part of Orlear.nois, 

 now the department of Lure and Loii-e, which was fo fertile in 

 every part, as to be called the granar)- of France. Its 

 capital was Chartres. 



BEAUCHENES Tslamd. in Orography, a fmall idand 

 to the S. of Falkland iflands, m S. lat. 53°, and W. long, 

 about vS'^ 30'. 



BEAUCHASTEL, a town of France, in the de- 

 partment of the Ardeche, zi leagues S.S.W. of Valence. 



BEAUCHIEF Abiiey, in Geography, was fituatcd in 

 a pleafant valley, on the north fide of Derbyfhire, in Eng- 

 land, within a fhort diflance of the town of Sheffield. This 

 celebrated religious houle was founded by Robert Fitz-Ra- 

 nu'ph, lord of Alfrcton, between the years 1 172 and 1 176, 

 for regular canons of the premonftratenfiau order. Since the 

 diffohition of moiiafteries, 26th of Henry VIII. this abbey 

 has continued to crumble by the decay of time, and only a 

 part of the chapel remains to mark the charafter of this 

 once proud pile. See Peggt's Hiftory of Beauchief Ab- 

 bey. 4to. 



BEAUDUN, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Var, and chief place of a canton, in the diilrift of Bar- 

 jols ; 12 miles N. E. from Barjols. 



BEAVER, in Zoology, the Englil'h name of Castor 

 Fiber, L'mnaiis, wiiich fee. Pennant calls Sorex Mos- 

 C HAT us of Pallas, the Long iwfi-il heavir^ 



Beaver, Bever, and in Latni Fiber, Cajlor & Cajloriust 

 John", in Biography, a benedittine monk, in Weftminllcr 

 Abbey, flourillicd about the beginniiig of the 14th century. 

 He is reprefented as a perfon of ingenuity and indullry, and a 

 great mafter of the hillory and antiquities of England, to 

 the ftudy of which he particularly devoted himfelf. He 

 wrote, " a Chronicle of the Britilli and En;Tll(h Affairs," 

 from the coming in of Brute to his own time, w Inch remains in 

 Ms. in the Cottonian library ; and alfo a book " De Rebus 

 7 Caeuobii 



