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man, acreJ n years, who endeavoured to excite vomitinj; by 

 introducing the handle of a knife, ten inches long, into the 

 trfonhagus ; the knife (lippinji from his lingers, dropped into 

 his lloinach, where it continued, occafioning much pain, about 

 fix week'*. No probable means of rcheving him, or of ob- 

 tainin-T the difcharge of the knife occurring, it was deter- 

 mined, by his medical attendants, to make an inciiion 

 through the integuments of the abdomen into the ftomach, 

 and to extraft the knife through the wound. The operation 

 was perfonned, the knife taken out, and the patient recovered 

 in a few davs. The author relates fcveral other cafes of per- 

 fons who had received wounds, penetrating into the ftomach. 

 In fome, the wouids were completely healed ; in others, the 

 edges of the wounds becoming callous, left filliiljus openings 

 into the ftomach, through which t!ie food paffed, imlefs when 

 covered with a comprefs. This work was tranllated into 

 Engliib, and publilhed in 4to. by Dan. Lakin, in 1642, under 

 the title of " A miraculous cure of tlie Pruftlan fwallow 

 knife." Lakin added other cafes of wounds penetrating 

 into the ftomach, wliich terminated in the fa ne ways, as 

 thofe related by Becker. To botli the Latin and Englilh 

 editions engravings of the fubjeft are added. He died the 

 14th of Odobcr 1 65 J. For the titles of his other works, 

 none of which are of much eftimation ; See Hailer's Bib. 

 Chirurg. ct Anatom. His fon Daniel, who was educated 

 undei his father, after vifiting the principal fchools on the 

 continent of Europe, was made dodtor of medicine at Straf- 

 bourg, in the year 1652 ; returning to Konigfbcrg, he was 

 appomted profcflbr in ordinary, and foon after phyfician to 

 the eleftor of Brandenburg. He died fuddcnly Feb. 6th 

 1C70, and was fucceeded in his honours by his fon Daniel 

 Chriftopher, but they neither of them left any works dcfcrv- 

 ing notice. 



Becker, Balthasar. See Bekker. 



BECKET, Thomas, 1:1 Biography, an Englilh prelate, 

 famou3 as the occafion of much political contention during 

 his life, and as the object of much luperllitious veneration 

 after his death, was born in London in 1 1 19, and profecuted 

 his ftudies at Oxford, Paris, Bologna, and Auxerre. Da- 

 ring the interval of his refidence at Paris and Bologna, he 

 was introduced to Theobald archbilhop of Canterbury, who 

 being captivated with his graceful and winning addrcfs, gave 

 him two livings in Kent, and obtained for him two prebends 

 in the cathedrals of London and Lincoln. As at this time he 

 was only in deacon's orders, he probably held ihefe benefices 

 by the pope's difpenfation, which his patron might ealily 

 have procured. After his return from Auxeire, where he 

 compleated his ftudies, particularly in the civil and canon 

 laws, he was employed by the archbilbop as his agent to the 

 pope, in order to folicit the relloralion of the legantine pow- 

 ers to the fee of Canterbury. Having conducted this nego- 

 tiation with dexterity and fuccefs, he was deputed on ano- 

 ther important commiffion, the object of wi»ich was to ob- 

 tain from the pope thofe prohibitory letters againft the co- 

 ronation of prince Euftace, by which that delign was de- 

 feated. Upon his return to England from this fucccfsful 

 embalTy, the archbiftiop conferred upon him feveral new fa- 

 vours, appointing him provoft of Beverley and dean of Haft- 

 ings, with the right of retaining his other benefices, and j'lft 

 before the death of Stephen, invelling him with the archdea- 

 conry of Canterbury-. Immediately upon the acccfiion of 

 Henry II. to the throne, in 1 158, he was appointed chan- 

 cellor of England, at the requcll of his patron, who thought 

 no dignity or trull above his merit. The chancellor of 

 England, at this time, had no diftinct court of judicature in 

 which he prefidcd ; but he acted together with the jufticiary 

 and Other great officers, in matters of the revenue, at the e.\. 

 8 



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chequer, and fometimes in the counties upon circuits. The 

 great feal being in his cuftody, he fupervifed and ftaled the 

 writs and precepts that iftued in proceedings pending in 

 the king's court, and in the exchequer. He alio fiipcrvifed 

 all charters which were to be fealed with that feal. In the 

 council his rank was very high ; and he had the principal 

 direction and conduct of all foreign affairs, performing moll 

 of that bulliiefs which is now done by the fecittaries of 

 Hate. Such was t!ic office to which Bcckct was raifed ; 

 but the favour of h'S rnafter made him greater than even 

 the power of that office, great as it was in itfelf. In this 

 ftation he paid his co.nt fo fuccefstully to liis royal mailer, 

 not only by his dexterity in bufiiiel's, but alio by his fplendid 

 manner of living and agreeable convcrfation, that lie became 

 his greatell favourite, and his chief companion in his amufe- 

 ments. Employments and trufts of all kinds were heaped 

 upon him without mealure or propriety. Befides the office 

 of chancellor, and a fcandalous number of eccL-fiaftical bcne- 

 tices, he had royal calUcs and forts committi.d to his cuftody, 

 the temporalities of vacant prelacies, and the clchcats of 

 great baronies belonging to the crown. Thefe revenues he 

 expended without account or controul ; and Henry repoftd 

 in him fuch a degree of confidence, that he fetmed alinoll 

 to (hare the throne with the fovereign. It muft indeed be 

 allowed that Beckct poflfelfed in a pre-eminent degree all thff 

 qualities that could moll powerfully engage the alieCtions of 

 a prince, who had ajudgment capable ot difccrning, and a 

 heart formed to love extraordinary merit, but a temper that 

 required fome delicacy of addrcfs in tlK:fe who appioacheil 

 him very nearly, and that yielded moll to thofe friends 

 whofc charafter appeared moll congenial to his own. The 

 perfon of Becket was graceful and his countenance pleafing ; 

 his wit was lively and facetious, his judgment acute, iiis elo- 

 quence flowing and fweet, and his memory capacious and 

 ready on all occifions. The time he had puffed in that 

 fchool of the moll exquilite policy, the court of Rome, had 

 greatly improved and rehned his ur.derllanding. Nor was 

 his capacity limited to the fphere of bulinels. He made 

 himfelf the king's perpetual companion in moft of his plea- 

 fures, and confukcd his tafte fo naturally, and with fo much 

 eafe, that in paying his court he feemed only to indulge his 

 own inclinations. He occalionally laid afide the cccleliafti- 

 cal habit and chiradter. In an expedition with the king to 

 France, he affumed the militaiy profeffioii, headed a body of 

 men in his own pay, and commAnded at various ficges. In his 

 manners there was a certain inexpi effible grace, derived from 

 nature and improved by art, which rendered his virtues more 

 amiable, and even his vices agreeable. Thus his profufenefs 

 and ollentation appeared like generofity and grcatncfs of 

 fpirit ; nor indeed was he dellitute of thefe qualities, though 

 he canicd them far beyond proper bounds. His expence 

 was enormous, and Henry would have been jealous of it, 

 as intended to acquire too much popularity, if lie had not 

 been perfuaded, by the addrcfs of Becket, that all his mag- 

 niliccnce in which the fon of a private citizen rurpaffed even 

 the greatell and moll opulent earls, was only deligiied to do 

 honour to his bountiful mailer, whofe creature he was, and 

 upon whom his whole fortune muil abfohitely depend. Yet 

 amidll the luxury in which he lived for I'cveral years, and all 

 the temptations of a court where gallantry reigned, he was, 

 if the writers of his hfe may be credited, conltantly tempe- 

 rate and invincibly chafte. 



At the time of the death of archbilhop Theobald, Becket 's 

 patron, the king, was in Normandy ; but as foon as he heard 

 of it, he refolved to raife his chancellor to the primacy, in 

 hopes by his means of governing the church in tranquil- 

 lity. This advauccment however was retarded for about a 



year 



i 



