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T5EMB0, Peter, CjrSux, in J3i>!;rjphy, an eminent re- 

 ftiMcr of literature-, was tht: Ion of Bernnrdo Bembo, a Vene- 

 tian nobleman, and bov:i at Venice in 147c. Having ftudied 

 L-itin and polite literature, in his early youth, under Urticio, 

 he went to Mcflina ir. 1492, to ^urfuc the ftudy of the Greek 

 language, under Conllantine Laicaris. At Padua, whither he 

 removed in 1495, lie received inllnidions in philofophy from 

 Nicholas Leonico Tomco. Upon his father's fettlement 

 at Fenara in 149S, he had an opportunity of forming an 

 intimate fViendlhip with Leoniceno, Tebaldeo, Sadoleto, 

 and Hercules Strozzi, and he foon aftcnvarjs began to dif- 

 tinguiih himfelfas a writer. His " Azolani," winch were 

 Uifcourlej on love, written in the Italian language, and fo 

 named from the calUc of Az.oli, whore they were compofed, 

 became very popular throughout Italy. At this time he 

 was alio one of the principal ornaments of the academy, 

 f.ninded by Aldus Ma'nutius in his native city. In 1512 he 

 viiited Rome, and was well received by pope Julius II. and 

 by his fiicceffor I..eo X. he was appointed fecretaiy, with an 

 ample falary. Although, in conformity to the licentioufnefs 

 of the papal court at this time, he kept a millrefs, by whom 

 he had three children, he difeharged the duties of his office 

 to the pope's fatisfaftion, and was employed by him in va- 

 rious important embalTies. In 1520, he removed to Padua, 

 for the recovery of his health, where, upon the death of the 

 pope, he tixed his refidence, paffing a tranquil life in the pro- 

 fccution of his iludies, and in the convcrfation of men of 

 letters. To his houfe, which was richly furnifhed with books 

 and MSS. a feledl collection of medals and antiquities, and 

 a botanical garden, men of fcience reforted as to a literary 

 academy. In 1 539, he was nominated to the dignity of car- 

 dinal by pope Paul III. which with fome reluctance he ac- 

 cepted, and he then removed to Rome. He was previoufly 

 ordained pried ; and, it is faid, that he altogether changed his 

 mode of life, and ftduloudy devoted himfclf to the duties of 

 his ecclcfiaftical functions. Altliougli he was nominated to the 

 bilhopric of Gubbio in 1541, and in 1544 tranflated to that 

 of Bergamo, he refidcd at Rome, and was much honoured 

 by the pope, as well as refpefted by perfons of the firft cha- 

 radcr in the court. He died Jan. 18, 1547, and was buried 

 in the Dominican church, called St. Maria Alia Minerva. 

 As a writer of Italian verfe, cardinal Bembo formed himfelf 

 upon the model of Petrarch, and contributed to reform and 

 polifli the poetry of his own coimtry. His profe compofi- 

 tions are written with elegance and purity of expredion, but 

 without any dillinguidiing traces of genius. In his Latin 

 llyle, he was " Ciceronian," to the extreme of affeftation ; 

 and on this account he was cenfurcd and ridiculed for apply- 

 ing the terms " heros" to^Chrill, and " dea" to the Virgin 

 Mary i and for ufuig " perfuafio" for faith, and for denot- 

 ing Leo's eleftion by " deorum immortalium beneCciis." 

 Like many others of the Itahan literati of that age, he feems 

 to have thought hghtly of his religious creed ; and to have 

 been more afraid of tranfgreffing with regard to his Latinity 

 tlian with refpeft to the decorum which religion required. 

 To this purpofe, he diffuaded a friend from reading St. Paul's 

 epiftlcs, left he fliould injure his llyle ; and it is laid that he 

 would never read the briefs or breviary for fear of corrupt- 

 ing his own Latinity. Neverthelefs his own epillles have 

 been charged with grofs faults, and even folecifms. Some 

 compofitions of his early days were licentious and obfcene. 

 His " Hiftory of Venice," written in claflical Latin, in 12 

 books, was undertaken in 1530, by the order of the council 

 often, and is more admired for elegance of diftion than for 

 profundity and accuracy. His principal works are, " Epif- 

 toli, nomine Leonis pout. Max. lib. xvi." Venet. 1536 ; 

 «' Epilt. Familiarum," lib. vi. Venet. ijji ; " Le Rime," 



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compvehending his poetical verfes, '.i one volume, Rnin. and 

 Venet. 1548; " Le Profe," held in high cftimation by the 

 Italians, in allufion to which Apollolo Zeno fays, that 

 " Bembo was the firft who explained to his countrymen the 

 mechanifm and conftruaion of their native language." " Hif- 

 toria llerum Venetarum, lib, xii." Venet. 1551. All his 

 works, both in Itahan and Latin, were collefted and pub- 

 hllied in 4 vols. fol. Venice, 1729. Gen. Dift. Gen. Biog. 

 BEMBRIDGE Point, in Geography, lies at the eaftern 

 extremity of the ide of Vv'ight, in N. lat. 50° 40' 15". and 

 W. lono-. I " 4' 45", and is well known to feamen as a ledge 

 that runs more than two miles into the fea, E. N. E. 

 , BEM-CURINI, in i?9/a;y'. See Josticia. 



BEMELS, in Geography, a town of the Netherlands, in 

 the duchy of Luxemburg, feated on the call lide of the Mo- 

 fellc : 2 miles N. E. of Graven Macheren. 



BEMICARY Point and Bav, are litr.ate between Dry 

 and M'lk river, about N. 'W. by W. from the pitch of Port- 

 land, the foutherii extremity of the iflaiid of Jamaica. The 

 point or eaftern limit of the bay is in N. lat. 1 7° '^'^' . and W. 

 long 77° 17'. 



BEMILUCIUS, in Mythology, a furname of Jupiter, re- 

 prefented young and beardlefs. 



BEMINSTER, or Bf.aminster, in Geography, a town 

 of confiderable antiquity in the county of Dorfet, England. 

 It is feated on the fmall river Birt, which rifes near the town, 

 and running fouthward falls into the Britiili channel at Brid- 

 port harbour. This manor, and two others connefted with 

 it, belong to two of the prebends of Sahlbuiy cathedral. 

 Though of remote origin, Beminfter does not contain any 

 particular objeft of antiquity, and its chapel, a handfome 

 large pile of building, is dependent on the parifli church 

 of Netherbury, which is nearly two miles diftant. The town 

 is large and refpeftable, having many manufacturers fettled 

 in it, and moft of its inhabitants employed in making fail- 

 cloth, locks, copper goods, leather, &c. ; and fome of thefe 

 trades are greatly facilitated by the water of the river Birt, 

 and the machinery operated on by it. Beminfter has fuS^ered 

 repeatedly and materially by fire, and the deftrutlive fword 

 of civil war. Thefe two were united on the 14th of April 

 1644, when prince Maurice was quartered in the town, but 

 forced to quit it on that day, as the enemy had fired it in 

 five places. From the report of a perfon who vifited it foon 

 after, we are informed it was " the pityfulleft fpetlacle that 

 man can behold, hardly a houfe left not confumed by fire. 

 There were fevenfcore and four dwtlling-houfes, bcfides 

 barns and ftables burnt," and the lofs fuftained was eftimated 

 at above twenty-one thoufand pounds. The inhabitants 

 foon afterwards received from the parliament 2000I. with 

 which, and other funis, they rebuilt the town ; but in June 

 1 664, it was again confumed, when the lofs amounted to 

 nearly io,oool. In March 17S1, another fire occured here, 

 and in a few hours upwards of fifty dwelling-houfes, with 

 feveral barns, ftables, outbuildings, &c. were reduced to 

 ruins. In fpite of thefe calamitous events, Beminfter is now 

 a populous and flourilliing town, conllfting of 337 houfes, 

 and 2140 inhabitants. Its principal public buildings are the 

 chapel, a free-fchool, an alms-houfe, and a tnarket-houfe. 

 The nrft ttands on high ground at the fout'nern fide of the 

 town, and confifts o^a body, two ailes, a chancel, a chantrv, 

 and a high tower. On the weftern front of the latter are 

 fome emblematical ftatues in niches. Within the chapel are 

 fome handfome monuments to the Strodes, and other families. 

 The free-fchool was founded by Mrs. Frances Tucker, ir. 

 1684, for the education of twenty of the pocreft boys of 

 the town. The Rev. Samuel Hood, father of the lords 

 Hood and Bridport, was maftcr of this fdiool in J 777. 



The 



