BEN 



died in 9CJ or 966. BeneiU^Vl. was elevated to the papacy 

 in 972 ; and being feized by a faftion u-hich attacked the 

 T^ntcran palace, he was imprifoned in the caille of St. An- 

 gch), where he was either itrangled or familhed in 97 1, Be- 

 tiei/iil VII. wa^ elected in 975, and after a prudent govern- 

 ment of nine years, died in 984. Buneii'ia VIII. was made 

 pope in 1012, but difplaced by Gregory an anti-pope, and 

 afterwards refti -ed. Under his pontificate Henq-, kin^ of 

 Germany, marched to Rome ; and Benedict crowned him 

 emperor under the title of Henry II., and his queen Cune- 

 gunda, emprefs.^ In 1016, this pope, collecting his depend- 

 ents, defeated tl.e Sarace::si who made a defctnt at Luna in 

 Tufcany, and put them all to the fword. He alfo waged 

 war with the Greeks, w!io ravaged Puglia. In 10 19, the 

 emperor bellowed on him and his fucceffors the newly erefted 

 lee of Bamberg. He died, after having approved himfelf a 

 great friend to the monks, and zealous for the order and dif- 

 cipline of the church, in 1024. Benedicf IX. fucceeded his 

 U!!cle John XIX. in 1033, in his iSthyear; was expelled 

 from his fee on account of his vices, but reftored by the em- 

 peror Conrad ; and after a life of various expulfions and re- 

 llorstions, fold or refigned the pontificate in 1045. ^^ ^'^' 

 fumed it, however, occafionally under fucceeding pontifi- 

 cates, and finiihed his fcandalous career in 10J4. BenediH 

 X. was elected to the popedom by a party in 105S, and after 

 holding the fee nine months and twenty days, depofed 

 and excommunicated. Bencd'id XI. was the fon of a (hep- 

 herd, or of a notary, at Trevigi, in the ftate of Venice, be- 

 came a fchoolmailer, general of the Dominicans, and cardi- 

 nal bifhop, firft of Sabina, and aftenvards of Ollia, and fuc- 

 ceeded pope Boniface VIII. in 1303. He exerted himfelf 

 by various tfForts for the good of the church, but death ter- 

 minated his labours on the ninth month of his pontificate, 

 A. D. 1304. This pope conducted himfelf with moderation, 

 and behaved with fingular iclpcft to his mother and relations ; 

 but would not fuifer any interference on their part in pubhc 

 affairs. He wrote commentaries on the books of Job, the 

 Pfalms, St. Matthew, and the Revelations, as well as a ri- 

 tual, and fome fermons. B^neil'tli XII. was the fon of a miller 

 in the county of Foix, and after feveral fubordinate ecclefi- 

 allical promotions, was advanced to the papal fee in 1334. 

 He was (kilful in law and theology, and diilinguiflied by his 

 probity, but little verfed in politics. Wifhing to reftore the 

 apoftoiic fee to Italy, but obliged by the circumitances of 

 the times to remain at Avignon, he laid the foundation of a 

 magnificent and (Irongly fortified palace, which, however, he 

 did not live to finifli. He obferved a laudable caution in the 

 creation of cardinals, and the appointment of benefices ; and 

 he exercifed fingular felf-denial with rcfpeCt to his own rela- 

 tions, obferving, that " James Founder (his family name) 

 has relations, but pope Benedict none." As he was induf- 

 trious and aftive in reftoring difciphne and morals among leve- 

 ral religious orders that were become corrupt, he incurred the 

 ill-will and calumny of the monks. During his efforts for 

 reconciling the kings of England and France, he was feized 

 with an illnefs, which terminated his hfe in 1342. Among his 

 printed works are his " Decretum de animabus feparatis," 

 and his " Conftitutions for the reforms of \'arious religious 

 orders." He left alfo fermons for the chief feltivals of the 

 year, commentaries on the Pfalms, letters, and poems. 

 Benedict XIII. was of a noble family, being the eldefl fon of 

 the duke of Gravina, in the kingdom of Naples, and bom 

 at Rome in 1649. Again ft the views and wifhes of his fa- 

 mily, he took the habit of the Dominican order in 1667, 

 and applied viith diligence to the ftudies and duties of his 

 office, preferring the humble life of a monk to that of a 

 fuperior ftation. However, by the alliance of his family with 

 Vol, IV. 



BEN 



that of the pope Clement X. he was promoted, againf? fifs 

 inclination, to the cardinalate in 1 672 ; and after feveral fuc- 

 ceflive advancements to different fees, in which he maintained 

 the character of an exemplary pallor, he was eleifted to the 

 papacy in [724, and conftrained to accept it againfl his 

 own remonlli-ancs. In the exercife of his office, he laboured 

 inceffantly m reprefling the luxury of the pontifical court,' 

 and in correcting the licentioufnefs of the clergy ; but he 

 was thwarted in his projects by the Jefuits, on account of 

 his attachment to the Dominican doftrine concerning grace 

 and predellination, which lefs refembled theirs than that of 

 the Janfenifls. His well-meant attempt to unite all Chrif- 

 tian faints in one church and faith, manifefted a greater de- 

 gree of charity, than of difcemmeut and knowledge of the 

 world. Avoiding all the pomp connefted with his high fta- 

 tion, and reltridtiiig the expences of his own table to 6d. per 

 day, in the dilufe of wine and animal food, he lived in the 

 Vatican like a monk in his cloiller. Neverthelefs, the doors 

 of his palace were always open to the poor, and he was ever 

 ready to hear their complaints, and to the vtmoft of his 

 power to relieve their dillrefs. Divelling himfelf of all the 

 marks of fovereignty, and wifhing even to difmifs his guards, 

 he frequently went out in the evening in the raoft private 

 manner, for the purpofe of \-ifiting the fick. He clofed his 

 pontificate of fix years, in 1 740, at the age of 80 years. 

 His fermons, poems, and other writings, together with his 

 bulls, were publifhcd at Rome in 3 vols. fol. in 172S. Be- 

 mdid XIV. was defcended of the noble family of Lamber- 

 tini, at Bologna, and born in that city in 1675. -^ftsr feve'- 

 ral previous promotions, he received a cardinal's hat in 1728; 

 and from the archbifhopric of Bologna, to which he was no- 

 minated by Clement XII. in 1731, he was advanced in 1740 

 to the papal fee. PoflTefTing a gaiety of temper, united with 

 profound learning, an elegant talle, hberal fentiments, and 

 great goodnefs of heart, he was fingiilarly amiable ; and as 

 he diminifhed the number of feltivals, abolifhed idle cere- 

 monies, and manifelled a diflike of fuperftitious practices and 

 pious frauds, he was calumniated by fome of his enemies as 

 a " protedant pope." As a munificent patron of hterature, 

 he founded academies at Rome, bcftowed benefaftions on 

 that of Bologna, correfponded with, and rewarded learned 

 men at home and abroad, caufed a meridian line to be drawn, 

 reared from the duft the celebrated Egyptian obelifli, called 

 that of Sefollris, and adorned Rome with various other mo- 

 numents of antiquity. Fond of the pleafures of hterary 

 retirement, and of occafionally enjoying the mirth of the 

 lower claffes, his averfion to bufinels was invincible, and he 

 frequently lamented the drudgery and fatigue of his official 

 fituation. Attached to life, he dreaded the t'ymptoms of 

 diffolution ; and, as it were, confiding in the prayers of 

 the Jefuits for his life, he would not confent to fign the 

 bull for the reform of their order in Portugal, till he was 

 abfolutely given over. On the king of Portugal he conferred 

 the title of " his moft faithful majefty." He governed the 

 church with great mildnefs, ar.d manifelled on all occafioni 

 a ftrong dtfire of conciliating thofe differences with regard 

 to dodtrine by which it w?s divided. After a pontificate of 

 28 years, he died in I'fo, at the age of 83 ye.rs. Hi» 

 works have been publifhed at Rome in 12 vols, ••o.; and 

 they difplay a greater degree of profefGonal knowlfijeand 

 of apphcation, than his levity and facetious difpofition would 

 lead one to expeft. Bower's Hift. of the Popes. Mofheim'j 

 Eccl. Hift. Nouv. Dia. Hift. 



Benedict, St. in Geography, a town of Hungary, 

 feated on the Gran, with a fortified caiUe ; 30 miles north 

 of Gran. 



Benedict, a town of America, in Charles county, Ma- 

 A a r)land. 



