B R E 



BRECCIA, Brkche. Tlie term breccia was invented 

 by the Italian Itatiiaries and builders, to denominate tliofe 

 varieties of marble which are compofed of angular fragments 

 cemented together by'calcareons fpar, or any other iiatinal 

 calcareous cement of a ditlerent colour from the fragments. 

 Some French mincralogilh have ailopted the word, but have 

 confiderably cxten-lcd its mcanii'g. By breche they undcr- 

 ftand any mineral aggregate compofed of angular fragments, 

 cemented together into .a compaCl mais, and divide it into 

 fub-fpecies from the nature ot the fragments ; hence they 

 have calcaie.'us breccia, filiceous, argillaceous, magnefian, 

 &.C. The breche, therefore, of the French differs fn)m 

 porphyry in the compacted pieces not being cryftals, but 

 merely cafual fragments, and from pandingues (a tcrni bor- 

 rowed from our puddiiig-llont), in the pieces being aT:gidar 

 inllead ot rounded. 



BRECEY, in Geography, a town of France, in the de- 

 partment of La Manelie or the Channel, and chief place of 

 ■a canton in the ditlnft of Avranches., The town contains 

 2097, and the canton 9061 inhabitants. The territory in- 

 cludes 137-1 kiliometres and 17 communes. 



BRECHEN, LowF-R, a fmall t(nvn of Germany, in the 

 circle o.' the Upper Rhine, and elcitorate of Treves, fur- 

 rounded with walls, and made a town in 1369: 16 miles 

 W.S.W. of Wetzlar, and 78 E.N.E. of Treves. 



BRECHIN, an aucieni and large town of Forfardiire, 

 Scotland, is featcd on the declivity of a hill, and confifts of 

 one large, two Imaller ilreets, with a detached row of houfcs 

 at the loot of the hill. This royal burgh, in conjunftion 

 with four others, fends one member to parliament. It was 

 formerly a rich bifnopric, founded by David I. about the 

 year 1150, and at the reformation its revenues in money and 

 kind amounted to 700I. a year. The Culdees had a ccn- 

 vent-houfe, whole abbot witnefled the grant made by king 

 David to his new abbey at Dumfermhne. Some ruins of 

 this houfe llill remain, in a place called the College Wynde. 

 An hofpital was founded here by William de Brechin in 

 1256, of which fome fine ruins were Handing in the time of 

 Mr. Pennant. Here was alfo a catliedral church, which 

 has fuffered much dilapidation, but its fouthern aide is 

 .converted into the parilii church. At its north-weftejn 

 angle is a handfome f^'.iare tower with a fliort flceple, and 

 near the foutLiern fwie is a lingular round-tower. This an- 

 cient ftrufture correfponds with many fimilar buildings in 

 Ireland ; and it is remarked by antiquaries tliat they are pe- 

 culiar to that ifland and Scotland, though only two remain 

 in the latter country. Their origin and appropriation have 

 never been fo-tisfadlorily accounted for, though many inge- 

 nious diflertations have been written, on them by different 

 learned antiquaries. The height of this at Brechin, from 

 the ground to the roof, is eighty feet ; the inner diameter, 

 near the bottom, eight feet ; and the thicknefs of the walls 

 feven feet two inches. At the top its diameter is feven feet 

 eight inches, and its circumference forty-eight feet. The 

 top has been covered in, and terminated with a fmall fpire, 

 which has four windows. Near the top of the tower are 

 alfo four original windows, and towards its bottom arc two 

 arched recedes, ornamented with religious fculptures; among 

 which are the Crucifixion, with figures of the virgin Mary, 

 St. John, S;c. See Tower, round. Archxologia, vol. ii. 

 8j. Ledwich's Antiquities of Ireland. 



Brechin had formerly its baronial callle, which was built 

 on an eminence a little fouth of the town. It underwent a 

 long fiege in the year 1303, when it was gallantly defended 

 againft the Englifh under Edward III. by its brave governor 

 iir Thomas Maule, who, after twenty days refiftancc, was 

 flain by a Hone call from an engine, and the g^f"^*^" immc- 



B R r 



diatcly AirreRdcred. This town is alfo remarkable for a 

 battle fought here in the great rebellion in 1452. 



The trade of this place confilts principally in linen and 

 yarn, which gives employ to many of the poor women. 

 Here is alio a bleach-lielJ, and a confulerable tanncrv. 

 Brechin is 64 miles N. E. from Edinburgh. Pcmwnl's 

 Tour in ficotlaml, vol. lii. 



BRECHT, a town of the caflern part of Br-bant, now 

 the French department of tlie Deux Nethes, and ehief plnoe 

 of a canton, in the diilric'^ of Anvcrb or Antw-rp. The 

 town contains 7,^2%, and -tl;e eanlon 8800 iiiliabilauls ; the 

 territory eorrprehends 257I kiliomelrcs, an<i 7 eommunt.'!. 



BRECKBERG, or BrR-KHr^triis, Jo», in Bin^niph, 

 a paHittr of landfcapes, converfa'ions, and portraits, was 

 born at Haerlem in 1637, according to Houbraken, but, 

 according to Dcfcamps, in 1643, and lludied after nature 

 on the borders of the Rhine, where he fl<ctched thofe views 

 which he propofed to introduce into his hindfcapes. Hav- 

 ing made himfelf a competent mailer in this llylc, he ftudicd 

 and praclifed the painting of figures, taking his models 

 from nature. His fubjeiSs, however, were of the lowed 

 kind, fuch as boors, hufoandmen, (lupherds, and inn-kecp>. 

 ers, introduced into his landfcapes, and reprcfented alfo at 

 their fealls, dances, or converfations, v/hich he compafed in 

 the manner of David Teniers. His piiftures were well 

 handled, and agreeably coloured ; ard fome of them were 

 much elleemed. Ambitious of vifiting the court of the 

 tleftor palatine, who had been reprefenttd to him as a mag- 

 nificent patron of peifons of his profeflion, he accompanied 

 his brother Gerrard thither; but being at a lofs for a proper 

 introdudlion, he and his brother finiihed two pifiurcs, in 

 which they painted tlie poitraits of the eltclor, and of his 

 principal attendants, which were ftrlking refemblances, as 

 they had oblerved them in the chace ; and they then pre- 

 vailed with an officer of the honfehold to place them in a 

 gallery, through which his highncfs always paffcd on his 

 return from hunting. The ftratagem fucceedcd ; as the 

 prince obferved them with furprife and fatisfacJtion ; and the 

 artills were ordered to be brought to court, where they were 

 honourably received, paid liberally for their works, and pre- 

 fented, among other donations, with two medals of gold. 

 Job died in 1698. Pilkington. 



Bri;ckber.g, or Berkhe ydf.n, Gf.rrard, brother of 

 the preceding, was born at Haerlem in 16.15, ■*"'' painted 

 many pifturcs in concurrence with his brother ; but his ufual 

 fubjefts were views of churches, convents, noblemen's houfts, 

 and magnificent flrutlurcs, which he adorned with fmall 

 figures dcfigned after nature, and intended for his compofi- 

 tions. His works were much elleemed ; but as he was ad- 

 vancing to reputation, he was unfortunately drowned in a 

 canal oa his return home from an evening party of friends. 

 This event happened in 169J. Pilkington. 



BRECKERFELD, in Geography, a town of Germany, 

 in the circle cf Wellplialia, and county of Marck ; 26 miles 

 N.N.E. of Cologn. 



BRECKNOCK, a townfliip of America, in Lancaflcr 

 county, and Hate of Peniifylvania. 



Brecknock, or Brecon, is the piineipal and countytown 

 of Brecknockfliire, South Wales. It isfitnated in a nio!l ro- 

 mantic part of the country on the banks of the rivers Ulk and 

 Hodny , whence its ancient name was Aberhodny. During the 

 daysof chivalry and papacy here were acaftle and a m.onallery, 

 both of which appear to have been extenfive and important. 

 They were built ni the reign of Henry I. by Barnard de Now- 

 marck, a Norman lord, who obtained great polfeffions in this- 

 part of the country, and perpetuated his name by founding fe- 

 vcral religious houfcs. This tuwa was particularly diltinguilhed- 



