r> R r. 



tkftions fi>r I'nc civ.ii.ty of Midiilclcx. It derives its inmc 

 ■lVo:ii a rivulet called Brent, wl.ith |);i(rc3 through it ui its 

 comk- from Hcipdo:i to the Thames. Tin- town is divided 

 into two uxnt called New and Old Brentford, and belongs 

 to two dilti'.iM parifhcs : the former being niolHy within 

 tlic b.)u;idary of HanAell pnri^h ; wliiill the l.ilter is iilunti-d 

 in tli.il of Citat lidlinjj, to which village its chsptl !•; iub- 

 ordmiite. Tliia is a modern ilrurturf, and wxs rcbnill in 

 i;'>4. Kxclvilive of continual pafiagc of travellers through 

 thiitown, it derives coiiliJerable piofits from the different 

 jiuUs .ind mannfadnrcs ellablillied here. Large quantities of 

 malt, corn, ilour, pottery, biick?, and tiles, are annually fent 

 licncc to the metropolis. Here are- a weekly market on 

 Tiield.iys, and two annu.nl fairs for fwine, fiiccp, &;c. The 

 town is compofeJ of one very long ilrcet, occupying the 

 iidc! of the great weltern road, and iis houfes are molUy 

 inhabited by fl)op-kcepers and tradefmcn. In iSol, the 

 population amounted to 1443, and the houfes to 2S7. 



■ III the civil wars bi'twctn Charles I. and his fubjefls, 

 tliis town was rendered a fjcne of conflict and (laughter. 

 The king, after defeating the rebels at Edge-hill, marched 

 his forces to Brentford, where he was oppofed by tliofe of 

 the parliament. A battle enfntd, and the latter were van- 

 quiilied, when their captain w:is killed, and above 5CO were 

 taken priloners. The earl of Forth, having greatly fignalized 

 liimfelf in this engagement, was firll made general of the 

 king's forces, and afterwards created earl of Brentford; 

 which title became extintt at his death in 1651. 



About one mile Well of Brentford tlands Sion-houfe, a 

 flately ancient inanfion of the dukes of Northumberland. It 

 takes its name from a m.onaftery founded here by Henry V. 

 in 1 4 14. Edward VI. gave it to his uncle the prottftor, 

 Edward Seymour, duke of Someriet, who, about 154", 

 began to build a magnificent llruftnrc here ; but being 

 afterwards executed for felony, this property was confif- 

 cated. Palling through different propiietors, James II. at 

 lall Icttled it for ever on the Northumberland family. The 

 liovife Hands in a fpacious park on the bank of the Thames, 

 and is compofed of a large fquare with towers at the corners, 

 and an open court in the centre. It is built of white (tone, 

 and embattled all round. 



On t\\e oppolite banks of the river are the beautiful royal 

 gardens of Kew. They were begun by the late prince of 

 Wales, afterwards much improved by the dowager princcfs, 

 and completed under the direction of his prefent majelly. 

 This monarch has alfo commenced the building of a magni- 

 ficent callellatcd palace, under the fuperintendence of Mr. 

 James Wyatt, architect. See Kew, et feq. Lyfon's En- 

 virons of London, vol. ii. Gough's edition of Camden's 

 iJritaiinia, vol. ii. 



BRENTIUS, or Brentzkn, John, in Biogrjphy, one 

 «f tlh; earliell Lutheran divines, was born at Wil, in Snabia, 

 in 149'j ; and having purfued his (ludics with great reputa- 

 tion at Heidelberg, he obtained a canonry of Wittenberg, 

 and took holy orders. Although, at an early period of the 

 reformation, he became a convert to the opinions of Luther, 

 and taught them publicly, he retained a great part of the 

 popi(.>i dottrine of the real prefence, and attempted to ex- 

 plain and defend it by the notion of the ubiquity of ChriH 

 I'nce his al'cenllon, whence the appellation of " Ubiquita- 

 rians" has been ap plied to a clafs of Lutherans. On the 

 fubjtCt of baptifm he had alfo peculiar notions, and he 

 mam'.ained, in the extreme, Luther's opinion concernin'T 

 jultification. In the alTemblies of Worms and Ratifbon, 

 lie dillinguifhed himfelf as an ardent difputant ; and he was 

 charged with promoting the religious war of 1546, which 

 rendered him particularly obnoxious to Charles V. After 

 I 



B R E 



the death of I.tither, he alTumed a confiderable lead in l.is 

 party. He was twice married; and in 1570 died at 

 Tubingen, where he was theological profcfTor, leaving be- 

 hind him a numerous progeny. His works have been pub- 

 lifh.ed in 8 volumes, fol. Moreri. 



BRENTOLA, or Brkndola, in Geography, a fmall 

 town and diilrict; of Italy, in tl.e Vicentm, at a fmall dif- 

 tance from V icenza. 



BRENTON's re./, the fouthernmoft point of Rhode 

 ifland, in America, about three miles from Newport, lifs 

 2 miles E. of Beaver-tail ; forming with it the mouth of 

 Newport harbour. 



BRENTONEGO, a town of Germany, in the Tyrol; 

 12 miles S.S.W. of Trent. 



BRENTUS, in Eniomology, a genus of Coleopterous 

 infefts, having the head projecting into a very long, (Iraight, 

 cylindrical fnout, beyond the middle of which the anten';fe, 

 which are moniliform, are inferted. Fabr. &c. Tlie fpecics 

 of this genus are anckorago, ajjimilis, bnrbkornis, lifronf, 

 cylindriconits, difpar, dniryanus, hnjiile, monilis, ncfulus, and 

 fcmipunSatus, which fee. 



BRENTWOOD, in Geography, is a large chapelry iu 

 the parilh of South-Weald, in the county of Eflex, Eng- 

 land, fituated 18 miles E. from London, on a communding 

 eminence. It is a confiderable thoroughfare, and contains 

 many inns and public-houfes. The Crown Inn is of very- 

 ancient foundation ; and even in Salmon's time was reputed 

 to have had that fign for 300 years. The county adizes 

 were once held here ; and in the High-ftreet are the remains 

 of a town-hall and prifon, inhabited by a farrier and other 

 perfons, who are bound to put them in repair when the 

 aflizes (hall be again removed hither. Here is a good gram- 

 niar-fchool, endowed by fir Anthony Brown in 1537. The 

 chapel, a fmall ancient llruAure, was founded about the 

 year 1221, at the interceffion of David, prior of St. Ofyth, 

 for the ufe of the tenants of a manor belonging to that 

 monadery. This townfhip contains 182 houfes, and 1007 

 inhabitants. Camden fuppofed the Caefaromagus of the 

 Itinerary to have been in the neighbourhood of Brentwood. 

 At South- Weald is a circular camp, lingle-ditched, includ- 

 ing about feven acres, fuppofed to have b.en a caftra explo- 

 ratorum near which the Roman way, called Watling-ftrcet, 

 palTes. Morant's Hiftory of EfTex, 2 vols. fol. 



Brentwood, a townfhip of America, in Rockingham 

 county and ilate of New Hampdiire, containing 97 i inha- 

 bitants, diftant 7 miles from I'.xeter, and 19 from Portf- 

 mouth. In its vicinity is found a (lone iii which vitriol 

 and fulphur are combined. 



BRENTZ, a river of Germany, which rifes in Wirtem- 

 berg, and difcharges itfelf into the Danube, near Lau- 

 gingen. 



BREPHOTROPHIUM, from/?, -Jo;, \nfant, and rjs?;., 

 / nour'ijli, an hofpital for foundlings, or a place wherein 

 children, expofcd by their parents, are brought up at the 

 public charge. 



BREREWOOD, Edward, in Biography, firft profefTor 

 of allronomy at Grelham- college in London, to which 

 office he was chofen in 1396, was born in the city of Chefter 

 in I ^65 ; and having completed his courfe of grammar learn- 

 ing in his native place, was admitted, in 1 jSl, of Brazen- 

 Nofc college, in the univerfity of Oxford. Here he ac- 

 quired the charadter of an affiduous tludent, and took his 

 degree of mailer of arts in 1590. Failing in his attempt to 

 obtain a fellowlhip, for which he was a candidate, he re- 

 moved to St. Mary's hall. After his election to the pro- 

 fefTorfhip of Grelham college, he feems to have had no 

 wifhes of further preferment ; but devoted himfelf to the 



purfuit 



