B R E 



Bketrrck anJClsrii of the Common I.ife, a denomination 

 afTuttied by a religious tVatcniity towards the latter end of 

 the fifteenth century. They lived under the rule of St. Au- 

 guflin, and were eminently ul'cful in promoting the caufe of 

 rehgion and learning. Their fociety was firll termed, in the 

 preceding century, by Gerard de Groote, a native of De- 

 ventcr ; but did not flourifh till about tl.e ptriod above- 

 mentiontd, when it obtained the approbation ot the council 

 of Conilance, and became very relpectablc in Holland, the 

 Lower Germany, and the adjacent provinces. It was divided 

 into two claifes ; the Irtlered hrtlhicn, or ckrlf, and the 

 Min-.'.t! : thcv lived in fcparalc habitations, but maintained 

 {be clofell fraternal union. The former applied to the lludy 

 of polite literature, and the education of youth ; wliilll the 

 later were employed in manual labour, and the mechanic arts. 

 Unreftrained by religious vows, they neverthclefs had all 

 things in common ; and this community was the great bond 

 of their union. From the fehooh cref'ttd by the clafs of 

 clerks proceeded many celebrated pcrfons, who contributed 

 to the revival of literature and talie in Germany and Hol- 

 land ; fuch as Erafmus, Hegius, Murmelius, &c. They were 

 frequently called Bi-^hards, and Lollards, by way of reproach. 

 Moflieim, vol. iii. p. 25J. 



Brethres-, White, fralres albat'i, were the followers of a 

 leader about the beginning of the fifteenth centur)'-, who 

 was arrayed in a white garment ; and, as they were alio 

 clothed in white linen, they were diftinguiflied by this title. 

 Their leader was a prictl from the Alps, who carried about 

 a crofs, like a (landard, and wliofc apparent fanftity and de- 

 votion^drew together a number of followers. This deluded 

 enthufiall pradtifed many adts of mortification and penance, 

 endea\t>uring to perfuadc the European nations to renew the 

 holy war, and pretended that he was favoured with divine 

 vifions. Boniface IX. apprehending that this enthufiall or 

 impoilor concealed infidious and ambitious views, ordered 

 him to be apprehended and committed to the flames, 

 upon which his followers difperfcd. Mofheim, vol. iii. 



P-275- 



Bretiiren of the Olfrvance. See Observance. 



BRETON, in Geography, a river of England, which runs 

 into the Stour, near Hadleigh in Suffolk. 



Bretou, a fand-bank, about two miles from tlie coaft of 

 France, in the Engliih channel, and at the fame diftance fouth 

 from Granville, towards Cancale bay, the middle of which is 

 dry at low water. 



Breton, Cape, lies at the north end of the lake which 

 extends northward from the Bayonne river at the bottom of 

 the bay of Bifcay. It is known at Bayonne by its flat tower, 

 and often called " Cabriton." 



Breton, Cape, an ifland, or rather a colleftion of idands, 

 called by the French " Les Ides de Madame," fituated in 

 the Atlantic ocean, on the coaft of North America, between 

 45° 28' and 47° N. lat. and between 59° 44' and 61° 29' 

 W. long, and about 45 leagues E. of Halifax. This idand 

 is about 109 miles in length, and from 20 to 34 in breadth ; 

 and, though attached to Lower Canada, is feparated from 

 Nova Scotia by a narrow ftrait, called the " Gut of Canfo," 

 which forms the communication between the Atlantic ocean 

 and the gulf of St. Lawrence. It is furrounded with fharp 

 ■pointed rocks, feparated from one another by the waves, 

 above which fome of their tops are vifible. All its 

 harbours are open to the eall, tuniing towards the fouth ; 

 and on the other parts of the coaft there are not a few an- 

 choring places for fmall veflels, in creeks or between iflets. 

 The foil is generally fwanipy and mofly, and unfit for agri- 

 culture ; and as it abounds with lakes and forefts, the cli- 

 mate is cold and foggy. The fcarcity and poverty of 

 pallures have likewife prevented the increaf^ of cattle. Al- 



B R E 



though it abounds in timber, fuch as pine, beech, birch, 

 maple, fpruce, and fir, it has derived httle advantage from it. 

 The fur-trade of this ifland has always been very inconfider- 

 able ; its peltry confifted only in the fldns of a few lynxes, 

 elks, mudcrats, wild-cats, bears, otters, and foxes, both of a 

 red and filver and grey colour. Some of thefe were procured 

 from a colony of Miemac Indians, who had fettled on the 

 idand with the French, and never could raife more than Co 

 men able to bear arms. The reft came from St. John's on 

 the neighbouring continent. The firtiery is a much more im- 

 portant oljcft ; and, in 1743, when this idand belonged to 

 the French, the whole value of it is faid to have amounted 

 annually to a million fterling ; and no lefs than 564 ihips, 

 befidcs diallops, and 27,000 feamen, were employed in this 

 trade. At prefent the inhabitants of the idand take about 

 30,000 quintals of fi(h annually, which are diipped for Spain 

 and the ftraits, principally by merchants from Jerfey (belong- 

 ing to England) who yearly refort hither, and keep ftores of 

 fupplies for the fifliermen. Part of their firti was fent to the 

 French fouthern idands, in 20 or 25 fhips from 70 to 140 

 tons burden. Btfides the cod, which made at leaft half their 

 cargo, they alfo exported to the other colonies, timber, 

 planks, thin oak-boards, faked falmon and mackerel, train- 

 oil, and fca-coal. In return they received fugar and coffee, 

 rum and molades ; the overplus of which they conveyed to 

 Canada and to New England, where they obtained in ex- 

 change, fruits, vegetables, wood, brick, and cattle. Befides 

 this allowed trade, they alfo carried on a clandeftine or 

 fmuggling commerce, in flour and falt-fifli. In this idand 

 there is a ver)' extenfive bed of coal, which lies in a horizontal 

 direftion, about fix or eight feet below the furface : but this 

 has been chiefly ufed as ballaft. In one of the pits a fire has 

 been accidentally kindled, which could never yet be extin- 

 guiftied. Thefe mines yield a revenue of i2,oool. yearly to 

 the crown. The number of inhabitants in cape Breton does 

 not exceed loco. 



This ifland was difcovered, according to the French au- 

 thors, about the year 1500, by the Normans and Bretons, 

 who navigated thefe feas ; and as it was fuppofcd to be a 

 part of the continent, it was called Cape Breton, which ap- 

 pellation it has abfurdly retained. But though it had been 

 for fome time a place of refort for fidiermen in the fummer, 

 the French did not take pofleflion of it before the year 17 13 ; 

 they then changed its name into that of " Ifle Royale," and 

 fixed upon fort St, Dauphin as their chief fettlement. But 

 as this harbour, though fpacious and flieltered from winds, 

 was difficult of accefs, they direfted their views to another 

 ilation ; and in 1 720 commenced their fortifications at Louif- 

 bourg. The fettlers were chiefly Europeans ; the Acadians 

 and French of Nova Scotia not chooCng to leave that 

 country. This ifland remained in the poffeffion of the 

 French till the year 1745 ; when it was captured by the 

 New-England militia under the command of WiUiam Pep- 

 perell efq. a colonel of the militia, and a fquadron under 

 commodore Warren. It was afterwards reftored to the 

 French, and retaken in 1758, by admiral Bofcawen and 

 general Amherft ; and finally ceded to Great Britain by the 

 peace of 1763 ; fince which period the fortifications have 

 been blown up, and the town of Louidjourg difmantled. 

 This idand, with refpeft to matters of government, was con- 

 fidered as annexed to Nova Scotia, till the year I/84, when 

 it was erefted into a feparate government by the name of 

 Sydney, its capital. The other principal town is Louif- 

 bourg. The prefent feat of government is at Spanifli river, 

 on the north fide of the idand. This ifland may be regarded 

 as the key to Canada, and the fiiTiery in its neighbourhood 

 depends on its protedlion ; and the moft convenient harbour 

 for its fecurity and fupply is Louilhourg, 



Es-ETON, 



