B R I 



B R I 



Aikin's account of Britton. (Gen. Biog.) The circiim- 

 fiances of bis death were as extniordinary 33 thofc of his lile, 

 if the llory is to be credited. A ventriloqiiill was intro- 

 duced into his company by an acquaintance who was fond 

 of niifchievoiis iefts. This man, in a voice, feeniingly com- 

 ing from a dillance, annonnced to poor Britton his ap- 

 proacliing end, and bid him prepare for it, by repeating the 

 Lord's p'aver on his knees. Britton, whofe myftical and nia- 

 gicnl books had probably made him credulous, obeyed the in- 

 junflion, went home, took to his bed, and adlually died in a 

 few days. This was in September 17 14. He was buried with 

 a vc-rv rcfpeftful attendance in Clerkenwell church-yard. 



BRITUIN, in G:'o^riJp/.<y, a cape on the well co.ift of 

 Nova Zembla. N. lat. 74° 40'. E. long. 52° 14'. 



BRIVA Ijhrit, in Aiidrnt Geography, a place of Gaul, 

 on the Ifara or Oii'e, a httle north of its confluence with 

 the Scquana or Seine. 



BinVAS, a place of Gaul, belonging to the Averni, 

 upon the Elaver or AUier, a little north of Condate : fa- 

 mous as the burial-place of St. Julian, near which, the em- 

 peror Avitns was interred in ■^'fi- See Brioude. 



BRIVATESPORTUS, or Gi-sokrivate, le Croifc, 

 a place of Gaul, at the mouth of the I^oire, near its union 

 v,ith the river Herius or Vilaine, according to I'toKmy. 



BRIUEGA, or Brioca, in Geography, a fmall town of 

 Spain in Caftilc, feated on the Tajuna, having a caftle. It 

 trades in wool and llnfTs. In 1 7 to, general Stanhope, com- 

 mander of the Englilh forces, was obliged to furrendcr him- 

 felf and his men prifoners of war at this place. 



BRIVES, a town of France, and principal place of a dif- 

 tritl, in the department of Corrcze, fituate in a fertile valley 

 on the Corrczc ; 4 leagues S. ^\'. of Tulle. The place con- 

 tains 5762, and the canton IJ,6S5 inhabitants : the territory 

 comprehends 105 kiliomctres, and ii communes. This is a 

 confiderable place, lively, and very populous. The furround- 

 ing country produces wine, and nut oil, and abounds in wood. 

 The town has fome mannfa:'tures, and is adorned by many 

 neat chin-eh'S. N. lat. 45'-' 10'. E. long. 1° 40'. 



BRIVES AC, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Correze ; 6 le.igues E. of Erives. 



BRIVIO, Giovanni, in Biography, an Italian finging- 

 mafter and compofer of Milan, wh.ere he opened a finging- 

 fchool in I/3J. The celebrated Sahmbeni, Appianini, and 

 Mancini were lis frhola'-' ; as was G tilia Frafi, who was fo 

 long a lavo'." ■ •- ;inger in England, and who, though only a 

 fecond-rate per''ormer at the Opera, was many years the bed 

 female finger at our concerts, and in Handel's Oratorios. 



Brivio, as a compofer, had confiderable merit, and i jrnilhed 

 the lytic theatres of Italy with feveral fuccefsful operas. 



Brivio, in Gcogriiphy a town of Italy, in the Milanefe, 

 on the road from Bergamo toComo. 



BRIX, a town of France, in the department of the 

 Channel ; 5 miles W. of Valogncs. 



BRIXA, Le. See Lebrixa. 



BRIXELLUM, in Anckiit Geography, a town of Gallia 

 Cifpadana ; now Bersello, which fee. 



BRIXEN, Bjjhopric o/,in Geogmphy, a diftria of theTyrol, 

 in Germany, is iituated among the Rhastian Alps, and is very 

 fruitful, efpecially in wine. The prelate has a revenue of 

 about jOjOCO crowns per annum, and is a prince of the empire 

 and (late of the circle of Axiftria : though in ecckfiaftieal 

 matters, he is fuffragan to the archbilhop of Saltzburg. He 

 lias a vote and a fe.it in the diet of the empire, and furniihes 

 lii? contingent of ta>;c3 and impofls. Tne religion of the 

 diocefe is Roman catholic ; but among the peafants there 

 are fome Lutherans : tlie capital is Brixen. 



Brixen, the capital of the preceding bilhopric, feated on 

 the river Eyfach, at fome diltance fouth of the Brenner 



mountains. It is furrounded with hills and vineyards, ami 

 is a well-built populous town ; the houfes being adorned 

 with piazzas, and painted on the outfide. It has many 

 public buildings, cxcbinvc of the cathedral, which are hand- 

 fome, and feveral fpacions fquares : the mineral waters in its 

 vicinity canfe it to be much frequented. In ic8o, a council 

 was held here by the emperor Henry IV. which depofed 

 pope Gregory VII. This town was taken by the French 

 in March, 1706. N. lat. 46° ,;5'. E. long. 1 1° ,';o'. 



IjRIXENSTADT, a town of Germany, in the circle of 

 Francouia, and principality of Anfpach, affording an afyluni 

 f(n- involuntary homicides; 16 miles E. N. E. ot Wuizburg. 



BRIXIA, ill /Indent Geography, a town of Rcgio Tranf- 

 padana, belonging to the Ccnomani, feated on the Mela; 

 now Brescia, which fee. 



Brixia, a river of Suliana, which difeharges itfclf into 

 the Peiiicgulf, and which rendered the coafts dangerous, 

 according to Pliny, by the quantity of mud depofited by it. 



BRIXTON Bay, in Geography, lies on the well fide of 

 the ifle of Wight, and is an open bay to the north-well 

 from the finith point of this ifland. The ground is rocky, 

 and in fwelling feas or winds in fliore, it does not afford a 

 defirable retreat nor a fafe anchorage. 



BRIZA, Qi/aiing gra/s, in Botany, (/Jfi^a;, to nod) Linn. 

 S4. Reich. 00. Schrcb. 115. G:trtn. 6. Tab. I. Juff. 32. 

 LaMarck. Tab. 45. Smith Flor. Brit. 34. Clafs, /Wrtm/r/Vj 

 d'lgyma. Nat. Old. Gramma. Gen. Char. Cal. glume 

 many-flowered, two-valved, fpreadiiig, blunt, collefting the 

 flowers into a fubcordate, two-rowed fpikelet. Cor. two- 

 valved ; the lower valve the fize and figure of the calyx, the 

 upper one very fmall, flat, ronndifli, enclofing the other. 

 Ne3. two-leaved ; folioles linear, crenulate. Slam, filaments 

 three, capillary, oblong. Pijl. gtrm, roundifh, fpreading. 

 Stigmas, plumofe. Perlc. none ; the corolla unchanged con- 

 taias the feed, and when ripe, opens and drops it. Seeti, 

 one, adhering to the corolla, comprefTed. Eff. Char. Ca/. 

 bivalvcd, many-flowered ; little fpikes two-rowed. Cor, 

 two-valved, ventricofe, with cordate obtufe valves ;_/(•«/ ad- 

 hering to the corolla, deprefTed. 



LaMarck obferves, that Briza is too nearly allied to Poa, to 

 make a good dillinft genus. He has, however, kept them fc- 

 parate ; but judging that what has been called a multivalve 

 calyx in Uniola, its principal difference from Briza, is nothing 

 more than two or three abortive florets, he has aboliflicd the 

 genus, and defcribed its fpecies under Briza. In agreement 

 with the greater number of authors, we have thought it bcft; 

 to preferve the original diftrlbution. Species 1. B. mmor. 

 Lin. (Eng. Bot. 1316,) ajpera. Knap. (Gram, Brit. 61.) 

 '■ Spikelets triangular, fever-flowered ; calyx longer than the 

 florets, ftipule very long, lanceolate." Dr. Smith. Rrot 

 fibrous, fmall, annual. Culm cre£l, about feven inches high, 

 round, roughifli, with minute fpine^ pointing downwards, 

 leafy, often branched at the bafe. Leaves fli^athing, cvcii, 

 lanceolate, acute, flat, of a pleafant green, flriated, rough at 

 their margin. Sheath ftriated, fmouth. Stipule lanceolate, 

 very long, embracing the flcm, decnrrent, adhering to the 

 leaf above, very tender. Panicle fpreading widely ; branches 

 growing two together, branchlets diehotomous, divaricated, 

 capillary, rough, green. Spiielets pendulous, trembling, 

 deltoid, fmooth, beautifully variegated with white and gici n, 

 with about feven flowers. Calyx-glumes nearly equal, con- 

 cave, very obtufe, ftriated, membranaceous at the mart;i!i, 

 longer than the florets. Florets alternate, gradually fmalltr ; 

 inner glumes very fmall, emargiiiate. Dr. Smith defcribi s 

 the culm as fmooth, but in fpecimens fent us From the wefl 

 of England, it has a flight roughncfs, jull fenfible to the 

 touch, and vifible with a ilrong magnifier. We have, there- 

 fore, followed Mr. Knap in this part of the dtfcriptioii. 



The 



