which is about 82 persons to a square mile, or rather less than the average number for the whole kingdom. B. contains 7 episcopal cities, and about 230 other towns: the chief one is Coimbra. (q. v.) It is mountainous and well watered. The produce of wine and olives is considerable. (See Portugal.) BEIRAM. (See Bairam.) BEKKER, Elizabeth; an ornament of Dutch literature in the department of the belles-lettres. Few female authors have united with so great talents so much dignity and purity of morals. The influence of her numerous works was much increased by her character, and several of them are considered classics in Dutch literature, particularly her romances Willem Leevend, in 8 vols.; Letters of A. Blankart to C. Wildschut, and the History of Sara Bürgerhart. She wrote her most important works in conjunction with her friend Agatha Deken (q. v.), and the share of each in the composition of them is unknown. Elizabeth was born at Flushing, in 1738, and died at the Hague, in 1804. Her inseparable friend in life followed her nine days later in death. scended from a good family in Canterbury, of the name of Johnson, and was born in the reign of Charles I. Her father, through the interest of his relation, lord Wloughby, being appointed lieutenantgeneral of Surinam, embarked with his family for the West Indies, taking with hm Aphara, who was then very young. The father died at sea; but his family arved safely at Surinam, and remained there some years, during which time Aphara became acquainted with the American prince Oroonoko, whom she made the subject of a novel, subsequently dramatized by Southern. On her return England, she married Mr. Behn, a mertant of London, of Dutch extraction; at was probably a widow when selected by Charles II as a proper person to acEr intelligence on the continent during the Dutch war. She accordingly took up her residence at Antwerp, where she enraged in gallantries for the good of her country; and it is said that, by means of one of her admirers, she obtained advice of the intention of the Dutch to sail up the Thames, which she transmitted to Eagand. This intelligence, although true, being discredited, she gave up politics, turned to England, and devoted herself intrigue and writing for support; and, she had a good person and much conVeritional talent, she became fashionable ng the men of wit and pleasure of time. She published three volumes of poems, by Rochester, Etherege, Crisp others, with some poetry of her own; and wrote 17 plays, the heartless liceneness of which was disgraceful both er sex and to the age which tolerated performance of them. She was also author of a couple of volumes of es, and of the celebrated love-letters na nobleman and his sister-inword Gray and lady Henrietta BerkeA Pope, in his character of women, Brides to Mrs. Behn, under her poetical Jame of Astrea: BEKKER, Immanuel, member of the academy of sciences, and professor in the university of Berlin, is known for his learning in the ancient languages, particularly the Greek, displayed in many valuable works. He was born at Berlin, in 1785. He was a pupil of the famous philologer Wolf, at Halle, who declared him the person most capable of continuing his researches in philology. B. was appointed professor in the new academy of Berlin, and set out, May, 1810, for Paris, where he remained until Dec., 1812, and made use of the manuscripts of the library, principally collating those of Plato, and some rhetorical and grammatical writers. The academy of sciences of Berlin elected him a member in 1815, and sent him back to Paris to examine the papers of Fourmont, for the sake of a Corpus Inscriptionum Græcarum, which they intended to publish. He returned the same year. In 1817, he was sent to Italy, to examine, The sage how loosely does Astrea tread, of Westminster abbey. tions of Gaius at Verona, discovered by BEHRING, BEHRING'S STRAITS, BEHR- Niebuhr in a Coder rescriptus, and to pre- BEIRA; a province of Portugal, bounded academy had in view. the population at nearly 900,000, VOL. 11. bridge and London; and returned through Leyden and Heidelberg to Berlin. With what industry and talent he collected literary treasures, in all these places, can be but imperfectly conceived from any thing he has yet published. It is sufficient to cite here the Anecdota Græca, 3 vols., of a grammatical character; editions of Apollonius Dyscolus De Pronomine (never before printed) and De Syntaxi of Theognis (augmented with 150 verses); of Coluthus, Demosthenes, and other Attic orators; of the Bibliotheca of Photius; of the Scholia to the Iliad, &c. BEL, (See Baal.) BELEM (properly Bethlehem); a quarter of Lisbon, formerly a market-town, situated on the spot where, after Vasco da Gama's first return from India, in 1499, king Emanuel built a church in honor of the nativity of Christ, and founded the celebrated monastery belonging to the order of St. Jerome, whose walls enclose the magnificent burying-vault of the royal family, adorned with white marble. After the earthquake of 1755, the burialchurch, so called, was rebuilt in the Gothic style. B., at that time, became the residence of the royal family; but after the palace there had been consumed by fire, they resided in the castle of Quelus, two leagues distant, in a retired situation, until their departure for Rio Janeiro. The new royal palace in B. is not yet finished. It has a beautiful situation, with a view of the harbor and the sea. Many persons of distinction, and the greater part of the important officers of state, reside at B. Here is also the church of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, in the neighborhood of which lies the botanical garden, with a chemical laboratory, and a cabinet of natural curiosities. The latter contains some curious specimens of native copper from Brazil, and a large piece of elastic sand-stone, interspersed with crystals of calcarious spar. In B., the royal garden (a quinta da raynha), with a menagerie, and many aviaries for rare birds, must likewise be noticed, as well as the great royal park, and, above all, the old tower, Torre de Belem, which rises out of the river Tajo, and is provided with batteries. No ship is permitted to pass by it without being visited. BELFAST; a royal borough and seaport in Ireland, in Antrim, at the entrance of the river Lagan into Carrickfergus bay; 50 miles E. S. E. Londonderry, 76 N. Dublin. Lon. 5° 46′ W.; lat. 54° 35′ N. Population in 1821, including the suburbs, 35,084; houses, 5,754. It is commodiously situated for trade, in a populous and well-cultivated country, is connected with Lough Neagh by a canal, and is the principal seaport in the north of Ireland. The bay is a spacious estuary, affording safe anchorage. Vessels drawing 13 feet of water can come up to the wharves at full ! tide. It is well built, chiefly of brick; the streets are broad, straight, well paved and lighted. It contains 13 houses of public worship. Belonging to the port are above 50 vessels, amounting to more than 8,330 tons. The principal exports are linen, butter, beef, pork and oatmeal: -total value, in 1810, £2,904,520. The duties have, of late, amounted to £400,000 per annum. The manufactures consist, chiefly, of linens and cottons; the former employing 723 looms. It sends one member to parliament. BELFAST; a seaport and post-town in Waldo county, Maine, 12 miles N. W. ¦ Castine, 224 N. E. Boston. Lon. 69° 1′ W.; lat. 44° 25′ N. Population in 1810, ; 1,274; in 1820, 2,026. It is delightfully situated on Belfast bay, at the mouth of a small river of the same name, and at the N. W. part of Penobscot bay. It has a good harbor and great maritime advantages, and is a flourishing town. BELGIANS; a collection of German and Celtic tribes, who inhabited the country extending from the Atlantic ocean to the Rhine, and from the Marne and Seine to the southern mouth of the Rhine, which is united with the Meuse. From time to time, until the period of Cæsar, German nations pushed forward beyond the Rhine, partly expelling the Celts from their seats, partly uniting with them; and from this union sprung a mixed nation, which, in its language as well as in its manners, resembled the Germans more than the Celts. According to the testimony of Cæsar, they were the most valiant of the Gauls, particularly that portion which resided on the northern frontiers of Germany. BELGIUM; the name of that part of the Netherlands which formerly belonged to Austria, but now makes a part of the kingdom of the Netherlands.-Belgium, a part of ancient Gaul, was originally the land of the Bellovaci and Atrebates, who lived in the neighborhood of the city of Amiens, and perhaps of Senlis. BELGRADE (the ancient Alba Græcorum; in German, Griechisch Weissenburg, which name, however, is seldom used); a Turkish commercial city and fortress in Servia, at the confluence of the Save and the Danube, with 30,000 inhabitants, consisting of four parts, the citadel in the centre, which commands the Danube, is well fortified, is the residence of the pacha of Servia, and contains the chief mosque. The whole number of mosques in B. is 14. Between the citadel and the other 3 parts of the city there is an empty space, 400 yards wide. B. is badly built; the streets are not paved. At the mouth of the Save lies the island of the Gipsies. B., on account of its important situation, plays a conspicuous part in almost every war between Austria and Turkey. After having been, at different times, in the possession of the Greeks, Hungarians, Bulgarians, Bosnians, Servians and Austrians, it was, in 1442 and 1456, besieged by the Turks, and, in 1521, conquered by Solyman II. In 1688, the Austrians reconquered it, but lost it again in 1690. Prince Eugene took it in 1717, and the peace of Passarowitz, in 1718, left it in the hands of Austria, but it was again lost in 1739. The Porte retained it by the terms of the peace of Belgrade, in 1739, on condition that the fortifications which Austria had erected should be demolished—a work which required almost nine months. General Laudon took B. in 1789, but it was restored to the Porte at the peace of Szistowe, in 1791. In 1806, it was taken by the revolutionary Servians, but, with their suppression, it came again into the hands of the Turks. Formerly, a bishop resided here, but his seat is now in Semendria. BELGRANO, Manuel, was born at Buenos Ayres, of wealthy parents, who emigrated from Italy. After completing his education at the university of Salamanca, he was appointed secretary of the consulado at Buenos Ayres, and thus came in contact continually with the mercantile classes, the most enlightened and important portion of the population of that city. His polished and amiable manners, and his taste for letters and the fine arts, enabled him to improve the opportunity afforded him by his situation, so as to acquire extensive popularity. When the political troubles in America commenced, B. was at first disposed to favor the princess Carlota, sister of Ferdinand, and establish an independent monarchy in Buenos Ayres. But he soon adopted the plan of erecting a perfectly free government, and entered with zeal and ability into the measures which prepared and followed the deposition of the viceroy Cisneros, in May, 1810. In the new order of things, B. entered on a military career, and was speedily raised to the rank of general, in which capacity he commanded the expedition sent against Paraguay, which, after advancing into the heart of that province, was compelled, by the skill of Yedros and Francia, to return to Buenos Ayres, without an engagement, and leave the Paraguayans unmolested. B.'s next enterprise was more successful, September 24, 1812, he gained a complete victory over the royalist general D. Pio Tristan, at Tucuman, and thus defeated the intended expedition of the latter against Buenos Ayres. On the 13th of February following, he obtained another signal victory over Tristan at Salta, But these brilliant advantages were soon followed by equally striking reverses. B, imprudently released Tristan and his troops upon their parole, which the Spaniards, with that profligate disregard of all conventions and engagements, which has characterized their policy in the contest with the South Americans, dishonorably violated. The consequence was, that general Pezuela, with the very same troops, added to others collected in Peru, attacked and defeated B, at Vilcapugio, Oct. 1, 1813, and again at Ayoma, Nov. 14, of the same year; and San Martin was appointed to succeed him in command. In 1816, B. was reappointed to the command of the troops in Tucuman, and was making the most judicious arrangements for acting against the Spaniards in Upper Peru, when the spirit of anarchy seized upon the army, and he was deposed, and the troops dispersed. B. was liberal, upright and disinterested to a degree not exceeded by any of his compatriots, and faithful and exact in the discharge of all his duties. He displayed considerable ardor as an officer, and applied himself closely to the study of tactics; but had neither the experience nor the military capacity necessary to constitute a great general. Regardless of his occasional reverses of fortune, and of the persecution which he underwent from some of the transitory factions of the day, he continued to labor unremittingly for the welfare of his country until his death, in 1820, which was very justly deplored. (See Memoirs of General Miller, in the Service of the Republic of Peru, London, 1828.) BELIAL was, with the Hebrews, what Pluto was with the Greeks-the ruler of the infernal regions. The word itself signifies the bad, the destructive. BELISARIUS; one of the greatest generals of his time, to whom the emperor Justinian chiefly owed the splendor of his reign. Sprung from an obscure family in Thrace, B. first served in the body guard of the emperor, soon after obtained the chief command of an army of 25,000 men, stationed on the Persian frontiers, and, in the year 530, gained a complete victory over a Persian army of not less than 40,000 soldiers. The next year, however, he lost a battle against the same enemy, who had forced his way into Syriathe only battle which he lost during his whole career. He was recalled from the army, and soon became, at home, the support of his master. In the year 532, civil commotions, proceeding from two rival parties, who called themselves the green and the blue, and who caused great disorders in Constantinople, brought the life and reign of Justinian in the utmost peril, and Hypatius was already chosen emperor, when B., with a small body of faithful adherents, restored order. Justinian, with a view of conquering the dominions of Gelimer, king of the Vandals, sent B., with an army of 15,000 men, to Africa. After two victories, he secured the person and treasures of the Vandal king. Gelimer was led in triumph through the streets of Constantinople, and Justinian ordered a medal to be struck, with the inscription Belisarius gloria Romanorum, which has descended to our times. By the dissentions existing in the royal family of the Ostrogoths (see Goths) in Italy, Justinian was induced to attempt to bring Italy and Rome under his sceptre. B. vanquished Vitiges, king of the Goths, made him prisoner at Ravenna (540), and conducted him, together with many other Goths, to Constantinople. The war in Italy against the Goths continued; but B., not being sufficiently supplied with money and troops by the emperor, demanded his recall (548). He afterwards commanded in the war against the Bulgarians, whom he conquered in the year 559. Upon his return to Constantinople, he was accused of having taken part in a conspiracy. But Justinian was convinced of his innocence, and is said to have restored to him his property and dignities, of which he had been deprived. B. died in the year 565. His history has been much colored by the poets, and particularly by Marmontel, in his otherwise admirable politico-philosophical romance. According to his narrative, the emperor caused the eyes of the hero to be struck out, and B. was compelled to beg his bread in the streets of Constantinople. Other writers say, that Justinian had him thrown into a prison, which is still shown under the appellation of the tower of Belisarius. From this tower he is reported to have let down a bag fastened to a rope, and to have addressed the passengers in these words:-Date Belisario obolum, quem virtus evexit, invidia depressit (Give an obolus to Belisarius, whom virtue exalted, and envy has oppressed). Of this however, no contemporary writer makes any mention. Tzetzes, a slightly-esteemed writer of the 12th century, was the first who related this fable. Certain it is, that through too great indulgence towards las wife Antonina, B. was impelled to many acts of injustice, and that he evinced & servile submissiveness to the detestable Theodora, the wife of Justinian. BELKNAP, Jeremy; an American clergyman and author, of considerable reputation. He was born in June, 174, graduated at Harvard college in 1762 and ordained pastor of the church in Dover, New Hampshire, in 1767. Here he spent 20 years in the diligent performance of his clerical duties, and the cultivation of literature. It was during this period that he composed his History of New Hampshire, a work by which he established himself as an author in the good opinion of his countrymen. In 1787, he took charge of a church in Boston, where he continued to officiate until his death, in 1798. Besides his History, he published two volumes of his unfinished American Biography, and a number of political, religious and literary tracts. Doctor B. wrote with ease and correctness, though not with elegance: he was more remarkable for research and extensive information, than for brilliancy or originality of talents. The History of New Hampshire and the American Biography, above mentioned, are often consulted. His sermons, and many dissertations, are but little known. As a public preacher and citizen, he enjoyed the highest estimation. He was one of the founders of the Massachusetts historical society, whose Collections are important to the public annals. BELL. Church bells originated in Italy, being formed, by degrees, out of the cymbals, small tinkling bells and handbells of the East, used, in religious ceremonies, as a means of honoring the gods, or of summoning them to the feast. The feast of Osiris, particularly, is known to have been announced by bells, and, in Athens, the priests of Cybele made use of them at their sacrifices. Pliny says that bells were invented long before his time. They were called_tintinnabula ; and Suetonius tells us that Augustus caused one to be hung before the temple BELL-BELLA. of Jupiter. Among Christians, they were first employed to call together religious congregations, for which purpose runners had been employed before. Afterwards, the people were assembled by the sound of little pieces of board struck together; hence called sacred boards. To the present day, the Catholics use such boards in Passion-week and Lent, because the noise of bells seems to them unsuited to the solemnity of the season. On the first day of Easter, the bells ring again, and the return of the accustomed sound produces a very cheerful effect. Paulinus, bishop of Nola, in Campania, is said to have first introduced church bells, in the fourth century, and thence the Latin names of the bell, campana and nola, are said to have originated. In the sixth century, bells were used in the convents; they were suspended on the roof of the church in a frame. Towards the end of this century, bells were placed on some churches at the expense of certain cities. About 550, they were introduced into France. Pope Sebastian, who died in 605, first ordered that the hours of the day should be announced by striking the bell, that people might better attend to the hore canonica, that is, to the hours for singing and praying. In 610, Clothair besieged Sens, when Lupus, bishop of Orleans, ordered the bells of St. Stephen to be rung. The sound so frightened Clothair, that he gave up the siege. In the eighth century, the custom of baptizing and naming bells began. (See Baptism.) Church bells were probably introduced into England soon after their invention, They are first mentioned by Bede, about the close of the seventh century. In the East, they came into use in the ninth century; in Switzerland, in 1020; at what period they were brought into Germany is uncertain. In the 11th century, the cathedral at Augsburg had two bells. The same spirit which induced people to build immense minsters, and to apply their wealth in ornamenting the places of worship, made them vie with each other in the size of their bells. The great bell of Moscow, cast in 1653, in the reign of the empress Anne, is said, by Mr. Clarke, to be computed to weigh 443,772 lbs. A bell in the church of St. Ivan, in anoththe same city, weighs 127,836 lbs.; er, 356 cwt.; and the one cast in 1819 weighs 1600 cwt., the clapper alone weighing 18 cwt. On the cathedral of Paris a bell was placed, in 1680, which weighed 340 cwt., and measured 25 feet in circumference. In Vienna, a bell was cast, in In Olmütz is one of 1711, of 354 cwt. 4* 41 358 cwt. The famous bell at Erfurt, in This Funera plango, fulgura frango, sabbata pango Excito lentos, dissipo ventos,paco cruentos. Perhaps the finest poem which has ever been written on bells is Schiller's poem, Die Glocke (The Bell), in which he describes the casting of the bell, and all its uses, in a highly poetical manner. has been translated into many languages, and lately into Greek and Latin, by a professor at Liege. (For the metal of which bells are made, called bellmetal, see Copper.) A bell is divided into the body or barrel, the clapper, and the ear or cannon.-The word bell is used in many arts and sciences for instruments similar in form to church bells. BELL. (See Lancaster.) BELL-METAL. (See Copper.) BELL-ROCK, Sometimes called Inch cape; a dangerous rock of Scotland, about 12 miles from Arbroath, nearly opposite the mouth of the river Tay; lon. 2° 22′ W.; lat. 56° 29′ N. A light-house has been erected on it, finished in 1811, 115 feet high. During high tides, the rock is entirely covered. It is said that, in former ages, the monks of Aberbrothock caused a bell to be suspended on this rock, which was rung by the waves, and warned the mariners of this highly dangerous place. The Bell-rock light-house is famous for its construction. BELLA, Stefano de la; an engraver, born He followed, at at Florence, in 1610. first, Callot's manner, but soon adopted In 1642, he went to one of his own. Paris, where he was employed by cardinal Richelieu. He returned to Florence, and became the teacher, in drawing, of Cosmo, the son of the great duke, and |