BREEDE-BREHON LAWS.

BREISACH-BREMER.

Thaddeus O'Mahony, professor of Irish in the university of Dublin. The publication, it is reckoned, will extend to eight volumes, of about 550 pages each. Three of these have already appeared the last in 1873-under the title of Ancient Laws and Institutes of Ireland. Along with the Irish text, an English translation is given, accompanied with preliminary dissertations, glossaries, and indexes, and they give a vivid and characteristic picture of the polity and social life of a Celtic people. A facsimile reprint of the B. L. has recently been published in 17 volumes by the B. L. Commission.

two bridges. The ramparts and bastions round the old town have been levelled, and formed into public promenades, which are laid out with excellent taste. Among the principal buildings, the Cathedral (built about 1160), the Gothic Town-hall (begun about 1405), with its famous wine-cellar, said to contain hock of the vintage of 1624, the Exchange, the Museum, and the Observatory of Dr Olbers, from which he discovered the planets Pallas and Vesta, are remarkable. The position of B. makes it the emporium of Brunswick, Hesse, and other countries through which the Weser flows. BREISA'CH, ALT, a very old town of the grand Besides its excellent water-communication, it is conduchy of Baden, situated on an isolated basalt hill nected by railways with the whole of Western and on the right side of the Rhine, about 12 miles west Central Germany. B. is an exceedingly thriving of Freiburg. As early as the time of Julius Cæsar, place, its trade having more than doubled within Mons Brisiacus was known as a strong military the last ten years. Large vessels stop at Bremerposition, and was taken by Ariovistus when he hafen, where there is a spacious harbour coninvaded Gaul. Being regarded as the key to the structed, about 38 miles below B., with which it is west of Germany, it was a prominent scene of action connected by electric telegraph. Vessels not drawduring the Thirty Years' War, at the conclusion of ing more than 7 feet of water can come up to the town itself. B. carries on an extensive commerce which it was ceded to the French. During the next century, it frequently changed masters, now with the United States of America, the West Indies, belonging to France, and now to Austria. The Africa, the East Indies, China, and Australia. Its French destroyed its fortifications in 1744, and great foreign trade, however, is with the United during the war of the Revolution in 1793, part of the States, from which alone, in 1869, it imported protown was burned by them. In 1806, the French duce of the estimated value of 20,000,000 dollars, handed it over to the House of Baden. The minster exporting in return goods to the value of 15,000,000 of St Stephen is a venerable structure in good pre-in Europe ships so many emigrants to the United dollars. With the exception of Liverpool, no port

servation, and contains several old monuments. Pop. 3200.

The

States as B., through its main port at Bremerhafen. The total number of vessels arriving at B. in 1869 BREITENFELD, a village and manor of Saxony, was 3032, and the number departing, 3176. about 5 miles north of Leipsic. It is historically number of ships belonging to the port in January remarkable for three battles, fought on a plain in 1870 was 300, with an aggregate burden of 212,874 its neighbourhood. The first of these, between tons. In 1869, the value of the imports amounted the Swedes and the Imperialists, which was fought to £15,000,000, exports to about £14,000,000, a very on the 7th September 1631, was of the highest great increase as compared with the year 1858, importance to Europe, as it secured the permanency when the imports were valued at £8,237,000, and of Protestantism and the freedom of Germany. the exports at about £8,000,000. The chief imports Tilly's pride had reached its highest point after are tobacco, coffee, sugar, cotton, rice, skins, dyethe fall of Magdeburg, which took place on the woods, wines, timber, hemp, &c. The exports con10th of May 1631; and in the early part of Sep-sist of woollen goods, linens, glass, rags, wool, hemp, tember of the same year, he advanced against the hides, oil-cake, wooden toys, &c. Large quantities Saxons, with an army of about 40,000 men, for of tobacco are re-exported. B. has manufactures of the purpose of forcing the elector, John George I. woollens and cottons, cigars, paper and starch, and (who would not submit to the edict of restitu- extensive ship-building yards, breweries, distilleries, tion, and was treating with the Swedish king, and sugar-refineries. The cigar and sugar manuGustavus Adolphus), into an alliance with the factures have of late declined, the former on account emperor. No other way remained than for the of the increase of duty. In 1851, it is said that 5000 elector to join the Swedish king, who had just hands were engaged in making cigars. It has entered Pomerania. Gustavus Adolphus, joined by steam-communication with New York, and Hull, the Saxons, advanced towards Leipsic, where Tilly Havana, the north coast of South America, &c. lay, who advanced into the plain of Breitenfeld. The imperial forces were completely defeated, and when it was erected into a bishopric by CharleB. first became of historical note in the 8th c., their three most distinguished generals, Tilly, It soon attained considerable commerPappenheim, and Fürstenberg, wounded. The magne. cial importance, and became one of the principal second battle which B. witnessed again resulted in the triumph of Swedish valour: it took place on the cities of the Hanseatic League (q. v.). 23d of October 1642, between the Swedes, headed frequently suffered at the hands of the French, it by Torstenson, one of the pupils of Gustavus, who was, in 1810, incorporated with that empire; but it had invested Leipsic, and the Archduke Leopold, recovered its independence in 1813, and by the Conwith General Piccolomini, who were advancing from gress of Vienna was admitted, in 1815, as one of Dresden to its relief. The Swedes gained a com- the Hanse towns, into the Germanic confederation. plete victory over the Imperialists, who fled into In 1867, it became a member of the North German Bohemia, leaving behind them 46 cannon, 121 flags, confederation, and now it forms part of the German 69 standards, and the whole of their baggage. The empire. The area of the territory, of which it is third battle of which B. was the scene, was fought the capital, is about 100 square miles; pop., includon the 16th of October 1813, and was part of the ing the town of B. (1871), 122,402. The government is intrusted to a senate composed of four great contest known as the battle of Leipsic. burgomasters, two syndics, and twenty-four counBREMEN, one of the four free cities of Ger-cillors, and to a convention of resident burgesses. many, is situated on the Weser, about 50 miles from its mouth. Pop. (1871) 82,807, nearly all Protestants. B. is divided into the old and the New Town-the former on the right, the latter on the left side of the river, which is spanned by

Having

BREMER, FREDERIKA, the well-known Swedish novelist, was born at Abo, in Finland, in 1802; but when she was only three years old, her father removed to Sweden, where he became a landed proprietor. According to the accounts of it given by herself in

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BRENNUS-BRENT GOOSE.

and, in two bloody battles, slew the whole of the barbarians to a man.

Another B., who occupies a conspicuous place in history, was that Gallic chief who invaded Greece, 279 B. C., at the head of 150,000 foot and 61,000 horse. After desolating Macedonia, B. forced his way through Thessaly to Thermopyla. The Grecian army fled at his approach. B. now rushed on with a division of his great host to Delphi, which he had resolved to plunder; but the Delphians, having taken up a very advantageous position on some rocks, resisted his further progress. Assisted by the terrors of an earthquake and a terrible storm, besides, according to reverential tradition, by the supernatural help of Apollo, they utterly routed the Gauls, who fled in dismay. B. was taken prisoner, and drank himself to death in despair.

a letter to her friend and translator, Mrs Howitt, her early life appears to have been outwardly uneventful, though with humility she confesses that she always regarded herself as a heroine.' As a child of eight, she had already begun to write verses; and the works of German poets, Schiller more especially, exercised a most powerful influence over her youthful imagination. Her original novels first made their appearance under the general title Tekningar ur Hvardagslifvet, at Stockholm, in 1835. It was not, however, till 1842 that the English public hailed with delight the appearance, in an English dress, of The Neighbours, perhaps the most universally popular of all Frederika B.'s charming pictures of domestic life in Sweden. Encouraged by its enthusiastic reception, Mrs Howitt subsequently published translations of The Diary, The H. Family, The President's Daughters, Brothers and Sisters, Life BRENT GOOSE, or BRENT BARNACLE. in Dalecarlia, and The Midnight Sun. In 1849, Miss This bird has been already noticed under BARNACLE B. visited the United States, and there spent two (q. v.). We add here a few sentences from Colonel years, passing some time in England on her return. Hawker's Instructions to Young Sportsmen, which In her Homes of the New World, published simul- we borrow from Yarrell's British Birds. They refer taneously in England, America, and Sweden, in to wild-fowl shooting on the coasts of Dorsetshire 1853, she not only presents us with exquisite and Hampshire. Towards November or December, descriptions of scenery, and vivid pictures of social we have the Brent Geese, which are always wild, life, but with sound and comprehensive views on unless in very hard weather. In calm weather, political and moral subjects. Returning to her home these geese have the cunning, in general, to leave the in Sweden, to find a beloved sister removed from it mud as soon as the tide flows high enough to bear by death, Miss B. devoted her talents and energies an enemy; and then they go off to sea, and feed on no longer to literature, but to the carrying out of the drifting weeds. To kill Brent Geese by day, get certain philanthropic objects, in which she had out of sight in a small punt, at low water, and keep throughout life felt deep interest, more especially as near as possible to the edge of the sea. You will the education of the poorest classes. As a writer of then hear them coming like a pack of hounds in fiction, she is distinguished for feminine delicacy, full cry, and they will repeatedly pass within fair shrewd sense, humour, deep knowledge of human shot, provided you are well concealed, and the nature, and a graphic and forcible style. Her works have been translated into almost all the languages of Europe. She died in 1865. Her Life and unpublished writings were issued by her sister in 1868.

BRENNUS, the name, or rather the title of several Gallic princes, is probably a Latinised form of the Kymric word Brenhin, which signifies a king. The most famous B. was that leader of the Gauls who, in 390 B. C., crossed the Apennines, and hurrying through the country of the Sabines, at the head of 70,000 men, encountered and overthrew on the banks of the Allia (q. v.) the Roman army. Had the barbarians immediately followed up their advantage, Rome might have been obliterated from the earth; but instead of doing so, they abandoned themselves to drunken delights on the battle-field, and gave the Romans time to fortify the Capitol, whither were removed all the treasures and holy things of the city. When B. entered the gates, he found that all the inhabitants had fled, with the exception of the women, children, and old men, the last of whom, with pathetic heroism, had resolved not to survive the destruction of their homes, and so, the chief among them, clothed in their robes of sacerdotal or consular dignity, and sitting in the curule chairs, waited the approach of their enemies, and received their death in majestic silence. B., having plundered the city, now besieged the Capitol for six months. During the beleaguerment occurred the famous night-attack, which would have been successful had not the cackling of the geese, kept in Juno's temple, awakened the garrison. At length, however, the Romans were compelled to enter into negotiations with the besiegers. They offered 1000 lbs. of gold for their ransom, which was agreed to. According to Polybius, B. and his Gauls returned home in safety with their booty; but the rather mythical Roman traditions affirm that, just as the Gauls were leaving the city, Camillus, who had been recalled from banishment, and appointed dictator, appeared at the head of an army, attacked them,

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Brent Goose.

weather is windy to make them fly low. Before you fire at them, spring suddenly up, and these awkward birds will be in such a fright as to hover together and present a mark like a barn-door.'-The extensive muddy and sandy flats between Holy Island and the coast of Northumberland are a great winter resort of this species. It is also particularly abundant on muddy and sandy flats in Cromarty Bay. The markets, both of London and Edinburgh, are well supplied with it during winter. The B. G. is known in some parts of England as the Black Goose; it is considered the most delicate for table of all its tribe, and is perhaps as much sought after as any. The B. G. differs in its habits from the common gray lag and several other species, inasmuch as it never feeds on fresh-water herbage, its tastes being exclusively salinous. B. G. may be distinguished, when on the wing, by their black bodies and white tails. Folkhard, in his excellent work The Wild Fowler, gives much interesting information regarding this bird.

BRENTA-BRESSAY.

BRENTA (Medoacus Major), a river of North Italy, rises from two small lakes in the Tyrol; flows first in a southern, then in an eastern course through the Venetian territory; passes the towns Cismona and Bassano; receives an arm of the Bacchiglione below Padua, where it becomes navigable; and falls into the Gulf of Venice, at the haven of Brondolo. The ancient bed of the B. was, some centuries ago, altered by the Venetians, who feared that their lagoons might be choked with sand by its floods. Afterwards, the old bed of the river was made use of as a canal-the Naviglio di Brenta Magra, which forms the chief communication by water between Venice and Padua; while the B. is but little used for navigation.

literature. It contains upwards of 30,000 volumes, with many rare manuscripts. The population in 1872 was 38,906. B. has manufactures of woollen, silk, leather, paper, &c., and its wine is of good quality. The old name of B. was Brixia, and its inhabitants were allied with the Romans when Hannibal crossed the Alps. It was captured by the Huns during their migrations, and afterwards passed through the hands of the Longobards, Charlemagne, the Franks, and the Germans. It was taken by the French under Gaston de Foix, in 1512, when it is stated that more than 40,000 of the inhabitants were massacred. The city never fully recovered from the effects of that inhuman sack and pillage. In March 1849, B., as the only important town opposed to Austrian rule in Lombardy, was besieged by Haynau, and forced to capitulate."

BRENTA'NO, CLEMENS, known as a novelist and dramatic poet, and as the brother of Goethe's 'Bettina,' was born at Frankfort-on-the-Maine, BRE'SLAU, the capital of the province of 1777. He studied at Jena, and afterwards resided Silesia, Prussia, is situated at the confluence of successively at Frankfort, Heidelberg, Vienna, and the Ohlau and Oder. Next to Berlin, it is the Berlin. In 1818, through a morbid discontent with most populous city in Prussia, its inhabitants himself and his fellow-men, he retired to the cloister numbering (1871) 207,997, more than the half at Dülmen, in Münster. Latterly, he resided at of whom are Protestants. The Oder divides it Regensburg, Munich, and Frankfort-on-the-Maine, into two parts, which are connected by numerous where he led the life of a recluse, and gained a handsome bridges. The fortifications have been considerable reputation on account of his sarcastic converted into beautiful promenades, and the ditch wit. He died at Aschaffenburg, on the 28th of has been transformed into an ornamental sheet of June 1842. In his earliest poems the peculiarities water. The streets of the new portion of B. are of the 'romantic school' of his time are carried to spacious and regular, and the houses stately excess. His dramatic productions, such as The Merry and handsome, affording a pleasant contrast to Musicians, a Musical Drama (Frankfort, 1803), in the sombre, massive structures of the old town. which there are some gems of lyric poetry, Ponce Educational institutions are numerous, including de Leon (Göttingen, 1804), &c., are characterised a university founded by the Emperor Leopold I by great dramatic power, amusing though rather in 1702, and now accommodating from 900 to 1000 far-fetched wit, and a wonderful flow of humour. students. The library contains 300,000 volumes. B. Perhaps his most successful piece as a drama is The has many churches, the most remarkable being the Founding of Prague (Pesth, 1816). B. was most Protestant church dedicated to St Elizabeth, with a successful in his smaller novels, particularly in the steeple 364 feet in height (the highest in Prussia), History of Caspar the Brave and the Fair Annerl and a splendid organ. The position of B., in the (2d edit. Berlin, 1831), which German critics call a centre of the manufacturing districts of the province, chef-d'œuvre in miniature.' His last work, the secures it a large trade, which its railway conneclegend of Gokel, Hinkel, and Gakeleia (Frankfort, tion with all the important cities on every side, in 1838), was intended as a satire upon the times in addition to the facilities of communication which which he lived. He has received the grateful the Oder affords, enables it to turn to the best acknowledgment of his countrymen for his renova- account. It has manufactures of linen, woollens, tion of the good old history of George Wickram cotton, silks, lace, jewellery, machines, earthenware, of Kolmar, which he published under the title of soap, alum, starch, &c., and upwards of 100 distilThe Thread of Gold (Der Goldfaden, Heidelb. 1809).leries; and a trade in corn, coal, metals, timber, BRENTFORD, the county town of Middlesex, on both sides of the Brent, at its confluence with the Thames, 7 miles west-south-west of London, and where the Thames is crossed by a bridge leading to Kew. It consists chiefly of one long irregular street. Pop. (1871) 11,091. It has large gin-distilleries, a soap-work, and the works of the West London Water Company. There are many market-gardens in the vicinity. Here Ironside defeated the Danes in 1016, after expelling them from London; in 1558, six martyrs were burned at the stake; and in 1642, the Royalists under Rupert defeated the Parlia

mentarians under Colonel Hollis.

hemp, and flax. B. is a city of Slavonic origin, and was for many centuries occupied alternately by the Poles and the Bohemians. It afterwards passed to Austria, from which it was taken by Frederick II. of Prussia, in 1741. Six years afterwards, it was captured by the Austrians, after a bloody battle, but retaken by Frederick in about a month. From that time until 1814, when its fortifications were completely demolished, it was frequently besieged.

BRE'SSAY, one of the Shetland Isles, east of the Mainland, and separated from Lerwick by Bressay Sound. It is 6 miles long and 2 broad, and is composed of Devonian rocks. It supplied Lerwick BRE'SCIA, a city of Italy, capital of the province with peat, until the proprietor, fearing that the peat of the same name, in Lombardy, about 60 miles might be exhausted, stopped exportation; and it coneast-north-east of Milan. It is romantically situ- tinues to supply the Shetland Isles with slates. Pop. ated on the rivers Mella and Garza, in a wide fertile (1871) 878, chiefly fishermen. Bressay Sound is one of plain, at the base of several hills. The railway from the finest natural harbours in the world, and is a Milan to Venice passes through Brescia. The city rendezvous for herring-boats, and for all whalers and is for the most part regularly built, and, besides two other vessels proceeding north. East of B., and sepacathedrals, the old and the new, it has numerous rated from it by a narrow and dangerous sound, is ancient churches, adorned with pictures and frescoes, a rocky isle, called Noss, 6 miles in circuit, girt on including many by masters of the Venetian school. all sides by perpendicular cliffs, and rising abruptly Several interesting antiquities have been discovered. from the sea to the height of nearly 600 feet, with It has a valuable public library, the Biblioteca a flattish top. A detached rock, or holm, on the Quiriniana, founded and nobly endowed about 1750, south-east side of the Noss, is communicated with by Cardinal Quirini, a munificent encourager of by means of a cradle or wooden chair run on strong

BREST-BRETON DE LOS HERREROS.

ropes, stretched across a yawning gulf, and admitting manners, and their agriculture is of a very rude a man with a sheep to be drawn over at a time.

It

character, by no means calculated to develop the natural resources of the country. Until within BREST, a strongly fortified city, in the department of Finistère, France, and one of the chief recent years, B. had escaped the observation of naval stations of the empire, is situated in lat. 48° tourists; but it has now been found out, and seems 24′ N., and long. 4° 29′ W., on the north side of the likely to be considerably run upon, as well as to Bay or Road of Brest, which forms one of the finest will be some time yet before it is exhausted, and have a pretty extensive literature of its own. harbours in the world, having ample room for 500 ships of the line. The only entrance to the bay is by apart from the beauty of its scenery, it possesses a narrow channel called Le Goulet, which is scarcely great interest, as the only place where men can be a mile wide, and is strongly defended by batteries; three centuries ago. Under the Romans, the country, seen living and acting much as our forefathers did the difficulty and danger of access to hostile ships after 58 B. C., was made the Provincia Lugdunensis being increased by certain rocks which, rising in Tertia; but its subjugation was hardly more than the centre of the channel, oblige vessels to pass nominal, and it was entirely liberated in the 4th c., close in front of the guns of the forts. The small when it was divided into several allied republican river Penfel flows through the town, which is, on the whole, irregularly built on an uneven site, and has states, which, afterwards, were changed into petty monarchies. B. became subject to the Franks in steep, narrow, dark, and very dirty streets. In some the reign of Charlemagne, and was handed over by parts, communication between the lower and upper Charles the Simple to the Northmen in 912. After parts of the town can be effected only by stairs. some fierce struggles, the Bretons appear to have at The new quarter, the parade, and the quays, are more cleanly. B. has extensive ship-building yards, dukes. Geoffroi, Count of Rennes, was the first to length acknowledged the suzerainty of the Norman rope-walks, store-houses, &c.; its industry, indeed, assume the title of Duke of Bretagne in 992. The is confined entirely to the equipment of the navy duchy of B. was incorporated with France in 1532, in its various branches. The Bagnes (q. v.) or hulks by Francis I., to whom it had come by marriage, no longer exist, the prisoners having been removed and subsequently shared in the general fortunes to the penal colony of Cayenne. Pop. (1872), exclu- of the empire, but retained a local parliament sive of garrison, 50,883. B. is a very ancient place, until the outbreak of the Revolution. During but it was not of much importance until the 17th the Revolution, B., which was intensely loyal, was century. Its splendid position made it an object the arena of sanguinary conflicts, and especially of of contention to French, English, and Spaniards. the movements of the Chouans (q. v.), who reIn 1631, Cardinal Richelieu resolved to make it a appeared as recently as 1832. Daru, Histoire de B. naval station, and commenced the fortifications, (Par. 1826); Roujoux, Histoire des Rois et des Ducs which were completed by Vauban, but have since de B. (Par. 1829); Courson, Histoire des Peuples been greatly extended. In 1694, the English under Bretons dans la Gaule et dans les Iles Britanniques. Lord Berkeley were repulsed here with great loss. In 1794, the French fleet, under Admiral VillaretJoyeuse, was defeated off B. by the English fleet under Admiral Howe, who captured six ships of the line, and sank another.

(Par. 1847).

BRETIGNY, a village of France, in the department of the Eure-et-Loir, about 6 miles south-east of Chartres, on the railway between Paris and 1360, Edward III. concluded a peace with France, Orleans. B. is celebrated as the place where, in by which John II. of France was released from his captivity in England, on agreeing to pay 3 million tensions to Normandy, Anjou, Maine, and Touraine, crowns for his ransom, England renouncing her preand being confirmed in her possession of Gascony, Guienne, and several other parts in France recently acquired by conquest.

BRETAGNE, or BRITTANY (Britannia Minor), a peninsula in the north-west of France, formerly a province, and now divided into the departments of Finistère, Côtes-du-Nord, Morbihan, Loire-Inférieure, and Ille-et-Vilaine, is surrounded by the sea on the N., W., and S. W. Though the height of the mountains is nowhere considerable, their structure gives to the peninsula a wild and savage aspect. Clay-slate forms the centre of the country, and masses of granite rise in the north and the south. BRETON DE LOS HERREROS, DON MANUEL, The climate is often foggy, and subject to violent the most popular of modern Spanish poets, was born storms of wind. Large tracts of land lie unculti- 19th December 1800, at Quel, in the province of vated; but in the well-watered valleys, vegetation Logroño; received his earliest education in Madrid; is luxuriant. In ancient times, B., under the and served as a volunteer in the army from 1814 name of Armorica, was the central seat of the to 1822. Subsequently, he held several situations confederated Armorican tribes, who were of Celtic under government, but always lost them on account and Kymric origin. Traces of them still remain of his expression of liberal opinion. As early as in the old Kymric dialect of the three most west- his 17th year, he wrote a comedy, entitled A la erly departments, and in the numerous so-called Vejez Viruelas, which, in 1824, was brought upon Druidical monuments. The name Armorica was the stage with great success. Since then, he has changed for that of B., in consequence of the numer- furnished theatrical managers with more than 150 ous immigrations from Great Britain in the 5th and pieces, partly original, partly adaptations from the 6th centuries. The peculiar, shut-in situation, and older Spanish classics, and partly translations from the characteristics of soil and climate in B., seem the Italian and French, most of which have been to have had a powerful effect on the character of highly popular. In addition to these, B. has pubits people. The Breton has generally a tinge of lished Poesías Sueltas (Madrid, 1831, and Paris, melancholy in his disposition; but often conceals, 1840); several volumes of satirical verse; a long under a dull and indifferent exterior, a lively imagin- humorous poem, called La Desvergüenza, Poema ation and strong feelings. The tenacity with which Jocoserio (Madrid, 1858), &c. All B.'s poems are the Breton clings to the habits and belief of his remarkable for their singularly sweet, yet powerforefathers, is apparent by his retention of the Celtic ful diction, and for the harmony of the versificalanguage almost universally in Basse B., and by his tion. His peculiar sphere is the comic and the quaint costume, which in many districts is that of satirical, in which the Spanish or national qualities the 16th century.' The greater number of the of his genius find their freest expression, and in people are found to be ignorant and coarse in their which also he displays most ease and self-reliance.

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