Biondello (bē-on-del'lō)

A servant to Lu a Binche (bansh). A town in the province of Hainaut, Belgium, 11 miles east-southeast of Mons. Population (1890), 18,104. Binet (be-na'), Satané. The pseudonym of Francis que Sarcey. Bingen (bing'en). A town in the province of Rhine-He e, He e, situated at the junction of the Nahe and Rhine 16 miles west of Mainz. It contains the castle of Klopp. In 1689 it was nearly destroyed by the French. Population (1890), commune, 7,654. pedition round the world 1845-47, in the corvette Galatea, Binger (ban-zhar') Louis Gustave. Born Oct. of which he has given an account in "Beretning om Corvet ten Gala the as Reise omkrung jorden 1845-46 og 47" (1849-51). Bill ick in (bil'i-kin), Mrs. A keeper of lodgings in Charles Dickens's " Mystery of Edwin Drood." Her distinguishing characteristics are "personal faintne and an overpowering personal candor." Billings (bil'ingz), Joseph. [The surname Bil lings is a patronymic genitive of Billing , an AS. name, 'son of Bill, Bill meaning 'sword.'] Lived in the second half of the 18th century. An English navigator in the Ru ian service, engaged in Arctic exploration 1785-91. He was also a companion of Cook on his last voyage. Billings, Josh. The pseudonym of Henry W. Shaw. Billings, William. Born at Boston, Oct. 7, 1746: died at Boston, Sept. 26, 1800. An American composer. He is said to have been the first American musical composer, and to have introduced into New England the spirited style of church music. Published The Singing-Master's A istant (1778), and "The Psalm-Singer's Amusement" (1781). Billingsgate (bil'ingz-gat). [ME. Billingesgate , Bylyngesgate, Belyngsgate, AS. * Billingesgaat (in Latin transcription Billingesgate ), 'Billing's gate.' See Billings .] A gate, wharf, and fish market in London, on the north bank of the Thames, near London Bridge. It was made a free market in 1699. There may have been a water-gate here from the earliest times. The present market, however, was established in 1559, in the reign of Elizabeth. It 14, 1856. A French officer and African explorer. For the French government he connected the French po e ions on the Upper Niger with those at Grand Ba am on the Ivory Coast. He started from Bammakou in 1887; explored Sikaso and Kong, where he found no chain of mountains; and then turned to the north (1888) and reached Baromo and Wagadugu. From here he turned again to the south, and made his over Salaga, Bontuku, and Kong to Grand Ba am (1889). He placed Tieba, Kong, and Bontuku under a French protectorate. In 1892 he re turned to West Africa as French commi ioner for the settlement of the A shanti boundaries with England. Bingham (bing'am), George. Born at Melcombe, Dor sets hire, Nov. 7, 1715: died at Pimperne, Dor sets hire, Oct. 11, 1800. An English divine and antiquarian, rector of Pimperne. Bingham, Joseph. Born at Wake field, England, Sept., 1668: died at Havant, near Portsmouth, England, Aug. 17, 1723. An English divine and writer on church history. His chief work is " Origines Ecclesiast ice" (1708-22), or "Antiqui ties of the Christian Church." Binghamton (bing'am-ton). A city and the county-seat of Broome County, New York, situated at the junction of the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers, in lat. 42° 8' N., long. 75° 57′ W. It is an important railway center. It was settled in 1787. Population (1890), 35,005. Bingley (bing'li). A manufacturing town in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, 5 miles northwest of Bradford. Population (1891), 10,023. was at first a general landing place for merchandise of all Bini (bēnē). See Nupe . kinds. It was burned down in 1715 and rebuilt. In 1852 Binnenhof (bin'nen-hof). Originally, the pal new buildings were erected, and again in 1856. The presace of Count William of Holland, at ders in the fanguage by the fishwives and others neighborhood has made its name a synonym for such speech. Billing ton (bil'ing-ton), Elizabeth. Born at London, probably about 1768: died at Venice, Aug. 25, 1818. A noted English singer, daughter of a German oboist, Carl Weichsel, and wife of her singing-master, James Billing ton. She began her operatic career at Dublin in "Orpheus and Eurydice," and appeared at Covent Garden, Feb. 13, 1786, as Rosetta in "Love in a Village." In 1799 she married M. Feli ent, from whom she soon separated, but with whom she was later (1817) reconciled, and returned to England in 1801. She retired from the stage in 1811. Bill it on (bil-li-ton'), or Blitong (ble-tong'). An island east of Banca and southwest of Borneo, in lat. 3o S., long. 108° E.: a colonial po e ion of Holland since 1814. Area, 1,863 square miles. Population, about 28,000. Billroth (bil'rot), The odor. Born at Bergen Abbazia, Istria, Feb. 6, 1894. A noted German on the island of Rügen, April 26, 1829: died at surgeon. Hague, an irregular agglomeration of buildings, in part medieval, inclosing a court stands the Hall of the Knights, a brick, chapel like gabled structure with turrets, now used as a depository for archives. In the north wing are the quarters of the States-General, with some good Re nai ance chimney-pieces and historical paintings. Binney (bin'i), Amos. Born at Boston, Ma ., Oct. 18, 1803: died at Rome, Feb. 18, 1847. An American naturalist and patron of science. He wrote "Terrestrial and Air-breathing Mollusks" (1851), etc. Binney, Horace. Born at Philadelphia, Jan. 4,1780: died there, Aug. 12, 1875. An eminent American lawyer and legal writer. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1797; was admitted to the Philadelphia bar in 1800; was Whig member of Congre 1833-35; and was a director and defender of the United States Bank. Binney, Thomas. Born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, April, 1798: died at Clapton, England, Feb. 24, 1874. A noted English Congregational divine and controversialist. Biloxi (bi-lok'si). A division of North Ameri- Bintang (bin-tang'). An island of the Dutch ean Indians which probably included, besides East Indies, situated south of Singapore, in lat. the Biloxi proper, the Pas cagoul a (or Pasco- 1o N., long. 104° 20′ E. Area, 455 square miles. boula) and the Moctoby, tribes which were in Binue (bin'we). The largest affluent of the three villages on Biloxi Bay, Mi i ippi, in 1699. Niger River, West Africa. It springs in Adamawa, At the beginning of the 19th century the Biloxi and Pas cagoul a were in Rapides parish, Louisiana. A few of the Biloxi proper still live near Lecompte, Rapides parish, Louisiana. See Siouan . north of Ngaundere, makes a bend to the north, and joins the Niger at Lokoja. It is navigable for 1,000 kilometers, as far as Ribago, but only from May to January. From Yola down it belongs to the Royal Niger Company. It was explored principally by Barth, Baikie, and R. Flegel, Biobio (be-o-bē'ō). A province in central Chile. Capital, Angeles. Area, 4,158 square miles. Population (1891), 125,582. Bilqula (bil-kölä), or Bell a cool a. A Salishan tribe of North American Indians, on the coast of British Columbia. With the Haeltzuk (of the Wakashan stock) they number 2,500. See Salishan . Bilson (bil's on), Thomas. Born at Winchester, Biobio. A river in Chile which flows into the England, 1546: died at Westminster, June 18, Pacific at Concepcion. Length, about 300 1616. An English prelate and author, con semi les. Biondi (bē-on'dē), Sir Giovanni Francesco. Born on the island of Lesina, Gulf of Venice, 1572: died at Lausanne, Switzerland, 1644. An Italian novelist and historian, long resident in England, where he became a gentleman of the king's privy chamber. He published three romances of chivalry, in Italian, which were translated into English as "Eromena, or Love and Revenge" (1631), "Donzella desterrada, or The Banish'd Virgin" (1635), "Coralbo" (1655), a sequel to the preceding. Biot (bē-ō'), Jean Baptiste. Born at Paris, April 21, 1774: died at Paris, Feb. 3, 1862. A celebrated French physicist and chemist, noted especially for his discoveries in optics. His chief works are "E ai de géometrie analytique" (1805), "Traité élémentaire d'astronomie physique" (1805), "Traité de physique expérimentale" (1816), "Traité élémentaire de physique expérimentale" (1818-21), and works on ancient Egyptian, Indian, and Chinese astronomy. Bir (bēr). [Turk. Birejik , Bithra .] A town, the ancient Birtha or Bithra, in the vilayet of Alep po, Asiatic Turkey, situated on the Euphrates in lat. 37° 5' N., long. 38° 3′ E. Population (estimated), 8,000. Birch (bérch), Harvey. The chief character in Cooper's novel "The Spy." Birch, Samuel. Born Nov. 3, 1813: died Dec. 27, 1885. He has published "Gallery of Antiquities" (1842), "Introduction to the Study of Egyptian Hieroglyphs" (1857), "History of Ancient Pottery" (1858), etc. An English archæologist. Birch, Thomas. Born at London, Nov. 23, 1705: died near London, Jan. 9, 1766. An English writer on history and biography. He wrote nearly all the English biographies in the "General Dictionary, Historical and Critical" (1734-41), edited "Thurloe's State Papers" (1742), compiled "Memoirs of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth" (1754), etc. Birch-Pfeiffer (bērch'pfi'fer), Charlotte. Born at Stuttgart, June 23, 1800: died at Berlin, Aug. 25, 1868. A German actre and dramatist. Her chief dramas are "Dorf und Stadt" (1848), "Die Waise von Lowood" (1856), "Die Grille" (1856), etc. Bird, Golding. Born in Norfolk, England, Dec. 9, 1814: died at Tun bridge Wells, Oct. 27, 1854. An English physician and medical writer. He was appointed lecturer on natural philosophy at Guy's Hospital in 1836, and lecturer on materia medic a at the College of Physicians in 1847. His chief work is his "Elements of Natural Philosophy" (1839). Bird, Robert Montgomery. Born at Newcastle, Delaware, 1803: died at Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 22, 1854. An American physician and novelist. He wrote several tragedies, among them "The Gladiator," a favorite with Edwin For rest, and the novels "Calavar" (1834), "The Infidel" (1835), etc. Bird, or Byrd, or Byrde, William. Born about 1538: died at London, July 4, 1623. An Eng lish organist, and composer of madrigals and sacred music. He is said to have composed the well-known canon "Non nob is Domine," but it is not in his works. Birdcage Walk. A walk on the south side of St. James's Park, London. It is so named from the aviaries which were ranged along its side as early as the time of the Stuarts. Bird in a Cage, The. A play by Shirley, printed in 1633. Birds, The. A comedy of Aris toph anes, produced in 414 B. C. It obtained the second prize. It is "profoundly interesting as a piece of brilliant imagination, with le political rancour and le obscenity than most of the author's work, and justly accounted one of the best, if not the best, of his extant plays" ( Mahajy ). Birdlime (bėrd'lim). A disreputable character in Webster's "Westward Ho." It is he who says "Is not old wine wholesomest, old pippins tooth som est, old wood burn brightest, old linen wash whitest?" (ii. 2). Biren. See Biron. Bireno (bē-ra'nō). The husband of the de- serted Olimpia in Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso." Birgitta (bir-git'tä), or Brigitta (bri-git't Saint, of Sweden. Born at Finstad, in Upland, Sweden, 1302 (1303): died at Rome, July 23, 1373. A Swedish nun. She was related to the royal family of Sweden. On the death of her husband, Ulf Gudmarson, in 1344, she decided to found an order, and obtained the papal confirmation of the proposed rule (regula Sancti Sal vat or is) from Urban V. in 1367, the order being established in 1370. She was the author of "Revel at i ones," claiming divine inspiration, which were denounced by Gerson, but which were confirmed by the Council of Basel. She was canonized, Oct. 7, 1391, by Boniface I., and her day falls on Feb. 1. Birh (her). A district in the Nizam's dominions, British India. Area, 4,460 square miles. Population (1891), 642,722. Carniola, northeast of Trieste, near the river Frigid us, the scene of the victory of Theodo- sius in 394. It contains the Roman station Ad Pirum, on the main road acro the Alps into Italy. Birney (ber'ni), David Bell. Born at Hunts- ville, Ala., May 29, 1825: died at Philadelphia, Labour's Lost." He is gay and eloquent, and holds nothing sacred.-2. (bi'ron). The hus- band of Isabella in South erne's play "The Fatal Marriage." He is supposed to be killed in battle, but returns after seven years to find his wife married to an- other through the machinations of his younger brother Carlos. He is killed in a fray instigated by Carlos. See Isabella . Biron (bē-rôn'), Armand de Gontaut, Baron (later Duc) de. Born 1524: killed at Éper- nay, France, July 26, 1592. A marshal of France. He fought in the Catholic army in the battles of Dreux, St. Denis, and Mon contour, became grand mas- ter of artillery in 1569, negotiated the peace of St. Ger- first to recognize Henry IV., contributed to the vic to- ries of Arques and Ivry, and was killed at the siege of Epernay. Biron, Armand Louis de Gontaut, Duc de Lauzun, later Duc de. Born at Paris, April 15, 1747: died there, Dec. 31, 1793. A French general and politician. He reduced the British col- onies of Senegal and Gambia, in Africa, in 1779; joined Lafayette in America in 1780; commanded an unsucce - ful expedition to capture New York from the British in 1781; became general-in-chief of the army of the Rhine in 1792, and of the army of the coast at La Rochelle in 1793; and, in spite of his capture of Saumur and his de- feat of the Vendeans, was executed by order of the revolu- tionary tribunal of Fouquier-Tinville, whose displeasure he had incurred. Biron, Charles de Gontaut, Duc de. Born 1562: died at Paris, July 31, 1602. An admiral and marshal of France, son of Armand de Gontaut. He was the friend and a trusted officer of Henry IV., by whom he was made admiral of France in 1592, marshal in 1594, governor of Burgundy in 1595, and Savoy and Spain to dismember France. duke and peer in 1598. He was executed for plotting with Bishop Blougram's Apology. A poem by Robert Browning. He is said to have intended Bishop Blougram for Cardinal Wiseman, but the description is to the last degree untrue. Bishop-Auckland (bish'up-ak'land). A town in Durham, northern England, 10 miles south- west of Durham. It contains palace of the Biron, Conspiracy and Tragedy of Charles, Duke of. Two plays by Chapman which may Bishop of upon th be regarded as a single play. in 1605, printed in 1608, and reprinted in 1625 during Chapman's lifetime, with revisions. Biron, Ernst Johann von. See Courland, Duke of . Birs Nimrud (bērs nem-röd'). [Ar., 'Nimrod's tower.] A mound of ruins on the site of Bor- sippa, northeast of the city of Babylon, where stood the celebrated temple of Nebo Ezida (de- scribed in Hero dot us I. 178 as that of Bei). To this temple, constructed in the shape of a pyramid of seven stages, it is supposed the narrative of the tower of Babel in Gen. xi. attached itself. See Borsippa . Birstall (ber's tal). A manufacturing town in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, 7 miles southwest of Leeds. Population (1891), 6,528. Birth of Merlin, The, or The Child has lost a Father. A tragicomedy published in 1662 as by Shakspere and Rowley. It is clearly a re- fashioning by Rowley of an old play. The present title is Rowley's. The original author is unknown. Biru (bē-rö'). An Indian chief who, in the early part of the 16th century, ruled a small region in the extreme northwest corner of South America, adjacent to the isthmus of Darien. The Spanish called this region the province of Biru, and extended the appellation to a rich region farther south, of which they had vague reports; hence, of Biru was ravaged by Gaspar Novalis in 1515, and traversed by And a goy a in 1522. Bisa (bē'sä), or Wa-Bisa (wä-bē'sä). A Bantu tribe of British Zambesia, Africa, between the Zambesi and Lake Bangweolo. They are great traders. It was in the northern part of their territory that Living stone died. Their language seems to be re- lated to Lunda and Yao. Bisbal, Count. See O'Donnell. Biscay (bis'kā). [Sp. Biscaya , now Vizcaya .] One of the Basque Provinces in Spain, bordering on the Bay of Biscay. Capital, Bilbao. Area, 849 square miles. Population (1887), 235,659. Biscay, Bay of. [F. Golfe de Gascogne . An arm of the Atlantic west of France and north of Spain: the Roman Sinus Aquitanicus, Sinus Cantabricus, Can taber Ocean us, etc. Its limits are the island of Ushant and Cape Ortegal. It is noted for its storms. The chief tributaries are the Loire and Garonne. Biscay Provinces. The provinces of Biscay, Alava, and Guipuzcoa in Spain. Oct. 18, 1864. An American brigadier-general, Bisceglie (be-shel'ye). A seaport in the prov- son of James Gillespie Birney. He served with distinction in the Army of the Potomac 1862-64, especially ince of Bari, Italy, 22 miles northwest of Bari. Wörd, near Nuremberg, Bavaria, Jan. 18, 1792: died at Bonn, Pru ia, Nov. 30, 1870. A Ger- man chemist and geologist, profe or of chem- Bischoff, The odor Ludwig Wilhelm. Born at Hannover, Germany, Oct. 28, 1807: died at Munich, Dec. 5, 1882. A German anatomist and physiologist, profe or of physiology and anatomy at Heidelberg. Pejebscot , a name of the Andro scog gin River. Bishops gate (bish'ups-gat). The principal en- trance through the northern wall of old London. The only entrance in the northern wall in Roman times was near this point. Near here Ermyn street and the Vicinal way entered the city. Bishops gate street is the street which goes over the site of the old gate, and is di- vided into "Bishops gate within" and "Bishops gate with- Bi agos rica, inhabiting the islands of the same name. The principal town is Bolama, where the Portuguese steamers call. Bi agos. A group of islands west of Sene gambia, Africa, in lat. 11°-12° N., long. 16° W. All the islands belong to Portuguese Guinea. Bi en (bis's en), Herman Wilhelm. Born near Schleswig, Oct. 13, 1798: died at Copenhagen, March 10, 1868. A Danish sculptor, director of the academy at Copenhagen after 1850. His chief works are at Copenhagen. Bistritz (bis'trits), Hung. Besztercze (bes'terts a). A town in Transylvania, situated on the Bistritz in lat. 47° 10' N., long. 24° 28′ E. It was formerly an important place. Population (1890), 9,109. Bisutun. See Behistun . Bit Humri (bēt höm'ri). ['The house of Omri.'] The name of the country of Israel in the A yrian inscriptions: after Omri, the founder of the 4th dynasty in the kingdom of Israel. It was the A yrian fashion to name countries after the founders of their reigning houses. Bithynia (bi-thin'i-ä). [Gr. Βιθυνία .] In ancient geography, a division of Asia Minor, lying between the Pro pont is, Bosporus, and Euxine on the north, Mysia on the west, Phrygia and Galatia on the south, and Paphlagonia on the east. Its inhabitants were of Thracian origin. Nicomedes I. became its first independent king about 278 B. c.; and Nicomedes III. bequeathed the kingdom to Rome 74 в. с. It was governed by Pliny the Younger. It contained the cities of Chalcedon, Heraclea, Prusa, Nicea, and Nicomedia. Biton (bi'ton) and Cleobis (klē'ō-bis). [Gr. Βίτων and Κλέοβις.] In Greek legend, sons of Cydippe, prieste of Hera at Argos. During a festival the prieste had to ride to the temple in a chariot, and as the oxen were not at hand, Biton and Cleobis dragged the chariot with their mother forty-five stadia to the temple, in which they fell asleep, and, answer to a prayer of their mother to Hera to reward this act of filial piety with the greatest boon for mortals, never awoke. Hero dot us makes Solon relate this story to Crœsus. Bit on to (be-ton'tō). A city in the province of Bari, Apulia, Italy, situated 11 miles west of Bari: the Roman Bituntum (whence the name). Here, May 25, 1734, the Spaniards under Monte mar defeated the Austrians, thereby gaining the kingdom of Naples. The cathedral is a medieval church with Sara cenic elements, remaining almost untampered with. It has three apses, in the nave alternate coupled and clustered columns, handsome ambones, and a well-proportioned and richly ornamented The crypt act eristic Southern type. Population (1881), commune, 26,207. Bitsch (bich), formerly Kaltenhausen (käl'ten-hou-zen). [G. Bitsch , [G. Bitsch , F. Bitche .] A town in Lorraine, Alsace-Lorraine, situated on the northern slope of the Vosges, in lat. 49° 4′ N., long. 7° 26′ E. It is a noted fortre , supposed to be impregnable. It was besieged by the Germans in 1870, and surrendered after the peace. Population (1890), 2,764. Bitterfeld (bit'er-feld). A manufacturing town in the province of Saxony, Pru ia, situated on the Mulde 20 miles north of Leipsie. Population (1890), commune, 9,047. Bit Yakin (bēt yä-ken'). ['House of Yakin.'] A principality in the extreme south of Babylonia, on the sea-coast, named for its ruling family, from which Merodach-baladan, king of Babylonia (722-702 в. с.), descended. The last king of this powerful family was subdued by As urban i pal, king of As syria 668-626 в. с. Bitzer (bit'zèr). A school-boy under Mr. M'Choakum brought up on the Grad grind system, in Charles Dickens's story "Hard Times": afterward a porter in Bounder by's bank, with a heart "acce ible to reason and nothing else." He is a spy. Bitzius (bet'sē-ös), Albert: pseudonym Jeremias Gotthelf. Born at Morat, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Oct. 4, 1797: died at Lützelflüh, in Bern, Switzerland, Oct. 22, 1854. A Swi pastor and author, noted chiefly for his moralizing novels illustrating the home life of the Bernese peasantry. Bivar, Rodrigo de. See Cid . Bizerta, or Biserta (be-zer'tä), or Benzert, A seaport in northern Tunis, in lat. 37° 17′ N., long. 9° 53′ E., on the site of the ancient Hippo Zaritus. Bizet (bi-zā'), Alexandre César Léopold (called Georges). Born at Bougival, near Paris, Oet. 25, 1838: died at Paris, June 3, 1875. A French composer, author of "Carmen" (1875), ete.