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 BELLECIUS

414

BELLEVILLE

various companies in the proceedings to which the opening up of the new hues gave rise. In 1844 he received the coif of Serjeant-at-Law, a dignity now aboHshed, and amongst other causes cetihres took part in the famous libel action, AchilU v. New- man, in 1852, and in the htigation connected with the title and estates of the last Catholic Earl of Shrewsbury. In this, as in aU his legal work, Bellasis set an example of great disinterestedness. He retired from the profession in 1867, leaving behind him the reputation of an excellent lawyer and a carefvd and finished speaker.

Although brought up amid rather evangelical surroundings, Serjeant Bellasis had followed ^^^th great interest the developments of the Oxford movement. His Catholic tendencies were stim- ulated partly by the narrowness of anti-Roman prejudice which he recognized in the attitude of his fellow-religionists, and partly by his intercourse with Catholics whom he met on his travels abroad. His approach towards the Church was slow and characteristically prudent, but the friendships he formed with many advanced Anglicans like Oakley, W. G. Ward, and J. B. Morris, who before long passed over to the Roman side, could not fail to produce an effect. Eventually he was received into the Church by Father Brownbill, S.J., 27 De- cember, 1850. His wife and children followed soon after. From that time until his death Ser- jeant Bellasis was amongst the most devoted and edifying of Catholic laymen. His interest in all Catholic projects was keen, his social and intellect- ual position was such as commanded respect, and his charity was inexhaustible. From the founding of the new school of the Oratorians under the di- rection of Dr. Newman, at Edgbaston, to the pro- viding of scientific apparatus for the Observatory at Stonyhurst; from the collection of relics for churches to the encouragement of the Nazareth House Sisters who tended the aged poor, the Serjeant was foremost in every good work. His personal holiness, fostered by constant private retreats, and his kindliness towards all won him universal re- spect and lent additional effectiveness to the con- ciliatory pamphlets which he occasionally published in explanation of Catholic truth. His first wife had died as early as 1832. By his second marriage, in 1835, with Miss Eliza Garnett. he left ten chil- dren, of whom two sons, the eldest and the youngest, are priests, and three daughters became nuns. In nothing is the beauty of the Serjeant's character more plainly seen than in those fragments of his intercourse with his children which have been re- produced by his biographer. After his death on the 24th of January, 1873, Cardinal Newman wrote: "He was one of the best men I ever knew". Newman's "Grammar of Assent'', published in 1870, bears a dedication to Bellasis. Of the Ser- jeant's own publications the best remembered is a volume of short dialogues collected under the title "Philotheus and Eugenia".

Bellasis, Memorial of Mr. Serjeant Bellasis (2ded.. London. 1895), a charming biography written by his son, Mr. Edward Bellasis, Lancaster Herald, and partly based on some auto- biographical notes. It includes two excellent portraits. Diet, of Nat. Biog., IV, 180; Gillow. Bibl. Diet, of Eng. Cath.. I.

Herbert Thurston. Bellecius, Aloysius, Jesuit ascetic author, b. at Freiburg im Breisgau, 15 February, 1704; d. at Augsburg, 27 April, 1757. He taught philosophy one year and theology seven, and spent four years as a missionary in Soutli America among the Indians Uving along the Amazon. Recalled to Europe, he was charged with the spiritual care of his religious brethren and later with the direction of the seminary of Porrentruy in the Diocese of Basle. He is the author of a number of ascetic works in Latin, most of which have been translated into different languages

and often reprinted. The most noteworthy of these are: "Christianus pie moriens" (1749); " Virtutis Solidse prsecipua impedimenta, subsidia, et incita- menta" (17.55); "Medulla Asceseos seu Exercitia S. P. Ignatii" (1757); "Triduum Sacrum prsecipue ReUgiosorum usui accomodatum" (1757). English translations of the last three have been made and are still in print. The first, entitled "Solid Virtue' is translated from the French (London, 1887); tha second appeared under the title "Spiritual Exercises according to the method of St. Ignatius", translated from the Italian version of Father Bresciani, S. J., by William Hutch, D.D. (London, 1876). In this translation Father Bresciani slightly modified some of the opinions of Bellecius which he considered to& rigid. The third translation was made by Father John Holzer, S. J., and was published in New York in 1882. It is entitled "Sohd Virtue: A Triduum and Spiritual Conferences". The Triduum is an. abridgment of Bellecius's larger work on "SoUd Virtue" — an abridgment made by himself. The three Spiritual Conferences show practically in what solid virtue consists.

Bibliotheque de la compagnie de Jesus, I, 1260; Watrigant in Diet, de thiol, cath., II, 599.

S. H. Frisbee.

Bellenden (Ballenden, or Ballantyne), John, a Scotch poet, b. at Haddington or Berwick in the latter part of the fifteenth century; d. at Rome, c. 1587. He was a Catholic and at an early age ma- triculated at the L'niversity of St. Andrews. Later he went to Paris, where he took the degree of Doctor of Divinity at the Sorbonne. Returning to Scotland, he brought with him from Paris the great work by Hector Boece, the "Historia Scotorum ", and was received with great favour at the court of James V. He was subsequently appointed by the king to under- take the work of translating the "Historia" into the Scotch vernacular, which, together with some poems that he wTote at this period, occupied him about three years. He was also commissioned by the king to translate Livy into English, a work which hitherto had not been attempted. Bellenden was appointed Archdeacon of Moray, and in the succeeding reign he was \agorous in his opposition to Protestantism. This opposition subsequently led to his flight tck escape persecution. He is supposed to be identical with one of the same name who was at one time secretary to Archibald, Earl of Angus. Diet. Nat. Biog., IV, 186.

Thomas Gaffney Taaffe.

Belleville, Diocese of, comprises that part of southern Illinois, U. S. A., which lies south of the northern limits of St. Clair, Chnton, Marion, Clay. Richland, and LawTence counties, an area o£ 11,678 square miles. This territory was formerly a part of the Diocese of Alton, but upon the de- mise of Bishop Baltes, of that see, a new diocese was erected, 7 January, 1887, with the episcopal see at Belle\-ille, St. Clair Co. The Rev. John Janssen, who had held the office of vicar-general successively under Bishop Juncker and Bishop Baltes of Alton, was appointed first bishop of the newly erected diocese on 28 February, 1888, and consecrated on 25 April, 1888. The standing of the new diocese at that time is showTi by the fol- lowing statistics: secular priests fifty-si.x; regular four; churches with resident priests fifty-three; missions with churches twenty-nine; academies three;, parochial schools fifty-three; children attending 5,395; orphan asylum 1; orphans 30; hospitals 3. The Catholic population was about 50,000 and remained almost stationary for a number of years. The mining industries in the southern part of the diocese are fast developing, so that, with immigra- tion, the population has increased to 56,200, with