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LEFT BENSON 488 BENTLEY lain in Ordinary to the Queen, and, in December, 1876, was nominated to the neW'ly erected Bishopric of Truro. Here he began the building of a cathedral (1880-1887), most of the first cost, £110,- 000, having been gathered by his own energy. In 1882 he was ti'anslated to Canterbury to succeed Dr. Tait as Pri- mate of all England. He published sev- eral volumes of sermons, a small work on "Cathedrals," and a valuable article on "St. Cyprian." He died at Hawarden, Oct. 11, 1896. BENSON, FRANK WESTON, an American painter, born in Salem, Mass., March 24, 1862; was educated at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and in Paris; became a member of the Society of American Artists in 1888, and of the National Acedemy. He won the Hall- garten and the Clarke prizes at the National Academy of Design in 1889 and 1891, and is best knoAvn for his portraits. BENSON, ROBERT HUGH, an Eng- lish prelate and writer, born in 1871, brother of A. C. and E. F. Benson. He was educated at Trinity College. He be- came associated with Dean Vaughan and other Roman Catholic clerics, and in 1903 was received in the Roman Catholic church. He was ordained priest in the following year. In 1911 he was appointed private chamberlain to Pope Pius X. He wrote much on religious subjects and published several novels. The best known of the latter are "The Coward"; "Come Rack! Come Rope!"; "An Average Man" (1913). He died in 1914. BENSON, WILLIAM SHEPHERD, an American naval officer, born in Macon, Ga., Sent. 25, 1855. He graduated at the Annapolis Naval Academy in 1877. He rose through various grades of the serv- ice until he became captain in 1909. He was made rear-admiral. May 11, 1915. In 1916 he became admiral and in 1917 was made President of the Navy General Board. In this capacity he co-operated closely with Secretary Daniels before and during the World War. In 1920 he be- came prominent as one of the principals in a sensational episode. Vice-Admiral Sims, who had been in command of the American fleet in Atlantic waters abroad during the war, testified before a naval inquiry committee in Washington that prior to his departure to take command he had been warned by a high navy offi- cial : "Don't let the British pull the wool over your eyes. We would as leave fight them as the Germans." The disclosure made a painful impression, both in America and abroad. It was felt certain that the high official mentioned must be either Secretary Daniels or Admiral Ben- son, the only two who were qualified by rank to give orders to Sims. Secretary Daniels came out promptly in a sweeping denial that he had ever used such lan- guage or given such instructions. Sims later stated that Benson was the official that he referred to, and the latter him- self, although denying all recollection of having used such words, admitted that he had cautioned Sims against letting himself be too much swayed by British influences. BENTHAM, JEREMY, an English jurist, born in London, Feb. 15, 1748; educated at Westminster and Oxford; entered Lincoln's Inn, in 1763. He was called to the bar, but did not practice, and, having private means, devoted him- self to the reform of civil and criminal legislation. A criticism on a passage in Blackstone's "Commentaries," published under the title, "A Fragment on Govern- ment" (1776), brought him into notice. His most important works are: "The Hard Labor Bill" (1778) ; "Principles of Morals and Legislation" (1780) ; "A De- fense of Usury" (1787) ; "Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation" (1789); "Discourses on Civil and Penal Legislation" (1802) ; "Treatise on Judi- cial Evidence" (1813) ; "Paper Relative to Codification and Public Instruction" (1817); and the "Book of Fallacies" (1824). His mind, though at once subtle and comprehensive, was characterized by something lacking in method and sense of proportion; and he is therefore seen at his best in works revised by his dis- ciples. In England, James Mill, Romilly, John Stuart Mill, Burton, and others of independent genius, have been among his exponents. In ethics he must be regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism; in polity and criminal law he anticipated or suggested many practical reforms; and his whole influence was stimulating and humanizing. He died in London, June 6, 1832, leaving his body for dissec- tion. BENTLEY, RICHARD, an English critic, born in Oulton, Yorkshire, Jan. 27, 1662. He is pronounced by some authori- ties the best classical scholar England has produced. His writings are "Latin Epistle to John Mill, Containing Critical Observations on the Chronicle of Joannes Malala" (1691) ; the very celebrated "Dissertation on the Epistles of Pha- laris" (1697); and editions of Horace and Terence, besides commentaries on the classics, all of great value. He died in July, 1742.