Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 04.djvu/419

 in the Friends' burial-ground. He had a son of the same name, who emigrated to Pennsylvania. Besse was a convert from the Anglican church, and refused a church living of 400/. a year. He was a vigorous controversialist, and full details of his writings are given by Smith. Besides editing various works of Sewell, Claridge, Henton Brown, Isaac Penington, and Bownas, he wrote the following books and tracts: 1. 'Carmen Spirituale. . . olim a Richardo Claridge Anglice compositum et editum et nunc Latine versum ab J. B.' London, 1728. 2. ' A Cloud of Witnesses proving that the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry hath misrepresented the Quakers ' (signed J. B.), London, 1732. 3. 'A Defence^of Quakerism,' London, 1732. 4. ' Abstract of the Sufferings of the People call'd Quakers,' London, vol. i. 1733, vols. ii. and iii. 1738 (not an abridgment of the ' Sufferings ' mentioned later). 5. 'The Protestant Flail' (an anonymous book on baptism), London, 1735. 6. 'A Brief Account of many of the Prosecutions of the People call'd Quakers for Tithes, Church-rates, &c.' (anon.), London, 1736. 7. 'A Collection of the Sufferings of the People called Quakers, for the Testimony of a Good Conscience, from 1650 to 1689,' London, 1753, 2 vols. folio. 8. ' The Universality of the Love of God to Mankind,' London, 1755. 9. * Some Scriptural Observations on (1) the Spirituality of Gospel-worship ; (2) the Nature of true Christian Prayer ; (3) Our Saviour's Direction concerning Fasting,' London, 1756; and various pamphlets.

His most important work is the ' Sufferings of the Quakers,' a laborious compilation. The cases of persecution &c. are arranged under the several counties, followed by New England, Barbadoes, Nevis, Bermudas, Antigua, Maryland, Jamaica, Europe and Asia, Isle of Malta, Hungaria and Austria, Dantzig, Hamburg, Germany, Ireland and Scotland. The use of the work is further facilitated by copious though somewhat peculiar indexes.

 BEST, CHARLES (fl. 1602), poet, was a contributor to Francis Davison's 'Poetical Rapsodie.' The first edition of that anthology contains two pieces by Best, 'A Sonnet of the Sun' (eighteen lines) and 'A Sonnet of the Moon.' To the third edition (1611) he contributed ' An Epitaph on Henry Fourth, the last French King,' 'An Epitaph on Queen Elizabeth,' 'Union's Jewell,' 'A Panegyrick to my Sovereign Lord the King,' and a few other pieces. Best's name is only known in connection with the 'Poetical Rapsodie.' The 'Sonnet of the Sun' and 'Sonnet of the Moon' are graceful pieces, and make us regret that the author wrote so little.

[Davison's Poetical Rhapsody, ed. N. H. Nicolas, 1826.]  BEST, GEORGE (d. 1584?), navigator, accompanied Martin Frobisher in the three voyages undertaken (in 1576, 1577, and 1578) to discover the North-west Passage and published, on the return from the third voyage in 1578, 'A Trve Discovrse of the late voyages of discouerie, for the finding of a passage to Cathaya, by the Northweast, vnder the conduct of Martin Frobisher, generall : deuided into three Bookes. In the first whereof is shewed his first voyage. Wherein also by the way is sette out a geographicall description of the worlde and what partes thereof haue bin discouered by the Nauigations of the Englishmen. Also there are annexed certayne reasons to prone all partes of the Worlde habitable, with a generall Mappe adioyned. In the second is set out his second voyage, with the aduentures and accidents thereof. In the thirde is declared the strange fortunes which hapned in the third, with a seuerall description of the Countrey and the people there inhabiting. With a particular Card therevnto adioyned of Meta incognita, so farre forth as the secretes of the voyage may permit. At London, Imprinted by Henry Bynnyman, seruant of the Right Honourable Sir Christopher Hatton, Vizchamberlain, Anno Domini 1578,' 4to, black letter. The book, which is of the highest rarity, is dedicated to Sir Christopher Hatton. In the third voyage the fleet consisted of seventeen ships. Best was captain of the Jane Anne. The adventures through which the voyagers passed are described graphically and quaintly. At the time of its publication the narrative attracted much attention. A French translation appeared in the same year, under the title of 'La Navigation du Cap. Martin Frobisher Anglois es regions de west et nordwest en 1'annee 1577. Pour Antoine Chuppen,' 8vo. In 1580 a Latin translation (from the French) of the account of the second voyage was published at Norenberg. Two years later an Italian version appeared at Naples. A second Latin translation (from the French) was issued nearly a century afterwards, in 1675, at Hamburg. Best's narrative was included in the third volume of Hakluyt's 'Voyages,' 1600, and was reprinted in 1867 by the Hakluyt Society. A George Best, servant to Sir Christopher Hatton, was