Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/399

BAM practised upon him, that he was at last, by command of the king, dismissed from his place about the duke, and thereupon he returned to England; but it seems he was never called in question for the part he took in the escape of the duke. From that period Bamfield appears to have been without any employment, though he sought it from the new government, who, like the royalist party, were unwilling to trust him. Upon the Restoration he was still neglected, and retired to Holland, where he lived to an advanced age, and published his "Apology."—J. F. W.  BAMFYLDE or BAMFEEDE, C., an English landscape painter, flourishing about 1770. Several of his works were engraved by Benaeech and Hassel.  BAMFYLDE,, an English divine, author of a singular work, entitled "All in One, all Useful Sciences and Profitable Arts in One Book of Jehovah Aelohim," &c., was born of a good family in Devonshire, and was successively prebendary in the church of Exeter and minister of Sherburne. He was removed from the latter cure in 1662, by the operation of the act of uniformity, but continued his ministerial labours at Sherburne, and afterwards in London, where he died in 1684. The last ten years of his life were spent in prison.—J. S., G.  BANCEL,, a French theologian, born at Valence in Dauphiné, was professor of theology, and deacon of the faculty of Avignon. He edited several of the works of Thomas Aquinas.  BANCHIERI,, a musician, was born at Bologna about 1567, and died in 1634. He was a monk, and rose to be titulary abbot of his order. He held an office as organist, being much esteemed for his playing. He wrote very extensively both secular and sacred music; the greater part of his masses, motets, madrigals, and lighter pieces, are for three voices; but he produced also several works for a larger choir, besides some with organ accompaniment, and some for instruments only. There are likewise many didactic works by this author, on the canto fermo, on the canto figurato, on the twelve modes, on the organ, on the musical uses of his monastery, and on the general principles of music; one of these, the "Moderna Pratica Musicale," published at Venice in 1613, is one of the earliest books in which the unsatisfactory and obsolete practice is employed of figuring the basses to denote the harmony. He was, further, the author of some comedies, which he published under the name of "Camillo Scaligeri della fratta." M. Fetis gives a list of his printed works.—G. A. M.  BANCHIN, an Augustine monk of the fourteenth century. He was present at the council held in London in 1332 to condemn the doctrines of Wickliffe, and wrote a work against the reformer, entitled "Contra Positiones Wickleffi."  BANCK or BANK,, a Dutch painter, established in England during the seventeenth century; excelled in his portraits, many of which were engraved by Faber and others. He has been often mistaken for Pieter van der Bank.—R. M.  BANCK or BANK,, a Flemish engraver, born in Paris 1649; died in London in 1697. <section end="399H" /> <section begin="399I" />BANCO,, or , an Italian sculptor and architect of the Donatello school, was born at Sienna in 1374; died 1421. He worked for the Florentine cathedral. As a sculptor, his statue of St. Philip at Florence is considered his masterpiece.—R. M. <section end="399I" /> <section begin="399J" />BANCROFT,, father of the more celebrated George Bancroft, was born at Reading, Massachusetts, in 1755. For sixty years he laboured as a clergyman, first in Nova Scotia, and laterly in Worcester. His best-known work is a "Life of George Washington;" but he published at various times numerous addresses and sermons. Of his "Sermons on the Doctrines of the Gospel," John Adams says that he "never read a volume of sermons better adapted to the age or country in which it was written." Bancroft died in 1840.—J. B. <section end="399J" /> <section begin="399K" />BANCROFT,, an English physician of the latter part of the eighteenth century. He lived long in America, where he was intimate with Franklin and Priestley; and earlier in life visited British Guiana, an essay on the natural history of which colony he published in London in 1769. He also published an "Essay on the Yellow Fever, with observations concerning Febrile Contagion;" and "Experimental researches concerning the theory of Permanent Colours," the latter in 1794; and communicated to the Royal Society a memoir on the Woorara poison, which the Indians of Guiana apply to their arrows. The works of Bancroft contain many good observations, and are still of value.—W. S. D. <section end="399K" /> <section begin="399L" />* BANCROFT,, an American diplomatist, is a native of Massachusetts, where he was born in 1800. His father, who was a divine and an author of some little celebrity, sent his son to Harvard college, where he completed his education, and then travelled to Europe to improve his mental stores and his knowledge of men and things. He spent four years in visiting England, Germany, France, and Italy. On returning to his native country, he became Greek professor in his own college. Whilst holding this post, he found time to contribute largely to American literature, and was one of the first to unfold to his countrymen the depth and value of German thought and intellect. In 1823 he published a volume of poems, and in the following year a translation of one of the historical treatises of Heeren. Having attached himself to the democratic party, he publicly declared himself, in 1826, a supporter of the doctrine of universal suffrage; and it was not long before he attained to political advancement. In 1834 he published the first volume of his "History of the United States," which at once stamped him as a historian of original and philosophical views. The second and third volumes were subsequently issued, and confirmed the judgment of his countrymen. In 1838 he was appointed to the collectorship of the port of Boston, and united in his person, for three years, the man of business and the man of letters. In 1844 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the governorship of his native county of Massachusetts; but in the following year, was appointed by President Polk to the administration of the naval department, into which he introduced several important reforms. From 1846 down to 1849 he resided in London as minister-plenipotentiary from the United States. In this country his high personal, political, and literary character made him widely popular. Returning to New York, he resumed his literary labours, and published the fourth volume of his "American History" in 1852. It is understood that he is a frequent contributor to the North American Review; his writings have been translated into several continental languages.—E. W. <section end="399L" /> <section begin="399M" />BANCROFT,, nephew of Richard Bancroft, entered Christ church in 1592, and in 1632 was consecrated bishop of Oxford. Died in 1640. This prelate built the original palace at Cuddesden, where his successors still reside. His character does not rank high, especially among puritan writers. <section end="399M" /> <section begin="399N" />BANCROFT,, archbishop of Canterbury, was born at Farnworth in Lancashire, September, 1544. Having completed his studies at Cambridge, he became chaplain to Cox, bishop of Ely, who gave him in 1575 the rectory of Feversham. The following year he was licensed as one of the university preachers, and in 1584 he was admitted to the rectory of St. Andrew, Holborn. Promotions flowed fast upon him—in 1589 a prebend of St. Paul's, in 1592 a prebend of Westminster, in 1594 a stall at Canterbury, in 1597 bishop of London, in 1604 archbishop of Canterbury, in 1605 a privy councillor, and in 1608 chancellor of the university of Oxford. These successive elevations in so brief a period, and in those times, show that Bancroft was both an ambitious churchman and a very successful courtier. He was engaged to some extent in politics, under Elizabeth, and his violent antipuritan sentiments must have commended him to his royal and lordly patrons. He took a part in the famous dispute at Hampton court, between the episcopal and presbyterian clergy. To the proposal of Reynolds, that there should be a new translation of the bible, Bancroft was hostile, remarking, that "if every man's humour should be followed, there would be no end of translating." But when the project was started, he gave it all the encouragement and assistance in his power. His famous sermon against the puritans is a pungent and ingenious tirade. He was a prelate of great ability, quick, vigilant, and high-minded—a clever polemic within a narrow range, a statesman of no mean order, a resolute champion of the Church of England, and an unsparing foe to nonconformity. His persecuting measures were very opposite to the sage counsels of Burleigh and Bacon. Not only did he deprive many puritan clergy, but he deepened the quarrel by asserting the divine right of episcopacy. "His system," says Hallam, "was such as low-born and little-minded men, raised to power by fortune's caprice, are ever found to pursue." Bancroft died 2nd November, 1610, and his body, according to his instructions, was buried in the chancel of Lambeth church. He bequeathed his library to his archiepiscopal successors.—J. E. <section end="399N" /> <section begin="399Zcontin" />BANDARRA,, a Portuguese poet, who, towards the middle of the sixteenth century, although a poor cobbler, <section end="399Zcontin" />