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BER  on all hands to be the best extant account of the important subject to which it refers, and which has been reprinted in Bogue's Standard Library, with a preface by Hazlitt himself. In 1814 Mr. Berington settled as pastor of the Roman catholic congregation at Buckland, near Farringdon, Berkshire, where he died in 1827.—E. W.  * BERIOT,, a violinist, was born at Louvain, Feb. 20, 1802. He was of a noble and opulent family, and it was as an indulgence of his fondness for music that he was placed under the instruction of Robrex, a distinguished pupil of Viotti. His next master was Tiby, professor of music in the college of his native town. His early progress was so rapid, that at eight years old he played a concerto of Viotti at a public concert. In 1821 he went to Paris, where he at once sought the acquaintance of Viotti, then leader of the Italian opera, who warmly commended his already well-developed talent. Eager for improvement, he entered the conservatoire, to be placed in the class of Baillot. He received also some few lessons of Lafont, but, having already established a style of his own, he found the tuition of both these artists tend rather to embarrass his independence than increase his resources; and he accordingly remained but for a short time under either of them. His appearance as a solo player at Paris immediately secured him a foremost rank in general esteem, and the publication of his "Airs Variés" served greatly to extend his popularity. About the year 1826 he first visited London, where the charm of his exquisite finish and graceful manner gained him a brilliant success. On revisiting his native country, he was appointed solo violinist to the king, with a pension of 2000 florins, which was continued until the revolution in the Netherlands of 1830 overturned the monarchy. It was about this time that he became united to Madame Malibran, between whom and himself there had long existed the warmest attachment; but their legal marriage could not take place until the death of M. Malibran, in 1836, released his wife from his unfortunate claims upon her. With this renowned and gifted songstress he passed through Italy, eliciting admiration wherever he displayed his talent; and in Naples, especially, he was eminently successful. He was the only violinist of the day who suffered nothing from a comparison with Paganini, but was as cordially welcomed wherever he reappeared, as he had been before this extraordinary meteor shone upon the artistic world, which was because his speciality always distinguished him. He was at the Manchester festival with his wife at the time of her sudden death in October, 1836, and was so violently shocked at this calamity, that he fled precipitately from the place, unable to discharge the last offices of affection to her remains. For a year he abandoned himself entirely to grief for her loss, after which it was with extreme difficulty that he was persuaded to resume the exercise of his art. He accompanied his wife's sister, Madame Viardot, in an extensive musical tour, which included a sojourn in Russia. He purposed a visit to England in 1851, but was diverted from the fulfilment of this intention. He has since then lived in retirement with his son, near Brussels, and his sight, which had been for some time failing, has for the last few years entirely left him. His compositions are an index of his style as an executant; his original airs are remarkable for elegance; his Concerto in D minor—a first movement only—is a string of novel and effective bravura passages; and his Concerto Russe possesses more decided character, and consequently musical interest, than anything he has produced.—G. A. M.  BERKELAER,, a Dutch lexicographer, born at Bois-le-Duc; lived in the second part of the sixteenth century. Author of "Dictionarium Germanico-Latinum," Antwerp, 1556.  BERKELEY—this family was possessed of great wealth and power in the west of England in the feudal times, and held the castle of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, as tenants in chief under the crown. Its most celebrated members are the following:—

, owner of Berkeley castle under Richard I. and John. He espoused the cause of the barons against the crown, and thus fell under the displeasure of King John, but was restored to the royal favour. Falling, however, from his allegiance, his estates and lands were seized by the king, and their profits assigned to the maintenance of the royal castle of Bristol. He died in 1219.

, nephew of Robert de Berkeley, and lord of Berkeley castle, had military summonses to march against the Welsh under Henry III. Having distinguished himself in Wales, he subsequently was commanded to attend the king in person at Westminster, with horses and arms, to take part against the barons who were in open hostility. He appears, however, to have adopted an opposite course, and to have joined the insurrectionist lords, for which his lands were seized, and forfeited to the crown. He died in 1281.

, son of Maurice de Berkeley, lord of Berkeley, served under Edward in the Welsh wars, and afterwards assisted the king in his invasion of Scotland, and took part in the battle of Falkirk.

, son and successor of the preceding, was successively governor of the castles of Gloucester and Berwick-on-Tweed, and justice of South Wales; but joining the standard of Thomas Plantagenet, earl of Lancaster, he was committed a prisoner to Wallingford castle, where he died in 1321.

, son of the preceding, was the lord of Berkeley castle when the unfortunate Edward II. was committed a prisoner there, and afterwards barbarously murdered. (See II.) Owing to his humane refusal to take part in the deed, he was forced to give up his castle to the Lord Maltravers. He was subsequently arraigned as a coadjutor in the bloody act, but was honourably acquitted. He died in 1361.

, fourth earl of, born in 1715, eldest son of the third earl, was a distinguished officer in the army, in which he rose to the rank of general. He obtained the command of one of the regiments embodied to march against the Scottish rebels in 1745. He died in 1755.

, G.C.B., second son of the fourth earl of Berkeley, was born in 1753. He entered the navy at an early age, and served under Admirals Keppel and Barrington. While captain of H.M.S. Marlborough, 74, he captured two French ships in the action of June 1, 1794. He was subsequently commander-in-chief on the Halifax station, and sometime lord high admiral of Portugal. He represented the county of Gloucester in parliament from 1781 to 1812, and supported Mr. Pitt. He died in London in 1818.  , K.C.B., son of the preceding, was born in 1785. He entered the army as cornet in the horse guards in 1802, served in Sicily and Egypt, and throughout the Peninsular campaigns, and at Waterloo. He was appointed surveyor-general of the ordnance in 1852, and represented Devonport from that date till April, 1857. He died at Richmond, Surrey, in the following September, aged 72.—E. W.  BERKELEY,, D.D., bishop of Cloyne, one of the most distinguished philosophers and scholars of his age, was born at Pelerin, near Thomastown in the county of Kilkenny, Ireland, on the 12th of March, 1684. He received the principal part of his education at the college of Kilkenny, and in his fifteenth year he entered Trinity college, Dublin, of which he became a fellow in 1707. The same year he published his first work, "An Attempt to Demonstrate Arithmetic without the aid of Algebra or Geometry." Whatever question there may be with regard to the value of this treatise, it unquestionably exhibits great mathematical knowledge, subtlety of mind in investigation, and that tendency for adopting novel and eccentric views, unswayed by the settled opinions of others, which was so distinguishing a characteristic of his life. In the year 1709 he published his work on "The Theory of Vision," a treatise of great ability, being the first attempt made to distinguish perceptions solely visual from those in which the sight is aided by other senses. This was followed the next year by two treatises on "The Principles of Human Knowledge," which gave full expression to his peculiar philosophical views, which are since known as the Berkleian philosophy. It would be impossible in a short space to give an adequate statement of these principles. They may be briefly, though imperfectly described, as a denial of the reality of matter according to the commonly-received notion, and that sensible objects are nothing more than impressions made internally upon the mind, according to certain rules which are termed laws of nature. These doctrines at once attracted attention and opposition amongst philosophers and metaphysicians, among whom were Whiston and Dr. Clarke. It must be confessed, however, that this opposition was shown more by denial of the theory, than by refutation of it. Upon one occasion a conference took place between Berkeley and Clarke for the purpose of discussing these speculative points; but the parties separated without coming to any agreement, and Berkeley complained of the want of candour 