Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/563

BER of Matter, known to us, except what Locke calls secondary qualities; in other words, that we know nothing and can know nothing of matter in itself; that reality belongs only to sensations produced (somehow) in the understanding; in one word, that we can know nothing save the phenomena of Mind—representations, or ideas. It is easy to see how Berkeley might persuade himself, that he had thus destroyed every germ of the Materialism he dreaded by taking away its substratum—the reality of Matter itself: certainly, however, the present very acute historian of philosophy—Erdmann—has made a most sad mistake in classing the good bishop as a spiritualist, and claiming for him the honour of association with Leibnitz. Berkeley made no change whatever in the fundamental position of the prevailing philosophy; nor did he attempt any such task. Pursuing this very course, and carrying out the logic in which Berkeley trusted, Hume, the arch-destroyer, quickly appeared; and, along with the idea of Cause and Effect, demolished totally all reality, except what belongs to sensation or feelings or states of mind as they momentarily exist. He withdrew substratum from Mind also, and so installed scepticism into absolute empire. Like multitudes of others occupying a middle position, the excellent bishop only hastened the advent of utter night. Men's common-sense quickly rebelled indeed; but for a clear scientific detection of the sources of error, and the final exposure of that error, modern philosophy is indebted to of Königsberg.—J. P. N.  BERKELEY,, an English divine, son of Bishop Berkeley, born in London in 1733, was educated at Oxford. He was prebendary of Canterbury, rector of St. Clement's Danes, London, and chancellor of Brecknock. A sermon, "On the Danger of violent Innovations in the State, exemplified from the reigns of the two first Stuarts," which he published in 1785, drew on him public attention for a short period. He inherited the virtues and some of the intellectual qualities of his father. Died in 1795. A volume of his sermons was published by his widow in 1799.—J. S., G.  * BERKELEY,, a younger son of the late earl of Berkeley, and next brother of the present earl, was born at Berkeley castle, February 10, 1800. He was chosen M.P. for the western division of Gloucestershire in December, 1832, and continued to represent that constituency down to the general election of 1852, when he was an unsuccessful candidate. He is well known as a frequent contributor to periodical literature, and as the author of a novel called "Berkeley Castle." He is married to a daughter of the late Paul Benfield, Esq., and is heir presumptive to the earldom, which of right belongs to his brother, but which has never been assumed by him.—E. W.  BERKELEY,, an officer in the service of Charles I., who clung to the fortunes of his exiled family, and was raised to the peerage at the Restoration. He wrote "Memoirs of the Negotiations with Cromwell and the Parliamentary Army," which have been recently published by Guizot, in his collection of the Records of the English Revolution.—W. B.  * BERKELEY,, K.C.B., second son of the fifth earl of Berkeley, was born in 1788. He entered the navy in 1802, and commanded the gun-boats which were sent to support the troops in the lines at Torres Vedras on the Portuguese coast. He commanded the Thunderer, 84, at the capture of Acre. He was for many years M.P. for Gloucester city, and one of the lords of the admiralty, in which capacity he introduced some very valuable reforms in the administration of naval affairs.—E. W.  * BERKELEY,, a clergyman of the church of England at King's Cliffe, Kent, is the most eminent British mycologist of the day. He has published numerous papers on fungi, and on the diseases of plants, in various periodicals, and he is the author of an "Introduction to the Study of Cryptogamic Botany." He has published "Gleanings in Algæ," has described the fungi in the fifth volume of English Botany, and has issued "Fasciculi of Dried Fungi."—J. H. B.  BERKELEY,, governor of Virginia in the seventeenth century, published a description of that country, and a compendium of its laws.—W. B.  BERKELSZOON or BŒKELSZOON, a learned Dutchman born at Biervliet in Zealand; died in 1397. He is reputed to have commenced the traffic in salt herrings, which has become so important a branch of the commerce of the Low Countries. <section end="563H" /> <section begin="563I" />BERKEN or BERQUEN, a lapidary of Bruges, lived about the middle of the fifteenth century. He employed the method of cutting one diamond by means of another, and of polishing surfaces with the dust which resulted from the process. His ingenuity was also exhibited in the invention of some mechanical appliances, afterwards commonly used in his art.—J. S., G. <section end="563I" /> <section begin="563J" />BERKENHEAD or BIRKENHEAD,, a witty writer of the seventeenth century, the son of Randal Berkenhead, saddler, of Northwych in Cheshire, was born in or near the year 1615. He was educated at Oriel college, Oxford, where he took the degree of B.A., and was soon appointed amanuensis to Archbishop Laud, who created him M.A., by diploma, and caused him to be elected fellow of All Souls college. During the civil war, when King Charles I. was at Oxford, he was the chief contributor to a broad-sheet called Mercurius Aulicus, which communicated the intelligence of the court to the rest of the kingdom. His witticisms in this journal became very popular. Thus useful to the royalists, he was appointed reader in moral philosophy, but lost that office and his fellowship, being ejected by the parliamentary visitors. At the Restoration, he received the degree of D.C.L., was knighted, and in 1661 was elected member of parliament for Wilton. He held several lucrative appointments until his death in Westminster, December 4, 1679. There was a divine, of both his names, who, in 1644, published a sermon on Rom. xiii. 5. Our author deserves mention as one of the earliest newspaper wits in English history.—T. J. <section end="563J" /> <section begin="563K" />BERKENHOUT,, an English physician, son of a Dutch merchant, was born at Leeds about the year 1730, and died in 1791. He at first entered on a military career, and then studied medicine at Edinburgh. He graduated at Leyden in 1765, and finally settled as a practitioner at Isleworth. He was the author of a "Botanical Lexicon;" "Outlines of the Natural History of Britain;" "Elements of Chemistry;" "Essay on the Bite of a Mad Dog;" "Symptomatology," &c.—J. H. B. <section end="563K" /> <section begin="563L" />BERKHEY,, a Dutch naturalist and poet, was born at Leyden on 3rd January, 1729, and died on 13th March, 1812. He founded a museum of comparative anatomy and natural history. His leisure moments were devoted to poetry. He resided successively at Amsterdam, Leervliet, and Leyden, where he was professor. He went to the Hague in 1807, and finally retired to the country. His works are—"A Description of Composite Flowers;" "Natural History of Holland;" and "Account of the Reproduction of Testaceans," besides various poetical pieces.—J. H. B. <section end="563L" /> <section begin="563M" />BERKHEYDEN or BRECHBERG,, born at Haerlem in 1637. He studied on the vine slopes of the Rhine, and what he could not paint he sketched. His portfolios were laden with duplicates of vine-dressing, half-dressed boors, sturdy husbandmen behind their oxen, knavish inn-keepers, and patient stolid fishermen feasting, dancing, drinking, or conversing. His handling was as good as his colour. Having heard much of the munificence of the elector palatine, he set out for that golden but ill-fated court, in company with his brother Gerard. Unable to obtain an audience, he hit upon a painter's trick. He watched the elector and his nobles sweep out to the chase, instantly went home and began a picture which contained portraits of the prince and all his attendants, drawn of course from memory. When it was finished, the cunning man of Haerlem got a friendly steward to place it, still wet and bright, in a gallery, through which the prince on his return, slow and tired, had to pass. The prince came, saw, and was conquered; he expressed his surprise and gratification; more than that, rewarded them with money, and gave them two medals. Job died in 1693.—, his brother, who was born in 1645, painted with Job's brushes, and on the same canvass. His delight were churches, convents, and noblemen's houses, with a garnishing of small figures. His reputation, by help of his brother's name, was rising when he was unfortunately drowned in a canal as he was returning home from a party. There is a historical doubt, however, whether it was Job or Gerard who was drowned, and this great question we must still leave unsettled.—W. T. <section end="563M" /> <section begin="563N" />BERKMANS,, a Dutch historical painter, born in Holland, in 1629. He was the pupil of Wouvermans, and Jordaens, but eventually retired to portrait, in which humble mode of art he obtained success. He died about 1679. His finest work represented a company of archers at Middleburg.—W. T. <section end="563N" /> <section begin="563Zcontin" />BERLICHINGEN, or, one of the last representatives of German chivalry, was born at the castle <section end="563Zcontin" />