Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/570

BER century. He was archbishop of Auch; but a poem that he published during the war of the Albigenses, inculcating a spirit of toleration uncommon for his age, caused him to be deprived of his office.—J. G.  BERNARD, an Italian theologian and biographer, lived towards the middle of the eighteenth century. He published "Bibloth. script, ord. Minorum Francisci Capucin."  BERNARD, a Spanish knight of the ninth century, celebrated for his prowess by the romancists of that country. His efforts on behalf of his father, who had incurred the king's displeasure, brought Bernard also into trouble; and his later days were spent as a refugee and knight-errant in France.—W. B.  BERNARD, a Benedictine monk, supposed to have been born in England, lived about the year 1140. He dedicated to Pierre Maurice, abbé of Cluny, a poem in three books, "De Contemptu Mundi," printed at Breme in 1597.  BERNARD, a French historian; died in 1730. Author of "The Life of Saint Guitan," Paris, 1698; and "History of Constantine the Great."  BERNARD, a troubadour of the twelfth century. His father was a domestic servant, whose employment was that of baking bread in the chateau of Ebles II. de Ventadour. Here young Bernard learned the "gay sçavoir," then the delight of every noble and gentle heart. Bernard's talents and the beauty of his person rendered him dangerously attractive, and his poems record the progress of a passion at first timid, then more adventurous, at length daring to name the object of his love, and at last to express exulting gratitude for favours "secret, sweet, and precious." He speaks of a kiss which she gave him, and says it inflicted a wound which, like those from the lance of Achilles, could only be healed by the weapon which inflicted it. The lady of his songs was no other than the countess of Ventadour, the fair Agnes of Montluçon. The lord of Ebles soon awoke to suspicion. Suspicion became certainty. The poet in vain endeavoured to show that his raptures were, if not altogether fictitious, to be regarded as allegorical, and that the object of his love was an allegorical vision. The lady was imprisoned, and the minstrel dismissed to unwilling freedom. Bernard's chansons are preserved, and for a while they speak of disgrace and despair, but there is something recuperative in the elastic spirit of a poet, and he soon had another theme for song, and tells of other triumphs. Eleanor of Guienne, who had been queen of France—Louis VII.'s queen—past with undiminished beauty, though somewhat tarnished character, to the hands of Henry, duke of Normandy. She was Bernard's new flame. It did not last, for she had to go to England in 1154 with Henry, who now succeeded to that crown. The troubadour proposed to continue in that country his instructions in the gay science to the indulgent queen, but Henry forbade the continuance of the acquaintance. Bernard found a home with Raymond, count of Toulouse, and with him he remained till that prince's death. He now wrote poems on other subjects than youthful passion. At Raymond's death, he sought the retirement of the abbey of Dolon in Limousin, where he became a monk. Petrarch mentions Bernard with praise. About fifty of his chansons still remain, and several tensons.—J. A., D.  BERNARD, novel writer, born at Besançon, 1805. The works of this writer are numerous, and when they first appeared, enjoyed much favour, especially amongst the fashionable circles of society. Latterly they have become more extensively popular. In dealing with the follies and vices of the upper classes, who generally relish satire at their own expense, when executed by an initiated hand, Charles du Bernard did not always keep within the bounds of propriety. Descriptions are not in fine taste, however well founded, when they cannot be relished by others than those whom it is too late to reform by warnings which hang feebly by the side of exciting appeals to the imagination. Sometimes, reminding the reader of the impassioned voluptuousness of George Sand, and again of the penetrating observation of Balzac, and occasionally of the dexterity of Scribe, Charles du Bernard shows that, instead of possessing original genius, he is a quick imitator who falls unconsciously into the style of the author who sways his fancy and feelings for the moment. With cleverness to take the highest place amongst writers of the second order, he wants that originality of invention and peculiar power of style which mark those of the first. Of his numerous works, "L'Homme serieux;" "Anneau d'Argent," and "Gerfaut" are considered the best. He died at Neuilly, 6th March, 1850.—J. F. C.  BERNARD,, an English scientific man, born in 1638; died in 1697. He was a very good mathematician and chronologist. He wrote a book on weights and measures, and a considerable number of separate essays, many of which are in the Transactions of the Royal Society of London.—J. P. N. <section end="570H" /> <section begin="570I" />BERNARD,, English governor of New Jersey and afterwards of Massachusetts. He passed to this latter province in 1760, when his severe measures to repress the disaffection of the people, lost him the popularity with which his more moderate administration in New Jersey had been repaid. The home government, while it showed its approbation of his conduct by creating him a baronet, was compelled to recall him in 1769. He died in England in 1779. Sir Francis Bernard was famous as a patron of literature, and was himself the author of some works. His select letters on the trade and government of America appeared in London in 1774.—J. B. <section end="570I" /> <section begin="570J" />BERNARD,, physician to King James II.; a man of learning, and well versed in literary history. He had the best collection of scarce books that had been seen in England, and was a good judge of their value. He died February 9, 1697, aged 70. He was brother to Charles Bernard, sergeant-surgeon to Queen Anne, of whom there is an original portrait at Barber's hall, which has not been copied or engraved.—E. L. <section end="570J" /> <section begin="570K" />BERNARD,, son of a protestant minister, was born at Nions in Dauphiny in 1658, and died in 1718. After completing his education at Geneva he returned to France, and, in contravention of the laws against conventicles, preached publicly the doctrines of the reformed faith. His labours soon attracted the attention of the authorities, and he was obliged to seek refuge in Switzerland. He afterwards removed to the Hague, where he devoted himself to teaching and to literary labours. He published "Actes et memoires de la negociation de la Paix de Ryswick," 1725; "Lettres historiques contenant ce qui s'est passé de plus important en Europe," 1692-1728, and some religious essays.—J. S., G. <section end="570K" /> <section begin="570L" />BERNARD,, a French physician, born at Nantes on the 14th May, 1702; died in 1781. He was educated at Montpellier, and commenced practice at the age of twenty. He was appointed some time after professor of classics, at Saumur. He did not keep this position long, but went to Rochelle, and afterwards to Paris, where he acquired a taste for anatomy, and became dresser to the celebrated Ferrein. He returned to Nantes, but not being able to attach himself to the College of Physicians, he came again to Paris and resumed his anatomical studies. He afterwards became professor of anatomy to the faculty of Douay, where he commenced his course in 1744. After having taught for several years he became corresponding member of the Royal Society of London, and of the Society of Medicine at Paris. He died from the effects of strangulated hernia. His philosophical ideas have been developed in a series of short dissertations, which are not known beyond the school in which he taught.—E. L. <section end="570L" /> <section begin="570M" />BERNARD,, a French writer, canon regular of Sainte-Genevieve, was born at Paris in 1710, and died in 1772. He published some poems, orations, and panegyrics, the merit of which is to be sought in the elevated and fastidious style which their author affected in all his compositions. <section end="570M" /> <section begin="570N" />BERNARD,, a learned Dutch bookseller; died in 1752. His principal works are "A Collection of Northern Voyages;" "Religious Customs and Ceremonies of all the Nations in the World;" and "Critical and Philosophical Dialogues." <section end="570N" /> <section begin="570O" />BERNARD,, a French miscellaneous writer, born in 1768; died in 1832. Author of letters on botany, physics, and natural history. He also wrote on "The Maritime and Commercial preponderance of Great Britain." <section end="570O" /> <section begin="570P" />BERNARD, a Flemish Dominican monk, died at Cologne in 1535. He published "Sermones de diabolica colluctatione VII vitiorum capitalium et virtutum spiritualium," 1525, and "De Ord. Militaribus et arm. militarium Myst." <section end="570P" /> <section begin="570Zcontin" />BERNARD, who founded the two monasteries, called the Great and Little St. Bernard, in the passes of the Alps, was born near Annecy in 923. He was descended from a noble family of Savoy, and it was against the wishes of his parents that he became an ecclesiastic. Having become archdeacon of the little church of Aosta at the foot of the Alps, he devoted himself to missionary labours among the pagan tribes <section end="570Zcontin" />