Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/590

BER  by four sermons which were delivered upon the occasion. Of more scientific works we have "Mémoires sur la structure intérieure de la Terre," published at Zurich in 1752, and again in 1760; "Dictionnaire universal des Fossiles propres et des Fossiles accidentels," at the Hague in 1763, and at Avignon in 1764, followed in 1766 by a "Recueil de divers traités sur l'Histoire Naturelle de la Terre et des Fossiles." Bertrand also published several books of a lighter character upon the physical phenomena of the Alps, and one on the languages of Switzerland, especially of the Canton de Vaud.—W. S. D.  BERTRAND,, Comte, a French general, born 1773, died 1844. He served first in the national guard, but afterwards joining the corps of engineers, he accompanied Napoleon into Egypt. He subsequently distinguished himself at Austerlitz, Spandau, Friedland, and Wagram, and in the Russian campaign. He rendered also important service after the battle of Hanau. After the final abdication of Napoleon, Bertrand was permitted to follow him to St. Helena, and did not return to France until after the emperor's death. Bertrand had been condemned to death for contumacy in 1816, and at his return in 1821 his sentence remained unrevoked. It was now, however, annulled by a royal ordinance, and he was reinstated in his civil rights and military rank. After 1830 he was elected deputy of his department, and was distinguished in the chambers by his liberal sentiments and his love of justice.—G. M.  BERTRAND,, a Swiss preacher, born at Neufchatel in 1737, was chief pastor of the French church at Berne, and afterwards professor of belles-lettres in the academy of his native town. He superintended the publications of the Typographical Society of Neufchatel, of which he was one of the founders. He wrote "Sermons sur les differents textes de l'Ecriture Sainte," 1773. Died in 1779.—J. S., G.  BERTRAND,, a mathematician and geologist, born at Geneva in 1731; died in 1812. He was a friend of the illustrious Euler, and a man of much merit. He is best known by his "Developpements nouveaux de la partie elevataire des mathematiques, prise dans toute son etendue," two vols. 4to. Like many others, Bertrand attempted to solve the difficulty connected with parallel lines; and he failed also. This solution demanded the introduction of the idea of infinites, and that we should speak of infinites as being equal and unequal—a proposal at utter variance with the spirit and methods of pure geometry.—J. P. N.  BERTRAND,, a French poet, born 1807; died 1841. He was a journalist, and left one work published after his death, "Fantasies à la manière de Rembrandt et Callot," Angers, 1842.  BERTRAND,, a French geologist and engineer, born at the castle of Launoy, near Sens, in 1730, was employed, whilst still very young, in the corps of civil engineers, in Auvergne, the Alps, and Pyrenees. He availed himself of the journeys which he was compelled to make professionally to improve himself in natural history, but especially in geology. In 1769 he was appointed chief engineer of Franche-Comté. About this time an officer of engineers, named Labiche, proposed to make a canal from the Rhone to the Rhine, by the Saone and the Doubs; and his plans were submitted to Bertrand, who, by exaggerating the difficulties of the undertaking, caused it to be given up, but in 1777 brought forward a plan, which was nearly, if not exactly, identical with part of that of Labiche. The proposed canal was authorized by a decree of council of Sept. 25, 1783, and although Labiche put in his claim to the merit of the proposal, Bertrand was appointed to direct it. He did not, however, complete this undertaking, but in 1787 obtained the post of inspector-general of bridges and roads. In 1790 he brought before the national assembly a plan for the junction of the Rhone and the Rhine by the river of Doubs, which was also a plagiarism from Labiche, who on this, as on the former occasion, asserted his right to be considered as the originator of the proposition, and as the proper person to whom its execution should be confided. In this, however, he was defeated by Bertrand, whose proposals were accepted, Bertrand did not, however, see the completion of this great engineering enterprise, which was not finished until 1832, whilst his own death took place at Paris in 1811. He became a member of the Academy of Besançon in 1786, and in 1800 a corresponding member of the agricultural society of the department of Doubs. His writings are tolerably numerous, the principal being as follow:—"Projet d'un canal de navigation pour joindre le Doubs à la Saône," Besançon, 1777—a plagiarism from Labiche, as already stated; a "Critical and new Essay upon the general Theory of the Earth," in the form of a letter to Buffon, published at Besançon and Paris in 1780, of which a second edition, with a supplement, appeared at the former place in 1782; "New system of the Granites, Schists," &c., published at Paris in 1794; and "New Principles of Geology," Paris, 1798, of which a new edition appeared in 1804. Besides these, he wrote several works upon different subjects of inland navigation, including a "Système de navigation fluviale," Paris, 1793, and memoirs upon his proposed canals between the Rhone and the Rhine, and upon the canal d'Ourcq at Paris.—W. S. D.  BERTRAND, marquis de, minister of Louis XVI., born at Toulouse in 1744, was successively master of requests under Maupeou, and intendant of the province of Bretagne. He became minister of marine in 1791; but in the same year was denounced by the assembly, and in consequence deprived of office. Afterwards employed as chief of the secret police, he incurred the wrath of the Jacobins, and was again denounced in the assembly. To escape prosecution he passed over to England in 1792. Besides a "History of the Revolution" and some other interesting works, he published "Histoire d'Angleterre depuis la première invasion des Romains jusqu'à la paix de 1763," Paris, 1815.—J. S., G.  BERTRANDI,, a celebrated Italian anatomist and surgeon, was born at Turin in 1723. His parents were poor, and his earlier education was effected in the face of great difficulty. Through the kindness of Klingher, surgeon to the king, he was enabled to study surgery, and made rapid progress. In 1747 he was admitted an associate of the College of Surgeons, and published a "Dissertation on the Liver." Having visited London and Paris by request, and at the expense of Charles Emmanuel, he was, on his return, appointed to a chair of practical surgery and anatomy in Turin, which the king had founded for his sake. He took great interest in a society then formed, named the Royal Academy of Sciences, and contributed valuable papers to its memoirs. Bertrandi's principal work was the "Trattato delle Operazioni di Chirurgia," Nice, 1763; but his writings are comprised in thirteen octavo volumes. He died of dropsy in 1765.—J. B. <section end="590H" /> <section begin="590I" />BERTRANDON, a chronicler, born in the duchy of Guienne, at the close of the fourteenth century. Author of a "Voyage to and from Jerusalem, during the years 1432-1433." This work has been translated into English, London, 1807, 8vo. <section end="590I" /> <section begin="590J" />BERTRANS,, a poet of the thirteenth century. All that is known of him is that he wrote a romance entitled, "Gerard de Veane or de Vienne."

<section end="590J" /> <section begin="590K" />BERTRIC, king of Wessex, came to the throne about 784. His claims had been disputed by Alkmund, vassal king of Kent, and he ever afterwards showed himself jealous of Alkmund's son, Egbert, whose claims to Wessex were greater than his own, and who was yet destined to unite the heptarchy into one kingdom. Egbert took refuge at the court of Offa, king of Mercia; but to deprive him of that asylum, Bertric sought an alliance with Edburga, Offa's daughter. His suit was successful, and his marriage was solemnized in 787. Egbert fled to the continent, and found protection at the court of Charlemagne. Bertric's wife, ever jealous of her husband's favourites, had sought in vain to diminish his esteem for Worr, an alderman or earl, among his adherents. She planned to remove him by violence, but the poison cup which she intended him to drink, was also tasted by the king, and proved fatal, about the year 800. Egbert's way being thus cleared, he returned to England, and became king of Wessex. It was in Bertric's reign that the first Danish invasion of England took place.—J. B. <section end="590K" /> <section begin="590L" />BERTUCCIO, _____, an Italian sculptor and goldsmith, who cast in bronze doors for the basilic of St. Mark at Venice. He lived in the first half of the fourteenth century. <section end="590L" /> <section begin="590Zcontin" />BERTUCH,, a German miscellaneous writer, was born at Weimar, 30th September, 1747, and died 3d April, 1822. He was a minor star of that brilliant constellation which clustered around Goethe, and promoted literature in various ways. He wrote some tragedies and operas, published a Magazin der Spanischen und Portugiesischen Literatur, and the highly-popular Bilderbuch für Kinder; translated Cervantes' Don Quixote; edited the Blaue Bibliothek aller Nationen (a collection of fairy tales in 12 vols.), the Journal des Luxus und der <section end="590Zcontin" />