Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/862

BUR strongly tempts its possessor to spurn the ground, and with an opulence of language that, like the tissues thrown on the road of an oriental prince, covered the wild and thorny way before him with richness and beauty, he never suffers himself to forget the value of things. The application of reason to the purposes of life, the study of the sources of moral strength, the inquiry into that true 'wealth of nations' which makes men safer from the shocks of society, are his perpetual objects. He pours his river through the moral landscape, not to astonish by its rapidity and volume, or delight by its picturesque windings, but to carry fertility on its surface, and gold in its sands." In an age eminent for intellectual distinction Burke secured the admiration of Europe. He possessed an understanding admirably fitted for the investigation of truth—an understanding stronger than that of any statesman, active or speculative, of the eighteenth century. He owed nothing to birth, riches, or official station. He rose without them to the highest elevation in public esteem. His virtue stood the trial alike of assault and temptation. "Burke grew purer and more powerful for good to his latest moment; he constantly rose more and more above the influence of party, until at last the politician was elevated into the philosopher; and in that loftier atmosphere from which he looked down on the cloudy and turbulent contests of the time, he soared upwards calmly in the light of truth, and became more splendid at every wave of his wing." Whether we consider the large space he occupied in the public eye, his genius, his learning, his multiform powers, natural and acquired, or, finally, his political connection with all the great events of his day, the name of Edmund Burke is assuredly that which will most frequently attract and most deeply interest the reader of our political history of the past age. In person Burke was about five feet ten inches high; his figure was athletic and symmetrical; his appearance was graceful and dignified, and his countenance is described as handsome, noble, and prepossessing. A collected edition of his works, in quarto, was completed in 1827.—J. F. W.  BURKE,, an eminent genealogist, born in Ireland on the 29th of November, 1786, was descended from the Burkes of Meelick, and collaterally from the noble house of Clanricarde. He received a good classical education, and removed early in life to London to devote himself to literary pursuits. In these he soon succeeded, writing for the Examiner and other journals, as well as in the periodicals of the day, both on political subjects and general literature. His first avowed publication was a volume of poetry, which had a rapid and large sale; and this was followed by an edition of Hume and Smollet's History of England, with a continuation by himself. The works, however, by which he is best known are those on genealogy, which he commenced by that on "The Peerage and Baronetage," published in 1826. The success of this book was as complete as it was immediate, and it has gone through numerous editions with increasing favour. Other publications in the same department followed at intervals, in which Mr. Burke was assisted by his son, Bernard, and their united labours produced the "History of the Landed Gentry," the "General Armoury," and the "Extinct Peerages and Baronetages," works of great value to the historian and genealogist. Upon the death of his wife in 1846, Mr. Burke retired to the continent, resigning to his son the further prosecution of those literary labours which have given them both high reputation, and died rather suddenly at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1848.—J. F. W.  * BURKE,, barrister-at-law and queen's counsel for the county palatine of Lancaster, brother of Sir Bernard, a writer on law, especially the law of copyright and patents, and a biographer of Edmund Burke, educated at the college royal of Caen, where he gained the prix d'honneur for the best essay in the French language. In presenting the medal the prefet said—"Nous sommes vaincus par nos propres armes."—J. F. W.  * BÜRKNER,, a distinguished German wood engraver, and professor of wood engraving at the Dresden academy, was born at Dessau in 1818. He has greatly contributed to reestablish the genuine style of wood engraving, and practises his art in the true spirit of the old German masters.—K. E.  BURLAMAQUI,, was born in 1694 at Geneva, where he filled for many years the chair of natural jurisprudence, till failing health compelled him to renounce it. He became a member of the council of the republic, and acted a prominent part in that assembly until his death in 1748. He was an intimate friend of Barbeyrac, and their united labours did much for the advancement of the science. He justly regards the natural state of man as an approximation to that which it is the aim of civil law to establish, this aim being to secure to the members of the society the greatest amount of happiness, an end to which law, order, and authority are essential. Working from this starting-point, he deduces the necessity for an inviolable and irresponsible sovereign, but allows to the people in extreme cases the right of deposing him. All Burlamaqui's writings are characterized by clearness and precision.—J. D. E.  BURLEIGH. See.  * BURLEIGH,, one of the earliest, most resolute, and indefatigable of the American abolitionists, born in Plainfield, Connecticut, in 1810. He was educated for the law; but the question of slavery, in which from his earliest years he had felt a peculiar interest, absorbed his attention. He is the author of a very able essay, entitled "Thoughts on the Death Penalty;" of a tract, entitled "The Sabbath Question;" and another, "Slavery and the North."—S. M.  BURLEY,, a celebrated scholastic philosopher and divine, born at Oxford in 1275. At Paris, where he long resided, he was the head of the nominalists of the period, and the chief opponent of the Scotists. He was employed in the education of Edward III., and in 1327 was sent by that monarch to Rome on a mission of some importance. Besides immense and forgotten commentaries on Aristotle, he published "De Vita et Moribus Philosophorum," 1472. <section end="862H" /> <section begin="862I" />BURLINGTON, Earl of. See. <section end="862I" /> <section begin="862J" />BURMANN,, a Dutch botanist, was born in 1707, and died in 1779. He was professor of botany at Amsterdam, and was a friend of Linnæus, who dedicated to him the genus Burmannia. He devoted attention to Eastern botany, and published the following works—"Thesaurus Zeylonicus, an account of Ceylon Plants;" "Catalogue of African Plants observed by Hermann;" "Flora Malabarica, or Index to the Hortus Malabaricus;" a translation into Latin of Rumphius' Herbarium; and Fasciculi of American plants.—J. H. B. <section end="862J" /> <section begin="862K" />BURMANN,, the son of Johann Burmann, and also a Dutch botanist, was born at Amsterdam in 1734, and died in 1793. He took his degree of doctor of medicine at Leyden. He published a "Flora Indica, with a Prodromus of the Plants of the Cape of Good Hope;" also a treatise on geraniums, and a "Flora of Corsica."—J. H. B. <section end="862K" /> <section begin="862L" />BURN,, born at Kirby-Stephen, near Winton in Westmoreland; died in 1789. Educated at Queen's college, Oxford, he obtained the honorary degree of D.C.L. from Oxford in 1762; in 1763 took holy orders, and was given the living of Orton in Westmoreland, which he enjoyed for forty-nine years. He was chancellor of the diocese of Carlisle. He published some useful law books for popular use, one of which, "A Digest of the Ecclesiastical Law," is still found convenient. In conjunction with Nicholson, he published a history of the antiquities of Cumberland and Westmoreland.—J. A., D. <section end="862L" /> <section begin="862Zcontin" />BURNEL,, the distinguished lord chancellor and keeper of the privy seal of Edward I., was the son of Robert de Burnel; born at their ancient ancestral seat of Acton Burnel. He distinguished himself in civil, ecclesiastical, and common law, took holy orders, and also practised as an advocate in the courts at Westminster. The young prince, Edward, became warmly attached to him, appointed him his chaplain and private secretary, and took him on his expedition to the Holy Land. On the return of Edward, who, on the demise of his father during his absence, had been proclaimed king, Burnel, then archdeacon of York, was on the 21st Sept., 1274, appointed lord chancellor, and shortly afterwards bishop of Bath and Wells. He did much towards introducing English institutions and advancing civilization in Wales, and prepared the code under which it continued to be governed until the reign of Henry VIII., when it was permitted to send members to parliament, and fully received into the pale of the English constitution. Edward honoured his chancellor by visiting him at his castle of Acton Burnel, where in 1283 he held a parliament, memorable for that excellent law for recovery of debts called the "statute de Mercatoribus." The laws passed during Burnel's long official career exhibited the true spirit of wise legislation. Nor was the lord chancellor unmindful of the due administration of the law. In 1290 he prosecuted to conviction several of the judicial functionaries for taking bribes and tampering with the records. The chancellor again signalized himself in 1290-91, by his adjustment of the disputed succession of the crown of Scotland <section end="862Zcontin" />