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* BBAY. 430 BRAZEN SERPENT. thirteen miles southeast of Dublin (Map: Ireland, E 3). From a small Ushing village Bray has developed into a popular watering- place, owing to the beauty of its situation. It has a long esplanade, good hotels, Turkish baths, electric lighting, etc.. and is sometimes called the "Irish Brighton." Population, about 0900. BRAY, Mrs. Ann Eliza Kempe (Stoth.rd) (17901883). An English author, born in Lon- don. She published a considerable number of works of historical fiction and volumes of travel, including The Hordiis of the Tanmr and the Tory (1830); Tretau-mj of Tielawiw (1837); and A J'ecp at the Pixies (1854). The fiction was col- lected in a twelve-volume edition in 1884, and in the same year appeared her Autobiography, edited by Kempe (London, 1884). BRAY, Madeline. A beautiful girl in Dickens's novel Nicholas yicklcby, whose cruel and vicious father tried to force her to marry the old miser, Arthur Gride. The death of her father and the interposition of the Cheeryble Brothers, however, prevented it, and she married Nicholas Nickleby. BRAY, l)ri. Otto Camillus Hugo, Count of Bray-Steinburg (1807-99). A Bavarian states- man. He was bom in Berlin, and after complet- ing his studies in that city, entered the diplo- matic service of Bavaria. At first Counselor of Legation at Saint Petersburg and at Paris, he later successively became Ambassador to Greece and Russia, Minister of Foreign Affairs ( 1846- 48-49), again Ambassador to Russia and Ambas- sador to Austria. In 1870 he succeeded Prince Hohenlohe as Minister of Foreign Affairs, in ■which capacity he negotiated the union between Prussia and Bavaria in 1870, and the admission of the latter into the German Empire. He re- tired from political life in 1890. BRAY, Sir Reginald (died 1503). An Eng- lish architect, a favorite of Henry VII. He built the cliapel of that King in Westminster Abbey, and decorated Saint George's Chapel at Windsor. BRAY, TuoMAS (1650-1730). An English prelate and philanthropist, born at Jbuliiu (.Shropshire). He graduated at Oxford in 1078, and was ajiiHiinted to the vicarage of Over-Whit- acre and the rectory of Sheldon. In 1098 he founded the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and in 1700 organized the Anglican Cliurch in Maiyland. He obtained the passage by the Provincial Assemlily of the Act of Ru- iigion, which in 1701 received royaj sanction. A charter was acquired liy him in liOl for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. In 1700 lie became rector of Saint Botolph's. Aldgate. He projected and ex- tended a system of parochial lending libraries to lie established in every deanery, and in 1723 founded for the continuance of his work the society known as the 'Associates of Dr. Bray,' wliidi" still exists and publishes annual reports. He was also interested in other benevolent works. He published Upon the Preliminary Questions and Ansii-crs (1090; vol. i. of Lectures upon the Church Catechism, incomplete) ; An Essay Toirard I'romotiny All Xcccssary and Useful Knoii-h'dfie (1097) ; and a Directorium Missiona- riiiin ( 1720). A selection of his writings relating to Maryland.with a memoir t>yRawlinson. was pub- lished in 1901 by the Maryland Historical Society. BRAY'MAN, Mason (ISn-O.-i). An Ameri- can lawyer and soldier, born in Bufl'alo, X. Y. He was early apprenticed to a printer; was edi- tor of the Buil'alo Bulletin in 1834-35; and was admitted to the bar in 1830. After 1837 he lived successively at Monroe. Mich., Louisville, Ky. (where he edited the Adrertiser), and Spring- field, 111. In 1843, as a special commissioner for the State of Illinois, he was charged with ad- justing the dilliculties arising from the settling of the Mormons at Nauvoo (q.v. ), and in 1845- 40 served as special attorney to prosecute the law-breakers on both sides. He was also instru- mental in securing the removal of the iIormon8 from the State in the latter year. He revised the Illinois Statutes under authority of the Legisla- ture in 1844-45, and from 1851 to 1855 acted as attorney for the Illinois Central Railroad. He entered the Federal Army as major of vol- unteers on the outbreak of the Civil War in 1801, was a chief of stall' and assistant adjutant- general to General McClernand in 1802, was raised to the rank of brigadier-general of vol- unteers in Se])tember, 1862, repelled 'an Dorn's attack on Bolivar. Tenn., was in coiumaud at Katcliez in 1804-05, and at the close of the war was brevetted major-general for "gallant and meritorious services." He subsequently took an active interest in the organization and manage- ment of railroads, was editor of the Illinois State Journal in 1872-73, served as Territorial Governor of Idaho from 1870 to 1881, and from that time until his death practiced law at Ripon, Wis. BRAZEN AGE, The. One of a group of four [ilays by Thomas Heywood. The group, known as The Four Ayes, consists of The Golden Aqc (1611) ; The Silver Age (1012) ; The Brazen Aye (1613) : The Iron Aye (printed 1032). The plays deal with the most famous of the Greek myths, and arc largely founded on Ovid's Meta- morphoses. The author's treatment of the sub- ject does not rise entirely above the burlesque. BRAZEN SEA. A large vessel of copper, 5 cubits higli and 30 (or, according to the Sep- tuagint, 33) in circumference. 10 cubits in diame- ter, placed by Solomon in the priest's court, for the use of servitors. It rested on 12 o.xen, 3 ])laccd on each side, with heads facing outward. The basin is said to have heldabout2000 measures (baths) of water ( I. Kings vii. 23-20) : according to II. Cliron. iv. 0. it was used by the priests for ablutions prior to aiiproaching the altar, but it seems likely that it originally had a symbolical significance rather than a practical use. In the Babylonian religion, as in Semitic cults in gen- eral, the liull is a mythological emblem. Ahaz moved the brazen sea from the base of oxen and placed it on a stone base (II. Kings xvi. 17). The sea w;vs finally broken by the Clialdeaiis and the copper -carried to Babylon (II. Kings xxv. 13). BRAZEN SERPENT. Moses is said to have made a serpent of brass and erected it on a stafi' before the (leojile. so that whosoever looked upon it should be healed (Num. xxi. 9). In the time of Hezekiah the brazen serpent was looked upon as a sort of divinity and incense was burned to it. In his reform it was broken to pieces to- gether with other insignia of foreign worship (II. Kings xviii. 4). Among the Egyptians the urieus-seqient was regarded as especially sacred and adorned the entrances to their temples. In