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* BROTHERS OF THE FREE SPIRIT. 553 BROUGH. for example, among the so-called Libertines of Geneva. BROTHERS OF COMMON LIFE (also ealleil Bkuthers of Good Will, and Hierony- MlTES, or Gregori.ss, from their patron saints, Jerome and Gregory the Gieat). A fraternity founded at Deventer about 1376 by Gerhard Groote (q.v.), whose successor was Florentius Radewin (born 1350, at Leerdam in Holland; died 1400). Thomas a Kempis, who was asso- ciated with Eadewin, wrote the lives of both these founders. The society grew very rapidly, and under Gerhard's instructions, helped to found several houses of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine with which it was allied. But the original society, which professed to be a copy of the earliest Christian communities, was com- posed of persons who desired to live a devout and ascetic life in community without formal vows. Community of goods, industry, care for the edu- cation of the young, and a tendency to promote reading of the Scriptures and public prayers in the vernacular, are among their characteristics. Despite the opposition of some of the older com- munities, they were recognized by several Pojies and by the Council of Constance (1414-18). They became most numerous in the Xetherlands and Germany, nearly everj- large town having one or more of their houses, but spread also to Italy and Portugal, so that by 1430 they reck- oned more than 130 societies. The last was founded at Cambrai in 1505. They seem to have decayed after the outbreak of the Reformation, which carried to more extreme lengths what l;ad been distinctive principles of theirs. A number of the brothers joined the reforming movement. Some of their educational institutions were taken over by the Jesuits. The most distinguished members of the society were Thomas a Kempis (q.v.), Gerhard Zerbold of Zutphen, and the learned Cardinal Nicholas Cusa. Consult Ket- tlewell, Thomas a Kempis and the Brothers of Common Life (London, 1884). BROTHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS. An order, commonly called Chris- tian Brothers, established by Jean Baptiste de la Salle at Rheims in 1684 and sanctioned by Benedict XIII. in 1725, having for its object the furnishing of the poor with instruction. In Paris, in 1792, they refused to take the oath of obedience to the civil Constitution, and were driven from their houses and prohibited from teaching. In 1801 they returned and soon spread over France, Italy, and other countries. About 1830 they opened evening schools for adults. Their mother house is in Paris, where the Superior-General lives, and in 1900 they had 1100 houses, and altogether 1400 houses, with 13,000 brothers in charge of 2500 schools. There are in the United States: Province of Baltimore, 220 brothers, 6384 pupils : Province of Xew York, 440 brothers. 16.927 pupils: Province of Saint Louis. 197 brothers. 4100 pupils; Province of San Francisco, 106 brothers. 3125 pupils. See La Salle, Jean B.ptiste de. BROUCKERE, brHo'kar', Cir.*^ELE.s !Marie JosFrpii CiinsL.iN de (1796-1860). A Belgian statesman, born in Bruges. He entered the artillery service and fought at Waterloo. In 1826 he was elected deputy to the States-General from the Province of Limburg. Here he was a prominent advocate of Belgian independence. He was Minister of Finance for the Provisional Government, and after the establishment of the representative monarchy was ajjpointfd by Leo- pold I. ilinister of the Interior ( 1831 ), and soon afterwards ilinister of War. He reorganized the army, but was attacked on the ground of ex- travagant expenditures, and resigned (1832). He was subsequently director of the mint, a pro- fessor in the free L'niversity of Brussels, and burgomaster of that city. Consult the Life by Juste (Brussels, 1868). BROUCKERE, Henbi de (1801-91). A Bel- gian statesman, born in Briigge. He became an advocate, was elected to the Xational Con- gress, and represented Brussels in the Cham- ber of Deputies from 1833 to 1848. In 1840 he became Governor of Antwerp, in 1844 of Lifege, and from 1849 to 1852 was Belgian Minister at the Papal and other Italian courts. He was Min- ister of Foreign Affairs in the so-called 'Ministry of Conciliation,' formed after the overthrow of the Liberals, and in that capacity did much to restore friendly relations between Belgium and France. At one time he was also councilor of the Brussels Court of Appeals, and in 1855-70 represented !Mons as a Liberal deputy. BROUGH, Fanny. An English actress, niece of Lionel Brough (q.v.). She made her debut in Manchester in 1869, when quite young, and appeared in London in 1870, as Fernande, at the Saint James Theatre. For a time she became a leading member of the Caste company, and otherwise has also toured extensively in the prov- inces. Among her London engagements have been those in fforresf (Princess's Theatre, 1886) ; Civil War (with Mrs. Brown Potter at the Gaiety Theatre, 1887) ; Little Lord Fauntieroy (Terry's. 1888); Dr. Bill (Avenue. 1890); The Henrietta (ib. 1891); Mrs. Othello (Toole's Theatre, 1893); The Eider-doirn- Quilt (1896). She has also played in the United States, where, in 1900, she appeared as ^Irs. Reginald Main- waring. Sr., in the production of My Daughter- in-Liiir (L_vceum, Xew York). BROUGH, John (1811-65). A famous Gov- ernor of Ohio. He was born in Ohio, and. as a printer's apprentice, earned his way through the State L'niversity. He published several Demo- cratic journals, held minor political posts, and was regarded as the ablest speaker of his party in the State. In 1864 he was nominated for the GoAcrnorship of Ohio by the Republican L'nion Party, and was elected over Clement L. Val- landigham (q.v.) by the largest majoi-ity ever giveu for a Governor up to that time. As a Governor he was remarkably eflicient. and though holding office only during a part of the Civil War period, is generally called 'the war Gover- nor' of (!)hio. BROUGH, Lionel (1836 — ). An English comedian, born at Pontypool. Monmouthshire. He was a son of Barnabas Brough, a dramatic author, and a brother of William and Robert, the 'Brothers Brough.' In his early life he was a jounialist, beginning in a subordinate position in the ser'ice of the Illustrated London News, and being aftervards on the Daily Telegraph, of which he published the first issue, and at a somewhat later period on the Morning Star. For a time he gave 'ghost entertainments' at the Polytechnic Institution and elsewhere. He had made his first appearance on the stage in 1854,