Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 03.djvu/79

* BIEKSTADT. more genuine and grand American work has been produced in landscape art than Bierstadt's '■Rocky Mountains" (lS(i3). Other noteworthy pictures are "North Fork of the Platte" (18G4)', ••El Capitan. Jlerced River" (186), '-Storm in the Rm'ky Mountains"' (1860), ••Valley of the Vosemite" (1806: collection of the Lenox Li- brary, Xew York City), "'Valley of Kern's River" (1875), "Mount Corcoran, Sierra Nevada" '1878; Corcoran Gallery, Vashington, D. C), and two historical paintings. '•The Discovery of the Hudson River" and ••The Settlement of California" (both in the Capitol at Washington). Consult Tuckerman, Book of the Artists (New York, 1S67I. BIESBOSCH, bestos (Dutch, the reedy thicket ) . A marshy sheet of water lying just southeast of Dort. Xetherlands, and partly separating the provinces of Nortli Brabant and South Holland. It was formed in November, 1421, by an inundation which destroyed 72 vil- lages and 100,000 people and cohered an area of 80 square miles. Since the Eighteenth Cen- tury a considerable portion of the submerged area has been reclaimed, thus forming a number of large islands (Map: Netherlands. C 3). The Biesbosch forms the eastern end of the estuary known as the Hollandisch-Diep, into which Hows the Maas (Meuse) River. BIESTER, be'ster, .ToAO Erxesto (1820-80). A Portuguese dramatist. He was born in Lisbon. and when only nineteen years old produced his first drama. Raphael, on the stage in his native city. Though utterly lacking in local and national coloring, his works, which were numerous, were for many years the most popular dramas on the Portuguese stage. Among the best known are : ilocidude de D. Joao T.. a drama in five acts (with Rebello da Silva, 1858) ; Os homens se- ries, a comedy (18.58): Primnrcra eterrm. a comedy (I860)": Abner/aiao (1861) ; and Os difa- madores, a comedy (1866). He was also the founder and first editor of the journal Revista Contemporanea de Portugal e Brazil (1859). In 1862 he was mad* a member of the Royal Academy. BIFROST, be'frest, or BIFRAUST ; Old Norse, the tremulous way. from hifa, to tremble -{- rost, way). The rainbow, which in Norse mythology was deemed to be a bridge between heaven (Asgard) and the earth (ilidgard), or hell (Hela). It was used only by the gods, and was guarded by Heimdal (q.v. ). In the lattef time the warriors of Muspelheim (land of fire) were to ride over the bridge to give battle to Odin and his associate gods: the bridge was to break dow-n : the wolf Fcnrir. the Midgard ser- pent Loki, all the followers of Hel, and the frost giants were to unite in the war. There was notliing in heaven or earth that should be exempt from fear in that terrible hour. -Ml the gods, led by Odin, were to come forth to war. The evil powers were to triumph, and the whole universe was to be consumed with fire. See ScAN'oi^fA- VIAX AXD TEfTOXIC MvTIIOIX>OY : BCTSI. BI'GA. or BI'G.a:, which is the usual form before the Second Century a.d. (Lat., from his, twice + iugum, yoke). "A term for a vehicle dravn by two animals, and commonly applied to the Roman chariot used in processions or in the circus. In shape it resembled the Greek war- chariot — a short body on two wheels, low and 63 BIG BETHEL. open behind, where the charioteer entered, but higher and closed in front. A good example is the marble biga in the Vatican Mu.scum. BIG'AMY (OF. bigamie, from Lat. bis, twice + Gk. ydfios, (/a »! OS, marriage) . In ecclesiasti- cal law. marrying a second time, whether the first husband or wife is living or dead. Although, void by the canon law, ecclesiastical courts will recognize it so far as to entertain jiroceedings for the formal nullificatiou of the second mar- riage. In criminal law, bigamy (more properly called polj'gamy) is a statutory offense. The earliest English statute on this subject, that of I. Jas. I., c. 11 (1603), declared it a felony with the benefit of clergy. Blackstone says •'the legislature thought it just to make it a felony by reason of its being so great a violation of the public economy and decency of a well-ordered State." The latest English statute (2-1 and 25 A'ict., c. 100, §57) treats it as a wrong against the chastity of the second spouse. As the statute of James was enacted prior to the settlement of the English colonies in America, it might have been accepted as a part of the common law of the States; and it was so accepted in ilary- land. Most of the States, however, and the Federal legislature have enacted statutes mod- eled after the statute of James. L'nder these, the crime consists in going through the ceremony of marriage with another person while having a liusband or wife living. A non-ceremonial or com- mon-law marriage, so called, will not in general support an indictment for bigamy. The crime is cognizable only by the courts of the State where the second marriage occurs. The present statute in England continues this rule so far as aliens are concerned, but makes punishable in England the bigamous marriage of a British sub- ject, wherever it is contracted. It is provided by statutes on this subject, generally, that they do not extend to any person by reason of a former marriage whose husband or wife shall have been absent for a specified period (in England seven years, in the L'nited States often five years), and is not known to such person to be living, but is believed l)y such person to be dead : nor to a per- son whose former marriage shall have l)een dis- solved or pronounced void by a valid decree of a competent court. In 1882 Congress amended Section 5352 of the United States Revised Stat- utes, so as to bring the polygamous practices of Mormons within the definition of criminal big- amy. In some States a person who knowingly enters into a marriage with a bigamist is de- clared to be guilty of a criminal offense. Con- .sult: Stephen, Digest of the Criminal Law (5th ed., London, 1894) ; Phillimore, Ecclesiastical Laic of the Church of England (2d ed.. London, 1895) : Encrslev, hate of the Domestic Relations (2d ed., London, 1896). BIG BEG'GAR MAN. A nickname of Dan- iel O'Connell, the Irish agitator and orator (177.5-1847). BIG BEN. The name of the bell in the Par- liament clock-tower, London. It was east in 1858, and is of immense size. BIG BETH'EL. A small village on the peninsula between the York and .Tames rivers, 'a., ten miles northeast of Fortress Monroe. It was an outpost of Magrudcr's encampment at Yorktown early in 1861, 1800 Confederates being stationed here, and on June 10th was unsuccess-