Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 02.djvu/274

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BURGOS 242 BURGUNDY trate of German towns or cities, corre- sponding to the English mayor, the Scotch provost, and the French maire. BURGOS, a city of northern Spain, once the capital of the kingdom of Old Castile, and now the chief town of the province of Burgos. It stands on the declivity of a hill on the right bank of the Arlanzon, and has dark, narrow streets full of ancient architecture, but there are also fine promenades in the modern style. The cathedral, com- menced in 1221, is one of the finest ex- amples of Gothic architecture in Spain, It contains the tombs of the famous Cid, and of Don Fernando, both natives of Burgos, and celebrated throughout Spain for their heroic achievements in the wars with the Moors. Before the re- moval of the court to Madrid, in the 16th century, Burgos was in a very flourish- ing condition, and contained thrice its present population. It has some manu- factures in woolens and linens. Pop. about 33,000. Province has an area of 5,480 square miles, largely hilly or mountainous, but with good agricultural and pastoral land. Pop. about 350,000. BURGOYNE, JOHN, an English gen- eral and dramatic author, born Feb. 24, 1723. After having served with distinc- tion in Portugal, he was sent to America in 1775. He joined General Gage at GENERAL JOHN BURGOYNE Boston, with large re-enforcements, and witnessed the battle of Bunker Hill, of which he has left an animated descrip- tion. After proceeding to Canada as Governor, he returned to England, but, in 1777, was dispatched to take com- mand of that expedition from Carada against the United States, the failure of which so largely contributed to the es- tablishment of American freedom. Few battles, indeed, have achieved, in their ultimate influence, results so great as: the surrender of Burp'oyne with 5,79 i fighting men, well provided with artil- lery, at Saratoga, to the army of Gen- eral Gates. On his return home, he was received by the King vith marked di.s favor. Burgoyne did not possess th< genius of a great general, and was in many respects utterly inaaequate to tho tasks imposed upon him, yet no one can read the work published in his defense — "State of the Expedition from Canada" (London, 1780) — without acknowledging his courage, and detecting qualities, which, in a less exalted station, might have been of service to his country. Dis- gusted with his treatment by the gov- ernment, he retired into private life, and devoted his leisure to the production of dramas, many of which, as the "Maid of the Oaks," "The Lord of the Manor," etc., were highly popular in their day. His best play, "The Heiress," still keeps the stage. He died in London, Aug. 4, 1792. BURGOYNE, SIR JOHN FOX, an English engineer, son of the preceding, born in London, July 24, 1782. Enter- ing the Royal Engineers he served in Malta, Sicily, Egypt, and, with Sir John Moore and Wellington, in the Peninsula from 1809 to 1814, and was present at all the sieges, generally as first or second in command of the engineers. In 1851 he was made a lieutenant-general, and was chief of the engineering department at Sebastopol till recalled in 1855. In the following year he was created r- baronet, and in 1868 a field marshal. Ho died Oct. 7, 1871. BURGUNDY, a region of western Eu- rope, so named from the Burgundians, a Teutonic or Germanic people originally from the country between the Oder and the Vistula. They migi-ated first to the region of the upper Rhine, and, in the beginning of the 5th century, passed into Gaul and obtained possession of the S. E. part of the country, where they founded a kingdom having its seat of government sometimes at Lyons and sometimes at Geneva. They were at last wholly subdued by the Franks. In 879 Boson, Count of Autun, succeeded in es- tablishing the royal dignity again ^ in part of this kingdom. He styled him- self King of Provence, and had his resi- dence at Aries. His son, Louis, added the country beyond the Jura, and thus established Cisjuran Burgundy. A second kingdom arose when Rudolph of