Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 01.djvu/558

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BEATTT 458 BEAUHABNAIS of poems. In 1765 he published a poem, the "Judgment of Paris," and in 1770 his celebrated "Essay on Truths" for which the University of Oxford con- ferred on him the degree of LL. D.; and Greorge III. honored him, when on a visit to London, with a private conference and a pension. He next published in 1771 the first book of his poem, the "Minstrel," and in 1774 the second; this is the only work by which he is now re- membered. In 1776 he published dis- sertations on "Poetry and Music," "Laughter and Ludicrous Composition"; in 1783 and in 1790-1793 "Elements of Moral Science." He died in Aberdeen, Aug. 18, 1803. BEAITY, DAVID, EABL, a British admiral, born in 1871. He chose a naval career, and from the start manifested those qualities of judgment and intrepid- ity that signalized his work in all stages of the service. In 1898, serving in the Kitchener expedition on the Nile, he won the D. S. 0. He was in the Boxer Re- bellion and gave distinguished service at Tien-Tsin, where he was twice wounded. In 1900 he was made captain, and in 1910 became rear admiral. For two years prior to the outbreak of the World War he was naval secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty. In 1913 he be- came commander of the First Battle Cruiser Squadron. The first action of importance in which he participated was the fight in the Bight of Helgoland, which resulted in a British victory. His casualties were slight, while the Germans lost five ships, 700 of their men being drowned or otherwise killed, while 300 were captured. In the Dogger Bank ac- tion of Jan. 24, 1915, his squadron scored another triumph, only two of his ships being hit, while the German armored cruiser "Bliicher," after having been put out of action, turned turtle and sank with heavy loss of life. The battle of Jutland, the greatest naval action of the war, was fought May 31, 1916. Both sides suffered severely and conflicting claims were made as to the side with which victory rested. In this action, Beatty for a while was engaged with much inferior forces against practically the whole of the German High Seas Fleet. His cruiser squadron fought brilliantly in the effort to hold the Ger- mans until the Grand Fleet under Jel- licoe could arrive and get into action. The Germans drew off and retreated under cover of the night, leaving the British still holding the seas, as they had done up to that time. When Jellicoe was made First Sea Lord on Nov. 29, 1917, Beatty was made commander of the grand fleet, which office he held until the close of the conflict. In that capacity it fell to him to receive the surrender of the German fleet off the Firth of Forth, Nov. 21, 1918. He received many deco- rations and was made an earl in 1919. BEAUFORT, HENRY, CARDINAL, natural son of John of Gaunt and half brother of Henry IV., King of England, born 1377; was made Bishop of Lincoln, whence he was translated to Winchester. He repeatedly filled the ofiice of Lord Chancellor, and took part in all the most important political movements of his times. He died April 11, 1447. BEAUHARNAIS (bo-har-na'), the name of a noble French family, of which the following are historical personages: Beauharnais, Alexandre, Vicomte DE, born at Martinique, 1760. He served under Rochambeau in the War of Ameri- can Independence. On his afterward tak- ing up his residence in France, he was elected a Deputy to the States-General, where he espoused the Democratic or Lib- eral party, became President of the Na- tional Assembly, and played a conspicu- ous part in the Revolution. Beauharnais served with distinction in the French army, but became ultimately a victim to the Revolutionary Tribunal just previous to the fall of Robespierre, in 1794. His widow, Josephine Tascher de la Pagerie, became the first wife of Napoleon I. in 1796. Beauharnais, Francois, Marquis de, elder brother of the preceding, born in 1756. He was a Major-General in the French army, protested against revolu- tionary excesses in a letter to the Presi- dent of the National Assembly, and, on Bonaparte becoming First Consul, recom- mended him to restore the scepter to the House of Bourbon. He was afterward Ambassador to Spain, but fell into dis- grace with Napoleon, and was banished. He returned to Paris after the Restora- tion, and died March 4, 1846. Beauharnais, Eugene de. Viceroy of Italy, and a Prince of the French Em- pire, son of Alexandre de Beauharnais and Josephine, born in Paris in 1781. After his mother's marriage to Napoleon, he, in 1796, became aide-de-camp to the latter, and served with distinction in the campaigns of Italy and Egypt. Beauhar- nais was wounded at Acre, contributed to the victory of Marengo, was created Prince of the Empire in 1805, and Vice- roy of Italy. In 1806, he married the Princess Amelia Augusta, of Bavaria, and in the same year was adopted by the Emperor as his son, and appointed governor of Lombardy and Venice. He served in the campaign of 1809, defeated the Austrians at Raab, and distinguished