Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/428

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his character is drawn with brief, yet vigorous felicity by Pitseus: "Staturâ procerus, formâ venustus, moribus benignus, alloquio dulcis et affabilis, modestus, in omnibus temperans et moderatus, eruditus sed superstitiosus."—J. F. W.

BARRI, Giovanni, a Venetian painter of the second half of the seventeenth century, equally distinguished for his pictures, in which the characteristics of Titian's school are quite evident, and for his etchings. He rendered great service to art by the work he published under the title of "A Picturesque Journey" (Viaggio Pittoresco). It is a catalogue of all the most important paintings in the different towns of Italy at that time. This book was translated into English, and republished in London in 1679 by W. Lodge.—R. M.

BARRIENTOS, Genes, a Spanish theologian; died in 1694. He abandoned the court of Charles II., by whom he had been favourably distinguished, to engage in missionary labours among the natives of the Philippine islands. He wrote "Expugnacion de el Probalismo Reflexiones Theologicas."

BARRIERE, surnamed La Barre, notorious for his attempt to assassinate Henry IV. of France. He was seized at the moment when his purpose was about to take effect; and having been convicted on the testimony of a Dominican, whom he had endeavoured to make his accomplice, was executed in 1593.

BARRINGTON, John Shute, first Viscount Barrington, born at Theobalds, Hertfordshire, in 1678, was the youngest son of Benjamin Shute, his mother being a daughter of Caryl, author of the famous and ponderous commentary on Job. He repaired in youth to the university of Utrecht, and while resident there, published several Latin essays and academic exercises, such as "Oratio de studio Philosophiæ conjungendo cum studio Juris Romani," 1698; "Exercitatio Physica de Ventis," 1696; "Exercitatio Philosophica de Theocratia Morali," 1697; "Dissertatio de Theocratia Civili," 1697. These tracts indicate a liberal and accomplished mind, and are the fruits of studious industry. Heineccius has praised some of them—a high compliment from so distinguished a jurist. Returning home, Mr. Shute entered the inner temple, and pursued the study of law. His sentiments on the relation of dissent to the church of England, were always manly and generous, as is shown by some of his publications at this period, such as—"The Interest of England considered, and the Right of Protestant Dissenters." So high was the estimate formed of his powers and principles by the great Lord Somers, that, at the age of twenty-four, he was asked by the queen's ministry to take charge of the presbyterian interest in Scotland, and to engage it in favour of the union with England. Swift says of him, that, according to report, he was "the shrewdest head in England, and as for his principles, he is a moderate man, frequenting church and meeting indifferently." For his services at this juncture he was rewarded in 1708 by the place of commissioner of customs, but the tories displaced him in 1711. In the meantime a gentleman of the name of Wildman, in Berkshire, settled an estate upon him, and he assumed the name of Barrington by act of parliament, on succeeding to the estate of Francis Barrington of Tofts, who had married his first cousin, and died without issue. When George I. ascended the throne, Mr. Barrington was returned to the House of Commons for Berwiek-on-Tweed. In 1717 the office of master of the rolls in Ireland was given him in reversion; and in 1720 he was raised to the Irish peerage by warrant of privy seal, dated St. James, June 10; and by patent at Dublin, July 1, by the style and title of Baron Barrington of Newcastle, and Viscount Barrington of Ardglass. In 1722 he was again returned for Berwick, but during the next year he was expelled the house for his connection with the Harburg lottery. A company had been formed under the auspices of the king, who was very partial to his German territory, to open up and improve the port of Harburg, the prince of Wales being governor, and Lord Barrington sub-governor of the association. Shares rose to an extravagant price, a lottery was opened, but very speedily the bubble burst, the matter ending in terrible loss. There was a question, too, about the extent of German and English power in the business; and the Commons, at the instigation of Walpole, resolved that the company had acted without orders from his majesty, that the affair was a kind of public cheat, and that the sub-governor be expelled the house. Certainly Lord Barrington had not governed the company wisely, for he allowed his subordinates to act not only without his consent, but against his opinion. In 1725 appeared Lord Barrington's principal work, his "Miscellanea Sacra." His lordship, in this book, treats on the methods by which christianity was originally propagated, and the various supernatural gifts bestowed on the early preachers; the instrumentality employed, and the success resulting from it, being wrought into a demonstration of the divine origin and truth of the christian faith. The reasoning is not profound, but clear; the erudition is not extensive, but it is respectable; and the candour and liberality of the author are apparent on every page. Various other religious treatises were published by him—"An Essay on the several Dispensations of God to Mankind," 1725; "A Discourse on Natural and Revealed Religion," 1732, &c. His lordship took an active part in all questions bearing on toleration, and published again and again on a topic which lay near his heart, for he generally worshipped with the dissenters. As a friend and follower of Locke, such a course was to be expected from him. Lord Barrington died at his seat, Becket, Berkshire, 4th September, 1734. He left six sons and three daughters, and some of these sons are noticed in their place. His fourth son, Daines, was eminent in science and scholarship; his fifth son, Samuel, was a brave seaman; and his sixth son, Shute, became bishop of Durham.—J. E.

BARRINGTON, Daines, the Honourable, a celebrated naturalist and lawyer, born in 1727. He was the fourth son of John Shute, first Viscount Barrington. His mother was a daughter of Sir William Daines. He was educated at Oxford, and afterwards entered as a student at the middle temple. He was called to the bar in 1749. In 1757 he became marshal of the court of admiralty; and in 1753 he was appointed secretary for the affairs of Greenwich hospital. In 1752 he was employed in his own profession as junior counsel for the prosecution on the well-known trial of Miss Blandy for the murder of her father. He was elected recorder of Bristol in 1753; and in 1757 was made a puisne Welsh judge. In the year 1785, having an ample income, he retired from active and public life, and retained only his place of commissary-general of the stores at Gibraltar. He died in his chambers at the temple on the 11th of March, 1800. In 1766 he produced the work on which much of his reputation depended—a project for repealing obsolete and useless statutes. He devoted much attention to the question of the north-west passage, and detailed the result of his inquiries and investigations in several papers read before the Royal Society. It is said that his reports were chiefly instrumental in causing government to send out the expedition under the command of Captain Phipps, afterwards Lord Mulgrave, for the purpose of making discoveries in the North Seas. His natural history papers, read before the Royal Society, and existing in the Philosophical Transactions, are chiefly as follows:—"On some particular Fish found in Wales," vol. 57, p. 204; "On a Mole from North America," vol. 61, p. 292; "On the Specific Characteristics which distinguish the Rabbit from the Hare," vol. 62, p. 4; "On the Periodical Appearing and Disappearing of certain Birds at different times of the Year," vol. 62, p. 265; "On a Fossil lately found near Christ Church in Hampshire," vol. 63, p. 171 "On the Lagopus or Ptarmigan," vol. 63, p. 224; "On the Singing of Birds," vol. 63, p. 249; "On the Gillaroo Trout," vol. 64, p. 116.—E. L.

BARRINGTON, Shute, D.D., bishop of Durham, brother of the preceding, was born in 1734, and educated at Eton and Merton college, Oxford. Having been made a royal chaplain and canon of Christ Church, he was consecrated bishop of Llandaff in 1769, translated to Salisbury in 1782, and to Durham in 1791. He continued to hold that wealthy see for thirty-three years, down to his death in 1826. He was particularly celebrated for the judiciousness with which he distributed his patronage. Amongst those whom he advanced and promoted in the established church were Archdeacon Paley, the late Bishop Burgess, and Bishop Phillpotts. He published "Grounds of Separation between the Churches of England and Rome," 1809; "Grounds of Union between the Churches of England and Rome considered," 1810; a volume of "Charges and Sermons," 1811; and the "Political Life of William, Viscount Barrington," 8vo, 1815. He also contributed some valuable notes to the third edition of Mr. Bowyer's "Critical Conjectures on the New Testament," published in 1782.—E. W.

BARRINGTON, William Wildman, second Viscount, was born in 1717. He was for many years employed in the public service under the administrations of the duke of Newcastle and the marquis of Rockingham, being secretary-at-war from 1755 to