Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/798

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BEHISTUN.
694
BEHRISCH.

others, notably Westergaard and Morris, set themselves to work on the Assyrian text, and by 1852 the foundations were laid for the reading of the cuneiform inscriptions meanwhile found in Mesopotamia. (See Asstkia.) The Median ter.t was first published by Edwin Norris (London, 1853), and later by Appert. Le peuple et la hiiu/ue dcs ilcdes (Paris, 1879). For the best publication and translation of the Persian text consult: Spiegel, Die persischen Keilinschriffen (2d ed., Leipzig, 1881); of the Assyrian text, Bezold, AcMmeniden Inschriften. (Leipzig,1882) ; and of the Median text, Weisbach, Die Acliii- menideninschriften Zweiter Art (Leipzig, 1890).


BEHM, bam, Ernst (1830-84). A German geographer and statistician. In 1856 he became assistant editor of the geographical periodi- cal Petermanns Mitteilungen, and on the death of Petermann, in 1878, succeeded him as chief editor. In 1860 he founded the Geographisclies Jahrhncli, from which was detached in 1872 the Bevijlkerung der Erde as a statistical supple- ment to the ilitteilunfien. From 1870 he took charge of the statistical department of the Al- maiiach de Gotha. His writings are marked by fullness, accuracy, and lucidity of arrangement.


BEHN, ben, Afba, or .phra (1640-89). An English novelist and playwright. She was born at Wye, in Kent, the daughter of John Johnson, a barber. Yhen a child she sailed to Surinam, South America, with the Lieutenant- Governor, whom she was accustomed to speak of as her father. He died on the passage out, but the family continued the voyage, and remained in Surinam for some time. Here the young girl made the acquaintance of the celebrated slave Oroonoko, who afterwards became the subject of one of her novels, and of a tragedy by Southerne. Returning to England, she married a merchant of Dutcli extraction named Behn, was presented at Court, where her personal appearance and vivacious freedom of manners pleased the King, who deputed her to watch events in Flanders. She accordingly went to Antwerp, where she succeeded in discovering the intention of the Dutch to sail up the Thames and Jledway, and eonununicated the secret to the English Court, which, however, took no ijotice of the informa- tion — a sliglit that caused !Mrs. Behn to throw up State polities in disgust. On her return to England she was associated with all the profli- gate wits, as well as the more staid scholars and poets of the time, and devoted herself to litera- ture. Her numerous plays, poems, tales, and letters are disfigured by general impurity of tone and indecency of language; and, in point of intellectual ability, none of her works de- serve the high praise lavished on them by Dry- den, Cotton, Southerne, and others. Of them all, Oroonoko is worth perusal. Interesting in itself, it also holds a place in the progress of English fiction, as it shows, at a time when extravagant romances were the fashion, a tendency to realis- tic eil'ort. Mrs. Behn was buried in Westmin- ster Abbey. Consult her Wo)7vS (London, 1871), and Aiii/lia for January, 1902.


BEHR, bar, Wilhelm JosEt>n (1775-1851). A German pulilicist, born at Sulzheim. He stud- ied at Wiirzburg and Giittingen, and from 1799 to 1821 was professor of constitutional law at the University of Wiirzburg. He subsequently was chosen mayor of Wiirzburg ; but when elect- ed deputy to the Diet, in 1834, the royal sanc- tion of his election was refused. On account of his freely expressed political opinions, he was convicted of Use-majeste and participation in political machinations, and only with the am- nesty of 1848 regained his complete freedom. In the same year he was elected to the German Xational Assembly. He published System der Staatskiinst (Frankfort, 1810); Verfassung und Venoaltung des Stants (Nuremberg, 1811-12) ; Bediirfnisse und Wiinsehe der Baj/ern (Stutt- gart, 1830) ; and other works.


BEHRAM, be'riim, or BEKHRAM, beK'- riim. See Assus.


BEHRENDS, ba'rens, Adolphus Julius Frederick (1839-1900). An American Congre- gational clergyman. He w'as born at Nimeguen, Holland, emigrated to New Orleans with his parents in 1845, taught school and learned the trade of cabinet-maker, and studied at Denison University and the Roc]ie.ster Theological Semi- nary, where he was graduated in 1865. He was pastor of Baptist churches at Yonkers, N. Y., and Cleveland, Ohio, but joined the Congregational- ists in 1876, and spent seven years as pastor of the Union Congregational Church of Providence, R. I. In 1883 he became pastor of the Central Congregational Churcli in Brooklyn, N. Y'., where he remained until his death. A forcible thinker and a careful scholar, and of pleasing yet impressive personality, he stood in the fore- most rank of American pulpit orators. Among his published works are to be found: Soeialism and Christianity (1886); The Philosophy of Preaching (1890); The Old Testament Under Fire; and The ^Vorld for Christ.


BEHRENS, ba'rens, Bebtha (1850—). A German novelist, whose pseudonym is V. Heini- burg. She was born at Thale, and educated at Quedlinburg. She was, in a sense, the successor of Marlitt in the Gartenlaube, in which period- ical most of her novels appeared. Among them may be mentioned: Aus clem Leben meiner alten Freundin (Magdebui-g, 1878; 8th ed., Leipzig, 1890); Lv-mpenmiiUers Licschen (1879); Ihr einziger Bruder (1882): Waldblumen (1882J; Dazumal. 8 stories (1887); Tnulchen-s Heirat (1884); Urn fremde Schuld (1895); .l)i(ons Erben (1898). She also completed Das Eulen- haus, a posthumous novel, by Marlitt. A ccmi- plete illustrated edition of her works appeared at Leipzig in 1893 (latest edition, 1898).


BEHRING, ba'ring or be'ring. See Bering.


BEHRING, ba'ring, Emdl Adolf (1854—). A German physieian. He was born at Hansdorf, Prussia, studied medicine in Berlin, in 1880 became an army surgeon, and in 1894 was ap- pointed a professor at the University of Halle. In 1895 he was called to become director of the Hygienic Institute at Marburg. He was the dis- coverer of diphtheria serum, and attained a great reputation by that means and by his contribu- tions to the study of immunity. Among his pub- lications are Die Blutserumtherapie (1892) and Bckiimpfuiig der Infektionskrankheitcn (1894).


BEHRISCH, ba'rish, Ernst Wolfgang (1738-1809). A friend of Goethe. He was born near Dresden, and while acting as a private tuto-r at Leipzig became acquainted with Goethe. Upon his departure from Leipzig in 1767 he was made the subject of three odes by Goethe, who