BRENKENHOF. 462 BRENNUS. the devastated eastern provinces. lie rebuilt cities, founded settlements, encouraged the in- dustries, and constructed numerous canals. After his death it was found that his accounts were irregular, and, in consequence, his estates were confiscated by the King, though afterwards returned to the family. BREJr'NAN, Thomas Frakcis (IS.'iS— ). An Irish Roman Catholic prelate, bom in Tipperary. He studied at Allegheny College (Allegheny, Pa.), at Kouen, and at Innsbruck, and was for some time connected with missionary work in the State of Pennsylvania. In 1891 he was con- secrated Bishop of Dallas, Tex. He was vicar- apostolic of Labrador from 1803 to 1894, and from 1S94 to 1895 Auxiliary Bishop of New- foundland. Since that time he has been resident in Italy as acting Auxilian- Bishop of Albano and Frascati. BREN'NEB, RicHABD (1833-74). A German explorer, born at Merseburg. During 18G4 and 1865 he accompanied Baron von der Deeken upon Bis expedition along the eastern coast of Africa. After the attack made upon the exploring party by the natives, October 1. 1865, he made his way with great difficulty to Zanzibar and thence to Germany. On behalf of von der Decken's family, and in association with Kinzelbach, he here or- ganized an expedition for the purpose of ascer- taining the fate of the Baron (1866-68). He afterwards visited the southern part of the Galla country, of which region he was the first to prepare a chart. In 1870 he undertook an ex- tensive commercial tour to Aden, the Persian Gulf, and the coast of East Africa. BRENNER PASS. A mountain pass of the Tyrol, Austria, the lowest over the main chain of the Alps (q.v. ). It is on the route uniting Innsbruck Math Bozen ( Jlap : Austria, B 3 ) . The summit, which is 4490 feet above the sea, and 25 miles south of Innsbruck, lies on the water- shed between the Black and Adriatic seas. Lofty mountains rise above it on every side. The Bren- ner Pass was used by the Romans. It was made available for carriages in 1772, and in 1867 a railway was opened which passes over sixty-seven bridges and through twenty-two tunnels (one of which is over 2800 feet long). It connects the railway systems of Germany and Austria with that of Italy. It is the shortest route between central Germany and Italy. The railway was begun by the Austrian Government when Venetia belonged to the Austrian Empire, with the view of facilitating the military operations and of re- storing the commercial prosperity of Venice by making it the port of southern Germany. The prosecution of the work was not arrested by the political changes which took place. A liberal commercial treaty l)etween Austria and Italy, binding the two countries together in comnuinity of interest, restored the natural state of things, with which political animosities had long inter- fered. The pass takes its name from the village of Brenner at its summit. Tlic most picturesque portions lie between Innsbruck and Gossensass. The steepest gradient is 1 in 40. The distance from Innsbruck to Bozen in a direct line is only 52 miles, but by the windings of the road or of the railway it is much increased. BfiENNGLAS, IirCn'glils, Adolf. A pseudo- nym of Adolph Glas.sbrenner (q.v.). BREN'NORALT. OR THE DISCON- TENTED COLONEL, kflr'nil. A posthumous tragedy by Sir .John Suckling, published in 1646, in a volume entitled Fra(jmenta Aurea. It was an expansion of an earlier play (1640), the title of which furnished the subtitle of the revision. It was revived at the Theatre Royal March 5, 1668. The scene is laid in Poland, and the lines contain striking allusions to political events of 1639. BRENTIUS (Celt. Irennin, king, or Welsh and Ir. bran, raven). The Latin form of a Celtic name borne by several Gallic chieftains. ( 1 ) The most famous Brennus was that leader of the Gauls who. about B.C. 300, crossed the Apennines, and hurrying through the country of the Sabines, at the head of 70,000 men, encoim- tered and overthrew the Roman army on the banks of the Allia. Had the barbarians immedi- ately followed up their advantage. Rome miglit have been obliterated from the earth; but instead oi doing so, they abandoned themselves to drunk- en revelry on the battlefield, and gave the Ro- mans time to fortify the Capitol, whither were removed all the treasures and holy things of the city. When Brennus entered the gates he foimd that all the inhabitants of the city had fled, with the exception of the women and children, and aged Senators, the last of whom, with pathetic heroism, had resolved not to survive the destruc- tion of their homes, and so the chief among them, clothed in their robes of sacerdotal or consular dignity, and sitting in the curule chairs, awaited the approach of their enemies, and suffered death in majestic silence. Brennus, having plim- dered the city, now besieged the Capitol for six months. During the beleaguerment occurred the famous night attack, which would have been suc- cessful had not the cackling of the geese kept in Juno's temple awakened the garrison. .t length, however, the Romans were compelled to enter into negotiations with the besiegers. They offered 1000 pounds of gold for their ransom, which was agreed to. According to Polybius, Brennus and his Gauls returned home in safety with their booty: but the rather mythical Rom.an traditions affirm that, just as the Gauls were leaving the city. Camillus. who had lu'cn re- called from banishment and appointed dictator, appeared at the head of an army, attacked them, and, in two bloody battles, slew them to a man. The whole story of Brennus is evidently a mere legend, based upon facts which the Roman his- torians, from patriotic motives, falsified. It is probable that the Gauls in reality held posses- sion of parts of Italy for some time, and that their gieat rout by Camillus is pure fiction. (2) Another liRrxxis, who iHcui)ies a con- spicuous place in history, was that Gallic chief who invaded Greece, n.c. 279, at the head of 1.50,000 foot and 61.000 horse. After desolating Macedonia, he forced his way through Thessaly to Thermopylie (B.C. 278). The Grecian armj (led at his approach. Brennus rushed on with a division of his great host to Delphi, which he had resolved to phinder; but the Delphians, having taken up a very advantageous position on some rocks, resisted his further progress. Assisted by the terrors of an earthquake and a terrible storm, and, according to reverential tradition, by the supernatural help of Apollo, they utterly routed the Gauls, who fled in dismay. Brennus was
