Bayne, Peter. 1830 ——. Essayist and biographer. Author of Christian Life, Essays in Biographical Criticism, Life of Hugh Miller, etc. Pub. Har. Rou.
Beale, Lionel Smith. 1828 ——. Scientific writer of note. Author of How to Work with the Microscope, Protoplasm, The Mystery of Life, etc.
Beattie [bee´tĭ1; or bā´tĭ], James. 1735–1803. Scotch poet. Author of The Minstrel, a long, prosy poem in Spenserian stanza, and a prose Essay on Truth. See Ward's Eng. Poets, vol. 3. Pub. Hou.
Beaumont, Francis. 1586–1615. Dramatist. Colleague of John Fletcher. Their collected plays amount to 52, of which 14 were in part the work of B., but his separate authorship is not easy to trace. B. and F. in their day were more popular than Shakespeare, but none of their plays now keep the stage. Their blank verse is melodious and their wit and humor sparkling, but their plays reflect the full coarseness of the time. Among plays written by them jointly are Philaster, Thierry and Theodoret, A King and No King, and the comedy of The Knight of the Burning Pestle. See Fletcher, John. See Schlegel's Dramatic Lit., Hazlitt's Dramatic Lit. and Hallam's Lit. of Europe. Pub. Apl.
Beaumont, Sir John. 1582–1628. Bro. to F. B. Author Bosworth Field, a poem in heroic verse.
Beckford, Wm. 1760–1844. Author of Vathek, an Oriental romance. Style luxuriant. See Chambers' Cyc. Eng. Lit.
Beddoes, Thos. Lovell. 1803–1849. Poet. Author The Bride's Tragedy, Death's Jest-Book, etc. See Ward's Eng. Poets, vol. 4.
Bede, Cuthbert. See Bradley, Edward.
Bede, Beda, or Bæda, The Venerable. 673–735. "First among Eng. scholars, first among Eng. theologians, first among Eng. historians." His whole life was passed in the monastery of Yarrow, where he composed more than 40 Latin works, the greatest of which is the Eccl. Hist. of the Eng. Nation. On the day of his death was finished his translation of St. John's Gospel into Eng., being the earliest example of Eng. prose. See edition of Bede by Dr. Giles, 6 vols. 1843-4. See Green's Short Hist. of the Eng. People, also Green's Making of England. Pub. Dut.
Behn [bĕn], Mrs. Aphra. 1642–1689. Novelist and dramatist. Known in her day as Astræa. Author of The Forced Marriage, Oronooko, etc. A lively, immoral writer. See edition of 1871. See Miss Kavanagh's Eng. Women of Letters, and Ward's Eng. Poets, vol. 2.