that we refer the reader to that biography. After the death of John Banim, Michael wrote a tale called "Clough Fionn," or the Stone of Destiny, which displays what were his peculiar talents in contradistinction to those of his younger brother. If it wants the finish which John conferred on their joint productions, it has the force of style, and life like delineation of character and scenery which Michael contributed to the O'Hara tales.—J. F. W.
BANISTER, John, a botanist of the seventeenth century, who visited the East Indies, and subsequently settled in Virginia. He sent to Ray in 1680 a catalogue of the plants of Virginia. He also wrote papers on Aristolochia serpentaria, or snake-root, on Virginian curiosities, on insects, and on snails, which are published in the Philosophical Transactions. He came to an untimely death by falling from the rocks in Virginia in one of his excursions. A genus of plants, Banisteria, commemorates him.—J. H. B.
BANISTER, John, was the son of one of the waits of the parish of St. Giles, London. He received the rudiments of his musical education from his father, and arrived at such proficiency on the violin, that he was sent by King Charles the Second into France for improvement; and, on his return, was appointed leader of the king's band. This appointment took place in 1663. Pepys, in his interesting Diary, under the date Feb. 20, 1666-67, says:—"They talk how the kings violin, Banister, is mad that a Frenchman come to be chief of some part of the king's musique." The Frenchman here alluded to was the impudent pretender, Louis Grabu. Banister was dismissed from the service of the king for saying, in the hearing of his majesty, that the English performers on the violin were superior to those of France. Banister was the first musician who established lucrative concerts in London. These concerts were made known through the medium of the London Gazette; and in No. 742, December 30, 1672, there is the following advertisement:—"These are to give notice, that at Mr. John Banister's house, now called the Musick-school, over against the George Tavern, in White Friars, tins present Monday, will be Musick performed by excellent masters, beginning precisely at four of the clock in the afternoon, and every afternoon for the future, precisely at the same hour." Many similar advertisements may be seen in the London Gazette (1672 to 1678), from which it appears that Banister continued these concerts from their commencement till near the period of his decease, which occurred in the month of October, 1679. He was buried in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey. Banister wrote the music to the tragedy of Circe, written by Dr. Charles Davenant (eldest son of Sir William Davenant), and produced at the Duke of York's theatre in 1676. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus) calls it an "opera," and says, "All the musick was set by Mr. Banister, and being well performed, it answered the expectation of the company." A portion of the music (the first act only) is preserved in a MS. volume, now in the library of the Sacred Harmonic Society, London. One of the songs is printed in the second book of Choice Ayres and Songs, 1676. From a perusal of these specimens, we are inclined to give Banister a much higher station among the dramatic composers of this country than has hitherto been assigned to him.—(Barney; Hawkins; Notes to Roger North's Memoires of Musick.)—E. F. R.
BANK BAN or the BAN BANK, a famous Hungarian rebel; lived in the first half of the thirteenth century. Having placed himself at the head of the numerous malcontents of the country, he assaulted the palace of the king, Andrew II., who was then absent, but on his return the Ban was condemned to death.
BANKERT, Adrien, a Dutch admiral, died at Middleburg in 1684. He distinguished himself in several engagements with the English, and with the united fleets of England and France. In 1674 he made an unsuccessful attempt at a descent on the English coast.
BANKERT, Joseph van Trappen, a Dutch admiral, and a native of Flushing; lived in the first half of the seventeenth century. He at first distinguished himself under the famous Admiral Tromp, at the battle of Dunkirk. Being afterwards appointed to the command of a fleet sent against the Portuguese, he took the little island of Tagaripa, and captured several vessels with rich cargoes. He died on the voyage back to Holland.—G. M.
BANKES, Henry, a descendant of Sir John, born about 1757, was for many years a member of parliament, and trustee of the British Museum. He published in 1818 a "Civil and Constitutional History of Rome," 2 vols. 8vo, and died in 1835.
BANKES, Sir John, who succeeded Sir Edward Littleton as lord chief-justice of the Common Pleas, was born at Keswick, Cumberland, in 1589. He became involved in the troubles of his time, having declared himself on the side of the king. At the Wiltshire assizes he pronounced the conduct of the parliamentary generals to be treasonable. He was immediately voted a traitor by the House of Commons, and his seat of Corfe castle in Dorsetshire was besieged. The siege is memorable for the courage with which Lady Bankes, with a garrison never greater than forty men, defended the fortress till the besiegers were defeated by the earl of Caernarvon in August, 1643. Sir John died in the following year.—J. B.
BANKS, John, a dramatist, who lived in the seventeenth century, and wrote several tragedies, very popular in their day. Of these the best known was "The Unhappy Favourite, or the Earl of Essex," in which the character of Queen Elizabeth was first sustained by Nell Gwynn.
BANKS, Sir Joseph, a distinguished cultivator of natural science, was born in Argyle Street, London, on 4th January, 1743. He was descended from an ancient family of the name of Banke. His great-grandfather was M.P. for Grimsby, and subsequently for Totness. His grandfather was high-sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1736, and for sometime M.P. for Peterborough. His father died in 1761. His early studies were prosecuted under his father's roof, at Beverly Abbey. At nine years of age he went to Harrow, and at thirteen to Eton. He left Eton at eighteen, and was entered as a gentleman-commoner at Christ Church, Oxford, in December 1760. He evinced a decided taste for natural history, and especially for botany, which he prosecuted with great ardour and enthusiasm. In 1764, when he became of age, he succeeded to an ample paternal fortune, which he prudently employed for the advancement of science. On May 1, 1766, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, and in the summer of that year, he visited the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador, with his friend Mr. Phipps, a lieutenant in the navy. He returned with valuable collections of plants and insects. In 1768, through the influence of Lord Sandwich, first lord of the Admiralty, he was allowed to join the great navigator. Captain Cook, who had been commissioned to examine the transit of Venus in the Pacific ocean, and to undertake a voyage of discovery. Banks made ample preparation for the scientific part of the voyage, and induced Dr. Solander, a medical botanist, and a pupil of Linnæus, to join him. Banks had now an opportunity of gratifying fully his botanical tastes. He displayed astonishing vigour and enthusiasm in all his researches, and willingly encountered trials and dangers. He made large collections, and brought home in 1771, numerous specimens, more particularly from Otaheite, Tierra del Fuego, New Zealand, and Australia. The materials which he accumulated were laid open to all naturalists, and many men of science availed themselves of the generosity of the collector, who, though he did not publish the details of his labours, was thus instrumental in promoting to no small extent the cause of natural history. Banks, on his return from this voyage, was treated with every mark of respect, and was honoured with a private royal interview. His majesty ever afterwards took a warm interest in him. Several important plants were introduced into Britain by Banks. He offered his services to government to accompany Cook in his second voyage. His offer was accepted, and he proceeded to make preparations for it on a grand scale, engaging draughtsmen, secretaries, servants, and apparatus of all kinds. Unfortunately, however, he was thwarted in all his arrangements by the comptroller of the navy, and he was forced to give up his plans in disgust. He still, however, interested himself in the voyage, and ultimately secured the appointment of Dr. John Reinhold Forster and his son, as naturalists to the expedition. Forster's drawings on his return were purchased by Banks. Defeated in this scheme, he now undertook a voyage to Iceland, taking as his companions Dr. Solander, Dr. Lind, and Von Troil. Having equipped a vessel at his own expense, he sailed in July, 1772. The party visited Staffa on their way, and made known the existence of the wondrous basaltic columns of that island. The account of their works with drawings, was afterwards published by Pennant in his tour in Scotland, from Banks' notes. The party spent about six weeks in Iceland, and the result of their researches was published by Von Troil, who was afterwards bishop of Linkioping. Large collections were made, and Banks purchased numerous Icelandic books and manu-
