Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/432

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
BAR
398
BAR

flight in the field of art, and caused him many troubles in life. Appointed professor of painting at the Royal Academy in 1786, through his whimsicalities he lost that position in 1799. Although befriended by Sir Joshua Reynolds in his early career, he used to treat with contempt that great painter, to whom, as the "fellow in Leicester Square," he affected to send those who applied to him for portraits.—R. M.

BARRY, James, Lord Santry, an eminent Irish lawyer, born in Dublin in 1598. He was the son of a rich merchant; and adopting the profession of law, he finally obtained the office of lord chief-justice of the king's bench in that country. He was a firm friend of the unfortunate earl of Strafford. He was the author of "The Case of Tenures." Died in 1672.—J. F. W.

BARRY, Lodowick, an Irish author, who lived in the middle of the reign of James I. He wrote a comedy, called "Ram Alley; or, Merrie Tricks." It was first printed in 1611, republished in 1636, and revived as an acting play at Drury Lane theatre in 1723. It was again republished in 1780 in Dodsley's Old Plays. It is written with a good deal of comic power. Wood, in the Athenæ Oxonienses, calls him Lord Barry, a mistake in which he has been followed by Walpole in his Royal and Noble Authors, and by other writers.—J. F. W.

BARRY, Marie Jeanne Gomard de Vaubernier, Comtesse du, mistress of Louis XV., was born of an indigent family at Vaucouleurs in 1746. While very young she went to Paris, where from being in the employment of a marchand de modes, she very soon passed under the protection of the infamous Count Jean Du Barry. The count, even more mercenary than wicked, had his protegée introduced to Louis XV., who was so intoxicated with her beauty, that he only required, previous to avowing his passion for her, that she should espouse a brother of Count Jean, and be formally presented at court as Comtesse Guillaume du Barry. This ceremony of presentation, the preface to a scandal which filled Europe with amazement, was enacted in April, 1769, and from that date till the death of Louis, madame du Barry was the veritable queen-regnant of France. On the accession of Louis XVI., she was, singularly enough, allowed a pension and a residence at Luciennes. In 1792, after the execution of the king, she emigrated to England, but returning to Paris in the following year, was brought before the revolutionary tribunal and adjudged to the scaffold. She was executed on the 8th December, 1793, the day following her condemnation.—J. S., G.

BARRY, Martin, M.D., chiefly distinguished as a physiologist, was born at Fratton in Hampshire, on the 28th of March, 1802. Dr. Barry devoted his attention almost exclusively to the development of the mammalian ovum and embryo, which, when he took it up, was one of the most obscure parts of embryological science. The results of these researches were communicated to the Royal Society of London, in three memoirs, which were published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1838, 1839, and 1840 respectively; so highly were these communications esteemed by that learned body, that the royal medal was awarded to him in 1839, and he was admitted a fellow in 1840. There can be no doubt that these researches gave a great impulse to the progress of knowledge in the special departments to which they relate, especially in this country, where it had been previously much neglected, and there are many important points as to which his views, though at first disputed, have since been generally accepted. Among these may be specially mentioned, his doctrine that the nucleus of a cell, instead of being merely subservient to the development of that cell, takes an important share in the subsequent processes in which the cell may be concerned; and his assertion that the spermatozoon in the act of fecundation, penetrates the interior of the ovum. This last statement, which was promulgated by him in 1840, and confirmed by additional observations in 1843, was at first strenuously denied by one of the most eminent German embryologists, Professor Bischoff; but the fact having been verified by several subsequent observers in the ova of different animals, was at last witnessed by Professor Bischoff himself. In addition to the foregoing memoirs, and others on connected subjects, Dr. Barry also contributed to the Philosophical Transactions of 1840-41, three memoirs "On the Corpuscles of the Blood;" and to those of 1842, a memoir "On Fibre." He finally took up his abode in the neighbourhood of near relatives, at Beccles in Suffolk, where, after a lingering illness, he died on the 27th of April, 1855.—W. B. C.

BARRY, Spranger a celebrated actor, the contemporary and rival of Garrick. He was born in Dublin in 1719, and brought up to the trade of his father, that of a silversmith. He embraced the dramatic profession in 1774; and possessing great advantages of voice, address, and person, he rose to the highest eminence, and had constant engagement in London, dividing public favour with Garrick, the former playing in Covent Garden the same characters which the latter performed in Drury Lane. He subsequently came back to his native city, where he built Crow Street theatre, and conducted it for some time. The speculation was, however, unprofitable; and, after having lost heavily by it, he returned to London, and again, to a great extent, retrieved his fortunes, living in full possession of public favour till his death in 1777. He was a man of profuse hospitality, and of extravagant habits.—J. F. W.

BARRYMORE, David Barry, earl of, grandson of David Fitzjames, earl of Buttevant, the first peer of that title, having been raised to the earldom by Charles I. in 1626. He displayed great military capacity, heroism, and loyalty, in the Irish rebellion of 1641, having garrisoned his castles of Castlelyons and Shandon, and maintained them with small forces against the rebels, keeping open the passages between Youghal and Cork. He distinguished himself in the battle of Liscarrol. He died 29th September, 1642.—J. F. W.

BARSABAS. See Joseph BarsabasJudas Barsabas.

BARSUK-MOISEEV, Thomas Ivanovitch, a learned physician, a native of Little Russia, who published several treaties and translations. He died in 1811.

BARSANTI, Francesco, was a native of Lucca, and born about the year 1690. He was intended for the civil law, and with that intention was sent to the university of Padua. His stay there, however, was but short, since he soon changed his mind, and determined to adopt the profession of music. Accordingly, he placed himself under the tuition of some of the ablest of the Italian masters, and having attained a considerable proficiency in the science, he came over to England at the same time with Geminiani, in the year 1714. He was a good performer both on the hautboy and flute, and for several seasons played the former in the opera band. After some years' residence in London, a lucrative situation was offered to him in Scotland, which he accepted. Whilst he continued in that country, he collected and arranged a number of the fine old Scots tunes. They were published under the following title—"A Collection of Old Scots Tunes, with the Bass for Violoncello or Harpsichord, set, and most humbly dedicated to the Right Honourable the Lady Erskine, by Francis Barsanti. Edinburgh: printed by Alexander Baillie, and sold by Messrs. Hamilton and Kincaid," price 2s. 6d., folio, pp. 15. This collection was published 14th of January, 1742. (See Caledonian Mercury and Scots Magazine for January, 1742.) About the year 1750 Barsanti returned to England, but being then advanced in years, he was glad to be taken into the opera band as a performer on the viola; and in the summer season, into that of Vauxhall. Towards the conclusion of his life, he was indebted for support almost entirely to the industry of his wife and daughter. The latter was a popular performer and singer; her portrait is prefixed to Bell's edition of Shakspeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Barsanti published, besides the Scots tunes already mentioned, "Six Solos for the Flute, with a Thorough Bass;" "Six Solos for a German Flute, and a Bass;" "Geminiani's Six Solos for two Violins, and Bass;" "Twelve Concertos for Violins;" and "Sei Antifone." The latter work is a collection of motets for five and six voices, in the style of Palestrina and the old Italian masters. It possesses considerable merit.—(Hawkins; Burney; and original sources.)—E. F. R.

BARTALINI, Francesco, an Italian painter, born at Siena in 1560; died in 1609; a pupil of Vanni, executed several charming works for the churches of his native town, amongst which the "Madonna" at the chapel of St. Joseph is his masterpiece.

BARTAS, Guillaume de Salluste du, born in the year 1544 at Montfort in Armagnac, a distinguished soldier and statesman, and a popular poet. Du Bartas was a protestant, and held a confidential place in the household of Henry IV., while Henry was still engaged in struggling for the throne of France. Du Bartas went on missions of one character or other to Denmark, England, and Scotland. James wished to retain him in his service. He was at the battle of Ivry, where he was wounded; he lived, however, to commemorate it in verse, and died