BEHAIM, Michael, a German troubadour, surnamed Poeta Weinsbergensis, born at Sulzbach in 1421; died about 1490. His numerous poems all refer to the events of his day.
BEHAM, Barthol, a German painter, born at Nuremberg about 1496. He studied at Bologna and Rome under Raimondi, and became a resident at Munich, where he painted for the elector. His manner was a wild grotesque imitation of Dûrer; his heads are not deficient in life. He engraved several fine plates, and died in 1540.—W. T.
BEHAM, Hans, was a relation of Bartholomew; he was a great engraver, and one of "the little masters." Died in 1550. Some illuminations by him exist at Aschaffenburg. He produced some simple prints of the prodigal son, that Kugler applauds.—W. T.
BEHLEN, Ludwig Phillip, a German canonist, author of several learned dissertations, particularly of a "Disp. de causis sæcularisationis illegit. et legit." Died at Mentz in 1777.
BEHLEN, Stephen, was born at Fritzlar, near Kassel, in 1784, and died at Aschaffenburg, 1847. He devoted himself to the study of law and administrative science, and held several not very important posts in the administrative service of Bavaria. He was a prolific writer on subjects connected with venery and the management of forests. We mention—"Lehrbuch der beschreibenden Forstbotanik;" "Archiv der Forst-und fagdgesetzgebung der deutschen Bundesstaaten," in 29 vols., Friburg, 1834-46; "Real und Verballexicon der Forst-und fagdkunde," in 7 vols., Frankf., 1840-45, &c.—K. E.
BEHM, Ernst Leopold Friedrich, a German protestant theologian, born at Wolfenbüttel in 1700; died in 1742. He published some valuable theological works.
BEHM, Johann, a German protestant theologian, born in 1687; died in 1753. He published several ecclesiastico-antiquarian dissertations, of which the most important are, "De Antiqua ratione compellandi episcopos per coronam," and "De lotione in obeundis sacris gentilium, judæorumet christianorum."
BEHN, Aphra, an English authoress, was born in Canterbury shortly before the death of Charles I. Her father, whose name was Johnson, was a man of family and influence, and being appointed lieutenant-general of Surinam, left England for that place early in the reign of Charles II., taking his family with him. Dying on the passage, his widow and children were placed in a residence on the sea-side, which has been described by Aphra as beautiful and romantic. Here she grew up, lovely in appearance and quick in intellect, delicate in health, yet delighting in the wild and adventurous sport of tiger-hunting, and in expeditions to the native tribes. Upon the return of Mrs. Johnson and her family to England, Aphra was introduced to the king, who was charmed with her vivacity and wonderful anecdotes, especially in relation to the unfortunate Oroonoko, whose history she published at the request of the monarch, under the nom de plume of Astrea, which she thenceforward assumed. The effect of this novel can only be compared to that of Mrs. Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin in our own time. The popular mind was in a state of excitement upon the subject of slavery, and Southerne dramatized Aphra's novel. One so beautiful and attractive had l overs in abundance. Aphra prudently chose the richest and the oldest, Mr. Behn, a merchant, who soon left her a widow, in freedom and competence. She now entered another sphere of action. Charles despatched her in 1666 to watch in secret the movements of the Dutch, with whom England was then at war. Aphra had a thorough love of intrigue, and no small ability for it to boot; so she went to Antwerp, and soon established relations, diplomatic and amatory, with one of her old admirers, a merchant of Utrecht, Vander Albert by name, who had great influence and position in Holland. Aphra managed her lover to admiration, and by holding out the prize of her hand as the reward of his confidence, she contrived to worm out the state secrets and the plans of De Witte and De Ruyter, and conveyed to Charles the intelligence of the intended expedition to destroy the English shipping in the Thames. Her information was discredited, to the great detriment of the nation. Offended at this neglect, Aphra renounced diplomacy, and devoted herself to the pleasures of society. The beautiful Englishwoman, witty, learned, travelled, and rich, was the rage at Antwerp. She was besieged by lovers, who laid their hearts and their wealth at her feet; but she surrendered her freedom to none, and never again married. She returned to England, narrowly escaping shipwreck, and continued to play her roles of gaiety and authorship very effectively in both, for she was only about twenty-three years of age. Poems, odes, comedies, and tragedies flowed from her ready pen, and she maintained a high reputation during her life, mingling in all the gallantries and amusements of that licentious time, and died on the 16th April, 1689, when she could have been little more than forty years of age. Mrs. Behn was one of the most voluminous English writers. Besides poems and tales without number, she produced nearly twenty dramatic compositions, all of which possessed more or less merit. As a poetess, she had a name which posterity will not affirm, though her ballads are easy and graceful, and a fine thought is now and then to be found in her more pretentious effusions. As a novelist, she is justly censurable as indelicate and immoral—a fault in no small degree attributable to the fashion of her times, as is manifest from the fact that these works were to be found on the table of every woman of taste and fashion. Still more objectionable on this score are her dramas. The whole writings of Aphra Behn, with wit, and feeling, and interest sufficient to have secured them a place in our libraries to-day, are rightly denied access to them by reason of their immorality.—J. F. W.
* BEHR, John Henry Augustus, a Saxon statesman, born 13th November, 1793. He first took office as a minister in 1815. In 1849 he was first minister of the interior at Dresden; and in May of the same year was charged with the administration of finance. At the diet of 1849-50 he declared himself in favour of a conciliation between the people and the government. With a view to this end, he laboured successfully in the diet of 1850-51, to frame his financial measures on popular principles. He bears the reputation of an accomplished orator as well as an able financier—G. M.
BEHOURT, Jean, a grammarian and dramatic poet, a native of Normandy, lived at the close of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth century, at Rouen; author of three dramatic pieces, "Hypsicrate," "Polyrena," and "Esau," published at Rouen, 1597, 1599, and 1604, 12mo.—J. G.
BEHR, Wilhelm Joseph, a distinguished writer on jurisprudence and political economy, was born at Sulzheim, near Schweinfurt, in 1775, and died at Bamberg, 1st August, 1851. He devoted himself to the study of jurisprudence in the universities of Wurzburg and Göttingen, and from 1799 till 1821 filled the chair of political law at Wurzburg. In 1819 he was a member of the Bavarian diet, where he took his seat on the benches of the opposition, and greatly contributed towards the propagation of liberalism in Germany. He then was elected burgomaster of Wurzburg; but the higher he rose in popularity the more obnoxious he became to government. When at a great festival, held at Gaibach, 27th May, 1832, in honour of the constitution, he had rather too boldly spoken for the rights of the people: he not only was dismissed from office, but also arrested; and, after a trial of some years, sentenced to ask pardon of the king's portrait, and to be imprisoned in a fortress during the king's pleasure. Some years after he was allowed to take private lodgings, though still under the special superintendence of the police. He was finally released by the amnesty of the 6th March, 1848, and even received 10,000 florins damages. Soon after he was elected a deputy to the Frankfort national assembly. His principal works are, "System der Staatslehre," Francf., 1810, 3 vols.; "Verfassung und Verwaltung des Staats," in 2 vols.; "Darstellung der Wünsche und Hoffnungen deutscher Nation," 1816; "Lehre von der Wirthschaft des Staats," &c.—K. E.
BEHRENS, George Henning, a German physician, born at Goslar in 1662, was the author of a valuable work upon the Hartz forest, entitled "Hercynia curiosa, oder kuriöser Harzwald," &c. It was originally published at Nordhausen in 1703. Behrens died at Nordhausen in 1712.—W. S. D.
BEHRENS, Michael, a German theologian, born at Buxtehude in 1657; died at Wandsbeck in 1728. He wrote, "Altar der Heyden, der Atheisten, der Christen," 1692; "Die dreifache Welt der Christen der Phantasten und der Bezauberten," 1697.
BEHRING or BERING, Vitus, a navigator who acquired distinction in the service of the Russian crown, was a native of Denmark. He was born at Horsens in Jutland. In his youth, Behring made several voyages to the East and West Indies, but early attached himself to the infant navy of Russia, then in course of formation, under the fostering care of Peter the Great, at Cronstadt, and served with distinction in various encounters with the Swedish fleet. In 1707 he obtained the rank of lieutenant, and became captain-lieutenant in 1710.
