at the opera at Paris. His extreme nervousness, prevented his success in this capacity; he went therefore to Marseilles, in hopes to gain confidence by removal from the urgency of his friends' objections, but met there with no better fortune. He now abandoned the stage, and went to Bordeaux to be engaged as organist at two churches, and accompanyist at the theatre. He there wrote an opera called "Erosine," which he sent his father, whom he thus conciliated. In 1753 he returned to Paris, and two years later was appointed to succeed Boyer as director of the orchestra at the grand opera. It was in this situation that he attained his eminence as an artist. The conscientious care with which he produced every work confided to him, raised the standard of lyrical performance in Paris to that elevation, which still causes the French opera to be cited as the model of executive perfection. For thirty-three years he discharged the duties of his office with unflinching zeal. He then retired on a pension of his full salary, and he resumed the directorship in 1799; but his strength being unequal to the fatigues of the situation, he was compelled after a few months to resign it.
Henri Montan Berton, his son, was born at Paris, September 17, 1767, where he died in 1844. He had the great advantage of his father's instruction in music, and obtained an early proficiency. He was but fifteen when he was engaged as violinist in the orchestra of the opera, and rose rapidly in his profession. He had some lessons in composition of Rey, but pursued this study to more advantage under Sacchini. His first productions in public were some oratorios and cantatas at the concerts spirituels; but his extensive popularity was derived from his very numerous operas, which, although they lasted but for their day, in that day were extremely successful. The first of these was "Les Promesses de Mariage," written in 1787; and the most meritorious were "Montano et Stephanie;" "Le Delire;" and "Aline." On the establishment of the conservatoire in 1795, Berton was appointed professor of composition. From 1807 to 1809 he was director of the orchestra of the Italian opera, in which capacity he brought out Mozart's Figaro for the first time in Paris. After the dissolution of the conservatoire in 1815, he was appointed by the king's commissioners to reorganize that institution. On the extension of the musical department of the Institut des Beaux Arts from three to six members, Berton was chosen with Cartel and Cherubini to fill these new places of distinction. He was also created a chevalier of the legion of honour. He was the author of a new, but not very sound system of harmony, and he wrote several pamphlets and articles in the periodicals upon music.
François Berton, the son of Henri and Mademoiselle Maillard, a singer, was born at Paris in 1784, where he died of cholera in 1832. He had some ephemeral success as a dramatic composer; but, with neither the vivacity of his father, nor the solidity of his grandfather, he showed no character in his music of sufficient decision to make a lasting impression.—G. A. M.
BERTON, William, chancellor of the university of Oxford in the days of John Wickliff. By virtue of his office, he appointed the twelve censors who examined the reformer's opinions, and pronounced him a heretic. Berton's works are only noteworthy, because they refer to Wickliff. They are, "Determinationes contra Wiclevum;" "Sententia super justa ejus condemnatione;" and "Contra ejus Articulos."—J. B.
BERTONI, Ferdinando, a musician, was born in 1727, on the island of Salo in the Adriatic, and died at Venice in 1801. His instructor was Padre Martini. He was appointed professor at the Conservatorio degli Incurabili in 1750; and twenty years later, at the Conservatorio de Mendicanti, both at Venice. In 1750, also, he was engaged as organist at the ducal chapel of St. Mark. He produced thirty-three operas and oratorios, the first of which, "Orazio e Curiazio," appeared in 1746. He made no remarkable success until 1776, when his "Orfeo" gained him the highest admiration. His "Quinto Fabio," was produced at Padua with singular applause, which was, however, in some part attributable to the extraordinary merit of Pacchierotti, who personated the principal character. In company with this artist Bertoni came to London in 1779, and gave here the same opera, which was so well received that it was performed twelve times during the season. Although thus successful, the composer found a powerful rival in Sacchini, and quitted therefore this country on the close of the theatre. "Armida" and "Tancredi," were the two of his works best considered after those which have been named. On the death of Galuppi in 1785, Bertoni was appointed maestro di capella at the cathedral of St. Mark in Venice. In his later years he wrote some sonatas and violin quartets of merit. He avowedly founded his style upon that of Gluck, and, with some modesty, ascribed to the excellence of his model the great success he experienced. Comparatively little of his music was published. Besides the many works he brought out, he left several that have never been produced.—G. A. M.
BERTRAM, Charles, an English antiquary, who published about 1757 the treatise De Situ Britanniæ. It purported to be by a monk of the fifteenth century, and to contain a map of Roman Britain which belonged to the Roman period. The discovery was hailed with delight by the most eminent antiquarians, but considerable doubt has since been cast on the genuineness of the production. Bertram spent the greater part of his life in Copenhagen, and died there.—J. B.
BERTRAM, Christian Augustus, a German litterateur, born at Berlin, 1751; died 1830. He held several important financial situations, and contributed to the public journals. Author of a "Biography of the Artists and Learned Men of Germany," Berlin, 1780; "Plan for the improvement of the German theatre."—J. G.
BERTRAM, Cornelius Bonaventure, famous in the sixteenth century for his oriental learning, was born at Thouars in Poictou in 1531. An exile for the sake of the protestant religion, he was appointed Hebrew professor at Geneva, and while there published several works. Among them were—"Comparaison de l'Hébreu et de l'Aramée," and a treatise "De Politiâ Judaicâ." He revised the Geneva version of the holy scriptures. Having resided sometime in the Palatinate, and other places, he took a professorship at Lausanne, where he died in 1594. He married the niece of Beza's first wife. Casaubon, and many other great scholars, speak of Bertram's critical powers in terms of high admiration.—T. J.
BERTRAM, Johann Friedrich, a German protestant theologian, celebrated as a linguist and as a controversial writer, was born in 1699, and died in 1741. He wrote "Commentatio de singularibus Angloram in eruditionem orientalem meritis," and an "Introduction to the study of belles-lettres."
BERTRAM, Johann Georg, a German theologian, was for some time almoner to a regiment, and afterwards, in succession, pastor at Giffhorn and at Brunswick. His principal work is entitled "Das Evangelische Lüneburg, oder Reformations-und Kirchen-histoire der Stadt-Lüneburg," 1719. He was born at Lüneburg in 1670, and died in 1728.
BERTRAM, the Priest. See Ratramnus.
BERTRAND, Abbe, born in 1735; died in 1792, a French astronomer of considerable merit. He was a great friend of Lalande's. He accompanied d'Entrecasteaux in his voyage in search of La Perouse. His death was hastened by a fall over a precipice at Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, which he had ascended with the aim of meteorological research.—J. P. N.
BERTRAND, Antoine Marie, mayor of Lyons in the years 1792-93, was originally a merchant. On the defeat of his party in the mayoralty by the royalists, he fled to Paris and joined the Cordeliers. He was arrested after the fall of Robespierre, but escaped with a short imprisonment. Afterwards concerned in the insurrection of Grenelle, he was executed in October, 1796.—J. S., G.
BERTRAND, Èlie, a French protestant preacher, born at Arbe, in the Pays de Vaud, in 1712, was distinguished as a physicist and geologist. After preaching for several years in various parts of Switzerland, and especially in the French church at Berne (from 1744), he went to Poland on the invitation of the king in 1765 or 1766, and in 1768 was created a nobleman and received his naturalisation; but, nevertheless, soon returned to his native country, and settled himself in a private condition at Yverdun, where he surrounded himself with a good collection of antiquities and fossils. Bertrand was a member of several of the principal academies in France, Switzerland, and Germany, and was the author of numerous works on a great variety of subjects. Of his moral and religious writings we may notice "Le Philanthrope," published in 1738; the "Confession de foi des églises reformées en Suisse," 1760; a translation of Bullinger's Confessio Fidei; "Morale de l'Evangile," in seven volumes, published at Neufchatel in 1775; and "Elemens de la Morale Universelle," at the same place in 1776. In 1754, Bertrand published "Essais sur les usages des Montagnes," &c.; and in 1756, "Mémoires pour servir à s'instruire des tremblements de terre de la Suisse principalement pour l'année 1755;" accom-
