From him dates the sympathy of men of heart towards your land of liberty, whose vocation he so worthily represented among the oppressed of all countries. He led the genius of Britain as on a pilgrimage throughout all Europe."—There have been numberless editions of Lord Byron's works, but the best are those published by John Murray of Albemarle Street, London, who purchased the first copyright of nearly all his poems. The memoirs published of him have been nearly as numerous. The most trustworthy Life of Byron, rather because of its copious extracts from his own letters and journals, than on account of the author's appreciation of a man whom he was intellectually and morally incapable of understanding, is that written by Thomas Moore (Murray, Albermarle Street). The best portrait of Byron is the one painted by Phillips, now at Newstead abbey in the possession of Byron's schoolfellow, Colonel Wildman, who has preserved with affectionate and reverential care every relic of the abbey's former illustrious owner.—H... N.
BYRON, John, a celebrated British admiral and circumnavigator, second son of William fourth Lord Byron, and grandfather of the poet, was born in 1723. At the age of seventeen he served as midshipman in the Wager, one of the vessels attached to the squadron under Commodore Anson, despatched against the Spanish settlements in the Pacific. The whole of the ships composing this expedition successively suffered shipwreck, and the Wager, on the 15th of May, struck on the western coast of America. In the end, the crew were compelled to abandon the ship, and to land upon an uninhabited island, to which they gave the name of Mount Misery. After residing for several months on this desolate spot, they embarked in the cutter and long-boat, and attempted to return home through the Straits of Magellan. The cutter was lost, but the long-boat in which Byron was, after a perilous voyage of upwards of a thousand leagues, at length reached the Portuguese settlements in Brazil. The survivors, after enduring the most fearful sufferings from cold, hunger, and sickness, ultimately succeeded in reaching Europe in 1745. Campbell, in his Pleasures of Hope, gives a striking description of the dreadful hardships endured by "the hardy Byron" on this voyage, of which Byron himself, on his return to England, published a singularly interesting narrative. On his arrival in England, he was raised to the rank of commander, and soon after to that of post-captain. In 1758-60 he was employed in the war against France, and distinguished himself by a brilliant exploit in destroying a French squadron in Chaleur Bay. On the return of peace in 1764, he was sent on a voyage of discovery to the South Sea, in command of the ships Dolphin and Tamar. He was absent two years, and though the voyage was not productive of many important discoveries, it deserves honourable mention in the history of nautical adventures. In 1769 Byron was appointed governor of Newfoundland. In 1778 he commanded the fleet sent to watch the movements of Count D'Estaing in the West Indies. The French admiral was at the head of a greatly superior force, and an undecisive action was fought between him and Byron off Grenada in July, 1779. During the course of his lengthened service, Byron was regarded as so singularly unlucky in encountering adverse gales and dangerous storms, that the sailors aptly nicknamed him "Foul-weather Jack." He died in London, April 10, 1786, leaving behind him a high reputation for courage and professional skill. His son, George Anson Byron—born 1758; died 1793—was also a most meritorious and distinguished officer, and contributed materially to the glorious victory gained by Lord Rodney over the French fleet, 12th April, 1782.—J. T.
BYSTROM, Joseph Nikolaus, a celebrated Swedish sculptor, and professor of the academy of sculpture in Stockholm, was born 18th December, 1783, at Philippstadt in the province of Warmeland. He received his artistic education under Sergel in Stockholm, of whom he was a favourite pupil, and by whom he was especially led to the study of the antique. In 1810 he went to Rome, whence he returned to his native city in 1815. Having secretly executed a colossal statue of Karl Johann, at that time crown prince of Sweden, he thereby won so greatly the favour of that monarch, that the most valuable commissions were henceforth given to him. His works are for the greater part portrait-statues of distinguished men, and ideal figures from the old mythology; of these the female and youthful forms are greatly admired for their tender grace and lifelike freshness. Amongst the most admired of his works are—"Juno;" "Venus and Cupid;" "Harmonia;" "Victoria;" "Karl III.;" and the altar decorations of the cathedral of Linköping.—M. H.
BYTHNER, Victorinus, an admirable linguist, was a native of Poland. On arriving in England, where he passed the greater part of his life, he was appointed Hebrew lecturer in Christ church, Oxford, and while occupying this position, published a number of works for the use of his pupils, several of which (particularly his "Lyra Prophetica Davidis Regis," &c.) are still much esteemed. The work just named has been frequently reprinted, and is an invaluable aid to the study of the Psalms. Little is known with certainty respecting Bythner after his removal from Oxford, which he quitted during the revolutionary troubles, but it appears that about 1664 he commenced to practise as a physician in Cornwall.—J. S., G.
BYZANTIUS or Faustus of Byzantium, author of a history of Armenia, was a native of Constantinople. He became bishop of the province of Sbanthouni in Upper Armenia. Of his work, which consisted of six divisions, four remain, which are occupied with the wars of the Persians and Romans. An edition of it appeared at Constantinople in 1730, and one at Venice in 1837. It bears the title of "Pouzanteran."—J. S., G.
