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BRIGHTON BRIGIDA 287 middle of the 18th century, by Dr. Richard Russell, whose work on the use of sea water attracted much public attention. Its celebrity as a fashionable watering place was due to the prince of Wales, afterward George IV., who made it his place of residence, and commenced in 1784 the erection of the pavilion, which was completed three years afterward. The town subsequently purchased it from the crown for the sum of 53,000, and threw it and the pleasure grounds attached to it open to the public. The chain pier was erected by a joint stock company in 1822-'3, at an expense of 30,000. It is 1,134 ft. long, and extends into the. sea 1,014 ft. Another pier 1,115 ft. long was completed in 1867. The east side of Brighton is protected by a sea wall 60 ft. high and 23 ft. thick at the base. In the western quarter is a battery, consisting of six 42-pound- ers, erected in 1793. On the eastern side is the Queen's park, and on the western a chalybeate Brighton. spring. There are 25 churches and chapels be- longing to the established church, and 30 other places of worship. Its institutions of learning are numerous. The Brighton college, founded in 1847 for the sons of the middle classes, has a more modern course of studies than the other great English schools. The benevolent insti- tutions of Brighton are almost as numerous as its schools. Foremost stands the Sussex county hospital, established in 1828, and since thrice enlarged. The town hall is a large building. Fairs are held near the town on Holy Thursday and Sept. 4. There are a theatre, an assembly room, and two club houses. The literary so- cieties are the royal Brighton scientific and lite- rary institution, the Brighton Athenoeum, and the Brighton workingmen's institute. A great marine aquarium was opened in August, 1872. There is every species of bathing establishments, and a good supply of fresh water and gas. The only manufacture is that of wooden wares. 122 VOL. in. 19 There are 5 banks and 6 newspapers in the town. The coasting and foreign trade is trans- acted at Shoreham, 7 m. W. There are about 100 fishing boats, manned by 500 men. Mack- erel, herrings, soles, brill, and turbot most abound ; mullet and whiting are also met with. Brighthelmstone is mentioned in "Domesday Book." It has frequently suffered from hostile invasion. The French plundered and burnt it in 1513. During the reigns of Henry VIII. and Elizabeth fortifications were erected to pro- tect it. In the 17th century it contained 600 families, mostly engaged in fishing. BRIGIDA, Bridget, or Brigit, Saint, born in Sweden in 1302, died in Rome, July 23, 1373. She is thought to have been the daughter of Birger, prince of the royal blood of Sweden, and of Ingeburgis, a descendant of the Gothic kings. At the age of 16 she was given in marriage to the councillor Ulpho or Ulf Gudmarson, by whom she had eight children, the youngest of whom is honored in the Roman calendar by the name of St. Catha- rine of Sweden. After the birth of these chil- dren the parents took a vow of continence, built a charity hospital which they served in person, and made a pil- grimage to Santiago de Compostella,pn return- ing from which Ulpho resolved to enter the Cistercian monastery ofAlvastre. He died in 1344. Brigida now di- vided the estate among her children, and built a large monastery at Wadstena, in which she placed 25 monks and 60 nuns, prescribing for them the rule of St. Augustine. Here she spent two years in close seclusion, and then set out for Rome. After founding in that city an asylum for pilgrims and Swedish students, she went to Jerusalem, visited the holy places, and then returned to Rome. She was canonized by Boniface IX. in 1391, and Oct. 8 was appointed as her festival. In the church of Rome St. Brigida is best known by her revelations, chiefly concerning the passion of Jesus Christ, and events which were to happen in certain kingdoms. They were written after her narration partly by her confes- sor Peter, a Swedish Cistercian monk, partly by a Spaniard called Alfonso the hermit. Gerson attacked them with great severity; but the council of Basel gave them its approbation after they had been thoroughly examined by John de Turrecremata. Among her other works are a discourse in praise of the blessed Virgin, and a series of prayers on the sufferings and love of Christ.