Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/351

BROWNE 345 constantly composing versos ; but becoming acquainted with the poetry of Pope and Byron, she perceived her own inferiority and for some years abandoned verse-making. In 1841 she began to contribute to the " Athenjoum," the editor of which became interested in her story, and introduced her to other periodicals. In 1844 she published a small volume, " The Star of Atteghei, and other Poems," which was well received, and procured for her a pension of 20 from Sir Robert Peel, then prime min- ister, to whom she dedicated her next volume, the " Legends of Ulster." In 1847 appeared her "Lyric and Miscellaneous Poems," and about the same time a prose story, " The Erick- sons." In 1847 she removed to Edinburgh, accompanied by a sister, who acted as her amanuensis, and in 1852 took up her residence in London. She has been a frequent contributor to various periodicals. In 1861 she published " My Share of the World," partially an auto- biography, and in 1864 a novel entitled " The Hidden Sin." BROWNE, George, count, a Russian general, born in Ireland, June 15, 1698, died at Riga, Sept. 18, 1792. He gained much distinction in the Russian service, in which he was active- ly engaged from 1730 to 1762. He was suc- cessively taken prisoner by the Turks and the Prussians, and afterward appointed by Peter III. to command the army against Denmark, with the rank of field marshal. Browne, how- ever, declined taking a part in this war, which he deemed unjust, and the czar at first deprived him of his dignities and ordered him to leave the country, but soon recalled him as governor of Livonia, which office he held under his suc- cessor, Catharine II., for 30 years. The title of count was conferred on him in 1779 by the emperor of Germany, Joseph II. BROWNE, Henriette (the pseudonyme of SO- PHIE DE BOUTEILLER, Madame Desaulx), a French artist, born in Paris in 1829. She is the great-granddaughter of the Irish general Browne, who settled in France after the battle of Oulloden (1746), and the daughter of the count de Bouteiller, a Breton nobleman of much musical and administrative talent, by his inarriage with the widow of the Italian com- poser Benincori. In 1855 she married M. Jules Desaulx, a diplomatist. Her first picture, " Reading the Bible " (1853), has been followed by many other genre paintings, portraits, and etchings, which are popular in England as well as in France. Among her productions are " The Puritans," " Consolation," " The Woman of Eleusis," two interiors of harems, " A Court at Damascus," and "Nubian Dancers." BROWNE, Isaac Hawkins, an English poet, born at Burton-on-Trent in 1706, died in 1760. Among a collection of poems which he pub- lished, a short one called " The Pipe of Tobac- co" obtained great popularity. He entered parliament for a Shropshire borough in 1744, but he was too timid to speak in the house. His reputation mainly rests on his Latin poem, De Animi Immortalitate, modelled on the style of Lucretius and Virgil (1754). BROWNE, John Ross, an American traveller and author, born in Ireland in 1817. While he was a child his father emigrated to America and settled in Kentucky. Young Browne, having learned stenography, went to Washing- ton in his 18th year, and for two or three years was employed as a reporter in the sen- ate. He then resolved to travel, and embarked on board a whaling ship. Returning from this voyage, he published " Etchings of a Whaling Cruise', with Notes of a Residence on the Island of Zanzibar." He now became private sec- retary to Mr. R. J. Walker, then secretary of the treasury. In 1849 he went to California with a commission from the government, and was employed to report the debates and pro- ceedings of the convention for framing a state constitution. Returning to Washington, he remained there till 1851, when he went to Eu- rope as a newspaper correspondent. He trav- elled through Italy, and made a tour in Sicily, and thence through Palestine, of which he gave an account in his " Yusef " (1853). Return- ing, he again entered the service of government as inspector of custom houses on the northern frontier and the Pacific coast, and wrote many magazine articles, some of which have since been collected into a volume entitled " Adven- tures in the Apache Country." In 1861 ho again went to Europe, partly for the educa- tion of his children. Leaving his family at Frankfort-on-the-Main, he made journeys in Algeria, Iceland, Poland, and Russia. Ac- counts of some of these excursions have been published in volumes entitled " The Land of Thor " and " An American Family in Germa- ny." All of these works are illustrated by sketches, mainly of a humorous character, from drawings by the author. Returning to the United States, he was deputed by govern- ment to examine into and report upon the min- eral resources of the region west of the Rocky mountains. His final report, "Resources of the Pacific Slope" (8vo, New York, 1869), presents an elaborate review of the mines, cli- mate, topography, agriculture, commerce, and miscellaneous resources of that portion of the Union. In 1868 he was appointed minister to China, but was recalled in 1870. His resi- dence is at Oakland, near San Francisco. BROWNE, Mary Ann (Mrs. JAMES GRAY), an English poetess, born at Maidenhead Thicket, Berkshire, Sept. 24, 1812, died in Cork, Jan. 28, 1846. Her first volume, " Mont Blanc and other Poems," was published before she was 15. Her second volume, "Ada," appeared in 1828. " Repentance and other Poems " (chiefly of a religious character) followed in 1829. The "Coronal" and "Birthday Gift" were pub- lished in 1833 and 1834. " Ignatia," her long- est and most finished work, was published in 1838. She wrote for the "Dublin University Magazine" a series of prose tales entitled "Rec- ollections of a Portrait Painter," and a num-