Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/911

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BERRY.
799
BERSEZIO.


army as coloiiol of tlie Fourtli Maine Volunteers. He participated in lioth the first and second bat- tles of Bull Run; was made lirigadier-general in 1802; and in Xovemlier of the same year became major-general, but was killed while leading a bayonet charge on the second day of the battle of Chancellorsville.

BERRY, Mary (1703-1852). An English au- thor, born at Kirkbridge, Yorkshire. She and her sister Agnes ( who was fourteen months her junior) had a remarkable association with Hor- ace Walpole, beginning in 1788. In his letters Walpole spoke of both in terms of the strongest ulTection and endearment, in one instance ad- dressing them as his 'twin wives.' It was solely for their amusement that he wrote his Reminis- cences of the Courts of Georges I. and 11. ( 1789). He established the sisters at Teddington. in I78!l, and two years later he induced them to make their home at Little Strawberry Hill, the sometime residence of his friend Kitty Clive. It was said tBat Walpole was willing to marry either sister. His will provided for them by a bequest to each of £4000, and to both, the house and property at Little Strawberry Hill, ilary Berry's literary productions include the comedy. Frishionnhic Friends: Eniflund and France, a 'foinparntirc Vieu- of the ,^ocial Conditions in Hath Countries (1844). and an edition of the Works of Horace Walpole (1798), collected and edited by her.

BER'RYBONE FISH. A fish of the Scot- tish Devonian rocks representing a group (order Arthrodira, family Coccosteidfp) , allied to the lung fishes, but having the fore part of the body "protected by large bony plates, of which one pair is articulated by a hinge to the hinder part of the skull." These bones bear a pustular or berry-like sculpture. "The fore limbs were either rudi'mental or wanting, but a pair of pelvic fins were developed." See Dipnoi; and Plate of Dip- noi .>;U C'UIM.ERA.

BERRYER, bfir'yS', Pierre Antoine (1790- 18()8). A French advocate, political leader, and orator. He was born in Paris, and first dis- tinguished himself by his defense of victims of the Restoration. In 1829 he was chosen deputy, and ever afterwards steadily represented the rights and policy of the elder Bourbons; at the same time he adhered to liberal principles and repeatedly undertook the defense of persons prosecuted by the Government. It was he who defended Loilis Napoleon after the Boulogne at- tentat. With the elder Boui'bons he was in con- stant communication, and was one of the heads of the Legitimist party who made a pilgrimage to the Comte de C'hambord in London, in 1843. After the Revolution of 1848 he was elected to the National Assemlily. He became a member of Louis Napoletm's privy council, but he neverthe- less went to Wiesbaden in 1850, to do homage to the Comte de Chanibord. When Changarnier was removed from his command, Berryer united with Thiers and others to oppose the pretensions of the President, and boldly protested against the coup d'etat. In 1854 he was elected a member of the French Academy. Berryer added greatly to his reputation as an orator by his defense of Montalembert (q.v.) against the Government prosecution in November, 1858. In 1863 he was induced to enter the Corps I^egislatif. Berryer was wonderfully ell'ective both as a political orator and as an advocate.

BER'RYVILLE. A town and county-seat of Clarke County, 'a., 10 miles east of Win- chester, on the Shenandoah Valley Railroad (Map: Virginia, G 2). It contains the Berry- ville Female Institute and the Shenandoah Uni- versity School. The town is in a fertile agri- cultural region, of which it is the commercial centre, and has some numufactures. Originally known as Battletown. Berryville occupied a place of considerable interest in the early history of the State. Population, in 1900, 938.

BERSAGLIERI, ber'sa-lya'rj (It., plur. of ber.saiilicrc, sharpshooter, from bersaglio, a mark). A corps of infantry in the Italian Army. They were originally formed and organized as a corps of riflemen or sharpshooters by Victor Enunanuel in 1850. Their first active service was with the Allies against the Russians in the Crimean War. In the battle of the Tehernaya, August 1(5, 1855, the Russian attack was suc- cessfully and brilliantly repelled, largely by the » gallantry of the Bersaglieri. At the naval bat- tle of Lissa, July 20, IStili. where tlie Austrians under Tegettholi' defeated the Italians under Persano, a detachment of these riflemen were serving on one of the latter's ships, the lie d'ltalia, which eventuallj' was sunk. It is re- corded that the Bersaglieri kept up an effective fli'e on the enem.y until actually engulfed with their ship beneath the water. Their uniform is of dark green, with a felt hat, on one side of which is displayed their distinguishing badge of a full plume of cock-feathers. Their strength in 1901 was given as 12 regiments, each regiment consisting of 3 battalions of 4 companies each, making a total of 14,072 under arms; 36,285 on unlimited leave; 18.764 mobile militia, and 32,- 391 territorial militia.

BER'SERK, or BER'SERKER (Icel. ber- serlcr: cf. Lngl. bear + surk, shirt; referring to the skins of animals which the ancient heroes wore). The name of a redoubtable hero in Scan- dinavian mythology, the grandson of the eight- handed Starkader and the beautiful Alfhilde. He despised mail and helmet, and, contrary to the custom of those times, went always into battle unharnessed, his fury serving him instead of de- fensive armor. By the daughter of King Swafur- lani, whom he had slain in battle, he had twelve sons, who inherited the name of Berserker, along with his warlike fury. The name Berserker, among the early Norse people, was applied to a combatant whose love of fighting induced a fren- zied state called the 'berserk's course,' in which he was daugennis to both friend and foe. In later times the title was given to companies of hard fighters who were retained as bodyguards or special champions of renowned leaders.

BERSEZIO, ber-sfi'tse-o, Vittorio (1830—). An Italian author, born at Peveragno (Pied- mont ) . He was long active as an editor and as a writer of fiction, drama, and works of history. He founded and edited the Gazzetta piemontese (1865) and the Gazzetta letteraria; published a long series of tales, including II norcUiere con- temporaneo and Galatea; wrote a number of comedies in Piedmontese dialect, the most im- portant of which is Le miserie de monssft Trxvet; also a historical work, 11 regno di Vittorio Emanuelell. (1878-1895).