writings are Memoirs of Extraordinary Painters (1780), a satirical work, and Letters from Italy with Sketches of Spain and Portugal (1835), full of brilliant descriptions of scenes and manners.  B.’s fame, however, rests nearly as much upon his eccentric extravagances as a builder and collector as upon his literary efforts.  In carrying out these he managed to dissipate his fortune of L100,000 a year, only L80,000 of his capital remaining at his death.  He sat in parliament for various constituencies, and one of his two dau. became Duchess of Hamilton.

BEDDOES, THOMAS LOVELL (1803-1849).—­Dramatic poet and physiologist, s. of Dr. Thos.  B., an eminent physician, and nephew of Maria Edgeworth. Ed. at the Charterhouse and Oxford, he pub. in 1821 The Improvisatore, which he afterwards endeavoured to suppress.  His next venture was The Bride’s Tragedy (1822), which had considerable success, and won for him the friendship of “Barry Cornwall.”  Thereafter he went to Goettingen and studied medicine.  He then wandered about practising his profession, and expounding democratic theories which got him into trouble.  He d. at Bale in mysterious circumstances.  For some time before his death he had been engaged upon a drama, Death’s Jest Book, which was published in 1850 with a memoir by his friend, T.F.  Kelsall.  B. had not the true dramatic instinct, but his poetry is full of thought and richness of diction.  Some of his short pieces, e.g.:  “If there were dreams to sell,” and “If thou wilt ease thine heart,” are masterpieces of intense feeling exquisitely expressed.

BEDE or BAEDA (673-735).—­Historian and scholar.  B., who is sometimes referred to as “the father of English history,” was in his youth placed under the care of Benedict Biscop, Abbot of Wearmouth, and of Ceolfrith, afterwards Abbot of Jarrow.  Ordained deacon in 692 and priest in 703, he spent most of his days at Jarrow, where his fame as a scholar and teacher of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew brought him many disciples.  Here likewise he d. and was buried, but his bones were, towards the beginning of the 11th century, removed to Durham.  The well-deserved title of “Venerable” usually prefixed to his name first appears in 836.  He was the most learned Englishman of his age.  His industry was marvellous, and its results remain embodied in about 40 books, of which about 25 are commentaries on books of Scripture.  The others are lives of saints and martyrs, and his two great works, The Ecclesiastical History of England and the scientific treatise, De Natura Rerum.  The former of these gives the fullest and best information we have as to the history of England down to the year 731, and the latter is an encyclopaedia of the sciences as then known.  In the anxious care with which he sought out and selected reliable information, and referred to authorities he shows the best qualities of the modern historian, and his style is remarkable for “a pleasing artlessness.”