BERNERS, JOHN BOURCHIER, 2ND LORD (1467-1553).—­Translator, b. at Sherfield, Herts and ed. at Oxf., held various offices of state, including that of Chancellor of the Exchequer to Henry VIII., and Lieutenant of Calais, where he d. He translated, at the King’s desire, Froissart’s Chronicles (1523-25), in such a manner as to make distinct advance in English historical writing, and the Golden Book of Marcus Aurelius (1534); also The History of Arthur of Lytell Brytaine (Brittany), and the romance of Huon of Bordeaux.

BESANT, SIR WALTER (1836-1901).—­Novelist and historian of London, b. at Portsmouth and ed. at King’s Coll., London, and Camb., was for a few years a professor at Mauritius, but a breakdown in health compelled him to resign, and he returned to England and took the duties of Secretary to the Palestine Exploration Fund, which he held 1868-85.  He pub. in 1868 Studies in French Poetry.  Three years later he began his collaboration with James Rice (q.v.).  Among their joint productions are Ready-money Mortiboy (1872), and the Golden Butterfly (1876), both, especially the latter, very successful.  This connection was brought to an end by the death of Rice in 1882.  Thereafter B. continued to write voluminously at his own hand, his leading novels being All in a Garden Fair, Dorothy Forster (his own favourite), Children of Gibeon, and All Sorts and Conditions of Men.  The two latter belonged to a series in which he endeavoured to arouse the public conscience to a sense of the sadness of life among the poorest classes in cities.  In this crusade B. had considerable success, the establishment of The People’s Palace in the East of London being one result.  In addition to his work in fiction B. wrote largely on the history and topography of London.  His plans in this field were left unfinished:  among his books on this subject is London in the 18th Century.

Other works among novels are My Little Girl, With Harp and Crown, This Son of Vulcan, The Monks of Thelema, By Celia’s Arbour, and The Chaplain of the Fleet, all with Rice; and The Ivory Gate, Beyond the Dreams of Avarice, The Master Craftsman, The Fourth Generation, etc., alone. London under the Stuarts, London under the Tudors are historical.

BICKERSTAFFE, ISAAC (c. 1735-1812?).—­Dramatic writer, in early life a page to Lord Chesterfield when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, produced between 1756 and 1771 many dramatic pieces, which had considerable popularity, the best known of which are Love in a Village (1762), and The Maid of the Mill.  Owing to misconduct he was dismissed from being an officer in the Marines, and had ultimately, in 1772, to fly the country.  The remainder of his life seems to have been passed in penury and misery.  The date of his death is unknown.  He was alive in 1812.