Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

20 BEATIFICATION-BEATTIE.
sins, are granted on the day of his beatifi- tained the degree of A. M., and accepted
cation; which, though not so pompous as the office of school-master and parishthat of canonization, is, however, very clerk to the parish of Fordoun, looking
splendid. Beatification differs firom can- forward to the church of Scotland as his
onization in this, that the pope does not principal prospect, for which reason he
act as a judge in determining the state still attended, during winter, the divinity
of the beatified, but only grants a privi- lectures at Marischal college. In June,
lege to certain persons to honor him by a 1758, these views were somewhat changparticular religious worshil, without in- ed, by the attainment of the situation of
curring the penalty of superstitious wor- one of the masters of the grammarshippers; but, in canonization, the pope school of Aberdeen. In 1761, he pubspeaks as a judge, and determines, ex ca- lished a volume of poems, which were
thedra, upon the state of the canonized. received favorably, but which he subseBeatification was introduced when it was quently thought very little of, and enthought proper to delay the canonization deavored to buy up. They nevertheless
of saints, for the greater assurance of the procured him some powerful fiiends,
truth of the steps taken in the procedure. whose patronage obtained him the apSonme particular orders of monks have pointment of professor of moral philosoassumed to themselves the power of be- phy and logic at Marischal college. In
atification. Thus Octavia Melchiorica 1765, he published a poem, the Judgwas beatified by the Dominicans. (See ment of Paris, (4to.), which proved a failCanoizatioaon.) nure, although it was afterwards added to
BEATON, David, archbishop of St. An- a new edition of his poems, in 1766. The
drews, and cardinal, was bonm in 1494. work which procured him the greatest
Pope Paul III raised him to the rank of fame was his Essay on Truth, which
cardinal in December, 1538; and, being first appeared in 1770. It was so popular,
employed by James V in negotiating his that, in four years, five large editions were
marriage at the court of France, he was sold; and it was translated into several
there consecrated bishop of Mirepoix. foreign languages. Among other marks
Soon after his instalment as archbishop, of respect, the university of Oxford conhe promoted a furious persecution of the ferred on the author the degree of LL. D.;
reformers in Scotland; but the king's and George III honored him, on his visit
death put a stop, for a time, to his arbi- to London, with a private conference and
trary proceedings, he being then excluded a pension. He was also solicited to enter
from affairs of government, and confined. the church of England by flattering prolie raised, however, so strong a party, posals from the archbishop of York and
that, upon the coronation of the young the bishop of London; which proposals
queen Mary, he was admitted into the he declined, lest his opponents should
council, made chancellor, and received a attribute the change to self-interest. The
commission as legate a latere from Rome. popularity of this celebrated essay, which
He now began to renew his persecution was written in opposition to the prevalent
of heretics, and, among the rest, of the scepticism of Hume and others, was prinfamous Protestant preacher George Wis- cipally owing to its easiness of style, and
hart, whose sufferings at the stake he to a mode of treating the subject, calcuviewed from his window, with apparent lated for the meridian of slight scholarexultation. B. was murdered in his ship and medium intellect. This is often
chamber, May 29, 1546. He runited with a great source of immediate celebrity;
great talents equally great vices, and left but, thus produced, it is usually as transiseveral children, the fruit of open concti- tory as spontaneous, which has proved
binage. the case in the present instance. A few
BEATTIE, Jamnes, LL. D., a pleasing months after the appearance of the Essay
poet and miscellaneous writer, was born on Truth, B. published the first book of
at Lawrencekirk, in the county of Kin- the Minstrel (4to.), and, in 1774, the seccardine, in 1735. He lost his father when ond; which pleasing poem is, indisputahe was only seven years of age, but was bly, the work by which he will be the
placed early at the only school his birth- longest remembered. To a splendid edil1ace afforded, whence he was removed tion of his Essay on Truth, published, by
to Marischal college, Aberdeen. He there subscription, in 1776, he added some misstudied Greek, under the principal, Thom- cellaneous dissertations on Poetry and
as Blackwell, and made a general profi- Music, Laughter and Ludicrous Compociency in every branch of education, sition, &e. In 1783, he published Disexcept mathematics. In 1753, he ob- sertations, Moral and Critical (4to.); and