VARENUS, or VAREN, BERNHARD, the author of the earliest work on physical geography, was born at Ulzen near Lineburg. Nothing is known of his history, except what can be gleaned from the prefaces and dedications of his works, and of the date of his birth and his parentage we are alike ignorant; unless he may have been related to Henricus Varenus, who died pastor of the church at Ulzen in 1636, or to Augustus Varenus, a Lutheran theologian, who was born there in 1620. We learn that Bernhard attended the gymnasium at Hamburg, and published there, in 1642, a treatise on the Aristotelian definition of motion. He then studied medicine at Leyden, where he took refuge from the war raging in Germany; but, after finishing his course, having no prospect of obtaining a practice, he devoted himself to the mathematical and physical sciences, of which he was exceedingly fond. He wrote a work on Conic Sections, but was unable to find a publisher for such an abstruse production; and having come into contact with a number of Dutch navigators, he turned his attention to that science in which his genius and labours formed an important epoch. In 1649 he took his medical degree at Leyden, and settled as a practitioner in Amsterdam, where he published, about the same time, his first geographical work—a description of Japan—in Latin. This was followed in the succeeding year by a much more important and valuable treatise, the Geographia Generalis, which was the first attempt ever made at a system of physical geography. It consists of three parts, designated respectively—Absolute, Relative, and Comparative Geography; the first comprising a description of the form, dimensions, and character of the earth, considered in itself; the second, of its relation to the other heavenly bodies, and their influence on climate, seasons, length of days, &c.; and the third, of the relative position of places, latitude, longitude, the construction of maps, the theory and the practice of navigation. The whole, although not exempt from grave errors, is characterized by lucid and orderly arrangement, extensive mathematical acquirements, and much knowledge of natural history; and was thought worthy of being reprinted by Newton, with notes and illustrations, for the use of his students. In the preface the author intimates his intention of following this work by one on the food, drink, and medicines in use among different nations, but this design was never executed; and if, as is commonly stated, Varenus' death occurred in 1660, when he must have been comparatively young, it was probably this that prevented the prosecution of his studies. Besides the two editions of Newton (1672 and 1681), the Geographia Generalis was edited with further additions by Jurin in 1712, translated into English by Dugdale, and from that into French by Depuisieux.