or Brute, according to the old exploded history of this country by Geoffroy of Monmouth, was the first king of Britain. He is said to have been the son of Sylvius, and he of Ascanius the son of Æneas, and born in Italy: killing his father by chance, he fled into Greece, where he took king Pandratus prisoner, who kept the Trojans in slavery, whom he released on condition of providing ships, &c. for the Trojans to forsake the land. Being advised by the oracle to sail west beyond Gaul, he, after some adventures, landed at Totnes in Devonshire. Albion was then inhabited by a remnant of giants, whom Brutus destroyed; and called the island, after his own name, Britain. He built a city called New Troy, since London; and having reigned here 24 years, at his death parcelled the island among his three sons: Locrine had the middle, called Leogria; Camber had Wales, and Albanæc Scotland.

(Lucius Junius), the avenger of the rape of Lucretia, and founder of the Roman republic, flourished 509 years before Christ. See (History of) Rome.

(Marcus), the passionate lover of his country, and chief conspirator against Cæsar, flew himself on losing the battle of Philippi, 42 years before Christ*.

(John Michael), a man of learning, and a polite writer, in the 16th century. He was a native of Venice; and, having studied at Padua, spent great part of his life in travelling, and became historiographer to his imperial majesty. He wrote, 1. A history of Hungary. 2. A history of Florence. 3. Notes on Horace, Cæsar, Cicero, &c.; and other works. He was living in the year 1590.

(Stephen Junius), the disguised author of a political work intitled Vindicia contra tyrannos*.

BRUYERE (John de la), a celebrated French author, was born at Douidan in the year 1664. He wrote Characters, describing the manners of his age, in imitation of Theophrastus; which characters were not always imaginary or general, but descriptive, as was well known, of persons of considerable rank. In the year 1693, he was by an order of the king chosen a member of the French academy; and died in the year 1696.—"The Characters of Bruyere (says the celebrated Voltaire) may justly be ranked among the extraordinary productions of this age. Antiquity furnishes no examples of such a work. A style rapid, concise, and nervous; expressions animated and picturesque; an use of language altogether new, without offending against its established rules, struck the public at first; and the allusions, which are crowded in almost every page, completed its success. When La Bruyere showed his work in manuscript to Malefieux, this last told him, that the book would have many readers, and its author many enemies. It somewhat sunk in the opinion of men, when that whole generation whose follies it attacked were passed away; yet, as it contains many things applicable to all times and places, it is more than probable that it will never be forgotten." Age of Lewis XIV. chap. 29.