botany, a genus of the angiospermia order, belonging to the didynamia clas of plants, for which there is no English name.—Of this there are two species. The demissa, with a single flower upon each footstalk; and the elata, with one or many flowers on each footstalk. The seeds of the first were sent to Mr Miller from Panama. It usually grows about two feet high, and spreads out into lateral branches on every side of the stalk, garnished with oval leaves which are entire, and have short footstalks. Towards the end of the branches, the flowers are produced singly upon pretty long footstalks arising from the wing of the leaf. These are of a light blue colour, sometimes inclining to a purple or red; and there are often three colours of flowers on the same plant. The plant flowers in July, August, and September; and the seeds are ripe in five or six weeks after. The second sort is a native of Peru: the stalk of this plant is twice the size of that of the first, and appears somewhat shrubby; the leaves upon the flower-branches are smooth: the footstalks have some with one flower, others with three, and others with five; which are of a deep violet colour. As both species of browallia are annual plants, they must be raised from seeds, which are to be sown on a hot-bed: but they may be transplanted in June, into the borders of the flower-garden; where, if the weather proves warm, they will flower and perfect seeds; but lest they should fail, there should be a plant or two kept in the stove to secure seeds.

Brown (Robert), a schismatic divine, the founder of the Brownills, a numerous sect of dissenters in the reign of queen Elizabeth. He was the son of Mr Anthony Brown of Tolthorpe in Rutlandshire; whose father obtained the singular privilege of wearing his cap in the king's presence, by a charter of Henry VIII. Robert was educated at Cambridge, in Corpus Christi, or, according to Collier, in Bennet college, and was afterwards a schoolmaster in Southwark. About the year 1580, he began to promulgate his principles of disentention from the established church; and the following year preached at Norwich, where he soon accumulated a numerous congregation. He was violent in his abuse of the church of England; pretended to divine inspiration, and that he alone was the sure guide to heaven. This new sect daily increasing, Dr Freake bishop of Norwich, with other ecclesiastical commissioners, called our apostle before them. He was insolent to the court, and they committed him to the custody of the sheriff's officer: but he was released at the intercession of lord treasurer Burleigh, to whom it seems he was related. Brown now left the kingdom; and, with permission of the states, settled at Middleburg in Zealand; where he formed a church after his own plan, and preached without molestation; but here persecution, the sine qua non of fanaticism, was wanting. In 1585, we find him again in England: for in that year he was cited to appear before archbishop Whitgift; and seeming to comply with the established church, was, by lord Burleigh, sent home to his father: but, relapsing into his former obstinacy, his aged parent was obliged to turn him out of his house. He now wandered about for some time, and in the course of his mission endured great hardships. At last he fixed at Northampton; where, labouring with too much indiscretion to increase his sect, he was cited by the bishop of Peterborough, and, refusing to appear, was finally excommunicated for contempt. The solemnity of this censure, we are told, immediately effected his reformation. He moved for absolution, which he obtained, and from that time became a dutiful member of the church of England. This happened about the year 1590; and, in a short time after, Brown was preferred to a rectory in Northamptonshire, where he kept a curate to do his duty, and where he might probably have died in peace; but having some dispute with the constable of his parish, he proceeded to blows; and was afterwards so insolent to the justice, that he committed him to Northampton jail, where he died in 1630, aged 80. Thus ended the life of the famous Robert Brown; the greatest part of which was a series of opposition and persecution. He boasted on his deathbed, that he had been confined in no less than 32 different prisons. He wrote "A treatise of reformation without tarrying for any, and of the wickedness of those teachers which will not reform themselves and their charge, because they will tarry till the magistrate command and compel them, by me Robert Brown;" and two others, making together a thin quarto; published at Middleburg, 1582.