Girald, commonly called Giraldus Cambrensis, i.e. Girald of Wales, a historian and ecclesiastic in the reigns of Henry II. and Richard I. was born at the castle of Mainarper, near Pembroke, A.D. 1146. By his mother he was descended from the princes of South Wales; and his father, William Barry, was one of the chief men of that principality. Being a younger brother, and intended for the church, he was sent to St David's, and educated in the family of his uncle, who was bishop of that see. He acknowledges, in his history of his own life and actions, that in his early youth he was too playful; but being severely reproached for it by his preceptors, he became a very hard student, and greatly excelled all his school-fellows in learning. When he was about 20 years of age, he was sent, A.D. 1166, for his further improvement, to the university of Paris; where he continued for three years, and became, according to his own account, a most excellent rhetorician; which rendered him very famous. On his return into Britain, he entered into holy orders, and obtained several benefices both in England and Wales. Observing, with much concern, that his countrymen, the Welch, were very backward in paying the tithes of wool and cheese, which he was afraid would involve them in eternal damnation, he applied to Richard archbishop of Canterbury, and was appointed his legate in Wales for rectifying that disorder, and for other purposes. He executed this commission with great spirit; excommunicating all, without distinction, who refused to save their souls by surrendering the tithes of their cheese and wool. Not satisfied with enriching, he also attempted to reform, the clergy; and dilated the archdeacon of Brecon to the archbishopric, for the unpardonable crime of matrimony; and the poor old man, refusing to put away his wife, was deprived of his archdeaconry; which was bestowed upon our zealous legate. In discharging the duties of this new office, he acted with great vigour, which involved him in many quarrels; but, if we may believe himself, he was always in the right, and always victorious. His uncle, the bishop of St David's, dying A.D. 1176, he was elected his successor by the chapter; but this election having been made without the permission, and contrary to the inclination of Henry II., our author prudently declined to insist upon it, and went again to Paris to prosecute his studies, particularly in the civil and canon law, and theology. He speaks with great raptures of the prodigious fame he acquired by his eloquent declamations in the schools, and of the crowded audiences who attended them, who were at a loss to know whether the sweetness of his voice, the beauty of his language, or the irresistible force of his arguments, were most to be admired. Having spent about four years at Paris, he returned to St David's; where he found every thing in confusion; and the bishop being expelled by the people, he was appointed administrator by the archbishop of Canterbury, and governed the diocese in that capacity to A.D. 1184, when the bishop was restored. About the same time he was called to court by Henry II. appointed one of his chaplains, and sent into Ireland A.D. 1185, with Prince John. By this prince he was offered the united bishoprics of Fernes and Leighlin, but declined them, and employed his time in collecting materials for his Topography of Ireland, and his History of the conquest of that island. Having finished his Topography, which consisted of three books, he published it at Oxford, A.D. 1187, in the following manner, in three days. On the first day he read the first book to a great concourse of people, and afterwards entertained all the poor of the town; on the second day he read the second book, and entertained all the doctors and chief scholars; and, on the third day, he read the third book, and entertained the young scholars, soldiers, and burgesses. "A most glorious spectacle! (says he) which revived the ancient times of the poets, and of which no example had been seen in England." He attended Baldwin archbishop of Canterbury, in his progress through Wales, A.D. 1186, in preaching a crusade for the recovery of the Holy Land; in which, he tells us, he was far more successful than the primate; and particularly, that the people were prodigiously affected with his Latin sermons, which they did not understand, melting into tears, and coming in crowds to take the cross. Although Henry II. as our author assures us, entertained the highest opinion of his virtues and abilities; yet he would never advance him to any higher dignity in the church, on account of his relation to the princes and great men of Wales. But on the accession of Richard I. (A.D. 1189), his projects of preferment became... became better; for he was sent by that prince into Wales to preserve the peace of that country, and was even joined in commission with William Longchamp, bishop of Ely, as one of the regents of the kingdom. He did not, however, improve this favourable opportunity: refusing the bishopric of Bangor in A.D. 1193, and that of Landaff the year after; having fixed his heart on the see of St David's, the bishop of which was very old and infirm. In A.D. 1192, the state of public affairs, and the course of interest at court, became so unfavourable to our author's views, that he determined to retire. At first he resolved to return to Paris to prosecute his studies; but meeting with some difficulties in this, he went to Lincoln, where William de Monte read lectures in theology with great applause. Here he spent about six years in the study of divinity, and in composing several works. The see of St David's, which had long been the great object of his ambition, became vacant, A.D. 1198, and brought him again upon the stage. He was unanimously elected by the chapter; but met with so powerful an adversary in Hubert archbishop of Canterbury (who opposed his promotion with great violence), that it involved him in a litigation which lasted five years, cost him three journeys to Rome, at a great expense, and in which he was at last defeated, A.D. 1203. Soon after this he retired from the world, and spent the last 17 years of his life in a studious privacy, composing many books, of which we have a very correct catalogue in the Biographia Britannica. That Girald of Wales was a man of uncommon activity, genius, and learning, is undeniable; but these and his other good qualities were much tarnished by his insufferable vanity.

**Barry, James**, an eminent British painter. See Supplement.

**Barry, in Heraldry**, is when an escutcheon is divided bar-ways, that is, across from side to side, into an even number of partitions, consisting of two or more tinctures, interchangeably disposed; it is to be expressed in the blazon by the word *barry*, and the number of pieces must be specified; but if the divisions be odd, the field must be first named, and the number of bars expressed.

**Barry-Bendy** is when an escutcheon is divided evenly, bar and bend-ways, by lines drawn transverse and diagonal, interchangeably varying the tinctures of which it consists.

**Barry-Pity** is when a coat is divided by several lines drawn obliquely from side to side, where they form acute angles.

**Barsa**, in Ancient Geography, an island on the coast of France, in the English channel, (Itinerary): Basepool according to some; but according to others, Bardsey.

**Barsalli**, a kingdom of Africa, bordering on the river Gambia, inhabited by a tribe of negroes called Jalooffs. The government of this kingdom is a most despotic monarchy: all people being obliged to prostrate themselves on the earth when any of the royal family makes his appearance. In time of war, every soldier has his share of the booty, and the king but a certain proportion, which is moderate, considering that if he pleased he might keep the whole. The kingdom is divided into a number of provinces, over which governors called bumey are appointed by the king. These bumey are absolute within their jurisdiction; but they seldom carry their prerogative so far as to incur the dislike of the people, which would quickly prove fatal to them. The Mahometan religion is professed by the king and his court; though little regard is paid to that part of the impostor's creed which forbids the use of wine; for the king cannot live without brandy, nor is he ever more devout than when he is drunk. When his majesty is in want of brandy or other necessaries, he sends to beg of the governor of Jamesfort that he will despatch a boat with the merchandise he has occasion for; and to purchase this he plunders the neighbouring towns, and seizes a certain number of his subjects, whom he sells for slaves to the Europeans in exchange for their commodities. This is his method of supplying himself if he happens to be at peace with his neighbours; for which reason the people are never so happy as when at war; and hence they pursue war with great vigour, and continue it with obstinacy.—The general dress of the people is a kind of loose calico surplice, that hangs down below the knee; which they sometimes plait about the waist in a very agreeable manner. They wear a great number of gold trinkets in their hair, ears, noses, and round their necks, arms, and legs; but the women especially are fond of these ornaments. The king of Barsalli, whom Moor saw in 1732, had a prodigious number of women: but when he went abroad he was seldom attended by more than two, who seemed to be dressed out in the whole finery and jewels of the seraglio. He had likewise a number of brethren; but it was seldom that he deigned to speak to them: if ever he did them that honour, they were forced to treat him with the same respect as other subjects, and fall prostrate on the earth the moment they came into his presence, notwithstanding they were the presumptive heirs of the crown. It is indeed usual for the king's children to dispute the right of succession with his brethren, and the longest sword generally carries away the prize.

**Barsanti, Francisco**, an eminent musical performer and composer, was born at Lucca about the year 1690. He studied the civil law in the university of Padua; but, after a short stay there, chose music for his profession. Accordingly, he put himself under the tuition of some of the ablest masters in Italy; and having attained to a considerable degree of proficiency in the science of practical composition, took a resolution to settle in England, and came thither with Geminiani, who was also a Lucceese, in the year 1714. He was a good performer on the hautboy, and also on the flute; in the former capacity he found employment in the opera band, and in the latter derived considerable advantages by teaching. He published, with a dedication to the earl of Burlington, six solos for a flute with a thorough-bass, and afterwards six solos for a German flute and a bass. He also made into sonatas, for two violins and a bass, the first six solos of Geminiani. He continued many years a performer at the opera house: at length reflecting that there was a prospect of advantage for one of his profession in Scotland, he went thither; and, with greater truth than the same is asserted of David Rizzio, may be said to have meliorated the music of this country, by collecting and making basses to a great number of the most popular Scots tunes. About the year 1750 Bar- Bartas returned to England; but being advanced in years, he was glad to be taken into the opera band as a performer on the tenor violin; and in the summer season into that of Vauxhall. At this time he published 12 concertos for violins; and shortly after, Sei Antifone, in which he endeavoured to imitate the style of Palestrina, and the old composers of motets; but from these publications so little profit resulted, that, towards the end of his life, the industry and economy of an excellent wife, whom he had married in Scotland, and the studies and labours of a daughter, whom he had qualified for the profession of a singer, but who is now an actress at Covent-Garden, were his chief support.

BARTAS, WILLIAM DE SALLUSTE DU, a French poet, who lived in the 16th century. He was employed by Henry IV. of France, in England, Denmark, and Scotland; and commanded a troop of horse in Gascony, under the marshal de Martinan. He was a Calvinist; and died in 1560, aged 46. He wrote a great number of poems; the most famous of which are, 1. The Week, or the Creation of the World, in seven books. 2. The Poem of Judith; and, 3. The battle of Ivry, gained by Henry IV. in 1590. Du Bartas wrote in a bombast style.