Bentham (Jeremy), writer on ethics, jurisprudence, and political economy, b. 15 Feb. 1748. A grand uncle named Woodward was the publisher of Tindal's Christianity as Old as the Creation. Was educated at Westminster and Oxford, where he graduated M.A. 1767. Bentham is justly regarded as the father of the school of philosophical Radicalism. In philosophy he is the great teacher of Utilitarianism; as a jurist he did much to disclose the defects of and improve our system of law. Macaulay says he "found jurisprudence a gibberish and left it a science." His most pronounced Freethought work was that written in conjunction with Grote, published as An Analysis of the Influence of Natural Religion, by Philip Beauchamp, 1822. Among his numerous other works we can only mention Deontology, or the Science of Mortality, an exposition of utilitarianism; Church of Englandism and its Catechism Examined; Not Paul, but Jesus, published under the pseudonym of Gamaliel Smith. Died 6 June, 1832, leaving his body for the purposes of science. Béranger (Jean Pierre de), celebrated French lyrical poet, b. Paris, 19 Aug. 1780. His satire on the Bourbons twice ensured for him imprisonment. He was elected to the Constituant Assembly 1848. Béranger has been compared not inaptly to Burns. All his songs breathe the spirit of liberty, and several have been characterised as impious. He died 16 July, 1857. Bergel (Joseph), Jewish Rationalist, author of Heaven and Its Wonders, Leipsic, 1881, and Mythology of the Ancient Hebrews, 1882. Berger (Moriz), author of a work on Materialism in Conflict with Spiritualism and Idealism, Trieste, 1883. Bergerac de (Savinien Cyrano). See Cyrano. Bergk (Johann Adam), German philosopher, b. Hainechen, Zeitz, 27 June, 1769; became a private teacher at Leipsic and wrote many works, both under his own name and pseudonyms. He published the Art of Thinking, Leipsic, 1802, conducted the Asiatic Magazine, 1806, and wrote under the name of Frey the True Religion, "recommended to rationalists and destined for the Radical cure of supernaturalists, mystics, etc." Died Leipsic, 27 Oct. 1834. Bergk (Theodor), German humanist, son of the above, b. Leipsic, 22 May, 1812, author of a good History of Greek Literature, 1872. Berigardus (Claudius), or Beauregard (Claude Guillermet), French physician and philosopher, b. at Moulins about 1591. He became a professor at Pisa from 1628 till 1640, and then went to Padua. His Circulus Pisanus, published in 1643, was considered an Atheistic work. In the form of a dialogue he exhibits the various hypotheses of the formation of the world. The work was forbidden and is very rare. His book entitled Dubitationes in Dialogum Galilæi, also brought on him a charge of scepticism. Died in 1664.