BELKNAP, REV. JEREMY (1744-1798), a New England historian, and author of _The Foresters, an American Tale_, a work rich in humour. BELLAW, AMERICUS W., humorous verse-writer, contributor to most of the humorous papers of America. He is well-known to readers of newspaper humour in the United States. BENJAMIN, PARK (1809-1864), a Boston attorney, who drifted into magazine writing, and being equally at home in verse or prose, published a great amount of matter. For a time he was associated with Horace Greeley as editor of the _New Yorker_, and in 1840 he founded the _New World_, and, with others, edited it for five years. His principal works are _Infatuation_ and _Poetry_, both satires in verse. BEVERIDGE, JOHN, a Scotsman by birth, who in 1758 was appointed Professor of Languages in Philadelphia College; published some Latin verse of a humorous description, with their English translations by his students. BOLTON, MRS. SARAH TITTLE (1815). She wrote “Paddle your own Canoe.” BRACKENRIDGE, HUGH HENRY (1748-1816). Born in Scotland and taken to America while still a child, he earned enough money to put himself through Princetown, graduating in 1771, and rose to be one of the Justices of Pennsylvania Supreme Court (1799). _Modern Chivalry, or the Adventures of Captain Farrago and Teague O’Regan his Servant_, published in Pittsburg, 1796, a political satire, established his reputation as a humorist. BRAINARD, JOHN GARDINER CALKINS (1796-1828). Studied law, but on being called to the bar he forsook his profession for that of editor of a weekly paper. He wrote a number of ballads, and his “Sonnet to a Sea-Serpent” is humorous. BROUGHAM, JOHN, born in Dublin, 1810; died in America, 1880. A prolific writer of comedies and farces, and was editor and proprietor of the _Lantern_, a comic paper published in 1852. Two collections of his writings have appeared, _A Basket of Chips_ and _The Bunsby Papers_. BROWNE, CHARLES FARRAR (1834-1867), “Artemus Ward.” When fifteen years old he contributed comic articles to the _Carpet Bag_, a Boston weekly. Subsequently he secured the situation of reporter on the _Cleveland Plaindealer_, a paper of good standing, and while acting in that position commenced his showman articles. The first of these were written in a careless style, more as a “fill up” than anything else, but finding that they met with extraordinary success Mr. Browne began taking greater pains with them, and the result is a series of as clever and humorous articles as America has produced. He was a successful lecturer, and in this capacity visited England in 1866, but his health, which had long been failing, became so poor that he was forced to cancel engagements. He died in Southampton, England.