Bielfeld, James Frederick Baron De

, was born at Hamburgh March 31, 1717. Jn a journey which he made to Brunswick, he became acquainted with | Frederick II. then prince royal, who, on coming to the throne, took him into his service, and sent him, as secretary of legation, with count de Truchses, Prussian ambassador to the court of St. James’s, but discovering that the baron’s talents were not calculated for diplomatic affairs, h, in 1745, appointed him preceptor to prince Augustus Ferdinand his brother; after that, in 1747, curator of the universities, and in 1748 he created him a baron, with the rank of privy-counsellor. The last years of his life he spent in study and retirement at Treban, in the country of Altenburgh, where he died April 5, 1770. He wrote

1. “Institutions politiques,” 1759 60, 3 vols. 4to 1762, 4 vols. 12mo, the only work from his pen that retained its reputation on the continent. Even the empress Catherine II. of Russia, condescended to write notes on it.

2. “Progres des Allemands dans les belles-lettres,” 1752 and 1768, 8vo. 3. “Amusemens dramatiques,” Leyden, 1768, 2 vols. 12mo, of no great merit. 4. “Lettres familieres,” 1763, and “Erudition universelle,” 1768, 4 vols. both translated into English by Dr. Hooper. The baron also conducted for about three years a periodical publication called “The Hermit/' and is by some the reputed author of the” Memoirs of the duchess of Hanover, spouse to George I." which is more generally attributed to baron. Polnitz. ¹