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, the son of a tanner, was born at Heidelberg, April 19, 1653, and received an education suitable to his promising talents. In compliance with his father’s request, he studied divinity, but after his death indulged his own inclination, by studying law. In 1677, when he was twenty-four years of age, Charles Louis, elector palatine, appointed him his librarian, and keeper of his museum. Beger retained those stations until 1685, when Charles, the son and successor of Charles Louis, being dead, the library passed into the hands of the landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, and the museum went to the elector of Brandenburgh. The latter, Frederick William, engaged Beger in his service, gave him the rank of counsellor, and appointed him to the care of his library and medals, a post which he likewise filled under his successor, until his death, April 21, 1705. He had been a member of the society of Berlin from its foundation. He left a great many works, the principal of which are: 1. “Thesaurus ex Thesauro Palatino selectus, seu Gemmae,” Heidelberg, 1685, fol. 2. “Spicilegium antiquitatis,” 1692, folio. 3. “Thesaurus, sive Gemmae, Numismata,” &c. 1696, and 1791, 3 vols. fol. 4. “Regum et Imperatorum Romanorum Numismata, a, Rubenio edita,” 1700, fol. 5. “De nummis Cretensium serpentiferis,” 1702, fol, 6. “Lucernae sepulchrales J. P. Bellorii,” 1702, fol. 7. “Numismata Pontificum Romanorum,” 1703, fol. 8. “Excidium Trojanum,” Berlin, 1699, 4 to, &c. Beger composed a work to authorise polygamy, at the request of Charles Louis, elector palatine, who was desirous of marrying his mistress in the life-time of his first wife; but he refuted it after the death of that prince. The refutation, however, never appeared. The book that gave occasion to it was entitled “Considerations on Marriage, by Daphnseus Arcuarius,” in German, 4to.

, a brave officer of the four, teenth century, has been slightly noticed by his contemporaries at home, and would not have been brought into a conspicuous point of view but for the engraved portrait of him presented to the society of antiquaries in 1775, by lord Hailes. He is said, by the concurrent testimony of our writers, to have been the son of a tanner of Sible Hedingham, in Essex, where he was born in the reign of Edward II. Mr. Morant says, the manor of Hawk wood in. that parish takes its name from sir John. But it was holden before him by Stephen Hawkwood, probably his father, a circumstance which would lead one to doubt the meanness of his birth as well as his profession. Persons who gave names to manors were generally of more considerable rank: and the manor appears to have been in the family from the time of king John.