Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/298

 BEN

\>ur°e, made up of turbith, diagrydium, fpurges, hermodac- tvUj auis-feeds, fennel-feeds, fal gemmae, and honey. Jlfeyn, Difpenf. p. 272.

Schroder alfo gives the appellation aqua benedifia to his eme- tic ; and Mynficht does the fame to his aqua ferpylli, or water of wild thyme. *

Some have called the philofopher's ftone lapis benediclus. CaJteL Lex. ubi fupra.

Vinum Bknf.bictum. See Vinum.

BENEFICE (CycL)—Confifia>ial Benefices, in the French cuftoms, are thofe of royal foundation, which were elective before the concordat, and are now nominated by the king of France. Fevrrt. Tr. de l'Abus. 1. 1, c. 8. They are called confiftorial, by reaSon, on the king's nomi- nation, they are to be propofed in the papal confiftory, that is, in the congregation of cardinals, where the pope prefides. To this clafs belong archbifhopricks, bifhopricks, and abbies. Thefe benefices were formerly elective ; but by the concordat. which abolifhed all ele£ions, they are to be conferred by the pope, on the king's nomination. Annates are to be paid, and the pope's bulls obtained, for confiftorial benefices. Diet. Trev T. 1. p. 976.

Non-confifiorial Benefices are either eleaive, or collattve, or in patronage.

Ehclive Benefices are thofe which are to be filled or Supplied in the way of election j only this election to be confirmed by the proper fuperior.

Collative Benefices are thofe In the free difpofal of the collator, and which need no confirmation ; provided the party have the qualifications required.

Benefices in patronage we thoSewhich the collator is obliged to confer upon thofe prefented by the patron.

Benefices vacant in curia are thofe, whofe incumbents or be- neficiaries die in curia, that is, within ten leagues round Rome.

The pope confers all benefices vacant in curia, by virtue of a refervation firft introduced by pope Clement IV. Trev. Diet, ibid. p. 978.

The king of France gives no benefices to thofe of other court ■ tries, but on condition of their obtaining from the pope a brief de non vacantia in curia ; after which, whether the perfon ob- tains or does not obtain fuch brief, the benefice he is poflefled of cannot be vacant in curia. In reality, the pope very rarely grants briefs de non vacanda, except in behalf of cardinals, prin- ces, &c.

Manual Benefice is that depending on an abby, and ferved by a religious Cent thither, who is removeable at pleafure by the fuperior. Corn. Did. des Arts, p. 105. _ Trev. ib. p. 977. We alfo meet with manual benefices, beneficia manualia, uSed for thofe, where the daily allowances of provifions were only dis- tributed to the refidents. DuCange, Glofl. Lat. p. 534. Thefe are alfo denominated viflual benefices, beneficia vifiua- lia.

BrwEFiCE is alfo ufed, In middle-age writers, for a fee, Some- times denominated more peculiarly benefidum militate. Calv. Lex. Jur. p. 114. DuCange, Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 1529. In this fenl'e, benefice was an eftate in land, at firft granted for life only ; fo called, becaufe it was held ex mero beneficia of the donor j and the tenants were bound to fwear fealty to the lord, and to ferve him in the wars.

In after-times, as thefe tenures became perpetual and heredi tary, they left their name of beneficia to the livings of the clergy; and retained to themfelves the name of feuds.

BENEFICIARII, in Roman antiquity, denote foldiers who at- tended the chief officers of the army, being exempted from other duty. Horfi. Br'itan. Rom. 1. 2. c. 3. §. 80. p. 234. Beneficiarii were alfo foldiers difcharged from the military Ser- vice or duty, and provided with beneficia to fubfift on. Fefi. de Verb. Signif. in voc. Caf. Bell. Civil. 1. 4. c 88. Pitifc. Lex. Antiq. T. 1. p. 270. a.

Thefe were probably the fame with the former, and both might be comprifed in the fame definition. They were old, experienced foldiers, who having ferved out their legal time, or received a difcharge as a particular mark of honour, were invited again to the fervice, where they were held in great efteem, exempted from all military drudgery, and appointed to guard the ftandard, c>c. Kenn. Rom. Ant. P. 2. 1. 4. c. 4. p. 189.

Thefe, when thus recalled to fervice, were alfo denominated evocati ; before their rccal emeriti.

Beneficiarii was alfo ufed for thofe raifed to a higher rank by the favour of the tribunes % or other magiftrates b. — [ *Veget. 1. 2. c. 7. ' b Pitifc. Lex.]

The word beneficiarius frequently occurs in the Roman inferip- tions found in Britain, where conjidis is always joined with it ; but befides beneficiarius canfidis, we find in Gruter beneficiarius tribuni, pnetorii, legati, prafeiti, pracanfulis, &c. Ward. ap. Horfi. ubi fupra, p. 353.

BENEFICIARY, in a general fenfc, fomething that relates to benefices. See Benefice.

RebufFe has collected fix volumes on beneficiary matters. F. Paul has alfo a treatife on beneficiary matters.

Beneficiary, baicficiarius, is more particularly ufed for a be- neficed perfon, or him who receives and enjoys one or more benefices.

fi E R

Rowland gives a lift of the beneficiaries, or beneficed clergy in the churches of Anglefey, from the time of Henry VIII. Rcw- land, Mona Antiq. p. 359.

A beneficiary is not the proprietor of the revenues of his church ; he ha> only the adminiftration of them, tho' unaccountable for the fame to any, but God. Trev. Diet, p 980.

Beneficiary is more particularly ufed, among Roman writers, for a perfon exempt from public offices. Calv. Lex. Jur. p. 114.

In which fenfe, beneficiarii ftand con trad iftinguifhed from mu- nicipes. See Beneficiarii, fupra.

Beneficiary is alfo ufed, in middle-age writers, for a feuda- tory or vaflal.

Beneficiary is alfo ufed for a clerk or officer, who kept the account of the beneficia, and made the writings necefiary thereto. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. in voc.

The fame denomination was alfo given to the officers who collected the rents and duties belonging to the fifcus. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. in voc.

BENEFICIUM, in militarv matters among the Romans, de- noted a promotion to a higher rank, by the favour of fome perfon in authority.

In this fenfe alfo there was a liber benefidorum in the times of the republic, wherein the governors of provinces, at their re- turn to Rome, entered the tribunes, centurions, and other officers, whom they had preferred. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. T. 1.

The entry or report was called ad terrartum in beneficiis.

BENEFIT is ufed for a privilege granted to fome perfon, as of* an immunity, or the like. Pancirol. Notit. Dign. c. 89. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. Calv. Lex. p. 114. a.

Benefit of cejfion, in the French law, is when a debtor is ad- mitted to furrender all his effefls to his creditors, and in con- fluence thereof fet at liberty. Cornell. Diet. T. 1. p. 105.

Benefit of age, in France, is when a minor obtains the king's letters, whereby he is emancipated, and impowereJ to manage his own income from eighteen years to his full majority.

BENENAIM, Benenath, Benenasch, or Bewenat, in aftronomy, the outermoft ftar, of the fecond magnitude, in the tail of the Great Bear. Wolf. Lex. Math. p. 210. Id. p. 32. See Ursa major, Cycl. This is Sometimes alSo called Alalioth.

Its longitude, according to Hevelius, for the year 17CO, was 22 39' 24'', and it latitude 54° 25' 7' north. Flcvel.Pro- (Irom. Aftrom. p. 306.

BENISH-Z)tfj.r, among the Egyptians, a term for three days of the week, which are days of lefs ceremony in religion than the other four, and have their name from the benijb, a garment of common ufe, not of ceremony. In Cairo, on Sundays, Tuefdays, and Thurfdays, they go to the pafhas divan ; and theSe are the general days of bufinefs. Fridays they Slay at home, and go to their mofques at noon ; but, tho' this is their day of devotion, they never abftain from bufmeSs. The three other days of the week are the benijb-dsys, in which they throw off all bufinefs and ceremony, and go to their little fummer-houSes in the country. Pocock\ Egypt.

BENLOJA, in ichthyology, the name by which the Swedes call that Species of cyprinus, which we call the bleak. Jt is the alburnus of authors. See Aleurnus and Cyprinus.

BENOCTE, in botany, a name by which the French call the caryophyllata, or avens ; called alfo by us berb-bennet. See Caryophyllata.

BENZOIN, or Benjamin [Cycl.) — Some recommend benzoin diftblved in fpirit of wine as a cephalic. It makes a tincture, commended for taking away freckles. It alfo enters the com- position of fome plafters, as a difcutient and ftrengthener. £htinc. Difp. P. 2. §. 4. n. 209. p. 1 1 r. Pharmaceutic writers fpeak of a water and tincture of benzoin drawn with the fpirit of wine, faid to be good againft afthmas, &c. Flowers of benzoin, procured by fublimation, are efteem- ed a powerful pectoral. Spirit of benzoin is ufed as a diuretic ; and oil of benzoin is accounted a good vulnerary. Boerb.New Meth. Chem. P. 3. p. 138. Marl. Collect. Chem. Leid. c. 0.2. p. 106, feq. ^uinc. lib. cit. P. 2. p. 294, feq. If two or three pounds of benjamin be diftilled dry in a retort, with a mixture of a little fand, there will arife fpirit, oil, and flowers. This Spirit being Separated from the reft by filtration, and mixed with Spirit of fal armoniac, two parts of the fpirit of benjamin to one part of the other, tho' both are feparately clear and colourlefs, the mixture will become red. Phil. Tranf. N° 225.

BER, in botany, a name ufed by fome authors for the Indian ju- jube ; that fpecies of the jujube-tree, on which the gum lacca of the fhops is ufualfy found. J.Bauhin^Yo\. I. p 44.

BERBENGINE, a name given by the Arabian phyficians to the pomum amoris, or love-apple, a kind of efculent nightmade ; and by fome to a tree producing the nut mciel, becaufe of its likenefs to the plant which produces the mebngena in the fliape of its leaves.

BERBERII, in medicine. See Palsy.

BERBERIS, the barberry-bujb, in botany, the name of a genus of trees ; the characters of which are thefe : the flower is of the rofaccous kind, being compofed of Several petals difpoSed in a circular form : from the centre of the flower there arifes a

piftil,