Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/240

 B A S

(90)

BAT

BASTILE, is a fmall antique fortified Caftle with Tur- rets, made ufe of, at prefent, for Prifons 5 as that atlparis, built byCharles'V. 1569. which alone has retained thisNaine. Originally, it fignified a Redoubt before a Place befieg'd.

BASTION, in the Modern Fortification, a huge Mafs of Earth ufually faced with Sods, fometimes with Brick, rarely with Stone, flanding out from a Rampart, whereof it is a principal Part. This is what in the antient Fortifica- tion was called Bulwark. A Baftion confilts of two Faces and two Flanks. ' The Faces are the Lines B G and C D, (tab. Fortification, Fig. 1.) including the Angle of the Baftion : The Flanks are the Lines B A, S D. The U- nion of the two Faces makes the outmoft or faliant Angle, called alfo the Angle of the Bafttion : The Union of the two Faces to the two Flanks, makes the Side Angles, call- ed the Shoulders or Epaules : And the Union of the two other Ends of the Flanks to the two Curtains, the Angles of the Flanks. Baftions arc either folid or hollow.

The Foundation of the Baft-ion is that great Rule in Fortification, viz. That every Part of the Works mull be fecn and defended, from fome other Part : Mere An- gles therefore arc not fufficient, but Flanks and Faces are indifpenfably rcquifite. If the Baftions E F G and HIK coniilfed of Faces alone, the Angles G and H could not be defended from the Lines F G or I H. But if the Baftion confifts of Flanks and Faces, as A B C S D, all the Points may be defended from the Flanks 5 there be- ing none V. g. in the Face B C, but what may be de- fended from the oppofite Flank E L, nor any in the Curtain A E, but may be defended from the adjacent Flanks B A and E L ; nor any in one Flank B A, but may be defended from the other E L. For the Pro- portions of the Faces are not to be lefs than 24 Rhine- land Perches, nor more than 30. The Flanks are better as they are longer, provided they itand at the fame Angle of the Line of Defence : Hence the Flank mull Hand at right Angles to the Line of Defence. Indeed, in the antient Fortification, the Flank is made perpendicular to the Courtine, fo as to have the Angle out of the Ene- mies Eye ; but this is now provided for, by finking the lower Part of the Flank two or three Perches, as the Line A S, nearer the Axis of the Baftion C H : Which Part thus funk, is better if made concave, than rectilinear, and if double, with a Ditch between, than if fingle. The Dif- pofition of the Flanks makes the principal Part of Fortifi- cation ; 'tis that on which the Defence principally de- pends, and which has introduced the various Forms and Manners of Fortifying. If the Angle of the Baftion be lefs than 60 Degrees, it will be too fmall to give Room for Guns ; and befides, fo acute as to be eafily beaten down by the Enemies Guns ; to which may be added, that it will cither render the Line of Defence too long, or the Flanks too mart : It mull therefore be more than So De- grees ; but whether or no it ihould be a right Angle, or fome intermediate Angle between 60 and 90, or even whe- ther or no it Ihould exceed a right Angle, is ftill difputed. Hence it follows, that a Triangle can never be fortified, in regard either fome or all of the Angles will be either do Degrees, or lefs than ffo. See Fortification.

Solid Baftions are thofe that are fill'd up entirely, and have the Earth equal to the Height of the Rampart, without any void Space towards the' Centte. Foid or hol- low Baftious are thofe that have a Rampart, or Parapet, ranging only round about their Flanks and Faces, fo that a void Space is left towards the Centre; and the Ground is there fo low, that if the Rampart be taken, no Retrench- ment can be made in the Centre, but what will lie under the Fire of the Befieged.

A Flat Baftion is a Baftion built in the middle of a Courtain, when it is too long to be defended by the Bafti- on, at its Extremes : Dr. Harris fays, 'tis a Baftion built on a right Line.

A Cut Baftion is that which has a re-entring Angle at the Point ; fometimes alfo called Baftion with a 'fenaille ; ufed, when without fuch a Contrivance the Angle would be too acute. We likewife give the Term Cut Baftion to fuch a one as is cut off from the Place by fome Ditch, ci?c. fome mo- dern Engineers having found the Art of Fortifying by Pieces detach'd from the reil. Thefe are alfo called Ravelines.

A Comfojed Baftion is when the two Sides of the interi- or Polygon are very unequal, which makes the Gorges alfo unequal.

A Regular Baftion is that which hath its due Proportion of Faces, Flanks, and Gorges.

A Deformed or Irregular Baftion is that which wants one of its Demi-Gorges; one Side of the interior Polygon being too ihort. S ee Gorge.

ti'Dcmi-Baftion hath but one Face and Flank. To for- tify the Angle of a Place that is too acute, they cut the Point, and place two Demi-Baftious, which make a Te- naillc, or a re-entring Angle. Their chief Ufe is before a Hornvvork or Crownwork. See 'Tenaille.

A Double Baftion is that, which on the Plain of the great Baftion hath another Baftion built higher; leaving 12 or 18 Feet between the Parapet of the lower and the Foot of the higher.

BASTON, in Law, is ufed for one of the Wardens of the Fleet; being Officers who attend the King's Courts with a red Staff, for taking fuch to Ward as are committed by the Court. Sec Warden.

BATCH ELOR, in a College Senfe, a Pcrfon poffcfs'd of the Baccalaureate, which is' the firlt Degree in the Li- beral Arts or Sciences. At Oxford, e'er a Perfon be en- titled to the Degree of Batchelor of Arts, he mull have ftudied there four Years ; three Years more to become Afafter of 'Arts ; and feven more to commence Batchelor of Divinity. At Cambridge, to commence Batchelor of Arts, he mnil have refided three Years ; three Year^ more to commence Mafter ; and feven more Hill to become Batchelor of Divinity. He may commence Batchelor of Law after having ftudied it fix Years. See Degree.

In France, e'er the Theology-Chairs were founded, they had their Baccularei Curfires, and Baccularei Formati ; the former whereof were yet in their Courfe, or had not yet pafs'd thro their Offices ; and the latter had. The Curfires were again divided into Baccularei Biblici, who explain'd the Scriptures, and Baccularei Sentemiarii, who explain'd the Matter of the Sentences.

There is fcarce any Word whofe Origin is more contro- verted among the Criticks than that of Batchelor, Baccu- lareus. Martinius derives the Word from the Latin Baccalaurea, quafi bacca latirea donatus ; in allufion to the Cuftom that antiently obtain'd, of crowning the Poets with Laurel, baccis lauri, as 'Petrarch was at Rome in 1 3 4.1 ; and Alicatus and Vivos are of the fame Opinion. Rhenanus dctives it from Bacillus or Bacillus, a Staff, be- caufe at their Commencement a Staff was put into their Hands, as a Symbol of their Authority, of their Studies being finiftt'd, and of the Liberty they were reftored ro. Thus the antient Gladiators had a Staff given 'em as a Difcharge, which Horace calls rude Donatus. But Sfet- man rejects this Opinion, in regard there is no Appearance, that the Ceremony of putting a Staff in the Hand was ever ufed in the creating of Batchelors.

Batchelor was alfo a Title given to a young Cavalier, who made his firlt Campaign, and received the military Girdle accordingly. Cambden defines a Batchelor, a Per- fon of a middle Degree between a fimple Knight and a 'Squire : Or, as fome will have it, Batchelor was a com- mon Name for all the Degrees between a mere Gentle- man and a Baron : Thus we find the Lord Admiral fome- times fo call'd. See. Knight Batchelor.

Knights Batchelors were antiently fo call'd, quafi Bas Che- valiers, as being the lowefl Order of Knights, or inferior to Bannerets, fgc. See Knight. At prefent thefe are call'd E- quitesAurati, from the gilt Spurs that are put on 'em at the time of their Creation. The Dignity was at firlt confined to the military Men, but afterwards was confer'd on Men of the Robe. The Ceremony is exceedingly fimple ; the Candidate kneeling down, the King touches him lightly with a naked Sword, and fays, Sois Chevalier, au nom de Dieu; and afterwards, Jvance Chevalier. Loyfeau de- rives the Word, in this Senfe, from Bus LJchelon, as being the laft of the military Orders; Ctljas, from Buccellarilts, a kind of Knights antiently in great Efleem ; Du Cauge, from Baccalaria, a kind of Fees, or Farm confining of feveral Pieces of Ground, each whereof contain'd 12 Acres, or as much as two Oxen wou'd plough ; the Poffeffors of which Baccalaria were call'd Batchelors : He adds, that Batchelor fometimes fignifies Labourer, and fometimes a Freeman of a City. A Batchelor of Arms was a Name formerly given ro a Perfon who came off Viaor in his firft Engagement. Laftly, Cafeneuve and Altaterra derive the Word Batchelor from Bacillus, a Staff in regard the young Cavaliers cxercifed themfelves in fighting with Staffs and Bucklers : Which Opinion is confirm'd from their being call'd Baculares in Oderic, and Bacularii by Waljinrbam in Richard ll's Time.

BAT-FOWLING, a Method of catching Birds in the Night, by lighting fome Straw or Torches near the Place where they are at Rooft ; for, upon beating them up, they fly to the Flames, where, being amaz'd, they are eafily cauobr in Nets, or beat down with Bullies fix'd to the Ends" of Poles, ?$c.

BATH, a convenient Receptacle of Water for Perfons to warn, or plunge in, either for Health or Pleafure. Sec Water. Baths are either Natural or Artificial. Natural again, are either Hot or Cold. Hot Baths, call'd alfo ¥berm<e, owe their Origin partly to the Admixture of fulphureous Parti- cles, while the Water is pafiing thro its fubterranean Ca- nals ; or rather, while it creeps thro Beds and Mines of Sul- phur, e?c and partly to the Fumes and Vapours exhaling up thro the Pores of the Earth, where Sulphur is, whe- ther pure or impure, as in Coals, Amber, (fc. For thefe

Sub-