Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/444

BAS century, son of the laird of Bassantin, in the Merse, was born about the year 1504, and died in 1568. Educated at the university of Glasgow, where he particularly devoted himself to the study of mathematics, he afterwards taught that science and practised judicial astronomy at Paris, with a success which brought him fortune as well as fame. On his return to Scotland in 1562 he had an interview with Sir Robert Melville, to whom, by the help of the "high sciences," he is said to have predicted the impossibility of reconciling Elizabeth and Mary, and other matters of equal importance. His works were collected and published at Geneva in 1599.—J. S., G.  BASSE,, a poet, principally known at the present time by his "Epitaph on Shakspeare," first printed in 1633 in the first edition of Dr. Donne's poems. The "Sword and Buckler," 1602, has been ascribed to him. A poem on the death of Prince Henry, son of James I., entitled "Great Brittaines Sunnes-set, bewailed with a Shower of Teares," was printed with his name at Oxford in 1613. He was also the author of a MS. collection of poems, entitled "Polyhymnia." According to Anthony Wood he was of Moreton, near Thame in Oxfordshire, and was a retainer of Lord Wenman of Thame Park. He was living in 1651, and was then an aged man; but neither the time of his birth nor death is known. There was another poet of the same name, supposed to have been his son, who was admitted a sizar of Emanuel college, Cambridge, in 1629, A.B. 1632, A.M. 1636. Some of his pieces are among the MSS. in the public library, Cambridge. Isaac Walton speaks of William Basse, as one that hath made the choice songs of "The Hunter in his Career," and of "Tom of Bedlam," and many others of note. It is uncertain to which of the two these are to be ascribed.—T. F.  BASSÉE,, a capuchin, better known under the name of. He was born towards the close of the sixteenth century. Author of a work entitled "Parochianus Obediens," &c., which was the source of much controversy, the details of which are necessary to the understanding of the fifteenth of Pascal's Provincial Letters.  BASSELIN,, a popular poet, born in the Val de Vire in Normandy, the time of whose birth is not stated, but whose death is said to have taken place about 1418. That which attaches most interest to his name is its connection with the origin of that peculiarly French entertainment called the Vaudeville, to account for the origin of which name, has taxed the ingenuity of many inquirers. Basselin, who kept a mill for cloth-dressing, seems to have been a jovial genius, who composed bacchanalian songs and glees for his neighbours, which got the name of "Vaux de viles," subsequently transferred, as is supposed, to those little light dramatic pieces which, interspersed with pleasant melodies to popular airs, are called "Vaus de vile." Basselin's songs were not collected until 1610, many years after his death, and only reprinted in 1833.—J. F. C.  BASSEN,, a Dutch artist, flourished about the middle of the seventeenth century in London, where he enjoyed a considerable reputation. He painted portraits (of which those of Charles I. and his queen, and of the king and queen of Bohemia at Kensington, are fair specimens), as well as interiors and familiar subjects. He also carved in ivory and wood.—R. M.  BASSENGE,, a Belgian poet, born at Liege in 1758; died in 1811. He took part in the revolt of the people of Liege in 1789.  * BASSERMANN,, a German publicist and politician, was born at Manheim in 1811. He was at first engaged in commercial pursuits, but at leisure hours devoted himself to the study of mathematics, physics, and history. He became afterwards a student at the university of Heidelberg. His first appearance in public life was in 1837, when he was elected by the people of Manheim to represent that town in the local administration. He justified their choice by contributing to various internal ameliorations; and having secured the confidence of his fellow-citizens, he was soon after called to sit in the elective chamber of Baden. Here he joined the party opposed to government, and by his zeal and talents became one of its most influential members. In 1848 he became under-secretary to the minister of the empire. His political career was cut short in 1849 by an attack of nervous disease, which disabled him from attention to public business.—G. M.  BASSETTI,, an Italian painter, born at Verona in 1588, was first pupil of Felice Ricci (il Brusasorci) in his native place; then proceeded to Venice, where he studied under Tintoretto and Titian; and ultimately to Rome, where he remained a long time. He thus acquired, a good fame, and particularly distinguished himself for breadth of style and vigour of colour, almost vieing with that of his master, Tintoretto. Died in 1630, at Verona, of the plague, caught by him whilst attending other victims of that epidemic.—R. M. <section end="444H" /> <section begin="444I" />BASSEVILLE,, one of the more advanced republicans of the Reign of Terror, was appointed secretary of legation at Naples, and would probably have been little known only for the manner of his death. Being at Rome on the 13th January, 1793, he was attacked by a furious mob, who pelted him with stones, from the effect of which, with a razor-cut, he died in a few hours. The convention ordered that full satisfaction should be rendered, and adopted the man's son in the name of the Republic. Basseville has left some memoirs of the Revolution.—J. F. C. <section end="444I" /> <section begin="444J" />BASSEWITZ,, a Russian historian, born in 1680; died in 1749. He was president of the privy council of the duke of Schleswig-Holstein, and ambassador to the court of Peter the Great. During his residence in Russia, he wrote "Historical Memoirs" of that country from 1713 to 1725. <section end="444J" /> <section begin="444K" />BASSI,, an Italian naturalist, born at Bologna, and died 9th May, 1774. He was an extensive traveller, and made collections of plants. He read several memoirs to the Institute of Bologna. In one of these he gives an account of the Flora of the Appenines. He established the genus Ambrosinia, and published a description of it. His name was preserved by Linnæus in the genus Bassia, one of the Sapotaceæ.—J. H. B. <section end="444K" /> <section begin="444L" />BASSI,, an Italian landscape painter, born at Cremona, 1642; died 1700. He established himself at Venice, where he was nicknamed the "Cremonese of the Landscapes" (Dai Paesi). His pictures present a great variety, and are remarkable for the warm hue of the skies, the firmness of the touch, and the grace of the highly careful execution.—R. M. <section end="444L" /> <section begin="444M" />* BASSI,, one of the most distinguished Italian landscape painters of the day, a native of Bologna, and working at Rome.—R. M. <section end="444M" /> <section begin="444N" />BASSI,, a Bolognese sculptor at the beginning of the eighteenth century, a pupil of Gabriele Brunelli. <section end="444N" /> <section begin="444O" />BASSI,, a learned Italian lady, born at Bologna in 1711; died in 1778. At the age of twenty-one she publicly maintained a philosophic thesis before the cardinals, Lambertini and Grimaldi, and received the degree of doctor. She was extensively acquainted with Greek, Latin, French, and Italian literature, nor was she less remarkable for amiability and benevolence of character. <section end="444O" /> <section begin="444Zcontin" />BASSI,, a Barnabite monk, born at Cento in the Roman states in 1804, of an Italian father and Greek mother. He was much distinguished among the brethren for his extraordinary learning and talents; while the purity of his life, the goodness of his heart, and his eloquence as a preacher, made him the idol of the people. The liberality of his political opinions, however, and the boldness of his sermons rendered him obnoxious to the court of Rome, and he was sent into a sort of exile in Sicily, from which he only returned on the accession of Pius IX. in 1846. On the breaking out of the Lombard revolution in 1848, bodies of volunteers hastened from Rome to aid their fellow-countrymen in the struggle against the Austrians. Ugo Bassi was among the first who went to Treviso, where he greatly distinguished himself by his valour in battle, and his untiring services in the hospitals. On the capitulation of Treviso, Bassi went to Venice, where he fought in the ranks against her Austrian besiegers. From Venice he went to Rome, and joined the legion of General Garibaldi in the capacity of chaplain, but mingled in every engagement, and inspired even that intrepid band with greater ardour, by his fiery enthusiasm in battle, and the tender and womanly devotion with which he tended the wounded and dying. On the fall of Rome, Ugo Bassi was one of those who followed General Garibaldi when he made a last attempt to fight his way to Venice, which still held out against the Austrians. The little band was, however, dispersed and cut up by Austrian troops, and General Garibaldi himself escaped with great difficulty. Bassi was taken prisoner, carried to Bologna, and condemned to death. The ecclesiastical authorities of Bologna, far from opposing the sentence, merely stipulated, with refined cruelty, that previous to the execution of the sentence, the crown of his head and the inside of his hands, on which the oil of consecration had been <section end="444Zcontin" />