pnugues/EB7 huggingface dataset:
BEARING, in Navigation, an arch of the horizon intercepted between the nearest meridian and any distinct object, either discovered by the eye or resulting from the spherical proportion; as, in the first case, at four p. μ. Cape Spado, in the isle of Candia, bore S. by W. by the compass. In the second, the longitudes and latitudes of any two places being given, and consequently the difference of latitude and longitude between them, the bearing of one from the other is discovered by the following analogy: As the meridional difference of latitude is to the difference of longitude, so is the radius to the tangent of the bearing.

Bearing is also the situation of any distant object, estimated from some part of the ship according to her position. In this sense, an object so discovered must be either ahead, astern, abreast, on the bow, or on the quarter. These bearings, therefore, which may be termed mechanical, are on the beam, before the beam, abaft the beam, on the bow, on the quarter, ahead, or astern. If the ship sails with a side wind, it alters in some measure the names of such bearings, since a distant object on the beam is then said to be to leeward or to windward; on the lee-quarter or bow, and on the weather-quarter or bow.

Bearings, in Heraldry, a term used to express a coat of arms.
BEAST, a general appellation given to all four-footed animals, fit either for food, labour, or sport. Beasts of Burden, in a commercial sense, are all four-footed animals which serve to carry merchandises on their backs. The beasts generally used for this purpose are elephants, dromedaries, camels, horses, mules, asses, and the sheep of Mexicoand Peru. The Beasts of the Chase are five, viz. the buck, the doe, the fox, the roe, and the marten. The Beasts and Fowls of the Warren are the hare, the coney, the pheasant, and partridge. The Beasts of the Forest are the hart, hind, hare, boar, and wolf.
BEAT, in its most general acceptation, signifies to chastise, strike, knock, or vanquish. But it has several other significations in the manufactures, and in the arts and trades. Sometimes it signifies to forge and hammer; in which sense smiths and farriers say, to beat iron; sometimes it means to pound, to reduce into powder; thus t 0 beat drugs, to beat pepper, to beat spices, that is, to pulverize them. Beat, in fencing, denotes a blow or stroke given with the sword. There are two kinds of beats; the first performed with the foible of a man’s sword on the foible of his adversary’s, which in the schools is commonly called batterie, from the French battre, and is chiefly used in a pursuit, to make an open upon the adversary. The second and best kind of beat is performed with the forte of a man’s sword upon the foible of his adversary’s, not with a spring, as in binding, but with a jerk or dry beat; and is therefore most proper for the parades without or within the sword, because of the rebound a man’s sword thereby has from his adversary’s, which procures him a better and surer opportunity of risposting.

Beat, in the manege. A horse is said to beat the dust, when at each stroke or motion he does not take in ground or way enough with his fore-legs. He is more particularly said to beat the dust at terra a terra when he does not take in ground enough with his shoulders, making his strokes or motions too short, as if he made them all in one place. He beats the dust at curvettes when he does them too precipitately and too low. He beats upon a walk when he walks too short, and thus clears but little ground, whether it be in straight lines, rounds, or passings.

Beat of Drum, in the military art, is an alarm of sudden danger, or a notice to repair immediately to arms or quarters, or an order to obey a movement either in advance or retreat given by means of the drum.

Beat, St, a town of France, in the department of Upper Garonne, at the. confluence of the Garonne and the Pique. It is situated between two mountains, which are close to the town on each side. The houses are chiefly built of marble. Long. 0. 4L E. Lat. 42. 56. N.
BEATER, in manufactures, is applied to divers sorts of workmen, whose business it is to hammer or flatten certain materials, particularly metals.

Gold-B eaters are artizans, who, by beating with a hammer, on a marble, gold and silver in moulds of vellum and bullocks’ guts, reduce them to thin leaves fit for gilding or silvering copper, iron, steel, wood, and other materials. Gold-beaters differ from flatteners of gold or silver; for the former bring their metal into leaves by the hammer, whereas the latter only flatten it by pressing it through a mill preparatory to beating.

There are also Tin-BEATERS employed in the lookingglass trade, whose business it is to beat tin on large blocks of marble till it be reduced to thin leaves fit to be applied with quicksilver in preparing looking-glasses.
BEATIFICATION, an act by which the pope declares a person beatified or blessed after his death. It is the first step towards canonization, or raising any one to the honour and dignity of a saint. No person can be beatified till half a century after his or her death. All certificates or attestations of virtues and miracles, the necessary qualifications for saintship, are examined by the congregation of rites; and this examination often continues for several years, after which his holiness decrees the beatification. The corpse and relics of the future saint are henceforth exposed to the veneration of all good Christians; his images are crowned with rays, and a particular office is set apart for him, but his body and relics are not carried in procession. Indulgences and remission of sins are likewise granted on the day of his beatification, which, though not so pompous as that of canonization, is however very splendid.
BEATITUDE imports the supreme good, or the highest degree of happiness human nature is susceptible of; in other words, the most perfect state of a rational being, wherein the soul has attained to the utmost excellency and dignity it is capable of. In this sense it is équivalut towhat we call “blessedness” or “sovereign felicity,” the Greeks ευδα∕μοy∕α, and the Latins summum bonum, M 1 titudo, and beatitas. Beatitude, among divines, denotes he beatific vision, or the fruition of God in a future life o all eternity. This term is also used in speaking of the θRP con t a i n θd * n Christ’s sermon on the mount.
BEATON, David, archbishop of St Andrews, and a cardinal of Rome, in the early part of the sixteenth cen-i tury, was born in 1494. Pope Paul III. raised him to the rank of cardinal in December 1538; and having been employed by James V. in negociating his marriage at the court of France, he was there consecrated bishop of Mirepoix. Soon after his instalment as archbishop of St Andrews, he promoted a furious persecution of the reformers in Scotland; but the king’s death put a stop for a time to his arbitrary proceedings, and having been excluded from the management of public affairs, he was thrown into confinement. But he soon raised so strong a party, that, upon the coronation of the young queen Mary', he was admitted of the council, made chancellor, and procured a legatine commission from the court of Rome. He now began to renew his persecution of heretics, and, amongst the rest, of the famous protestant preacher Mr George Wishart, who suffered death at the stake in front of the cardinal’s residence at St Andrews. It is alleged that Wishart, in the midst of the flames, foretold that Beaton would die a violent death; a prediction which probably proved the cause of its own fulfilment, as the persecutor was assass inated in his chamber .on the 29th May 1547. Beaton was a haughty bigoted churchman, and thought severity the proper method of suppressing heresy.
BEATORUM Insula, in Ancient Geography, a district of the Nomos Oasites, in Egypt, seven days’ journey to the west of Diospolis Magna, and called an island because surrounded with sand, like an island in the sea, yet abounding in all the necessaries of life, though encompassed with vast sandy deserts.
BEAUCAIRE, a small but populous town of France, in the department of Gard, on the Rhone, opposite Tarascon, with which it has a communication by a bridge of boats. It is chiefly remarkable for its great annual fair, which in former times was famous over Europe, but has now considerably declined. Long. 4.43. E. Lat. 43.48. N.
BEAVER. See Mammalia, Index. Beaver Shins, in commerce. Of these, merchants distinguish three sorts; the new, the dry, and the fat. The new beaver, which is also called the white or Muscovy beaver, because it is commonly kept to be sent into Muscovy, is that which the savages catch in their winter hunting. It is the best and the most proper for making fine furs, because it has lost none of its hair by shedding. The dry beaver, sometimes called the lean beaver, comes from the summer hunting, which is the time when these animals lose part of their hair. Though this sort of beaver be much inferior to the former, yet it may also be employed in furs; but it is chiefly used in the manufacture of hats. The fat beaver is that which has contracted a certain gross and oily humour, from the sweat exhaled by the bodies of the savages by whom it has been worn. Though this sort be better than the dry beaver, yet it is used only in the making of hats. When the hair has been cut off from the beavers’ skins, to be used in the manufacturing of hats, those skins are still employed by several workmen: namely, by the trunk-makers, to cover trunks and boxes; by the shoemakers, to put into slippers; and by turners, to make sieves for sifting grain and seeds.
BEAUFORT, a town of France, in the department of the Maine and Loire, with a castle, near the river Authion. It contains two parishes and about 6000 inhabitants.
BEAULY, a village of Scotland, in the county of Inverness, situated on the north side of the river Beauly, where it flows into the Moray Frith. There are here the remains of a Cistertian abbey, founded in the year 1230. The trade carried on in this place is inconsiderable, and the port is frequented by vessels of ninety tons burden. It is ten miles west of Inverness. Long. 4. 21. W. Lat. 57. 29. N. The river of this name flows into the Moray Frith at the above village. On this river there is a fine cascade called the Falls of Kilmorack.
BEAULIEU, Sebestian de Pontault de, a celebrated French engineer and field marshal under Louis XIV. He published plans of all the military expeditions of his master, with military disquisitions annexed; and died in 1674.
BEAUMARIS, a market-town on the island of Anglesey, in North Wales, 249 miles from London. It has a small harbour opposite Bangor, at the entrance of the Straits of Menai. It is a borough, and returns one member to the House of Commons, who is chosen by the corporation, consisting of about twenty-four members. The inhabitants amounted in 1801 to 1576, in 1811 to 1710, and in 1821 to 2205.
BEAUMONT, Sir John, the elder brother of Mr Francis Beaumont the famous dramatic poet, was born in the year 1582, and in 1626 had the dignity of baronet conferred upon him by King Charles I. In his youth he applied himself to poetry with tolerable success, and wrote The Crown of Thorns, a poem, in eight books; a miscellany, entitled Bosworth Field: Translations from the Latin poets; and several poems on religious and political subjects. He died in 1628. His poetic genius was celebrated by Ben Johnson, Michael Drayton, and others.
BEAUNE, an arrondissement of the department of Côte d’Or, in France, extending over 199 square miles, and comprehending 10 cantons and 203 communes, with a population of 110,555 persons. The chief city, of the same name, is situated on the river Bouzeoise, in a district highly productive of the best Burgundy wine. It contains 869 houses, and 9375 inhabitants. Long. 4. 45. E. Lat. 47. 2. N.
BEAUPREAU, an arrondissement in the department of the Mayenne and Loire, in France, extending over 560 square miles, and containing 7 cantons and 73 communes, with 77,755 inhabitants. The chief town, of the same name, is situated on the river Evre, and contains 385 houses, with 1891 inhabitants.
BEAUSOBRE, Isaac de, a learned Protestant writer, of French origin, was born at Niort in 1659. He was forced into Holland to avoid the execution of a sentence, which condemned him to make the amende honorable for having broken the royal signet, which was put upon the door of a church of the reformers to prevent the public profession of their religion. He went to Berlin in 1694, and was made chaplain to the king of Prussia, and counsellor of the royal consistory. He died in 1738, aged seventy-nine, after having published several works, among which may be mentioned, 1. Défense de la Doctrine des Réformés. 2. A Translation of the New Testament, with Notes, jointly with Μ. Lenfant; much esteemed by the reformed. 3. Dissertation sur les Adamites de Bohème; a curious work. 4. Histoire Critique de Manichée et du Manichéisme, 2 tom. 4to. This is a very learned and valuable work; discussing, as Mr Gibbon observes, “many deep questions of Pagan and Christian theology, and forming a rich treasury of facts and opinions.” 5. Several dissertations in the Bibliothèque Britannique. Μ. de Beausobre had strong sense with profound erudition, and was one of the best writers among the reformed; he also preached as he wrote, with spirit and ability.
BEAUVAIS, an arrondissement of the department of the Oise, in France, extending over 694 square miles, comprehending twelve cantons and 244 communes, and containing 130,263 inhabitants. The chief city, of the same name, is in a beautiful situation on the river Therain; it contains 2900 houses, and 12,791 inhabitants, employed in making various articles in wool, flax, cotton, and earthenware, and elegant carpets. Long. 1. 51. 52. E. Lat. 49. 26. 2. N.
BEBRYCIA, in Ancient Geography, an ancient name of Bithynia, so called from the Bebryces, a people by whom it was originally inhabited.
BECAH, or Bekah, a Jewish coin, equivalent to half a shekel. In Dr Arbuthnot’s table of reductions, the bekah is stated as equal to 13j-^d. and in Dr Prideaux’s computation to Is. 6d. of our money. The Israelites paid an hundred bekahs a head.annually for the support of the temple, or L.5. 13s. 8d. according to Dr Arbuthnot’s computation.
BECALM, in a general sense, signifies to appease, to allay.

Becalm, in the sea language. A ship is said to be becalmed when there is not a breath of wind to fill the sails.
BECANOR, a town of India, in Asia, seated on the river Ganges, in long. 83. 5. E. lat. 27. 40. N.
BECCABUNGA, Brooklime, the trivial name of a species of veronica.
BECHER, John Joachim, a celebrated chemist, born at Spires in the year 1645. He was connected with the most learned men in Europe; and the emperor, the electors of Mentz and Bavaria, and other persons of high rank, furnished him with the means of making experiments in natural philosophy, medicine, and chemistry. As his thoughts had been much directed to economical subjects, and particularly to the means of increasing the revenues of a state, he was invited to Vienna, where he contributed greatly to the establishment of several manufactures, a chamber of commerce, and an India company. But the jealousy of some of the ministers eventually occasioned his disgrace and ruin. Nor was he less unfortunate at Mentz, Munich, and Wurzburg; which determined him to repair to Haerlem, where he invented a machine for working a great quantity of silk in a little time, and with few hands. But new misfortunes forced him to seek refuge in England, and he died at London in 1685. He wrote many works, the principal of which are, 1. Physica Subterranea, which was reprinted at Leipsic in 1703 and 1739, in octavo, with a small treatise, by E. Stahl, entitled Specimen Beelιerianum; 2. Experimentum chymicum novum, 8vo; 3. Character pro Notitia Linguarum universali; 4. Institutiones Chymicae, seu Manu,ductio ad Philosophiam Herrnetieam, 4to; 5. Institutionis Chymicae prodromus, 12mo; 6. Experimentum novum ac curiosum de Miniaria arenaria perpetua, &c.
BECHIN, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of Tabor. It was taken and burnt by General Bequoi in 1619. It is seated on the river Lausnics, in long. 16. 19. E. lat. 49. 20. N.
BECK, or Beke, a word which imports a small stream of water issuing from some rill or spring. Hence hell-bechs, little brooks in the rough and wild mountains about Richmond near Lancashire, so called on account of their ghastliness and depth.

Beck is also used amongst us in the composition of names of places originally situated on rivulets; hence Walbeck, Bournbeck, &c. The Germans use bech in the same manner.

Beck, David, an eminent portrait-painter, was born at Arnheim in Guelderland in 1621. He became a disciple of Vandyck, from whom he acquired the fine manner of penciling and sweet style of colouring peculiar to that great master and to all the disciples trained up under his direction. Besides, he possessed that freedom of hand, and readiness or rather rapidity of execution, for which Vandyck was so remarkable; insomuch that when King Charles I. observed the expeditious manner of Beck’s painting, he was so exceedingly surprised that he told Beck it was his opinion he could paint even if he was riding post. He was appointed portrait-painter and chamberlain to Queen Christina of Sweden; and by her recommendation, most of the illustrious persons in Europe sat to him for their portraits. He was agreeable, handsome, and polite, and lived in the highest favour with his royal mistress; but having an earnest desire to visit his friends in Holland, he left the court of Sweden much against the inclination of the queen, who apprehended that he had no intention of ever returning; and as he died soon after, at the Hague, it was shrewdly suspected that he had been poisoned.
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This happened in 1656, when Beck had only attained his thirty-fifth year. A very singular adventure happened to this artist as he travelled through Germany. He was taken suddenly and violently ill at the inn where he lodged, and, seeming to all appearance quite dead, was laid out as a corpse. His valets expressed the strongest grief for the loss of their master, and while they sat beside his bed, drank very freely by way of consoling themselves. At last one of them, getting much intoxicated, said to his companions, “Our master was fond of his glass while alive, and out of gratitude let us give him a glass now he is dead.” The rest of the servants assented to the proposal, upon which he raised up the head of his master, and endeavoured to pour some of the liquor into his mouth. From the fragrance of the wine, or probably from the circumstance of a small quantity getting imperceptibly down his throat, Beck opened his eyes; and the drunken servant, forgetting that his master was considered as dead, compelled him to swallow what wine remained in the glass. The painter gradually revived, and by proper care and management recovered perfectly, and escaped a premature interment.
BECKINGHAM, Charles, an English dramatic writer, was the son of a linen-draper in London, and born in 1699. He was educated under the learned Dr Smith, at Merchant Tailors’ School, where he made great proficiency in his studies, and gave the strongest proofs of extraordinary abilities. In poetry, more particularly, he early discovered an uncommon genius; and two dramatic pieces of his writing were represented on the stage before he had completed his twentieth year. The titles of these plays, both tragedies, are, Henry IV. of France, and Scipio Africanus. Besides these dramatic pieces he wrote several other poems; but his genius was only allowed a brief space to disport itself in, for he died on the 18th of February 1730, in the thirty-second year of his age.
BECKUM, a circle in the Prussian government of Munster, and province of the Rhine. It extends over 258 square miles, or 165,120 acres. It contains four small cities, nine villages, and forty-five hamlets, with 30,619 inhabitants. The chief place, of the same name, is situated on the river Werse. It consists of a church, 333 houses, and 1786 inhabitants.
BECTASSE, an order or sect of religionists among the Turks, so called from their founder Bectash, preacher to Sultan Amurath. The habit of the Bectasse is white; and on their heads they wear white caps of several pieces, with turbans of wool twisted ropewise. They observe constantly the hour of prayer, which they perform in their own assemblies, and make frequent declarations of the unity of God.
BEDA, commonly called Venerable Bede, one of our most ancient historians, was born in the year 672, in the neighbourhood of Wearmouth, in the bishopric of Durham. He was educated by the abbot Benedict, in the monastery of St Peter, near the mouth of the river Wear. At the I age of nineteen he was ordained deacon, and priest in the year 702. About this time he was invited to Rome by Pope Sergius; but there is no good reason for believing that he accepted the invitation. In the year 731 he published his Ecclesiastical History; a work of great value notwithstanding the legendary tales with which it is deformed. Bede died, in the year 735, of a lingering consumption, probably brought on by sedentary habits, and a long uninterrupted application to study and literary composition. He was buried in the church of his convent at Jarrow; but his bones were afterwards removed to Durham, and there deposited in the same coffin with those of St Cuthbert. Bede was undoubtedly a singular phenomenon in a rude and illiterate age. His learning, for the times, was extensive; his application incredible; his piety exemplary; his modesty excessive. He was universally admired, consulted, and esteemed, during his life; and his writings are deservedly considered as the foundation of our ecclesiastical history. His language is neither elegant nor pure, but it is perspicuous and easy. All his works are in Latin. The first general collection of them appeared at Paris in 1544, in three volumes folio; and they were printed again at the same place in 1554 in eight volumes. They were also published in the same size and number of volumes at Basel in 1563, reprinted at Cologne in 1612, and at the same place in 1688. Besides this general collection, there are several of his compositions which have been printed separately, or in collections of the writings of ancient authors; and some manuscripts ascribed to him have been preserved in the different libraries of Oxford and Cambridge.
BEDDIZOLLE, a town in the Austrian kingdom of Lombardy, in the delegation of Brescia, near the southwestern part of the Lake of Guorda, containing about 4000 inhabitants.