BAB
B A C
(Cyf/.)— In muftc, b i.s ufed to denote a flat, or the lowering of a faun J by a fcmi-tone minor. Thus A b 5 or b A is the fiat of A, or the fcmi-tone minor below A.
B, b, quadra or ^ , in the fcale of mufical notes, fignifics the found which is a tone above A, and a femi-tone below C. In the works of the muficians of former ages we often meet with the mark ^ alone, to fignify the fame found as b £. The letter B, among them, fignified what we now call B flat : but among modern muficians, B is more commonly ufed forthe found which is a tone above A ; and to denote B flat, or the femi-tonc major above A, B b or b B is ufed.
B is alfo ufed as an abbreviation of baffo or bate. Hence B. C. ftands for baffo continue, or the thorough bals.
BAAL, in antiquity, the fuprcme being among the Phcnicians. Sec Daemon, Cycl.
BAALIM, in Antiquity, inferior deities among the Phcni- cians. See D /"em on, CyxK
BAARAS, Baharas or Bacharas, a miraculous kind of root, faid to grow on mount Lebanon, in a valley called Baaras, whence the name, near the city Macheron. Jofephus reprefents it as of a flame colour, and emitting rays of light in the night time, like a ftar, but disappearing in the day; on which footing it fhould make a vegetable phofphorus. This property it may be fuppofed to derive from the foil, which abounds in bitumen : not unlike the plains of Puzzuoli, which being replete with fulphur, will flam under the horfes feet. But what the hiftorian adds, concerning the difficulty and danger of pulling up this root, its fliunning the hand, and retiring under-ground, with the extraordinary means ufed to flop it, and the expedient to pull it up, are fo much on the marvellous, that we dare not relate them. The root, it feems, was highly prized for its virtue in curing epilepfies and pofTefiions. V. Jo/ipb. dc Bell. Jud. 1. 7. Sabnutb ad Pancir. P. 2. T. 1. p. 60. Com.T. 1. p. 79.
BABBLING, among hunters, is when the hounds are too bufy after they have found a good fcent. Cox. Gent. Recr. P. r. p. 1 5.
BABYLONIAN, Babylonic, or Babylonish Epocha, Gemara, Hours, &c. See the articles Epocha, Gemara, Hour, &c. Cycl
The Babylonian monarchy, hiftory, &c. is the fame with what is otherwife denominated," the Chaldean, ox Ajfyrian, tkc. V. Straucb. Brev. Chron. p i H 1 .
In antient writers, wc find frequent mention of Babylonica "Texta, a rich fort of weav'mgs, or hangings, denominated from the city Babylon, where the practice of interweaving di- vers colours, in their hangings, firft obtained. Plin. Hift. Nat. 1. 8. c. 48. 5jw1.Pia.Vet, 1. 2. c. 8. Hence alfo Babylonic garments, Babylonic fkins, Babylonic carpets, houfm„s, &c. Brijf* de Verb. Signif. Cah. Lex.
M
Babylonica Solatia, coverings laid over couches, &c. painted w ith gold, purple, and other colours. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. T. , 1. p- 237. a.
Bab 1 , loxi an, Babyfanius, is alfo ufed in fomc antient writers for an aftrolcgcr, or any thing relating to aftrology. Hence Babylonia Cura a , the art of calling nativities, and Nu- meri Ba ! ylonii h , the computations of aftrologers. — [ a Claud. Paneg. Conf Honor, v. 18. b Hor. 1. 1. Od. 12.]
BaBYLONICS, Bahyhnka, in literary hiftory, a fragment of the ancient hiftory of the world ending at 267 years before Chrift; and compofed by Berofus or Beroffus, a prieft of Ba- bylon, about the time of Alexander.
Babylonia are fometimes alio cited in ancient writers by the title of Caldaics. V. Stanl. Hift. Philof, p. 1034. The Babylonia were very confonantwithferipture, as Jofephus and the antient chriftbn chronologers affure ; whence the au- thor is ufually fuppofed to have confultcd the Jewifh writings. Berofus fpe.<ks of an univcrfal deluge, an ark, &c. He reckons ten generations between the firft man and the deluge, and marks the duration of the feveral generations by faroi, or pe- riods of 223 lunar months ; which reduced to years, differ not much from the chronology of Mofes. Freret. in Mem. Acad. Infer. T. 8. p. 282. feq. See Saros, Suppl. Cycle, Generation, Chronology, &c. Cycl. The Babylonics confifrcd of three books, including the hif- tory of the ancient Babylonians, Medes, &c But only a few imperfect extracts are now remaining of the work ; preferved chiefly by Jofephus, and Syncellus. Where all the paflages of citations of antient authors out of Berofus arc collected with great exachiefs. Annius of Viterbo kindlv offered his affifiance to fupply tbelofs; and forged a compleat Berofus out of his own head. The world has not thanked him for the impofture. V. Fabric. Bibl. Gra-c, 1. 6. c. 12. §.9 Suppl. Vol. I,,
BAB 1 ROUSS A, in zoology, the name of an animal, called by fomc, Pefcus Indiais, or the Indian hog. It is of the fize and fhape of a frag. Its head and its tail refemble thofe of a boar, and its legs and feet, the goats. But befides all thefc Angularities, there is another thing in which it differs from all the other known animals, which is, that it has four denies ex- erti, or long and crooked tufks, two of which arife from the lower jaw, and the other two from the upper, making their way through the flefh. Some have chofe to call them horns, but they are certainly more properly diftinguifhed by the name of teeth, as they have each their alveolus, from which, they grow juft in the manner of teeth, and are of the fub- ftance of ivory, not of horn. The creature is found in the ifland of Borneo. Ray, Syn. Quad. p. 96.
B A C, in navigation, is ufed for a praam, or ferry-boat. Aubin. Dicf.marin. p. 59. See the article Ferry, Praam, &c.
Bac, in brewing, a large fiat kind of tub, or veffel, wherein the wort is put to Hand and cool before boiling. Savar. Di£t. com. p. Z07.
The ingredients of beer pafs through three kinds of veffels. They are mafhed in one, worked in another, and cooled in a third, called Bacs or coolers*
Bac, in diftillery, veffels into which the liquor to be fermented is pumped from the cooler, in order to be worked with yeaft. Shaw's Chcm. Led. p. 216.
BACANTIBI, B«x«A#«* in ccclefiaftical antiquity, wander- ing clerks, who firolled from church to church. V.Jingb.Ung; Ecclef. 1. 6. c. 4. .§5. The word feems formed by corruption from Vacanthi.
BAC CJE Bcrmudienjes, in the materia medica, the name of the fruit or berries of the Saprndus, or foapberry-trce. Dale, Pharm. p. 3C9,
BACCALARIA, in middle sge writers, denotes a kind of country farms, confifiing of feveral manfes. Du Cang. T. 1. p. 418.
Baccalaria Dcminkaria, or Indominicata* was more particu- larly ufed for a farm belonging to the lord, and kept in his own hands.
BACCH./E, in antiquity, the priefteiTes of Bacchus, who ce- lebrated the orgia, or myfteries of that god. See Bacchan- alia.
The Bacchts were originally a troop of bold enthufiaftic wo- men, who attended Bacchus in his traditionary expedition to the Indies, and were the chief means of his conquefr. The Baecbavrexe alfo denominated Manides, fometimes Baffa- rides, from a garment worn by them called Baffara : fome- times 'Thyades, and fometimes again Mimallonides^ Clodones, &c. V. Suid. T. 2. p. 332.
The Bacchic were cloathed with the fkins of wild beafts ; they went with their hair loofe, were crowned with ivy, and car- ried in their left hand the thyrfus, Ovid defcribes the habit and equipage of the Baccha. Met. 1. 6. v. 592. Vite caput tcgitur ; laieri cervina finiflro Vcllera dependent ; humero levis incubat hajla. They ran through the mountains, crying out Evohe Bacche, q. d. Let Bacchus live happily. In their frantic humours they tore flocks to pieces, and eat their flefh raw : when they ap- proached the Indian army, they took to their drums and cym- bols, which joined with their howling fhrieks, and producing their thyrfus's twitted, terrified the enemy's elephants, and put them to flight. Lucian in Dial. Suid. T. 1 . p. 41 1. Danet, in Voc. Bacchus. Pitifc. Lex Ant. T. 1. p. 230. Aquin.Lex, Mil. T. 1. p. 108.
After the return from India, a feaft was inftitutcd by them, in honour of Bacchus, where their frantic exploits were yearly renewed. Bacchje was alfo ufed for the ivy crowns or garlands worn by the priefts of Bacchus, in offering facrificcs to him. Suid. T. i. p. 411- Pitif.T. 1. p. 438 a. BACCHANALIA, [Cy ■■/.)— Plutarch will have the Gre- cian Dionyfia, anfwering the Roman Bacchanalia, to be the fame with the Egyptian Paniylia, celebrated in honour of Ofiris, who was the fame with the Grecian Bacchus. Pint, de Hid be Ofir.
The Bacchanalia at Athens were at firft very fimple j a veffel of wine adorned with a vine branch was brought forth ; after this followed a goat ; then was carried a buihel of figs, and laftly, the Phalli. Plut. de Cupid. Divit. p. 527. Many frantic ceremonies were afterwards added, fome of which are mentioned in the Cyclopaedia, to which we may add, that the frantic rout attending thefe ceremonies, was, upon one of the folcmnittes of this p;od, followed by perfons carrying certain facred veflels; the firft of which was filled with water ; after which went a felect number of honourable virgins, called, Kamfopt, becaafe they carried little bafkets of 4 A gold,
