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A Benefice in Commendam is that, the Direction and Management whereof, upon a Vacancy, is given or com- mended to an Ecclefiaftick for a certain Time, till it may be conveniently provided for. See Commendam.
The Term Benefice comes to us from the old Romans^ who ufing to diftribute part of the Lands they had con- quered on the Frontiers of the Empire to their Soldiers, thofe who enjoy'd fuch Rewards were call'd Beneficiariiy and the Lands themfelves Bencficia, as being held on the pure Beneficence and Liberality of the Prince. Thefe Benefices at firft were given for Life only, but afterwards became Hereditary and Patrimonial. From the Romans both the Name and the Thing pafled into France and England, with this Difference, as Mr. Blount obferves, that Benefices were not given as mere Gratuities for pail Services, but as Warrants for future ones, and were accor- dingly held by the Tenure of ferving, on occafion, in the "Wars, &c. So that what was before a Benefice, became now converted into a Fee. Hence, doubtlefs, came the Term Benefice to be applied to Church-Livings ; for, be- fides that the Ecclefiafticks held for Life, like the Sol- diers, the Riches of the Church arofe from the Beneficence of Princes.
As to the Origin of Ecclefiafl.ical Benefices, 'tis hard to determine when the Effects of the Church were firit divi- ded ; 'tis certain, till the fourth Century all the Revenues were in the Hands of theBi/hops, who diftributed them by their Oeconcmi ; they confided principally in Alms and vo- luntary Contributions. As the Church came to have Inhe- ritances, Part thereof was affign'd for the Subfiflance of the Clergy, and call'd a Benefice, for which we find fome foot- ing in the fifth and fixth Century ■ but then there does not appear to have been any certain Partition, nor any pre- cife Quota allotted to each Particular, but the Allotments were abfolutcly difcretional till about the twelfth Century. At firit each was contented with a fingle Benefice, but Pluralities were, by degrees, introduced, on pretence of Equity : For, a fingle Benefice being fometimes fcarce thought a Competency, the Prieft was allow'd two: As his Quality, or Occafions, increas'd, fo the Number o$ Be- nefices that were to fupport 'em were increas'd too. Hence fome affecting to equal Princes in Quality, pretend to Re- venues anfwerable thereto.
V. Fcrrier obferv'd, that in his Time there were five Cafes by which Benefices were acquir'd: By the Nomina- tive, as in royal Nominations 5 by the Genitive, as where the Children of Great Men, &c. are provided of Benefices by their Birth ; by the Dative, as when fpcaking of a Be- nefice, 'tis faid, %)atc,j?> dahitur vohis ; by the Accufative, as where by virtue of an Accufation, either true or falfe, an Incumbent is difpoflels'd, and another admitted ; by the Ablative, as when Benefices are taken away by Force from the poor and helplefs : but the Vocative Cafe, which is the molt juit and legitimate, is out of ufe. The Nomi- native is_ for the King; the Genitive for the Great; the 'Dative for the Rich; the Accufative for the Cunning; and the Ablative Jor the Ambitious - 7 but the Vocative is referved for the Holy Gbojl alone.
BENEVOLENCE is ufed, both in our Statutes and Chronicles, for a voluntary Gratuity given by the Subjects to their Sovereign. The firit Benevolence, Sto-w obferves in King Edward the IV's Days, was granted that Prince in regard of his great Expences in Wars, &c. There was one given by Act ol Parliament to King Charles II. In other Nations this is called Subfidium Cbaritativum, given fometimes by Tenants to their Lords, by the Clergy to their Bifhops, %$c.
BENJOiN, or, as 'tis commonly called, Benjamen, an excellent kind orRefin, imported from the Kingdom of Lao, and other Parts of the Eafi-Indies. 'Tis procured by a Wound or Inciiion in a Tree, whofe Leaves refemble thofe the Lemmon-Tree. 'Tis of a yellowifh Colour, of an a- greeable Scent, and eafy to melt. There are three Sorts of it : The firit. is call'd Amygdaloides, becaufe of its being intcrfpers'd with feveral white Spots which refemble broken Almonds: This comes from Slam. The fecond is black and very odoriferous ; it drops from young Trees, and comes from Sumatra ; 'tis call'd Bcnzoinitm de Boninas. The third Sort is alfo black, but lefs odoriferous ; this is found in the I (lands of Java and Sumatra. 'Tis ufed in Phyiick, as a Pectoral and Anti-Afthmatick 5 and thrown on live Coals, it ferves to periume Houfes, &c.
BERENGARiANS, a Religious Sect who adher'd to the Opinions oi Berenger, Archdeacon of Anglers, who op- pos'd the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation and the real Pre- ience, a confiderable time before Luther. He is further chan- ged by the Romanifls with decrying Marriage,and maintain- ing the common Ufe oi all forts otWomen,and aflerting In- fant-Baptifta of no effect. His Followers were divided on the Head of the Euchariit: Tho they all agreed that the Bread and Wine were not cflentially chang'd, yet fome al- low'd it to be chang'd in effect, tho under an Impanation,
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which was the Opinion of Berenger himfelf: Others deni- ed any Change at all, and reiblved all into Figure; others again allow'd a Change in part ; and others an entire Change, with this Reftriftion, that to thofe who prefented themielves unworthily it was chang'd back again.
BERENICES Hair, or Coma Berenices, a Conftellati- on in the Northern Hemifphere, confiding of Stars neat the Lion's Tail.
BERGAMOT is a kind of Effence, drawn from a Fruit, produe'd by ingrafting the Lemon-Tree on the Bcrgamot-Tear Stock. 'Tis no more than the oily Fluid of thefe Lemons cxprefs'd by the Fingers. There *is like- wife a kind of Snuff* of the fame Name, which is only clean Tobacco, with a little of the Effence rubb'd into it.
BERGHMOTH, vulgarly call'd Barmote, a Court held on a Hill for deciding Pleas and Controversies among the DerbyjJjire Miners. From the Saxon Berg, Mous t and Mote, Convcntus.
BERLIN, a particular kind of Vehicle of the Chariot- kind, much ufed of late; taking its Name from the City Berlin in Germany ; tho fome attribute the Invention of it to the Italians. 'Tis a very convenient Machine to travel in, being lighter, and lefs apt to be overturn'd, than a Cha- riot. The Body of it is hung high by Shafts to leathern Braces ; there being a kind of Stinup or Footftool for the Conveniency of getting into it: Initead of Side-Wmdowsy there are Sheds to let down in bad Weather, and draw up in good.
BERME, in Fortification, is a fmall Space of Ground four or five Foot wide, left without between the Foot of the Rampart and the Side of the Moat, to receive the Earth that rolls down from thence, and to prevent its falling into the Moat. Sometimes, for more Security, the Berme is pallifadoed.
BERNARDINE, the Name of a religious Order ex- tended over great part oi Europe. This Order is an Im- provement of that of St. Benedict, made by Robert Abbe de Moleine ; and again by St. Bernard Abbe de Clervauxt Their ufual Habi ti sa white Gown, with a black Scapulary 5 but when they officiate, they put on a large white Coul with great Sleeves, and a Hood of the fame Colour.
BERIL, or Beryl, a precious Stone, much likeChryf- tal, brought from the Indies ; there are fome alfo found on the Banks of the Euphrates. There are feveral Kinds of Berils. Lapidaries reckon ten : The molt efteemed are the Beril, the Chryfoberil, and the Chryfofrafin. The Beril borders much on the Sea-green ; whence the Latins call it Apia Marina, Sea-Water. To give it a Luflre, it muff be cut Facet-wife: Polifhing docs not give it any Bril- lant, if cut any other way. The Chryfoberil is fomewhat paler, and partakes more of the yellow. Chryfoprajin par- takes moll of the green. Some Authors take the Beril to be the Diamond of the Antients : This is certain, the ableft modern Jewellers fometimes miffake the one for the other. The Beril is fometimes found in Pieces large enough to form fine Vales., 'Tis faid, there are many of 'em at Cam- baye, Martaban, 'Pegu, and Ceylon.
The Properties of the Beril were very wonderful in the Opinion of the antient Naturaliffs : It kept People from falling into Ambufcades of Enemies, excited Courage in the" fearful, cured Difeafes of the Eyes and Stomach. It does none of thefe things now; becaufe People are not fimple enough to believe it has the Virtue to do 'em.
BERRY, a Grain, Fruit, or Seed, produced by feveral Treees and Shrubs for the Confervation, and Re-production of their Kind. Berries are of various Sizes, Forms, Pro- perties, and Ufes, according to the Plants whereon they grow : Some ufed in Medicine, as Juniper-Berries, Buck- thorn-Berries, 8cc. Others in Dy'ing, as French or Tello-w Berries, ckc. See Grain and Seed.
BESANT, a fort of Coin {truck at Conflantinople, in the Time of the Emperors, antiently called Bifance ; 'twas pure Gold, or 24 Carats fine. Its Value is not determin'd. Hence the Gold offer'd by the King at the Altar, and on Feftivals, is itill call'd Befant, or Bifant.
BES, or Bessis, the Mark, or eight Ounces, Part of th& As $ Bes for Bis, which is two Triens, which are each four in Value. See As.
BESTIARII, among the antient Romans, thofe who combated with Beads, or were expos'd to 'em. We ufually diftinguifh. two Kinds of Befl-iarii : The firft were thofe condemn'd to the Beaffs, either as being Enemies, taken Prifoners, or as being Slaves, and guilty of fome enormous Crime. Thefe were all expos'd naked, and without Defence to the Beaffs; nor did it ought avail to conquer and kill the Beaft, frefh ones being continually let loofe on 'em, till they were dead. The Chriftians were Bejliarii of this Kind, even fome of 'em who were Roman Citizens, tho 'twas the Privilege of fuch to be exempt from it: But it feldom happen'd that two were requir'd for the fame Man ; on the contrary, one Beaft frequently difpatch'd feveral Men. Cicero mentions C c a Lion,
