and effect, equal to most of the compositions of his time.—(Burney's Hist. of Mus.; MS. Accounts of St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey.)—E. F. R.
BATTEUX, Charles, a French author, born 6th May, 1713, near Vouziers. Appointed to the chair of Greek and Latin philosophy in the college of France, he commenced his literary career by a parallel between Voltaire's Henriade and Boileau's Lutren, followed by a treatise on the fine arts, which he attempted to reduce to a common principle, that of strict imitation of nature, setting what is called realism in place of idealism. But as the end of the fine arts is to excite emotion rather than surprise, by accurate imitation of appearances, this theory of Batteux has not received more than partial favour. In 1765 appeared his "Cours de Belles-lettres," in five volumes, in which a methodical attempt was made to lay down rules for composition in prose and verse. After some translations from Latin authors, he in 1769 published a philosophical work, in two volumes, upon "First Causes and the Principle of Existence," in which he condemns the use that had been made of authority in philosophical questions, and argues in favour of direct observation of nature; a work which led, it is said, to the suppression, after his death, of the chair of philosophy in the college of France. After various treatises on poetry and the fine arts, he composed a course of studies for the military school, in forty-five volumes; and at the time of his death, was engaged in making a collection of memoirs upon the history and manners of the Chinese, which was completed afterwards by de Guignes. He died at Paris, 14th July, 1780.—J. F. C.
BATTHYÁNYI or BATHYANI, a noble family of Hungary, embracing among its members, princes, counts, bans of Croatia, bishops, and other high dignitaries. The first of these, Benedict Batthyányi, was, at the end of the fifteenth century, treasurer of King Vladislaf II. In 1509 he was accused of treason, and thrown into prison. Of this family we notice:—
Batthyányi, Casimir, count de Németh Ujvàr, Hungarian minister for foreign affairs, born June 4, 1817, at Milan in Italy, belonged to one of the first families of Hungary. He distinguished himself at the diets of 1840 and 1843-44 by his uncompromising opposition to the Austrian schemes of centralization, and to the Austrian tariff. In 1848 he was appointed civil commissary in the counties bordering on Croatia, and displayed considerable administrative and military talent, securing the fortress of Eszek to the Hungarians, and defeating the insurgent Serbs in two engagements. At the taking of the fortress of Eszek by the Austrians in February, 1849, he succeeded in reaching Debreczen, where he was appointed minister of foreign affairs in April, after the declaration of independence. Sharing the fortunes of the government, he went to Turkey, was confined at Kiutahia, released in 1851, and died at Paris in 1854. His extensive estates were confiscated.—E. P., L.
Batthyányi, Ignatius, count de, a learned canonist, and bishop of Weissemburg in Transylvania; born 30th January, 1741; died at Carlsburg, 17th November, 1798. He studied at Prague and Vienna, and in 1781 was nominated bishop. In 1796 he founded at Carlsburg an observatory, to which he bequeathed his library, and a sum of 40,000 florins.—G. M.
Batthyányi, Louis, count de Németh Ujvàr, prime minister of Hungary, was born in 1809 at Presburg in Hungary. At sixteen he took service in the Austrian army, but left it on becoming of age, turning his restless activity to political economy and sciences. Having visited Europe and the East, he took his seat in the house of peers in 1839, and organized there a bold opposition, directed principally against the centralizing tendencies of the government. Though always in a minority, he contributed much to break down the stationary spirit of the ultraconservative peers, assailed at that time by the house with bills reforming the tenure of land of the peasants, and securing the liberty of speech, violated by the arrest of Kossuth, and the indictment of a score of other patriots. He continued, successfully, in 1843-44, the battle for religious liberty, and thus established his position as leader of the opposition. When, in 1848, the Vienna revolution destroyed the unconstitutional administration of the Austrian empire, the relations of Hungary to the empire had likewise to be remodelled. The emperor established a Hungarian responsible ministry, formed by Count Louis Batthyányi . The programme of the opposition, which now had come into power, contained the full emancipation of the peasants; a bill was introduced making them freeholders, and abolishing all the feudal rights of the landlords, who, on the other side were compensated by the treasury. Next to it followed the abolition of the immunity of paying taxes and tolls, which was a privilege of the nobility and gentry, and the extension of the franchise. All these reforms were carried in the regular way with the greatest enthusiasm, and Hungary seemed to have a fair chance for rising high in prosperity among the nations of Europe. The imperial house, however, bent upon the unity and centralization of the empire, and therefore opposed to any national development, incited first the Serbs to rise against the Hungarians, and to claim a separate nationality, and then secretly set up Ban Jellachich of Croatia, as a champion of the prerogatives of the crown, alleged to have been violated by the very establishment of a Hungarian ministry. Count Batthyányi made several endeavours to come to an understanding with the Ban of Croatia, who, however, declined any discussion. Under such circumstances Count Batthyányi, with the sanction of Archduke Stephen, nephew of the emperor, and palatine and viceroy of Hungary, insisted upon Ban Jellachich being declared a traitor by the emperor, who signed the outlawry of the Ban on the 10th of June. But, in spite of this declaration, the Ban continued to arm, and to threaten Hungary with war, to prevent which Archduke John, uncle to the emperor, brought about an interview between Ban Jellachich and Count Batthyányi at Vienna in August, 1848. The Ban, however, declined to entertain any proposal of the Hungarian premier, and in the first days of September crossed the frontiers of Hungary with an army of 60,000 men. The emperor gave now his approval to the proceedings of the Ban, and Count Batthyányi, accordingly, resigned his office. But the emperor, seeing that Hungary was not ready to yield to the Croatians without a blow, reappointed Count Batthyányi once more to the premiership, in order to paralyse the resistance of Hungary, since it was known that the aim of the premier, as well as of the Palatine Archduke Stephen, was to avoid a conflict on the battle-field. The obstinacy of Ban Jellachich, sustained by the court manœuvres, made any arrangement impossible. Accordingly, both the palatine and the premier once more resigned, and left Hungary just when the two contending armies came in sight. The Croatians were defeated on the 29th of September, and Vienna rose against the court on the 6th of October. Count Batthyányi returned now again to Hungary, wishing to serve in the army as a volunteer; but, disabled by an accidental fall, he came to Pesth, always recommending a peaceful settlement of the pending difficulties. In the first days of 1849 he went, at the head of a deputation sent by the diet, to the camp of Prince Windishgratz, the commander-in-chief of the Austrians, with proposals of an arrangement; but he was seized by the Austrians, without regard to his mission, thrown into prison, tried by court-martial, and shot on the 6th of October, 1849. Count Louis Batthyányi died a hero and a martyr. His last words were—"Long live my country!"—E. P., L.
BATTIE, William, an English physician, born in Devonshire in 1704, and died 1776. He received his early education at Eton, and afterwards proceeded to the university of Cambridge. He practised medicine successively at Uxbridge and London. He took so active a part in the dispute between the college of physicians of London and Dr. Schomberg in 1750, that they dedicated to him a satirical poem called La Battiade. He was appointed physician to St. Luke's hospital, and founded at Islington a lunatic asylum. He has left, among other works, a "Treatise on Madness;" an edition of Isocrates, Cambridge, 1749, in 2 vols., 8vo; and two smaller works on medicine—"De Principiis animalibus Exercitationes in collegium regium Medicorum," 1751 and 1752; "Aphorismi de Cognoscendis at Curandis morbis ad principia animalis Accomodati," 1762.—E. L.
BATTIER, Samuel, a Swiss physician, born at Bâle, January 23, 1677, and died April 23, 1744. He studied medicine after having perfected himself in the Greek language, philosophy, and mathematics, which were taught him by the celebrated Bernouilli. In 1690 he received his degree as doctor of medicine, and came to Paris. He wrote "Dissertatio de Generatione Hominis," 1690, 4to; "Specimen Philologicum, sive Observationes in Diogenem Laertium," &c., 1695, in 4to. He published also some commentaries and notes on the New Testament; on the tragedies of Sophocles and Euripides; and he revised the editions of Julius Pollox (by Hemsterhuys), and of Hippocrates (by Triller).—E. L.
