BALANCE EALCANQUAL. 



385 



till an equilibrium takes place, when the index will 

 point out the precise weight of the substance in the 

 scales. The greater the weight in the scale is, the 

 higher will the index rise, which corresponds to the 

 moving of the weight on the steel-yard, farther from 

 the centre of motion. For an account of the spring 

 balance, see Dynamometer. 



BALANCE OF POWER. See Power. 



BALANCE OP TRADE, a subject formerly so much 

 discussed, is now rarely mentioned. The notion was 

 once entertained, that the prosperity of a country de- 

 pended on exporting merchandise exceeding the 

 value of the imports, and receiving the balance in 

 the precious metals. If a nation has no mines, it 

 can obtain the precious metals only by importation. 

 So for, therefore, there is some ground for the notion. 

 But in speculating on this subject, men fell into two 

 errors 1, in supposing that any direct legislative 

 interference was necessary, in respect to the precious 

 metals ; 2, in computing the balance of trade ; for, 

 if we compare the value of exports with that, of 

 imports received in exchange, the more profitable 

 the trade is, the more the balance is against us ; 

 that is, the more will the value of imports, in- 

 cluding the precious metals, exceed that of exports, 

 if we estimate the value in our own markets ; and 

 there must be an excess equal to freight and charges, 

 or it is a losing trade to those concerned. But any 

 country may, in fact, have a balance of trade against 

 it, provided it gets credit abroad ; and that balance, 

 consisting of the debts of individuals, may be embar- 

 rassing to the national industry as much as a private 

 debt may be to a debtor, who has either made a bad 

 bargain, or has to struggle to obtain the means of 

 making payment. 



BALANCING ; among seamen, the contracting a sail 

 into a narrower compass, in a storm, by folding up a 

 part of it at one corner, by which it is distinguished 

 from reefing. Balancing is peculiar to few sails. 



BALBEC, or BAALBEC ; the ancient Heliopolis (city 

 of the sun), in Coelosyria, in the pachalic or Acre, in 

 Syria, in a fertile valley at the foot of Antilibanus, 

 40 miles from Damascus; Ion. 36 11' E. ; lat. 34" 

 1' N. ; a small meanly built town, surrounded by 

 ruinous walls, containing about 5,000 inhabitants, 

 among whom there are some Christians and Jews. 

 The city is under the government of an aga, who as- 

 sumes the title of emir. Here are the finest ruins in 

 the East, of which a society of British travellers, who 

 visited B. in the middle of the eighteenth century, 

 have given the most complete description. As early 

 as the time of Augustus, Heliopolis had a Roman 

 garrison. Whether the magnificent temple of the 

 sun, a great part of which is still uninjured, and 

 which is one of the most splendid remains of anti- 

 quity, was built by the emperor Antoninus Pius, or 

 by Septimius Severus, upon whose medals it appears 

 to have been first represented, is uncertain. Of fifty- 

 four lofty columns, there are but six standing : their 

 shafts are fifty-four feet high, and nearly twenty-two in 

 circumference ; and the whole height, including the 

 pedestal and capital, is seventy-two feet. Excellent 

 marble statues of Jupiter, Diana, and Leda, and 

 bass-reliefs and busts of Roman emperors and em- 

 presses, are yet to be seen. The size of the stones, 

 with which the walls of the temple are constructed, 

 is astonishing. No mechanical expedients now 

 known would be able to place them in their present 

 position. Under the emperor Constantine, this temple 

 was neglected, and was changed into a Christian 

 church. Thus it remained until after the Irruption 

 of the Arabians, when it fell to decay. The great 

 palace which Antoninus Pius is also said to have built, 

 and several other temples, are of distinguished beauty. 

 Obeidah, a general of the caliph Omar, captured the 



city, after a vigorous defence. In 1401, it was taken 

 >y Tamarlane. An earthquake almost entirely de- 

 troyed it in 1759. 



BALBOA, Vasco Nunez de ; born about 1475 ; one 

 of the Spanish adventurers who pursued the patn 

 which Columbus had pointed out, and sought to 

 make their fortunes in America. The Spanish court 

 u ranted them full permission to make discoveries, 

 without giving them sufficient support. B., aftei 

 laving dissipated his fortune in Spain, went to Ame- 

 rica, arrived at the isthmus of Darien, and soon lie- 

 came the leader of a small troop of Spaniards. He 

 succeeded in founding a colony in these regions, 

 ither winning the inhabitants by kindness, or sub- 

 jecting them by force. A dispute having taken 

 place between two of his companions, on the division 

 if a quantity of gold, an Indian, who perceived the 

 eagerness of the Spaniards for it, offered to show 

 them a country where this metal was used for the 

 meanest vessels. He led them to the coast of the 

 Pacific ocean, where the way to Peru was open be- 

 fore them. B., however, ventured not to attack 

 Peru with his troop of 150 men. He was satisfied 

 with getting information, and with taking possession, 

 in the name of the king of Spain, of the great ocean, 

 the boundless plain of which was spread out before 

 him. After four months, he returned to Darien, 

 loaded with gold and pearls. Here he found a new 

 governor, Pedrarias, whom he was commanded to 

 obey by an order of Ferdinand. Though surprised 

 at this ingratitude, he complied, and, in the following 

 year, was appointed viceroy of the South sea. Pedra- 

 rias was apparently reconciled to him, but, soon 

 after, under pretext of neglect of duty, ordered him 

 to be tried and condemned to death. B. was be- 

 headed in 1517, at the age of forty- two years. Pi- 

 zarro, who afterwards completed the discovery of 

 Peru, had served under him. 



BALCAN. See Balkan 



BALCANQUAL, Walter, D. D., an eminent divine of 

 the 17th century, was born at Edinburgh, and en- 

 tered a bachelor of divinity at Pembroke hall, 

 Oxford, where, September 8, 1611, he was admitted 

 a fellow. He appears to have enjoyed the patronage 

 and friendship of king James, and his first prefer- 

 ment was to be one ot the royal chaplains. In 1617, 

 he became master of the Savoy in the Strand, Lon- 

 don, which office, however, he soon after resigned in 

 fevour of Mark Antony de Dominis, archbishop of 

 Spalatro, who came to England on account of reli- 

 gion, and became a candidate for the king's favour. 

 In 1618, Dr Balcanqual was sent to the celebrated 

 synod of Dort, as one of the representatives of the 

 church of Scotland. He has given an account of a 

 considerable part of the proceedings of this grand 

 religious council, in a series of letters to Sir Dudley 

 Carleton, which are to be found in "The Golden 

 Remains of the ever-memorable Mr John Hales of 

 Eaton, 4to, 1673." In 1621, the archbishop of Spa- 

 latro having resigned the mastership of the Savoy, 

 Dr Balcanqual was re-appointed ; and on the 12th 

 of March, 1624, being then doctor of divinity, ho 

 was installed dean of Rochester. George Heriot, at 

 his death, February 12, 1624, ordained Dr Balcan- 

 qual to be one of the three executors of his last will, 

 and to take the principal charge of the establishment 

 of his hospital at Edinburgh. Dr Balcanqual is en- 

 titled to no small commendation for the able manner 

 in which he discharged this great and onerous trust. 

 The statutes, which, in terms of the testator's will, 

 were drawn up by him, are dated 1627, and do great 

 credit to his sagacity and practical good sense. 



In 1638, when Charles I. sent down the marquis 

 of Hamilton to Scotland, to treat with the covenan- 

 ters, B. accompanied his grace in the capacity ot 

 3 c D 



