B A S 



is always fet among the old men. Tlie language of tliefe 

 people is a Tartar dialeft, very different from tli?.t fpoken 

 at Kafan. The Baflikirians are, like moit of the Tartars, 

 Mahometan"! ; but though they have their mofquts, their 

 molaks, and their fchools, they are much addicted to fu- 

 psr^Htion and forcery. Their forcerers challenge even the 

 devil, and pretend to engage with him in combat ; and 

 thus thty delude the credulous vulgar, who confult them in 

 their diftrefs, and particularly when they lofe any of their 

 mares. Tcoke's View of Ruffia, vol. i. p. 473. Chantreau's 

 Travels, vol. i. p. 281. 



BASHLI, or Baschli, in Geography, a fmall town on a 

 brook of thcr f?.me name, at the dillance of j. German miles 

 from the Cafpian fea. 



BASHUYSEN, Hexry James Van-, in Biogmphy, a 

 le.;rn,-d divine, was born at Hanau, in Gennany, in 1679, 

 and educated at Brenien, Leyden, and Frp.nck^r. In 1 701, 

 lie was appointed profcilor of the orienlal languages and ec- 

 clefiaftical hillory in the gym.nafium of Hanau, afterwards 

 profeifor of theology ; and in 1712, he was eledted member 

 of the Royal Society of Berlin. He was afterwards pro- 

 feflbr of theology, t!ie oriental languages, and hirtory, in 

 the gynmafu'.m at Zerbil, where he died in 1758. About 

 the year 1709, he ellabl:!hed in his own houfe a printing- 

 office, in which he printed n;iany Hebrew and Rabbinical 

 works. Among his writings are " Obferv. Sacr. lib. i. de 

 integritate Sac. Scripi." Frankf. 1708, 8vo ; "Comment. 

 R. if Abarban. in pentateuchunn Mofis, &c." Hanov. 1710, 

 fol. " Difpiit. iii. de Kabb;i!:i vera & falfa," Hanov. 1710, 

 171 1, 1713, 1713, 4to. ; " Syftema Antiq. Hebr. minus," 

 Hanov. 1715, 8vo. ; " MifcelLmea Sacra, Sec." Witteb. 

 1719, 4to. ; " Diff. de Ifide, &c." Serv. 1719, 410.; 

 ♦' Ciavis Talmudica, &c." Hanau, 1740, 410. Gen. Biog. 

 BASIA Ultima. See Ultima. 

 BASIATRAHAGT, in Botany, a name ufed by fome 

 for the common polygonum, or knot-grafs. 



BASIENTO, in Gt-v^mphy, a river of Naples, which 

 rifes near P.'tenza, in the province of Bnfilicata, traverfes 

 this province, and runs into the gulf of Tarento. This is 

 t!:c ancier.t Metapontus, or Caficntum, on which Oftavius 

 C;efar and Mark Antony had an interview, brought about 

 bv the mediation of Odavia. 



BASHj, St., denominated the Great, in Biography, was 

 born in Cappadocia, in the year 32S or 329. Having re- 

 ceived in'lrjiti'ju from his father in polite liceiature, he pur- 

 fued his (ladies at Antioch under Libanius, at Cxfarea in 

 Paleftine, at Conilantinople, and at Athens ; m which lat- 

 ter olace he formed an intimate acquaintance with Gregory 

 Nazianzen, and was introduced to Julian, afterwards empe- 

 ror. In 355, he returned to his native country, and became 

 a profefior of rhetoric, and a pleader. His religious zeal, 

 hoivever, foon induced him to vilit the monalltries in the 

 deferts of Egypt and Lybia ; and here his imagination was 

 fo impreircJ with the aullentlcs of the devout folitaries in 

 thefe fcq'ieftered marfions, that he w^thurew to a retired 

 fpot in the prcvince of Pontus, and embraced the monallic 

 life." He was foon joined by his brother and feveral friends, 

 to whom he gave a let of afcetic rules ; and he is regarded 

 as the founder of all fim'lar inftitutions in Pcntus and Cap- 

 padocia. His monallic life continued, but not without fome 

 interruption by other avocations, for twelve years. Having 

 been ordained pried by Eufcbius bilhop of Cafarea, he again 

 withdrew to his fohtude ; but as his fame increafed, he was 

 eltfled to this fee on the death of Eufebius in 369, 370, or 

 371. Here he fucceedcd Athauafius in the couduCl of the Tri- 

 nitarian controverlV. Many attempts were made by the em- 

 peror Valtns, who was an Arian, partly by friendly fulicita- 

 tions and partly by angry menaces, to induce him to com- 



B A S 



municate with Eudoxus, the Ariar. birtiop of Conftar.tlnople • 

 but altogether without effect. Bafil however, remaining 

 firm and inflexible, was left in the free polfelTion of his con- 

 fcience and his throne. The emperor liimfelf afllflcd at the 

 folemn fcrv'ce of the cathedral, and fubfcribed the donation 

 of a valuable eftate for the ufe of an hol'pital which Bafil 

 had laiely founded in the neighbourhood of Cafarta. The 

 bifl'.op employed liimfelf with m.uch afliduity in endeavour- 

 ii'g to reco-.cile the eaftern and wciltrn churches, which had 

 differed on account of the two rival bifliops of Antioch ; 

 ar.d he alfo attempted to terminate the difputes between the 

 tu-o churc!ics refpecling the hypollafes : but his endeavours 

 were unavailing. He was likewife engaged in difputes 

 more perfonally interefling to himfelf ; for the emperor hav- 

 ing divided his province of Cappadocia into two part:-, An- 

 thim.us bilhop of Tyana, the metropolitan of the new moi- 

 ety, attempted to enlarge his limits. Bafil refilled this ufur- 

 pation ; and, ercfting the little border town of Safima into 

 a bifhopric, with a view of fecuring his boundaries, he ao- 

 polnted his friend Gregory Nazianzen to this fee. Gregory 

 fubmitted with reliiftance to this humiliating exile, and cm- 

 braced the firll opportunity that offered of withdrawing 

 from it to the government of his native church of Nazian- 

 zus, of which his father had been bifhop above 45 years. 

 After fome other theological contentions, Bafil clofed his 

 life in 378, or 379, or 3S0, after having been bifhop 

 fomewhat more than eight years. The talents and accom- 

 pUlhments of this prelate have been highly extolled ; and, 

 allowing for fome alloy of fpiritual pride, not without juf- 

 tice. Few of the fathers occupied a higher rank. His 

 flyle is pure, elegant, and dignified ; fo that Erafmus makes 

 no fcruple in equalling or even preferring his eloquence to 

 that of Demollhenes and the moll celebrated orators of 

 ancient Greece. His erudition was extenfive ; his reafonings 

 more clofe and forcible, and his illudrations of fcripture 

 more natural than thofe of many of the father,"!. Many 

 writings have been afcribed to Baiil without fnfficient rea- 

 fon ; and, therefore, many learned moderns, among whom 

 we may reckon Cave, Fabricius, Tillemont, Dupin, and 

 efpecially Garnier, have taken laudable pains in diltingnifh- 

 ing the fpuriouB from the genuine. Of the various editions 

 ot his works that have been publiflied, the firll in Greek, 

 was that of Frobcnius at Balil in 1532, under the ii;fpec- 

 tion of Erafmus ; and the bell modern edition of all his 

 work?, coiiiiiling of " Hom-lies, Epillles, Commentaries, 

 and Moral Trentifcs," is th;it of the learned Benediclines, 

 D. Garnier and D. Prudent Morand, at Pans, 3 vols, folio, 

 from 1721 to 1730, with a Greek text : this edition con- 

 tains a faithful and elegant Latin verfion, and valuable notes. 

 The " Life of St. Bafil" was written at large by M.Hermant, 

 in 2 vols. 4to. 1674. Cave, H. L. vol. i. p. 238, &c. Du- 

 pin. Bib. t. ii. p. 154. &c. Dujiin. Eccl. Hiil.vol.i. p. 122, 

 &c. Fabr. Bib. Grsc. t. viii. p. 60. 69. Lardncr's Work.";, 

 vol. iv. p. 400. Gbbon's Hilf. vol. iv. p. 269. vol. v. p. 19. 

 Basil, bilhop of Ancyra, was placed in that fie, in 539, 

 by the corncil of Conllnntinople whicii dcpofed Marcelius, 

 and he himtelf was depofcd at the eminc'l of Sardica in 347, 

 though by the favour of the eir.peror he reta-rcd bis lee. 

 In 351, he was prefent at the council of Sirmium, and had 

 a ddpute with Photinus. Epiphaniiis reckons him among 

 the chief of the Semi-Arians, who held the Son to be of 

 like f':b(lance to the Father; Sozomen lays he was inellctm 

 for eloquence and learning ; and Theodoret ol fervcs, tl'at 

 he was in great favour with the emperor Conftanti>c forms 

 piety. His peculiar opinion with regard to the identity of 

 the fubflancc of the Father and the Soi; was, by his inihience, 

 eflablilhed in the council of Ancyra he Id A. D. 35^; and 

 he raaintaiued it iu feveral difputes with the Euooxiars and 



* Acacians, 



