B A S 



Basil, or Basle, Blfhoprk of, a principality of Ger- 

 many, in the circle of the Upper Rhine, may be clafltd 

 under two general divifions : the firlt; lies to the foiith of 

 Pierre Pertiiis, and forms a part of Swifierland ; the fecond, 

 to the north of the fame boundary, includes that dilhicl 

 which is properly fituated within the German empire. The 

 fovereign, that is the biHiop of Bafle, or, as he is called by 

 the Protellants, the prince of Porentru, vvhofe principal re- 

 fidence is Porentru, the capital of his dominions, was for- 

 merly chofen by the chapter of eighteen cantons, refident 

 at Arlcflieim, and confirmed by the pope. He was a prince 

 of the German empire, and did homage to the emperor for 

 that part of his tcrritor)- which lies in the circle of the 

 Upper Rhine. He was always confidered as an ally of the 

 Swifs, by his union with the Cathohc cantons, firft lormcd 

 in 1579, and renewed at difierer.t intervals, particularly in 

 1671 and 1697, and by being included in the treaty which 

 thofe cantons contracted with France in 1715 : but as he 

 was not comprized among the allies of the Swifs,in the league 

 between the thirteen cantons and Louis the XVIth, in 

 1777, he was not deemed a member of the Helvetic con- 

 federacy. The firft particular alhance with France was 

 concluded in 1 739, between the biiliop and Louis the XVth, 

 and was renewed in 1780. The population of that part of 

 the bifhopric of Bafle that was allied to the cantons amounted 

 to 24,000. The form of government was a limited fove- 

 reignty, the bifliop being bound, on all important occafions, 

 to conlult his chapter ; and his prerogative being confined, 

 by the great immunities enjoyed by his fubjefts in general, 

 and particularly by thofe of the reformed communion. He 

 nominated to all employments both civil and mihtar)', 

 and appointed the bailiffs or governors; criminal ju.lice 

 was adminiftered in his name, and he had the power of par- 

 doning. In civil proceedings, he received an appeal from 

 the interior courts ; but in his German dominions, when the 

 caufe exceeded the value of a llipulated fum, it might be 

 carried to the chambers of Wetzlar or Vienna. The fiib- 

 cCts of the bilhop are partly Proteftants and partly Catho- 

 ics : the Protsilants inhabit the greater part of the valley 

 of Munfter, and the whole dillrid to the fouth of Piene 

 Pertuis, and are about 15,000 ; the Catholics amount to 

 35,000. The French and German languages are both 

 fpokcn in the bifhop's dominions. The whole bifliopric of 

 Bafle is now annexed to France. In 1792, their troops 

 overran the country of Porentru on the German part, under 

 the pretence of delivering the natives from flavery, and took 

 pofTtffion of the famous pafs of Pierre Pertuis. This dif- 

 trict was ceded to France by the treaty of Campo Formio, 

 and is formed into the department of Mont Tenible. In 

 1798, the Helvetic part of the territory was taken poflef- 

 fion of, in the name of the republic, by general St. Cyr, 

 under a declaration that France fucceeded to the prope- ty, 

 dominions, rights, and prerogatives of the bilhop. This 

 diftrift was alfo annexed to the department of Ivlont Ter- 

 rible. The bift'.opric of Balle is a fertile country, and 

 many forges are employed in the manufactures of iron and 

 Heel. 



Basil, ^T.on^ jfo'tners, denotes the angle to which the 

 edge of an iron tool is ground. To work on foft wood, 

 they ufually m:»ke their bafil 12 degrees; for hard wood 18: 

 it being obfen-ed that the more acute or thin tlie bafil is, 

 the better and fmoother it cuts ; and the more obtufe, the 

 ftronger and fitter it is for fervice. 



BASILAN, or Basseilan, in Geography, one of the 

 Philippine iflands; 12 leagues in circumference, very fertile, 

 tfpecially in fruit and rice ; 6 leagues S. W. of Llindanao. 

 N. lat. 5° 51'. E. long. 121° 30'. 



JBASILARE Os) in Anatomy, a barbarous denomination 



i- 



B A S 



given to the os fphenolJa, on account of its being fitiiated at 

 the bottom or bafis of the fltull ; or becaufe a great part of 

 the brain refts upon it, as on its bafis. 



BASILARIS Jrieria. Sec Artery. 



BASILE, St. in Geography, a town of Italy, in the king- 

 dom of Naples, and province of Otranto, iS miles eaft. of 

 Matera. 



Basils, St. is alfo a town of the kingdom of Na- 

 ples, in the province of Bafilicata ; I r miles N. E. of 

 Turfi. 



BASILEUS, 0ac-iXivc, a title affun-.ed by the enperors 

 of Conftantinople, exclufive of all other princes; to v.hom 

 they give the title rex, king. The fame quahty was after- 

 wards given by them to the kings of Bulgaria, and to 

 Charlemagne ; from the fuccefibrs of which lall they endea- 

 voured to wreft it back again. 



The title balileus has been fince affumed by other kings, 

 particularly the kings of England ; " Ega Edgar toliiis yln~ 

 gltic bajihus conjlrma'vi." 



Hence alfo the queen of England was intitled lafika, and 

 bafdifa. 



Basileus, in Orn'tthology, a name by which many of tlie 

 old authors called the Regultn Criftattis of Aldrovand, the 

 Motacilla Regulus of the Linnaean fyftem, or the 

 golden- crefted wren. 



BASILI, in Geography, a river of European Tuikcy, 

 which runs into the gulf of Colokitia, 4 miles N. N. E. of 

 Colokitia. 



Basili, St. a town of European Turkey, in the Morea ; 

 8 miles S. of Corinth. 



BASILIA, a town of Poland, in the palatinate of Vol- 

 hynia ; 32 miles W. S. W. of Conftantinaw. 



Basilia, or Basilico, a fortified town north of Co- 

 rinth, fituate upon the coall of the guif of Lcpanto. 



BASILIANS. SeeBoGOMiLi. 



BASILIC, Basilica, is ufed, in Eccleftqjllcal Writers, 

 for a church. In which fenfe this name ircqucntly occurs 

 in St. Ambrofe, St. Auftin, St.jerom, Sidonius Apollinaris, 

 and other writers of the fourth and fifth centuries. 



M. Perrault fays, that bafilics ditfered from temples, in 

 that the columns of temples were without fide, and thofe 

 of bafihcs within. 



Some will have the ancient churches to have been called 

 bafilicaf, becaufe generally built in the falhion of the Ro- 

 man hallo called by that nam.e ; others, becaufe divers 

 churches were formed of thofe halls. Some have fuppofed 

 that, on the convei-fion of Conftantine, many of the ancient 

 bafilica were g'ven to the church, and turned to another 

 ufc, viz. for Chriftian aflemblies to meet in ; and they refer 

 to that pafiage in Aufonius, where fpeaking to the emperor 

 Gratian, he tells him, the bafilicse, which heretofore were 

 wont to be filled with men of bufinefs, were row thronged 

 with votaries praying for his fafety; by which it is appre- 

 hended he mull mean, that the Rcrran halls or courts were 

 turned into Chriftian churches : and hence it has been con- 

 ceived, that tlie name bafihcaj came to be a general name for 

 churches in after-ages. See Basilica. 



Basilic is chiefly applied, in modern times, to churches 

 of royal foundation ; as thofe of St. John de Lateran, and 

 St. Peter of the Vatican, at Rome, founded by the emperor 

 Conftantine. 



Basilic appears alfo to have been given, in later ages, to 

 churches before confecration. 



Basilics were alfo little chapels built by the ancient- 

 Franks over the tombs of their great men ; fo called, as re- 

 fembhng the figure of the facred bafilicse or churches. 



Perfons of inferior condition had only tunibse, or porti- 

 culi, ereded over them. By an article in the Salic law, he 



thaL 



