B A S 



B A S 



And tlie union of the two other ends of the flanks to the 

 two curtins, the angles of the flanks of the ballion. 



The foundation of the baftion, i. c. c,{ a work confiding 

 of flanks and faces, is that great rule in fortification, viz. 

 that every part of a work rauft be feen and defended from 

 fome other part : mere angles therefore are not fufficieut, 

 but flanks and faces are indifpenfibly requifite. — Thus, if 

 the baltion confiils of flanks and faces, as AIjCSD, /ig. i. 

 all the points may be defended from the fi.inks ; there being 

 none, v. gr. in the face B C, but what may be defended 

 from the oppofite flank EL, nor any in the cnrtin AE, but 

 may be defended from tlie adjacent flanks BA and EL ; nor 

 in any one flank BA, but may be defended from the other 

 EL. 



For the proportions of the faces, they are not to be lefs 

 than 40 toifes, nor more than 60 ; or differing little from 

 100 yards. 



The flanks of baflions are better as they are longer, pro- 

 vided they ftand at the fame angle under the line of defence: 

 hence the flank njufl: ftand at right angles to the hne of de- 

 fence. Indeed, in the ancient fortification, the flank is 

 made perpendicular to the curtln, fo as to have the angle 

 out of the enemy's eye ; but this is now provided for, by 

 withdrawing the lower part of the flank two i or three 

 perches towards the capital line; which part, thus with- 

 drawn, is better, if made concave, than redtilinear; and if 

 double, with a ditch between, than if Angle. 



The bufinefs of d'.fpofing the flanks of baftions makes the 

 principal part of tlie art of fortification ; it is that on which 

 the defence principally depends, and which has introduced 

 the various forms and modes of fortifying. 



If the angle of the bullion be lefs than fixty degrees, it 

 will be too fmall to give room for guns ; and befides, fo 

 acute as to be eafily beaten down by the enemies' guns : to 

 which may be added, that it will either render the' line of 

 defence too long, or the flanks too fliort : it muft therefore 

 be more than fixty degrees ; but whether or not it fliould 

 be a right angle, fome intermediate angle between fixty and 

 ninety, or even whether or not it fliould exceed a right an- 

 gle, is flill difputed ; though thofe are generally preferred, 

 which are not much lefs than 90°, and not exceeding 120° 

 or 130^. Hence it follows, that a triangle can never be 

 fortified, becaufe either fome or all of the angles will be 

 cither fixty degrees, or lefs than fixty. 



Baftions are of divers kinds, foUJ, "void, Jiat, cut, Sec. 



Bastions, fo/id, are thofe that are filled up entirely, and 

 have the earth equal to the height of the rampart, without 

 any void fpace towards the centre. 



Bastions, -voiJ, or hoUo-zu, are thofe furrounded with a 

 rampart and parapet, only ranging round tlieir flanks and 

 faces, fo as to leave a void fpace towards the centre ; 

 where the ground is fo low, that if the rampart be taken, 

 no retrenchment can be made in the centre, bat what will 

 lie under the fire of the befieged. 



Bmtios, Jlat, is a ballion built on a right line in the 

 middle of the curtin, when it is too long to be defended by 

 the bailion at its extremes. 



Bastion, cul, is that whofe point is cut off, and in lieu 

 thereof has a re-entering angle, or an angle inwards with 

 two points outward : this is fometimes alfo called bajlvn 

 '^■ith a tenaille ; and is ufed either when, without fuch a con- 

 trivance, the angle would be too acute, or when water, or 

 fome other impediment, hinders the carrying on of the ballion 

 to its full extent. 



Bastion, compofcil, is when the two fides of the interior 

 polygon are very unequal, which makes the gorges alfo un- 

 equal. 



Vol. in. 



Bastiov, regular, is that which has its due proportion 

 of faces, flanks, and gorges ; the faces being of an equal 

 length, the flanks the fame, and the two angles of the 

 (houlder equal. 



Bastion, irregular, is where this proportion and equa- 

 lity are not obferved. 



Bastion, Reformed, is where the irregularitr of the lines 

 and angles makes the baftion out of ft'.ape: as when it wants 

 one of its demi-gorges ; one fide of the interior polygon 

 being too fhort. 



Bastion, (km't, is that which hath but one face, and one 

 flank : called alfo an epaiilcment. 



To fortify the angle of a place that is too acute, they 

 cut oft the point, and make two dcm'i-bajl'tons, which form 

 a tenmlle, or a re-entering angle. Thdr chief ufe is before 

 a horn -work or crownwork. 



Bastion, double, is that which, on the plane of tha 

 great ballion, has another baflion built higher, fomewhat af- 

 ter the manner of a cavalier ; leaving twelve or eighteen feet 

 between the paiapet of the lower, and the foot of the higher. 



Bastion, Capital of a. See Capital. 



Bastion, Gorge of a. See Gorge. 



Bastion, Dijlance of the. See Distance. 



Bastion Company in France. See Company. 



BASTITANl, in Ancietit Geography, a people of Bae- 

 tica, in Spain. . See B^etica, and Basti. 



BASTOGNE, in Geography, a city of the Netherlands, 

 in the duchy of Luxemburgh, near the forcft of Ardennes. 

 It is fo populous, fo well built, and has fo much trade, that 

 it is not untrequently called " Paris in Ardennes." N. lat. 

 50" 6'. E. long. 6" o'. 



BASTON, Robert, in Biography, a poet of fome note 

 in the fourteenth centurj', and author of fcveral works, was 

 defcended of a noble fam.ily, and born in Yorkfhire, not 

 far from Nottingham. In his youth he became a Carmelite 

 monk, and afterwards prior of that order at Scarborough. 

 He was likevvife poet laureat and public orator at Oxford. 

 In 1304, he accompanied king Edward I. in his expedition 

 into Scotland, for the purpofe of celebrating the king's 

 vidlories over the Scots ; .but being taken prifoner, he was 

 compelled to fing the fuccelfes of Robert Bruce, who then 

 claimed the crown of Scotland. He died about the year 

 13 10, and was buried at Nottingham. His poetry, though 

 barbarous, was not contemptible for the age in which he 

 lived. Biog. Brit. Gen. Dift. 



Baston, or Batoon, in Architecture, denotes a mould 

 in the bafe of a column ; otherwife called a tore. 



Baston, or Batoon, in Hera/dry, a kind of bend which 

 has only one fourth of the ufual breadth. The bafton does 

 not go from fide to fide of the efcutcheon, as the bend or 

 fcarf does, but is broken off fhort, in form of a truncheon. 

 Its ufe in Englifh coats of arms is a mark of baftardy : but 

 French heralds introduce it in arms as a difference, a mark 

 of confanguinitv. 



Baston alfo fignifies the earl-marfhal's ftaff. 



Baston, French, literally fignifying ^ ftaff, and techni- 

 cally a verge, or maee, in Laiu, is ufed for one of the war- 

 den's of the Fleet's men, who attends the king's court with 

 a red ilaff, for taking fuch to ward as are committed by the 

 court, and likewife attends on fuch prifoners as are fuffercd 

 to go at large by licence. Stats, i R. II. c. 12. 5 Eliz. 

 c. 23. See Tipstaff. 



EASTONADO, Bastonade, or Bastinado, the 

 punilhment of beating or drubbing a criminal with a 

 llick. 



The word is formed of the French bajlari, z. Jltch, or 



M- 



5F The 



