B E A 



B E A 



Yaifed higher, or fiink lower, as that pillow is elevated or 

 dcpreflid by being flippt-d along the cioiv-llavc;. Near the 

 middle, it lias an iron collar, which receives the tow-chain 

 from the box, and the hriille-chain from the (lake or gallows 

 of the plough is fixed in it a little below the collar. Some 

 inches below thi;, there is a hole, which lets through the 

 coulter ; and below that there are two other fmall ones, 

 through which tin- heads of the retches pafs. Thefe are the 

 irons which fupport the flieat, and with it the Ihare. Far- 

 ther backward Hill is a larger perforation, through which 

 the body of the (lieat pafles ; and behind that, very near the 

 extremity, is another hole through which the piece called 

 the hinder-Oieat p-ilTes. See Plough. 



Beams of a /hip, are the large, main, crofs timbers, 

 ■ftrctching from fide to fide, whicli hold the fides of a fliip 

 from falling togetiier, and which alfo fupport the decks and 

 orlops of the Oiip. 



The main beam is tliat next the main mad ; and from it 

 they are reckoned h\ Jirji,feconil, and ihlrd Itdm. The great 

 beam of all is calKd the midjli'ip beam. 



There arc ufually twenty -four beams on the lower deck of 

 a fhip of 74 guns, and on the other decks additional ones in 

 proportion, as the fhip lengthens above. 



Beam, on the, in Sed-Lan^uage, denotes any diftance from 

 the fliip on a line with the beams, or at right angles with 

 the keel. Any objtft that lies call or weft, when the fliip 

 fteers northward, is faid to be on the (larboard or larboard 

 beam. 



BuAM, hrfure the, fignifies an arch of thehorixon compre- 

 hended between the line of the beam, and that point of the 

 compafs which (lie ftems. See Abaft. 



Be AM, on the Weather, fignifies on the weather fide of the 

 fliip. 



Beam, Camher. See Camber-beam. 



^iht^ of an anehoi: See Anchor. 



Beam of a ia/anee, is that piece of iron or wood, fome- 

 what bigger toward the middle than at the ends, where there 

 are holes through which run the ropes or ftrings which hold 

 the fcales : the beam is divided into two equal parts, by a 

 needle placed over it perpendicularly : and the centre of 

 motion mud be placed a little '.b'ove the centre of gravity, 

 that the beam m.iy reft exaflly in an horizontal pofition. 

 See Balanct. 



Beam, or Roller, among IFe^ivers, is a long and thick 

 woikIcu cylinder placed lengthways on the back part of 

 the loom of thofe who work with the (luittle. The 

 threads of the warp, of linen or woollen cloth, ferges, or 

 other woollen llnfTs, rue rolled upon the beam, and innoUed 

 as the work goes on. That cylinder on which the ftuff is 

 rolled as it is wcaved is alfo calhd the beam or roller, and is 

 placed on the fore |)art of the loom. 



Beam, in Heraldry, is ufcd to exprefs the main horn of a 

 hart or buck. 



Beam, among Hunters, denotes the main ftem of a deer's 

 kead ; or that part which bears the antlers, royals, and tops; 

 the little ftreaks of which aie called circles. 



Beam is alfo ufeJ for a fiery meteor in the fhape of a pil- 

 lar; and for a ray of the fun. 



Vif.kvi compaffe]. See CoM PASSES. 



Beam fathers, in Falconry, the longeft: feathers of a 

 hawk's wing. 



Beam^///;;;^, in Budding, the filli[ig up the vacant fpace 

 between the rifing plate and roof, with Hones, or bneks, 

 laid between the rafters on the ralfing plate, and plaillered on 

 with loom ; this is fiequent where the garrets arc not par- 

 geted, or plaillered. 



Beam /r<f. Sec CRAT^tct's y'/r/d. 



BEAMINSTER. See Behinster. 



BEAN, in Botany. See ViciA Faia. 



Bean, fiba. The medicinal and dietetic qualities of beam 

 are faid to be nutritive, but flatulent : the pods yield a wa- 

 ter held good againft the gripes in chihiren. Some have nfcd 

 the horlc bean as a fnecedaneum to coffee ; which in princi- 

 ples it much refeinbles ; only that it contains but half the 

 quantity of oil. Mr. Boyle has feveral experimejits of bear.a 

 treated pneumatically to fliew the great plenty of air they 

 afford, on which their flatulency depends. Tliis air, which 

 beans contain in a fixed Hate, is extricated during their di- 

 geftion in the llomach, in greater quantity than can be again 

 abfoibed ; and upon that account thefe, and other Icguniina, 

 have been at all times noted for occafioning flatulency, and 

 fometimcs colic pains. The cxpanficn of beans in growijig, 

 Mr. Boyle alio found fo confidernblc that it would raife a 

 plug clogged with above a hundred pounds weight. Boyle's 

 Woiks abr. toni. i. p. 2S5. torn. li. p. 615, &c. 



Beans with proper management make one of the fineft of 

 all baits for fifli. The method of preparing them for this 

 purpofe is this : take a new earthen pot glazed on tlie in- 

 iide ; boil fome beans in it, fnppofc a quarter of a peck : 

 they mull be boiled in river water, and ftiould be previouny 

 fteeped in fome warm water for fix or fcven hours. When 

 they are about half boiled, put in three or four ounces 

 of honey, and two or three grains of mufli : let them 

 boil a little on, then take them off the fire, and ufe them 

 in this manner : feek out a clean place, where there 

 arc no weeds, that the fifh may fee and take the beans at the 

 bottom of the water. Throw in fome beans at five or fix 

 in the morning, and in the evening for fome days. Thi* 

 will draw them together, and they may be taken in a cafting 

 net in great numbers. 



The ancients made ufe of beans in gathering the vote* 

 of the people, and for the cledion of magillratej. A 

 white bean fi^nified alifolution, and a black one con- 

 demnation. Beans had a myfterious ufe in the lemuralia 

 and parentdlia ; where the mafter of the family, after wafii- 

 ing, was to throw a fort of llaek beans over his head, 

 flill repcsting the words, " 1 redeem myfelf and family by 

 thefe beiuis." Ovid gives a lively defcription of the whole 

 ceremony in his Falli, lib. v. vcr. 4'?5. Abftinence from 

 beans is faid to have been enjoined ijy Pythagoras, for wh'ch 

 prohibition various reafons have been alfigncd. Some have 

 fuppofed that it was intended to rellrain his difciples from 

 intermeddling in tria's and verdifts which were decided by 

 throwing beans into an urn. Others founding their opinion 

 on the double fenfe of the word y.vu-y.o:, which fignifie4 

 both a bean and the common tefticle, explain it by ablla'n- 

 ing from venery. Clemens Alexandrinus grounds the ab- 

 ftinence from beans on their tendency to render wi'men bar- 

 ren ; which properly is confirmed by Th.eophrallus, vvl;o 

 extends the fame cffeft even to plants. Cicero fuggefts 

 another reafon; viz. that bea\!s are very injurious to mental 

 tranquility. Henee Amphiaraus is faid to have forborne the 

 ufe of beans, before Pythagoras, that he might be betterprc- 

 pared for divining by dreams. The Egyptian priells held 

 it a crime to looii at beans, judging the very fight unclean. 

 'Vhe Jlanun dia'is was not permitted even to mention the 

 name. Lucian introduces the fame philofopher in hi 11, fay- 

 ing, that to eat bean ;, and to eat our father's head, were 

 equal crimes. After all, both the ginuiiienefs of the pre- 

 cept, and the reality of any fuch ..bllinence among the an- 

 cient Pythagoreans have been difpnted. Some attiibi'te the 

 precept to Empedoeles, a dileiplc of Pvthagoras. Aiiiiox- 

 eijus, an ancient writer cited by A. Geliius, (1, iv. c. 11.) 

 introduces Pyth:'jj;oras fiiying, that lie eat more frequeiuly 



of 



