B I S 



the richer bi(hoprics, as they became vacant, to the poorer. 

 The advantages, refulting from the accomph(hmeiit of this 

 objeft, and recited by the learned prelate, are fiich as follow : 

 The poorer bifhops would thus be freed from the neceffity 

 of holding ecclefiaftical preferments " in commendam" with 

 their bifhoprics ; a praftice, which bears hard upon the 

 rights and expeftations of the reft of the clergy ; which is 

 difagreeable to the bidiops themfelves ; which expofes them 

 to much, perhaps undeferved, obloquy ; but which certainly 

 had better not fubfift in the church. The bifhops would alfo 

 thus acquire a greater independence in the houfe of lords ; 

 and the meafure would contribute to reduce the influence of 

 the crown in that houfe. This plan would likevvife cnfure a 

 longer rcfidence of the bifhops in their refpeftive diocefes, 

 as temptations to tranflations would be thus removed, and 

 prelates would of courfe become more attached to their par- 

 ticular fituations, gain a more intimate acquaintance with 

 their clergy, and ferve, by their dodrine and example, to 

 produce the beft effeft in the condutl both of clergy and 

 laity. See Augmentation. 



In Ireland there are i8 bifhoprics, and 4 archbiflioprics. 

 Under the archbidiop of Armagh, the primate, are the bi- 

 fhops of Meath, Kilmore and Ardagh, Dromore, Clog- 

 her, Raphoe, Down and Connor, and Derry. Under the 

 archbifliop of Dublin are Kildare, Ferns and Laughlin, and 

 OlTory. Under the archbifhop of Cafhel are Waterford and 

 Lifmore, Limerick, Killaloe, Cork and Rofs, and Cloync. 

 Under the archbifhop of Tuam are Elphin, Cloyne, and 

 Killala and Achonry. The primacy is eftimated at 8000I. 

 a year, Derry at 7000I., and the other bifhoprics from 

 4000I. to 2000I. The catholics have a hierarchy nearly 

 Ijmilar ; but the metropolitans and bifhops are confidered by 

 the proteflants as merely titular. 



The ancient ecclefiaftical eftablifhment of Scotland com- 

 priftd two archbifhoprics, thofe of St. Andrews and Glaf- 

 gow, and eleven biflioprics (that of Edinburgh having been 

 only eilablifhed by Charles I.), which, in the order of anti- 

 quity, may be thus enumerated ; Galloway (St. Andrews), 

 Dunkeld, Moray; five founded by David I., Brechin, 

 Dumblane, Aberdeen, Rofs (Glafgow) ; that of Argyle, 

 or Lifmore, was foimded about the year 1200, becaufe the 

 bifhops of Dunkeld did not fpeak the Irifh tongue ; the 

 bifhops of Orkney and of the weilern iflands date from an 

 earlier period, while their fees were not fubjeft to the Scot- 

 tilh crown. But iince the revolution in 1688, the eccleii- 

 atlical government of Scotland is of the Prelbyterian form ; 

 and of courfe they have no biflioprics. 



Bifhoprics, as well as archbiflioprics, may become void by 

 death, deprivation, and refignation ; but a bifhop muft re- 

 fign to his metropolitan. See Archbishopric. 



BISI, EoNAVENTURA, in Biography, zn eminent painter 

 and engraver, and a monk, as fomc fay, of the order of 

 St. Francis, was born at Bologna, and became a difciple of 

 X,ucio MafTari. His chief excellence confiftcd in copying 

 in miniature the piftures of Corregio, Guide, Titian, and 

 other mafters, which he tinifhed with furprifing beauty and 

 elegance. Many of his works, which are highly valued, are 

 in the duke's gallery at Modena. He alfo amufed himfelf 

 by etching fome few plates from Parmegiano, Guido, &c. 

 One, probably from his own delign, was a " Holy Family," 

 with Elizabeth and St. John, dated 1 631. He died in 

 1662 ; but his apje is not known. Strutt and Pilkington. 



BISIGNANO, in Gragraphy, an inconliderable town of 

 Naples, in the province of Calabria citra, fcatcd on a hill 

 near the river Crati, furrounded by lofty mountains, and 

 defended by a !hong furtrefs. It gives the title of prince 

 to the lad remaining branch of the ancient houte of San S«- 



Vol. IV. 



B I S 



yerino, and is a bifhop's fee, fufTragan of RofTano ; diftant 

 16 miles W. S. W. from RoiTano, and about 18 miles N. 

 from Cofenza. N. lat. 39° 38'. W.long. 16^ 22'. 



BISK, or Bisque, in Cookery, a rich fort of broth or 

 foup, made of pigeons, chickens, force-meat, m.utton-gra'.-y, 

 and other ingredients. The word is French, formed, as 

 fome think, hom bifcoHa ; becaufe the Hfque, confifbng of 

 a diverfity of ingredients, needs feveral repeated >;octions to 

 bring it to perfedion. There is alfo a (hml-h'tfque, made at 

 a low expence, in which only half the ingredients are ufed ; 

 and a hifque of filh, made of carps, minced with their roes 

 and lobrters. 



BISKET, BiSQUET, or Biscuit, tifually denotes a de- 

 licate kind of bread prepared by the confeftioncrs, of fine 

 flour, eggs, fugar, and rofe or orange water ; or of flour, 

 eggs, and fsgar, with anife-feeds and citron-peel ; baked in 

 the oven in tin or paper moulds. The word comes from the 

 Latin Its, tiv'ice, and the French cu'il, cotlus, q. d. baked. 

 We find divers forts of fucli billets, as feed-billict, fruit- 

 bllkct, long-biflcet, round-billcet, Naples-biflcet, fpunge- 

 billvet, &c. 



BisKET, fea, is a fort of bread much dried, to make it 

 keep for the fervice of the fea. It was formerly baked 

 twice or oftener, and prepared I'lK months before the em- 

 barkation. It will hold good a whole year. To preferve 

 fea-bifliets from infefts. Dr. Hales advifcs to make the fumes 

 of burning brimftone pafs through the caflcs &1II of bread. 

 Bifket may be likewife preferved a long time, by keeping 

 it in caflcs well calked, and lined with tin. 



The fliip-bifcuit is too hard for fome teeth ; and in this 

 cafe, it may be foftened by toafting. But ruflv is better; 

 for being made of good fermented bread, fliced, and baked 

 a fecond time, the pieces imbibe the water eafily, foften im- 

 mediately, and digeft more kindly, and are therefore "more 

 who'efome than the unfermented bifcuit. Rufl<, fays Dr. 

 Franklin, is the true original bifcuit, fo prepared to keep 

 for fea, being twice baked, as its name imports. See Frank- 

 lin's Maritime Obfervations, in Amer. Tranf. vol.ii. p. 322. 



The ancients had their bifliet prepared after the like man- 

 ner, and for the like ufe as the moderns. The Greeks called 

 it cnoj Jiru^ov, q. d. " bread put twice to the fire." The 

 Romans gave it the name of "panis nfauicus," or '_' capta." 

 Pilny denominates it " vttus aut nanticus panis tufus atquc 

 iterum co6tu3." By which it appears, that after the firft 

 baking, they ground or pounded it down again for a fe- 

 cond. In fome middle-age writers, it is called " paximas," 

 " paximus," and " panis paximatus." 



Among t!ie Romans, we alfo meet v.!th a kind of land- 

 biflcet for the canp-fervice, called " buccellatuni," fomttiniei 

 " expeditionalis annona," which was baked much, both to 

 make it lighter for carriage, and lefs liable to corrupt, the 

 coftion being continu-d till the bread was reduced one 

 fourth of its former weight. 



The procefs of bifl<et baking for the Britifh navy is ?.% 

 follows ; and it is equally iimple and ingenious. The meal, 

 and every other article, being fupplied with much certainty 

 and fimplicity, large lumps of dough, confifting merely of 

 flour and water, are mixed up together; and as the quan- 

 tity is fo immcnft, as to preclude by any common procefs a 

 poifibility of kneading it, d man manages, or, as ;t is termed, 

 rides a machine which is called a liorfe. This machine is a 

 long roller, apparently about four or five inches in diameter, 

 and about feven or eight feet in length. It has a play to a 

 certain extenlion, by means of a ftaple m tlie wall, to which 

 is infertid a kind of eye, making its aftion like the machine 

 by which they cut chaff for horfes. The lump of doupfh 

 being ph»cd exactly in the centre of a raifrd platform, the 



R 



man 



