22 BIG 
Br< 3 AMlST,y. [ bigamus, lowLat.] One that has com. 
mitted bigamy.—By the papal canons, a clergyman, that has 
a wife, cannot have an ecclefiaftical benefice ; much lefs can 
a bigamifi have fuch a benefice according to that law. Ayliffe. 
BPGAMY, f. [ bigamie , Fr. bigaviia, of bis, Lat. twice, 
Gr. marriage.] A double marriage ; this word 
properly fignifies the being twice married ; but is now ufed, 
by an almoft univerfal corruption, to fignify the offence 
of poligamy , or the having a plurality of wives at once. 
Bigamy, according to the canonifts, confifted in marrying 
two virgins fucceflively, one after the death of the other, 
or in once marrying a widow. Such were efteemed inca¬ 
pable of holy orders; probably on the ground of St. Paul’s 
words, i Tim. v. 2. “ That a bifhop fhould be the hufband 
of one wife;” and they were by a canon of the council of 
Lyons, A.D. 1274, denied all clerical privileges. This 
canon was adopted and explained in England by the flat. 
4Edw.I.c. 5. (commonly called the Slat, debigamis) ; and 
bigamy thereupon became no uncommon counterplea to 
the claim of the benefit of clergy. The cognizance of the 
plea of bigamy vvas declared by flat. 18 Edw. III. flat. 3. 
c. 2, to belong to the Court Chriftian, like that of baftardy. 
But by 1 Edw. VI. c. 12. bigamy was declared to be no 
longer an impediment to the claim of clergy. See Dal. 21. 
Dyer, 201. and 1 Injl. 80. 
A fecond marriage, the former hufband or wife living, 
is, by the ecclefiaftical law of England, Amply void, and a 
mere nullity; but the legiflature has thought it juft to 
make it felony, by reafon of its being fo great a violation 
of the public ceconomy and decency of a well-regulated 
ftate. By ftat. 1 Jac. I. c. 11, it is enadted, “ that if any 
perfon, being married, do afterwards marry again, the 
former hufband or wife being alive, it is felony, but with¬ 
in the benefit of clergy.” The adl however makes ex¬ 
ception to five cafes, in which fuch fecond marriage 
(though in the three firft it is void) is yet no felony, 
j. Where either party has been continually abroad for 
feven years, whether the party in England hath notice of 
the other’s being living or no. 2. Where either of the 
parties hath been abfent from the other feven years within 
this kingdom ; and the remaining party hath had no know¬ 
ledge of the other’s being alive within that time. 3. Where 
there is a divorce or feparation a menfa & thoro by fentence 
in the ecclefiaftical court. 4. Where the firft marriage is 
declared abfolutely void by any fuch fentence; and the 
parties loofed a vinculo matrimonii, or, 5. Where either of 
the parties was under the age of confent at the time of the 
firft marriage. 1 Hawk. P. C. 174. 1/72^.79. the laft 
cafe the firft marriage was voidable by the difagreement 
of either party; which the fecond marriage very clearly 
amounts to. But if at the age of confent the parties had 
agreed to the marriage, which completes the contract, and 
is indeed the real marriage, and afterwards one of them 
Ihouldmarry again, it feems undoubted that fuch fecond 
marriage would be within the reafon and penalties of the 
act. 4 Comm. 164. If the firft marriage were beyond fea, 
•and the latter in England, the party may be indifted for 
it here, becaufe the latter marriage is the offence; but not 
vice verfa, though no reafon has been yet given why not. 
j Hawk. P. C. 174, 5. 1 Hale's P.C. 692. 1 Sid. 171. Kel. 80. 
A fentence in the ecclefiaftical court againft a marriage, in 
a fuit for jactitation, does not preclude the proof of a mar- 
Tiage on an indidtment on the ftatute. And, admitting 
fuch fentence were conclufive as to the fa£t of marriage, 
the effect may be avoided by evidence ol fraud and collufion 
in obtaining the fentence. 11 St.Tr. 262. Duckefs of Kingf on's 
cafe. As to hulband and wife being evidence againft each 
other on trial for this offence, fee Baron and Feme. 
BIGA&EL'LA, a town of Italy, in the duchy of Man¬ 
tua : feven miles eaft-north-eaft of Mantua. 
Bigarella, f, in botany. See Prunus. 
BIGA'Tl, /. Ancient Roman filver coins, on one fide 
whereof was reprefented a biga, or chariot drawn by two 
horfes. The bigatus was properly the Roman denarius, 
whofc impreflion, during the times of the commonwealth. 
B I G 
was a chariot driven by Victory, and drawn either by two 
horfes or four ; according to which it was either denomi¬ 
nated bigatus or quadrigatus. 
BIGBEL'LIED, adj. Pregnant; with child; great 
with young: 
When we have laugh’d to fee the fails conceive, 
And grow bigbcllied with the wanton wind. Shakefpeare. 
BIG'GAR, a town of Scotland, in the county of Lanerk: 
nine miles fouth-eaft of Lanerk, and twenty-two fouth- 
fouth-weft of Edinburgh. 
BIG'GE, a river of Germany, which runs into the 
Lenne : three miles north of Allendorn, in the duchy of 
Weftphalia. 
BIG'GIN, f. Ibeguin , Fr.] A child’s cap : 
He, whofe brow with homely biggin bound, 
Snores out the watch of night. Shakefpeare. 
BIG'GLESWADE, a pleafant town in the county of 
Herts, fituated on one of the roads from London to York. 
Here is a market on Wednefday, which is one of the great, 
eft in England for barley, peafe, and horfe-corn, pitched 
in the market for fale. Here is alfo a manufactory of 
white thread lace and edgings, which are made in fome 
parts of this county in large quantities. A navigable ri¬ 
ver comes to this town, called the hell ; it joins the Bed¬ 
ford river, called the Oufe, at Temps Ford, and thence 
runs to Lynn-Regis. It ferves principally to bring up 
coals, timber, oats, and merchandize, from Lynn, to fup. 
ply this and the neighbouring towns and villages, which 
it does with great convenience. Here was a terrible fire 
on the 16th of June, 1783, which raged with aftonifliing 
fury, and in a few hours laid about 150 dwelling-houfes 
in allies, befides feveral malt-houfes, corn-chambers, &c. 
all in the centre of the town, around the market-place. 
The lofs was eftiinated at 24,0001. On the 25th of Fe¬ 
bruary, 1792, a fmart fliock of an earthquake was felt at 
this place, about half part eight in the morning, which 
threw down fome old houfes, but happily no lives were 
loft ; it lafted feveral feconds, and confiderably alarmed 
the inhabitants. The (hock was felt northward of Don- 
cafter, and extended towards the fea-coaft of Lincolnfhire 
and Yorklhire : twenty-four miles fouth-weft of Cam¬ 
bridge, twenty-four north of Hertford, and forty-five north 
of London. Near Bigglefwade is Worden, the feat of lord 
Ongley; near which are the ruins of Worden-abbey, which 
was formerly a very extenfive and confiderable monaftery, 
as the digging of the earth at different times demonftrates, 
where feveral very curious figured ftones, fubterraneous 
paflages, &c. have been difcovered ; but, the devouring 
hand of time has almoft demolilhed it; the only remains 
perfeft are two rooms on a floor, and the ftair-cafe ; it is 
fuppofed to be near one thoufand years fince it was built. 
BIGHT, or Bite, f . among feamen, denotes one roll 
or round of a cable or rope, when coiled up. 
BIGI'NI, a town of Sicily, in the valley of Mazara: 
ten miles eaft of Mazara. 
BI'GLO, a town of Lithuania, in the palatinate of Wil- 
na: forty miles eaft-north-eaft of Wilkomierz. 
BIG'LY, adv. Tumidly; haughtily; with a bluftering 
manner: 
Would’ft thou not rather choofe a fmall renown. 
To be the may’r of fome poor paltry town; 
Bigly to look, and barb’roufly to fpeak; 
To pound falfe weight, and fcanty meafures break ? Dryd. 
BI'GNAN, a town of France, in the department of 
Morbihan, and chief place of a canton, in the diftrifl of 
Joflelin : three leagues fouth-weft of Joflelin. 
BIG'NE (Gace de la), and not de la Vigne, as he is 
generally called by writers ; for it is thus he gives his own 
name in his Roman des Oifeaux, was of a noble family of 
the diocefe of Bayeux. He was chaplain to John king of 
France, and followed him into England after the battle 
of PoiCtiers. Being at Rochefort in 1359, he began his 
poem on the chace, which he finifhed on his return to 
France, 
