BIS 
ing theta was by a fplendid drefs; wearing a foi‘t of rings 
peculiar to that day : Offering facrifices ; the men to their 
genius, of wine, frankincenfe; the women to Juno : giving 
fuppbrs, and treating their friends and clients; who in re¬ 
turn made them prefents, wrote and fling their panegyrics, 
and offered vows and good withes for many happy returns 
of the fame day. The birth-days of emperors were alfo 
celebrated with public fports, feafts, vows, and medals 
ftruck on the occafion. But the ancients had other forts 
of birth-days, befides the days on which they were born. 
The day of their adoption was always reputed as a birth¬ 
day, and celebrated accordingly. The emperor Adrian, 
we are told, obferved three birth-days; viz. the day of 
his nativity, of his adoption, and of his inauguration. In 
thofe times it was held, that men were not born Only on' 
thofe days when they firft came into the world, but on thofe 
alfo when they arrived at the chief honours and commands 
in the commonwealth, e. the confulate, Hence that 
of Cicero in his oration ad Quirites,' after his return from 
exile, 4 A parentibus, id quod neceffe erat, parvus fum 
prccreatus ; a vobis natis fum confularis.’ 
BIRTK'DOM, f [This is erfoneoufly printed in 
Shakefpeare birthdoom. It is derived from birth and dom 
(fee Dom), as kingdom, dukedom.~\ Privilege of birth. 
Hold faff the mortal fword; and, like good men, 
Beftride our downfall! birthdom. Shakefpeare. 
BIR'THIN, a river of England, which runs into the 
Ufk, near the town of Ufk, in the county of Monmouth. 
BIRTH'NIGHT, f. [from birth and night. ] The night 
on which any one is born. The night annually kept in 
memory of any one’s birth.'—A yotith more glift’ring than 
a birthnight beau. Pope. 
BIRTH'PLACE, f [from birth and place .] Place 
where any one is born. 
BIRTH'RIGHT,yi [from birth and right f The rights 
and privileges to which a man is born; the right of the 
firft-born.—To fay that liberty and property are the birth¬ 
right of the Englifh nation, but that, if a prince invades 
them by illegal methods, we muff upon no pretence refill, 
is - to confound governments. Adaifon. 
BIRTH'STR ANGLED, adj. [ from birth and Jtranglc.'] 
Strangled or fuffocated in being born. 
BIRTH'WORT, f. in botany. See Aristolochia. 
BIRUCKPOUR', a fortrefs of Hindoofian, in the Mal- 
wa country, and circar of Chanderee : fifty-five miles eafl 
of Chanderee. 
BIRVIES'CA, or BirbosCA, a town of Spain, in Old 
Caftile, fifteen miles north-eafl of Burgos. 
BIRUl'SA, a river of Siberia, which runs into the 
Tchiuna. I,at. 57. 35. N. Ion. r'13. E. Ferro. 
BIRUIT'SCH, a town of Ruffia, in the government of 
Voronez : fifty miles fotith of Voronez, and 158 fouth- 
fouth-eaff of Peterfburg. 
BIR'ZA, a town of Poland, in the palatinate of Troki, 
which contains three churches, one for Roman Catholics 
and two forProteftants. 
BI'SA, or Biza, /; A coin of Pegu, which is current 
there for half a ducat. It is alfo a weight lifed in that 
kingdom. 
BISACC'IO, a town of Italy, in thekingdom of Naples: 
twelve miles north-north-eaft of Conza. 
BISACU'T A, J. An axe with two edges, or which cuts 
either way ; or a miltive weapon pointed at both ends. 
BlSByE'A,/! A feafl celebrated by the Melfapii after 
the pruning of their vines, to obtain of the gods that they 
might grow again the better. The word is formed from 
£>), ufed by fome for a vine. 
BISCA'KA, or Pescara, a town of Africa, in the 
country of Algiers; defended by a garrifon, and fix pieces 
of cannon. It was firft built by the Romans ; deftroyed, 
ahd afterwards rebuilt by the Arabians : 150 miles fouth- 
fouth-eaft of Algiers. 
BIS'CAY, a province of Spain, bounded on the north 
by the Tea, on the eafl by Guipttfcoa, on the fouth by 
Bis 63 
Alava, and on the weft by Auftria. The fhape is tending 
to a circle, and meafures about thirty miles in diameter. 
The foil is unequal and flony ; in fome places barren, in 
others a little wine is made, and fufficient corn grows for 
the tile'of the inhabitants. Apples grow in 1110ft places in 
the greateft plenty, of which they make excellent cider, 
which is their common drink. The fea fupplies them 
with excellent fifti. Oranges and citrons are exceedingly 
abundant. There are vaft forefts, which produce great 
quantities of refill and timber. There are mines of iron, 
lead, and other more valuable metals. Its convenient 
fituation near the fea, and its vicinity to France, has made 
it the mod commercial country of Spain, I.ower Andalufia 
only excepted. It is computed that the inhabitants yearly 
manufacture 300,000 quintals of iron and fteel inarms, nails^ 
iron tools, and bars. The air is mild, pure, and more 
temperate than in the other provinces of Spain. The 
Bifcayans have always had the reputation of bravery and 
courage, and, whenever Spain has changed its matter, they 
have always been the laft fubdlied. Bifcay is remarkable 
for its roads, cultivation, and privileges, but more particu¬ 
larly for the induftry of its inhabitants. The belt foldiers 
and the bell mariners of Spain are faid to be the natives of 
this country. They have lefs phlegm than the other Spa¬ 
niards, are more animated, and of a temper more free and 
open; they ard civil, honeft, and polite, though a little vain' 
and proud. Their women are merry, lively, and handfome. 
The three provinces of Bifcay, Alava, and Giiipufcoa, are 
the afylum of liberty and induftry, and this is the caufe of 
tlieir common pfOfperity. If the king be in want of a 
certain n’nmber of foldiers of failors, he makes his will 
known to the province, and the people furnifti their con¬ 
tingency. When a certain fum is demanded, it is levied' 
upb'n the different cities anid communities, according to a 
regifter; fo that Bifcay may be faid to tax itfelf. The 
language of Bifcay is faid to be aboriginal, different not 
only from the reft of Spain, but from the language of any 
other part of Europe, and is only uuderftood by themfel ves. 
Bilboa is the capital. The provinces of Alvava and Giii¬ 
pufcoa are generally united with Bifcay Proper, under the 
general term of Bifcay. 
BIS'CAY (Bay of), that part of the Atlantic which 
lies north of the province of Bifcay, between the project¬ 
ing coafts of France and Spain, extending from Uftiant to 
Cape Finifterre. 
BIS'CAY (Bay of), a large bay on the fouth coaft of 
Newfoundland, between Cape Race and Cape Pine. Lat. 
46. 50. N. Ion. 53. 6. W. Greenwich. 
BIS'CAY (New), a province of Mexico, in North 
America, bounded on the north by New Mexico, on the 
eaft by New Leon, on the fouth by the Zaccatecas ; and 
on the weft by Culiacan. The country is in general 
mountainous, and watered by a great number of rivers 
and brooks.; it has fome mines of filver and lead. Du¬ 
rango is the capital. 
BISCH'BURG, or Bischofsburg, a town of Pruf- 
fia, in the country of Ermeland : fifty-four miles fouth of 
Konigfberg. 
BIS'CHEIM, a town of Germany, in the circle of the 
Upper Rhine, and county of Lichtenberg, on a final I river 
which runs into the Rhine, where marflial Villars had his 
head-quarters in the year 1705 : eight miles north-eaft of 
Strafourg, and eight north-north-weft ot Oberkirch. 
BISCHbFFLACK', or Schofia Koloka, a town of 
Germany, in the duchy of Carniola : four miles fouth-fouth- 
eaft of Crainburg, and twenty-leven north-north-eaft of 
T riefte. 
BIS'CHOFFSHEIM, a town of Germany, fituated on 
the Tauber, in the circle of Franconia, but belonging to 
the electorate of Mentz: thirty-two miles eaft of Heidel¬ 
berg, and fixty-four fouth-eaft of Mentz. 
BIS'CHOFFSTORF, a town of Germany, in the duchy 
of Stiria : thirteen miles eaft-north-eaft of Gratz. 
BIS'CHOFSHEIM, a town of Germany, in the circle 
ofEranconia, and bithopric of Wurzburg, fituated on the 
Rhom : 
