890 BEN 
in the country of Tripoli, on the Mediterranean. Lat. 32. 
33. N. Ion. 37. 30. E. Ferro. 
BEN-HA'DAD, [iT'-p Beb. i. e. the fon of noife.J 
A king of Syria. 
BENfcl IN'NOM, a valley in the fuburbs, and to the 
e.ili of Jerufalem, either a part of or conjoined with the 
valley of Kidron; infamous for facrificing children, or paf- 
fing them through the fire. The place in the valley where 
the idol flood to which the facrifice was made, was called 
7 'ophet, (2 Kings xxiii. 10. Jer. vii. 31, 32. and xix. 2.) 
from beating drums or tabours to drown the cries or ftirieks 
of the children : called alfo Geenon or the Valley of Ennon : 
whence home derive Gehenna, the place of future punilh- 
ment. ■ 
BEN'JAMIN, [|>K;V)3 of p a fon, and pc’ Heb. the 
right-hand, i. e. the fon of the right hand.] The youngell 
of Jacob’s twelve I'ons. 
Benjamin, f. A gum. See Benzoin. 
Benjamin-tree,/! in botany. See Laurus. 
BE'NI-AS'SER, a tovvnof Egypt: two miles N. of Afina. 
BE'NI-BA'SHID, or Beni Arax, a town of Africa, 
in the country of Algiers. 
BENICAR'LOS, a town of Spain, in the country of 
Valencia, celebrated for the wine which is made in its 
neighbourhood : three miles north of Penniicola. 
BENIFA'JO, a town of Spain, in the province of Va¬ 
lencia : five leagues from Valencia. 
To BENI'GHT, v. a. [from night. To involve in 
d.arknefs ; to darken ; to fhrowd with the fhades of night: 
He that has light within his own clear bread 
May fit i’ tlr centre, and enjoy bright day ; 
But he that hides a dark foal, and foul thoughts, 
Benighted walks under the mid-day fun ; 
Himfelf is his own dungeon. Milton. 
To furprife with the corning on of night: 
Here fome benighted [angel in his way, 
Might eafie his wings; and, feeing heav’n appear 
In its heft work of mercy, think it there. Dryde.n. 
To debar from intellectual light; to cloud with ignorance: 
But what fo long in vain, and yet unknown 
By poor mankind’s benighted wit, is fought, 
Shall in this age to Britain firfl be lliewn. Drydcn. 
BENI'GN, adj. [benignus , Lat. It is pronounced with¬ 
out the g, as if written be nine ; but the g is preferred in 
benignity. ] Kind; generous; liberal; actually good : 
This turn hath made amends! Thou hart fulfill’d 
Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign! 
Giver of all things fair. Milton. 
Wholfefome ; not malignant.—Thefe falts are of a benign 
mild nature, in healthy perfions ; btu, in others, retain 
their original qualities, which they difcover in cachexies. 
A’ buthnot. 
Benign Disease, is when all the nfual fymptoms ap¬ 
pear in the fmall-pox, or any acute difeafe, favourably, 
and without any irregularities, or unexpected changes. 
BENIG'NITY, f. [from benign. Gracioulnefs; good- 
nets.— It is true, that his mercy will forgive offenders, or 
his benignity co-operate to their converfion. B<own. — Ac¬ 
tual kindnefs.—The king was defirofis to ertablith peace 
rather by benignity than blood. Hayward —Salubrity ; 
vvholefome quality ; friendlinefs to vital nature.—Bones 
receive a quicker agglutination in fanguine than in chole¬ 
ric bodies, by reafion of the benignity of the ferum, which 
lendeth out better matter for a callus. Wifeman. 
BENIGN'LY, adv. Favourably ; kindly; graciouf.y : 
Oh, truly good, and truly great! 
For glorious as he rofe benignly fo he fet. Prior. 
BE'Nl-H A'SAN, a town of Egypt, on the call fide of 
the Nile, remarkable for its grottos, dug in the mountains, 
which formerly were ufed for temples: fix miles north of 
Alhnuinieu. 
BEN 
BE'-NI-JF.'HIE, a town of Egypt : twelve miles fouth 
of Alhmunien. 
Beni-jehie, a town of Egypt : 8 miles eaft of Enfiene. 
BEN 1 I.ET', a town of Alia, in the Arabian Irak : 145 
miles north-weft of Baftbra. 
BE'NI-M A'RAN, a town of Egypt : nine miles fouth 
of Alhmunien. 
BE'NI-MEZ'ZAB, adiftrift of Africa, in the country 
of Algiers, fouth of Mount Atlas. Lat. 32. 1033. N. Ion. 
20. to 21. E. Ferro. 
BE'N 1 -MI'SUR, a town of Egypt: three miles fouth 
of Abo-Girge. 
BE'Nl MOHA'MED EL KI'SUR, a town of Egypt: 
nine miles louth of Abu Girge. 
BE'NIN, a country or kingdom of Africa, extending 
a courle of lixty leagues on the borders of the Atlantic; 
how far it extends inland is not known ; it is watered by a 
coniiderable number of dreams, fome of which are conli- 
derable rivers. The foil near the lea coaft is low and 
mar.ffiy, and the climate unhealthy ; farther from the lea 
the land is more elevated, and tire air more pure. In 
fome diftriCts fprings are fo rare, that officers are appoint¬ 
ed to fuppty travellers with frelh water, who elfe mult die 
with thirll; but this commodity' is not given, he who 
drinks mult pay. In the rivers are a,great number of cro¬ 
codiles, fea-horfes, and a fpecies of torpedo, with many' 
kinds of excellent fifti. Among the animals are elephants, 
tygers, leopards, ftags, wild boars, apes, civet cats,’ moun¬ 
tain cats, horfes, hares, and hairy (beep ; there are alfo a 
vail number-of reptiles, lerpents, and others. Of the 
birds, the principal are paroquets, pigeons, partridges, 
dorks, and oliriches. The foil in*general is fertile; oranges 
and lemons grow on the (ides of ffee loads; the pepper 
which grows here is fmaller than that of the Indies ; cot¬ 
ton grows on a tree which abounds every where ; the wa¬ 
ter is mod excellent. The negroes of Benin are faid to be 
kind and honed, yielding to mildnefs, but with great cou¬ 
rage redding injudice; attached to their ancient cudoms, 
they are complaifant to (Dangers, generous, fendble, yet 
referved and diffident: the children of both fexes are cir- 
cumcifed, and go nailed till tiiey are twelve years old. 
Polygamy is common, and the king is laid to have 600 
wives, jealous of eacli other, they offer their wives to 
an European. The king exercifes an ab-folute authority 
over his fiubiects ; three great officers, didinguidied by a 
firing of coral, continually attend upon him to confult, 
infirinff, or decide, in his name. The king names his fuc- 
ceffor among his Ions, who is not publicly announced ti 1.1 
after the death of his father. A regency is appointed, 
which then takes the adminifiration of affairs, while the 
new king ele* 5 t is removed fome miles from the capital, 
there to learn the art of government ; 1 he firit fruit of 
which, on his return, is putting to death the reft of his 
brothers. He rarely-(hews himfelf, and always with pomp 
amifift his wives and concubines : his revenues are coniide¬ 
rable, and he can bring an army of 100,000 men into the 
field. As to their religion, they feem to have an idea of, and 
a reverence for, a Supreme Being, but this is mixed with 
a number of idolatrous and abfurd ceremonies. The drels 
of the inhabitants is neat and ornamental; the rich among 
them wear firit while caliico or cotton petticoats, about a 
yard in .length, and half a yard in breadth, by way of 
drawers. This they cover with another fine piece of cal- 
lico of (ixteen or twenty yards, which they very artfully 
and becomingly plait in the middle, throwing over it a 
fcarf, a yard long, and a foot wide, the ends of which are 
adorned with a handfome lace or fringe. As 10 t he upper 
part of the body, it is moftly naked. Such is the drels in 
which they appear in public ; at home their clothing is 
more fimple and lefs expenfive, confiding only of a coarfe 
paan for drawers, covered with a large painted cloth, worn 
in the'manner of a cloak, of home manufacture. 
Benin, a city of Africa, and capital of Benin the king¬ 
dom above deferibed. The (Leers are long and broad, 
where are continual markets for kinc, cotton, elephants’ 
