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weight. The ancient Britons were noted for their ingenuity inmaking baskets, which they exported in large quantities. Theywere of very elegant workmanship, and bore a high price. Mar-tial takes notice of them:

Barbara de pictis veni bascauda Britannis,

Sed me jam tnzvult dicere Romasuam.

“ A basket I, by painted Britons wrought,

And now to Rome’s imperial city brought.”

Basket, Corbeille, in architecture, a kind of vase, or figurepiece of sculpture, in form of a basket, tilled with flowers or fruits,serving to terminate some decoration.

Baskets of Earth, in the military art, called by the French corbeilles, are small baskets tilled with earth used in sieges, on theparapet of a trench. They are about a foot and a half high, abouta foot and a half in diameter at the top, and eight or ten inches atbottom ; so that, being set together, there is a sort of embrasuresleft at their bottoms, through which the soldiers fire, without ex-posing themselves.

BASNAGE, J ames, a French Protestant divine, was born atRouen in 1638, and educated first at Saumur, and then at Geneva ,after which he became minister of the reformed church at Rouen ,but on the revocation of the edict of Nantes he retired to Rot-terdam . In IVOfl lie was chosen one of the pastors of the Walloonchurch at tiie Hague; and lie was also employed in slate affairs,which he managed with great address. The French ministers atdie Hague were directed to apply to him for his counsel, and inreturn for his services he obtained the restoration of all his pro-perty ill France . He was held in great esteem by men of allparties. His works, which are mostly in French , spread bis repu-tation almost all over Europe : among these are, 1. The Historyof the Religion of the Reformed Churches. 2. Jewish Antiquities.3 . Tlie History of the Old and New Testament; and many others.He died Sept. 22, 1723.

BASON, in anatomy, [ pelvis ,] a round cavity in form of atunnel, situate between the anterior ventricles of the brain, de-scending from its base, and ending in the point at the glandulafituitaria.

Bason, in mechanics, a term used by glass-grinders for a dishof copper, iron, &c. in which they grind convex glasses, as con-cave ones are formed on spheres; and by hatters for a roundiron mould, in which they form the matter of their hats; andalso for a leaden one for the brims of hats, having an aperture inthe middle, of a diameter sufficient for the largest block to gothrough.

Bason, in hydraulics, a reservoir of water, as a bason of a jetd’eau, or fountain ; the bason of a port or harbour, of a bath, Stc.Basons are made with clay, cement, or lead ; but most usuallywith clay.

Bason, Sale by the, at Amsterdam , is used for the publicsales made under the direction of the vendu meester; so called,by reason that, before adjudging the lot or commodity to the lastbidder, they strike a brass bason, to give notice of it.

Basons of a Balance, two pieces of brass, or other matter,fastened to the extremities of the strings; the one to hold theweight, the other the tiling to be weighed.

BASQUES, a small territory of France , in the S. \V. divisionof Gascony, toward the Pyrenees. It included Lower Navarre ,Labourd , and Soule, and now forms, with Bearn, the departmentof the Lower Pyrenees .

BASS. See Basse.

Bass, in music, a foundation ; or from the Italian ad-

jective basso, low the lowest of the four parts of music, but themost important, as it is upon this that the chords proper to consti-tute a particular harmony are determined. Hence the maximamong musicians, that when the base is properly formed, theharmony can scarcely be bad. It is the part of the concert whichis the most heard, which consists of the gravest and longestsounds; or which is played on the largest pipes or strings of acommon instrument, or an instrument larger than ordinarv, forthe purpose.

Bass, Counter, is a second or double bass, where there areseveral in the same concert.

Bass-relief, whatever figures or representations are cut, stamp-ed, or otherwise wrought, so that not the entire body, hut onlypart cff it, is raised abov e the plane, are said to be done in relief,

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or relievo ; and when that work is low, flat, and but little raised,it is called bass or low relief.

Bass, Thorough, is the harmony made by the bass-viols, ortheorbos, continuing to play both while the voices sing and theother instruments perform their parts, and also filling up the inter-vals when any of the other parts stop. It is played by figuresmarked over the notes, on the organ, spinet, harpsichord, kc.ami frequently simply, and without figures, on the bass-viol ni*lbassoon.

Bass-Viol , a musical instrument of the same form with that ofa violin, but much larger. It is struck with a bow, as that is ; hasthe same number of strings; and has eight stops, which are sub-divided into semistops : its sound is grave, and has a much noblereffect in a concert than that of the violin.

BASSA1M, or BACCKIM, a port-town of Asia , in the EastIndies, situated in the province of C'ambaya, 40 miles N. of Bom-bay, and subject to Portugal . Lon. 72 5. E. Lat. 19. 30. N.

BASSAM, Giovanni Battista , maestro di capella of thecathedra! church of Bologna about the middle of the last century,was a very voluminous composer of music, having published nofewer than 31 different works. He is equally celebrated as acomposer for the church and lor concerts; and, being also a cele-brated performer on the violin, taught Corelli . His compositionsconsist of masses, psalms, motet'-, with instrumental parts, andsonatas for violins; his 5th opera in particular, containing 12sonatas for two violins and a bass, it much esteemed ; it is written*in a style wonderfully grave and pathetic. He was one of the firstwho composed motets lor a single voice, with accompaniments ofviolins; a practice 1 table to objection, as it assimilates church-music too nearly to that of the chamber. Two of his operas, viz.the Sth and 13th, were printed in London by Pearson above 50years ago, with the title of flarmonia Festiva.

BASS ANO, a town of Venice, on the Brante.

BASSANTIN , James, a Scotch astronomer, son of the I.airdof Bassantin in Merse, was horn in the reign of James IV. Howas educated at the university of Glasgow, travelled through Ger-many anti Italy , and then fixed his abode in the university ofParis, where he taught mathematics with great applause. Havingacquired some fortune, he returned to Scotland in 1562, where hedied in 1568. From his writings, he appears to have been nocontemptible astronomer, considering the times; but, like mostof the mathematicians of that age, he was addicted to judicial as-trology. Sir James Melvil, in his Memoirs, says that his brotherSir Robert, when he was exerting his abilities to reconcile thetwo queens Elizabeth and Mary, met with one Bassantin* a man learned in the high sciences, who told him, “ that all his travelwould be in vain ; for,” said he, “ they will never meet together;and next, there will never be any thing but dissembling and secrethatred for a while, and at length captivity and utter wreck toour queen from England.” lie added, “ that (lie kingdom ofEngland at length shall fall, of right, to the crown of Scotland -,but it shall cost many bloody battles; and the Spaniards shall behelpers, and take a part to themselves for their labour.” SirJames Melvil is an author of credit; therefore we may believe,that Bassantin did utter this prediction; but as it proved true onlyin part, either he misunderstood the stars, or they deceived theastrologer, or, what is more probable than either, lie was a saga-cious politician, who foresaw in part what would happen, thoughhis conjectures went somewhat beyond the fact. His works are,1. Astronomia Jacobi Bassantini Scoti, opus absolutissimum, kc.ter editum, Latiiffi et Gallice, Genev. 1599, fol. 1 his is the titlegiven it bv TorniEsius, who translated it into Latin lrom theFrench , in which language it was first published. 2. Paraphrasede 1’Astrolabe, avec un amplification de l’usage de I’Astrolabe,Lyons, 1555. Paris , 1617, 8vo. 3. Mathematics genethliaca.4. Arithmetica. 5. Musita secumdem Platonein. 6. iJe Mathesiin Genere.

BASSATERRE. See Bassf.-Tf.rre.

BASSE, or BASS, a town of France , in the department of theNorth, 18 miles S. W. of Lille .

Basse, in husbandry, a collar lor cart horses made of rushes,straw, kc.

Basse Cour, in building, a court separated from the’principalone, and destined for the stables, coach-houses, and hvey-ser-vants.

Basis-OOU$t