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OR, A

DICTIONARY

O F

ARTS, SCIENCES,

AND

MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE;
Constructed on a PLAN,

BY WHICH

THE DIFFERENT SCIENCES AND ARTS
Are digefted into the FORM of Distinct

TREATISES OR SYSTEM S,

COMPREHENDING

The HISTORY, THEORY, and PRACTICE, of each,
according to the Latest Discoveries and Improvements;
AND FULL EXPLANATIONS GIVEN OF THE

VARIOUS DETACHED PARTS OF KNOWLEDGE,

WHETHER RELATING TO

NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL Objects, or to Matters ECCLESIASTICAL,
CIVIL, MILITARY, COMMERCIAL, &c.

Including ELUCIDATIONS of the most important Topics relative to RELIGION, MORALS,
MANNERS, and the OECONOMY OF LIFE:

TOGETHER WITH

A DESCRIPTION of all the Countries, Cities, principal Mountains, Seas, Rivers, &c.
throughout the WORLD;

A General HISTORY, Ancient and Modern, of the different Empires, Kingdoms, and States;

AND

An Aecount of the LIVES of the most Eminent Perfons in every Nation,
from the earliest ages down to the present times.

Compiled from the writings of the beßt Authors, in feveral languages; the most approved Dictionaries, as well of general science as of its partie
cular branches; the Tranfactions, Journals, and Memoirs, of learned Societies, both at home and abroad: the MS. Lectures of
Eminent Profeffors on different sciences; and a variety of Original Materials, furnished by an Extensive Correspondence.

THE THIRD EDITION, IN EIGHTEEN VOLUMES, GREATLY IMPROVED.

ILLUSTRATED WITH FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO COPPERPLATES.

VOL. III.

IN DOCTI DISCANT, ET AMENT MEMINISSE PARITI

EDINBURGH.

PRINTED FOR A. BELL AND C. MACFARQUHAR.

MDCCXCVII

Entered in Stationers Hall in Terms of the A&t of Parliament.

ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA.

Barbarus,

B

BAR ARBARUS (Francis), a noble Venetian, was a Barbary. man of great fame in the 15th century, not only for learning, but likewife for a skilful addrefs in the management of public affairs. He is author of a book De Re Uxoria, and fome speeches.

BARBARUS (Hermolaus), grandfon of the preceding, one of the most learned men in the 15th century. The public employments he was entrusted with early, did not prevent him from cultivating polite learning with great application. As he was very skilful in the Greck, he undertook the most difficult tranflations, and began with a famous paraphrafe upon Ariftotle. He then attempted Diofcorides, whofe text he corrected, gave a tranflation of him, and added a commentary. But of all his works, there is none which has gained him fo much reputation as that which he made upon Pliny; he corrected in him above 5000 paffages, and occafionally restored 300 in Pomponius Mela. Pope Innocent VIII. to whom he was ambaffador, conferred the patriarchate of Aquileia upon him. He was fo imprudent as to accept of it without waiting for the consent of his superiors; though he could not be ignorant that the republic of Venice had made laws to forbid all the minifters they fent to the court of Rome to accept any benefice. His fuperiors were inflexible; and not being able to gain any thing upon them either by his flattery or his father's intereft, the father died of grief, and the fon foon followed him.

BARBARUS (Daniel), of the fame family with the preceding, was patriarch of Aquileia, and famous for his learning. He was ambaffador from Venice to England; and was one of the fathers of the council of Trent, where he acted with great zeal for the intereft of the pope. He wrote, 1. A commentary upon Vitruvius. 2. Catena Græcorum Patrum in quinquaginta Pfalmos Latine verfa. 3. La Prattica della PerSpectiva. He died in 1569, at 41 years of age. BARBARY, a kingdom of Africa, including the ftates of Algiers, Morocco, Tripoli, and Tunis; (fee thofe articles). This country contain almoft the whole of what the Romans poffeffed of the continent of AExtent, &c.frica, excepting Egypt. It stretches itself in length from eaft to weft, beginning at the fouthern limits of Egypt, to the ftraits of Gibraltar full 35 degrees of longitude; and from thence to Santa Cruz, the utmoft western edge of it, about fix more, in all 41 degrees; so that the utmost length of Barbary from eaft to weft is computed at above 759 German leagues. On the fouth, indeed, it is confined within much narrower bounds, extending no farther than from 27 to 351 degrees of north latitude; fo that its utmoft breadth from

VOL. III. Part I.

BAR

north to fouth, does not exceed 128 German miles. Barbary. More particularly, Barbary begins on the weft of theed famed mount Atlas, called by the Arabs Ay Duacal, or Al Duacal, inclofing the ancient kingdoms of Suez and Dela, now provinces of Morocco; thence ftretching north-eastward along the Atlantic to the pillars of Hercules at Cape Finisterre, then along the coast of the Mediterranean, it is at laft bounded by the city of Alexandria in Egypt.

2

Concerning the origin of the name Barbary, there whence are many conjectures. According to fome, the Ro-named. mans, after they had conquered this large country, gave it that name out of contempt and diflike to the barbarous manners of the natives, according to their custom of calling all other people but themselves Barbarians. Marmol, on the contrary, derives the word Barbary from Berber, a name which the Arabs gave to its ancient inhabitants, and which they retain to this day in many parts of the country, efpecially along the great ridge of the mountains of Atlas; and which name was given them on account of the barrenness of their country. According to Leo Africanus, the name of Barbary was given by the Arabs on account of the ftrange language of the natives, which appeared to them more like a murmur or grumbling of fome brute animals than articulate founds. Others, however, derive it from the Arabic word bar, fignifying a defart, twice repeated; which was given by one Ifric, or Africus, a king of Arabia, from whom the whole conti nent of Africa is pretended to have taken its name. According to them, this king being driven out of his own dominions, and closely pursued by his enemies, fome of his retinue called out to him Bar, bar; that is, To the defart, To the defart; from which the country was afterwards called Barbary.

3

Among the Romans this country was divided into Subject to the provinces of Mauritania, Africa Propria, &c. and the Ro they continued abfolute mafters of it from the time of mans. Julius Cæfar till the year of Chrift 428. At that time Bonifacius the Roman governor of these provinces, having through the treachery of Etius been forced to revolt, called in to his affiftance Genferic king of the B nilacius Vandals, who had been fome time fettled in Spain. calls in the The terms offered, according to Procopius, were, that Vandals. Genferic fhould have two thirds, and Bonifacius one third, of Africa, provided they could maintain themfelves against the Roman power; and to accomplish this they were to affift each other to the utmoft.-This propofal was inftantly complied with; and Genferic set fail from Spain in May 428, with an army of 80,000 men, according to fome, or only 24,000 according to o

A

thers,

Barbary. thers, together with their wives, children, and all their effects. In the mean time, however, the Emprefs Placidia having difcovered the true caufe of Bonifacius's revolt, wrote a moft kind and obliging letter to him, in which the affured him of her favour and protection for the future, exhorting him to return to his duty, and exert his ufual zeal for the welfare of the empire, by driving out the Barbarians whom the malice of his enemies had obliged him to call in for his own fafety and prefervation.

to return.

Endeavours Bonifacius readily complied with this request, and unfuccefs- offered the Vandals confiderable fums if they would fully to per- retire out of Africa and return to Spain. But Genfefuade them ric, already master of the greatest part of the country, first returned a fcoffing anfwer, and then, falling unexpectedly on him, cut moft of his men in pieces, and obliged Bonifacius himself to fly to Hippo, which place he invested in May 430. The fiege lafted till the month of July the following year; when the Vandals were forced, by a famine that began to rage in their camp, to drop the enterprize, and retire. Soon after, Bonifacius having received two reinforcements, one from Rome, and the other, under the conduct of the celebrated Afpar, from Conftantinople, a refolution was taken by the Roman generals to offer the enemy battle. The Vandals readily accepting the challenge, a defeated by bloody engagement enfued, in which the Romans were utterly defeated, a prodigious number of them taken, king of the and the reft obliged to fhelter themselves among the Vandals. rocks and mountains. Afpar, who commanded the caltern troops, escaped with difficulty to Conftantinople, and Bonifacius was recalled to Italy. Upon their departure, the Vandals over-ran all Africa, committing every where the moft terrible ravages; which ftruck the inhabitants of Hippo with fuch terror, that they abandoned their city, which was first plundered, and then fet on fire by the victorious enemy; fo that Cirtha and Carthage were now the only ftrong places poffeffed by the Romans.

6

Romans

Genferic

Peace con

the Van

dals.

In 435, Genferic, probably being afraid of an atclu led with tack by the united forces of the eastern and western empires, concluded a peace with the Romans, who yielded to him part of Numidia, the province of Pro confularis, and likewife Byzacene; for which, according to Profper, he was to pay a yearly tribute to the emperor of the caft. Genferic delivered up his fon Hunneric by way of hoftage; but fo great was the confidence which the Romans placed in this Barbarian, that fome time after they fent him back his fon. Of this they foon had reafon to repent; for in 439, the Romans being engaged in a war with the Goths in Genferic's Gaul, Genferie laid hold of that opportunity to feize treachery. upon the city of Carthage; by which he confiderably enlarged his African dominions. Valentinian, the Roman emperor, however, maintained as long as he lived, the two Mauritanias, with Tripolitana, Tingitana, and that part of Numidia where Cirtha ftood.

8

On the taking of Carthage, Genferic made it the feat of his empire; and in 440 made a defcent on the ifland of Sicily, where he ravaged the open country, and even laid fiege to Palermo. Not being able, however, to reduce that place, he foon returned to Africa with an immenfe booty and a vaft number of captives. Being now become formidable to both empires, Theodofius emperor of the eaft refolved to affift Valentinian

against fo powerful an enemy. Accordingly, he fitted Barbary. out a fleet confifting of 1100 large fhips; and putting on board of it the flower of his army, under the conduct of Arcovindas, Anfilus, and Germanus, he ordered them to land in Africa, and, joining the western forces there, to drive Genferic out of the countries he had feized. But Genferic in the mean time pretending a defire to be reconciled with both empires, amused the Roman general with propofals of peace, till the feafon for action was over; and, next year, Theodofius being obliged to recall his forces to oppose the Huns, Valentinian found it neceffary to conclude a peace with the Vandals; and this he could obtain on no other terms than yielding to them the quiet poffetfion of the countries they had feized.

9

the Roman

ΤΟ

So powerful was Genferic now become, or rather fo low was the Roman empire by this time reduced, that in 455, he took and plundered the city of Rome itself, as is fully related under the article ROME; and, after his return to Africa, made himself master of the Makes remaining countries held by the Romans in that part himself maof the world. Hereupon Avitus, who had fucceeded iter of all Valentinian in the empire, dispatched ambassadors to Genferic, putting him in mind of the treaty he had concluded with the empire in 442; and threatening, if he did not obferve the articles at that time agreed upon, to make war upon him not only with his own forces, but with thofe of his allies the Vefigoths, who were ready to pafs over into Africa. To this Genferic was fo far from paying any regard, that he immediately put to fea with a fleet of 60 fhips; but being at Defeated tacked by the Roman fleet under Ricimer, he was ut- by Ricimer and Majoterly defeated, and forced to fly back into Africa: he rianus. returned, however, foon after with a more powerful fleet, committing great ravages on the coaft of Italy: but in a fecond expedition he was not attended with fo good fuccefs; the Romans falling unexpectedly upon his men while bufied in plundering the country, put great numbers of them to the fword, and among the reft the brother-in-law of Genferic himself. Not content with this small advantage, Majorianus, at that time emperor, refolved to pafs over into Africa, and attempt the recovery of that country. For this purpofe he made great preparations; but his fleet being furprised and defeated by the Vandals, through the treachery, it is faid, of fome of his commanders, the enterprize miscarried.

TT

Notwithstanding this misfortune, however, Majorianus perfifted in his refolution; and would in all likelihood have accomplished his purpose, had not he himfelf been murdered foon after by Ricimer. After his death, Genferic committed what ravages he pleased in the poor remains of the western empire, and even made defcents on Peloponnefus and the islands belonging to the emperor of Conftantinople. To revenge this affront, Genferic Leo made vaft preparations for the invasion of Africa, defeats the infomuch, that, according to Procopius, he laid out eastern em130,000 pounds weight of gold in the equipment of his peror's army and navy. The forces employed on this occasion were fufficient for expelling the Vandals, had they been much more powerful than they were; but the command being given to Bafilifcus a covetous and ambitious man, the fleet was utterly defeated through his treachery, and all the vaft preparations came to nothing. By this last defeat the power of the Vandals in Africa.

fleet.

Barbary was fully established, and Genferic made himself matter of Sicily, as well as of all the other islands between Italy and Africa, without oppofition from the weftern Kingdom of the Vaudals emperors, whose power was entirely taken away in the founded. year 476.

feric.

12

13

Thus was the Vandalic monarchy in Barbary founded Barbarity by Genferic, between the years 428 and 468. If we and tyran- take a view of that prince's government in his new dony of Gen- minions, it prefents no very agreeable profpect. Being himself an abfolute barbarian in the ftricteft fenfe of the word, and an utter ftranger to every useful art, he did not fail to fhow his own prowess by the deftruction of all the monuments of Roman greatnefs which were fo numerous in the country he had conquered. Accordingly, instead of improving his country, he laid it wafte, by demolishing all the ftately ftructures both public and private, and all other valuable and fumptuous works with which thofe proud conquerors had adorned this part of their dominions. So that, whatever monuments the Romans had been at fuch an immenfe expence to erect, in order to eternize their own glory, the barbarous Vandals were now at no lefs pains to reduce into heaps of ruins. Befides this kind of devastation, Genferic made his dominions a fcene of blood and flaughter, by perfecuting the orthodox Chriftians; being himself, as well as most of his countrymen, a zealous Arian; and for this his long reign is chiefly remarkable. He died in 477, after a reign of 60 years; and was fucceeded by his fon Hun

14 Hunneric a

rant.

15

death.

neric.

The new king proved yet a greater tyrant than his bloo ty ty- father, perfecuting the orthodox with the utmoft fury; and, during his short reign of seven years and an half, deftroyed more of them than Genferic had done in all His terrible his lifetime. He is faid to have died in the fame manner as the herefiarch Arius*; before which time his • See Arius. flesh had been rotting upon his bones, and crawling with worms, so that he looked more like a dead carcafe than a living man. Concerning his fucceffors Gutamund, Thrafamund, and Hilderic, we find nothing remarkable, except that they fometimes perfecuted, and fometimes were favourable to, the orthodox; and by his favour for them the last king was ruined. For, having unadvifedly published, in the beginning of his reign, a manifetto, wherein he repealed all the acts of his predeceffors again't the orthodox, a rebellion was the immediate confequence. At the head of the maldepefid by contents was one Gilimer, or Gildemar, a prince of the blood-roval, who by degrees became fo powerful, as to depofe Hilderic in the feventh year of his reign; after which he caufed the unhappy monarch with all his family to be clofely confined, and was himself crowned king of the Vandals at Carthage.

16

Hilderic

Gilimer.

17

Gilimer proved a greater tyrant than any that had gone before him. He not only cruelly perfecuted the orthodox, but horribly oppreffed all the reft, fo that he was held in univerfal abhorrence and deteftation Belifarius when the Greek emperor Justinian projected an invafion e. A of Africa. This expedition of Juftinian's is faid to frica; have been occafioned by an apparition of Lætus an African bishop, who had been murdered fome time before, but now commanded the emperor to attempt the recovery of Africa, and affured him of fuccefs. Accordingly, this, or fome other motive, prevailed upon Juftinian fo far, that, notwithstanding his being at that

time engaged in a war with Perfia, he fent a power- Barbary. ful fleet and army to Africa, under the command of the celebrated general Belifarius, who was for that reafon recalled from Perfia.

18

So much was Gilimer, all this time, taken up with his own pleasures, or with oppreffing his fubjects, that he knew little or nothing of the 'formidable preparations that were making against him. On the arrival of Belifarius, however, he was conftrained to put himself into a pofture of defence. The management of his army he committed to his two brothers Gundimer and Gelamund, who accordingly attacked the Romans at the head of a numerous force. The engagement was long and bloody; but at last the Vandals were defeated, Defeats the and the two princes flain. Gilimer, grown defperate Vandals; at this news, fallied out at the head of his corps de referve, with full purpose to renew the attack with the utmoft vigour; but by his own indifcretion loft a fair opportunity of defeating the Romans. For no fooner did they perceive Gilimer haftening after them at the head of a fresh army, than they betook themselves to flight; and the greatest part were dispersed in such a manner, that, had the king followed them close, they muft have been totally cut off. Inftead of this, however, ftumbling unfortunately on the body of one of his flain brothers, the fight of it made him lofe all thoughts about the enemy; and inftead of pursuing them, he spent part of his time in idle lamentations, and part in burying the corpfe with fuitable pomp and dignity. By this means Belifarius had an opportunity of rallying his men; which he did fo effectually, that, coming unexpectedly upon Gilimer, he cafily gained a new and complete victory over him.

19

This defeat was followed by the lofs of Carthage, Takes Car which the barbarians had been at no pains to put into thage; a pofture of defence. After which Gilimer, having in vain endeavoured to obtain affiftance from the Moors and Goths, was obliged to recal his brother Tzafon from Sardinia. The meeting between the two brothers was very mournful; but they foon came to a refolution of making one defperate attempt to regain the loft kingdom, or at leaft recover their captives out of the hands of the enemy. The confequence of this refolution was another engagement, in which Tzafon was killed with 800 of his choiceft men, while the Romans loft no more than 50; after which Belifarius moving fuddenly forward at the head of all his army, fell upon the camp of the Vandals. This Gilimer was no fooner apprifed of, than, without ftaying to give any more orders to the reft of his army, he fled towards Numidia in the utmoft confternation. His flight was not immediately known among his troops; but when it was, fuch an univerfal confufion enfued, that they abandoned their camp to the Romans, who had now nothing to do but plunder it; and not content with this, they maffacred all the men found in it, carrying away the women captives

20

the Vandaic monai

Thus a total end was put to the power of the Van- And puts dals in Barbary, and the Romans once more became an end o mafters of this country. The Vandal inhabitants were permitted to remain as they were, on condition of ex- chy. changing the heresy of Arius for the orthodox faith. As for Gilimer, he fled with the utmost expedition to Medamus, a town fituated on the top of the Pappuan mountain, and alnoit inacceffible by reafon of its A 2

height

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