Barometer, the 20 marked 40, and the 25 marked 50: then each exact divifion is reckoned as the two thousandths of an inch, which amounts to the fame; for is the fame in value as of an inch. A thermometer is always attached to the barometer, and indeed is indifpenfably neceffary: it is faftened to the body at c, counterfunk beneath the furface of the frame, which makes it lefs liable to be broken: the degrees of the thermome. ter are marked on two fcales, one on each fide, viz. that of Fahrenheit and Reaumur, fcales generally known; the freezing point of the former being at 32 and the latter at o. On the right-hand fide of these two scales there is a third, called a scale of correction; it is placed oppofitely to that of Fahrenheit, with the words add and fubtract: it ferves as a neceffary correction to the obferved altitude of the mercury at any given temperature of the air fhown by the thermometer. There are feveral other valuable pieces of mechanifm about the inftrument that cannot clearly be represented in the figure; but what has already been faid, we prefume, is fufficient for the reader's general information. For the manner of making the neceffary observations, and calculating the neceffary particulars deducible therefrom, a full information may be obtained from M. De Luc, Recherches fur les Modifications de l'Atmosphere, and the Philofophical Tranfactions vol. 67. and 68. before cited.

of Cron

notes on

It may be neceffary to add here, that by very fmall additional contrivances to this inftrument, Mr Jones renders it equally useful for making obfervations at fea with any marine barometer that has hitherto been invented.

This article may not be improperly concluded by an Magel obfervation of Mr Magellan*, relative to a principal caufe lan's edition of error in barometrical measurements. This he states fed's Mi- to be owing to the inattention of obfervers to the fpemerology, cific gravity of the mercury with which their barometers were made. If two barometers were both at 30 Mercury inches high, and equally circumftanced in every other refpect, excepting only their specific gravity of the quickfilver; fo that one be filled with the first kind I have tried, viz. whose specific gravity was 13,62 and the other 13,45. In this cafe, and in all probability many of this kind have often occurred, the error must have been no less than 327 feet; because the heights of the mercurial columns in each barometer must be in the inverse ratio of their specific gravities: viz. 13,45: 1362 :: 30: 30,379. Now the logarithm of 30=4771.21 ditto of 30,379=4825.73

the difference is = 54.52 which difference fhows, that there are 54.52 fathoms between one place and another, or 327 feet; though in reality both places are on the fame level.

"But if the fpecific gravity of the mercury, in the two barometers, were as the two above alluded to of Bergman and Fourcroy; viz. one of 14,110, and the other of 13,000, which may happen to be the cafe, as the heaviest is commonly reputed the pureft mercury; on this fuppofition the error muft have amounted to 35,576 toifes, or above 2134 feet and a half; becaufe 13,000: 14,110 :: 30: 32,561

VOL. III. Part I.

Now the logarithm of 30=4771,21 and that of 32,561=5126,97

the difference is 355,76; which fhows that the error fhould amount to fo many fathoms, or 2134,5 feet.

BARON, a perfon who holds a barony. The origin and primary import of this term is much contested. Menage derives it from the Latin baro, which we find ufed in the pure age of that language for vir, a ftout or valiant man; whence, according to this author, it was, that those placed next the king in battles were called barones, as being the braveft men in the army; and as princes frequently rewarded the braveryand fidelity of thofe about them with fees, the word came to be used for any noble perfon who holds a fee immediately of the king. Ifidore, and after him Camden, take the word, in its original fenfe, to fignify a mercenary foldier. Meffieurs of the Port Royal derive it from Bages, weight or authority. Cicero ufes the word bare for a stupid brutal man; and the old Germans make mention of buffetting a baron, i. e. a villain; as the Italians ftill ufe the word barone to fignify a beggar. M. de Marca derives baron from the German bar, man, or freeman ; others derive it from the old Gaulish, Celtic, and Hebrew languages; but the moft probable opinion is, that it comes from the Spanish varo, a flout, noble perfon; whence wives used to call their hufbands, and princes their tenants, barons. In the Salic law, as well as the laws of the Lombards, the word baron fignifies a man in the general; and the old gloffary of Philomenes tranflates baron by xvnp, man.

BARON is more particularly used, among us, for a lord or peer of the loweft clafs; or a degree of nobility next below that of a viscount, and above that of a knight or a baronet. In ancient records the word baron included all the nobility of England, because regularly all noblemen were barons, though they had alfo a higher dignity. But it hath fometimes happened, that, when an ancient baron hath been raised to a new degree of peerage, in the courfe of a few generations the two titles have defcended differently; one perhaps to the male defcendants, the other to the heirs general; whereby the earldom or other fuperior title hath fubfifted without a barony: and there are alfo modern inftances, where earls and viscounts have been created without annexing a barony to their other honours: fo that now the rule doth not hold univerfally that all peers are barons.

The original and antiquity of barons has occafioned great inquiries among our English antiquarians. The molt probable opinion is fuppofed to be, that they were the fame with our prefent lords of manors; to which the name of court baron (which is the lord's court, and incident to every manor) gives fome countenance. It is faid the original name of this dignity in England was vavalfour, which by the Saxons was changed into thane, and by the Normans into baron. It may be collected from King John's magna charta, that originally all lords of manors, or barons, had feats in the great council or parliament: but fuch is the deficiency of public records, that the first precept to be found is of no higher date than the 49th year of King Henry III.; which, although it was if

E

fued

Baren fued out in the king's name, was neither by his authority nor by his direction: for, not only the king himself, but his fon Prince Edward, and most of the nobility who flood loyal to him, were then prifoners in the hands of the rebellious barons; having been fo made in the month of May preceding, at the battle of Lewes, and fo continued until the memorable battle of Evesham, which happened in Auguft the year following; when, by the happy escape of Prince Edward, he rescued the king and his adherents out of the hands of Simon Mountfort Earl of Leicester. It cannot be doubted but that feveral parliaments were held by King Henry III. and King Edward I. ; yet no record is to be found giving any account thereof (except the 5th of King Edward I.), until the 22d year of the reign of the laft mentioned king.

Before the 49th of Hen. III. the ancient parliaments conlifted of the archbishops, bithops, abbots, earls, and barons. Of thefe barons there were two forts: the greater barons, or the king's chief tenants, who held of him in apite by barony; and the leffer barons, who held of the firft by military fervice in capite. The former had fummons to parliament by feveral writs; and the latter (i. . all thofe who were poffeffed of thirteen knights fees and a quarter) had a general fummons from the fheriff in each county. Thus things continued till the 49th of Henry III. But then, instead of keeping to the old form, the prevailing powers thought fit to fummon, not all, but only those of the greater barons who were of their party; and, inftead of the leffer barons who came with large retinues, to fend their precepts to the fheriff of each county, to caufe two knights in every fhire to be chofen, and one or two burgefles for each borough, to represent the body of the people refiding in those counties and boroughs; which gave rife to the feparation into two houfes of parliament. By degrees the title came to be confined to the greater barons, or lords of parliament only; and there were no other barons among the peerage but fuch as were fummoned by writ, in refpect of the tenure of their lands or baronies, till Richard II. firft made it a mere title of honour, by conferring it on divers perfons by his letters patent. See further Law, Part III. N° clviii. 12, 13, 14.

When a baron is called up to the houfe of peers by writ of fummons, the writ is in the king's name, and he is directed to come to the parliament appointed to be held at a certain time and place, and there to treat and advise with his majefty, the prelates, and nobility, about the weighty affairs of the nation. The ceremony of the admiffion of a baron into the house of peers is thus: He is brought into the houfe between two barons, who conduct him up to the Lord Chancellor, his patent or writ of fummons being carried by a king at arms, who prefents it kneeling to the Lord Chancellor, who reads it, and then congratulates him on his becoming a member of the house of peers, and invefts him with his parliamentary robe. The patent is then delivered to the clerk of the parliament, and the oaths are administered to the new peer, who is then conducted to his feat on the barons bench. Some barons hold their feats by tenure. The first who was raised to this dignity by patent was John de Beauchamp of Holt Cafile, created Baron of Kidderminfter in Worcestershire, to him and his heirs-male, by King Richard II. in the 11th year of his reign. He 5

Baron.

invefted him with a mantle and cap. The coronation- Barons, robes of a baron are the fame as an earl's, except that he has only two rows of fpots on each fhoulder. In like manner, his parliamentary robes have but two guards of white fur, with rows of gold lace. In other refpects they are the fame as other peers. King Charles II. granted a coronet to the barons. It has fix pearls, fet at equal diftances on the chaplet. His cap is the fame as a viscount's. His ftyle is Right Honourable; and he is ftyled by the king or queen, Right Trufty and Well Beloved.

BARONS by ancient tenure were thofe who held by certain territories of the king, who ftill referved the tenure in chief to himfelf. We alfo read of barons by temporal tenure; who are fuch as hold honours, caftles, manors, as heads of their barony, that is by grand fergeanty; by which tenure they were anciently funmoned to parliament. But at prefent a baron by tenure is no lord of parliament, till he be called thither by writ.

The barons by tenure after the conqueft, were divided into majores and minores, and were fummoned accordingly to parliament; the majores or greater barons, by immediate writ from the king; the minores, or leffer barons, by general writ from the high fheriff, at the king's command.

Anciently they diftinguished the greater barons from the lefs, by attributing high, and even fovereign jurifdiction, to the former, and only inferior jurifdiction over smaller matters to the latter.

BARONS of the Exchequer, the four judges to whom the adminiftration of juftice is committed, in caufes between the king and his fubjects relating to matters concerning the revenue. They were formerly barons of the realm, but of late are generally perfons learned in the laws. Their office is allo to look into the accounts of the king, for which reason they have auditors under them. See EXCHEQUER.

BARONS of the Cinque-ports are members of the house of commons, elected by the five ports, two for each port. See the article CINQUE-PORTS.

BARON and Feme, in the English law, a term used for husband and wife, in relation to each other: and they are deemed but one person; so that a wife cannot be witnefs for or against her husband, nor he for or againft his wife, except in cafes of high treason.

BARON and Feme, in heraldry, is when the coats of arms of a man and his wife are borne par pale in the fame efcutcheon, the man's being always on the dexter fide, and the woman's on the finifter; but here the woman is fuppofed not an heiress, for then her coat must be borne by the hufband on an efcutcheon of pretence.

BARON (Robert), a dramatic author, who lived during the reign of Charles I. and the protectorship of Oliver Cromwell. He received the earlier parts of his education at Cambridge, after which he became a member of the honourable fociety of Gray's-Inn. During his refidence at the univerfity, he wrote a novel called the Cyprian Academy, in which he introduced the two first of the dramatic pieces mentioned below. The third of them is a much more regular and perfect play, and was probably written when the author had attained a riper age. The names of them are, 1. Deo rum Dona, a masque. 2. Gripus and Hegio, a paftoral. 3. Mirza, a tragedy. Mr Baron had a great intimacy with the celebrated Mr James Howell, the great traveller, in whole collections of Letters* there Let. 418.

is

• Vol. III.

BARON (Michael), an excellent comedian of Paris, was the fon of Michael Baron another comedian, who was a native of Iffoudun. He wrote fome poems, and feveral theatrical pieces, which are printed together in 2 vols 12mo. He died at Paris in 1729, aged 77. BARONET, a dignity or degree of honour next beneath a baron, and above a knight; having precedency of all knights excepting thofe of the garter, and being the only knighthood that is hereditary.

The dignity of baronet is given by patent, and is the lowest degree of honour that is hereditary. The order was founded by King James I. at the fuggeftion of Sir Robert Cotton, in 1611, when 200 baronets were created at once; to which number it was intended they fhould always be reftrained: but it is now enlarged at the king's pleafure, without limitation.

His majefty was fo defirous of adding every mark of Barones, dignity to this his favourite order, that, four years after Barosi. its inftitution, he iffued a royal warrant, granting them the privilege of wearing an orange ribbon and a médal; which laft was prefented to each of them by the king himself, according to the words of the warrant. All the privileges of the order, particularly this of wearing the medal, were confirmed at the king's request by the convention of eítates in the year 1630; and in order to eftablish them on the most folid foundation, they were again confirmed by an act of the parliament of Scotland in the year 1633. This mark of diftinetion fell to the ground with all the other honours of Scotland during the ufurpation of the long parliament and of Oliver Cromwell. It continued in general, though not total, disuse, after the Reftoration. There have been former meetings of the order to revive the ufe of it, one in the year 1721, and another in 1734. Thefe meetings proved ineffectual, because the proper fteps towards its revival were not taken; but, under the aufpices of our illuftrious monarch George III. fuch measures were concerted in the year 1775 as have effectually established this honourable dignity.

They had feveral confiderable privileges given them, with an habendam to them and their heirs male. They were allowed to charge their coat with the arms of Ulfter, which are, in a field argent, a finifter hand, gules; and that upon condition of their defending the province of Ulfter in Ireland against the rebels, who then haraffed it extremely: to which end they were each to raife and keep up 30 foldiers at their own expence for three years together, or to pay into the exchequer a fum fufficient to do it; which, at 8 d. per day per head, was L. 1095. So that, including fees, the expence of this dignity may be about L. 1200 fterling. To be qualified for it, one must be a gentleman born, and have a clear eftate of L. 1000 per annum. Baronets take place according to the dates of their patents; by the terms of which no honour is to be erected between barons and baronets. The title Sir is granted them by a peculiar claufe in their patents, tho' they be not dubbed knights: but both a baronet, and his eldeft fon, being of full age, may claim knighthood. -The firft baronet who was created was Sir Nicholas Bacon of Redgrave in Suffolk, whofe fucceffor is therefore ftyled Primus Baronetorum Anglia.

BARONETS of Scotland, called alfo Baronets of Nova Scotia. The order of knights-baronets was alfo defigned to be established in Scotland in the year 1621, by King James I. for the plantation and cultivation of the province of Nova Scotia in America; but it was not actually inftituted till the year 1625 by his fon Charles I. when the firft perfon dignified with this title was Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonítone, a younger fon of the Earl of Sutherland. The king granted a certain portion of land in Acadia or New Scotland, to each of them, which they were to hold of Sir William Alexander (afterwards Earl of Stirling), for their encouragement who fhould hazard their lives for the good and increase of that plantation, with precedency to them, and their heirs-male for ever, before all knights called equites aurati, and all leffer barons called lairds, and all other gentlemen, except Sir William Alexander his majefty's lieutenant in Nova Scotia, his heirs, their wives and children; that the title of Sir fhould be prefixed to their Chriftian name, and Baronet added to their furname; and that their own and their eldest fons wives fhould enjoy the title of Lady, Madam, or Dame.

BARONETS of Ireland. This order was likewife inftituted by King James I. in the 18th year of his reign, for the fame purpofe and with the fame privileges within the kingdom of Ireland, as he had conferred on the like order in England; for which the Irish baronets paid the fame fees into the treasury of Ireland. The first of that kingdom who was advanced to this hereditary dignity was Sir Francis Blundell, then fecretary for the affairs of Ireland. Since his time, several have been created, no number being limited.

BARONI (Leonora), a celebrated finger and compofer, was born at Naples, but fpent the greatest part of her life at Rome. She was daughter of Adriana Baroni of Mantua, Baronefs of Pian-caretta; a lady alfo diftinguished for her mufical talents, and for her beauty firnamed the fair. Leonora had lefs beauty than her mother; but excelled her in her profound skill in mufic, the fineness of her voice, and the charmingness of her manner. She is faid by Mr Bayle to have been one of the fineft fingers in the world. She was, as well as her mother, celebrated by the wits, who ftrove to excel each other in recording her praises; and in 1639 there was published, at Bracciano, a collection of Latin, Greek, Italian, Spanish, and French poems made upon her, under this title, Appplaufi Poetici alle Glorie della Signora Leonora Baroni. Among the Latin poems of Milton are no fewer than three intitled Ad Leonoram Roma canentem, wherein this lady is celebrated for her finging, with an allufion to her mother's exquifite performance on the lute. A fine eulogium on this accomplished woman is contained in a difcourfe on the Mufic of the Italians, printed with the life of Malherbe, and fome other treatifes at Paris, 1672, in 12m0. This difcourfe was compofed by Mr Maugars prior of St Peter de Mac, the king's interpreter of the English language, and befides fo famous a performer on the viol, that the king of Spain and feveral other fovereign princes of Europe defired to hear him. The character given by this perfon of Leonora Baroni is as follows: "She is endowed with fine parts; fhe has a very good judgement to diftinguish good from bad mufic; fhe underftands it perfectly well; and even compofes, which

I 2

makes

Baronius, makes her abfolute miftrefs of what the fings, and gives Barony her the molt exact pronunciation and expreffion of the fenfe of her words. She does not pretend to beauty, neither is she disagreeable, or a coquet. She fings with a bold and generous modefty, and an agreeable gravity; her voice reaches a large compafs of notes, and is exact, loud, and harmonious; fhe foftens and raifes it without ftraining or making grimaces. Her raptures and fighs are not lafcivious; her looks having nothing impudent, nor does the tranfgrefs a virgin modefty in her geftures. In paffing from one key to another, the fhows fometimes the divifions of the enharmonic and chromatic kind with fo much art and sweetness, that every body is ravished with that fine and difficult method of finging. She has no need of any person to affift her with a theorbo or viol, one of which is neceffary to make her finging complete; for the plays perfectly well herself on both these inftruments. In fhort, I have had the good fortune to hear her fing several times above 30 different airs, with fecond and third ftanzas compofed by herself. I must not forget to tell you, that one day fhe did me the particular favour to fing with her mother and her fifter. Her mother played upon the lute, her fifter upon the harp, and herself upon the theorbo. This concert, compofed of three fine voices, and of three different inftruments, fo powerfully tranfported my fenfes, and threw me into fuch raptures, that I forgot my mortality, and thought myself already among the angels enjoying the felicity of the bleffed."

BARONIUS (Cæfar), a pious and learned cardinal, was born at Sore in 1538. He ftudied at Rome, and put himself under the difcipline of St Philip de Neri. În 1593, he was made general of the congregation of the Oratory by the refignation of the founder Philip de Neri. Pope Clement VIII. made him his confeffor, and created him a cardinal in 1596. He was afterwards made librarian to the Vatican; and died in 1605, at 68 years of age. He wrote feveral works, the principal of which is his Annales Ecclefiaftici, from A. D. 1 to 1198, in 12 vols folio; which has been abridged by feveral perfons, particularly by Henry Spondæus, Bzovius, and Ludovico Aurelio.

BARONY, BARONIA, or Baronagium, the lordship or fee of a baron, either temporal or spiritual: In which fense barony amounts to the same with what is otherwife called honour.

A barony may be confidered as a lordship held by fome service in chief of the king, coinciding with what is otherwife called grand fergeanty. Baronies, in their first creation, moved from the king himself, the chief lord of the whole realm, and could be holden immediately of no other lord. For example, the king enfeoffed a man of a great feigneurie in land, to hold to the perfon enfeoffed and his heirs, of the king and his heirs, by baronial fervice; to wit, by the fervice of 20, 40, 60 knights, or of such other number of knights, either more or fewer, as the king by his en feoffment limited or appointed.—In the ages next after the Conqueft, when a great lord was enfeoffed by the king of a large feigneurie, fuch feigneurie was called a barony, but more commonly an honour; as, the honour of Gloucestershire, the honour of Wallingford, the honour of Lancaster, the honour of Richmond, and the like. There were in England certain honours, which

Barraba,

were often called by Norman or other foreign names; Barony that is to fay, fometimes by the English and sometimes by the foreign name. This happened when the fame. perfon was lord of an honour in Normandy, or fome other foreign country, and also of an honour in Eng. land. For example, William de Forz, de Force, or de Fortibus, was lord of the honour of Albemarle in Normandy: he was alfo lord of two honours in England; to wit, the honour of Holderness, and the ho nour of Skipton in Cravene. These honours in Eng. land were fometimes called by the Norman name, the honour of Albemarle, or the honour of the Earl of Albemarle. In like manner, the Earl of Britannie was lord of the honour of Britannie in France, and also of the honour of Richmond in England: the honour of Richmond was fometimes called by the foreign name, the honour of Britannie, or the honour of the Earl of Britannie. This ferveth to explain the terms "honour of Albemarle in England," honor Albemarliæ, or comitis Albemarliæ in Anglia; honor Britanniæ, or comitis Britannia in Anglia," the honour of Britannie,” or "the Earl of Britannie in England." Not that Al. bemarle or Britannie were in England, but that the fame perfon respectively was lord of each of the faid honours abroad and of each of the faid honours in England. The baronies belonging to bishops are by fome called regalia, as being held folely on the king's liberality. Thefe do not confift in one barony alone, but in many; for tot erant baroniæ, quot majora præ

dia.

A barony, according to Bracton, is a right indivifible. Wherefore, if an inheritance be to be divided among coparceners, though fome capital me Tuages may be divided, yet if the capital meffuage be the head of a county or barony, it may not be parcelled: and the reafon is, left by this divifion many of the rights of counties and baronies by degrees come to nothing, to the prejudice of the realm, which is said to be com pofed of counties and baronies.

BARRA, or BARA, ifland of. See BARA.

BARRA, in commerce, a long-measure used in Por tugal and fome parts of Spain, to measure woollen cloths, linen cloths, and ferges. There are three forts; the barra of Valencia, 13 of which make 127 yards English measure; the barra of Caftile, 7 of which make 6 yards; and the barra of Aragon, 3 of which make 24 yards English.

BARRABA, (defart of); a tract of land in Siberia, lying between the rivers Irtis and Oby, in the province of Tobolsk. It is uninhabited, but not thro' any deficiency of the foil; for that is excellent for tillage, and part of it might also be laid out in meadows and paftures. It is interfperfed with a great number of lakes, which abound with a species of carp called by the neighbouring people karawfchen; and the country produces. great numbers of elks, deer, foxes, ermine and fquirrels. Between the Irtis and Oby are fome rich copper-mines; particularly on a mountain called Pictorva, from the picta or white firs that grow upon it. Every hundred weight of the ore found here yields 12 pounds of pure copper; and there is no occafion for digging deep in order to come at it. Most of these ores, befides being very rich in copper, yield a great deal of filver, which affords fo much gold as makes rich returns for the trouble and expence of extracting it.

BAR