n 1817.

BILNEY, THOMAS, martyr, born in Norfolk, a priest who adopted the
reformed doctrine; was twice arraigned, and released on promise not to
preach, but could not refrain, and was at last burned as a heretic in
1531.

BILOCATION, the power or state, ascribed to certain of the saints,
of appearing in two places at the same time.

BIMETALLISM, the employment of two metals (gold and silver) in the
currency of a country as legal tender at a fixed relative value, the
ratio usually proposed being 1 to 151/2.

BIMINI, a fabulous island with a fountain possessed of the virtue of
restoring youth.

BINET, a French litterateur, translator of Horace and Virgil
(1732-1812).

BINGEN, a manufacturing and trading town on the left bank of the
Rhine, in Grand-Duchy of Hesse Darmstadt, opposite which is the tower
associated with the myth of Bishop Hatto.

BINGHAM, JOSEPH, an English divine, born at Wakefield; author of
"Origines Ecclesiasticae," a laborious and learned work; lost his all in
the South-Sea Scheme and died (1668-1723).

BIOGENESIS, name of the theory that derives life from life, and
opposed to ABIOGENESIS (q. v.).

BIOLOGY, the science of animal life in a purely physical reference,
or of life in organised bodies generally, including that of plants, in
its varied forms and through its successive stages.

BION, a Greek pastoral poet of 3rd century B.C., born at Smyrna; a
contemporary of Theocritus; settled in Sicily; was poisoned, it is said,
by a rival; little of his poetry survives.

BIOT, JEAN BAPTISTE, an eminent French mathematician, astronomer,
and physicist, born at Paris; professor of Physics in the College of
France; took part in measuring an arc of the meridian along with Arago;
made observations on the polarisation of light, and contributed numerous
memoirs to scientific journals; wrote works on astronomy (1774-1862).

BIRAGUE, RENE DE, cardinal and chancellor of France, born at Milan;
charged, especially by contemporary historians, as the chief instigator
of the St. Bartholomew Massacre (1507-1583).

BIRCH, SAMUEL, archaeologist and Egyptologist, born in London; keeper
of Oriental antiquities in the British Museum; had an extensive knowledge
of Egyptology, wrote largely, and contributed articles on that and
kindred archaeological subjects (1813-1885).

BIRCH, THOMAS, antiquary, born in London; wrote a history of the
Royal Society (1705-1765).

BIRCH-PFEIFFER, C