cannot speak with certainty of the origin of many which appeared before the 15th. We have said that the ballad above described is properly of Teutonic origin; we ought to mention, however, that the Spaniards, and they only, among the southern nations of Europe, have songs of equal age and merit with the English ballads. The principal difference between them is, that the Spanish romance is in trochaic, the English ballad in iambic, metre. The different character of the nations has also produced some diversity in the tone of sentiment and feeling. At the time when this kind of poetry flourished in the two nations, they had very little intercourse with each other, and the similarity of the forms which it assumed can be explained only by an accidental similarity of causes. (For further information on the history of the English ballad, we must refer the reader to Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry; Warton's History of English Poetry; Dr. Burney's History of Music, and vol. vii. of Bouterweck's History of Poetry and Eloquence since the End of the 13th Century. For information respecting the Spanish ballad, or romance, as it is called by the Spaniards, see the article Romance.) The French poetry of this kind never reached any high degree of perfection, because their fabliaux, legends, &c., soon degenerated into interminable metrical and prose romances of chivalry. In Italy, the ballad never flourished: the poetry of that country has always retained a certain antique spirit, and the Italians never partook, to any great extent, in the crusades, being fully occupied at home in the wars of the free cities. The Portuguese never cultivated the ballad much. Almost all their poetry of this kind is to be traced to a Spanish origin. The German ballad never became so popular as the English, nor was so much cultivated as the Spanish. The Russians have lyricoepic poems, of which some, in old Russian, are excellent. Of the ballads of modern times, the German are the best. Many of these are the productions of the first writers of the country-Göthe, Schiller, Bürger, &c. The best observations within our knowledge, on the character of the ballad, and what it requires, is to be found in Frederic von Schlegel's Kritische Schriften (on Bürger).

BALLAST (from the Danish baglast) is a load of sand or stones, deposited in ships, which have not freight enough to sink them to their proper depth in the water, so as to resist the wind and waves. In

storms, if the vessel leaks, part of the hallast must often be thrown out, to make the vessel lighter. By the English navigation act, and by the laws of other commercial nations, formed by way of retaliation, vessels are often obliged to take ballast, either on their departure or return, instead of transporting, even at little profit, heavy and cheap goods of the country, to foreign countries.

BALLET (from bal; hence the French baller, and the Italian ballare, to dance); in its widest sense, the representation of a series of passionate actions and feelings, by means of gesture and dancing. According to this signification, we comprehend, under ballets, even representations of mental emotions, not connected with a regular train of action. In a more confined sense, we call ballets musical pieces, the object of which is to represent, by mimic movements and dances, actions, characters, sentiments, passions and feelings, in which several dancers perform together. According to the analogy of lyrical poetry, those which rather represent feelings may be called lyrical ballets; those which imitate actions, dramatic ballets. The lyrical and dramatic ballets, together, constitute the higher art of dancing, in opposition to the lower, the aim of which is only social pleasure. The dramatic ballets are divided into historical, the subject of which is a real event; the mythological, in which the subject is some fabulous action; and the poetical, which are founded on poetical fiction, to which belong, also, the allegorical, necessarily the most imperfect. A ballet is usually divided into several acts, each of which has several entrées. An entrée, in a ballet, consists of one or several quadrilles of dancers, who, by their steps, gestures and attitudes, represent a certain part of the action. In criticising a ballet, we must consider, first, the choice of the subject, which must have unity of action or of passion, and must be capable of being represented in an intelligible manner by means of mimic movements and dancing; secondly, the plan and execution of the single parts, which must have a due proportion to each other; and, finally, the music and decorations, which must supply whatever dancing cannot bring before the eye. The ballet is an invention of modern times (the ingenious artist Baltazarini, director of music to the princess Catharine de' Medici, probably gave its form to the regular ballet), though pantomimic dances were not unknown to the ancients. (See Mimic and Panto

mime.) The ballet owes much to the French, and particularly to Noverre. (q. v.) The dances, which are frequently introduced into operas, seldom deserve the name ballet, as they usually do not represent any action, but are designed only to give the dancers an opportunity of showing their skill.

BALLHORN, John; printer at Lübeck, who, between 1531 and 1599, published a spelling-book, on the last page of which he altered the usual picture of a cock with spurs, into that of a cock without spurs, having a couple of eggs at his side. As he printed in the title-page, on account of this trivial alteration, “Improved by John Ballhorn," the word Ballhornize is proverbially used, in Germany, to signify stupid and useless alterations, or the making a thing worse instead of better.

BALLISTE. (See Balista.) BALLOON. (See Aeronautics.) BALLSTON-SPA; a village of New York, 7 miles S. W. of Saratoga springs, 26 N. of Albany. This place is noted for its mineral waters, which are similar, though inferior, to those of Saratoga springs. It is situated in a deep vale, on a branch of the Kayaderosseras creek, and contains about 100 houses, a court-house, an Episcopal church, a Baptist meeting-house, and a number of large boarding-houses and inns, for the accommodation of visitors.

BALM OF GILEAD is the dried juice of a low tree or shrub (amyris gileadensis), which grows in several parts of Abyssinia and Syria. This tree has spreading, crooked branches; small, bright-green leaves, growing in threes; and small, white flowers on separate footstalks. The petals are four in number, and the fruit is a small, egg-shaped berry, containing a smooth nut.-By the inhabitants of Syria and Egypt, this balsam, as appears from the Scriptures, was in great esteem from the highest periods of antiquity. We are informed by Josephus, the Jewish historian, that the balsam of Gilead was one of the trees which was given by the queen of Sheba to king Solomon. The Ishmaelitish merchants, who were the purchasers of Joseph, are said to have been travelling from Gilead, on the eastern side of Canaan, to Egypt, and to have had their camels laden with "spicery, balm and myrrh." It was then, and is still, considered one of the most valuable medicines that the inhabitants of those countries possess. The virtues, however, which have been ascribed to it exceed all rational bounds of credibility. The mode

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in which it is obtained is described by Mr. Bruce. The bark of the trees is cut with an axe, at a time when its juices are in their strongest circulation. These, as they ooze through the wound, are received into small earthen bottles; and every day's produce is gathered, and poured into a larger bottle, which is closely corked. When the juice first issues from the wound, it is of a lightyellow color, and a somewhat turbid appearance; but, as it settles, it becomes clear, has the color of honey, and appears more fixed and heavy than at first. Its smell, when fresh, is exquisitely fragrant, strongly pungent, not much unlike that of volatile salts; but if the bottle be left uncorked, it soon loses this quality. Its taste is bitter, acrid, aromatic and astringent. The quantity of balsam yielded by one tree never exceeds 60 drops in a day. Hence its scarcity is such, that the genuine balsam is seldom exported as an article of commerce. Even at Constantinople, the centre of trade of those countries, it cannot, without great difficulty, be procured. In Turkey, it is in high esteem as a medicine, an odoriferous unguent and a cosmetic. But its stimulating properties upon the skin are such, that the face of a person unaccustomed to use it becomes red and swollen after its application, and continues so for some days. The Turks also take it in small quantities, in water, to fortify the stomach, and excite the animal faculties.

BALOOCHISTAN. (See Beloochistan.)

BALSAM. The term balsam was formerly applied to any strong-scented, natural, vegetable resin, of about the fluidity of treacle, inflammable, not miscible with water without addition, and supposed to be possessed of many medical virtues. All the turpentines, the Peruvian balsam, copaiba, &c., are examples of natural balsams. Many medicines, also, compounded of various resins or oils, have obtained the name of balsams; as Locatelli balsam, &c. Lately, the term has been restricted to those resins which contain benzoic acid. The most important balsams are those of Tolu and Peru-storax and benzoin, as they are named: the latter is concrete, the former fluid, though becoming solid with age. They are odorous and pungent, and useful only as articles of the materia medica. The benzoic acid is extracted from them either by applying a gentle heat, when it is volatilized, or by maceration in water, when it is dissolved,

BALTIC SEA, or the EAST SEA; a large

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gulf, connected with the North sea. It washes the coasts of Denmark, Germany and Prussia, of Courland, Livonia and other parts of Russia and of Sweden; extends to 65° 30′ N. lat.; is above 600 miles long, from 75 to 150 broad, and its superficial extent, together with the contents of the gulfs of Bothnia and Finland, amounts to 120,000 square miles. Its small breadth, its depth amounting, on an average, to from 15 to 20 fathoms, but in many places to hardly half so much, the shallowness of the Prussian shore, and the rugged nature of the Swedish coasts, but, above all, the sudden and frequent changes of the wind, accompanied by violent storms, render this sea dangerous for navigators, although its waves are less terrible than those of the North sea. A chain of islands separates the southern part of this sea from the northern, or the gulf of Bothnia. In the north-east, the gulf of Finland stretches far into Finland, and separates that province from Esthonia. A third gulf is that of Riga or Livonia. The Curische Haff and the Frische Haff are inlets on the Prussian coast. The water of the Baltic is colder and clearer than that of the ocean: it contains a smaller proportion of salt, and the ice obstructs the navigation three or four months in the year. The ebb and flow of the tide are inconsiderable, as is the case in other inland seas, whose outlets are toward the west; yet the water rises and falls from time to time, although from other causes, particularly on account of the violent current, through the Sound and both the Belts, into the Cattegat. In stormy weather, amber is found on the coasts of Prussia and Courland, which the waves wash upon the shore. 40 streams empty into the Baltic: among them are the Neva, Dwina, Warnow, Trave, Pecne, Oder, Persante, Wipper, Vistula, Pregel, Niemen (or Memel), and the generally insignificant Swedish rivers. Besides Zealand and Fulmen, may be noticed the following islands: Samsoe, Mön, Bornholm, Langeland, Laaland, which belong to Denmark; the Swedish islands Gothland and Oeland, likewise Hween in the Sound, with the ruins of Oranienburg, the observatory built by Tycho Brahe; Rügen, now belonging to Prussia; lastly, the islands of Aland, at the entrance of the gulf of Bothnia, and Dagoe, together with Oesel, on the coast of Livonia, which belong to the Russian empire. Three passages lead from the Cattegat into the Baltic sea-the Sound, the Great and the Little Belt. At all three

a toll is paid, often amounting to 500,000 or 600,000 rix dollars yearly. From 4000 to 6000 ships enter yearly from the North sea into the Baltic.

BALTIMORE; a city and port of entry, in Baltimore county, Maryland, on the north side of the Patapsco, 14 miles above its entrance into Chesapeake bay; 37 N. E. Washington, 100 S. W. Philadelphia, Lon. 76° 36′ W.; lat. 39° 17' N. Pop. in 1790, 13,758; in 1800, 23,971; in 1810, 46,556, of whom 10,343 were blacks; in 1820, 62,738.-B. has had a remarkably rapid growth. It was first laid out as a town in 1729; and, in 1765, it contained only about 50 houses. It was first erected into a city in 1797, and is now the third in size in the U. States. It is admirably situated for commerce, and is a place of great wealth and trade. It possesses most of the trade of Maryland, about half of that of Pennsylvania, and a portion of that of the Western States. B. is the best market for tobacco in the U. States, and it is the greatest flour market in the world. Its vicinity affords great water privileges, and there are now in operation numerous flour-mills, cotton manufactories, and other water-works. The shipping owned here in 1790 amounted to only 13,564 tons; in 1816, to 101,960 tons.-B., as laid out, is 4 miles square, and it is divided into 12 wards. It is built around a basin, which affords a spacious, secure and commodious harbor, having, at common tides, eight or nine feet of water. The principal part of the city is divided from the portions styled Old Town and Fell's point by a small river, called Jones' falls, over which are erected three elegant stone bridges, and four wooden ones. Vessels of 500 or 600 tons can lie at the wharves at the point in perfect safety; but those of only 200 tons can come up to the town. The mouth of the harbor is a narrow strait, and is effectually commanded by fort M'Henry, which secures the city against a naval force. The situation of a part of the town is low, and it was formerly accounted unhealthy; but the various improvements which have been made, particularly the filling up of low and marshy grounds, have rendered it healthy. It is supplied with excellent water from four public fountains, which are fitted up in an ornamental style.-B. contains a courthouse, a penitentiary, a jail, an almshouse, an hospital, two theatres, a circus, an exchange, a museum and gallery of paintings, 5 market-houses, and about 40 houses of public worship.-The ex

change is a very large edifice, 366 feet by 140, somewhat resembling an H, having four wings-one for the United States branch bank, one for the custom-house, and one for a coffee-house. The Roman Catholic cathedral and the Unitarian church are very conspicuous and handsome edifices. St. Paul's church, the court-house and the Union bank are spacious and elegant. Several of the other public buildings are large and elegant. The Washington monument, a lofty structure of stone, is situated on an elevation just above the compact part of the city. The base is 50 feet square and 23 high, on which is placed another square of about half the extent and elevation. On this is a column 20 feet in diameter at the base, and 14 at the top. The statue of Washington is to be placed on the summit, 163 feet from the ground. The city is generally well built, mostly of brick. Many of the houses, particularly of those recently erected, display much elegance and taste. The streets are well paved, and many of them are spacious, The principal street, called Baltimore or Market street, is about a mile long, and about 80 feet wide, runs nearly east and west, parallel with the water, and is intersected at right angles, like those in Philadelphia. North and east of the city, the land rises to a considerable elevation, and affords a fine and variegated prospect. The town, the point, the shipping, both in the bay and at Fell's point, the bay as far as the eye can reach, rising ground on the right and left of the harbor, a fine grove of trees on the declivity at the right, and a stream of water breaking over the rocks at the hill on the left, make a scene of much beauty. The two principal literary institutions of B. are St. Mary's college and a medical college. The former, which was incorporated in 1806, is a Catholic institution, well endowed, and has a library containing about 10,000 volumes. The medical college was founded in 1807, and, in 1812, it received a new charter with the title of university. -A formidable attack was made on this city during the late war, on the 13th and 14th of Sept. 1814, by the British, under general Ross. On the 13th, the battle at North point was fought; and, on the 14th, fort M'Henry was bombarded. The enemy was repulsed, and general Ross slain. An elegant structure of marble, about 35 feet high, called the battle monument, has been erected to commemorate this event. On the column are inscribed the names of those who fell in

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defence of the city. (For the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, see Railroad.)

BALTIMORE BIRD (icterus Baltimore; oriolus Baltimore, Wilson; called, also, hang-nest, golden robin, fire-bird, hangingnest). The Baltimore bird is a beautiful visitor from the south, which arrives in Pennsylvania about the beginning of May, and departs towards the last of August or first of September. It is most generally known by the name of Baltimore bird, so called, according to Catesby, from its black and orange plumage, these colors being those of Calvert lord Baltimore, proprietary of the province of Maryland.-The bird is seven inches long, and has a nearly straight, strong, black bill, tapering to a point. The head, throat and upper part of the back and wings are black; the inferior part of the back, rump and whole of the body beneath are of a brilliant orange hue. The tail is slightly forked; the legs are of a lead color, and the irides hazel. The colors of the female are far less brilliant than those of the male. Beautiful figures of both sexes are given in Wilson's American Ornithology, whence this account is sketched.-The nest of the Baltimore bird is formed by fastening strong strings of hemp or flax round two forked twigs, corresponding to the intended width of the nest, on the high bending extremities of apple, willow or tulip-tree branches, near farm-houses, With similar materials, together with loose tow, a strong sort of cloth is interwoven, resembling raw felt, forming a pouch six or seven inches deep. is well lined with soft substances, which are worked into the outward netting, and, finally, with a layer of horse-hair; the whole being protected from sun and rain by the overhanging leaves. The nests, however, are not uniformly of the same shape, and some are more perfect than others.While making their nests, these birds will carry off any thread or strings left within their reach; they will even attempt to pull off the strings with which grafts are secured. All such materials are interwoven in the fabric with great ingenuity, and the strongest and best materials are uniformly found in parts by which the whole nest is supported.-The Baltimore bird feeds on bugs, caterpillars, beetles, &c. His song is a clear, mellow whistle, repeated at short intervals: when alarmed, a rapid chirping is uttered, but always followed by his peculiar mellow notes. The species inhabits North America, from Canada to Mexico, and is found even as far south as Brazil.

This

BALZAC, Jean Louis Guez de, a member of the French academy, born at Angoulême, in 1594, lived in Rome as agent of the cardinal de Lavalette, after two years established himself in Paris, and, by his talents, attracted the favorable notice of the cardinal Richelieu, who conferred upon him a salary of 2000 livres, with the title of a counsellor of state. He was considered as one of the greatest scholars and most eloquent men of his age in France; yet his numerous writings found severe critics. Among these, Goulu, general of the Feuillans (a monastic order, under the rule of St. Bernard), pushed his criticisms even to insult and abuse. This induced B. to leave Paris. He died in Angoulême, in 1654, in the 60th year of his age. Aiming at dignity of style, he fell into bombast, affectation and exaggeration, so that his works have gradually lost their reputation as taste has improved in purity. Nevertheless, we must do justice to the harmony of his periods, and acknowledge that he has done much towards the improvement of the French prose. He had studied the ancients, and his Latin poems, although without remarkable poetical merit, are pure, and free from the faults of his French writings. The most perfect of his works is, without doubt, a treatise upon Latin verse. The assertion of Voltaire and Laharpe, that he occupied himself more with words than with ideas, is too severe. A complete edition of his works appeared at Paris, in 1665, in two volumes, folio.

BAMBARRA; one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms of Central Africa; bounded N. by the Great Desert, W. by Kaarta, Mandingo and Ladamar, E. by Timbuctoo, and S. by Kong. It is traversed from W. to E. by the Niger, and is generally very fertile. The inhabitants are a mixture of Moors and Negroes. Among the towns are Sego, the capital, Jenne and Sansanding.

BAMBERG. This town, formerly the capital and place of residence of a bishop, whose see contained 1375 square miles and 200,000 inhabitants, now the seat of the provincial authorities of the Bavarian circle of the Upper Maine, and of an archbishop, has about 20,000 inhabitants. The prince of Neufchatel, Berthier, the son-inlaw of duke William of Bavaria, here threw himself from a window, in the palace of the latter, in 1815, on account of the new revolution in France. The cathedral church was built as early as 1110. The university there is also very ancient.

BAMBOO CANE. The bamboo cane (bambusa arundinacea) has a hollow, round, straight and shining stem, and sometimes grows to the length of 40 feet and upwards; has knots at the distance of 10 or 12 inches from each other, with thick, rough and hairy sheaths, alternate branches, and small, entire and spearshaped leaves. There is scarcely any plant so common in hot climates as this, and few are more extensively useful. It occurs within the tropical regions, both of the eastern and western hemispheres, throughout the East Indies and the greater part of China, in the West Indies and America. In temperate climates, it can only be cultivated in a hot-house; and its growth is so rapid, even there, that a strong shoot has been known to spring from the ground and attain the height of 20 feet in 6 weeks.-The inhabitants of many parts of India build their houses almost wholly of bamboo, and make all sorts of furniture with it in a very ingenious manner. They likewise form with it several kinds of utensils for their kitchens and tables; and from two pieces of bamboo, rubbed hard together, they produce fire. The masts of boats, boxes, baskets, and innumerable other articles, are made of bamboo. After having been bruised, steeped in water, and formed into a pulp, paper is manufactured from the sheaths and leaves. The stems are frequently bored, and used as pipes for conveying water; and the strongest serve to make the sticks or poles with which the slaves or servants carry those litters, so common in the East, called palanquins. The stems of the bamboo serve as the usual fence for gardens and other enclosures; and the leaves are generally put round the tea exported from China to Europe and America. Some of the Malays preserve the small and tender shoots in vinegar and pepper, to be eaten with their food. Many of the walking canes used in Europe and the U. States are formed of young bamboo shoots. The Chinese make a kind of frame-work of bamboo, by which they are enabled to float in water; and the Chinese merchants, when going on a voyage, always provide themselves with this simple apparatus to save their lives in case of shipwreck. It is formed by placing four bamboos horizontally across each other, so as to leave a square place in the middle for the body, and, when used, is slipped over the head, and secured by being tied to the waist.

BAMBOUK, or BAMBUC; a town in Africa, and capital of a kingdom of the same