Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

BIBLIOMAN1A —BIDDLE. 99
of the otherwise common Biographical which a well was dug in the rock (1733).
Dictionary of all the Engravers, by John B. contains also a house of correction
Strutt (London, 1785-86, 2 vols. 4to.), (maison de force) for dissolute persons,
which is increased, in this way, to 37 large swindlers, thieves, &c. Since the revovols., in folio, and costs not less than lution, a prison for criminals condemned
~2000 sterling. The library of Dresden to the galleys has been erected here,
has a similar copy of Buddeeus's Iistorical from which they are transferred to the
Lexicon, of an earlier date. Among the public ship-yards. In the prison and the
auctions, where the bibliomania raged house of correction are shops for the
with the greatest fury, was that of the grinding of glass, and for other kinds of
library of the duke of Roxburgh (q. v.), in work, in which the prisoners are usefully
London, 1812. Every work was bought at employed. In the hospital of B., 2200
almost incredible prices. The first edition beds are devoted to the reception of aged
of Boccaccio, published by Valdarfer, in patients. No one is admitted under the
1471, was sold for ~2260 sterling; to the age of 70 years. They are attended to
memory of which a bibliomanio-RPox- with the greatest care, and fabricate neat
burgh club was founded in the following little works of wood and bone, known in
year, of which lord Spencer is president. France by the name of Bictre works. A
It meets yearly on the 13th of July, the large hospital for incurable madmen has
anniversary of the sale of Boccaccio, in also been erected since the revolution.
the St. Alban's tavern. No further evi- BIDASSOA, a boundary river between
dlence is necessary to show that biblioma- Spain and France, rises in the Spanish
nia, which flourished first in H-olland (the territory, becomes a boundary at Vera,
seat likewise of the tulipomania), towards and is navigable to Biriatou at high tide
the end of the 17th century, prevails at It forms the isle of Pheasants, or the islpresent in England to a much greater ex- and of Conference, where the peace of
tent than in France, Italy or Germany. the Pyrenees was concluded (1659), and
-Thomas F. Dibdin's Bibliomania or falls into the bay of Biscay, between
Book-madness (London, 1811), and his Andaye and Fontarabia. On the SpanBibliographical Decameron (London, ish side of the river, on the margin of the
1817, 3 vols.), contain many useful direc- valley through which it flows, is an advantions for the assistance of collectors of tageous position, near St. Marcial, which
books.-The modern bibliomania is very commands the great road to Bayonne,
different from the spirit which led to the before which (Aug. 31, 1813) 8000 Spanpurchase of books, in the middle ages, at iards repulsed a French force of double
prices which appear to us enormous. Ex- that number, who attempted to force this
ternal decorations, it is true, were then position in order to relieve St. Sebastian.
held in high esteem; but the main reason BIDDLE., John, a celebrated Socinian
of the great sums then paid for books writer, was born in 1615, at Wottonwas their scarcity, and the difficulty of under-Edge, in Gloucestershire. Hle enprocuring perfect copies before the in- tered gMagdalen college, Oxford, in his
vention of the art of printing. There is 19th year. He graduated as A. M. in
sometimes found a rage for possessing 1641. Being led to doubt of the doctrine
books, without reference to the value of of the Trinity, he drew up 12 arguments
their contents, or the other circumstan- on the subject; in consequence ofwhich he
ces which have been mentioned as in- was committed to jail by the parliamentfluencing the bibliomanist. A priest in ary committee then sitting at Gloucester,
Saxony is said to have murdered three but was liberated on security being given
persons, with a view of getting posses- for his appearance whencalledfor. About
sion of their libraries. These, however, six months afterwards, he was examined
lie did not read. before a committee of the parliament, to
BICr:TRE; a castle and village in the whom lie readily acknowledged his opinneighborhood of Paris, situated on a hill, ion against the divinity of the Holy Ghost.
and commanding one of the finest pros- lHis Twelve Arguments were now orderpects of Paris, of the course of the Seine, ed to be burnt by the common hangand of the environs. Louis XIII erected man. He however persisted in his opinthe castle for the residence of invalids. ion, and, in 1648, published two tracts,
When Louis XIV afterwards erected the containing his Confessions of Faith
great hotel royal des invalides, B. became concerning the Holy Trinity, and The
a great hospital, for which it is particular- Testimonies of Irenaeus, Justin Martyr,
ly adapted by its healthy situation: water and several other early writers on the
only was wanting in its vicinity, to obtain same subject. These publications in