Bathonian Stage, a division of the middle Jurassic series of rocks, including the beds between the Inferior Oolite and the Oxford Clay. The name is derived from its excellent development near Bath, in Somersetshire, and the most important member is the Oolitic limestone known as Bath-stone (q.v.). The Bathonian stage includes the following beds in ascending order:—
1. Stonesfield Slate, named from a village near
Woodstock; a flaggy limestone used for roofing, with remains of ferns and cycads washed in from the Jurassic land, and of some of the earliest-known mammals, allies of the monotremes or the marsupials. 2. The Great or Bath Oolite, with marine fossils, and also remains of the large reptiles known as dinosaurs. 3. Bradford Clay. 4. Forest Marble. 5. Cornbrash, so called from its 'brashy' or rubbly nature, an earthy oolite yielding fair land for corn.
Bathori (bä'to-rē), or Bathory, a Hungarian family, which gave Transylvania five princes, and Poland one of its greatest kings. The more important members were:—1. Stephen, born in 1532, elected Prince of Transylvania in 1571, on the death of Zapolya, and in 1575 King of Poland. He accomplished many internal reforms, recovered the Polish territories in possession of the Czar of Moscovy, and reigned prosperously till his death in 1586.—2. Sigismund, nephew of Stephen, educated by the Jesuits, became Prince of Transylvania in 1581, shook off the Ottoman yoke, and had begun to give hopes of reigning gloriously when he resigned his dominions to the Emperor Rudolph II, in return for two principalities in Silesia, a cardinal's hat, and a pension. Availing himself, however, of an invitation by the Transylvanians, he returned, and placed himself under the protection of the Porte, but was defeated by the Imperialists in every battle, and finally sent to Prague, where he died almost forgotten in 1613.—3. Elizabeth, niece of Stephen, King of Poland, and wife of Count Nadasdy, of Hungary. She is said to have bathed in the blood of 600 young girls in the hope of renewing her youth, and to have committed other enormities. She was afterwards seized and confined till her death in 1614.
Bat-horse. See Batman.
Ba´thos, a Greek word meaning depth, now used to signify a ludicrous sinking from the elevated to the mean in writing or speech. First used in this sense by Pope in The Art of Sinking in Poetry (Scriblerus Papers, 1729).
Bath-stone (also called Bath-oolite and Roe-stone, from the small rounded grains of which it is composed), a species of English limestone. It is extensively worked near Bath for building purposes. When just quarried it is soft; but though it soon becomes hard on exposure to the atmosphere, and is of handsome appearance, it is not very durable.
Bath´urst, a British settlement on the west coast of Africa, on the Island of St. Mary's, near the mouth of the Gambia, with a trade in gum, bees-wax, hides, ivory, gold, rice, cotton, and palm-oil. Pop. 8000.
Bathurst, a town in the western district of New South Wales, on the Macquarie River, with wide, well-laid-out streets at right angles, and a central square, tanneries, railway workshops, breweries, flour-mills, and other industries. Pop. 9200.
Bathurst, Allen Bathurst, First Earl, a distinguished statesman in Queen Anne's reign; born 1684. He took part with Harley and St. John in opposing the influence of Marlborough, was raised to the peerage in 1711, impeached the promoters of the South Sea scheme, opposed the Bill against Atterbury, and was a leading antagonist of Walpole. He was created earl in 1772. His name is also associated with those of the leading writers and wits of the day. Died 1775.