BATHSHEBA EVERDEIIE, handsome heiress of an English farmstead, beloved by two honest men and one knave. She marries the knave in haste, and repents it at leisure for years thereafter. Released by his death, she marries Gabriel Oak.--Thomas Hardy, _Far from the Madding Crowd_ (1874). BATTAR _(Al), i.e. the trenchant_, one of Mahomet's swords. BATTUS, a shepherd of Arcadia. Having witnessed Mercury's theft of Apollo's oxen, he received a cow from the thief to ensure his secrecy; but, in order to test his fidelity, Mercury re-appeared soon afterwards, and offered him an ox and a cow if he would blab. Battus fell into the trap, and was instantly changed into a touchstone. When Tantalus in hell sees store and starves; And senseless Battus for a touchstone serves. Lord Brooke, _Treatise on Monarchie_, iv. BAU'CIS AND PHILEMON, an aged Phrygian woman and her husband, who received Jupiter and Mercury hospitably when every one else in the place had refused to entertain them. For this courtesy the gods changed the Phrygians' cottage into a magnificent temple, and appointed the pious couple over it. They both died at the same time, according to their wish, and were converted into two trees before the temple.--_Greek and Roman Mythology_. BAUL'DIE (2 _syl._), stable-boy of Joshua Geddes the quaker.--Sir W. Scott, _Red-gauntlet_ (time, George III.). _Baul'die_ (2 _syl._), the old shepherd in the introduction of the story called _The Black Dwarf_, by sir W. Scott (time, Anne). BAVIAN FOOL (_The_), one of the characters in the old morris-dance. He wore a red cap faced with yellow, a yellow "slabbering-bib," a blue doublet, red hose, and black shoes. He represents an overgrown baby, but was a tumbler, and mimicked the barking of a dog. The word Bavian is derived from _bavon_, a "bib for a slabbering child" (see Cotgrave, _French Dictionary_). In modern French _bave_ means "drivel," "slabbering," and the verb _baver_ "to slabber," but the bib is now called _bavette_. (See MORRIS-DANCE.) BAVIE'CA, the Cid's horse. He survived his master two years and a half, and was buried at Valencia. No one was ever allowed to mount him after the death of the Cid. BAVIUS, any vile poet. (See MÆVIUS.) BAWTRY. _Like the saddler of Baivtry, who was hanged for leaving his liquor_. (_Yorkshire Proverb_.) It was customary for criminals on their way to execution to stop at a certain tavern in York for a "parting draught." The saddler of Bawtry refused to accept the liquor, and was hanged, whereas if he had stopped a few minutes at the tavern his reprieve, which was on the road, would have arrived in time to save him. BA'YARD, _Le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche_; born in France in 1475. He served under Charles VIII. and Louis XII.; bore a gallant part in the "Battle of the Spurs," and died in 1524 of wounds received while in action. _The British Bayard_, sir Philip Sidney (1554-1584). _The Polish Bayard_, prince Joseph Poniatowski (1763-1814).