Basilidian (basilidian)

[ gospel is the knowledge of these doctrines, and the spiritual are those only who are capable of understanding them. An exceedingly different system, known as spurious Basi lidianism, was developed among the followers of Basilides. According to this there are 365 generations of angels occu pying 365 heavens, each with its own archon, the lowest being the God of the Jews. Christ was the first-born, the Nous or intellect of the highest God, the unbegotten Father. All his work on earth is mere appearance or outward show, a docetic feature found in many earlier heresies. basil is cine (bas-i-lis'in), a. [ 3. [ cap.] [NL.] A genus of saurian reptiles, or Lacer til i a, of the family Iguanidæ (formerly held to be of greater extent than now), characterized e entially by the presence of a continuous median dorsal crest along the back and tail, erectile at will. There are no femoral pores, and or exigencies of Christian ritual. no gular sac, but a dilatable pouch on the head; the den titi on is pleurodont. The mitered or hooded basilisk, B. mitratus , is especially remarkable for a membranous bag at the back of the head, of the size of a small hen's egg, which can be inflated with air at pleasure, and the funetion of which is analogous to that of the air-bladder of fishes. The other species have such hoods also, but of a smaller size. To this organ they owe their name, which IMG:content-1726.png:[merged small][graphic] Hooded or Mitered Basilisk ( Basiliscus mitratus). recalls the basilisk of fable, though in reality they are harmle and exceedingly lively creatures. The species are inhabitants chiefly of Central America and Mexico, and peculiar to America, although one of the Agamidæ of Amboyna has been erroneously referred to the genus. basilisk (bas'i-lisk), n. and a. [Also, until recently, as L., basiliscus; look were there mal resembling cockatrice, with its tail terminating in a dragon's head; hence formerly also called amphisien cockatrice, as having two heads. See amphisien. Like as the Basiliske , of serpents seede, From powre full eyes close venim doth convay Into the lookers hart, and killeth farre away. Spenser, F. Q., IV. viii. 39. There is not one that looketh upon his eyes but he dieth presentar earth the out likite or it on the head and settith it a coronet or diadem. If he but hi no other serpent dare Holland, tr. of Pliny, viii. 21. come near. 2. In herpet., a lizard of the old genus Basilis cus (which see) in the widest sense.-3t. In ornith., the golden-crested wren or kinglet. See basiliscus, 2.-4t. A large piece of ordnance: so called from its destructive power. It varied greatly in size and style at different times. In the fifteenth century it is spoken of as throwing stone balls of the weight of 200 pounds, and was therefore of prodigious caliber. D'Aubigné in his History speaks of them as carrying stone balls of 300 pounds, but it is not certain which standard he has in view. In the seventeenth century it was a smaller gun, but still one of the largest then in use. See basilica, 5. Awake, ye men of Memphis! - hear the clang Of Scythian trumpets!-hear the basilisks , That, roaring, shake Damascus' turrets down! Marlowe, Tamburlaine, I., iv. 1. A basilisco, bore in inches 5, weight in pounds 4000. Capt. J. Smith, Seaman's Grammar. II. a . Pertaining to or characteristic of the basilisk: as, a basilisk eye or look (a sharp, penetrating, malignant eye or look, like that attributed to the basilisk).