qualifying teachers, soliciting subscriptions for the print ing of his elementary work, where his principles were to be explained at length, and illustrated by plates. The subscriptions for this object amounted to 15,000 thalers (2250), and in 1774 he published his Elementary Work, a complete system of primary education, intended to develop the intelligence of the pupils and to bring them, so far as possible, into contact with realities, not with mere words. The work was received with great favour, and Basedow obtained means to establish au institute for education at Dessau, and to apply his principles in training disciples, who might spread them over all Germany. Little calculated by nature or habit to succeed in an employment which requires the greatest regularity, patience, and attention, he, however, engaged in this new project with all his accustomed ardour. The name of Philan- thropin appeared to him the most expressive of his views ; and he published at Leipsic in 1774 a pamphlet entitled The Pkilanthropinon founded at Dessau, containing the details of his plan. He immediately set about carrying it into execution ; but he had few scholars, and the success by no means answered his hopes. Nevertheless, so well had his ideas been received that similar institutions sprang up all over the land, and the most prominent writers and thinkers openly advocated the plan. Had Basedow been a man of ordinary tact, his success would have been com plete. But his temper was intractable, and his manage ment was one long quarrel with his colleagues. The institution was finally shut up in 1793. Basedow died at Magdeburg on the 25th July 1790. Notices of his life and works have been published by Rathmann (1791) and
Meyer (1791-2).BASEL, Bâle, or Basle (the first being the German, the others "the French and Old French forms of the name), a canton in the N.W. of Switzerland, with an area of 184 English square miles. It is bounded on the N.W. by Alsace, N. by the grand-duchy of Baden, E. by the canton of Aargau, and S. and S.W. by those of Solothurn and Berne. The canton is traversed by the Jura chain, the highest peaks of which rise to from 4000 to 5000 feet. With the exception of the Rhine and its tributaries, the Birse and the Ergolz, there are no streams of any magni tude. The soil is for the most part fertile and well culti vated, the mountain sides affording excellent pasturage. The principal pursuits of the people are agricultural and pastoral, though here and there, as at Liestal, Sissach, and Mlinchenstein, coal-mining is carried on. The chief manu factures are ribbons, woollen, linen, and cotton goods, and iron and steel wares. Politically the canton consists of two divisions, one urban and the other rural (Basel-stadt and Basel-landschaft), each with its own constitution and laws. The former sends two members to the National Council ; its legislative power is in the hands of a Great Council which consists of 134 members, chosen for six years, and its executive power belongs to a Lesser Council of 15 members. In the rural division the legislative body (or Landratti) is chosen for three years, and has the ultimate authority over all departments; the executive council con sists of five members elected for the same period ; it sends three members to the National Council. The prevailing language is German. Population of Basel-stadt in 1870, 47,7GO, and of Basel-landschaft, 54,721.
Basel, or Bâle, the capital of the above canton, and, next to Geneva, the largest city in Switzerland, is situated on both sides of the Rhine, 43 miles N. of Berne, in lat. 47 33 N., and long. 7 35 E. Great Basel, or the city proper, lies on the south side of the river, and is connected with Little Basel on the north side by a handsome bridge 800 feet long, which was originally erected in 1229. The city is generally well-built, but there are fewer remarkable edifices than in many other Continental cities of similar size. The fine old Gothic cathedral, founded 1010, still stands, and contains a number of interesting monuments, besides the tombs of Erasmus, CEcolampadius, and other eminent persons. A re-decoration was skilfully effected in 1852-1856. Among other ecclesiastical buildings of interest may be mentioned St Martin s, restored in 1851 ; St Alban s, formerly a monastery ; the church of the Bare-footed Friars, which now serves as a store-house ; Elizabeth s Church, of modern erection ; and St Clara s in Little Basel. The town-hall was built in 1508 and restored in 182G. A post-office, a new bank, aud an hospital are of recent erection. Besides the university, which was founded by Popo Pius II. in 1459, and reorganized in 1817, Basel possesses a public library of 95,000 vols., with a valuable collection of MSS., a picture- gallery, a museum, a theological seminary for missionaries (established in 181G), a gymnasium, an industrial school, a botanical garden, an orphan-asylum, an institution for deaf- mutes, and various learned societies. Of these may be mentioned the Society for the Propagation of Useful Knowledge, founded in 1777 by Iselin, the Society of Natural History, the Society of National Antiquities, and the Bible Society, which dates from 1804 and was the first of the kind on the Continent. Basel is the seat of an active transit-trade between France, Germany, and Switzer land, and possesses important manufactures of silk, linen, and cotton, as well as dyeworks, bleachfields, and iron works, the most valuable of all being the ribbon-trade. It has railway communication with both south and north. The Baden line has a station in Little Basel ; and the central station for the Swiss and Alsace railways lies to the south-east of the city proper. Basel was the birthplace of Euler, Bernouilli, Iselin, and perhaps of Holbein; and the names of Erasmus, QEcolampadius, Grynaeus, Merian, De Wette, Hageubach, and Wecknernagel, are associated with the university. Population in 1870, 44,834.
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Plan of Basel. A, Peter s Platz. )i, Market. C, Barfusser Platz. D, Zoological Gardens. E, Botanical Gardens. F, University. G, Town-Hail. II, Armoury.
Roman military post. On the decay of the neighbouring city of Augusta Rauracorum, the site of which is still marked by the village of Augst, it began to rise into im portance, and, after numerous vicissitudes, became a free city of the empire about the middle of the 10th century, and obtained a variety of privileges and rights. In 1356
the most of its buildings were destroyed by an earthquake.