constituting the bliss of angels and of men in heaven. A term of Roman Catholie theology. The Council of Florence (a.d. 1439) defined: "The souls of those who, after receiving bap- tism have incurred no stain of sin whatever, or who, after incurring such stain, have been puri- fied in the bodj- or out of the body, . . . are at once received into heaven and clearly see Ood Himself as He is, in Three Persons and One Sub- stance ; some, however, more perfectly than oth- ers, according to the diversity of their merits." Such vision is supposed to have been enjoved bv Moses (Ex. xxxiii. 11) and by Paul (11. Cor. xii. 4) before their death, but it is not ordinarily given in the flesh. Hence the loose application of the term to such visions as those of Saint Catherine is improj)er. It is not taught that the saints have a perfect knowledge of (jod, for this is impossible to finite creatures. But they have such knowledge of Him as He wills, and see in Him all the facts concerning His creatures which He wills to communicate. Thus, it is said, they can hear prayers addressed to them, though not omniscient, because enabled by the beatific vision. Consult Addis and Arnold, Catholic Dictionary (New York, 1893J.
BEAT'ING THE BOUNDS. The popular
expression in England for the periodical surveys
or perambulations by which the ancient boun-
daries of parishes are preserved. Formerly the
ceremony took place annually, but now it is ob-
served less often. The procedure, according to
common custom, is in this wise: On Holy
Thursday or Ascension Day, the elcrgj'man of
the parish, the parochial officers and other pa-
rishioners, together with the boys of the parish
school, headed by their master, go in procession
to the parish boundary. It is their duty to trace
very carefully every foot of the boundary, even
if ladders must be used in climbing over build-
ings and other obstructions. It is desirable to
have as many Ijoys as possible. At each 'boun-
dary-mark' a halt is made, and the boys beat
the mark with peeled willow wands to impress
its location on their memories. The beating was
not confined to the above performance of the
boys, but where it was desired to preserve evi-
dence of particular boundaries, the singular ex-
pedient was used of whipping the boys them-
selves on the spot, or one of them, who received a
stated fee for the permitted castigation out of
the parish funds — it being thought that the
impression made on the memory was thus more
likely to be lasting.
The custom is a Teutonic institution, taking its rise in the 'procession' of the ancient mark or township. This procession was led by the priest who performed sacrifices on altars placed near the borders. When the fiermans were con- verted, the Christian priest took the place of the pagan, and the heathen sacrifice was sup- planted by the mass. The procession is still maintained in Bavaria, as also in Russia. Simi- lar duties were jierformed by the appointed 'per- ambulators' in the New England Colonies, and by the 'processioners' in early Virginia. In Eng- lish law the correct legal term for beating the bounds is perambulation (q.v.). Consult: Toul- min Smith, The Parish (London, 18.57); Brand, Poptilnr Anfiquilics (London, 1873-77) : Lysons, Environs of London, Vol. II. (London, 1792-96) ; Hone, Evcri/ IJaif Hook (London, 1826-31); Steer, Varish [auc (London, 1887); Grimm, Rechtsaltertiimer (Giittingen, 1854) ; Laveleye, Primitive Propertij (Eng. trans. London, 1878) ; Wallace, Ilussia (New York, 1881) ; and, in gen- eral, Howard, Local Constitutional History, Vol. 1. (Baltimore, 1889).
BEAT'ITUDES (Lat. beatitudo, blessing).
The name frequently given to the opening
clauses, nine in number, of the Sermon on the
Mount, each of which begins with the word
'Blessed.' See Matt. v. 3-11.
BEATON, be'ton, Scot. pron. ba'ton, or
Betiune, D.wii) (1494-1546). A cardinal and
primate of Scotland, noted for his opposition
to the Reformation in that country, and for bis
persecution of Protestants. He was born in Fife
and became a student at Saint Andrews Univer-
sity, afterwards studying canon and civil law
in Paris. After filling several minor positions
with ability, he was appointed Lord Priy Seal
in 1.528, and in 1533 went as Ambassador to
France. On the fecommendation of the French
King, Pope Paul III. in 1538 made Beaton
cardinal, and in 1539, at his uncle's death, he
became Archbishop of Saint Andrews. On the
death of .James V., December 14, 1542, after the
disastrous overthrow of the Scots at Solway
Moss, Beaton produced a forged will of the late
King, appointing himself, with three others. Re-
gent of the kingdom during the minority of the
infant Queen, Mary. The nobility, however, re-
jected the fictitious document, and elected the
Ear! of Arran regent, who then professed the Re-
formed faith. The following month, Beaton was
arrested and imprisoned, accused, among other
charges, of a design to introduce French troops
into Scotland, in order to .stop the negotiations
then in progress with Henry of England for a
marriage between the young Prince of Wales,
afterwards Edward VI., and the infant Queen of
Scots. He was soon after liberated, and recon-
ciled to the Regent, whom he induced to abandon
the English interest, and publicly to abjure the
Reformed religion. (Dn the .young Qiieen's corona-
tion in 1543, Beaton was again admitted to the
council and appointed Chancellor. He now re-
newed his persecution of the Reformers, and in
.January, 1540, accompanied by the Regent, he
made a diocesan visitation of the counties under
his jurisdiction, and pimished with the utmost
severity all the Protestants he could find. At
Perth, a number of persons accused of heresy
were banished from the city, others imprisoned ;
three men were cruelly hanged, and one woman
drowned by his directions. During a provincial
council of the clergy held in Edinburgh, at
which he presided, he caused the celebrated evan-
gelical preacher, George Wishart, to be appre-
hended and conveyed to the castle of Saint An-
drews, where he was burned at the stake. Bea-
ton and other prelates witnessed his sufferings
from a window. The Lairds of Fife, friends of Wishart, determined to avenge him and secure their own safety by compassing the Cardinal's death. John Leslie, brother to the Earl of Rothes, his nephew Norman and Kirkaldy of Grange, entered the archiepiscopal palace by stealth, and, surprising the Cardinal in his bedroom, murdered him on May 29, 1540. Although a talented man, Beaton was arrogant, cruel, and immoral. He had six natural children. He married the three daughters into titled families, and one of his sons became a Protestant. Con-
