BEATING Flax or Hemp, is an operation in the dressing of these matters, contrived to render them more soft and pliant. When hemp has been fwingled a second time, and the hurds laid by, they take the strikes, and dividing them into dozens and half dozens, make them up into large thick rolls, which being broached on long strikes, are set in the chimney corner to dry; after which they lay them in a round trough made for the purpose, and there with beetles beat them well till they handle both without and within as pliant as possible, without any hardness or roughness to be felt: that done, they take them from the trough, open and divide the strikes as before; and if any be found not sufficiently beaten, they roll them up and beat them over as before.

Beating hemp is a punishment inflicted on loose or disorderly persons.

in book-binding, denotes the knocking a book in quires on a marble block, with a heavy broad-faced hammer, after folding, and before binding or stitching it. On the beating it properly, the elegance and excellence of the binding, and the easy opening of the book, principally depends.

in the paper works, signifies the beating of paper on a stone with a heavy hammer, with a large smooth head and short handle, in order to render it more smooth and uniform, and fit for writing.

BEATING the Wind, was a practice in use in the ancient method of trial by combat. If either of the combatants did not appear in the field at the time appointed, the other was to beat the wind, or make so many flourishes with his weapon; by which he was entitled to all the advantages of a conqueror.

BEATING the Hands or Feet, by way of praise or approbation. See APPLAUSE.

BEATING Time, in Music, a method of measuring and marking the time for performers in concert, by a motion of the hand and foot up or down successively and in equal times. Knowing the true time of a crotchet, and supposing the measure actually subdivided into four crotchets, and the half measure into two, the hand or foot being up, if we put it down with the very beginning of the first note or crotchet, and then raise it with the third, and then down with the beginning of the next measure; this is called beating the time; and, by practice, a habit is acquired of making this motion very equal. Each down and up is sometimes called a time or measure. The general rule is, to contrive the division of the measure so, that every down and up of the beating shall end with a particular note, on which very much depends the distinction, and, as it were, the sense of the melody. Hence the beginning of every time or beating in the measure is reckoned the accented part thereof.

Beating time is denoted, in the Italian music, by the term a battuta, which is usually put after what they call recitativo, where little or no time is observed, to denote, that here they are to begin again to mark or beat the time exactly.

The Romans aimed at somewhat of harmony in the strokes of their oars; and had an officer called porifculus in each galley, whose business was to beat time to the rowers, sometimes by a pole or mallet, and sometimes by his voice alone.

The ancients marked the rhyme in their musical compositions; but to make it more observable in the practice, they beat the measure or time, and this in different manners. The most usual consisted in a motion of the foot, which was raised from, and struck alternately against, the ground, according to the modern method. Doing this was commonly the province of the master of the music, who was thence called peristeges and xegoepates, because placed in the middle of the choir of musicians, and in an elevated situation, to be seen and heard more easily by the whole company. These beaters of measure were also called by the Greeks Greeks ποδαρίου and ποδαρίου, because of the noise of their feet; and συνελαιγιος, because of the uniformity or monotony of the rhythm. The Latins denominated them podarit, podarii, and pedicularii. To make the beats or strokes more audible, their feet were generally shod with a sort of sandals either of wood or iron, called by the Greeks κρουπές, κρουπάλη, κρουπία, and by the Latins pedicula, scabellum, or scabilla, because like to little stools or footstools. Sometimes they beat upon sonorous footstools, with the foot shod with a wooden or iron sole. They beat the measure not only with the foot, but also with the right hand, all the fingers whereof they joined together, to strike into the hollow of the left. He who thus marked the rhythm, was called manuductor. The ancients also beat time or measure with shells, as oyster shells and bones of animals, which they struck against one another, much as the moderns now use castanets, and the like instruments. This the Greeks called κρυπταλακτικός, as is noted by Hesychius. The scholiast on Aristophanes speaks much to the same purpose. Other noisy instruments, as drums, cymbals, citterns, &c. were also used on the same occasion. They beat the measure generally in two equal or unequal times; at least this holds of the usual rhythm of a piece of music, marked either by the noise of sandals, or the slapping of the hands. But the other rhythmic instruments last-mentioned, and which were used principally to excite and animate the dancers, marked the cadence after another manner; that is, the number of their percussions equalled, or even sometimes surpassed, that of the different sounds which composed the air or song played.

Beating, with hunters, a term used of a stag, which runs first one way and then another. He is then said to beat up and down.—The noise made by cormorants in rutting time is also called beating or tapping.

Navigation, the operation of making a progress at sea against the direction of the wind, in a zig-zag line or traverse, like that in which we ascend a steep hill. See Tacking.