BASSANTIN,
a corruption of Bassendean or Bassingdene, a surname
derived from an estate in the parish of Westruther,
Berwickshire, which seems at one period to have
belonged to a family of the same name, and
subsequently was a vicarage belonging to the nuns of
Coldstream. Soon after the Reformation, Andrew
Currie, vicar of Bassendean, conveyed to William
Home, third son of Sir James Home of Coldenknows,
“terras ecclesiasticas, mansionem, et glebam
vicariae de Bassendene;” whereupon, he obtained from
James the Sixth, a charter for the same, on the 11th
of February, 1573-4. This William was a progenitor
of the Homes of Bassendean, the most distinguished
of which family was George Home of Bassendean, who
suffered much for his zealous attachment to the
cause of civil and religious liberty during the
persecuting reigns of Charles the Second and James
the Seventh, and was one of those expatriated
Scotsmen who brought about the Revolution of 1688.
Of the ancient family of Bassantin, Bassantoun,
or Bassendean, was the subject of the following
notice:
BASSANTIN, JAMES,
an eminent astronomer and mathematician, the son of
the laird of Bassendean, in Berwickshire, was born
in the reign of James IV.; and, after studying
mathematics at the university of Glasgow, he
travelled for further information on the continent.
He subsequently went to Paris, where, on a vacancy
occurring in the mathematical chair of the
university, he was elected professor, and he
remained there for some years. He returned to
Scotland in 1562, and spent the remainder of his
life on his patrimonial estate of Bassendean. The
prevailing delusion of that age, particularly in
France, was a belief in judicial astrology. In his
way home through England, as we learn from Sir James
Melville’s Memoirs, he met with Sir Robert Melville,
the brother of that gentleman, who was at that time
engaged, on the part of the unfortunate Mary, in
endeavouring to effect a meeting between her and
Elizabeth; when he predicted that all his efforts
would be in vain; “for, first, they will neuer meit
togither, and next, there will nevir be bot
discembling and secret hattrent (hatred) for a whyle,
and at length captivity and utter wrak for our Quen
by England.” Melville’s answer was, that he could
not credit such news, which he looked upon as
“false, ungodly, and unlawful;” on which Bassantin
replied, “Sa far as Melanthon, wha was a godly
theologue, has declared and written anent the
naturall scyences, that are lawfull and daily red in
dyvers Christian universities; in the quhilkis, as
in all othir artis, God geves to some less, to some
mair and clearer knawledge than till othirs; be the
quhilk knawledge I have also that at length, that
the kingdom of England sall of rycht fall to the
crown of Scotland, and that ther are some born at
this instant that sall bruik lands and heritages in
England. Bot, alace, it will cost many their lyves
and many bluidy battailes will be fouchen first, and
the Spaniartis will be helpers, and will take a part
to themselves for ther labours.” The first part of
Bassantin’s prediction, which he might very well
have hazarded from what he may have known of
Elizabeth’s character and disposition, and also from
the fact that Mary was the next heir to the English
throne, proved true; the latter portion showed, in
the result, how little faith should be placed in the
pseudo-science of astrology, which is now exploded.
Bassantin was a zealous protestant, and a supporter
of the Regent Murray. He died in 1568. His principal
work is a Treatise of Discourse on Astronomy,
written in French, which was translated into Latin
by John Tornaesius, (M. de Tournes,) and published
at Geneva in 1599. He wrote four other treatises.
Although well versed for his time in what are called
the exact sciences, Bassantin had received no part
of a classical education. Vossius observes, that his
astronomical discourse was written in very bad
French, and that the author knew “neither Greek nor
Latin, but only Scotch.” Bassantin’s Planetary
System was that of Ptolemy. His works contain a
laborious collection of the theories and
observations of preceding astronomers, and are
monuments of his own extensive acquirements. The
following is a list of them:
Astronomia Jacobi Bassantini Scoti, Opus
absolutissimum, & c. In which the Observations of
the most expert Mathematicians on the Heavens are
digested into order and method. Latin and French,
Geneva, 1599. fol.
Paraphrase de l’Astrolabe, avec une
amplification de l’usage de Pastrolabe. Lyons, 1555;
and, again, at Paris, 1617, 8vo.
Super Mathematica Genethliaca; i.e. of
the Calculation of Nativities.
Arithmetica.
Musica Secuudum Platonem, or Music on the
Principles of the Platonists.
De Mathesi in genere.
