Beattie, James, 1735-1803

Scottish poet and philosopher. His best known work, Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth (1770) was both successful and influential. His poem The Minstrel (1771-1774) details the natural education of a young shepherd who eventually attains poetic genius. He published a number of other philosophical, theological, and linguistic works, several collections of poems, and, in 1778, a collection entitled Essays on Poetry and Music As They Affect the Mind.

Bayezid I, Sultan of the Turks, approximately 1360-1403

Also known as "The Thunderbolt," Bayezid I was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389–1402. Bayezid I founded what would become the first centralized Ottoman state grounded in traditional Muslim and Turkish institutions. Bayezid was captured by Timur at the Battle of Ankara in 1402 and died in captivity the following year. The Ottoman Interregnum was triggered as a result of Bayezid's death.

Bartholomew, Apostle, Saint

A member of Jesus's Twelve Apostles. He is referred to as Nathanael in the Fourth Gospel of the New Testament. Stories of his martyrdom describe two methods; in one, he was flayed alive. This version is featured in works by several prominent artists, including Michelangelo, Tiepolo, and Ribera.

Barrow, Thomas

Friend of William Collins and John Home. In The History of the Rebellion in the Year 1745 (1802), Home tells of how Barrow, an Englishman but then a student at Edinburgh, escaped with Home and others from the Castle of Doune after the Battle of Falkirk (1746).