BEACON (allied to beck or beckon., to give a signal), denotes any signal set upon a height, but especially the alarm-tires at one time used to spread the intelligence of for eign invasion or other great event. These fire-signals were in use in the earliest times, had notices of them are found in the literary remains of ancient Persia, Palestine, and Greece. They were made by kindling a pile or bale of wood on the tops of lofty moun tains, and keeping the flame bright by night, or having the fire so covered as to emit a dense smoke by clay. There were various preconcerted modes of exhibiting the light or smoke, so as to indicate the nature of the intelligence. Thus, an act of the parliament of Scotland, in 1455, directs that one bale on fire shall be warning of the approach of the English in any manner; two bales blazing beside each other, that theyare coining indeed; and four bales, that they are coming iu great force. i An early instance of B. signals is found in the book of the prophet Jeremiah, in his call, in chap. vi. 1, to the people of Benjamin to kindle a fire signal on one of their moun tains: "Set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem; for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction." An instance of the use of a line of beacons in very ancient times is given in a passage of the tragedy of Agamemnon, by the Greek poet ./E'schylus. The
commander-in-chief of the Greek army at the siege of Troy is represented as communi cating the intelligence of the fall of the city to his queen, Clytemnestra, at Mycenm, iu the Peloponnesus. The line consists of eight mountains, and the news is supposed to be conveyed in one night from Troy.
In England, the beacons were kept up by a rate levied on the counties, and had watches regularly stationed at them, and horsemen to spread the intelligence during the day, when the beacons could not be seen. They were carefully organized while the Spanish Armada was expected. In the beginning of 1856, an old B. work on Malvern hill, in Worcestershire, which had done its part in the former days in spreading the intelligence of the appearance of the Armada, of the approach of the Young Chevalier, and of that of the Dutch fleet afterwards, dealt with by admiral Blake, was lighted up in anticipation of the close of the Crimean war, and afforded an interesting amusement to scientific persons in estimating the distance at which the blaze could be seen from distant mountains.