generally employed after a break in the time of any piece by a recitative, or cantabile ad libitum; to apprise the performer that the measure is to be resumed, and the time beaten as before.

ABB, a term among clothiers, applied to the yarn of a weaver's warp. They say also abb wool in the same sense.

ABBA, in the Syriac and Chaldee languages, literally signifies a father; and figuratively a superior reputed as a father in respect of age, dignity or affection. It is more particularly used in the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic churches, as a title given to the bishops. The bishops themselves bestow the title abba more eminently on the bishops of Alexandria; which occasioned the people to give him the title of Baba or Papa, that is, father of father; a title which he bore before the bishop of Rome.

ABBACY. s. (abbatia, Lat.) The rights, possessions, or privileges of an abbot (Ayliffe). ABBADIE (James), an eminent divine, born at Nay, in Berne, in 1688. He took the degree of D. D. at Sedan, and was afterwards made minister of the French church at Berlin, by the elector of Brandenburg. On the death of the elector, in 1658, Dr. Abbadie accompanied mareschal Schomberg to England with the prince of Orange. He was with that great man when he fell at the battle of the Boyne in 1690; and on his return to London, was appointed minister of the French church in the Savoy; and not long after promoted to the deanry of Killaloe, in Ireland. He died in London, September 23, 1727. Abbadie was a very elegant writer, particularly upon theological subjects. His chief work is "Treatise of the Truth of the Christian Religion," 1684. But several of his other performances have great merit. They exhibit strong tokens of great learning, and a fine imagination; and were much admired at the time of their publication.

a

:

ABBÉ, in a monastic sense, the same with ABBOT in a modern sense, the name of a description of persons prevalent in France before the Revolution. They were persons who had not yet obtained any precise or fixed settlement in church or state; but were ready to accept any such as may become vacant. Their dress was rather that of an academic, or of a professed scholar, than of an ecclesiastic. They were, in colleges, the instructors of youth in private families, the tutors of young gentlemen; and many procured a decent livelihood by their literary and witty compositions of different kinds.

ABBESS, the superior of an abbey, or convent of nuns. The abbess has the same rights, and authority over the nuns, that the abbots regular have over their mouks. Her sex, indeed, does not allow her to perform the spiritual functions annexed to the priesthood. F. Martene, in his treatise on the Rights of the

Church, observes, that some abbesses have formerly confessed their nuns. But he adds. that their excessive curiosity carried them to such lengths, that there arose a necessity of checking it.

ABBEVILLE, a town of France, in the department of the Somme; formerly the capital of Ponthien in Picardy. It was fortified in 980, by Hugh Capet. It was the birth place of Nicolas Sanson, Pierre du Val, and Philip Briet, three celebrated navigators. Lat. 50. 7 N. Lon. 1. 55 E.

ABBEY, a monastery, or religious house, governed by a superiour under the title of abbot or abbess. Abbeys differ from priories, in that the former are under the direction of abbots, the latter under that of priors: but an abbot and a prior differ in little more than the name. Monasteries were at first nothing more than religious houses, whither persons retired to spend their time in devotion. But they soon degenerated, and procured large privileges, exemptions, and riches. They prevailed greatly in Britain before the Reformation; and as they increased in riches the state became poor: for the lands possessed by them could not revert to the lords who gave them. These places were wholly abolished in England at the time of the Reformation; Henry VIII. having first appointed visitors to inspect into the lives of the monks and nuns, which were found in some places very disorderly: upon which, the abbots, perceiving their dissolution unavoidable, were induced to resign their houses to the king, who by that means became invested with the abbey-lands: these were afterwards granted to different persons, whose descendants enjoy them at this day : they were then valued at 2,853,000l. per annum-an immense sum in those days! Every abbey had at least one person whose office it was to instruct youth; and the historians of this country are chiefly beholden to the monks for the knowledge they have of former national events. In these houses the arts of painting, architecture, and printing, were cultivated. The religious houses were hospitals for the sick and poor; affording likewise entertainment to travellers at a time when there were no inns.

ABBEY-LUBBER. s. A sothful loiterer in a religious house, under pretence of retizement and austerity (Dryden).

ABBOT, or ABBAT, the superior of a mo nastery of monks erected into an abbey or prelacy. The name abbot is originally Hebrew, where it signifies father. The Jews call futher in their language, ab; whence the Chaldeans and Syrians formed abba; thence the Greeks A66, which the Latins retained abbas; and hence our abbot, the French alle, &c. The name abbot appears as old as the institution of monks itself. In early days, they were subject to the bishops and the ordinary pastors; but at length there arose new distinctions be

teen them. Mitred abbots were privileged to at the mitre, and exempted from the juriskun of the bishop.-Others were called ruted abbots, from their bearing the crosier pastoral staff. Others were styled acumenialar universal abbots, in imitation of the piarch of Constantinople: while others we termed cardinal abbots, from their superiority over all other abbots.-Among us, titred abbots were lords of parliament; and called abbots-sovereign, and abbots-geneni to distinguish them from the other abbots. At present, in the Roman-catholic countries, the principal distinctions observed between lots are those of regular and commendatory. The former take the vow and wear the habit of their order; whereas the latter are seculars, ugh they are obliged by their bulls to take oners when of proper age.

ABBOT is also a title given to others beake the superiors of monasteries: thus bishops There sees were formerly abbeys, are called dots: as are the superiors of some congregatons of regular canons, particularly that of St. Gevieve at Paris: and among the Genoese, chief magistrate of their republic formerly the title of Abbot of the people. ABBOT (George), archbishop of Canterby, was born October 29, 1562, at Guild, in Surry, where his father was a weaver. He was educated at the grammar-school of Geldford, from whence he was removed to Bld college, Oxford, of which, in 1593, he became a fellow. He took his degree of D. D. in 1597, and the same year was chosen Daster of University college. In 1599, he was made dean of Winchester, and the year flowing vice chancellor of Oxford, which once he again filled in 1603, and also in 100s. In 1609, he was appointed to the see Litchfield and Coventry, from whence, in the same year, he was translated to London, and, in 1610, he succeeded Dr. Bancroft in the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury. He had the courage to oppose the court on some imprant occasions, particularly in the affair of the divorce of the lady Essex, and the famous book of sports, which he forbade being read at Croydon. A sad misfortune happened to him at the close of his life: for being invited to spend the summer at the seat of lord Zouch, he was one day persuaded to exercise himself in the park with a cross bow, and by accident shot the keeper instead of the deer. A comsion was appointed to examine whether this irregularity incapacitated him from discharging the office of primate; and the determination being left with the king, he gave it in favour of the archbishop. He ever after kert a monthly fast on account of the misforte, and settled twenty pounds a year on the widow of the keeper. He attended king James on his death-bed, and assisted at the coronation of Charles I.; but he soon lost the favour of this monarch, which was owing to

the duke of Buckingham. He was at length, however, restored, but died soon after at Croydon, aged seventy-one years. He was one of the eight learned divines of Oxford, to whom the care of translating the New Testament was committed. He wrote some learned theological pieces, and a "Brief Description of the whole World." He was distinguished by his natural talents, and by a considerable portion of acquired literature: he has been looked upon as a man of great moderation toward all parties.

ABBOTSBURY, a market town on the sea coast of Dorsetshire, Lat. 50. 38 N. Long, 2. 42 W.

To ABBREVIATE. v. a. (abbreviare, Lat.) 1. To shorten by contraction of parts, without loss of the main substance; to abridge (Bac.). 2. To shorten; to cut short (Brown).

ABBREVIATION. s. 1. The act of abbreviating. 2. The means used to abbreviate, as characters signifying whole words (Swift).

ABBREVIATION OF FRACTIONS, in arithmetic and algebra, the reducing them to lower terms; that is, the proportional lessening of both the numerator and denominator. This may be performed either by continual division of the respective terms, or by dividing at once by the greatest common-measure. Thus #= ==: by dividing both terins continually by 3, 4, and 2. Or, since 24 is the greatest common measure we have, at once, 3, by dividing 12 abxa 3 abx2_3bx 36 by 24. Again, 4αcx acx by dividing the terms successively by 4, a, and x: which might be obtained at once by using

cx

4 ax for a divisor. And ab2+b2x L2

being the common measure.

ats

ABBREVIATOR. s. One who abridges, ABBREVIATOR is more particularly used for an officer in the court of Rome appointed as assistant to the vice chancellor, for drawing up the pope's briefs, and reducing petitions, when granted by the pontiff, into proper form, for being converted into bulls. The abbre viators are supposed by Ciampini to be the successors either of the cancellarii in the imperial houshold, or of the seven notarii, said to have been placed by pope Clement I. in the seven quarters of Rome, to write down the acts of the martyrs within their several dis tricts. They are said to have taken their name, either from their writing the Trevia, briefs, or shorter epistles of the popes; or from their making use of note, or abbreviations in writing. The latter opinion may seem the more probable, in that the name is sometimes used by writers of the sixth age, and synonymous with notarii or breviatores.

ABBREVIATURE. 5. (abbreviatura, Lat.) 1. A mark used for the sake of shortening. 2. A compendium or abridgment (Taylor).

ABBREUVOIR. s. (In French, a water:

ing place.) Among masons the joint or juncture of two stones.

A, B, C, pronounced abece. 1. The alphabet. 2. The little books by which the elements of reading are taught (Shakspeare). ABCASSIA, or ABASSIA, a subdivison of Georgia, in Asiatic Turkey, being the most northern part of that province. The inhabitants live in mean low huts, and go almost naked. Each person has an idea, that his neighbour is his enemy; and if, by any stratagem, he can catch him, sells him for a slave to the first Turk, Persian, or Tartar, that appears in the country. Lat. 43 to 45 N. Lon. 39 to 43 E.

ABCEDARY, ABCEDARIAN or ABECEDARIAN, is sometimes applied to compositions whose parts are disposed in the orders of the letters of the alphabet. In this sense abcedarian is synonymous with alphabetical.

ABCEDE, or ABSCEDE, (from abcedo, to keep asunder,) a term in surgery, signifying nearly the same thing as to suppurate. See ABSCESS, PUs, and SUPPURATION.

ABDALLIES, a tribe of the Afgans, who are also called Durannies. The authority of their king extends over Gisni, Candahar, Cabul, Pashawer, with a part of Alultan, and Sind on the side of Persia; greater part of Carasaun and Shestaun, and all Bamia on the side of Tartary.

ABDEST, a Persian word, properly signifying the water placed in a bason for washing the hands, but used to imply the legal purifications practised by the Mahometans before they enter on their religious ceremonies.

To ABDICATE. v. a. (abdico, Lat.) To give up to resign: applied commonly to some right to office (Addison).

ABDICATION, ABDICATIO, derived from abdicare, to renounce, the act whereby a magistrate, or person in oflice, renounces, and gives up the same, before the legal term of service is expired. Abdication is frequently confounded with resignation; but, strictly speaking, there is a difference; allication being done purely and simply; whereas resignation is done in favour of some third person.

ABDICATION, among Roman writers, is more particularly used for the act whereby a father discarded or disclaimed his son, and expelled him the family. In this sense, the word stands opposed to adoption.

ABDICATIVE. a. That causes or implies abdication.

ABDOMEN, (from ab, a nourisher or container, and domen, the fæces.) The word, however, is of doubtful origin, and hence others derive it from the Latin aldo, to hide, because it includes and hides the lower viscera: while a third class trace it from abdere, to hide, and omentum, the caul. The abdomen, or belly, is the largest cavity in the body, bounded superiorly by the diaphragm, by which it is separated from the chest; infe

riorly by the bones of the pubis ischium; on each side by various muscles, the short ribs, and ossa ilii; anteriorly by the abdominal muscles; and posteriorly by the vertebra_of the loins, the os sacrum and os coccygis. Internally it is invested by a smooth membrane called peritoneum, and externally by muscles and common ligaments. In the cavity of the abdomen are contained: 1. anteriorly and laterally, the mesentery; the epiploon, omentum, or caul; the stomach; the large and sipall intestines; the lacteals; the pancreas; the spleen; the liver and gall-bladder. 2. Posteriorly, and without the peritoneum, the kidneys; the upper venal glands; the ureters; the receptaculum chyli, or chyle reservoirs; the descending aorta; the ascending vena cava. 3. Inferiorly in the pelvis, and without the peritoneum, in men: the urinary bladder; the spermatic vessels; the intestinum rectum. In women, beside the urinary bladder and intestinun rectum, there are: the uterus; the four ligaments of the uterus; the two ovaria; the two Fallopian tubes; the vagina. The fore part of this cavity, as has been mentioned, is covered with muscles and common integuments, in the middle of which is the navel. It is this part of the body which is properly called abdomen; it is distinguished by anatomists into regions. See EPIGASTRIC, HYPOCHONDRIAC, UMBILICAL and HYPOGASTRIC REGIONS. The posterior part of the abdomen is called the loins, and the sides the epicolic regions.

ABDOMINAL FISHES. In the Linnéan system, class iv. order 4, their character being, gills bony; ventral fins placed on the belly behind the thorax. See ZOOLOGY.

ABDOMINAL HERNIA. (Hernia abdominalis.) A tumour situated on the external part of the abdomen, arising from the protrusion of part of its viscera, not through any natural opening, but through the interstices of muscles, by the parting of muscular fibres from weakness, or from an accidental wound of the abdomen

ABDOMINAL MUSCLES. See MUSCLES. ABDOMINAL RING. (Annulus abdominis.) Inguinal ring. An oblong, tendinous opening in both groins, through which the spermatic cord of nien, and round ligaments of the uterus of women pass. It is through this opening that the intestine or omentum falls in ruptures, forming that species of hernia called bubonocele.

To ABDUCE. v. a. (abduco, Lat.) To draw to a different part; to withdraw one part from another (Browe),

ABDUCENT NERVES. (nervi abilucentes.) The sixth pair of nerves are so called because they go to the rectus externus oculi, which muscle was formerly termed the abducent. They arise from the medulla oblongata, between the corpora pyramidalia and pons veroli. They then advance, perforate the dura

er, and go out of the cranium through the xror orbital fissure, and are distributed in the was externus muscle of the bulb of the eye. ABDUCTION, in logic, a kind of arguution, by the Greeks called apagoge, wherein the greater extreme is evidently conara in the medium, but the medium not evidently in the less extreme as not to reque some farther medium or proof to make it

AJDUCTOR, (abductor, oris, m. from ab 2nd duco, to draw.) A name given to those muscles which pull back parts of the body into which they are inserted, as abductor auricularis auris, tauscles of the external ear; alducter indicis, of the fore finger; abductor lonpellicis, of the thumb; abductor digiti mimi manus, of the little finger; abductor sumi pedis, of the little toe. It is an inconeace to which the art of surgery is yet subject, that these and other muscles are denonated differently by different writers and sors. Thus the abductor digiti minimi Eras is, by Winslow, called hypothenor ser; and, by Douglas, extensor tertii intered minimi digiti.

ABECEDAʼRÍAN. s. (from the names of e.) A teacher of the alphabet, or first taments of literature. ABECEDARY. a. Belonging to the al

ABED'. ad. (frem a, for at, and bed.) In beri.

ABEGA, (from abigo, to expel, because it was thought to promote delivery.) The groundpae or chamcepitys.

ABEL (Charles Frederic), an eminent sical composer and performer, was a native Germany, and a disciple of Sebastian Bach. He came to England in 1759, where he soon attracted notice both as a public performer and a private teacher. He was irascible in his temper, and apt to be overbearing. He put a end to a complaint of spitting of blood under which he laboured), and to his life, by excess of drinking! He died in London, June 20, 1787. His concertos and other pieces," says Dr. Burney, were very popular, and frequently played on public occaNODS. The taste and science of Abel were rather greater than his invention; so that e of his later productions, compared with those of younger composers, appeared languid

and monotonous."

ABELARD (Peter), a celebrated doctor of the twelfth century, was born at Palais in Brittany, in 1079. He was well learned in divinity, philosophy, and the languages, but was particularly distinguished by his skill in gic. At the age of forty, Abelard sacrificed the reputation which he had acquired, to the love of pleasure, and disgraced himself by forming and executing a deliberate plan for the sedaction of female innocence. He read lectures in divinity with great applause in Paris,

where he boarded with a canon whose name was Fulbert, and who had a very beautiful niece, named Heloise. The canon, anxious to see this young lady make a figure among the learned, chose Abelard for her preceptor: but instead of instructing her in the sciences, he raised in her breast that gross passion, which some dignify with the name of love; in consequence of which she became pregnant; and, at Abelard's request. leaving her uncle, she went to his sister's in Brittany, where she was delivered of a son. To soften the canon's resentment, he afterwards married her, though her romantic notions made her long hesitate: her relations, however, enraged at his conduct, hired ruffians, who broke into his chamber by night, and inflicted on his person, a disgraceful and cruel mutilation. On this he harshly and selfishly compelled Heloise to devote herself to religion in the abbey of Argenteuil. Abelard sought the gloom of a cloister, in order to conceal his confusion and shame, and assumed the monastic habit in the abbey of St. Dennis; but the disorders of that house soon drove him thence. He was afterwards chosen superior of the abbey of Ruis, in the diocese of Vannes: but here his endeavours at reformation brought his life into danger. After a life of extraordinary vicissitudes, Abclard died in the priory of St. Marcellus, near Chalons. April 21, 1142. The corpse being sent to Heloise was deposited in the Paraclete. The names of this couple are eternized by the epistles published by Pope and other poets. Heloise died in 1163, and was buried in the Paraclete; and in 1780, the abbess madame de Roney ordered their bones to be placed in a leaden coffin, and then deposited under the altar. She also caused a monument of black marble, with a Latin inscription, to be placed over the spot.

ABELE. Sec POPULUS.

ABELIANS. A sect of heretics, who regulated marriage after the example of Abel, who they pretended was married, but died without ever having known his wife.

ABELL (John), an English musician, celebrated as a singer, and as a player on the Inte. He belonged to the chapel of Charles II., and so continued till the revolution, when he was dismissed on account of his being a papist. He then visited the continent, and gained considerable sums as a public singer; but sometimes his extravagance brought him so low, that he was obliged to travel on foot with his lute at his back. Being once at Warsaw, the king of Poland sent for him to` court, but Abell refused going; on which peremptory orders were given to compel his attendance. On his arrival he was seated in a chair in a spacious hall, and then drawn up to a great height; when the king and his train appeared in a gallery opposite to him. Several wild bears were then hurried into the hall below, and the king told him to take his choice,

either to sing or to be let down among the bears. Abell preferred the first, and used to say afterwards that he never sung so well in his life. After leading this course many years he came back to England, and in 1701, published a collection of songs in several languages when he died is unknown. He is said to have had the art of preserving the natural tone of his voice to extreme old age. ABELMOLUI. Among Arabian physicians the vicinus, or palmus christi, whence the expressed juice, called castor oil, is ob

tained.

ABELMOSCH. The tritiscus, or marshmallow, so named from its odour.

ABENEL GAULEY. A fixed star of the second magnitude in the constellation Libra. ABER-AVON. A seaport and borough town of Glamorganshire, situated on Swansea bay. Lat. 51. 38 N. Lon. 3. 50 W.

ABERBROTHICK, a royal burgh in the shire of Forfar, in Scotland. It is one district, which with Montrose, Aberdeen, Brechin, and Inverbervy, sends a member to parliament in its turn. It is a market town, and the seat of a presbytery, it has eleven parishes. Here was formerly the largest and richest monastery in Scotland. It is about forty miles N. N. E. of Edinburgh, and, contains about 3,500 inhabitants.

ABERDEEN, the name of two cities in Scotland, called the Old and New Town, situated on the German Ocean, in W. Long. 1. 45, and N. Lat. 57.6. The Old Town lies about a mile to the north of the New, at the mouth of the river Don, over which is a fine Gothic bridge, of a single arch, greatly admired, which rests at both ends on two rocks. The New is the capital of the shire of Aberdeen. For largeness, trade, and beauty, it greatly exceeds any town in the north of Scotland. It is built on a hill or rising ground, and lies on a small bay formed by the Dee, deep enough for a ship of 200 tons, and ab re two miles in circumference. Aberdeen, including the Old Town, contains 17597 people. Its trade is considerable, but might be greatly extended by an attention to the white fisheries. King's College, and the Marischal College, in the New Town, form one university, called the University of King Charles.

ABERDEENSHIRE, a county in the middle division of Scotland, which sends two members to parliament. It contains the districts of Birse, Glentanner, Glenmnichk, Strathdee, Strathdon, the braes or hills of Mar and Cromar, the greatest part of Buchan, Formartin, Garzioch, and Strathboggy. Its inhabitants amount to 123082.

ABERDEVINE, in ornithology.

SISKIN.

Sce

ABEREMURDER, plain or downright murder; as distinguished from the less heinous crimes of manslaughter, and chance-medley. It is derived from the Saxon æbere, ap

parent, notorious, and morth, murder; and was declared a capital offence without fine or commutation, by the laws of Canute, and of Henry I.

ABERFORD, a market town in the WestRiding of Yorkshire; celebrated for its pin manufactory. Lat. 53.40 N. Lon. 1. 18 W.

ABERGAVENNY, a handsome town of Monmouthshire, in Wales. It is one hundred and forty-two miles from London; and is governed by a bailiff, recorder, and twentyseven burgesses. Lat. 51. 48 N. Long. 3. 5 W.

ABERNETHY (John), an eminent divine, was born at Coleraine in Ireland, Oct. 19, 1680. In conformity to the advice of his friends, he declined the profession of physic, to which his views were at first directed, and devoted himself to the study of divinity under professor Campbell, at Edinburgh: though he had previously taken the degree of A. M. at Glasgow. In 1708, he was ordained pastor of a congregation at Antrim, Not long after tiris, a society of dissenting ministers was established at Belfast, the object of which was to shake off subscription to the Westminster confession; in which Abernethy concurred with great zeal. In 1726, the general synod passed a resolution that the non-subscribing ministers should not be of their body, in consequence of which many congregations became dissatisfied with their pastors. That of Abernethy dwindled away so much, that he accepted an invitation from the congregation of Wood-street, Dublin, where he continued till his death; in December, 1740. Two volumes of his sermons were printed at London, in 1748, and are deservedly held in great estimation, partieularly the first, upon the divine attributes. He published several other works; and left behind him a diary of his life, which bears ample testimony to the singular excellence of his disposition and character.

S. A

ABERRANCE, ABERRANCY. deviation from the right way; an errour; a mistake (Glanville. Brown).

ABERRANT, a. (from aberrans, Lat.). Wandering from the right or known way.

ABERRATION. s. (from aberratio, Lat.) The act of deviating from the common or right track (Glanville).

ABERRATION, in astronomy, a small apparent motion of the celestial bodies, occastoned by the progressive motion of light, and the earth's annual motion in her orbit. The word is compounded of ab from, and erro to wander, because the stars appear to wander from their true situations. This apparent motion is so minute, that it could never have been discovered by observations, unless they had been made with extreme care and accuracy; and although it naturally arises from the combination of the two causes just mentioned, yet as it was never even suggested by theorists, until it was discovered by observation, it furnishes us with one of the strongest proofs of