mes, particularly that of making too great an quality among the academists, and being ructive of some misunderstandings and sities among the members. At the Me time he created other two classes; one msisting of twelve adjuncts, who, as well as te associates, were allowed a deliberative voice in matters relative to science; and the other free associates, who were not attached to am particular science, nor obliged to pursue any particular work. After its re-establishment ta 1699, this academy was very exact in pablishing, every year, a volume containing her the works of its own members, or such memoirs as had been composed and read to the academy during the course of that year. To each volume is prefixed the history of the Academy, or an extract of the memoirs, and, in eral, of whatever has been read or said in cademy; at the end of the history, are de eulegiumis on such academists as have dad that year.-M. Rouille de Meslay, counse to the parliament of Paris, founded two prizes, one of two thousand five hundred, and be other of two thousand livres, which are rately distributed by the parliament every ; the subject for the first must relate to sical astronomy, and those for the latter to Agation and commerce. Notwithstanding advantages which the members of this ademy enjoyed over others, in having their ences defrayed, and even being paid for ar time and attendance, they have fallen atler some imputations, particularly that of agiarism. The French revolution, however, casioned this Academy to be new modelled. bee INSTITUTE.

The Royal Society at Berlin was founded 1700, by Frederic II. king of Prussia, on the model of that of England, excepting that, besides natural knowledge, it likewise comprehends the Belles Lettres. In 1710 it was ordained that the president shall be one of the counsellors of state, and nominated by the Ling. The members were divided into four class; the first for prosecuting physics, medicine, and chemistry; and the second for mathematics, astronomy, and mechanics; the third for the German language and the history of the country, the fourth for oriental learning, particularly as it may concern the propagation of the gospel among infidels. Each class to elect a director for themselves, who shall hold his post for life. The members of any of the classes have free admission into the assemblies of any of the rest. The great promoter of this institution was the celebrated Mr. Leibnitz, who accordingly was made the first director. The first volume of their Transactions was published in 1710, under the title of Miscellanea Berolinensia. Frederic III. the late king of Prussia, gave new vigour to this academy, by inviting to Berlin such foreigners as were most distinguished for their merit in literature, and encouraged his subjects

to prosecute the study and cultivation of the sciences by giving ample rewards; and thinking that the academy, which till that time had had some minister or opulent nobleman for its president, would find an advantage in having a man of letters at its head, he conferred that honour on M. Maupertuis. At the same time, he gave a new regulation to the academy, and took upon himself the title of its protector.

The Imperial Academy at Petersburgh was projected by Czar Peter the Great, who had taken the necessary measures for its establishment, when he was prevented by death from putting them into execution. His successor, the Czarina Catherine, laboured on the same plan; and in a short time formed one of the most celebrated academies in Europe, composed of the most considerable foreigners, some of them settled at Petersburgh. The memoirs of this academy, which are published in Latin, are highly valuable, particularly for the mathematical part. The academy, however, was in a very languishing condition, when the Empress Czarina Elizabeth ascended the throne; but that princess, happily, naming Count Rasomowski president, he gave it a new body of statutes, and quickly restored it to its ancient splendour. The building and apparatus of this academy are extraordinary, there being a fine library, observatory, &c. It partakes much of what we call an University; having regular professors in the several faculties, who read lectures as in our schools. The ordinary assemblies are held twice a-week, and public or solemn ones thrice a year. In the public assemblies an account is given of what has been done in the private ones. The academy has this modest motto, "Paulatim." The Academy of Sciences, called the institute of Bologna, was founded by count Marsigli in 1712, for the cultivating of physics, mathematics, medicine, chemistry, and natural history. Its history is written by M. de Limiers, from memoirs furnished by the founder himself.

American Academy of Arts and Sciences, was established in 1780 by the council and house of representatives in the province of Massachuset's Bay for promoting the knowledge of the antiquities of America, and of the natural history of the country; for determining the uses to which its various natural productions may be applied; for encouraging medicinal discoveries, mathematical disquisitions, philosophical enquiries and experiments, astronomical, meteorological, and geographical observations, and improvements in agriculture, manufacture, and commerce; and, in short, for cultivating every art and science, which may tend to advance the interest, honour, dignity, and happiness, of a free, independent, and virtuous people. The members of this academy are never to be less than forty, nor more than two hundred.

VI. Academies of Law; as that famous one at Beryta, and that of the Sitientes at Bologna.

VII. Academies of History; as the Royal Academy of Portuguese History at Lisbon. This academy was instituted by King John V. in 1720. It consists of a director, four censors, a secretary, and fifty members; to each of which is assigned some part of the ecclesiastical or civil history of the nation, which he is to treat either in Latin or Portuguese. In the church-history of each diocese, the prelates, synods, councils, churches, monasteries, academies, persons illustrious for sanctity or learning, places famous for miracles or relics, must be distinctly related in twelve chapters. The civil history comprises the transactions of the kingdom from the government of the Romans down to the present time. The members who reside in the country are obliged to make collections and extracts out of all the registers, &c. where they live. Their meetings to be once in fifteen days. A medal was struck by this academy in honour of their prince: the front of which was his effigy, with the inscription Johannes V. Lusitanorum Rex; and, on the reverse, the same prince is represented standing, and raising History almost prostrate before him, with the legend Historia Resurges. Underneath are the following words in abbreviature: REGia ACADemia HISToria LUSITanæ, INSTITuta VI. Idus Decembris MDCCXX.

VIII. Academies of Antiquities; as that at Cortona in Italy, and at Upsal in Sweden. The first is designed for the study of Hetrurian antiquities; the other for illustrating the northern languages, and the antiquities of Sweden, in which notable discoveries have been made by it. The head of the Hetrurian Academy is called Lucomon, by which the ancient governors of the country were distinguished. One of their laws is to give audience to poets only one day in the year; another is to fix their sessions, and impose a tax of a dissertation on each member in his turn.

The Academy of Birdals and Inscriptions at Paris was set on foot by M. Colbert, under the patronage of Lewis XIV. in 1663, for the study and explanation of ancient monuments, and perpetuating great and memorable events, especially those of the French monarchy, by coins, relievos, inscriptions, &c. The nuniber of members at first was confined to four or five, chosen out of those of the French Academy; who met in the library of Mr. Colbert, from whom they received his majesty's orders. By a new regulation, dated the 16th of July, 1701, the academy was composed of ten honorary members; ten associates, each of whom had two declarative voices; ten pensionaries; and ten elèves, or pupils. They then met every Tuesday and Wednesday, in one of the halls of the Louvre; and had two public meetings yearly, one the

day after Martinmas and the other the sixteenth after Easter. The class of elèves has been suppressed, and united to the associates. The king nominates their president and vicepresident yearly; but their secretary and treasurer are perpetual. The rest are chosen by the members themselves, agreeably to the constitutions on that behalf given them.

IX. Academies of Belles Lettres, are those wherein eloquence and poetry are chiefly cultivated. They are very numerous in Italy, and not uncommon in other countries.

The Academy of Umidi at Florence has contributed greatly to the progress of the sciences by the excellent Italian translations given, by some of its members, of the ancient Greek and Latin historians. Their chief attention is to the Italian poetry, at the same time that they have applied themselves to the polishing of their language, which produced the Academy La Crusca.

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In

The Academy of Humorists, Umoristi, had its origin at Rome from the marriage of Lorenzo Marcini, a Roman gentleman; which several persons of rank were guests; and, it being carnival time, to give the ladies some diversion, they betook themselves to the reciting of verses, sonnets, speeches, first ex tempore, and afterwards premeditately; which gave them the denomination of Belli Humori. After some experience, coming more and more into the taste of these exercises, they resolved to form an Academy of Belles Lettres ; and changed the title of Belli Humori for that of Humoristi; choosing for their device a cloud, which, after being formed of exhalations from the salt waters of the ocean, returns in a gentle sweet shower; with this motto from Lucretius, Redit agmine dulci. 1690, the Academy of Arcadi was established at Rome, for reviving the study of poetry and of the belles lettres. Besides most of the politer wits of both sexes in Italy, this academy comprehends many princes, cardinals, and other ecclesiastics; and to avoid disputes about pre-eminence, all appear masked after the manner of Arcadian shepherds. Within ten years from its first establishment, the number of academists amounted to six hundred. They hold assemblies seven times ayear, in a niead or grove, or in the gardens of some nobleman of distinction. Six of these meetings are employed in the recitation of poems and verses of the Arcadi residing at Rome; who read their own compositions ; except ladies and cardinals, who are allowed to employ others. The seventh meeting is set apart for the compositions of foreign or absent members. This academy is governed by a Custos, who represents the whole society, and is chosen every four years, with a power of electing twelve others yearly for his assistance. Under these are two sub-custodes, one vicar or pro-custos, and four deputies or superintendants, annually chosen. The laws of the society

immutable, and bear a near resemblance to ancient model.

X. Academies of Languages; called, by , Grammatical Academies; as, The Academy della Crusca at Florence, famous for its vocabulary of the Italian tongue, as formed in 1582, but scarce heard of before the year 1584, when it became noted for a dispute between Tasso and several of its members. Many authors confound this with the Forentine academy. The discourses which Torricelli, the celebrated disciple of Galileo, delivered in the assemblies, concerning levity, the wind, the power of percussion, mathematies, and military architecture, are a proof that the academists applied themselves to things as well as words.

The Academy of Fructiferi had its rise in 1517, at an assembly of several princes and Lability of the country, who met with a design to refine and perfect the German tongue. It fourished long under the direction of princes the empire, who were always chosen presidents. In 1658 the number of members arose ta upwards of nine hundred. It was prior in te to the French academy, which only aped in 1629, and was not established into academy before the year 1635. Its history written in the German tongue, by George Jermarck.

The French Academy, which had its rise from a meeting of men of letters in the house of M. Conrart, in 1629. In 1635 was erected into an academy, by Cardinal Realien, for refining and ascertaining the French language and style.-The number of its members was limited to forty; out of whom a director, chancellor, and secretary, were to be chosen the two former held their post for two months, the latter perpetual. The members of this academy enjoyed several privileges and immunities, among which was that of not being obliged to answer before any court but that of the king's houshold. They met three times a-week in the Louvre; at breaking up, forty silver medals were distributed among them, having on one side the King of France's head, and on the reverse, Protecteur de l'Academie, with laurel, and this motto, A l'Immortalité. By this distribution, the attendance of the Academists was secured, those who were present receiving the surplus otherwise intended for the absent. To elect or expel a member, at least eighteen were required; nor could any be chosen unless he petitioned for it: by this expedient, the affront of refusals from persons elected was avoided. Religious were not admitted; nor could any nobleman, or person of distinction, be admitted, on another footing than as a man of letters. None have been expelled, except for base and dishonest practices; and there are but two instances of such expulsions, the first of M. Granier for refusing to return a deposit, the other of the Abbé Furetierre for

plagiarism.-The design of this academy was to give not only rules, but examples, of good writing. They began with making speeches on subjects taken at pleasure, about twenty of which were printed. They met with great opposition from the parliament at their first institution; it being two years before the patents granted by the king would be registered. They have been severely satyrised, and their style has been ridiculed as enervating instead of refining the French language. They are also charged with having surfeited the world by flattery, and having exhausted all the topics of panegyric in praise of their founder; it having been a duty incumbent on every member, at his admission, to make a speech in praise of the king, the cardinal, the chancellor Seguier, and the person in whose place he was elected. The most remarkable work of this academy is a dictionary of the French tongue; which, after fifty years spent in settling the words and phrases to be used in writing, was at last published in 1694.

The Royal Spanish Academy at Madrid held its first meeting in July, 1713, in the palace of its founder, the Duke d'Escalona. It consisted at first of eight academists, including the duke; to which number fourteen others were afterwards added, the founder being chosen president or director. In 1714 the king granted them his confirmation and protection. Their device is a crucible in the middle of the fire, with this motto, Limpia, Fya, y da Esplendor" It purifies, fixes, and gives brightness." The number of members is limited to twenty-four; the duke d'Escalona to be director for life, but his successors chosen yearly, and the secretary to be perpetual. Their object, as marked out by the royal declaration, was to cultivate and improve the national language: they were to begin with choosing carefully such words and phrases as have been used by the best Spanish writers; noting the low, barbarous, or obsolete ones; and composing a dictionary wherein these may be distinguished from the former.

ACADEMY is also used among us for a kind of collegiate school, or seminary; where youth are instructed in the liberal arts and sciences in a private way: now indeed it is used for all kinds of schools. Frederic I. king of Prussia, established an academy at Berlin in 1703, for educating the young nobility of the court, suitable to their extraction. The expence of the students was very moderate, the king having undertaken to pay the extraor dinaries. This illustrious school, which was then called the academy of princes, has now lost much of its first splendour. The Romans had a kind of military academies established in all the cities of Italy, under the name of Campi Martis. Here the youth were admitted to be trained for war at the public expence. And the Greeks, besides academies of this kind, had military professors, called tactici,

who taught all the higher offices of war, &c. We have two royal academies of this kind in England, the expences of which are defrayed by the government; the one at Woolwich, for the artillery and military engineers; and the other at Portsmouth, for the navy. The former was established by his late majesty king George II. by warrants dated April the 30th and November 18th, 1741, for instructing persons belonging to the military part of the ordnance, in the several branches of mathematics, fortification, &c. proper to qualify them for the service of artillery, and the office of engineers. This institution is under the direction of the master-general and board of ordnance for the time being; and at first the lectures of the masters in the academy were attended by the practitioner engineers, with the officers, serjeants, corporals, and private men of the artillery, besides the cadets. At present, however, none are educated there but the gentlemen cadets to the number of about two hundred though it is probable a greater number of cadets will soon be received into the institution at one time. The masters have been gradually increased, from two or three at first, now to the number of about twenty; namely, a professor of mathematics, and eight other mathematical masters; a professor of fortification, and two masters; five drawing-masters; with masters for French, chemistry, fencing, and dancing. The mastergeneral of the ordnance is always captain of the cadet-company, and governor of the academy: under hini are a lieutenant-governor, an inspector, and an inspector of studies; besides the masters. This institution is of the greatest consequence to the state, though managed at a comparatively trifling expence, As the former situation for the academy and cadets' barracks, in the Warren, was low, confined, and unhealthy, it was determined to erect them on a more extended and noble scale, in an elevated and healthy situation, by the side of Shooter's hill. The first stone of the new buildings was laid on Friday, May 27th, 1803, by his royal highness the duke of York: and the academy was removed to them on the 12th of August, 1806. The Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth was founded by George I. in 1722, for instructing young gentlemen in navigation and the subsidiary branches, to fit them for offices in the royal navy. The establishment, which is now undergoing some new arrangements, is under the direction of the board of admiralty, who give salaries to various masters, by one of whom the students are at present boarded and lodged; the expence of which is defrayed by their own friends, nothing being supplied by the government but

their education.

ACADIE, or ACADIA, a name formerly given to Nova Scotia.

ACENA, in antiquity, a Grecian decemped, or ten feet rod, used in measuring their lands.

ACENA. In botany, a genus of the Linnéan class tetrandria, order monogynia; thus generically characterised: calyx, four-leaved; corol, four-petalled, berry dry, inferior, single-seeded, prickly backwards. The only known species is A. elongata, of Mexico; a plant of about two feet high.

ACAJOU. In Tournefort's system, the cashew-nut. See ANACARDIUM.

The

ACALYPHA. In botany, a genus of the Linnéan class and order monoecia monadelphia. The generic character of the male blossom is, calyx three or four leaved; corol, none; stamens from eight to sixteen. character of the female, calyx three leaved; corol none; styles three; capsules three-grained; seeds solitary. There are fourteen species of this plant, collected in the East and West Indies, some of which resemble the broad-leaved pellitory of the wall: but few of them have much pretension to beauty or elegance.

ACALEPTIC. In ancient prosody, a complete verse.

ACAMANTIS. In geography, the ancient name of the island of Cyprus.

ACAMAS, son of Theseus and Phædra, went with Diomedes to demand Helen from the Trojans after her elopement from Menelaus. He was concerned in the Trojan war, and afterwards built the town of Acainantium in Phrygia, and called a tribe after his own name at Athens.

ACANACEOUS PLANTS. (from axarlazz, thorn or prickle.) Plants surrounded either in their stems or calyxes with thoms or prickles. ACANGIS, (ravagers.) Turkish hussars, or light troops.

ACANOR. A kind of chemical furnace. See ATHANOR.

ACANTHA, (from axava, a thorn, or prickle.) 1. The thorn, or prickle, of plants. 2. The spines of certain fishes, as of the equinus marinus.

ACANTHACEOUS. (from acantha.) A term given to plants which, like the thistle, are beset with prickles. Acanaceous. ACANTH. (axavba, a thorn or prickle.) The prickles of thorny plants. ACANTHAS, a town of Egypt, now Bi

salta.

ACANTHIA. In the entomology of Fabricius, a tribe or family of the genus cimex or bug. See CIMEX.

ACANTHINE. Any thing resembling the herb acanthus. Acanthine garments, among the ancients, are said to be made of the down of thistles.

ACANTHINUM. (axavfivov, from avavba, a thorn.) Gum arabic: which is largely col lected from different species of acacias and acanthuses, both of them thorn trees.

ACANTHOPTERYGIOUS, (from axav a, a thorn, or prickle; and guy, a fin, or feather.) A term applied to fishes; and em

Maring a class or family distinguished by havthe rays of their fins bony, or prickly, at extremities.

ACANTHUS. (acanthus, axavas, from , a thorn.) So named from its rough and prickly surface. Brancha ursina, or bear's ch: a genus of the Linnéan class and order Chynamia, angiospermia; thus characterised: rava two leaved; bifid or cloven; corol one lipped, deflected, three cleft; capsule two There are fourteen species of this us, in Asia, the Cape of Good Hope, and on the southern shores of Europe. The leaves and mot of the acanthus mollis foliis sinuatis merilus of Linnéus abound with a mucib, which is readily extracted by boiling or HELSION. The roots are most mucilagi

called.

Where this plant is common it is emyed for the same purposes to which althæa ind other vegetables possessing similar quaEues are applied among us. It is fallen into

ACANTHUS MOLLIS. The systematic name The acanthus. See ACANTHUS. ACAPULCO, a town of Mexico, in North America, situated on a fine bay of the South

When the galleons arrive at this place, traders flock from every part of Mexico, who come to exchange European toys, their own chineal, and about 437,000l. sterling, for pes, muslins, printed linens, silks, perfumes, and the gold works of Asia. Lat. 17. 30 N. Loa. 105. 29 W.

ACARNA. A genus of thistles in the Linnzaa system, arranged in the class and order zenesia æqualis; and thus characterised: Receptacle chaffy; down feathery; calyx imtricate, invested with scales; corol floscular. There are seven species, many of which, from their general resemblance to the carduus lesedictus, or blessed thistle, have been immperly confounded with it. It is a native of Spain and the Barbary coasts; and has been also found in Japan.

ACARUS, TICK. In zoology, a genus of the Linnéan class insectæ, order aptera; mouth without proboscis; the sucker with a cylindrical bivalved sheath; feelers two, compressed, and as long as the sucker; eyes two, placed on the sides of the head; legs eight. is species and varieties are very numerous, and include all those which in our own lanquage are denominated tick or mite: the itch insect is one of its species.

ACASTUS, son of Pelias, king of Thesily, married Astvdamia or Hyppolyte, who fell in love with Peleus, son of Eacus, when in banishment at her husband's court. Peleus rejecting the addresses of Hyppolyte, was accused before Acastus of attempts upon her

virtue, and soon after, at a chace, exposed to wild beasts. Vulcan, by order of Jupiter, delivered Peleus, who returned to Thessaly, and put to death Acastus and his wife. ACATALECTIC, ACATALECTICUS,

in the ancient poetry, a term applicable to such verses as have all their feet and syllables, and are in no wise lame or defective at the end. The word comes from xata, and anyw, to cease or end; whence xaraλnting, which wants something at the end.

ACATALEPSIA, ACATALEPSY, in philosophy, an impossibility of a thing's being conceived or comprehended. The word is compounded, of the private a, and κατα abaw, deprehendo, to find out.

ACATAPOSIS. (anaramas, from a, neg. and narava, to swallow.) Difficulty of deglu tition. Dysphagia.

ACATHARSIA. (axabaçosa, from a, neg. and xaluipw, to purge.) The gross and impure humours that remain uncarried off in the body.

ACATHISTUS, a solemn hymn anciently sung in the Greek church on the Saturday of the fifth week of Lent, in honour of the Virgin.

ACATIUM, in the ancient navigation, a kind of privateer, or private sloop, wrought with oars.

ACAULIS. (from a, neg. and xs, a stalk.) A botanic term applied to herbs that have no stem, and rest their corols on the ground. Stalkless, stemless.

ACAULOSE, ACAULOUS. (acaulosus, from a, neg. and xavos, a caulis or stem.) A term descriptive of plants that possess no stem.

ACCA LAURENTIA, the wife of Faustulus, shepherd of king Numitor's flocks. She brought up Romulus and Remus, who had been exposed on the banks of the Tiber. From her wantonness, she was called Lupa (a prostitute, whence the fable that Romulus was suckled by a she-wolf). Dionys. Hal. Liv.-Another prostitute, in honour of whom certain annual festivals, called Laurentalia, were celebrated by the Romans.

ACCAPITARE, in law, the act of becoming vassal of a lord, or of yielding him homage and obedience. Hence,

It

ACCAPITUM, signifies the money paid by a vassal upon his admission to a feud. likewise, in our ancient law, was used to express the relief due to the chief lord. See RELIEF.

ACCEDAS AD CURIAM, in the English law, a writ lying, where a man has received, or fears, false judgment in an inferior court. It lies also for justice delayed, and is a species of the writ Recordare.

To ACCEDE. v. n. (accedo, Lat.) To be added to; to come to.

ACCELERANDO, in music, an Italian