Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/113

 ALM

Some writers have given thefe the denomination of tithes, but improperly ; fince, in (bine cafes, they fall fllort, and in others, excceed the proportion of a tenth.

Alms, according to the prefcriptions of die Mahommedan laws, are to be given of five things i that is to fay, i. Of camels, kine, and flieep. 2. Of money. 3. Of corn. 4. Of fruits, viz. dates and raifins. And, 5. Of wares fold. Of each of thefe, a certain portion is to be given in Alms, being ufually one part in forty, or two and a half per cent, of the value. But no Alms are due for them, unlcfs they amount to a certain quantity or number, nor until a man has been in poffemon of them eleven months, he not being obliged to give Alms thereon before the twelfth month is begun ; nor are any Alms due for cattle employed in tilling the ground, or in carrying burdens. In fome cafes, a much larger proportion than the before-mentioned is reckoned due for Alms : thus, for what is got out of mines, or the fea, or by any art or profeffion, over and above what is fuflicient for the reafonable iupport of a man's family, and efpecially where there is a mixture, or fufpicion of unjuft gain, a fifth part ought to be given 111 Alms. Moreover, at the end of the feaft of Rama- dan, every modern is obliged to give, in Alms for himfelf, and for every one of his family, if he has any, a meafure of wheat, bailey, dates, raifins, rice, or other provifions com- monly eaten.

Mahomet himfelf firft took upon him to be colleftot of the legal Alms, as well as diftributor of them ; and his fucceffors continued to do the fame, till other taxes being introduced for the fupport of the government, to which thefe Alms were originally appropriated, the caliphs became weary of ading as almoners to their fubjeas, and left the payment of them to their confeiences.

Alms, called by the Jews Sedaka, that is, juffice, or right- coufnefs, are preferred, by their rabbins, to facrifices tliem- felves. Befides the corners of the field, and the gleanings of their harveft, or vineyard, commanded to be left for the poor and the ftranger, by the law of Mofes, a certain portion of their corn and fruits is direded to he fet apart for their re- lief, which portion is called the tithes of the poor. The Jews likewife were very confpicuous for their charity. We are told that fome gave their whole fubftance, fo that their dodbors at length decreed, that no man mould give above a fifth part of his goods in Alms. Vid. Sale, Prelim. Difc. to Koran, fed. 4. p. log. feq. Alms is alfo ufed for lands given to churches, or religious houfes, on condition of praying for the foul of the donor, both living and dead. This is otherwife called free Alms, fometimes ecclefiajlical Alms, Eleemofyna ecdefiajlica. Free Alms, libera Eleemofyna, ox pure Alms, Eleemofyna pura, is more particularly ufed for that which is not fubject to any rent, fervice, or the like ■ ; or that which is given to the church, without any other referve befides that of temporal jurifdiaion, or the right of patronage ".— [» Du Cange, Gloff. tat. T. 2. p. 224. feq. in voc. Eleemofyna. b Aubert, ap. Richel. Dift. T. 1. p. 155. in voc. Aumine. Charter of Alms, eliarta Eleemofynaria, that whereby a thing

is given to the church. Alms, Aumine, among the French, is alfo ufed for a compul- fory payment, impofed by way of punifhment, to be converted to pious or charitable ufes.

In all adjudications to the king's right, there is an Alms re- ferved. This amounts to what among us is ufually called forfeiture to the poor. Trev. Dia. Univ. in voc. Aumone. Alms of plough-lands, Elcetnofyna carucarum, ox Eleemofyna pro aratris, was a tax antiently paid to the benefit of the poor, at the rate of a penny for each plough-land. Alms of the king, Eleemofyna regis, denotes what was other- wife called Peter-pence.

This was fometimes alfo called Alms of St. Peter, Eleemofyna S. Petri. Reafonable Alms, Eleemofyna rationalis, a certain portion of the effeas of perfons dying inteftate, fet apart for the ufe of the church and the poor.

Several authors have written treatifes exprefs on the fubjea of Alms, in Latin, Englifh, French, Spanifh, &c. Camera- lius, de Lugo, Drexelius, Granada, Hyperius, Mcrtola, de Morques, Novar. Truxillo, de Valdes, Vafquez, and 'Silla- nova, Thiers and Cajetan, have treated on the duty of Alms ; de Marini and Wheatley, on the ufefulnefs of Alms ; Down- ham and Quarrc, on the neceflity of Alms ; Morques and Pancorvo, on the excellency of Alms ; Watfon, on the con- troversies on Alms. Vid. Lipen. Bibl. Theol. p. 589. feq. and Bibl. Jur. p. 167. Alms-Jo*, or cheft, a fmall cheft, or coffer, called by the Greeks KtjS«l.oy, wherein antiently the Alms were colleaed, both at church and at private houfes. This is alfo in common ufe in feveral places. Vid. Suicer. Thef. T. 2. p. ico. The Alms-cheft, in churches, is a ftrong box, with a hole in the upper part, having three keys, one to be kept by the parfon, or curate, the other two by the church-wardens. The ere&ing of fuch Alms-chejl in every church, is enjoined by the book of canons, as alfo the manner of diftributing what is thus colleaed among the poor of the- parifti Conftit. & Can. Ecclcf. 84. Sui'fl. Vol. I.

A L N

ALMUCIUM, in middle aged writers, denotes a kind of cove? of the head, part of it pendant over the neck and fhoulders, worn chiefly by the antient canons and monks. Du Cange Glofl. Lat. in voc.

The word is alfo written, Ahnucia, Aumucta, Almucella, Ar- mutia s and Amic'ia.

I he Almudum appears to have been much the fame with what is otherwife denominated caputium.

1 he AlmUcium, though proper only to religious, was fome* times alfo afiumed by laymen, princes, and even women of quality.

The part which covered the head was of a fquare form, making, as it were, four horns, as may be feen from the' antient pictures of canons. Hence appears the origin of the fquare caps, bonnets, &c dill retained in cathedrals and uni- verfities, which are no other than the upper part of the Almit~ cium, without the lower.

Almucia is alio ufed, in fome antient writers, for the furs, or fkins worn by the canons, on their left arms, in the nature of muffs. Pttifc, Lex. Ant. T. i. p. 73.

ALMUDHEBIS, in the Arabian aftrology, a kind of Dignity, or preheminence accruing to a planet in fome place, either from ks difpofition, or benign afpect. Vital. Lex. Math, p. 24.

ALMUG-r>vv, a kind of wood mentioned in fcripture, im- ported by Solomon from Ophir, and ufed in the making of rails, or pillars of the temple. 1 Kings, c. x. v. 11, 12,

2 Chron. c. ii. v. 8.

The word is alfo written Algum-tree, in the Hebrew Almugim, Algwmnim, Algumim, or fimply Gumrnim. The feptua^int exprefles it by wrought zuood.

Critics have long difputed about the nature and kind of the Almug-tvee. The Rabbins generally take it for coral; others for ebony ; others for Brazil-wood ; others for the pine * ; others for the cedar b ; others for the citron tree, a particular fpecies of cedar c ; while others hold it a general denomination- for any kind of gummous, or refin-bearing tree d ; deriving the name from A gal and gumviim ; q. d. drops of gum ; feveral take it to be the fame with the Shittim-wood. — [ a Calm, Diet. Bibl, in voc. b Eve!, ap. Hought. Colleft. 3. p. 208. c HueU ap. Kuft. Bibl. Nov. Lit. T. 2. p. 190. d Hitler. Hiero- phyl. 3. 1. c. 13. Bibl. Anc. Mod. T. 25. p. 71.]

ALMUGEA, in aftrology, denotes a certain configuration of the five planets, in refpect of the fun and moon, correfpon- dent to that which is between the hours of thofe planets, and the fun's and moon's hours. Vital, Lex. Math. p. 25. Thus Saturn will be in the Almugea of the fun, when diftant from him the fpace of five figns in fucceflion ; or in the Al- mugea of the moon, when he is at the fame diftance, only contrary to the fucceflion of the fign.

ALMUTAZAPHUS, a magiftrate of Arragon, whofe office is to fearch houfes for ftolen goods, weigh the bread, meafure the wine, &c. Du Cangc, Glofl". Lat. in voc.

ALMUTHEN, in the Arabian aftrology, the planet which has the difpofal of a place, that is, furpafles the reft in the num- ber and efficacy of dignities, regard being had to the five ef- fential points, viz. exaltation, terms, trigon, and phafes. This is otherwife called Almujleuli. Vid. Vital Lex. Math, p. 25.

ALNABATI, in the materia medica, a name given, hy Avi- fenna and Serapion, to the filiqua dulc'n, or carob-tree. They called both this and the acacia by the common name char- nub, or charub ; but they fufficiently diftinguifh this, not only by this appellation, but by telling us it was a gentle purge, whereas the other was aftringent.

ALNAM, in botany, a name ufed, by fome, for pennyroyal. Ger, Emac. Ind. 2.

ALNASI, in the Mahometan law, the transferring the obfer- vation of a facred month to a profane month. V. Sale, Pre- lim. Difc. to Koran, fee. 7. p. 149.

The antient pagan Arabs, tired with obferving two or three facred months together, and eager to be making their cufto- mary expeditions for plunder, ufed, by way of expedient, to poftpone the obfervance of Al Mohan-am, or the facred month, to the fucceeding one ; fo far thinking it lawful to profane the former, provided they hallowed the latter in its place, and gave notice of it at the preceding pilgrimage. Mahomet abfolutely condemned this practice as an impious innovation*

ALNUS, the Alder, in botany, the name of a genus of trees 3 the characters of which are thefe. The flower is of the amen- taceous kind, being compofed of feveral apices, arifing from four-leaved cups ; thefe are affixed in a cluftering manner to an axis, but thefe are barren. The young fruit appears in a different part of the tree, and is of a fquammofe ftru<5f.ure» and loaded with embryo feeds ; this finally increafes in fize, and becomes a regular fruit, containing a numbeF of com,-* preffed feeds.

The fpecies of Alder, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort, are thefe.

I. The common green glutinous-leaved Alder. 2. The Alder with fmooth, longifh, green leaves. 3. The hoary- leaved Alder. 4. The fmall "alpine Alder. 5. The Alder with elegantly divided leaves. 6. The mountain Alder, with pale, fmooth, finuated leaves, refembling thofe of the elm. 2 E 7,