Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/140

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it is much larger, and of a paler colour. Thefe creatures are not only found in the waters, but buried in earth, and fometimes on the leaves of trees, in our gardens and hedges. Phil. Tranf. N°. 83. AMPHITANE, in natural hiftory, a name of a ftone defcnbed by the anticms, and faid to have the power of the magnet, or loadftone ; but with this remarkable difference, that as that ftone attracts only iron, fo this exerts its influence only on gold. Pliny fays it was found in that part of the Indies, where the native gold lay fo near the furface of the earth as to be turned up in fmall maffes, among the earth of ant-hills, and defcribes it to have been of a fquare figure, and of the colour and brightnefs of gold. The defcription plainly points out a well known foffil, called, by Mr. Hill, pyricubium ; this is com- mon in the mines of moft parts of the world j but neither this nor any other ftone was ever fuppofed, in our times, to have the power of attracting gold. Probably the whole ac- count arofe from this, that in the gold mines worked in thofe days, this foflil might be frequent ; and as it ufually lies near metals, and its brightnefs and regular figure might naturally make it be taken notice of by the miners, they might make it a rule, that when they found it, gold was near; and this report, a little mifreprefented, might eafily, among a people fond of reporting marvelous things, be fwelled into a ftory of its attracting the gold. See Pyricubium.

AMPHITAPA, tn antiquity, a kind of carpets, or cloathing, having a foft warm nap on each fide. Briffon, de Verb, fignif. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. in voc.

AMPHITHEATRE, {Cycl.) in gardening, certain difpofitions of trees and fhrubs on the fides of hilly places, which, if the hill or riling be naturally of a circular figure, always have the beft effect. They are to be formed of evergreens, fuch as hollies, phillereys, lauruftines, bays, and the like, obferving to plant the lhorteft growing trees in the front, and thofe which will be the tallell behind, fuch as pines, firs, cedars of Lebanon, and the like. Amphitheatres are alfo fometimes formed of flopes on the fides of hills, covered only with turf, and, when well kept, 'they are a great ornament to large gar- dens. Miller's Gard. Diet, in voc.

AMPHITHURA, in ecclefiaftical antiquity, a name given to the veil, or curtain, which divided the chancel from the reft of the church. Bingh. Orig. Ecclef. 1. 8. c. 6. §. 8. The word is Greek, Ap.q>i&ug», thus called on account of its opening in the middle, after the manner of folding- doors.

AMPHODONTA, in zoology, a defignation given to animals which have teeth in both jaws, the upper as well as under. Cajl. Lex. Med. p. 41.

The word is Greek, Afupo^la, compounded of «^i, and oJ«, tooth.

AMPHORA {Cycl.)-— We meet with two kinds of Amphera in antient writers, the Italic and Attic.

Italic Amphora was that ufed by the Romans, and which is therefore fometimes called the Roman Amphora. The Italian Amphora was alfo called quadrantale, and fome- times cadus. It contained 72 pounds of wine, or water. So of oil, and 180 of honey. Rhod. de Pond. & Menf. p. 40. Voluf Marian, de Ponder, ap. Pitifc. Lex. Ant, T. 1. p. 88-

The Amphora was equal to 2 urnse, or 3 modii, 6 femodii, 8 congil, 48 fextaries, 0,6 hemina?, 192 quartarii, and 570 cyatbi, amounting to about 7 gallons one pint, Eng- lith wine meafure. Arbuth. Tab. 12.

The antient Amphora were either feffile, i. e. fuch as would ftand, or non feffile, terminating in a ftarp bottom. Of both which kinds, we meet with figures in antient medals. Re- land, de Num. Veter. Hebr. dill'. 2. p. 10. feq. The Amphora capitolina was the ftandard of this meafure, which was kept in the capttol to adjuft others by. Pitifc Lex. Ant. T. 1. p. 88.

Suppofmg the Amphora to have been a cube of 4 feet each fide, as Politian afTerts it to have been, we may venture to fay, that ten of the greateft drinkers on earth could not have emptied it. Buddeus's computation is much more reafon- able, he makes the Amphora of wine amount to about 4| gallons Paris meafure. Vid. Budd. de AfTe, 1. 5. p. 492. feq. and 519. feq.

^'cAmphora was that ufed by the Greeks, and therefore fometimes alfo called the'Grecian Amphora, The Attic Amphora was one third part bigger than the Italic , fo that as the latter contained 2 urnas, or 48 fextaries, the former contained 3 urnae, or 72 fextaries, amounting to about 10 gallons 2 pints, Engliih wine meafure b. This was called, by the Greek writers, Af*tpo§iu?, fometimes alfo K^-a^ioi-, and, by way of diftinftion from the Roman kind, fwlg»ii»; c. — [ a Beverin. de Ponerib. P. 2. p. 121. b Arbuth, Tab. 10. c Gorr. Med. Def. p. 32. in voc. Aptpo^vqA

Amphora, in aftronomy, a name given to the fign more ufually called Aquarius. See Aquarius, Cycl.

AMPHORARIUM vinam, in antiquity, denotes that which is drawn or poured into amphora;, or pitchers, by way of di- stinction from vinum doliare, or calk wine. Brijf. de Verb, fignif. p. 43. feq.

The Romans had a method of keeping wine in Amphora for

many years to ripen, by fattening the lids tight down with

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pitch or gypfum, and placing them either in a place where the fmoak came, or under-ground. Columell. Re. Ruft. 1. 1. c. 6. Plin. Hift. Nat. T. 2. 1. 23. 1. Ephem. Acad. N. C. 1. cent. 5. obf. 39.

AMPHOTEROPLON, among civilians, denotes a kind of naval ufury, or infurance, where the infurers run the rifque both of the going out and return of a veffel. Budd. de Aile, 1. 1. p. 185.

In this fenfe, the word ftands oppofed to heteroplon 3 where only the voyage outwards is infured.

AMPHOTIDES, in antiquity, a kind of defence, or armour for the ears worn by the antient Pugiles, to prevent giving their adverfaries a handle by that part. Aquin. Lex. Milit. in voc.

Authors have been in the dark as to the nature and office of the Amphotides. Some explain them as a fort of helmet for covering the nofe and ears. Argol. in Not. ad Panvin. Fabretti firft afcertamed their real ufe, from the figure of a Pugil, which had A?nphotides over its ears, joined by a piece coming over the forehead, and tied with fixings under the chin. Column. Traj. c. 8.

AMPLIATION is ufed, in fome writers, for the act of en- larging the compafs or extent of a thing. On a medal of the emperor Antoninus Pius, we find the title Ampliator avium given him, on account of his having ex- tended the jus eivitatis, or right of citizenfhip, to many ftates and people before excluded from that privilege. In ef- fect, it is generally fuppofed to have been this prince that made the famous conftitution, whereby all the fubjects of the empire were made citizens of Rome. M. Spanheim refutes this notion, and makes the emperor Caracalla to have been ■ the author of that conftitution. Spanh. Orbis Romanus, Exerc. 2. Ouvr. des Scav. Nov. 1702. p. 489.

Ampliation, in the Roman law, denotes the act of deferring a judicial fentence, either by reafon the caufe is not clear, or in favour of him againft whom it is to pafs. Ampliation differed from comperendination, in that the former was granted on the mere motion or pleafure of the judge, the latter at the petition of one or both the parties. Add, that the former was not limited to any certain time, whereas the latter could not be extended beyond the third day. — Befides, Ampli- ation might be repealed, which compsrendination might not. The firft introduction of Ampliation was in favour of the rei, or perfons accufed. But it was afterwards ufed on other occafions ; e. gr. when certain witnefles were wanting, or the crime or the fact had not been fufficiently proved to found a final decifion on, or that the kind or meafure of punifhment was not agreed on, &c.

In thefe cafes, the przetor fignified his intention, by pro- nouncing the word A?nplius, or the letters N. L. for non liquet, by which he denoted that the caufe was not clear, but that a fecond action muft be brought. The perfon whofe fentence, whether of condemnation or ab- folution, was thus deferred, was faid to be ampliatus. Hence the phrafes, bis ampliatus, tertio abfolutus ejl reus.

Ampliation is alfo ufed, among fchoolmen, to denote the acceptation of a term for a different time from that fignified by the verb in the propofition, e. gr. jujlus peccavit, i. e. be- fore he finned he was juft. Scherz. Man. Philof. P. 1. p. 18.

AMPTRUARE, in antiquity, denoted a kind of dancing per- formed by the chief of the Salii, and anfwered with a cor- refpondent motion by others in the chorus. This is fometimes alfo called amburvare ; the anfwer of the chorus was particularly called redamtruare.

AMPULLA, in antiquity, an oil-viol with a large belly, ufed for unctions at the baths. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. in voc. The word Ampulla was alfo ufed for a drinking vcfiel ufed at table.

Ampulla, among ecclefiaftical writers, denotes one of the fa- cred veffels ufed at the altars. Du Cange, GlofT. Lat. T. 1. in voc.

The word is fometimes alfo written in Englifh Ampul. Ampulla were alfo ufed for holding the oil ufed in chrifmation, confecration, coronation, &c.

Among the ornaments of churches, we find frequent mention made of Ampuls, or vials. In the inventory of the cathedral of Lincoln, we meet with Ampuls of cryftal, varioufly en- riched with filver feet and covers ; one containing a tooth of St. Chriftopher, another a tooth of St. Cecily, another a bone of the head of St. John Baptift. Dugd. Monaft. T. 3. p. 272. Abridg. p. 304.

AMPULLACEjfe concha, in natural hiftory, a name by which fome authors have called a genus of {hells, named by others concha globofa, and dolia, and by the French naturalifts tonnes* See the article Dolium.

AMPUTATION (Cycl.)— We have feveral remarks on the Amputations of the larger extremities, by Mr. Monro, in the Medic. Eft. Edinb. Vol. 4. art. 22. to which we muft refer the curious.

AMSEGETES, in antiquity, thofe whofe grounds abutted on the highway. Vid. Peji. de Verb, fignif. in voc. The laws of the twelve tables decree, Amfegetes viam muni" unto* Baxt. Glofl". in voc.

AMTRUSTIO,