Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/318

 CAR

( 1*4)

confifts of two Wheels.

CAR

'the Carriage of a Ship G without Spokes.

'I"he Carriage of a Field-Piece, confifts of two Wheels, Which carry long and firong wooden Beams, or Checks, be- tween which the Cannon is as it were fram'd, moving on its Trunnions as on a Center : When 'tis recjuir'd to move them, they add a Vant- Train, cempos'd of two fmallcr Wheels.

The ordinary Proportion, is for the Carriage to have 14 of the Length of the Gun ; the Wheels to be half the Length of the Piece in height : four times the Diameter, or Cailiber, gives the Depth of the Planks at the fore End ; in the Middle 5A.

In Agriculture, Carriage is a Furrow cut for the Convey- ance of Water, or the Draining of the plow'd Ground, £S>c.

CARtUERE, or CARRIER, or CAREER, in the Manage, a Place inclos'd with a Barrier, wherein they run the Ring. Sec Barrier.

The Word is alfo us'd for the Horfe-courfe it felf, vided it don't exceed 200 Paces.

pro-

In the antient Circus, the Carrier was the Space the Bigcf, or ^uadrigte, wers to run at full fpecd, to gain the Prize. See Circus.

Carrier, in Falconry, is a flight or tour of the Bird, about 120 Yards : It it mount more, it's call'd a double Carrier ; if lels, a femi -Carrier.

CARROUSAL, or CAROUSAL, a Courfe, or Contcft of Chariots and Horfcs : or a magnificent Entertainment, on occafion of fome publick Rejoicing : confining in a Ca- valcade of feveral Perfons, richly drc'ls'd, and equipp'd af- ter the manner of the antient Cavaliers, divided into Squa- drons, meeting in fome publick Place, and practifing Jufts, Tournaments, and other noble Exercifes. See Just, and Tournament.

The Moors introdue'd Cyphers, Liveries, and other Or- naments of their Arms, with Trappings, lie. for their Hor- fes. The Gabs added Crefts, Plumes, £S?c.

The Word comes from the Italian Carofello, a Diminu- tive of Carro, Chariot. j'ertulliansSaibts the Invention of Carroufals to Circe ; and will have 'em inflituted in honour of the Sun, her Father : whence fome derive the Word from Carrus, or Currus Silis.

CARR-TAKERS, are Officers of the King's Hou/hold, who, when the Court travels, have charge to provide Wag- gons, Carts, £=?c. to tranfport the King's Furniture and Baggage.

CARTE BLANCHE, a French Term, feldom us'd but in this Phrafe, To give, or fend any one the Carte blanche; i. e. to fend him a blank. Paper, fign'd, for him to fill up with what Conditions he plcafcs.

CARTESIAN Philofophy, or CARTESIANISM, the Syftem of Philofophy advane'd by Zta Cartes, and main- tain'd by his Followers, the Cartefians. Sec Philosophy; fee aifo Cartesians.

The Cartefian Philofophy is founded on two great Prin- ciples, the one Metaphyseal, the other Vhyfical. His Metaphyseal Principle is this, / think, therefore I am. This Principle has been attack'd and defended, with a world of Spirit ; and a world of Zeal and Partiality on ei- ther fide : For, tho it be true, that we are as fure by an inward Perception or Confcioufnefs that we exift, as that we think ; yet 'tis true, too, that the Conclufion of this Reafoning I am, is drawn from the Antecedent I think: fince to think, fuppofes to be, or exift ; and the Mind fees clearly, the neceflary Connection between thinking and being.

But this Principle <Des Carres mould not have propos'd as a new Difcovery : The World knew e'er he taught it, that in order to think, 'tis requir'd to be ; and that he who actually thinks, actually exifts. See Existence, and Thinking.

The Phyfical Principle of Cartefianifm is this, that there is -nothing but Subftanccs -. which appears a dangerous Principle to the Divines ; and is accordingly controverted every Day in the Schools of the Catholicks ; who under- take to prove, that there are abfolute Accidents. See Ac- cident.

Subftance he makes of two Kinds ; the one a Sub- ftance that thinks ; the other, a Subftance extended. Actual Thought, therefore, and actual Extenfion, are the Eflen- ces of Subftance : So that the thinking Subftance cannot be without fome actual Thought ; nor can any thing be re- trench'd from the Extenfion of a Thing, without taking away fo much of its Subftance.

The fitft Article of this is refuted by Mr. Locke who Iliews, that thinking is not eflential to the Soul, or that its Effence does not confill in Thought ; but that there are various Occafions wherein it does not think at all. See Idea. The latter is ftiffly oppos'd by the Jefuits, l£c. as inconfiftcnt with the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation ; but is much better confuted by the modern Writers, from the Principles of the Newtonian Philofophy. See Matter, Extension, 55c.

The Effence of Matter thus fix'd in Extenfion, Z>cs Cartes naturally concludes there is no Vacuum, nor any poll fibility thereof in Nature; but that the World is abfolutely full : For mere Space is precluded, by his Principle- in re- gard, Extenfion being impiy'd in the Idea of Space, 'Ma iter is fo too. If there were any fuch thing as a Vacuum lavs he, it might be mcafur'd : The Vacuum, therefore, i' s ex- tended, and of confcqucnce is Matter; every thing extend- ed being Matter. See Vacuum, and Plenum.

Thele Principles of Phyficks once hippos 'd, 2)cs Cartes explains mechanically, and according to the Laws of Mo- tion, how the World was form'd : and whence the pre- font Appearances of Nature. He fuppofes, that God crea- ted Matter of an indefinite Extenfion ; that he divided this Matter into little fquare Portions, or Maft'es full oi'An- gles ; that he imptefs'd two Motions on this Matter; one, whereby each Part revolv'd round its Centre ; another' whereby an Affcmblagc, or Syftem of 'em, turn'd round a common Centre: Whence arofc as many different Vortices, or Eddies, as there were different Maifes of Matter, thus moving round common Centers.

Thefe things, thus fet agoing, the Confequences, accor- ding to Dcs Cartes, in each Vortex, will be as follows ; The Parts of Matter cou'd not move and revolve among each other, without having their Angles gradually broke ; and rhis continual Friflion of Parts and Angles, mull pro. duce^ thtee Elements : the firft, an infinitely fine Duff, form'd of the Angles broke off; the fecond, the Spheres re- maining, after all the angular Irregularities are thus remov'd : thefe two make the Matter of his firft and fecond Element. And thofe Particles not yet render'd fmooth and fpherical, and which {till retain fome of their Angles and hamous Parts, make the third Element. See Element.

Now the firft, or fubtileft Element, according to the Laws of Motion, mill take up the Center of each Syftem, or Vortex, by reafon of the Smallnefs of its Parts : And this is the Matter which conftitutcs the Sun, and the Fix'd Stars above, and the Fire below. Sec Sun, Fire, gfc. The lecond Element, compos'd of Spheres, makes the At- mofphere, and all the Matter between the Earth and the Fix'd Stars ; in fuch manner, as that the largcil Spheres are always next the Circumference of the Vortex, and the fmalleft next its Center. See Air, and JEther. The third Element, or the hooked Particles, is the Matter that compofes the Earth, all terreftrial Bodies, Comets, Spots in the Sun, igc. See Earth, Comet, Spots, £i?c.

This Syftem, tho very artfully conceited, yet carries with it more of rhe Air of a Romance, than of a juft Philofo- phy. Accordingly, both Divines and Philofophers cry out on it : the firft, that it leads to Atheifm, by furnifhing the Maintainors of an Eternal Matter, with means how, from the Laws of Motion, to account for the Production of the World : Tho, 'tis certain, X)es Cartes fuppos'd a Dei- ty ; and fo muft all who admit his Philofophy ■ elfe whence will they derive that Motion of Matter, which of it felf is deftitute of any fuch Principle ?

But the Philofophers have much better Pleas againft it ; and the Elements, fubtile Matter, hooked Atoms Vor- tices, and other Machines, are now nearly on the fame footing with the occult Vitalities of the antient PerHmte- ticks. See Subtile Matter, Vortices, Hooked ''Par- ticles, &c.

Indeed, Des Cartes, by introducing Geometry into Phy- ficks, and accounting for Natural Phenomena from the Laws of Mcchanicks, did infinite fcrvice to Philofophy ■ and conttibuted, both by his Praflice and Example to purge it from that venerable Ruft, which in a long Succef- fion of Ages it had comraaed : Accordingly, to him, in fome meafure, is owing the prefent Syftem of Mechanical, or Newtonian Philofophy ; fee Newtonian 'Philofophy

Cartefianifm was ready to be prohibited by an Arret of the Parliament of 'Paris ; and had been fo, in offeS, but rAu™ < !» e i tldrefi Ptefented to the Firft Prefident. CARTESIANS, a Seel of Philofophers, who hold or afTert Cartefian Principles. See Cartesian 'Philosophy

MoBfieur Rene des Cartes, the noble Founder of this Seel,

was of Srctagne born in the Year 1505. His Monument

informs us " That having mafter'd all the Learning

' f f e Schools which prov'd ihort of his Expectation,

' he betook himfelt to the Army, in Germany and Hun-

' gary; and there Ipent his vacant Winter Hours in com-

« paring the Myfteries and Pha;nomena of Nature, with

the Laws of Mathematicks ; daring to hope, that thefe

n llg r u thc, oAct. Quitting, therefore, all other

Purfu.ts he retird to a little Village near Egmtmd, in

Holland i where fpending :s Years in continual Read-

" ing and Meditation, he eft'efted his Defion "

He was a Perfon of the gteateft Genius, Penetration, and Judgment, both as to the Invention, and orderly ransdnff and difpofing of Things. He begun a new Method of Phi- lofophy, and finifll'd it, on his own Foundation The Hif tory of his Life, is beft learnt from his own incomparable 1 Treat! fc-