Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/367

 C H O

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C H R

as, before, they were taken from various Subjects, they were now all drawn from one and the fame.

The Chorus, by degrees, became inferted and incorpo- rated into the Action, to which it was only intended as an Addition or Ornament. Sometimes the Chorus was to fpeak, and then their Chief, whom they call'd Coryphceus, fpoke in behalf of all the reft : The finging was perform'd by the whole Company ; fo that when the Choryphmts ftruck into a Song, the Chorus immediately join'd him. See Co- ryphaeus.

Befides the four Songs, which made the Division of the Piece, and which were manag'd by the Chorus, the Chorus fometimes, alfo, join'd the Actors in the Courfe of the Re- prcfentation, with their Plaints and Lamentations; onocca- iion of any unhappy Accidents that befel 'em.

But the proper Function of the Chorus, now that Trage- dy was form'd, and that for which it feem'd chiefly re- tain'd, was to fliew the Intervals of the Acts : While the Actors were behind the Scenes, the Chorus cngag'd th« Spectators ; their Song^ ufually turn'd on what was juft ex- hibited ; and were not to contain any thing but what was fuited to the Subject, and had a natural Connection with it : fo that the Chorus concurr'd with the Actors for advan- cing the Action.

"Tis a Fault obfervM in Eurifides's Tragedies, that his Chorus's arc detach'd from the Action, and not taken from the fane Subject. There were fome other Poets, who to fave the Pains of compofing Chorus's, and adapting them to the Piece, contented themfelves with invented Songs, which had no relation to the Action. Thefe Foreign Cho- rus's were the lefs pardonable, as the Chorus was efteem'd to act a Part in the Piece ; and to reprefent the Spectators, who were look'd on as interefted therein $ infomuch that the Chorus was not always to be mute, even in the Courfe of the Acts.

In the modern Tragedies, the Chorus is laid afide ; and the Fiddles fupply its Place. M. Dacier looks on this Re- trenchment as of ill confequence 5 and thinks it robs Tra- gedy of a great part of its Luftre. He adds, that 'tis ridi- culous to have a Tragic Action broke, and interrupted by impertinent Flouri flies from the Mufick Box : and to have the Spectators, who are fuppos'd to be mov'd by the Re- prefentation, become all of a fudden calm and eafy, break off at the height of a Faflion, and amufe themfelves peace- ably with a Foreign Entertainment. The Re-eftabliftiment of the Chorus he judges neceflary, not only for the Embel- liftiment and Regularity of the Piece ; but alfo, in regard it was one of its principal Functions, to redrefs and correct any Extravagancies that might fall from the Mouths of the Actors, when under any violent Pafiion,by prudent, and vir- tuous Reflections.

That which occafion'd the Supprefllon of the Chorus, was its being incompatible with certain Complots, and fecret Deliberations of the Actors. For 'tis in no wife pro- bable, that fuch Machinations ftiould be carry'd on in the Eyes of Perfons interefted in the Action. As the Chorus, therefore, never went off the Stage, there feem'd aNecef- fity of laying it afide, to give the greater Probability to thefo kind of Intrigues, which require Secrecy. See Tra- gedy.

M. Dacier obferves, there was a Chorus, or Grex, alfo in the antient Comedy ; but that too is lupprefs'd in the new : chiefly becaufe made ufe of to reprove Vices, by at- tacking Perfons. See Comedy.

The Chorus in Comedy was at firft no more than a ilngle Perfon, who fpoke in the antient Compofures for the Stage : The Poets, by degrees, added to him another; then two, afterwards three, and at laft more : fo that the moft an- tient Comedies had nothing but the Chorus, and were only fo many Lectures of Virtue.

To give the Chorus, among the Greeks, was to purchafe a Dramatic Piece of the Poet, and defray the Expences of its Reprefentation.

The Perfon who did this was call'd Choragus. At A- thens, the Charge of Choragus was laid on the Archonj at Rome on the iEdiles. See Choragus.

Chorus is likewife us'd in Mufick, where, at certain Periods of a Song, the whole Company are to join the Sing- er, in repeating certain Couplets, or Verfes.

CHOSE, i.e. thing, in Law, is us'd in various Circumftan- ces, and with various Epithets ; as,

Chose Local, fomething annex'd to a Place, v.g. a Mill.

Chose L'ranfitory, fomething movable, and which may be tranfported from place to place.

Chose in Action, is not any thing Corporeal, but only a Right, v. g. an Annuity, Obligation, Covenant, &c.

Chofe in ABion may alfo be called Chofe in Sufpence, as having no real Exiftence, and not being properly in Poffdfton,

CHRISM, Oil confecrated by the Biftiop, and us'd in the Rcm'iJJy and Greek. Churches, in the Adminiftration of Baptifm, Confirmation, Ordination, and Extreme Unction. Sec Oil, Ordination, Extreme Unction, {$c*

The Chrifm is prepar'd on Holy Thurfday ^rtiLa world of Ceremony. In Spain, 'twas antiently the Cuftom for the Biftiop to take one third of a Sol for the Chrifm distri- buted to each Church ; on account of the Balfam that en- ter'd its Compofition.

In England we had likewife Chrism Pence, Chrifmath 'Denarii, or Chrifmales Denarii ; which was a Tribute paid to the Biftiop by the Parifh Clergy, for their Chrifm, confecrated at Eafter for the enfuing Year : but this was afterwards condemn'd as Simoniacal.

The Word comes from the Greek XW"*> which fignifies the fame thing.

3)u Cange obferves, there are two Kinds of Chrifm; the one prepar'd of Oil and Balfam, us'd in Baptifm, Confir- mation, and Ordination ; the other of Oil alone, confecrated by the Biftiop, us'd antiently for the Catechumens, and ftill in Extreme Unction.

The Maronites, before the Time of their Reformation, befides Oil and Balfam, us'd Muflc, Saffron, Cinnamon, Rofes, white Incenfe, and feveral other Drugs mention'd by Reymldus, in 1541, with the Dofes of each. The Je- fuit Dandini, who went to Mount Libanus in quality of the Pope's Nuntio, ordained, in a Synod held there in 1596, that Chrifm, for the future, ftiould be made only of two Ingredients, Oil and Balfam j the one reprefenting the hu- man Nature of Jefus Chrift, the other his Divine Nature.

The Action of impofing the Chrifm, is call'd Chrisma- tion : This the generality of the Romijh Divines hold to be the next Matter of the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The Chrifmation in Baptifm, is perform'd by the Prieft; that in Confirmation by the Biftiop : That in Ordination, ££?c. is more ufually ftyl'd Un&ion. See Unction.

CHRISOM, CHRISMALE, was antiently the Facecloth, or piece of Linen laid over the Child's Head when he was baptiz'd.

Whence, in our Bills of Mortality, fuch Children which die in the Month are call'd Chrifoms ; and rhe Time be- tween the Child's Birth and Baptifm, was call'd Chrifomus.

CHRIST, an Appellation ufually added to Jefus ; and, together therewith, denominating the Meffiah, or Saviour of the World. See Jesus, and Messiah.

The Word in the original Greek yj^k, fignifies Anoint- ed, of yjl*>, Inungo, I anoint.

Sometimes the Word Chrijl is us'd fingly, by way of An- tonomafis, to denote a Perfon fent from God, an anointed Prophet, or Prieft, &c.

Order of Christ, a Military Order, founded in 1318, by Denis I. King of ^Portugal, to animate his Nobles a- gainft the Moors.

Pope John confirm'd it in 1320, and appointed the Knights the Rule of S. Sennet. Alexander VI. permitted them to marry.

The Order became afterwards infenfibly reunited to the Crown o£ Portugal 5 and the King took upon him the Ad- miniftration thereof.

The Arms of the Order are, Gules, a Patriarchal Crofs, charg'd with another Crofs Argent. They had their Resi- dence, at firft, at Cafiromarin ; afterwards they remuv'd to the City of T'homar, as being nearer the Moors of Anda- lufla, and Eflramadura.

Chrijl is alfo the Name of a Military Order in Livonia* inftituted in 1205, by Albert Bifhop of Riga. The End of their Institution was to defend the new Chriftians who were converted every Day in Livonia, but persecuted by the Heathens.

They wore on their Clokes a Sword with a Crofs over it; whence they were alfo denominated Brothers of the Sword.

CHRISTENING. Sec Baptism.

CHRISTIAN, fomething that relates to Chrijl. See Christ.

The King of France bears the Title, or Sirname of the Mofi Chriflian King, Rex Chrifhianijfimus. The French Antiquaries trace the Origin of the Appellation up to Gre- gory the Great 5 who writing a Letter to Charles Martel* occasionally gave him that Title, which his Succeffors have fince retain'd. See Title.

Lambecius, a German, in the Hid Tome of the Empe- ror's Library, holds, that the Quality of Mofi Chriflian was not afcrib'd to the antient French Kings, Louis le De- bonair, &c. as Kings of France, but as Emperors of Ger~ many ; but the French Hiftorians have refuted this Plea.

Christian Religion, that inftituted by Jefus Chrift. See Religion, and Revelation.

Christian Name, that given at Baptifm. See Name.

Christian Church. See Church.

Christian Court, or Curia Chrijlianitatis. is the Ec- clefiaftical Jurifdiction ; in contradiftinction to Civil Courts, which are call'd King's Courts, Curia Domini Regis. See Court.

Christian is peculiarly and abfolutely us'd for a Perfon who believes in Chrift, and is baptiz'd in his Name.

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