Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/644

 EDD

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EDI

ECPHORA, P>ro}etture, in Architefturc^ is ofually the line, or Diftancc, between the Extremity of a Member, or Moulding, and the Naked of the Column, or other Part it projects from.

Some Authors, however, account the Ecphora from the Axis of the Column ; and define it to be the right Line intercepted between the Axis, and the outermoft Surface of a Member or Moulding. Sec Projecture.

ECPHRACT1CKS, in Medicine, fuch Remedies as have a Faculty of opening, and unftopping the Veffels, through which the Humours are to pafs : Or which incide, and attenuate tough, vifcid Humours, and thereby promote their Difcharge. The fame with Aperients and De- obstruents.

The chief fimple EcphraBicks, are the little Centtursutfl, Wormwood, Agremony, Hyfjbp, Cham£dris, Bark of 'Ta- marisk, Roots of Capers, Scolopendrium, &c.

The Word is form'd from the Greek sx.<pea&uv, to free from ObftruSion ; of ex. and f££u», obftrw, fepio.

ECPIESMA, in Chirurgcry, a Kind of Fracture of the Skull, tSc. wherein there are feveral Splinters, that prefs and diforder the inner Membranes. See Fracture.

The Word is pure Greek, Izmtefia..

ECTHESIS, in Church Hiftory, a Name the Emperor Heraclius gave to a Confeflion of Faith publiih'd by him in 639. See Faith.

The Ecthefis fkvour'd the Error of the Mouothelites ; and eftabliih d only one Will in Jefus Chrift. Heraclius publifh'd it at the Inftigation of Athanaflus, Chief of the ■Jacobites, Cyras, Patriarch of Alexandria, and Sergitis, Patriarch of Constantinople : But finding that the Roman Church eftecrn'd it Heretical, he difown a it, and declared by another Edici, which he fpread throughout the Eaft and Weft, that Sergins was the Author of the Ecthefis.

The Word is Greek, luSttnt, and fignifies Expofition.

ECTHLIPSIS, EUifion, in Grammar, a Figure whereby an m is retrench'd, or cut off, at the End of a Word ; for the Sake of the Meafure of the Verfe. See Figure.

The Word is Greek, ir.^xi-\n, which fignifies Elifwn.

Thus, in multum ilk, &c. In fcanning the Verfe, we drop the m, at the End of multum, and only make three Syllables in the two Words.

Some account the Ecthlif'Jis, a Poetical Licence in the Zatiit Verfification : But, in Reality, the Ellifion of an m final, when the following Wotd, in the fame Verfe, begins with a Vowel, is of Neceffity, not of Licence.

Antiently, the s was likewife retrenched before a Con- fonanr ; as facundu fuoque, for facundus, &c. In Effeft, the in and I, were peculiarly rough and harm in the Latin Pronunciation ; as appears from ghiintiliau. And 'twas this led the Poets to retrench them at the Ends of their Words ; as the like Caufe did the French, to drop their e Feminine before a Word, beginning with a Vowel, and us to avoid a Hiatus, or Concourfe of Vowels.

ECTHYMOSIS, in Medicine, a vehement Agitation and Dilatation of the Blood ; fuch as happens in extraordinary Emotions of Joy.

The Word is form'd of In. ex, and 3»>.©-, Animus, Mind.

ECTROPIUM, in Medicine, a Difeafe of the Eyes, con- fining in a Sort of Inverfion of the lower Eye-lid, which difables it from covering its Part of the Eye. See Pal-

PEBRJE.

The Word is Greek, sttT^wop.

ECTYLOTICKS, Remedies proper to confumc, and eat off Callus's, Warts, and other Excrefcences, form'd on the Flcfh. See Callus, iSc.

The Word is form'd of Ik. and toa©-, Callus.

ECTYPE, ECTYPUS, among Medallifts, an Impreffion of a Seal, Ring, or Medal ; or a figured Copy of an In- fcription, or other ancient Monument.

In the Books of Travels, we find Abundance of EBypes of antient Infcriptions, of the Trajan Column, of Chil- T/tinar, Sec.

The Word is Greek a.^famv, is the Original, or Model, si/TuTor, the Copy, or linage, moulded or {truck in Creux : And Uwm, EBypon, the Image in relievo, or cmbofs'd. See Tvpe.

ECU, the French Crown. See Crown.

ECUSSON, in Heraldry, an Incfcutcheon, or little Ef- cutcheon. See Escutcheon.

EDDISH, or EADISH, is the latter Pafturc, or Grafs that comes after mowing, or reaping ; and is othe'rwifc called' Eagrafs, Earp, and Etch.

EDDY, in Natural Hiilory, is when the Water, at any Place, runs back, contrary to the Tide, or Stream,' and fo falls into the Current again.

The Sea-men call that Eddy-Water which falls back as it were, on the Rudder of a Ship under Sail, the 'Dead

Water. An Eddy Wind, is that which returns, or is beat back from any Sail, (2c.

EDGINGS, in Gardening, Rows of Shrubs, or Plants placed by Way of Borders, around Beds, Compartiments, ci>V.

For the Edgings of Compartiments, Box feems the moil: proper. But they are frequently made of Aromatic Plants, as Sage, Sweet Marjoram, Thyme, Lavender, Hyffop, & c.

EDHILING, Edhilingus, an ancient Name of the No- bleffe among the Anglo-Saxons.

The Saxon Nation, fays Nitbard, Bift. L. IV. is divided into three Orders, or Claffes of People ; the Edilingi, the Frilingi, and the Zazzi : Which fignifie the Nobility, the Freemen, and the Vaffals or Slaves.

Inftead of Edhiling, we fometimes meet with Adeling 5 which Appellation is likewife given to the Ring's Son, and the prefumptive Heir of the Crown.

EDICT, an Inftrument fign'd and feal'd by a Prince, to ferve as a Law to his Subjects. See Law.

Editls have no Room in England, where the enacting of Laws is not lodg'd in the King, but in the Parliament.

In the Roman Law, we find frequent mention of the Editl of the Prdetor, quod Pr&tor edixit, which was a Phrafe conlecrated to the Ordinances of the Prtetor ; tho' it was ufed on other Occafions. See Praetor.

In the French Law, Edicts, Edits, make a great Figure : They are of various Kinds ; fome importing a new Law, or Regulation, as the Edict of Duels, of lecond Marriages, ti5V. Others the Ereclion of new Offices, Eilabliftrments of Duties, Rents, c£c. Sometimes Articles of Pacification, as the EdiU of Nantz, See. ,

Editls are all feal'd with green Wax, to fhew that they are perpetual and irrevocable.

Edicls with them, are much the fame as Proclamations with us ; but with this Difference, that the former hath folcly the Authority of a Law in it felf, from the Power iffuing it forth ; whereas the latter is only the Declaration of a Law, to which it refers, and hath no Power in it felf.

EDIFICE, a Building. See Building.

The Word is form'd of the Lafm, JEdes.

EDILE, or YEDILE, jEDILIS, in Antiquity, a Roman Officer, whofe Funclion came near to that of our Mayors.

The JEdiles had the Care and Superintendence of pub- lic and private Buildings, of Baths, Aquaxlucts, Roads, Bridges, Caufeways, iSc. The Weights, and Meafures, were likewife under their Direction.

They fix'd the Rates of Proviiions, and took Care the People were notexaited on therein. The Inquiry and Cogni- zance of Debauches, and Dilbrders in public Houfes, like- wife belong'd to them : They were to revife Comedies ; and it belong'd to them to treat the People with grand Games and Spectacles at their own Expence.

All thefe Functions, which render'd the Edility fo con- dcrable, belong'd at firft to the Ediles of the People, JEdiles Plebeii, or Minores. Thefe were only two in Number ; and were firft created in the fame Year as the Tribunes : For rhe Tribunes, finding themfelves opprefs'd with the Multiplicity of Affairs, demanded of the Senate to have Officers, whereon they might difcharge themfelves of Affairs of lei's Importance; and, accordingly, two Ediles were created. And hence it was, that the Ediles were, elected every Year, at the fame Aflembly as the Tribunes. See Tribune.

But thefe 'Plebeian Ediles, having refufed, on a fignal Occafion, to treat the People with Shews; as pleading themfelves unable to fupjport the Expence thereof: The 'Patricians made an Offer to do it, provided they would admit them to the Honours of the Edility.

On this Occafion, there were two new Ediles created, of the Number of the Patricians, in the Year of Rome 3S8. They were called JEdiles Cuniles, or Majores, as havino a right to fit on a Curule Chair, enrich'd with Ivory, when they gave Audience ; whereas the Plebeian Ediles, only fat on Benches. See Curule.

Eefide that the Curule Ediles fliared all the ordinary Functions with the Plebeians, their chief Employ was, to procure' the Celebration of the grand Roman Gaines, and to exhibit Comedies, Shews of Gladiators, £5c. to the People.

To eafe thefe four firft Ediles, Ccefar created a new Kind, called Ediles Cereales, as being deputed chiefly to take Care of Corns, which were called c Dona Cereris ; for the Heathens honour'd Ceres as the Goddefs who prefided over Corn, and attributed to her the Invention of Agricul- ture. Thefe JEdiles Cereales, were alfo taken out of the Order of Patricians.

In the Municipal Citieis there were Ediles, with the fame Authority as at Rome.

The Word is form'd of JEdes, on Account of their having the Care of Temples, Houfes, &c.

EDITOR, in the Common-wealth of Learning, a Perron who takes the Care of publishing the Work "of another

Author ;