Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/648

 EGY

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In -Egypt, they hatch their Eggs by the Heat of a Fur- nace, or Oven 5 and frequently have feven or eight Thoufand Chickens come forth at a Time. An Account of the Me- thod hereof we have in the 'Philojoph. T'ranfaS. See Hatching.

At tunquin, they are faid to keep Eggs entire for the Space of three Years, by covering them up in a Paft made of A-flies and Brine. The Tortoilc is faid to lay no lefs than fifteen Hundred Eggs, which Jhe covers in the Sand, and leaves the Sun to hatch them ; and the Eggs of the Oftrich are hatch'd after the fame Manner. Wilhligh. Ornithol. L. II. C. 8. 6. 1.

In the. '13a Erudit. Liff. An. 11J85. p. 221. mention is made of a Hen's Egg, in all Rcfpects like the common Ones, in the middle whereof was found another, of the Size of a Pigeon's Egg. See Suterfetation.

Eggs with double Shells, are no unufual Phenomenon. Harvey is very large on the Rationale of thefe Appear- ances, in his Treatife de Generation. Animal. Among the Antients, the Egg was the Symbol of the World ; it being a Tradition among them, that the World was made of an Egg ■■ Whence Eggs became of Angular Veneration, in the Sacrifices oiCybele, the Mother of the Gods.

Some of their Deities were likewife form'd of Eggs. Sec Oology

Egg, in Architecture, an Ornament in that Form, cut in the Echinus, or Quarter-round, of the Ionic and Compoflte Capitals. The Profile, or Contour of the Echinus, is en- rich 'd with Eggs and Anchors, alternately placed. See Echinus, Ovolo, &c.

Cows-Egg, is a Name fome Authors give to a Kind of Bezoard, frequently found in the Stomach of that Beaft. See Bezoard.

EG1S, or jEGIS, in the antient Mythology, the Shield, or Buckler of Jupiter and 'Pallas.

The Goat Amalthea, which had fuckled Jupiter, being dead; that God cover'd his Buckler with the Skin thereof: Whence the Appellation JEgis, from <u|, ii-jis, She-Goat.

Jupiter, afterwards reftoring the Beaft to Life again, cover'd it with a new Skin, and placed it among the Stars.

As to his Buckler, he made a Prefcnt of it to Minerva ; whence that Goddefs's Buckler is alfo called JEgis, in Virgil, JEneid L. VIII. v. 354, and 435, and other Authors.

Minerva, having kill'd the Gorgon Medufa, nailed her Head in the Middle of the JEgis, which henceforth had the Faculty of converting into Stone all thofe who look'd thereon ; as Medufa her fclf had done during her Life. See Homer, Iliad. L. V.

Others take the JEgis not to have been a Buckler, but a Cliirafs, or rather a Plafiron. And 'tis ' certain, the y£gis of Pallas, defcribed by Virgil, JEneid L. VIII. V. 435, muft have been a Cvirafs ; fince the Poet fays cx- preily, that Medufa's Head was on the Breaft of the God- defs. But the JEgis of Jupiter, mention 'd a little higher, v. 354, feems to have been a Buckler. The Word

EJE

Cum fape nigrantem

Egida concuteret dextra.

agreeing very well to a Buckler, but not at all' to a Cliirafs, or Breaft-Plate.

Servius makes the fame Diftinction on the two Paffages of Virgil; for in v. 354, he takes the JFgis for the Buckler of Jupiter, made as abovementioned of the Skin of the Goat Jraalthea : And in Verfe 435, he defcribes the JEgis as the Armour which covers the Breaft ; and which in fpeaking of Men is called Cuirafs, and JEgis in fpeaking of the Gods. Abundance of Authors have overlooked thefe Diflinclions for Want of going up to the Sources.

EGYPTIANS, in our Statutes, a counterfeit Kind of Rogues, who, being EngUfa or Weljh People, difguife them- felves. in uncouth Habits, fmearing their Faces and Bodies - and framing to themfelves an unknown, canting Language' wander up and down ; and under Pretence of telling For- tunes, curing Difeafcs, & c. abufe the common People, tricking them of their Money, and Healing all that is not too hot, or too heavy for them.

See feveral Statutes made againfi them ; An. 1 & 2 <Phil. fS Mar. Ch. n. 5 Eliz. &c.

The Origin of this Tribe of Vagabonds called Egyptians, and popularly Gypfies, is fomewhat obfeure ; at leaft, the Reafon ot the Denomination is fo. 'Tis certain, the antient Egyptians had the Charader of great Cheats, and were famous for the Cleanlinefs of their Impoftures • whence the Name might afterwards pafs proverbially into other Lan- guages ; as 'tis pretty certain it did into the Greek and Latin. Or elfe, the ancient Egyptians, bein» much verfed in Aftronomy, which in thole Days was little elfe but Aftrology, the Name was on that Score alfumed by thefe Xiifeurs de bonne Avanture, as the French call them, or good Fortune-tellers.

Be this as it will, there is fcarce any Country of Europe but has its Egyptians, tho' not all of them under that Denomination.

The Latins call them Egyptii ; the Italians, Ciani and Cingari ; the Germans, Zigenner ; the French, Bohemiens ■ others, Sarafens ; and others, I'artars, &c.

Mtinfier, Geogr. L. III. C. 5. relates, that they made their firft Appearance in Germany, in 1417, exceedingly tawny and fun-burnt, and in pitiful Array ; tho' they af- fected Quality, and travcll'd with a Train of Hunting Dogs after them, like Nobles. He adds, that they had Paffports from King Sigijmond of 'Bohemia, and other Princes. Ten Years afterwards they came into France, and thence pafs'd into England.

Pafquier, in his Recherch. L. IV. C. 19. relates the Origin of the Gypfies, thus : On the 17 th of April 1427, there came to Paris twelve Penitents, or Perfons, as they faid, adjudged to Penance, viz. one Duke, one Count, and ten Cavaliers, or Perfons on Horfeback : They took on themfelves the Character of Chriflians of the lexer Egypt, expell'd by the Sarazens, who having made Application to the Pope, and confefs'd their Sins, receiv'd for Penance, that they mould travel thro' the World for feven Years, without ever lying in a Bed. Their Train confifted of 120 Perfons, Men, Women and Children, which were all that were left of 1200, who came together out of Egypt. They had Lodgings affign'd them in the Chappel, and People went in Crouds to fee them. Their Ears were per- forated, and Silver Buckles hung to them. Their Hair was exceedingly black and frizzled ; their Women ugly, thieviih, and Pretenders to telling of Fortunes. The Bilhop foon af- terwards obliged them to re'ire; and excommunicated fuch. as had Ihewn them their *ands.

By an Ordonnance of the Eftates of Orleans, in the Year 1 560, it was enjoyned all thefe Impoftors, under the Name ot Bohemians and Egyptians, to quit the Kingdom on Penalty of the Galleys. Upon this they difperfed into leflir Companies, and fpread themfelves over Europe. The firft lime we hear of them in England, was three Years afterwards, viz. Anno 1553. Rath. Volaterranus making mention of them, affirms that they firft proceeded or ftroU'd from among the Euxians, a People of the Per- fide in Egypt.

~EcYi'TiKK~Tear. See Year.

EJACULATION, in Medicine, the Aft of emitting Seed ; from the Latin ejacnlari, to caft upwards. See Emission.

To evince a Man's Virility, in a Court of Juftice, where he is accufed of Imporency, 'tis required he give Evidence of Erection, Intromirlion, and Ejaculation. See Con- gress, c5c.

EJACUJ.ATOR, in Anatomy, a Name applied to two Muicles, from their Office in the Ejaculation of the Seed. See Seed.

The Ejaculatores arife from the Sphincter of the Anus, and advance along the Urethra, as far as the middle thereof; where they are inferted laterally.

The fame Denomination is likewife given two Mufcles of the Clitoris, which arifing from the Sphincter Ani, ad- vance laterally along the Labia, and are inierted afide of the Clitoris. See Generation.

EJACULATORY, in Anatomy, is a Term applied to two little Duels, or Canals, arifing from the Veflculne feminales.

The Ejaculatory Duels are about an Inch in length : towards the Veficlilce, they are pretty wide ; but contract themfelves as they approach towards the Urethra, which they penetrate together.

Some Authors apply the fame Name to the Vafa defe- rentia ; but mal a propos. See Deferentia Vara.

E1CETES, called alfo HEICETES, Hereticks"of the VII th Century, who made Profeflion of the Monaftic Life. From that Pafl'age in Exodus, where Mofes and the Chil- dren of Ifrael are faid to have fung a Song in Praife of the Lord, after they had pafs'd the Red Sea wherein their Enemies had perilh'd 5 the Eicetes concluded, that they muft fing and dance, to praife God aright : And as Mary the Prophetefs, Sifter of Mofes and Aaron, took a Drum in her Hand, on the fame Occafion ; and all the Women did the like, to teftify their Joy, by playing, beating and dan- cing j tho Eicetes, the better to imitate their Conduct herein, endeavour'd .to draw Women to them to make Profeffion of the Monaftic Lite, and affift in their Mirth.

EJECTION, the Act of throwing out, or discharging any Thing, at fome of the Emu'nctorics ; as by Stool, Vomiting, &c. See Excretion, Evacuation, Emis- sion, &c.

Ejectione j?™*?, a Writ which lies for the Lelfee for Years, who is ejected before the Expiration of his Term, either by the Leffor, or a Stranger. EIRE, in Law. See Eyre.

ELABO-