Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/708

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FRIGENS 'Penis. See Erector 3Wj.

ERMINE, in Heraldry, a white Field, or Fur, powder'd, or interfpcrfed with black Spots. See Fur.

It is fuppofed to represent the Skin of an Animal, of the fame Denomination; which fome will have a Water Rat, others a Mvfiela, or Sort of Weazle, and others an Armenian Monfe. In Effect, there is no Animal whofe Skin naturally eorrefponds to the Herald's Ermine.

The Animal is Milk white; and fo far is it from Spots, that the Tradition has it, he will rather die, or be taken, than fully its Whitenefs. Whence its fymbolical Ufe.

But white Skins having for many Ages been ufed for the Linings of the Robes of Magiftrates, and great Men; the Furriers, at length, to add to their Beauty, ufed to few Bits of the black Tails of thofe Creatures upon the white Skins; to render them the more confpicuous. Which Alte- ration was introduced into Armoury.

The Sable Spots in Ermine arc not of any determinate Number, but may be more or lefs, at the Pleafure of the Painter or Furrier.

ERMINES, is ufed by fome Englip Wri- ters for the Reverfe of Ermine, i. e. for white Spots on a black Field ; but on what Foun- dation no body can tell ; for the French, from whom we have our Heraldry, have no fuch Term ; but call this black powder'd with white, Centre Ermine ; as denoting the Counter, or Reverfe of Ermine ; which is white powder'd with black. ERMINEE,

A Crofs Erminee, is a Crofs compofed of foar Ermine Spots, placed in that Figure. See Cross.

It muff be obferv'd, that the Colours in fuch Arms are not to be exprefs'd ; by reafon, neither the Crofs, nor the Arms, can be of any Colour but white and black. Colombiere blazons it quatre queues de'IIer- mine en Croix. The Editor of Guiltin defcribes it thus ; A Crofs of four Ermines; or, as I think more properly, of four Ermine Spots in Crofs. 'Tis the Coat of HurJIon mCbeJliire. ERMINITES, fhou'd feem a diminutive of Ermines, and naturally to fignifie little Ermines; but 'tis othcrwifc. Erminites exprefTes a white Field pouder'd with black ; only every Spot has a little red Hair therein.

Some Authors ufe the Word Erminites, for a yellow Field pouder'd with black; which the French exprefs much better by or femle A' Ermines de Sable.

EROSION, in Medicine, the Aft of /harp, acid Fluids, cr Humors, gnawing and tearing off Parts from the Flefh, and other Subftances. Arfenic, and other Poifons, make Erofions in the Inteftines. See Corrosion.

EROTIC, is applied to any Thing which has a Relation to the Paflion of Love. See Passion.

In Medicine, we particularly ufe the Phrafe Delirium Eroticum, for a Kind of Melancholy contracted thro' Ex- cefs of Love. See Melancholy.

Tho', among the ieveral Species of Pulfes, there be no amorous Pulfe, that is, no Pulfe peculiar to that Paflion ; yet we can certainly difcover where the Diforder is Erotic, by the beating of the Pulfe, which, in that Cafe, is change- able, unequal, turbulent and irregular. Speak to the Patient of the Perfon he loves, and his Pulfe inftantly changes, be- coming higher and quicker : And the Minute you change the Converfation, the Pulfe is loft again, and is difturb'd a-new. See Pulse.

The Word is derived from the Greek, %&<■> Love ; whence

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ERRANT, in Law, the fame with Itinerant, attributed to Judges that go the Circuit : To Bayliffs at large, Be. See Justice, Bailiff, fSc.

ERRATA, a Lift at the Beginning or End of a Book containing the Faults that have efcaped in the lmprcffion, and, fometimes, even in the Compofition, of the Work. See Printing.

Lindenberg has an exprefs Differtation on Typographi- cal Errata, de Erronbus 'fypograpbicis ; wherein°he ob- ferves, that there is no Book exempt from 'em, not even the Sacred Books He fets himfelf to enquire into all the Caufes thereof; and propofes Means to prevent 'em. But he advances nothing on that Article, but what is either common or impracticable. The Authors, Compofitors, and Correflors of the Prefs, he fays, mull do their Duty ; who difputcs it ? Each Author muft have his own Printing- Prefs at Home, as Calixtus and Opitius had • who can do it? '

Fa. Hardonin's Book on Medals, might be entitled the Errata of the Antiquaries; and the Critiques onHiftory by Terizonius, the Errata of the ancient Hijioriaus.

In the fame Senfe, M. Sayle's Dictionary mieht f,. _„ii.j the Errata of Moreri. & " d

ERRATIC, in Aftronomy, an Epithet applied to the Planets, which are call'd Erratic, or wandering Stars in Contra-diftinction to the fix'd Stars. See Planet. '

There is alfo a Kind of Fever call'd Erratic. Se- Fever.

ERRHINA, Errhines, in Medicine, are Remedies

taken by the Nofe, to enliven the Spirits, flop Bleeding

iSc. but principally to purge the Humidities of the Head. .

Of thefe, fome are taken in 'Powders, as Betony, Tobacco

Marjoram, Iris, white Hellebore, Euphorbium, &c.

Others in a liquid Form, made of the Juice of Marjo- ram, Sage, Beet, Cyclamen, Iris, &c.

Others in Form of Liniments, incorporated with Un- guent. Rofat.

Others, folid, form'd like Pyramids, to ftop Bleeding at the Nofe ; compofed of Armenian Bole, 'terra figiltata Maftic, human or Hogs-Blood dried, &c.

Such Errhiua as arc dry, and made up in Powders, are properly call'd Sternutatories. The Moderns fometimes call 'em Caput pttrgia. Sec Sternutatory. The Word is derived from of, in, and e(V, Nofe. ERROUR, or Error, a Miftake of the Mind, in giv- ing A flent to a Thing or Propofition which is not true. See Fallacy.

Some Philofophers define Error an Aft of the Mind, whereby Things that mould be joyn'd, are feparated ; or, Things that fhould be feparated, are joyn'd : Or a wrong Judgment, difagreeing with the Things whereon it is pafs'd. See Judgment.

Error ftands in Opposition to Truth, which confifts in an Agreement between the Propofition, and the Thing whereof it is affirmed or derived. See Truth.

However, a bare Failure, or Non-attainment of Truth, does not conftitute Error; that being common both to Ignorance and Doubting. See Ignorance and Doubt- ing.

Error only ftands diftinguiflied from Falfehood, in that the former is in the Mind,' and the latter in the Propofition. See Falsehood.

The great Origin of all Error, i. e. of believing that to be true, which is falfe, is a Liberty, or Power in the hu- man Mind, of giving its Afifent to Idea's or Propositions, that are obfeure, as if they were perfpicuous and plain. See Liberty.

Particular Causes of Error are, i°. An Inadvertency, or Negligence, in palling Judgment, without ufing or attend- ing to the Means proper to affiit the Judgment. As if a Perfon iliouid attempt to judge of the Height of the Pole, without proper Inftruments, or Obfervations : Or determine about Nations without knowing their Hiftory.

2". Ignorance, in not having informed the Understanding by Study and Application; or furnifh'd it with the Idea's that have an immediate Relation to the Matter in hand.

thro' a long Chain of Reafons and Arguments ; or of waiting for a neceflary Number of Experiments : with a Fondnefs for the Opinion of being knowing ; and a Preju- dice for, or againft, fome particular Perfon.'Sect, iSc.
 * °. Impatience of the Labour and Fatigue, of ooing

4°. The fallacious Rules of Probability, and Opinion. See Probability and Opinion.

5°. Intereft, which makes us incline to believe thofe Things true, from which we arc like to derive Advantage.

6. Authority : Education : and vulgarly receiv'd Opinions, imbibed ere we were qualified forjudging. See Faith.

Againft all which, there is this one general Rule or Caution laid down, by Fa. Mallebranch and others, via. Never to give our full Afient to any Propofition, unlefs the Evidence for it be fo ftrong, as that we can no lonoer with-hold it, without incurring the fecret Reproaches °of our own Reafon.

Mr. Lock reduces the Caufes of all our Errors to thefe four, via. i°. Want of Proofs. 2°. Want of Ability to ufe 'em. 5 . Want of Will to ufe 'em. And, 4. Wrong Meafures of Probability.

F. Mallebranch cor.fiders five Occafional Caufes of Error, or rather five different Kinds of Errors, accommodated to the different Manners we have of perceiving Things. 1°. Errors of Senfe. 2°. Of the Imagination. 3 . Of theUnderJtauding. 4.°. Of our Inclinations. And 5 °. Of the •Pajftons. See Sense, Imagination, Understand- ing, Inclination, and Passion.

Errour, in Law, is generally underftood of a Fault, or Overlight, either in Pleading, or in Procefs : Upon either of which is brought a Writ, by way of Remedy; call'd a Writ of Error-, and in Latin, de Error e Cor- rigendo. See Writ.

Fitzherbert defines a Writ of Error to be, that which lies to redrefs falfe Judgment given in any Court of Re- cord,