Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/797

 FLA

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FLA

its Weight. See Gold. Silver, under the like Circumftances and in the like time, loft one twelfth Part of its Weight; tho* Mr. Boyle attributes this to the Metals not being fine and pure. See Silver. See alfo Salt, Diamond, £S?c.

Indeed, by the great Burning Glaffes of Meff. ifcbirn- hattfen and Villettc, the molt fiat 4 Bodies, as Gold it felf, are render'd volatile, and lofe of their Weight ; fo that there is no Body in all Nature abfolutely fix'd. See Burning Glafs, Mirror,^.

Fix'd Stars are fuch, as constantly retain the fame Pofi- tion, and Diilance with refpe£t to each other : By which they are conrra-diftinguifTi'd from erratick or wandering Stars, which are continually fliifting their Situation and Di- stance.

The Viat.4 Stars are, what we properly and abfolutely call Stars: The reft have their peculiar Denomination of \Pla- vet, and Comet. See Star, Planet, and Comet.

Fixed Signs of the Zodiack, according to fome arc the Signs 7*aitrtis, Leo., Scorpio, and Aquarius. See Sign.

They are fo called, becaufe the Sun paffes them reflective- ly in the Middle of each Quarter, when that particular Sea- fon is more fettled and fixed, than under the Sign, which be- gins and ends it.

Fix'd Salts. The Chymifls diftinguiJh Salts into fix* 4 and volatile.

Fix'd Salts are thefe extracted or gain'd from Bodies by Calcination and Lotion. They arecall'd7?.rV,inthat theiv><? was not able to fublime or raife them; as thofe carried off in the Courfe of Calcination, by the Vehemence of the Fire, are called volatile. See Salts.

The Afhes of all Plants yield fix'd Salts. See Lixi- vium.

The Chymifts alfo give the Appellation fix'd to certain of their Preparations.

Fix'd Nitre is a Preparation of that Salt, by fufing it in a Crucible, and then inflaming it with throwing in a few Coals, and this again and again, till no more Flame or Detonation arife: Then letting it cool, they pulverize, and then dif- folve it in Water, and afterwards evaporate it into a fine white Salt; which ferves to draw the Tinctures out of Ve- getables. This Salt, per deliquium, yields, what we call, the Liquor of. fix'd Nitre. See Nitre, and SAn-'Petre.

FIXING Sulphur, fee Sulphur and Metal.

FIXITY, or Fixedness, in Philofophy, the Quality of a Body, which denominates and renders it fix'd: Or, a Pro- perty, which enables it to endure the Fire and other violent Agents.

According to Chauvin, Fixity confifts in this, that the component Principles of the Body are fo clofcly united, or cohere fo ftrongly, and are mix'd in fuch Proportion, that they cannot eafily be divided either by Fire, or any other corrofivc Mcnflruum 5 or their integral Parts feparated, and carried off in Vapour. For a Body may be faid to bo, fix'd in two reflects.

Firft, when expofed to the Fire, or a corrofive Men- it ruum, its Particles are indeed feparated, and the Body render'd fluid ; but without being refolvcd into its firft Ele- ments: The Second, when the Body fuftains the active Force of the Fire, or Menftruum, without its integral Parts being carried off in Fumes. Each kind of Fixity is the Refult of a ftrong or intimate Cohefion between the Particles of the mix'd. See Cohesion.

Fixity, or Fixednefs, in Chymiftry, is in a peculiar man- ner ufed for the Property oppofite to Volatility, ?". e. the Pro- perty whereby Bodies bear the Action of the Fire, without being diffipated in Fumes. See Volatility;.

The principal Caufes of Fixity, or the Qualifications that contribute mo ft to the rendering a Body fix'd, according to Mr. Boyle, are i° That its Corpufcles be fingly of a cer- tain proportionable Eulk, too big and unwieldy to be carried, up by Heat, or buoyed up in the Air. See Vapour. i° That they have alfo a proper Degree of Weight, or So- lidity. 5° That their Figure be fuch as unfits them for E- vaporation, or flying off; iomc being branched, others hook'd &C. So that being entangled with one another, they cannot eafily be extricated, loofen'd, and feparated. To thefe may be added a fourth Circumitance, viz. the Nearnels of the Particles, and their being contiguous in a great many Points, ' or a deal of their Surface, which produces a ftronger Force of Attraction and Cohefion. See Attraction, Cohe- sion, &c.

FLACCIDITY, in Medicine, &c. a Diforder of the Fi- bres, or folid Parts of the Body, oppofite to Rigidity. See Fibre.

The too great Flaccidity of the Parts is cured by Car- diacks ; Exercile ; Friction 5 a dry warm Air, and Food, &c.

FLAG, a general Name, including Colours, Standards, Antients, Banners, Bnfigns, &c. which Authors frequently confound with each other. See Colour, Standard, Banner, &c.

The Fa/hion of bearing the Flags pointed, or triangular, which now obtains, Rodric. Toletnn. affures us, came from the Mahometan Arabs, or Saracens, upon their feizing of Spain 5 before which Time all the Enfigns of War were ftretch'd, or extended on crofs-picces of Wood, like the Banners of the Church ; on which account they were called in Latin Vexilla, q. d. Velilld\ a veil diminationc, as is rc- mark'd by Ifidore.

The Pirates of Algiers, and throughout the Coafts of Bar- bary, are the only People who bear a hexagonal Flag. It is Gules, charged with a Morcik Head, coifed with its Tur- ban, $?<;. though this be exprefly contrary to their Law, which prohibits the making any Image, or Reprefentation of a Man; founded on an Opinion, that they who make them, mall be obliged at the Day of Judgment to find Souls for them • and that in defect hereof they fhall be damn'd. But this Portrait is that of Hall Sulficar, Mabomets Son in Law^ to whofe Party the Africans all retain ; who order'd that his Effigy ihould be exprefs'd on their Flags and Stan- dards, believing himfelf fo formidable to the Chrijlians, that the bare Sight of his Image "would carry undoubted Victory over them. ' Leimclavius.

Flag is more particularly ufed at Sea, for the Colours, Antients, Standards, &c. bore on the Top of the Mails of Veffels, to notify the Quality of the Perlon who commands , the Ship, of what Nation it is, and whether it be equip'd for War, or Trade.

The Admiral alone carries his Flag on the Main-Top, or Top of the Main-Maft. See Admiral.

The Vice Admiral carries his on the Fore-Top ; and the Rear Admiral his on the Mizzen Top, or Top oftheMizzen Mart.

The Commanders of Squadrons bear their Flag on the Mizzen Maft, when in the Body of a Fleet: And on the Main Mart, when they command a Party. It fhould b'a cleft two Thirds of its Height, and terminate in a Point.

The Flags bore on the Mizzen, are particularly called Gallants. Sec Mast, Gallant, &c.

The Flag of the French Nation is blue, charged with a white Crofs, and the Arms of France.

Befide the National Flag, Merchant Ships frequently bear leffer Flags on the Mizzen Maft, with the Arms of the City, where the Mailer ordinarily refides ; and on the Fore- Maft, with the Arms of the Place, where the Perfon who fraights them, lives.— —

To Lower, or Strike the Flag, is to pull it down, out of Refpect or Submiflion, when a weaker Party meets a more powerful one.

By an Ordinance of 'Philip IF. King of Spam, 1565- the Captains are peremptorily commanded, to periiti rather, than lower the Royal Flag, when once hung out.— — ■

To hang out the White Flag, is to aik Quarter : Or, it ihews, when a VefTel is arrived on a Coait, that it has no hoflile Intention, but comes to trade, or the like. The red Flag is the Signal of Defiance and Battle.

The way of leading vanquifh'd Ships in Triumph, is to tye the Flags to the Shrouds, or the Gallery in the Hind- part of the Ship, and let them hang downwards to the Water: And to tow the Veflels by the Stern. 'Twas thus the Ro- mans ufed thofe of Carthage, as Livy relates.

Flag Ship, a Ship commanded by a General, or Flag Officer, who has a Right to carry a Flag $ in Contra-di- ftinction to the fecondary Veffels, under the Command thereof.- — : — :

Flag Officers, are the General Officers of Fleets, Squa- drons, &c. Such are the Admiral, Vice- Admiral and Rear- Admiral. See Admiral.

The Flag-Officers in Sea-Pay are the Admiral, Vice- Admiral, and Rear- Admiral of the White, Red, and Biue. See Navy.

Flag Staves are Staves fct on the Heads of the Top- Gallant Malts, ferving to let fly, and unfurl the Flags.

Flags, in Falconry, are the Feathers in a Hawk's Wing near the principal ones. See Feather.

FLAGELLANTS, or Flagellantes, a Sect of Here- ticks, who chaflifed and difciplined themfelves with Whips, in publick.

The Sect of the Flagellants had its Rife at (Peroufe, in the Year 121J0. Its Author was one Rainier, a Hermit. 'Twas in all Probability no more than an Effect of an in- difcreet Zeal.

A great Number of Perfons of all Ages made ProcefTions, walking two by two, with their Shoulders bare, which they whip'd, till the Blood ran down, in order to obtain Mercy from God, and appeafe his Fndignation againft the Wic- kednefs of the Age. They were then called the Devotit ; and having eftablifh'd a Superior, he was called the Ge- neral of the Devotion.

Women did not appear in thefe publick Affemblies ; tlio* they practis'd the fame Severities : But it was in private, and in their own Houfes.

In