Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/921

 GOL

cm )

GON

a thbufand airy Projects for an Univerfal Remedy. See Elixir.

In effect, 'tis probable the Arabs and Alchemifts were only brought to attribute all thefe Virtues to Gold, from their perceiving certain Qualities therein, which they fuppofed it mill communicate to other Bodies. Thus, e. gr. Gold being commonly faid to be incapable of being deftroyed ; 'tis hence concluded to be proper to preferve animal Mat- ters, and defend them from Putrifacf ion : Which is juft as reafonable as fome Phyficians prefcribing the Blood of an Affes Ear as an appearing Remedy, by reafon the Afs is a very peaceable Animal. See Potable Gold.

Gold, in Heraldry, is one of the Metals ; more properly call'd by the French Name Or. See Metal, and Or.

GOLDEN, fomething that has a relation to Gold, or confifts of Gold, is valuable like Gold, or the like. See Gold.

Golden Bull, Sulla Aurea, fee explain'd under the Ar- ticle Bull.

Golden Fleece ',in theantient Mythology, was the Skin, or Fleece of the Ram, upon which 'Pbryxus and Hclla are fup- pos'd to have fwam over the Sea to Colcbos ; and which be- ing facrifie'd to Jupiter, was hung upon a Tree in the Grove oi Mars, guarded by two Brazen-hoof 'd Bulls, and a mon- ftrous Dragon that never flcpt ; but taken, and carried off* by Jafon, and the Argonauts. See Argonaut.

Many Authors have endeavour'd to fhew that this Fable is an Allegorical Reprefentation of fome real Hiftory.

Order of */:?<? Golden Fleece, isa Military Order infti- tuted by 'Philip the Good, Duke of 'Burgundy, in 1419. See Military Order.

It took its Denomination from a Reprefentation of the Golden Fleece, bore by the Knights on their Collars, which confUted of Flints, and Steels. The King of Spain is now Grand Mailer of the Order, in Quality of Duke of Bur- gundy : The Number of Knights is fix'd to 3 1.

'Tis ufually faid to have been inftituted on occafion of an immenfe Profit which that Prince made by Wool : Tho', others will have a Chymical Myftery couch'd under it, as under that famous one of the Antients, which the Adepti contend to be no other than the Secret of the Elixir, wrote on the Fleece of a Sheep.

Oliver de la Marchc writes that he had fuggefted to 'Phi- lip I. Archduke of Auftria, that the Order was inflitutedby his Grand-father 'Philip theGood,Duke of Burgundy, with .a View to that of Jafon ; and that John Germain, Bifhop of Chalons, Chancellor of the Order, upon this occafion made him change his Opinion, and afTur'd the young Prince that the Order had been inftituted with a View to the Fleece of Gideon.

William Bifhop of tournay, Chancellor likewife of the Order, pretends that the Duke of Burgundy had in View the Golden Fleece of Jafon, and Jacob's Fleece, i. e. the fpeckled Sheep belonging to this Patriarch, according to the Agreement made with his Father-in Law Laban. Which Sentiment gave Birth to a great Work of this Prelate in two Parts : In the firft, under the Symbol of the Fleece of Ja~ fin isreprefented the Virtue of Magnanimity, which a Knight ought to poffefs ; and under the Symbol of the Fleece of Jacob, he reprel'ents the Virtue of Juftice.

'Paradin is of the fame Mind, and tells us that the Duke defign'd to infinuate that the fabulous Conqueft which Jafon is faid to have made of the Golden. Fleece in Colcbos, was nothing elfe but the Conqueft of Virtue, which requires a Victory over thofe horrible Monfters Vice, and our evil In- clinations.

Golden Number, in Chronology, a Number Ihewmg what Year of the Moon's Cycle, any given Year is. See Cvcle of the Moon.

to find the Golden Number of any Tear Jince Cbrifi.

Since the Lunar Cycle commences with the Year before our Saviour's Birth ; to the given Year add 1 : Then, divid- ing the Sum by 19 ; the Sum remaining after the Divifion, is the Golden Number required : If there be nothing remain- ing, the Golden Number is 19.

Suppofe, e.gr. the Golden Number of the profent Year 1725 were required: 1725 -|- 1 = 1721s. And 1726 divided by 19, gives a Quotient 9, and leaves a Remainder of 16, the Golden Number of this Year. The Golden Number is ufed in the Julian Calendar, to Ihew on what Days the New Moons fall. In Succeffion of Time, however, it muft be obferv'd, that the Golden Numbers, thro' the Defeft of the Lunar Cycle, recede, and do no longer fhewthe true Time of New Moons, Z$c. See Calendar.

Hence, in the Gregorian Reformation of the Calendar the Golden Number is thrown out j and the Epacf introduced in lieu thereof. See Epact.

Golden Rule, in Arithmetick, a Rule, or Praxis, of great Ufe, and Extent in the Art of Numbers ; whereby we find a fourth Proportional tp thrpc Quantities given. See Proportion.

The Golden Rule is alfo call'd the Rule of three, and Rule of 'Proportion. See its Nature and Ufe under the Af- f/cfeRuLE of three. > ■■-,

GoldenCalf, was a Figure of a Calf, which thelfraeliteS caft in that Metal, and fet up in the Wildernefs, to wor- fhip, during Mofcs's Abfence in the Mount; and which that Legiflator, at his Return, burnt, ground to Powder, and mix'd with the Water the People were to drink of; as re- lated Exodus xxxii.

The Commentators have been divided on this Article ; The pulverizing of Gold, and rendring it potable, is an O- peration in Chymiftry, of the laft Difficulty ; and 'tis hard to conceive how it fhould be done at that Time, betore Chy- myftry was ever heard of, and in a Wildernefs too. Many therefore, fuppofe it done by a Miracle : And the reft, who allow of nothing fupernatural in it, advance nothing but Conjectures, as to the Manner of the Procefs.

He could not have ufed fimple Calcination, nor Amalga- mation, nor Antimony, nor Calcination ; nor is there one of thofe Operations, that quadrates with the Text. .

M. Sthall has endeavour'd to remove this Difficulty. The Method yl&fo made U(e of, in making- his Aurwm iMhlfil according to this Author, was the fame with that whichnow obtains ; only that inftead of Tartar, he made ufe of the Egyptian Natron, which is common enough throughout the Ealt. See Potable Gold. . ■ -

GOLOPS, in Heraldry, are Roundles of a Purple Co- lour. See Roundle.

GOMPHOSIS, in Anatomy, a kind of Articulation of the Bones, wherein the one is chafed, or fitted immoveably into the other, after the manner of a Peg, or Nail. See Arti- culation.

The Teeth are fet in the Jaws by Gompbo/Is. See Teeth,' and Maxillje.

The Word is Greek, y'au-tMH, form'd of yousb, claws, a Nail. • • ■

GONAGRA, in Medicine, the Gout in the Knee, bee Gout. ,,

The Word is compos'd of yUw> Knee, and o.ye?-, captura, Seizing.

GONARCHA, aTerm in the antient Dialling— Mr. Ter- rault, in his Notes on Vitruvius, lib. IX. c. 9. takes the Go- norcba to have been a Dial drawn on divers Surfaces, or Planes; fome of which being Horizontal, others Vertical, others Oblique, iSc. form'd divers Angles. Whence the Ap pellation; from y'°ni, Knee, or yana., Angle. See Dial.

GONDOLA, a little, flat Boat, very long, and narrows chiefly ufed at Venice, to row on the Canals. SeeBoAT.

The middle-fized Gondola's are upwards of 30 Foot long, and four broad : They always terminate, at each End, in a very fharp Point, which is rais'd perpendicularly the full Height of a Man.

The Word is Italian, Gondola, till Cange derives it from the vulgar Greek yiy-T'Ms, a Bark, or little Ship. Lancelot deduces it from yivS-o, a Term in Atbemcus for a fort of Vafe.

The Addrefs of the Venetian Gondoliers, in patting their narrow Canals, is very remarkable: There are ufualiy two to each Gondola ; and they row by puihing before them. The Fore man refts his Oar on the left Side of the Gondola : The Hind-man is placed on the Stern, that he may fee the Head over the Tilt, or covering of the Gondola ; and refts his Oar, which is very long, on the right fide of the Gondola.

GONFALCON, or Gonfanon a Kind of round Tent, bore as a Canopy, at the Head of the Proceflions of the principal Churches at Rome, in Cafe of Rain ; its Verge, or Banner ferving for a Shelter, where there is not a great deal of Attendance.

GONORRHjEA, or rather Gonorrhea in Medicine, an involuntary Flux, or Dripping of Seed, or other Humor, by the Penis; without Erection, or Titillation. See Seed.

The Word is form'd of the Greek y'a&, genitura, Seed, and pso, fiuo, I flow. — •

The Gonorrbtea is of two kinds : The one Simple, the other Virulent.

The Simple Gonorrhoea, or that without Virus, or Mali- gnity, takes its rife from violent Exercifes, and Strainings ; the immoderateUfe of hot Foods, avd particularly, fermented Liquors, as Wine, Beer, Cyder, $?>c. It is cured by indulg- ing Reft, nouriihing Foods, Broths, &c.

This Species is again divided into two ; the one true, Gonorrbtea vera, wherein the Humor difcharged is real Seed : The other Spurious, Gonorrhea Notha, wherein the dripping Humor is not Seed, but a Matter from the Glands about the Proftates. See Prostates.

This latter Kind bears fome Refemblance to the Fluor Albus, or Whites in Women ; and frequently remains a long time, without much Diminution of the Patient's Strength. Some call it a Catarrhal Gonorrbtea. Its Seat is in the Glands of the Proftates, which are either too much relax'd, or ulcerated,

Tht