Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/938

 GRO

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GRO

de Cam, equally deftru&ive to all within the Reach of its Vapours.

'Tis a (matt Grotto about 8 Foot high, 12 long, and 6 broad; from the Ground arifes a thin, fubtle, warm Fume, vifiblc enough to a difcerning Eye, which does not Turing up in little Parcels here and there,. but in one continued Stream, covering the whole Surface of the bottom of the Cave; having this remarkable Difference from common Vapours, that it does not, like Smoke, diiperie it left into the Air, but quickly after its Rife, falls back again, and returns to the Earth = the Colour of the Sides of the Grotto being the Meafure of its Afcent; for fo far it is of a darkifti green, but higher only common Earth. And as I my felt found no Inconveniency by {landing in it, fo no Animal, it its Head be above this Mark, is the leal! injured. But when, as the manner is, a Hog, or any other Creature, is forcibly kept below it; or by reafon of its Smallnefs, can't' hold its Head above it • it prefently, loolesall Morion, falls down as dead, or in a Swoon, the Limbs convulfed and trembling, till at latt no more Signs of Life ap- pear, than a very weak and almoll infenfible beating of the Head and Arteries; which if the Animal be left a lit- tle longer, quickly ceafes too, and then the Cale is ir- recoverable; but if fhatched out, and laid in the open Air, foon comes to life again, and fooner if thrown into the adja- cent Lake.

The Fumes of the Grotto, the fame Author argues, are no real Poifon.but afifc chiefly by their Gravity; elfe the Crea- tures could not recover fofbon; or if they did, fome Symptoms, as Faintnefs, &c. would be the Confequence of it. He adds, that in Creatures killed therewith, when di fleeted, no Marks of Infection aprj£>«£ and that the Attack proceeds from a want of Air, ttwhich the Circulation tends to an entire Stoppage, and whs fo much the more, as the Animal infpires a Fluid of a quite different Kature from the Air, and fo no ways fit to fupply its Place.

Taking the Animal out while alive, and throwing it into the neighbouring Lake, it recovers: This is owing to the Coldnefs of the Water, which promotes the Contraction of the Fibres, and lo affiits the retarded Circulation; the fmall Portion of the Air which remains in theVeficuhe, after every Expiration, may be fufficient to drive out the noxious Fluid. After the fame manner, cold Water aefs in a deliquium Au'imi: The Lake of Agnano has no other Virtue in it more than others.

Grotta delli Serpi, is a fubterraneous Cavern near the Village of Saf/h, eight Miles from the City of Sraccano in Italy; defcribed by Kirchcr thus :

The Grotta delli Serpi, is big enough to hold two Per- fonsj it is perforated with feveral fiftular Apertures, fome- what in manner of a Sieve; out of which, at the beginning of the Spring Seafon, iffues a numerous Brood of young Snakes of divers Colours, but all free of any particular poi- fonous Quality.

In this Cave they expofe their Lepers, Paralyticks, Ar- thriticks, and Elcphantiac Patients quite naked; where, the Warmth of the fubterraneous Steams refolving them in- to Sweat, and the Serpents clinging varioufly ail around, licking and fucking them, they become fo thoroughly freed of all their vitious Humours, that upon repeating the Ope- ration for fome Time, rhey became perfectly restored.

This Cave Kircher vifited himfelf, and found it warm, and every way agreeable to the Defcription given of it. He faw the Holes, and heard a murmuring, hifTing Noife in them. Tho' he trufs'd feeing the Serpents, it being not the Seafon of their creeping out; yet he faw a great Number of their Exuviae, or Sloughs, and an Elm growing hard' by laden with them.

The Difcovery of this Cave, was by the Cure of a Leper going from Rome to fome Baths near this Place; who, lo- iing his way, and being benighted, happen'd upon this Cave, and finding it very warm, pulled off his Cloaths, and being weary and fleepy, had the good Fortune not to feel the Ser- pents about him till they had wrought his Cure. Mufeum Wormian.

We alfo read of the Milky Grotto, or Crypta LaBca, a Mile diltant from the antient Village of 'Bethlehem.

It is faid to bo thus denominated, on occafion of the blef- fed Virgin, who let fall fome Drops of Milk in giving Suck to the little Jefus in this Grotto. And hence it has been commoniy,fuppoled, that the Earth of this Cavern has the Virtue of relloring Milk to Women that are grown dry, and even of curing Fevers.

Accordingly, rhey are always a-digging in it, and the Earth is fold at a good Rate to fuch as have Faith enough to give Credit to the Fable— An Altar has been built on the Place, and a Church jud: by it.

Grotto is alfo ufed for a little artificial Edifice made in a Garden, in Imitation of a natural Grotto.

The Outfides of thefe Grottos are ufually adorn'd with Ruftic Architecture, and their Infide with Shell-work, fur- nifh.'d likewife with various Jet d'Eaus, or Fountains,^. See Shell-Wore., i$G.

The Grotto at Verfailles, is an excellent Piece of Build- ing. — Solomon de Caux has an exprefs Treatife of Grottos and Fountains.

GROVE, in Agriculture,^, a little thick Wood. See Wood*

The antient Romans had a fort of Groves near feveral of their Temples, which were conlecrated to fome God, and called Luci, by Antiphrafis, a non lucendo, as being fhady and dark. See Li/cirs.

In very large and magnificent Gardens, a Grove is ufually a Plot of Trees, inclofed with Paliffades, confifling of tall Trees, as Elms, Horfe-Chefhuts, &c. the Tops whereof make a Tufr or Plume, and fhade the Ground below.

At the Foot of the tall Trees, which generally run all along the PalifTadcs at equal Diltance, other lefler Trees are often planted, whole Tufts form a Refemblance ot a fort of Copfe within the former.

GROUND, in Agriculture, a Piece of Land, or Soil; or a Portion of Earth, whether fit or unfit to be tilled and cul- tivated. See Earth and Soil. See alfo Orchard, Garden, ££c.

All Sorts of Land may be reduced to boggy or marfoy, chalky, gravelly, and flvny. Sec Bog, Marsh, Chalk, Sand, Gravel, &c.

Ground, in Painting, is the Surface, upon which the Figures, and other Objects, are railed or reprefentcd. See Painting.

The Ground is properly underftood of fuch Parts of the Piece as have nothing painted on them, but retain the origi- nal Colour upon which the other Colours are applied to m,tke the Reprefentations. See Colouring.

A Drapery, Piece of Building, the like, are faid to ferve as a Ground to a Figure, when the Figure is painted on the Drapery or Building.

In the like Seme, we alfo fay the Ground of a Piece of Tapiftry, of an Embroidery, of a Medal, Coin, &c. See TAnsTRY, Embroidery, Brocade, Medal, Coin, &c.

The Ground of a Shield or Efcutcheon in Heraldry, is properly called the Field. See Field.

Ground, in Etching, is a gummous Compofition, fmear- ed over the Surface of the Metal to be etch'd; to prevent the Aqua Fortis from eating, or having effect, except in Places where this Ground is cut thro', or pared off, with the Points of Needles. See Etching.

Grov nn-Work, in Building. See Foundation.

Grovhb-ScII, or GK0Vtn>-<Plate. See Sell.

GR.ovNo-l'ackle, a Sea-Term denoting a Ship's Anchor, Cables, £Sfc. with whatever is neceflary to make her ridefafe at Anchor in a proper Ground. See Tackle, Anchor, &c.

GROUNDING of a Ship, is the bringing her on Ground^ to be trimmed, made clean, or to have fome Leak flopped in her.

GROUPADES is corruptly ufed, in the Manage for Croupades. See Croutade.

GROUP, or Groupte, in Painting and Sculpture, an Affemblage or Knot of two or more Figures of Men, Beafts, Fruits, or the like, which have fome apparent re- lation to each other.

In a good Painting, it is neceffary that all the Figures be divided into 2 or 3 Groups, or feparate Collections — Such and fuch a Thing make a Group with fuch and fuch others of different Nature and Kind. The antique Laomedon is a fine Group of three beautiful Figures.

A Group has fomewhat in it of the Nature of a Symphony or Concert of Voices: As, in the one the Voices muftfuftain each other, in order to fill the Ear with an agreeable Har- mony from tKe whole; whence if any part were to ceafe, fomething would neceffarily be mifs'd : So, in the Group, if the Parts or Figures be not well balanced, fomething will be found difagreeable.

There are two Sorts of Groups, or two manners of confl- dering Groups; with regard to the Defign, and to the Clair obfeure. The firlf is common both to Works of Painting, and thofe of Sculpture; the latter peculiar to Painting.

Groups, with regard to the Defign, are Combinations of divers Figures, which have relation to each other, either on account of the Aclion, or of their Proximity, or of the Effect, they have. Thefe we conceive, in fome meafure, as reprcfenting fo many different Subjects, or at leaft fo many diflinct Parts or Members of one greater Subject. SeeDESiGN.

Groups, with regard to the Clair obfeure, are Bodies of Figures w'herein the Lights and Shadows are diffufed in fuch manner that they itrikethe Eye together, and naturally lead it to coniider them in one View- See Clair obfeure.

The Word Grotippe is French) form'd of the Italian Groppo, a Knot.

In Architecture we fay a Group of Columns, fpeakino of three or four Columns join'd together on the fame Pedellal. See Column.

When there are but two together, we fay a couple, not a Group of Columns. See Couple.

In Muflc, a Group is one of the Kinds of Diminutions

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