Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/191

 MET

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MET

fend themfelves from wild Beafis. They burn no Wood, left fome little Animalcule fhould be in it j and are fo very charitable, that they will redeem from the hands of Strangers, any Animals that they find ready to be killed. See Brachmans, Banians, ($c.

The Word is Greek, form'd of jwtw, hi, and Vvx*h ^ ou ^

METEMPTOS1S, a Term in Mathematics, particu- larly ufed in Chronology, expreffing the folar Equation, neceffary to prevent the new Moon from happening a Day too late j as, on the contrary, Proemptofis fignifies the lunar Equation, neceffary to prevent the new Moon from happening a Day too (boa. See Proemptosis.

The new Moons running a little backwards, that is, coming a Day too foon at the end of 512 Years and a half j by the Proemptofis, a Day is added every goo Years, and another every 2400 Years : On the other hand, by the Metemptofis, a Biffextile is fuppreffed each 134. Years, that is, three times in 400 Years. Thefe Alterations are never made, but at the end of each Century ; that Period being very remarkable, and rendring the Practice of the Calendar eafy.

There are three Rules for making this Addition, or Suppreffion of the Biffextile- Day, and by confequence for changing the Index of the Epacts. 1. When there is a Metemptofis without a Proemptofis, the next following, or lower index, muft be taken. 2. When there is a Pro- emptofis without a Metempto/is, the next preceding, or fupe- rior Index, is to be taken. 3. When there is both a Me- temptofis and a Proemptofis, or when there is neither the one nor the other, the fame Index is preferved. Thus in itfoo we had D j in 1700, by reafon of the Metemftofis, C was taken 5 in 1800 there will be both a Proemptofis and a Metemptofis ; fo the fame Index will be retained. In 1900 there will be a Metemptofis again, when B will be raken, which will be preferved in 2000 j becaufe there will then be neither the one nor the other. This is as far as we fhall need it. Oavius has calculated a Cycle of 301800 Years, at the end of which Period, the fame In- dices return in the fame Order. See Epact.

The Word comes from the Greek iww, foji, and ww^bp, cado, I fall.

METEOR, in Phyfiology, a mixed, moveable, crude, inconftant, imperfect Body, or Semblance of a Body, ap- pearing in the Atmofphere, and formed out of the Matter of the common Elements, altered a little, but not trans- formed.

Meteors are of three Kinds : Ignious, or fiery Me- tears, confift of a fat fulphurous Smoke fet on Fire; fuch are Lightning, Thunder, Ignis Fatuus, Draco Volans, Falling Stars, and other fiery Phenomena appearing in the Air- See Thunder, Lightning, Ignis Fatuus, ££c.

Aerial or Airy Meteors, confift of flatulent and fpiri- tuous Exhalations ; fuch are Winds, Whirlwinds, and Hur- ricanes. See Wind, Hurricane, £#c.

Aqueous or Watery Meteors, are compofed of Vapours, or watery Particles varioutly feparated and condenfed by Heat and Cold j fuch are Clouds, Rainbows, Hail, Snow, Rain, Dew, and the like. See Cloud, Rainbow, Hail, Snow, Rain, Dew, &c.

The Formation of Meteors is explained pretty large- ly by Des Cartes, in a Treattfe exprefs. Ariftotle and Gaf- fendus have alfo handled the fame Subject. Dr. Wood- ward's Opinion is, That the Matter of Meteors is in great meafure of a mineral nature '■> That the mineral Particles contained in the Strata of the Earth, are raifed by the fubterraneous Heat, together with the Vapours afcending from the Abyfs, and pervading thofe Strata ; efpecially at fuch times as the Sun's Heat is fufficient to pene- trate the exterior Parts of the Earth, and to make room for their Efcape into the Atmofphere. Thus fulphurous, nitrous, and other active and volatile mineral Particles, form various Meteors, according to the various Fate they meet with in the Air. See Vapour, Exhalation, Mineral, Air, &c.

The Greeks call them f/?TS/.'gr, q. d. Sublimes, or high- raifed ; the Latins, Imprefjiones, as making .Signs or Im- preffions in the Air.

METEOROLOGY, the Doctrine of Meteors ; explain- ing their Origin, Formation, Kinds, Phenomena, &c. See Meteor.

METEOROSCOPE, a Name the antient Mathema- ticians gave to fuch Inftruments as they ufed for obferv- ing, and determining the Distances, Magnitudes and Places of the heavenly Bodies.

From the Greek y/fifas&u high 5 and trxATrmpat, 1 •view, ebferve.

"METHEGLIN, a Liquor, or Drink prepared of Ho- ney j one of the mo ft pleafant and general Drinks the Northern part of Europe affords 5 and much ufed among the anrient Inhabitants. See Drink.

There are divers ways of making it : One of the belt whereof follows. Put as much live Honey naturally

running from the Comb, into Spring- Water, as that when the Honey is thoroughly diflblved, an Egg will not fink to the bottom, but be jult fulpended in it ; This Liquor boil for an Hour, or more, till fuch time as the Egg iwitns above the Liquor about the breadth of a Groat j when very cool , next Morning, it may be barrel'd up j adding to each fifteen Gallons an Ounce of Ginger, as much ot Mace and of Cloves, and half as much Cinnamon, all grofly pounded : a Spoonful of Yeft may be alfo added at the Bung- Hole, to promote the working. When it has done work- ing, it may be clofely ftop'd up, and after it has flood a Month, may be drawn off into Bottles. The Word is Welch, Meddyglyn.

METHOD, the Art, or Rule of difpofing things in fuch a manner, as they may be eafily comprehended j ei- ther in order to difcover the Truth, which we ourfelves are ignorant of; or to prove and demonstrate it to other* when known. See Truth and Error.

Method is twofold. The one of Rejolittion, which is that we generally ufe in our Enquiry after Truth. See Resolution. The other of Compofition, by which the Truth once found, is taught or imparted to others. See Composition.

In the Method of Refolution, call'd alfo by Geome- ters the Analytic Method, we proceed from fome genera), known Truth, to others which belong to fome particular or Angular Thing. See Analysis.

In the Method of Compofkion, called alfo the Syn- thetic Method, we propofe fome certain, general Truths, from which we deduce particular Truths. See Syn- thesis.

If in the Method of Refolution we propofe any Maxims, 'tis not 'immediately in the beginning, and al! together 5 but as they are found neceffary in the Difquifition : On the contrary, in the Method of Compofition, they are pro-. pofed all together in the beginning, before there is any abfolutc need of them.

Thefe two Methods differ from each other, as the Me- thods of fearching out a Genealogy, either by defcending from the Anceftors to their Pofterity, or by afcending from the Posterity to the Anceftors : both of them have this in common, That their Progreflion is from a Thing known, to another unknown. Thofe Things that are known, in each, are fet in the front, or firft place 5 that by them we may be able to arrive at thofe which are not known. The following Things are required in both, that Error may be avoided.

1. That no Proposition be admitted as true, to which a Man can, with a good Conference, deny his Affent j or which is not evident. 1. That the Connection of the fol- lowing Propofition, with the foregoing in every ftepofthe Progreffion, he likewife evident or neceffary. To thefe may be added two other prudential Maxims, that hold good in each Method: As, that we ought to reafon on thofe Things only, of which we have clear and perfpicuous Ideas 5 or of obfeure Things only, fo far as we know them ; and that we fhould always begin from the fimple and eafy, and dwell on them a-while, before we proceed to Things compounded, and more difficult.

As to the Laws peculiar to Refolution, they are, t. That we muft clearly and perfectly under fta-nd the Stare of the Queftion propofed. 2. That with fome Energy or Effort of the Mind, one or more intermediate Ideas be difcoveredj which areto be a common Meafure orSrats- dard, by whofe help the relations between the Ideas to be compared are to be found our. 3. That we cut off alt that has no neceffary relation to the Truth fought after from the thing which is to be the Subject of' our Conn- deration. 4. That the compounded Queftion be divided into parts, and thofe feparately confider'd in fuch Order, as that we begin with thofe which confitt of the more fim- ple ideas, and never proceed to the more compounded, till we diftincrJy know the more fimple, and by reflection have render'd them obvious to the Understanding.

5. That certain Signs of our Ideas comprehended in ob- vious and eftablifh'd Figures, or in the feweft Words poffible, be imprinted in the Memory, or mark'd on' Pa- per, left the Mind have any further trouble about them.

6. Thefe things done, that the Ideas (according to the fecond Law) be then compared with each other, either by reflection alone, or by exprefs Words. 7. If after we have compared all the Ideas, we cannot find out what we feek, we are then, by the third Law, to cutoff all the Pro- positions, which, after a full Examination, we find of no ufe to the Solution of the Queftion, and begin a-frefh. If, after this Method has been repeated as often as is ne- ceffary, nothing of what we have obferved feems to con- duce to the Solution of the Queftion, we ought to give it over as out of our reach.

The Synthetic Method, or Method of Compofition, is only practicable in things, whofe Principles we perfectly know ; asin Geometry, which is wholly employ'd in the Cpnfi-

deration