Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/581

 REA

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REA

from Orpiment, which is yellow. See Arsenic and Orpiment.

There are two Kinds of Realgal, the one natural, and the o- th& factitious : The Natural is calcined in the Mine by the fub- terraneous Fires : The Factitious} which is the more common, is calcined by a common Fire.

Some able Druggifts doubt whether there be any fuch thing as a native Realgal.

The Realgal is a violent Poifbn ; yet lefs Cauftic than the com- mon Arfenic. J Tis of fome ufe in Chirurgery. See Ar- senic.

In the Hiltory of the French Academy:, we have an account of a Cup brought to Paris by the Embafiadors of Siam, and pre- sented there, as a Remedy ufed by that People againft all Dif- eafes. Upon an Examination, which had like to have coft M. Homberg dear, he found it to be a kind of Realgal, or red Ar- fenic, more Cauftic than ours.

Its ufe, among the Siamefe, he takes to have been the fame with that of Regulus of Antimony ; viz, to give an emetic Qua- lity to the Wine drunk out of it.

As the Dofe of Medicines is much ftronger in the torrid Zone than among us, (the Quantity of Ipecacuanha, e. gr. ordi- narily taken by the Indians, being twenty times as great as that among us) 'tis very poffible a Cup of Realgal, though enough to Poilbn an European, may prove a gentle Medicine to a Siamefe.

REALISE, in Commerce, a Term little known in Trade be- fore the Year 17 19, when thofe immenfe Fortunes began to be made in France and England, by the Bulinefs of Actions or Stock- By Realifng, is meant the Precaution many of thofe who had gain'd molt, took, to convert their Paper into real Effects, as Lands, Houfes, rich Moveables; Jewels, Plate ; but above all into Current Species.

A Precaution, capable of ruining the State; but which the French Regency had the Wifclom to fruftratc, by taking proper Meafures to have the Money, thus ready to be hoarded up, re- turned to the Publick.

REALISTS, a Sect of School Philolbphers, form'd in oppo- sition to the Nominalifts. See Nominalist.

Under the Realifts are included the Scot'tfts, Thomifs, and all, excepting the Followers of Ocham. See Scotist, Thomist,

Their diftingui filing Tenet is, that Univerfals are Realities, and have an actual Exiftence, out of Idea and Imagination ; or, as they exprefsit in the School Language, aparterei: Whereas the Nominalifts contend that they exift only in the Mind ,■ are only Ideas, or Manners or conceiving things. See Universal.

Doc. Qdon, or Oudart, a Native of Orleans, afterwards Abbot of St. Martin de Tournay, was the chief of the Sect of the Rea- lifis : He wrote three Books of Dialecticks ,• where, on the Prin- ciples of Boethius, and the Antients, he maintain'd that the Ob- ject of that Art is Things, not Words: Whence the Sect took its Rife and Name.

REALITY, Realitas, in the Schools, a diminitive of res, thing ; firft ufed by the Scotifts to denote a thing which may ex- ift of it felf, or which has a full and abfolute Being or it felf, and is not confidered as a Part of any other : Yet a Reality is conceived as fomething lefs than Res? and accordingly every Res is fuppofed to contain a Number of Realities, which they other- wife call Formalities.

Thus, e. gr. in a Min, according to the Doctrine of the Sco- tifts, are a Number of Realities, viz. a Subftancc, Life, Ani- mal, and Reafon.

Some diltinguifh Reality into Subjective and Objective.

REALM, a Kingdom ; or a Country which gives its Head or Govemour the Denomination of King. See King, Monar- chy, Government, d?c.

The Word is form'd of the French, Royaums, which denotes the fame thing.

REAR, a Term frequently ufed in Compofition, to denote fomething behind or backwards in refpect of another ; in oppofiti- on to Van, or Vaunt, before.

It is form'd by Corruption of the French, Arriere, fignifying the fame thing.

Rear, in a military Senfe, is ufed for the Hind-part of an Army, &c. in opposition to the Front, or Face thereof. See Front.

Rear-G«W> is that Part of an Army which marches laft ; following the main Body, to hinder or flop Deferters. See Guard.

REAK-Haff-Files, are the three hindermoft Ranks of a Battal- Hon, when it is drawn up fix Deep. See File.

Rear-I.^ of an Army encamped, is the fecond Line.; it lies about four or five hundred Yards Diftant from the firft Line, which is call'd the Referve Line. See Line.

R.EAR.-Rank, is the laft Rank of a Battallion, or Squadron, when drawn up. See Rank.

R^AK-Admral, is the Admiral of the third and laft Squadron of the Royal Fleet. See Admiral, Squadron, and Fleet.

REASON, Ratio, a Faculty, or Power of the Soul, where- by it diftinguiihes Good from Evil, Truth from Falfhood. See Soul and Faculty.

Reafon is, properly defined, that Principle) whereby, compa-

ring fevcral Ideas together, we draw Confequences from the Ref- lations they are found to have. See Idea and Relation.

Some of the later School Philofophers define Reafon the Com- prehenfion of many Principles which the Mind fucceffively can conceive, and from which Conclufions may be drawn.

Others conceive Reafon as no other than the Understanding it felf, confidered as it difcourles. See Understanding and Discourse.

Chauvin thinks it is better defined, a very dirTufive, innate Na- tion or Idea, ariling from a continued Attention.

Reafon, Mr. Lock obferves, comprehends iwo diftinct Facul- ties of the Mind, viz. Sagacity, whereby it finds intermediate Ideas ; and Illation, whereby it Co orders and dilpoies of them as to difcover what Connection there is in each link of the Chain whereby the Extremes are held together, and thereby, as it were, draws into view the Truth fought for.

Illation, or Inference, confilts in nothing but the Perception of the Connection there is between the Ideas in each Step of the Deduction, whereby the Mind comes to fee either the certain Agreement or Difagreement of any two Ideas j as inDemonftra- tion, in which it arrives at Knowledge : Or their probable Con- nection, on which it gives or withholds its Aflenc ; as in Opinion. See Knowledge and Opinion.

Senfe and Intuition reach but a little way : the greateft Part of our Knowledge depends upon Deductions and intermediate Ideas. In thofe Cafes, where we mult take Propoiirions for true, with- out being certain of their being fo, we have need to find out, ex- amine, and compare the Grounds of their Probability : In both Cafes, the Faculty which finds out the Means, and rightly applies them to difcover Certainty in the one, and Probability in the ci- ther, is that which we c& Reafon.

In Reafon, therefore, we may confider four Degrees: Firft, The difcovering and finding out of Proofs. See Invention.

Secondly, The regular and methodical Difpofition of them, and laying them in fuch Order, as their Connection may be plainly perceived. See Method.

Thirdly, The perceiving of their Connection ; and,

Fourthly, The making a right Conclufion. See Conclu- sion.

Reafon fails us infeveral Inftances: As, Firft, Where our Ideas fail. See Ignorance.

Secondly, It is often at a loft becaufe of the Obfcurity, Con- fufion, or Imperfection of the Ideas it is employed about : Thus, having no perfect Idea of the leaft Extenfion of Matter, nor of Infinity, we are at a lols about the Divifibility of Matter.

Thirdly, Our Reafon is often at a ftand becaufe it perceives not thofe Ideas which would ferve to ihew the certain or probable A- greement or Difagreement of any two other Ideas.

Fourthly, Our Reafon is often engaged in Abfurdities and Diffi- culties, by proceeding upon falfe Principles, which being follow- ed, lead Men into Contradictions to themfelves, and Inconfift- ency in their own Thoughts.

Fifthly, Dubious Words, and uncertain Signs, often puzzle Men's Reafon, and bring them to a Non-plus.

Though the deducing one Propofition from another, be 2 great Parr of Reafon, and that about which it is ufually employ- ed ; yet the principal Ad of Ratiocination is the finding the A- greement or Difagreement of two Ideas one with another, by the Intervention of a third. As a Man, by a Yard, finds two Houfes to be of the fame Length, which could not be brought together to meafure their Equality by Juxta-Polition.

Words have their Confequences as the Signs of fuch Ideas and Things agree, or difagree, with what they really are ,• but we obferve it only by our Ideas, See Reason eng.

Hence we may be able to form an Idea of that ordinary Di- ftindion of things, into fuch as are according to, thofe that are above, and thofe contrary to Reafon.

According to Reafon, are fuch Proportions, whofe Truth we can difcover by examining and tracing thofe Ideas we have from Senfation and Reflection, and by natural Deduction find to be true or probable.

Above Reafon are fuch Proportions, whofe Truth or Probabi- lity we cannot by Reafon derive from thofe Principles.

Contrary to Reafon, are fuch Proportions as are inconfiftent with, or irrcconcileable to, our clear and diftinct Ideas.

Thus the Exiftence of one God, is according to Reafon : The Exiftence of more than one God, contrary to Reafon : The Re- surrection of the Body after Death, above Reafon. Above Rea- fon may be alfo taken in a double Senfe ; viz,, above Probability, or above Certainty.

They who Difpute moft againft the Power and Priviledges of Human Reafin, do it becaufe their own Reafon perfuades them to that Belief; and fo, whether the Victory be on their or our Side, are equally defeated.

They feek to terrify us with the Example of many great Wits, who by following this Ignis fatuus, (lb they call the only Pole Star God has given us to direct our Courfe by) have fallen into wild and ridiculous Opinions, and increas'd the Catalogues of He- refies to fo great a Number : But thefe Men either followed not their Reafon, but made it follow their Will,- or firft hood-wink'd it by Interoft and Prejudice, and then bad it Ihew them the way ; or were wanting in thofe ncceffary Diligences required for io

doubtful