Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/68

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the proper Science and Bufinefs of Mankind in general (who are both concerned and fitted to fearch out their Sammtm Botmtn) as feveral Arts, converfant about the fe- veral Parts of Nature, are the Lot and private Talent of particular Men, for the common Ufe of human Life, and their own particularSubfillence in this World.

The Ways to enlarge our Knowledge, as far as we are capable, fe'em to be rhefe two : The firlt is, to get and fettle in our Minds, as far as we can, clear, diftma, and conftant Ideas of thole Things we would confider and know ; for it being evident that our Knowledge cannot exceed our Ideas, where they are either impcrfea, con- fufed, or obfeure, we cannot expeft to have certain, perfect, or clear Knowledge. The other Art is of finding out the' intermediate Ideas, which may mew us the A- greement or Repugnancy of other Ideas, which cannot be immediately compared. That thefe two, (and not re- iving on Maxims, and drawing Confcqucnces from fome general Propofitions) are the right Method of improv- ing our Knowledge in the Ideas of other Modes, befides thefe of Quantity, the Confideration of mathematical arsmfafeewfllraifily inform us : Where, Firft, we mall find that he who has not clear and perfect Ideas ot thofe Angles or Figures, of which he defires to know a- ny thing, is utterly thereby incapable of any Knowledge atout them. Suppofe a Man not to have an exaa Idea of a right Angle, Scalenum, or Trapezium, and it is clear that he will in vain feek any Dcmonftration about them. And farther it is evident, that it was not the In- fluence of Maxims, or Principles, that had Jed the Ma- ilers of this Science into thofe wonderful Diicovcnes they have made. Let a Man of good Parts know all the Max- ims of Mathematicks never fo well, and contemplate their Extent and Confequences as much as he pleafeth, he will, by their Afftllance, fcarce ever come to know, that the Square of the Hypothenufe, in a right-angled Trianole, is equal to the Square? of the two other Sides. This, "and other mathematical Truths, have been dilco- vered by the Thoughts otherwife applied. The Mind hid other Objcfts, other Views before it, far different from thofe Maxims, which Men, well enough acquainted with thofe received Axioms, but ignorant of their Me- thod who firft made thefe Demonflrations, can never fufficicntly admire. ..-_,. r . ,. . r

Our Knowledge, as in other Things, fo in this, has lo great a Conformity with our Sight, that it is neither whol- ly neceffary, nor wholly voluntary. Men, who have Senfes cannot chafe but receive fome Ideas by them ; and if 'they have Memory, they cannot but retain lome of them /and if they have any diftinguilhmg Faculty cannot but perceive the Agreement or Disagreement of fome of them one with another. As he that has Eyes, if he will open them by Day, cannot but fee lome Ob- kSs, and perceive a Difference in them ; yet he may chufe whether he will turn his Eyes towards an Objeft, curioufly furvey it, and obferve accurately all that ,s vifi- fcleinit. But what he doth fee, he cannot fee other- wife than he doth ; it depends not on his Will to fee ,h« Black which appears Yellow Juft thus it is with our Undemanding : All that is voluntary in our Knowledge, I the employing or with-ho ding any of our Faculties from this or that fort of Objeas, and a more or lefs accurate Survey of them ; but rhey being employed our Will hath no power to determine the Knowledge of the Mind one way or other ; that ,s done only by the Objeas themfelves, as far as they are dearly difcovered Thus he that has got the Ideas of Numbers, and has taken the pains to compare one, two, and three, to fix, cannot

chufe but know they are equal. He alfo that hath the Idea of an intelligent, but weak and frail Being, made by, and depending on another, who is Eternal, Om- nipotent, perfedly Wife, and Good, will as certainly know that Man is to honour, fear, and obey God, as that the Sun mines when he fees it. Bur yet be thefe Truths never fo certain, never fo clear, he may be igno- rant of either, or both of them, who will not take the pains to employ his Faculties as he Hiould, to inform himfelf about rhem.

KUL, or KOUL, a Turkifi Term, properly fignifying a Slave, or Servant. Meningsky tells us, the Name is given to all the Soldiers in the Ottoman Empire, particu- larly to thofe of the Grand Signior's Guard, and the In- fantry. The Captains of the Infantry, and thofe who command rhe Guards, are called Kit Zabytlers, and the Soldiers of the Guard K'pu Kulleri, i.e. Slaves of the Court. Others fay, that all who hold any Places depend- ing on the Crown, or receive Wages from ir, in a word, all who are in any meafure the Grand Signior's Servants, take the Title of Kul, as more creditable than that of Subjea j even the Grand Vifier and the Bamaws value themfelves upon it. A Kul, or Slave, of the Grand Sig- nior has Authority to abufe any who are only his Ser- vants ; but a Subjea that mould affront a Kul, or Slave, would be fevcrely puniihed. The Kuh are entirely de- voted to the Will of* the Grand Signior, and look on it as a kind of Martyrdom that merits Heaven, when they die either by his Order, or in the Execution of his Com- mands.

KURTCHI, the Name of a Militia among the Per- sians. The word, in its Original, fignifies Army, and is applied to a Body of Cavalry confiding of the Nobility of the Kingdom of Terjia, and the Pofterity of the con- quering Turks, who placed Ifmael Sopbi on the Throne. They are in Number about 18000 Men. Their Com- mander is called Kurtcbi Bafchi, which was formerly the firft Pod in the Kingdom.

KYPHONISM, an antient Punifhment, frequently undergone by the Martyrs in the Primitive Times. The Body of the Perfon who was to fuffer was anointed with Honey, and fo expofed to the Sun, that the Flies and Wafps might be tempted to torment him. This was performed in three Manners ; fometimes they only tied the Patient to a Stake j fometimes they hoifted him up into the Air, and fufpended him in a Basket ; and fome- times they ftrerched him out on the Ground, with his Hands tied behind him. Sttidas gives us the Fragment of an old Law, which punimed thofe, who treated the Laws with Contempt, with Kypbonifm for the fpace of twenty Days, after which they were to be precipitated from a Rock, dreffed in Womens Habit. The word is originally Greek, and comes from joJpae, which fignifies rhe Stake to which the Patient was tied, the Collar fit- ted to his Neck, or an Inftrument wherewith they tor- mented him. The Scholiaft, on Arijiopbanes, fays, it was a wooden Lock, or Cage, and that it was called jw'ptac from the Verb uwttJ&y, to crook, or bend, becaufe it kept the Tortured in a crooked bowing Pollure. Others fay, Logs of Wood were laid over their Heads, to prevent their Handing upright. Hefycbhis defines the w'tpav, a Piece of Wood, whereon Criminals were ftretched and tormented ; and 'tis probable the word might fignify all thefe feveral things. It was a Generical Name, whereof thefe were the Species.

KYSTUS, in Medicine, is the Name of a Bag, or Membrane, in form of a Bladder, full of unnatural Hu- mours. The word comes from the Creek mlris, Bladder.

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