Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/827

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T A I

TAENIA, or TENIA, in Architecture (from the Greek v&ivta, a Bandelet, or little Band, call'd by the Latins Vina, Fafcia, Zona, and Corona,) a Member or" the Doric Archi- trave, relembUng a fijuare Fillet, or Ruler, and ferving in lieu of a Cymatium, See Doric and Cymatium.

Barbara calls it Lipl 5 but Palladio ufes the old Name T, Regv.lce and Fafciol<e 5 and Z)avikr s %M- delettes. See each under its proper Article.

TAFFAREL, in a Ship, the uppermoft Part, Frame, or Rail, abaft, near the Poop. SeeSnir.

TAFFETY, or TAFFETAS, in Commerce, a kind of fine, fmooth Silk Stuff 5 having, ufually, a remarkable Luftre. See Silk and Stuff.

There are 'Safeties of all Colours ; and ftriped with all Kinds of Stuffs, as Gold, Silver, Silk, &c. others checquer'd, others flower'd, others in the Chinefe Point, others the Hun- garian ; with various others, to which the Mode, or the Caprice of the Workmen give fuch whimfical Names, that it would be as difficult, as 'tis ufelefs, to rehearfe them : befides that, they feldom hold beyond the Year wherein they firft rofe.

The old Names of Safeties, and which {till fubfift, are Safeties of Lyons, of Spain, of England-, of Florence, of Avignon, Sec.

1'he chief Confumption of Tafeties is in Summer Drcfles for Women, in Linings, Scarves, Coifs, Window-Curtains, &c

There are three Things which contribute chiefly to the Perfection of Tafeties, viz. the Silk, the Water, and the Fire.

The Silk is not only to be of the fineft Kind, but it muft be work'd a long time, and very much, e'er it be ufed. The Watering, befide that it is only to be given very lightly, feems only intended to give that fine Luftre, by a peculiar Property not found in all Waters. Laftly, the Fire, which is pafs'd under it to dry the Water, has its particular Manner of Application, whereon the Perfection of the Stuff depends very much.

OElavio May, of Lyons, is held the firft Author of the Manufacture of gloffy Taffeties ; and Tradition tells us the Occafion of it. Offavio, it feems, going backwards in the World, and not able to retrieve himfell by the Manu- facture of I'affetieSy fuch as ivere then made, was one Day mufing on his Misfortunes, and, in muring, chanced to chew a few Hairs of Silk which he had in his Mouth. His Reverie being over the Silk he {pit out, feem'd to fhine, and on that Account engagd his Attention. He was fbon led to reflect on the Reafon ; and, after a good deal of Thought, concluded, that the Luftre of that Silk muft come, i°. From his having prefs'd it between his Teeth. 1°. From his hav- ing wet it with his Saliva, which had fomething glutinous in it: And 3. From its having been heated by the natural Warmth of his Mouth- All this he executed upon the next Taffeties he made ; and immediately acquir'd immenfe Riches to himfdf $ and to the City of Lyons the Reputation it fKU maintains, of giving the Glofs to Taffeties better than any other City in the World.

'Twill not, we conceive, be lefs ufeful than curious, to give here the Defcription of the Engine contriv'd by OcJavio to give the Glofs to Tafety 5 to add the Manner of applying it, and the Composition of the Water ufed therein.

The Machine is much like a Silk Loom, except that in- •fiead of Iron-Points, here are ufed a kind of crooked Needles, to prevent the Tafety from flipping : At the two Extremi- ties, are two Beams 5 on one of which is rolfd the Safety to take the Glofs 5 and on the other, the fame Tafety as fait, as it has recciv'd it. The firft Beam is kept firm by a Weight of about 200 Pounds ; and the other turn'd by means or a little Lever parting thro' Morroifes at each End. The more the L'afety is ftretch'd, the greater Luftre it takes ; Care, however, is to be ufed it be not over-ftretch'd.

Befides this Internment for keeping the Stuff ftretch'd, there is another to give it the Fire : This is a kind of Car- riage, in Form of a long Square, and the Breadth of the Safeties, It moves on Trundles, and carries a Charcoal Fire under the Tafety, at the Diftance of about half a Foot.

. The two Machines prepar'd, and the L'afety mounted, the Luftre is given it by rubbing it gently with a Pelotoon, <uv Handful of Lifts of fine Cloth, as it rolls from-' one Beam to t'other ; the Fire, at the fame Time, being carry'd under- neath it to dry it. As foon as the Piece has its Luftre, 'tis put on new Beams to be ftretch'd, a Day or two 5 and the oftner this- Jaft Preparation is repeated, the more it increafes the Luftre.

For black Tafeties, the Luftre is given with double Beer, and Orange or Lemon Juice 3 but this laft is the leaft proper,

as being apt to whiten. The Proportion of the two Liquor is a Gallon of Orange Juice to a Pint of Beer, to be b Yd together to the Coniiftence of a Broth. For colou^ 7^ ties, they ufe Gourd- Water, diftill'd in an Alembic ?■&*'

TAFTOLOGY. See Tautology.

TAIL, that Part of an Animal which terminates its Bod behind. ?

The Tail is different both in Figure and Ufe in the vari ous Species : In Land Animals, it ferves to rid them of Flies" and is ufually cover'd with Hair, and ftrengthen'd with Bones ■ In Fifhes it is Cartilaginous, and ferves them as a Helm to fleer their Courfe withal in fwimming. See Swimming.

In Birds it is cover'd with Feathers, and greatly affifts in all Afcents, and Defcents in the Air ; as alio to render their Flight fieady, by keeping the Body upright in that fubtile and yielding Medium, by its readily turning and anfwerin? to every "Vacillation of the Body. See Flying.

In Anatomy, Tail is ufed tor that Tendon of a Mufcle which is fix'd to the moveable Part : In Oppofition to which! the Tendon fix'd to the immoveable Part is call'd the Head, See Muscle.

Among Botanifts, the Pedicle is fbmetimes call'd the Tail. The Way to preferve Fruits in Winter, is to feal up their Tails or Pedicles with Wax. See Pedicle.

2)gm-Tail, or Swallo-ws-T ail, among Carpenters, is one of the ftrongefr. Manners of Jointing 5 wherein, a Piece of Wood that grows larger towards the End, is inferred into another Piece ; £0 that it cannot ftir out, by Reafon the Hole in the one, is narrower than the lower End of the other. As in the Figure of a Dove's L'ail. See Queue d'Aronde, and

SwALLOWS-7fW7.

'Peacock 1 s-T ail, a Term apply'd to all circular Compart- ments, which go enlarging from the Centre to the Circum- ference 5 imitating, in fome meafure, the Feathers of a Pea- cock's Tail.

Dragms Tail, Cauda Draconis, in Aftronomy, the de- fending Node of a Planet 5 thus characterized JJ-. See Node.

The Aftrologers take Care to put it in all their Horofcopes. See Horoscope.

Horfe'sT 'ail, among the Tartars and Chinefe, is the En- fign or Flag under which they make War. See Ensign.

Among theTtirks, it is the Standard bore before the Grand' Vizier, the Bafhaws, and Sangiacs 5 in order to which, it is fitted on the End of a half Pike, with a Gold Button, and is call'd Thug.

There are Viziers of one, others of two, others of three Horfes Tails. The Horfe's L'ail plac'd on a General's Tent, is a Signal of Battel.

For the Original of this Cuftom, it is related, that in a certain Battel, the Standard being taken by the Enemy, the General of the Army, or, as others fay, a private Horfeman, cut off the Tail of his Horfe, and fattening it to the End of a half Pike, encourag'd the Troops, and gain'd the Victory. In Memory of which noble Action, the Grand Signor ap- pointed that Standard to be bore for the future, as a Symbol of Honour. Ricattt.

T ail of a Comet. When a Comet darts his Rays for- wards, or towards that Part of the Heavens, whither his proper Motion feems to be carrying him $ thofe Rays are call'd its Beard: On the contrary, when its Rays are /hot behind, towards that Part from whence it appears to move, the Rays are call'd the Tail of the Comet.

The various Phenomena whereof, with their Phyfical Caufes, fee under the Article Comet.

Tail of the Trenches, in the military Art, is the firft Work which the Befiegers make at the Opening of the Trenches, as the Head of the Attack is carry'd on toward the Place. See Trench.

Tail, or Taile, SeBv.ra, in Common Law, fignifies two feveral Things; both grounded upon one Reafon.

Firft, It is ufed for that Kind of Fee, which is oppofite to the Fee-fimple ; fuch Fee being fo minced, or parted, as it were, that it is not in the Owners free Power to difpofe of 9 but is by the firft Giver cut, taille-, and divided from all others, and tied to the Iffue of the Donee. See Fee.

This Limitation of Taile is either General or Special.

T'ailc General, is that whereby Lands and Tenements are limited to a Man, and to the Heirs of his Body begotten : It is call'd General, becaufe how many Wives fbever the Tenant holding by this Title fhall have, one after another, in lawful Marriage, his Iffue by them all have a Pofiibility to inherit one after another.

Taile Special, is when Lands or Tenements are limited to a Man and his Wife, and the Heirs of their two Bodies be- gotten : It is call'd Special, becaufe if the Man bury his Wife before Iffue, and take another, the Iffue by his fecond Wife cannot inherit the Land, &c.

Alfo, if the Land be given to a Man and his Wife> &*& their Son R t for ever $ this is Taile Special,

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