Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/966

 •V I R

[ 3°° ]

V I R

Virga, is particularly ufed in Law, for a Verge, or Rod, fuch as. Sheriffs and Bailiffs carry as a Badge of their Of- fice. See Verge.

Ran/, ap Hozvel, prcepofitus de Lantiffin, amerciatus

pro eo quod habuit in manu fita coram jfufliciariis hie vir- gam nigrmi & mhoneftam, ubi habere debitiffet virgam al- ham & kopefiam cert<e longitudinis, prom decet. In feff. Itin. de Cardiff. 7 Hen. VI.

Virg;e, in Phyfiology, a Meteor, call'd alfo CorumelUe, and Funes Tentorii 5 being an AfTemblagc of feveral Streams of Light, reprefenting a Bundle of Rods, or Ropes. See Meteor.

It is fuppofed owing to the Streaming of the Sun-beams thro 1 certain Rimui<s or Chinks, at leaft thro' the more lax and open Parts of a watry Cloud 5 happening chiefly in the Morning and Evening.

There is alfo another Kind, confifiing, not of Streams of mere white Light ; but, as it were, painted, of various Co- lours 5 like thofe of the Rainbow. See Rain-bow.

VIRGATA Terrce, or Virga Terra?, a Yard Land. See Yard Land.

Virgata Terra; ex 24 conjlat acrh ; quatuor Virgata; Hi- dam faciuut, qttinque Hid<e feodum Miiitis. See Hide, and Knight's Fee.

VIRGATORES Serviettes, in Fleta, are Virgers or Tip- ftaves that attend the Judges. See Verger, and Serjeant at Anm.

VIRGIN, a Female who has had no commerce with Man ; or, more properly, who has frill the Flos Virgihis, or Maiden-hood. See Virginity.

In the Roman Breviary, there is a particular Office for Virgins departed, anfwering to thofe for .Saints, Martyrs, and Confeflbis. See Office.

Criticks and Antiquaries are much divided about a Feafl held in that Church, in honour of S. Urjula and her Com- panions, who are faid in the Ritual, Legend, &c. to have been eleven thoufand Virgins.

Some imagine there has been a Miftake in reading the antient Rituals, wherein XI. M. V. which was only an Ab- breviation of Eleven Virgin Martyrs, was read according to the Numeral Letters, Eleven thoufand Virgins. F.Sirmond conjectures, that in the antient Lifts of Martyrs, there were found S. S. Urfula and Undecimilla V. M. and that in lieu of Undecimilla, which is the Name of a Virgin Martyr, the Copifb had made Undecimillia, which is Eleven Thoufand.

By the Mofaic Law, the Priefts are enjoin'd to take none to Wife but thofe that are Virgins : The Widow, the Di- vorced, and the Harlot are to be refrain'd from.

Virgin is^alfo applied, by way of Eminence, to Mary the Mother of our Saviour $ as conceiving and bringing him forth, without any Breach of her Chaftity.

Ncjlorius and his Adherents, maintain'd, That the Virgin could not with any Propriety be called the Mother of God 3 as being really no more than the Hojlefs of God : For that the eternal Word could not be conceiv'd and born of the Womb of a Virgin. See Nestorians.

This Herefy was condemn'd at the Council of Ephefus 5 yet has it been lately reviv'd in Holland^ chiefly by a Re- fugee Monk, one Renoult.

Virgin is alfo ufed, figuratively, for feveral Things that retain their abfolute Purity, and have never been made ufe of.

Thus, Virgin Wax, is that which has never been wrought, but remains as it came out of the Hive. See Wax.

Virgin Oil, is what oozes fpontaneoufly from the Olive, &c. without preffing. See Oil.

Virgin Gold, is that Metal fuch as it is got out of the Ore, without any Mixture or Alloy ; in which State it is fo foft, that it will take the Impreffion of a Seal. See Gold.

Virgin Copper, is that which has never been melted down. See Copper.

Virgin Mercury, is that found perfectly form'd, and fluid, in the Veins of Mines 5 or at leaft, is got from the Mineral Earth, by mere Lotion, without Fire. See Mercury.

Virgin 'Parchment, is, properly, that made of a kind of Cap, or Caul, which Children bring into the World on their Heads. — But the Word is alfo ufed for that made of the Skin of an abortive Lamb, or Calf. See Parchment, and Velom.

Virgin s Milk. ,See Lac Virginalc.

Virgin's Thread, is a fort of Dew, that flies in the Air, like fm'ail untwiftcd Silk 5 and which falling upon the Ground, or upon Plants, changes it felf into a Form like a Spider's Web. See Meteor.

The Matter of it is fuppofed to be of an earthy flimy Na- ture. In thefe Northern Climates, it is moffc frequent in Summer ; the Days being then temperately warm, the Earth not exceeding dry, nor yet over-charg'd with Moifture,

VIRGINALE Claujlrum, in Anatomy, the fame as Hy- men. Sec Hymen.

VIRGINEUS Morbus, the Virgin's Difeafej the Green- Sicknefs, or Chlorojts, See Chlorosis.

VIRGINITY, the Character or Criterion of a Virgin $ or that which entitles her to the Denomination. See Virgin. In the firft Ages of the Chriilian Church, Virginity grew into great Honour and Efleern ; infomuch, that the Women were admitted to make fofemn VoWs thereof in publick.— Yet was it held infamous among the Jews^ for a Woman to die a Maid.

The Vettals, among the Anrients, and the Nung or Reli- gious among the Moderns, found guilty of a Breach of the Vow of Virginity, are allotted a fevere Punifhment; thefirft to be buried alive, the latter to be immur'd. Sec Vest al,^c: The Phyficians, both ancient and modern, are exceedingly divided upon the Subjefl of Virginity : Some holding that there are no certain Marks, or Teflimonies thereof; and others that there are.

Solomon fays exprefly, there are four Things too wonder- ful for him to know ; ' The way of an Eagle in the Air J ' of a Serpent on the Rock ; of a Ship in the midit of the 1 Sea 5 and the -zvay oj a Man in a Maid j' which bur Tran- flators have render'd, lefs juitiy, 'the -way of a Man -zvitb a Maid.

Yet Mofes eirablifh'd a Teft, which was to be conclufive among the feivs. — The Nuptial Sheers, it ieems, were to be view'd by the Relations on both Sides ; and the Maid's Parents were to preferve them as a Token of her Virginity 5 to be produced, in cafe her Husband fhould ever reproach her on that fcore.

In cafe the Tokens of Virginity were not found thereon, fhe was to be ftoned to Death ather Father's Door.

This Teft of Virginity has occafion'd abundance of Spe- culation about the Parts concern'd ; but the niceft Inquiries cannot fettle any thing certain about 'cm. — Dr. 'Drake fays exprefly, that whatever might be expected among the Jezvs y there is not the fame Reafon to expect thoTe Tokens of Virginity in thefe Countries : For, betides that the Hebrews marry'd extremely young, as is the Cuflom in all the Eaftern Countries ; there are feveral Circumftances which may here fruflrate fuch Expectations, even in Virgins not vitiated ei- ther by any Male Contact, or any Wantonnefs of their own.

In effect, in thefe Northern Climates, the inclemency of the Air expofes the Sex to fuch Checks of Perfpiration, as gives a great turn to the Courfe of the Humours, and drives fo much Humidity thro' the Parts, as may extraordinarily fupple and relax thofe Membranes from which the Refif- tance is expected 5 and from which, in hotter Countries, it might more reafonably be depended on.

What moft commonly palTts among us for a Teft ofVir^ ginity, is the Hymen : And yet the moft curious among the Anatomifts are greatly divided, not only about the Figure, Subitance, Place, and Perforations of rhis famous Membrane, but even about the Exigence thereof $ fome pofifively af- firming, and others as flatly denying it. See Hymen. As nice a Point as that of Virginity is among Anatomifts,

the Midwives and Matrons treat it with lefs diffidence. •

In the Statutes of the fworn Matrons of Paris, containing likewife divers Formula's of Reports and Depofitions made in Court upon their being call'd to vifit Girls that made their Complaint of being deflower'd, they lay down fourteen Marks, whereon to form a Judgment.

Lav.r. Jobert, a famous Phyfician of Mcntpellier, has tranferib'd three of thefe Reports: one made to the Provoft: of 'Paris $ another in Languedoc $ and a third in Seam. — Thefe Reports are very confident with each other 5 and con- tain fourteen Marks of Virginity, exprefs'd in their proper Terms ; fuch as were receiv'd among the Women of that Profeffion, and authoriz'd in Court.

Monfieur Robert does not explain thofe Terms 5 nor do we find any Explanation of them any where, but in another Report of the 23d of Offeber; 16)2, inferted in the Pitlure of Love of Ve?iette a Phyfician of Roche I ; a Copy of which, we fhall here give in Englijh.

" We, Mary Miran, Chriflophlette Reine, aud Jeanne u 'Porte 'Poutet, Sworn Matrons of the City of Paris* cer- " tify to all thofe whom it may concern, that on the 22d of " Otlober, in this prefent Year, at the Appointment of " Monfieur the Provoft of Paris, we went into the Street " de Pompierre, to a Houfe next the Sign of the Silver Key 5 " to view and vifit Olive Tifferand of the Age of 30 Years, " on a Complaint made by her in Court agzinft fames Mudon^ " Citizen of Roche fur Mer j for forcing and violating her " the faid Olive : And having view'd and examin'd the " whole with the Eye and Finger, we find,

" Les Toutons devoyez, that is, the Breafts loofeand flac- " cid, Mammce marcid<e 1$ flaccida? : Les Sarres froiffees, " i. e. the Os Pubis bruis'd, Os Pubis collifmn : Le Lippion " recoquille, i. e. the Hair curl'd up, Pubes in Orbem finu* " ata ; L Entrepet ride, i. e. the 'Perineum or Seam wrin- " kled, Perinteum corrugatum : Le Pouvant debijfee, /. e. " the Vulva or Pudendum tumbled and diforder'd, Vulva " Labia hanging down, Labia pendent ia ; Le lippendis pile* K. k k k ** u $4
 * diffoluta $3 marcefcens : Les 'Baltmaitx pendants, i. e, the