M. red, was changed into deep purple or black. It is said INA. that this process prevents the worm from getting into the fruit; but it is pretty generally suspected that the principal design is to add to their weight. Thirty years back, the Dutch allowed some nutmegs to be grown here, because Banda did not furnish a sufficient supply for the demand. Sugar and coffee are plentiful at Amboyna; the sago tree is a principal article of subsistence; and the few fruits cultivated are delicious; among the latter may be reckoned the mangusteen of Hindostan. They import their cattle and grain from the island of Java, and a variety of curious woods from Ceram. The natives of Amboyna, like the other Malays, are rude and savage in their manners, and, when intoxicated with opium, are equal to the perpetration of any crime. Besides these there are many Chinese and European settlers on the island, and mixed races from intermarriages, nearly as fair as Europeans. Those who are the offspring of European fathers and native mothers are called mixtices or mestees; those of a mistice and European marriage, poestices; and those of a European and poestice, castices. These children are all legitimated, and included with the European society of the island. The Chinese are industrious, and live much together. Some of the aboriginal race in the woods are said to be as barbarous as ever in their dispositions, and to offer human sacrifices to their native deities. Their dress consists of a loose shirt or frock of cotton cloth. The men wear large whiskers and mustachios; the women bind their hair in knots. Wives are bought of their fathers; and should they bear no children, the marriage contract is dissolved. When the English took this island, in 1796, it contained about 45,252 inhabitants, of whom no less than 17,813 were Protestants; and the rest were Mahometans and Chinese. The houses of the natives are made of bamboo canes and sago trees; they sleep upon mats; their weapons are bows, darts, scimitars, and targets. Their chiefs are called rajahs. The Amboynese are said to be indolent, effeminate, and pusillanimous; and their women particularly licentious, whether in the married or unmarried state. The Dutch governor of Amboyna had ten adjacent islands subject to his power and jurisdiction: Ceram, Ceram-Lavut, Bouro, Amblau, Manipa, Kelang, Bonva, Orna, Honimoa, and Noussa-Laout: the three last isles are called Uliassers. The growing of cloves is limited to the Uliassers and Amboyna; but to what degree the ancient government is restored in the neighbourhood since the last peace, we have not been able to learn. Diego D'Abrew and Ferdinand Magellan, two Fortuguese adventurers, first discovered Amboyna, in 1515; it was not, however, taken possession of by Portugal until 1564; it was afterwards conquered by the Dutch republic in 1605; but they did not succeed in obtaining possession of the whole island till after some time had elapsed. During this period the English had erected several factories in the country, which were protected by the Dutch fort; but disputes arising between the settlers, the treaty of 1619 between Great Britain and the United Provinces, stipulated that the English colonists should reside unmolested at Amboyna, and possess one-third part of its cloves. How ever, in 1622, fresh differences arose, which were AM referred to the Dutch council at Jacatra, in the island of Java; and, finally, to the government of the two BOYNA. countries in Europe for decision. While this was pending, however, the Dutch colonists contrived, by alleging a fictitious plot against the English, to make themselves masters of the whole island. This event is known in history by the name of the "Massacre of Amboyna." Massacre of A plot, it was said by the Dutch authorities, was conAmboyna. fessed by two soldiers in their service, and confirmed by an English prisoner, but these had been all first sentenced to the rack. Upon this evidence the English were accused of being confederates in a conspiracy against the Dutch possessions: they were immediately seized, loaded with irons, and thrown into prison. The most savage modes of torture were then resorted to by the Dutch governor, for the purpose of extorting a further confession from the unhappy sufferers: some were put to the rack, others half-drowned and miscrably scorched with fire. Those who escaped this inhuman treatment were all executed, although they persisted in their innocence to the latest breath. The number of persons who thus perished were ten Englishmen, eleven Japanese, and one Portuguese. The day after these wretched men were put to death, the governor ordered public festivals and solenin thanksgivings for their deliverance from this pretended conspiracy. It is absurd to suppose that such a plot as pretended by the Dutch ever existed; for in the first place, the number of the English did not exceed twenty persons upon the island, whereas the Dutch garrison in the fort amounted to three hundred men; and the English had not a single ship in the port, whereas eight Dutch vessels were lying off the town of Amboyna. In consequence of this massacre the English factory was withdrawn from the island, and the Dutch retained possession of the effects of the English merchants to the amount of 400,000 7. The English factories in the adjacent islands were also scized, and the traders forcibly dispossessed. James 1. and Charles I. of England were either unwilling or unable to avenge the national honour upon the cruelty and cowardice of the Dutch; but Cromwell compelled the United Provinces, in his celebrated treaty with that power, to pay the sum of 300,000l. as a small recompence for their atrocious conduct towards the English factors. From the time of this massacre down to the year 1796, Amboyna remained quietly in the hands of its Dutch masters; but in that year the English Admiral Rainier took it without opposition. It was, however, restored to the Batavian republic at the peace of Amiens; but again taken by the English in the year 1810. At the general peace of Paris, in 1814, the Dutch,once more were reinstated here, under whose ill-organized government the island is not at present considered to be in a very prosperous state. AMBOYNA, the capital of the island, is situated on The capital. the peninsula of Leytimor, commanding a capacious harbour. It is a regularly-built town, though most of the houses are of wood, and but one story high. Matted cane is neatly contrived to form a substitute for glass in their windows, something after the manner of our Venetian blinds; and the roofs are made of the branches and leaves of palm-trees twisted together. Abundance of water runs through this town in rivulets. There is a hospital, a good town-house, and two well-built churches here; in one of which the service is performed AMBRACIA, in Ancient Geography, a city of Epirus, near the river Acheron, the residence of Pyrrhus. Its original name was Epuia, afterwards Peralia; but Augustus, after the battle of Actium, called it Nicopolis. POMP. MELA. ii. 3.; STRABO, X. AMBRACIUS SINUS, a bay in the Ionian sea, so called from the above city. It was about three hundred stadia deep, very narrow at the entrance, but within about one hundred stadia in breadth. now called the gulf of Larta. AMBRESBURY, or AMESBURY. It is See AMESBURY. AMBRI, in Ancient Geography, a nation of Indians, mentioned by Justin xii. c. 9. AMBRIERES, a town of France, in the department of Mayenne, and chief place of a canton. It is three leagues north of Mayenne. The town contains about 2,231 inhabitants, and the canton 14,077. It is situated W. lon. 0°, 36'. N lat. 48°, 24'. AMBRIZ, a river of Africa, in the kingdom of Congo, which takes its rise from a lake in the mountains of Tenda, and then flows westward, by the town of St. Salvador, and empties itself into the ocean between the mouths of the 'Lahunda and the Loze. Here it forms a small bay, difficult of entrance, but affording good anchorage within. E. lon. 13°, 25'. S. lat. 7°, 10. AMBROIX, St. a town of France, in Languedoc, the head of a canton in the department of the Gard, arrondissement of Alais, with 2,250 inhabitants. It is about 33 miles from Nismes. AMBRONES, in Ancient Geography, a people of Gaul, who lost their possessions by an overflowing of the sea; and afterwards lived upon rapine and plunder. They were conquered by Caius Marius. PLUT. Mar. AMBROSA, or St. AMBROSE, an island of the South Pacific ocean, on the coast of Chili, in South America. About four miles to the north of this island is a volcanic islet, or rock, called Sail rock, where the finest seals are caught. W. lon. 79°, 30′. S. lat. 26°, 40'. Außporia, from a, not, and Sporos, mortal. Applied by classic writers to AMBROSIAN. the food of the immortals; and, consequently, to any thing exquisitly grateful to the senses of taste and smell. AMBRO'SIA, n. AMBRO'SIACK, AMBRO'SIAL, This Venus brings, in clouds involv'd; and brows With juice of medc'nal herbs prepar'd to bathe the wound. Milton's Par. Lost. book v. And, as I wondering look'd, beside it stood Ben Jonson's Poetaster, act iv. sc. 3. Milton's Par. Lost. book iii. AMBROSIA, in Grecian Mythology, though generally meaning the fabled food of the gods, in distinction from their nectar or drink, was sometimes used interchangeably with that term. It was asserted by the poets to confer the gift of immortality; to be sweeter than honey, and of a most fragrant smell. It was Soter, was said to have been preserved from death by also used as a perfume. Berenice, queen of Ptolemy Venus, through a present of ambrosia for her food; and Tithonus thus became immortal by the assistance of Aurora. It was also alleged to have the miraculous power of healing wounds: hence we find, that Apollo, in the Iliad, saves the body of Sarpedon from putrefaction by rubbing it with ambrosia; and Venus, according to Virgil, heals the wounds of her son with it. Juno and Venus are each represented as using it on their hair. We need not be surprised that a word connected with so many agreeable ideas was transferred to various other preparations, both of food and medicine. In the early stages of medical science it was applied to many antidotes for poison; in some ancient writers it is used for the imaginary food of the bee; for wines and perfumes; for ambergris, and sometimes for the spices and other preparations for embalming. Hoм. Il. i. 14, 16, 24.; VIRG. En. i. 407. AMBROSIA, in Grecian Antiquity, were festivals celebrated in honour of Bacchus in particular cities of Greece. They answered to the Brumalia of the Ro mans. AMBROSIA, in Botany, a genus of plants belonging to the class Monccia, and order Pentandria. AMBROSIAN CHAUNT, in Church Music, often mentioned by ecclesiastical writers as resembling, but somewhat differing from the Gregorian chaunt. It is said to be still preserved in the Duomo at Milan; but Dr. Burney, who attended at that church during its performance, was not able to discover the difference between that service and the chaunt of the other cathedrals of France and Italy, which is commonly said to be the Gregorian chaunt. sorts. Holland's Plutarch's Morals. An Ambry, in Old Customs, was a place where arms, plate, and valuable vessels of domestic use were kept: the Ambry at Westminster either takes its name from having been formerly set apart for this purpose, or is a corruption of Almonry. AMBRYM, an island in the Pacific ocean, and one of the New Hebrides discovered by Capt. Cook. It is about 50 miles in circumference, and has a volcano, occasionally active. E. lon. 168°, 15'. S. lat. 16°, 12'. AMBRYSSUS, in Ancient Geography, a city of Phocis, so called, according to Pausanias, from some hero of that name. PAUSAN. X. 35. AMBUBAJE, in Ancient Customs, were dissolute women of Syria, who were in the habit of attending the festivals and public assemblies of Rome as minstrels; and hence resembling the almas, or dancing girls of Hindostan. Some writers think their name is derived from a Syrian word which signifies" flute." Turnebus and others deduce it from am, "round," and "baie," the place which they generally frequented. Horace mentions them, Ambubaiarum collegia, pharmacopola.-Book i. sat. ii. 1. See TURNEB. xi. 23. and SUET. in Ner, 27. AMBULATION, n. AMBULATORY, AMBULATORY, adj. } Lat. ambulo, to walk. From which occult action and invisible motion of the muscles in station (as Galen declareth) proceed more offensive lassitudes then from ambulation. Brown's Vulgar Errours. In new devotions and uncertain forms we may also have an ambulatory faith, and new articles may be offered before every sermon, and at every convention. Taylor's Apology for Authorized & Set Forms of Liturgy. The ark, while it was ambulatory with the tabernacle, was carried by staves on the shoulders of the Levites. Prideaux's Connections. They [the monarchs of Europe] appointed the royal courts, which originally were ambulatory and irregular with respect to their times of meeting, to be held in a fixed place and at stated seasons. Robertson's State of Europe. AMBULATORY COURTS, in Ancient English Polity, a name sometimes applied to each of our supreme courts of judicature, from their moving about from place to place. The high court of parliament was formerly ambulatory, as well as the court of king's bench, which moved with the king's person, and took its name from the circumstance of his presiding in this court in person. AMBULIA, in Botany, a genus of plants, belonging to the class Didynamia, and order Angiospermia. AMBULLI, in Ancient Mythology, a surname of Castor and Pollux, amongst the Spartans. AMBURBIA (ambire urbem), festivals at Rome, considered by Scaliger as the same with the AMBARVALIA, which see. They consisted in a solemn procession round the walls of the city and neighbouring fields, in which hymns were sung in honour of Ceres. TURNEBUS, xviii. 17.; LUCAN, i. 592. Id. Id. p. 242. & alle pat suerd mot bere, or oper wapen weld, Were sette R. to dere, enbussed porghi pe feld. Leulyn in a wod a bussement he held. Saladyn did stoppe pe dikes kank & bro, pat non said ouer hoppe, ne man ne hors suld go porgh pat enbussement, pat was so priuely. Julius pe emperour with strong power y nowg, Two ger aftur pe bataile, to Engelond ageyn drow, And pougte sle al pat folk, and wynne pis kyndom, Ac he caste per of ambes, as po he to londe com. Id. p. 187. R. Gloucester, p 51. Thare lay ane vale in ane crukit glen, Douglas. Eneados, book xi. p. 382. A winding vale there lay, within the shade Pitt. Douglas. In deepe still waters the pilate feareth more than in the great his waues of secret ambushments rather than of open armies, the warriour doubteth. Golden Booke, letter iv. Hugh earle of the marches of Poictou, comming by the French. king's direction to remoue Earle Richard and the English from the siege of the Riol, was with all his forces intercepted by an ambuscado, and discomfited with no small losse of men, munition, and Speed's Hist. of Gr. Britain. carriages. "Twould be my tirrany to strike and gall them, Who may in th' ambush of my name, strike home. Shakespeare's M. for M, act i. Againe great dole on either partie grewe, In the 24th year of Darius, Daurises having fallen into the Country of the Carians, overthrew them in two battles with a very great slaughter; but, în a third battle, being drawn into an ambush, he was slain, with several other eminent Persians, and his whole Prideaur's Connections. army cut off and destroyed. The youth of Sparta, it is well known, frequently lay in ambush for these wretched slaves in the night, and sallying out upon them unexpectedly, with daggers in their hands, murdered, in cold blood, every holot they met with. Porteus, on the Beneficial Effects of Christianity. AMPUSCADE. AMELIORATE. Far from the town two shaded hills arise, AMBUSCADE, in Military Tactics, the art of concealing AMCHITCHE, one of the Fox islands, in the North AMEDNAGUR, a province and city of Hindostan. AM'EL, n. And with a bend of gold tassiled Chaucer. Romaunt of the Rose, f. 121. c. 2. Spenser's Faerie Queene, book ii. can. iii. P. Fletcher's Purple Island, canto xi. Ah, silly I! more silly than my sheep, AMELIA ISLE, an island of America, on the E. coast AMELIA, OF AMERIA, an old episcopal town of the AMELIORATE, v. Ameliorari, melius valere, To make more desirable, to better, to mend, to im- AMELI prove. This word, though frequent in speech, is not of common occurrence in good writers. The class of proprietors contributes to the annual produce, by the of the land, upon the buildings, drains, inclosures, and other ameitoexpense which they may occasionally lay out upon the improvement rations, which they may either make or maintain upon it; and by means of which the cultivators are enabled, with the same capital, to raise a greater produce, and consequently to pay a greater rent. Smith's Wealth of Nations. AMELLUS, in Botany, starwort, a genus of plants belonging to the class Syngenesia, and order Polygamia superflua. AMEN, interj. 128, Hcb. and thence coming to the LADY. Consider it not so deepely. I had most need of blessing, and amen stuck in my throat. Far be it from him to entertain so uncharitable thoughts of us; AMENABLE. The Italian, menare, and Fr. mener, are derived, by Menage, from the Latin, minare; pellere, to drive. Vossius writes largely upon the etymology of minare, but unsatisfactorily. Wachter is persuaded that it is of Celtic origin (ss.), from menn, a place; and that minare is nothing else than to move from place to place. RATE Fr. amener, to bring or lead unto, to fetch in or to. Cotgrave. AME NAGI Amenable then may mean that may be broughtto answer inquiries, to account for actions. As to most of the corporate townes there, it is graunted by their charter, that they may, every man by himselfe, without au otheer (for that were more tolerable), for any debt, to distrain the goods of any Irish, being found within their liberty, or but passing thoroug their townes. And the first permission of this was, for that in those times when that graunt was made, the Irish were not amesnable to law, so as it was not safety for the townes-man to goe to him forth to demaund his debt, nor possible to draw him into law. Spenser's View of the State of Ireland. The sovereign of this country is not amenable to any form of trial known to the laws. Junius's Letters. Ded. AMENAGE.} To men To menage, or manage. With her, whoso will raging Furor tame, See Spenser's Faerie Queene, book ii, canto iv. Id. Mother Hubbard's Tu.c. NA- AMENANUS, in Ancient Geography, a river of JS. Sicily, near Mount Etna; now called Guidicello. IND. STRABO, V. AMEND', v. Lat. emendare, e and menda, which Vossius thinks is from the Greek for it is properly μείνων; called menda, when any thing is wanting. To free from deficiency, fault, blemish; to repair, correct, improve, reform. Wiclif, in Luke, has "I schal amende;" where the com. version has, "I will chastise." Bute ys wille al clene was ys lond for to amende. Sir, ert þou not ferd of wreche of Gode's ire, R. Brunne, p. 291. Lo I [Pilate] axynge bifore you fynde no cause in this man of these thingis, in whiche ye accusen him; neither Eroude, for he hath sent him agen to us, and lo nothing worthi of deeth is don to him. And therfor I schal amende him and dely uere him. Wiclif, Luk. ch. xxiii. And he axide of hem the our in which he was amendid: and thei seiden to him, fro yistirday in the seventhe our the feuere lefte him. Id. Joh. ch. iv. O mighty lorde toward my vice Gower. Con. A. book i. gesse, Chaucer. The Wif of Bathes Tale. Certes, all thise thinges ben defended by God and holy chirche, for which they ben accursed, till they come to amendement, that on swiche filth set hir beleve. Id. The Persones Tale. Now hit a thynkep me in pouht. pat evere ich so wroughte Surrey. Lord lay not their sins (who yet live) to their charge for condemnation, but to their consciences for amendment. ROL. Away with him, hence, hail him straight to execution. sayes, Id. Beau. and Fletch. Bloody Bro. act. iii. Eow. Now brother Richard, Lord Hastings, and the rest, Yet thus farre fortune maketh vs amends, And that once more I shall enterchange My wained state, for Henries regall crowne. Shakespeare's K. Henry VI. 3d part. Those who accept of this deliverance from the dominion of sin, that is, who by repentance and true amendment of life embrace the terms of the gospel; those, and those only, he further delivers from the guilt and punishment of sin. Clarke's Sermons. BLE. AMENDE HONORABLE, in ancient French Cus- AMENDE toms, a disgraceful and infamous kind of punishment HONORAthus inflicted. The offender being delivered over to the common executioner, was stripped to his shirt; a rope AMERCE, was hung round his neck, and a wax taper put into his hand; in this condition he was led to the provincial or other court, and forced to beg pardon of God, the king, and the country. In offences of an heinous nature, death was added to this punishment. AMENDMENT, in Law, the correction of any error committed in a process. An error in judgment cannot be amended, but an error after judgment may be. A writ of error must be brought by the party aggrieved by an error in judgment. Any error after judgment, in plea or otherwise, may always be amended. by leave of the court. Amendment in parliament, denotes an alteration made in the original draft of a bill, whilst it is passing through the houses of parliament. AMENITY. Amænus, which Festus thinks so called, because it allures to the love of itself (ad se amandum). Pleasantness, sweetness, agreeableness. G. Douglas and other Scotch writers use the adjective amene. If the situation of Babylon were such at first as it was in the dayes of Herodotus; it was rather a seat of amenity and pleasure, then conducing unto this intention. It being in a very great plain, and so improper a place to provide against a general deluge by towers and eminent structures. Brown's Vulgar Errours. AMEN'USE, v. Minuo, imminuo, to lessen. Fr. amenueser to lessen, to make little, to diminish. Another [humilitie of mouth] is, whan he preiseth the bountee of another man and nothing therof amenuseth. Chaucer. The Personnes Tale, vol. ii. p. 321. The thridde [the spice of envy] is to amenuse the bountee of his neighbour. Id. p. 323. AMENTIA, in Medicine, (from a priv. and mens, the mind), a term sometimes used to signify a weakness of intellect, as either want of the memory, or incapability of receiving mental impressions. Amentia is divided into three kinds: when originating in birth, it is called amentia congenita; when from accident, as from the effects of a fever, it is called amentia acquisita; and when from old age, amentia senilis. AMENTIUM, in Antiquity, a thong generally made of leather, one end of which was fixed to a javelin, or other missile weapon, whilst the combatant retained the other end in his hand, and thereby possessed the power of recovering his weapon when thrown at the enemy. It was thought that the amentium gave also a force to the blow; hence some combatants refused to use it, trusting rather to their natural strength. AMERADE, a kind of officer of rank amongst the Saracens, similar to the governor of an European province or county. AMERCE', v. AMERCE MENT, or AMER CIAMENT. μEpos, a part or share. To take a portion, or share of money, or goods; to impose a fine, or penalty; to exact a recompense. Lat. merces, a merendo, says Vossius, after Varro; and mereo, whence merendo, from By the ancient law, punishments affecting life or limb, were remitted upon payment of a fine (merci.) To be subject to fine was to be subject to merci, which furnishes a very sufficient reason for the application of the word mercy, to pity, tenderness, &c. 3 с |