ASTURIA, an ancient kingdom of Spain, subdued by Auguftus emperor of Rome. See the two next articles.

ASTURIANS the brave inhabitants of Afturia, who, along with thofe of Cantabria, afferted their liberty long after the rest of Spain had submitted to the Roman yoke. So great was their defire of liberty, that, after being clofely fhut up by the Roman army, they endured the most terrible calamities of famine, even to the devouring of one another, rather than submit to the enemy. At length, however, the Afturians were for furrendering: but the Cantabrians oppofed this meas fure, maintaining that they ought all to die sword in hand, like brave men. Upon this the two nations quarrelled, notwithstanding their defperate fituation; and a battle enfuing, fo,oco of the Afturians were driven to the entrenchments of the Romans, whom they begged, in the most moving manner, to receive them on any terms they pleafed. But Tiberius, the emperor's fon-in-law, refufing to admit them into the camp, fome of thefe unhappy people put an end to their lives, by failing on their own fwords; others, lighting great fires, threw themselves into them, while fome poifoned themfelves, by drinking the juice of a venomous herb. The campaign being put an end to by winter, the next year the Afturians fummoned all their strength and refolution against the Romans; but,, notwithftarding their utmost efforts of valour and defpair, they were entirely defeated. in a moft bloody battle, which lafted two davs, and, for that time, entirely fubdued. A few years afterwards they rebelled, in conjunction with the Cantabrians; but were foon reduced by the Romans, who maffacred most of the young men that were capable of bearing arms. This did not prevent them from revolting anew, in a fhort time afterwards; but without fuccefs, being obliged to fubmit to the Roman power, till the fubvertion of that empire by the Goths. The modern Afturians value themfelves much on being descended from the ancient Goths. Even the poor pealants, who are tain to seek work in other provinces, call themfelves illuftrious Goths and Mountaineers, thinking it ignominious to marry, even with great and rich families of another race! This pride is flattered, by the refpect paid them by the reft of the nation, and the privileges beftowed upon them by the government.

ASTURIAS, anciently the kingdom of Afturia, is now a principality of modern Spain. It is bounded by Bitcay on the E. Gallicia on the W. Caftile and Old Leon on the S. and the fea on the N. Its greatest length is about 120 miles, and its breadth 4. On the S. it is feparated from Cattile and Old Leon by high mountains covered with woods. The province is tolerably fertile, and produces excellent wines and horfes, but is thinly Thabited. It has mines of gold, lapis lazuli, and vermition. The hereditary prince of Spain is ftyled Prince of the Altarias. The molt remarkable places in this principality are Oviedo, Gyon,

1. ASTURIAS DE ONIEDO, which is largeft, and lies to the weft; and,

2. ASTURIAS DE SANTILLANA, which lies' eastward, and is mountainous and woody.

ASTURIAS, in zoology, a name by which fome authors have called the gofhawk.

ASTURIUS. See ASTERIUS. ASTWICK, the name of 4 villages, viz. 1. in Bedfordshire, near Bigglefwade: 2. in Bucks, near Newport: 3. in Hertfordshire, near Buntingford: and, 4. in Yorkshire, 5 miles NW. of Settle.

ASTYAGES, fon of Cyaxares, the laft king of the Medes.. He dreamed, that from the womb of his daughter Mandane, married to Cambyfes king of Perfia, there sprung up a vine that spread itself over all Afia. She being with child, he refolved to kill the infant as foon as born. Its name was Cyrus; but Harpagus being fent to destroy it preferved it; which Aftyages hearing of long after, he caufed Harpagus to eat his own fon. Harpagus, in revenge, called in Cyrus, who dethroned his grandfather, and thereby ended the monarchy of the Medes. Thus the old tyrant loft his kingdom, by the very barbarous means he took to preferve it. See MEDIA and PERSIA.

ASTYANAX, the only fon of Hector and Andromache. After the taking of Troy, he was thrown from the top of a tower, by Ulyfies's orders.

ASTYNOMI, in Grecian antiquity, magiftrates in Athens, correfponding to the adiles of the Romans; they were ten in number. See EDILE. ASTYNOMUS, one of the fons of king Priam, flain by Achilles.

* ASUNDER adv. [afundra", Sax.] Apart; feparately; not together.-Two indirect lines, the further that they are drawn out, the further they go afunder. Spenfer on Ireland.

,ASYCTOS. See ABSYNTHUS,

The

(1.) ASYLA, the plural of ASYLUM. See § 2. The afyla of altars and temples were very ancient; and likewife those of tombs, statues, and other monuments of confiderable perfonages.— Thus, the temple of Diana at Ephefus was a refuge for debtors; the tomb of Thefeus for flaves. Among the Romans, a celebrated afylum was opened by Romulus between the mounts Palatine and Capitoline, in order to people Rome, for all forts of people indifcriminately, fugitive flaves, debtors, and criminals every kind. It had a temple dedicated to the god ASYLEUS. Jews had their afyla; the most remarkable of which were, the fix cities of refuge, the temple, and the altar of burnt offerings; which protected thofe who had incurred the lath of the law, but not for any deliberate crime. But it was cuftomary among the Heathens, to allow refuge and impunity, even to the vileft and moft flagrant offenders; fome out of fuperftition, and others for the fake of peopling their cities. They had an idea, that a criminal who fled to the temple or al tar, fubmitted his crime to the punishment of the gods; and, that it would be impicty in man to take vengeance out of their hands. It was by

this

this means, and with fuch inhabitants, that The bes, Athens, and Rome, were first stocked. We even read of asylums at Lyons and Vienne, among the ancient Gauls; and there are fome cities in Germany, which still preserve the ancient right of afylum. Hence, on the medals of feveral ancient cities, particularly in Syria, we meet with the infeription AET101, to which is added, FPAI. The emperors Honorius and Theodofius granting the little immunities to churches, the bifhops and monks laid hold of a certain tract or territory, without which they fixed the bounds of the fecular jurisdiction; and fo well did they manage their privileges, that convents in a little time became next akin to fortrefles; where the most notorius villains were in fafety, and braved the power of the magiftrate. These privileges, at length, were extended, not only to the churches and church-yards, but also to the bithops houfes; whence the criminal could not be removed, without a legal affurance of life, and an entire remiflion of the crime. The reafon of the extenfion was, that they might not be obliged to live altogether in the churches, &c, where feveral of the occafions of life could not be decently performed. But at last, these asyla were stripped of most of their immunities, because they served to make guilt more daring. In Britain, particularly, they were entirely abolished, as protecting criminals, although there are ftill fome privileged places of refuge, for debtors; fuch as the Abbey of HOLY-ROOD-HOUSE, near Edinburgh, and its precincts. See SANCTUARY.

(1.) ASYLUM. n. f. [Lat. zavλw, from a, not, and, to pillage.] A place, out of which he that has fled to it, may not be taken; a fanctuary; a refuge; a place of retreat and fecurity.So facred was the church to fome, that it had the Fight of an asylum, or fanctuary. Ayliffe's Parerg. (3.) ASYLUM, in geography. See AssYLUM. ASYLUS, the gad fly. See ASILUS. ASYMBOLIC, [from, negative, and up, a hot,] thot free. Bailey.

ASYMMETRAL, incommenfurable.

* ASYMMETRY. n. f. [from a, without, and real, fymmetry] 1. Contrariety to fymmetry; difproportion. The afymmetries of the brain, as well as the deformities of the legs or face, may be rectified in time. Grew. 2. This term is fome times ufed in mathematicks, for what is more ufually called incommenfurability; when between two quantities there is no common measure. ASYMPHONY, [from a privative, and ayupovic, harmony,] a diforder in Defcant.

(1.) ASYMPTOTE. n. /. [from a priv. , with, and low, to fall; which never meet; incoincident.] Afymptotes are right lines, which approach nearer to fome curve; but which, though they and their curve were infinitely continued, would never meet; and may be conceived as tangents to their curves at an infinite distance. Chamb.-Afymptote lines, though they may approach still nearer together, till they are nearer than the leaft affignable diftance, yet, being still produced infinitely, will

never meet. Grew.

(2) ASYMPTOTES. See CONIC SECTIONS. ASYMPTOTIC. See next article.

ASYMPTOTICAL. adj. [from afymptote.]

Curves are faid to be fymptotical, when they continually approach, without a poffibility of meeting. ASYNDETON. n. f. [aoundsor, of a, priv. and us, to bind together.] A figure in grammar, when a conjunction copulative is omitted in a fentence; as in veni, vidi, vici, & is left out. * AT. prep. [at, Saxon] 1. At before a place, notes the nearness of the place; as, a man is at the house before he is in it.-This cuftom continued among many, to say their prayers at fountains. Stilling fleet. 2. t before a word fignitying time, notes the co-existence of the time with the event; the word time is fometimes included in the adjective; we commonly say at a minute, at an hour, on a day, in a month.-We thought it at the very firft a fign of cold affection. Hocker. 3. At before a cafual word fignifies nearly the fame as with, noting that the event accompanies, or immediately fucceeds, the action of the cause.At his touch,

Such fanctity hath Heav'n giv'n his hand, They prefently amend. Shakefp. Macbeth. 4. At before a fuperlative implies in the fate; as, at beft, in the ftate of moft perfection, &c.-Confider any man as his perfonal powers, they are not great; for, at greatest, they must still be limited. South. 5. before a perfon, is feldom ufed otherwife than ludicrously; as, he longed to be at him, that is, to attack him. 6. At before a fubftantive fometimes fignifies the particular condition or circumstances of the perfon; as, at peace, in a ftate of peace.

Under pardon,

Shakespeare.

10. At fometimes fignifies in confequence of.Impeachments at the profecution of the house of commons, have received their determinations in the houfe of lords. Hale. 11. At marks fometimes the effect proceeding from an act.

Reft in this tomb, rais'd at thy husband's coft.

Dryden. 12. At fometimes is nearly the fame as in, noting fituation; as, he was at the bottom, or top of the hill.-She hath been known to come at the head of these rascals, and beat her lover. Swift. 13. At fometimes marks the occafion, like on.—

Others, with helpful care, Cry'd out aloud, Beware, brave youth, beware? At this he turn'd, and, as the bull drew near, Shunn'd, and receiv'd him on his pointed spcar. Dryden. At fometimes feems to fignify in the power of, or, obedient to.

14.

But thou of all the kings, Jove's care below, Art leaft at my command, and must my foe. Dryden. A 2

originally a city of the Locri, but torn from the continent in the time of an earthquake, and during an eruption of mount Etna; in the 4th year of the 93d Olympiad, in the reign of ArtaxerxesMnemon.,

15. At fometimes notes the relation of a man to an action. To make pleafure the vehicle of health, is a doctor at it in good earnest. Collier of Friend Jhip. 16. At fometimes imports the manner of an action.-One warms you by degrees, the other fets you on fire all at once, and never intermits his heat. Dryden's Fables. 17. At, like the French chez, means fometimes application to, or dependence on.-The worst authors might endeavour to pleafe us, and in that endeavour deferve fomething at our hands. Pope. 18. At all. In any manner; in any degree.

Nothing more true than what you once let fall, Moft women have no characters at all. Pope. * ATABAL. n. f. A kind of tabour ufed by the Moors.-

Children fhall beat our atabals and drums, And all the noify trades of war no more Shall wake the peaceful morn. Dryd. Don Sebaft. ATABALIPA, or ATAHUALPA, the last of the incas. On the death of his father, in 1529, he fucceeded to the throne of Quito, while his brother Huafer obtained the kingdom of Peru. Not long after a difagreement took place, and hoftities commenced betwixt them, in which Hoaicar was defeated. The Spaniards taking advantage of these disturbances, with Pizarro as their leader, invaded Peru, where they were entertained with no little hofpitality by the king and the people; but instead of making any return for his kindness, they, with their ufual treachery, held him in captivity. The inca, as a rantom, offered to give the Spaniards a room full of gold, and when they had got the treafure in their poffeffion, they with the utmost bafenefs, burnt the unhappy monarch at the ftake, in 1533.

ATABULUS, in phyfiology, a provincial wind in Apulia, of a dry pinching quality, and very noxious in its effects. The ancient naturalifts speak of the Atabulus in terms of horror, on account of the ravages it made among the fruits of the earth, which it scorched or withered up.

ATABYRIS, a very high mountain in the island of Rhodes, on which, according to Strabo and Diodorus Siculus, flood a temple of Jupiter Atabyrius, whofe worship a colony of Rhodians carried into Sicily, where they built a temple to him, at Agrigentum.

ATABYRIUS, an epithet of Jupiter.

(4.) ATACAMA, a chain of mountains in S. America, which feparate Peru from Quito, and where the cold is fo violent that paflengers are fometimes frozen to death.

(2.) ATACAMA, a defert of Peru.

(3.) ATACAMA, a harbour of Peru. Lon. 80. 20. W. Lat. o. 22. S.

ATACAPA, a town in Louisiana. ATAD, a Canaanite, rendered memorable by his threshing floor. See next article.

ATAD'S THRESHING FLOOR, a place beyond Jordan, where the funeral proceffion of the Ifraelites and Egyptians, who attended Jacob's buriai, stopt and aftonished the Canaanites with the magnificence of the folemnity. It was afterwards named ABEL-MIZRAIM, or the mourning of the Egyptians, from this circumstance.

(1.) ATALANTA, an illand in the Euripus of Euba, near the Locri Opuntii, faid to have been

(2.` ATALANTA, in fabulous history, the daughter of Schoncus, king of Scyros. Being refolved against marriage, and at the fame time very wilt of foot, the, to get rid of her numerous fuitors, declared that he would marry none but the mas who was willing to rifk his life for her, by ftriving to outrun her, and to forfeit it if he failed. This feveral attempted and fuffered accordingly. But Hippomenes, being furnished by Venus with three golden apples, dropt them at proper diftarces during the race, and while fhe ftooped to gather them, gained both the race and the princefs. Th fuccefsful lover, however, proving ungrateful to the goddefs, they were both afterwards turned into lions.

(3.) ATALANTA, the daughter of Jafius and mother of Parthenopaus, by Meleagar. See ME

LEAGER.

ATALANTIS, ATLANTICA, or ATLANTIS See ATLANTIS.

ATALAUA, a town of Portuguese Efremadura, feated on an eminence, with a streng fort 5 miles S. of Tomer, and equally near the Taju Lon. 7. 56. W. Lat. 39. 25. N.

ATAMASCO LILY, a fpecies of AMARYLLI. ATANTA, in botany, a name given by the people of Guinea to a kind of fumath, called, by Petiver, rkus Guineenfe trifoliatum fcabium, from its being trifoliate, and having rough and ferrated leaves. This fomewhat refembies the hoary trifoliate African fumach of Pluckenet; but it di fers in this, that its leaves are edged with prickles, whereas thofe of Pluckenet's kind are only deeply finuated. The people of Guinea are very fond of it, for its medicinal virtues; they give it as a r ftcrative boiled in water.

* ATARAXIA. Į n. f. [uraçažia] Exemption * ATARAXY. from vexation; tranquillity. -The fcepticks affected an indifferent equiponderous neutrality, as the only means to their atoraxia, and freedom from paflionate difturbances. Glanville's Scopfis.

ATARGATIS FANUM, the temple of the goddefs ATERGATIS, in Bambyce, which was extremely rich. Craflus, in his march against the Parthians, fpent several days in weighing the treafure.

ATARNEA, or ? an ancient town of Myfia, fiATARNYA, tuated between Adramyttium and Pitane, memorable for the marriage of Ariftotle with the fifter of Hermias, the prince of it.

ATAULFUS, the firft king of the Goths in Spain, eftablished his government there, about A. D. 404, and died, A. D. 416. See SPAIN.

ATAXY, [from a negative, and ra, order,] the want of order. With phyficians, it fignifica irregularity of crifes and paroxyfms of fevers.

ATAYADA, a river of Spain, in Old Caftile, which fall into the Duero.

ATCHAM, a village, 3 m. SE. of Shrewibury ATCHE, in commerce, the fmalleft filver coin current in Turkey, worth one third of a penny sterling,

To ATCHIEVE. v. a. is derived from the Fr. achever, i. e. to finish or make an end of; but fignities, in its ordinary acceptation, to performa great actions or exploits.

ATCHIEVEMENT, in heraldry, denotes the arms of a perfon or family, together with all the exterior ornaments of the shield; as helmet, mantle, creft, ferolls, and motto, together with fuch Quarterings as may have been acquired by alliances, all marshalled in order.

ATCHISON. See ACHESON.

ATCHISON'S HAVEN. See ACHESON'S HAVEN. and MORISON'S HAVEN.

(1.) ATE, [from are, to hurt,] the goddess of mischief, in the mythology. She was daughter of Jupiter, and caft down from heaven at the birth of Hercules. For Juno having deceived Jupiter, in causing Euristheus to be born before Hercules, Jupiter exprefled his refcntment on Ate, as the author of that mifchief: and threw her headlong from heaven to earth, fwearing the fhould never return thither again. (Homeri II. xix. 125.) Her being the daughter of Jupiter, means, according to mythologifts, that no evil happens to us but by the permiffion of Providence; and her banishment to earth denotes the terrible effects of divine juftice among men.

(2.)* ATE. The preterite of eat. See To EAT.-Even our firit parents ate themfelves out of paradife and Job's children junketted and feafted together often. South.

ATEGAR, 'from the Saxon aeton. to throw, and gar, a weapon,] a weapon among the Saxons, which feems to have been a band-dart.

ATEGUA, or ATTEGUA, an ancient town of Spain, placed by fome in the road from Antiquara, now Antequera, to Hifpalis, or Seville; by others near Alcala Real; which last is the more probable fituation, because the flumen falfum, now the Salado, was in its neighbourhood, It is now called TEBALA VIEJA, or TEIVELA,

ATELIA, an exemption from taxes, or other burdens. Ariane is particularly ufed in fome ancient laws, for an exemption from of bces granted the Egyptian clergy by Conftantius. ATELIA, an ancient town of Campania in Italy, between Capua and Neapolis. The ruins of this town are still to be feen about 11 miles from the modern AVERSA, which was built out of is materials.

ATELLANE FABULA, a fpecies of farce,

ATELLANI LUDI, (to Panned from (

tella, called alfo OscI, from their inventor, in whofe territory Atella lay. They were generally interlarded with much ribaldry and buffoonery; and fometimes were exordia or interludes, prefent ed between the acts of other plays. The actors in these farces were not reckoned among the common players, nor deemed infamous; but retained the rights of their tribe, and might be lifted for foldiers, the privilege only of free men. ATEMPER. adj. moderate. Chauc. ATEMPO GIUSTO, in mufic, fignifies to fing or play in an equal, true, and just time. ATENA, a town of Italy, in Naples, near the Negro, 12 miles NW. of Marfico, and 22 N. of Pulicaftro, Lon. 15. 58. E. Lat. 40. 36. N,

ATERGATIS, in mythology, a goddess of the Syrians and Parthians, fuppofed to be the mother of Semiramis, and called DERCETO by the Greeks. She was reprefented with the face and breafts of a woman, but the reft of her body refembled a fish. Voffius makes the name Phoenician, from AddirDay, the great fish; and fays it fignifies without fib; whence he conjectures that the votaries of this deity abftained from fith.

ATERNUM, 1. a town of Lucania in Italy, now called ATERNI: 2. a town in the territory of the Piceni, now called PESCARA, a port town of Naples, fituated on the Adriatic. Lon. 15. 25. E. Lat. 52. 30. N.

ATESTE, a town in the territory of Venice in Italy, now called ESTE. Lon. 12. 6. E. Lat. 45. 25. N.

(1.) ATH, or Tн, a ftrong town of the cidevant Auftrian Netherlands, in one of the new departments, lately annexed to the territory of the republic of France.. It is feated on the Dender, 12 miles NW. of Mons. See Æтн.

(2.) ATH, or ATHE, among our Anglo-Saxon ATHA, S ancestors, fignifics an oath, efpecially that taken by way of purgation. In this fente we meet with breaking of ath, privilege of ath, atha or ordela.

ATHALARIC, the grandfon of Theodoric, and the ad king of the Oftrogoths in Italy, fucceeded A. D. 526, and reigned along with his mother Amalafuntha, about 8 years. They both died A. D. 534

ATHALIAH, Inshay, Heb. i. e. the time of the Lord the daughter of Ahab, king of Ifrael, by Jezebel, and wife of Jehoram king of Judah. She was worfe, if pollible, than her worthlefs parents, for the not only followed their idolatrous example, but added murder and parricide to her other crimes. Hearing that Jehu had flain her fon Ahaziah, along with the reft of Ahab's pofterity in Ifrael, the ufurped the royal power, and to fecure herself in it, contributed to complete the vengeance denounced against her father's houfe for the murder of Naboth, by extirpating all the blood-royal of Judah, not fparing even her own grand-children;-all of whom the murdered, except the infant prince Joafh, who was refcued from his grandmother's ambitious fury, by his aunt Jehofheba, and hid by her and her husband Jehoida, for 6 years in the temple, during the ufurpation of this monfter. In the 7th year, Jehoiada, the high-pricft, engaging the leading men of the kingdom in his intereft, produced the young prince in a public affembiy, in the court of the temple: caused the people take an oath of fidelity to him; and engaged both them and their king to ferve the Lord." Arming the Levites and other friends with weapons depofited in the temple, he appointed one part of them to guard the royal perfon; the reft to fecure the gates of the facred courts; he next brought forth the young prince, crowned him, and proclaimed him king. Alarmed with the fhouts of the people, Athaliah ran to the temple, when fhocked with the fight of the king on his throne, the rent her clothes and cried, Treafon, treafon. By Jehoiada's orders, the gua rd carried her out and flew her.

the

(3.) ATHANASIA, in botany, is used by fome authors for tanzy.

ATHAMADULET, or ATHEMADAULET, the prime minifter of the Perfian empire. He is great chancellor of the kingdom, prefident of the council, fuperintendant of the finances; and has the charge of all foreign affairs. He is in effect viceroy of the kingdom; and ifiues the king's mandates, in this ftyle. "I, who am the fupport of the power, the creator of this port, the highest of all ports," &c.

ATHAMANTA, SPIGNEL: A genus of the digynia order, belonging to the pentandria clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 4th order, Umbellata. The fruit is cblong and furiated; and the petals are inflected and emarginated. Of this genus Linnæus enumerates fpecies; but none of them merit particular notice, except the

ATHAMANTA CRETENSIS, or DAUCUS CRE TICUS, which grows wild in the Levant and the warmer parts of Europe. The leaves are irreguJarly difpofed, and formed like thofe of fennel. The flower-ftalk rifes about two feet high, fending out many branches, terrainated at the top by compound umbels, compofed of near 20 fmall ones. Thefe have white flowers with five petals, which are fucceeded by oblong, hairy, channelled fruit, divided into two parts, containing one oblong hairy feed. The feeds have a warm biting tafte, with an agreeable aromatic smell. They are kept in the fhops as a medicine, are carminative, and faid to be diuretic, but are little used in practice. The plant may be propagated from feeds, which fhould be fown on an open bed of light dry ground; the following autumn the plants should be taken up, and planted at about a foot distance in a bed of light fandy earth, where the roots will continue feveral years.

ATHANAGILD, the 14th king of the Goths in Spain, fucceeded Aguila, A. D. 554, and died A. D. 567, in the 13th year of his reign.

ATHANARIC, king of the Tervingi, the ft king of the Vifigoths, who fettled in Spain and part of Gaul, about A. D. 569. The Goths under him were much divided between the Arian and orthodox opinions; infomuch that after a victory obtained over Athanaric, by the Huns and Alans, thofe of his fubjects who adopted the former opinion, emigrated under the command of Fritigern, and fettled on the banks of the Ifter in Thrace. Athanaric died A. D. 381, and was fucceeded by the famous ALARIC.

(1.) ATHANASIA, GOLDILOCKS: A genus of the polygamia æqualis order, belonging to the fyngenefia clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 49th order, Compofitæ difcoides. The receptacle is chaffy, the pappus is chaffy, and very short; and the calyx is imbricated. There are 20 fpecies, all tender plants except one; and none of them poffeffed of beauty, or any remarkable property which has yet been difcovered.

(2.) ATHANASIA, in ancient medicine, an epithet given to a kind of antidotes, fuppofed to have the power of prolonging life, even to immortality! In the Auguftan difpenfatory we ftill find a medicine under the appellation of athanafia magna, recommended against dyfenteries and hæmorrhages.

ATHANASIAN CREED; a formulary, or con feffion of faith, long fuppofed to have been drawn up by Athanafus bithop of Alexandria, in the 4th century, to justify himself against the calumnies of his Arian enemies. But it is now generally allowed among the learned not to have been his. Dr Waterland afcribes it to Hilary bishop of Arles, for the following among other reafons: 1. Becaufe Honoratus of Marfilles, the writer of his life, tells us, that he composed an Expofition of the Creed; a more proper title for the Athanafian, than that of Creed fimply which it now bears. 2. Hilary was a great admirer and follower of St Auttin; and the whole compofition of this creed is in a manner upon St Auftin's plan, both with refpect to the Trinity and incarnation. 3. It is agreeable to the ftyle of Hilary, as far as we can judge from the little that is left of his works. Upon the whole, he concludes, that Hilary bithop of Arles, about A. D. 530, compofed The Expofition of Faith, which now bears the name of the Athanafian Creed, for the ufe of the Gallican clergy, and particularly thofe of the diocese of Arles: That, about A. D. 570, it became fo famous as to be commented upon; but that all this while, and for feveral years after, it had not acquired the name of Athanafia, but was fimply styled The Catholic Faith: That before 670, Athanafius's name was introduced to recommend it, be ing indeed, a complete fyftem of the Athanafian principles, as to the Trinity and incarnation, in oppofition chiefly to the Arians, Macedonians, and Apollinarians. This creed obtained in France about A. D. 850, and was received in Spain and Germany about 100 years latter. As to our own country, we have clear proofs of its being fung alternately in our churches in the 10th century. It was in common ufe in fome parts of Italy, particularly in the diocese of Verona, about A. D. 960, and was received at Rome about 1014. As to the Greek and oriental churches, it has been queftioned whether any of them ever received this creed at all; though fome very confiderable wri ters are of a contrary perfuafion. As to the matter of this creed, it is given as a fummary of the true orthodox faith, and a condemnation of all herefies ancient and modern. Unhappily, however, it has proved a fruitful fource of unprofitable controverfy and unchristian animofity even down to the prefent time. And indeed no better confequences could be expected from a human compofition, expreffed in fuch strong, uncharitable, and unfcriptural terms, upon a doctrine at beft difputable, and acknowledged on all hands to be incomprehenfible.

ATHANASIUS, St, bishop of Alexandria, and one of the most violent opponents of the Arians, was born in Egypt. He followed St Alexander to the council of Nice, in 325, where he difpu ted againft Arius, and the following year was made bishop of Alexandria; but, in 335, was depofed by the council of Tyre: when, having recourfe to the emperor Conftantine, the Arian deputies accufed him of having hindered the exportation of corn from Alexandria to Conftantinoples on which the emperor, without fuffering him to