AVERDUPOIS. See AVOIRDUPOIS. AVERDY (Clement Charles de l'), an eminent French statesman, was born at Paris in 1720. He was counsellor of parliament, minister and comptroller general of the finances under Louis XV. His reputation was so great, that his appointment gave general satisfaction to the people, but falling into some mismanage ment, he requested his dismission in 1764. He afterwards retired to his estate, and occupied himself in agricultural pursuits. Though he took no part in the revolution, but kept perfectly neutral, yet he was arrested and brought to the guillotine in 1793. He wrote, 1. Suite des Experiences de Gambais sur le bleds noirs ou cariés, 8vo. 2. Memoire sur le Procés criminal de Robert d'Artois, Comte de Beaumont pair de France. AVERIA, in our old law books, properly signify oxen or horses used for the plough; but in a general sense any cattle. When mention is made of one beast, they say quidam equus, vel quidam bos;' when of two or more they do not say equi or boves, but averia. AVERIA, in commerce, a branch of the Spanish revenue, signifying a tax paid for convoys to guard the ships trading to America. It was first imposed when Sir Francis Drake made his voyage to the South Sea. AVERIIS CAPTIS IN WITHERNAM, a writ for taking cattle when unlawfully distrained and driven out of the country, so that they cannot be replevied by the sheriff." AVER-LAND, in our old writers, such lands as the tenants ploughed with their cattle, and manured cum averiis suis, for the use of a monastery, or the lords of the soil. AVERNAT, a sort of grape. See VINE. AVERNI; from the privative a, and opvc, a bird, as intimating that birds could not fly over them, but dropped down dead; among the ancient naturalists certain lakes and other places which infect the air with poisonous steams or vapors; called also mephites. Averni are said to be common in Hungary, on account of its abundance of mines. The Grotto del Cani, in Italy, is a famous one. See AVERNUS. AVERNO, the ancient Avernus, a lake of Lavoro in Naples, lying in a narrow valley, two miles long and one broad. It is 180 feet deep in some places, and the old walls standing upon its banks are supposed to be the ruins of a temple of Apollo. Vibus Sequester, and other ancient authors represented it as bottomless. Mr. Chambers says the modern Italians call it Lago di Tripergola. See the next article. AVERNUS, a lake of Campania in Italy, near Baiæ, famous among the ancients for its poisonous qualities. It is described by Strabo as lying within the Lucrine bay, deep and darksome, surrounded with steep banks that hang threatening over it, and only accessible by one narrow passage. Black, aged groves stretched their boughs over the watery abyss, and with impenetrable foliage excluded almost every ray of wholesome light; mephitic vapors ascending from the hot bowels of the earth, being denied free passage to the upper atmosphere, floated along the surface in poisonous mist; and killed even the birds that attempted to fly over it. These circumstances produced horrors fit for the gloomy votaries of the infernal deities. A colony of Cimmerians, as well suited to the rites as the place itself, cut dwellings in the bosom of the surrounding hills, and officiated as priests of Tartarus. Superstition, always delighted in dark ideas, early and eagerly seized upon this spot, and represented a cavern near it called the Sybil's cave, as the mouth of the infernal regions. Hither she led her trembling votaries to celebrate her dismal orgies; here she evoked the manes of departed heroes-here she offered sacrifices to the gods of hell, and attempted to dive into the secrets of futurity. Poets enlarged upon the popular theme, and painted its awful scenery with the strongest colors of their art. Homer brings Ulysses to Avernus, as to the mouth of the infernal abodes, and, in imitation of the Grecian bard, Virgil conducts his hero to the same ground. Whoever sailed thither, first did sacrifice, and endeavoured to propitiate the infernal powers, with the asistance of some priest, who attended upon the place, and directed the mystic performance. Within, a fountain of pure water broke out just over the sea, but which nobody tasted, as it was fancied to be a vein of the river Styx; near this fountain was the oracle; and the hot waters, frequent in these parts, were supposed to be branches of the burning Phlegethon. The holiness of these shades remained unimpeached for many years. Hannibal marched his army to offer incense at this altar; though it may be suspected he was led to this act of devotion rather by the hopes of surprising the garrison of Puteoli, than by his piety. After a long reign of undisturbed gloom and celebrity, a sudden glare of light was let in upon Avernus; the horrors were dispelled, and with them vanished the sanctity of the lake: the axe of Agrippa brought its forest to the ground, disturbed its sleepy waters with ships, and gave vent for all its malignant effluvia to escape. The virulence of these exhalations, as described by ancient authors, has appeared so very extraordinary, that modern writers, who know the place in a cleared state only, charge these accounts with exaggeration; but Swinburn thinks them entitled to more credit; for even now, he observes, the air is feverish and dangerous, as the jaundiced faces of the vine-dressers, who have succeeded the Sybils and the Cimmerians in the possession of the temple, most ruefully testify. Boccaccio relates, that during his residence at the Neapolitan court, the surface of this lake was suddenly covered with dead fish, black and singed, as if killed by some subaqueous eruption of fire. The changes of fortune in these lakes, is singular in the splendid days of imperial Rome, the Lucrine was the chosen spot for the brilliant parties of pleasure of a volup tuous court: now, a slimy bed of rushes covers the scattered pools of this once beautiful sheet of water; while the once dusky Avernus is clear and serene, offering a most alluring surface and charming scene for similar amusements Opposite to the temple is a cave usually styled the Sybil's grotto; but apparently inore likely to have been the mouth of communication between Cuma and Avernus, than the abode of a pro phetess; especially as the Sybil is positively said by historians to have dwelt in a cavern under the Cumaan citadel. Mr. Eustace (Classical Tour) describes the Avernus as a circular sheet of water, about a mile and a half in circumference, and in many places nearly 190 feet deep; surrounded by ground low on the one side, on the other high, but not steep, in rich cultivation, and slightly wooded. On the southern bank stands a large and lofty octagonal building, vaulted, and of brick, with halls adjoining. This probably was the temple of Proserpine, or of Avernus itself. It is surrounded by vineyards. On the northern bank, under a steep, overhung with shrubs and brambles, is a subterraneous gallery, still called the Grotto della Sibilla. The first gallery runs under the Monte Grillo, in the direction of Baiæ. It opens into a second on the right, tending towards Cuma; after some distance, a piece of water crosses it, called the Sybil's bath. The ground then rises rapidly, and all farther progress is stopped by the fallen walls. The situation and appearance of the cavern agree very closely with the description of Virgil. It branched out into several other galleries; and probably furnished him with much of the scenery in the sixth book. The Lago di Tripergola, as it is called at present, has .ost all claim to its former appellation, since in winter it abounds in water-fowl. There can be no doubt that the lake is the crater of an ex hausted volcano. AVER-PENNY, q. d. AVERAGE PENNY, money contributed towards the king's averages; or money given to be freed thereof. See AVE RAGE. AVERHOA, in botany, a genus of the decandria order, belonging to the pentagynia class of plants; ranking in the natural method under the fourth order, gruinales. The calyx has five leaves, the petals are five, opening at top; and the apple or fruit is pentagonous, and divided into five cells. There are three species, viz. 1. A. acida; 2. A. blimbi; and 3. A. carambola, called in Bengal the camrue or camrunga. This plant is remarkable for possessing a power somewhat similar to those species of mimosa which are termed sensitive plants; its leaves on being touched moving very perceptibly. In the mimosa the moving faculty extends to the branches; but from the hardness of the wood this cannot be expected in the carambola. The leaves are alternately pinnated with an odd one; and their most common position in the day-time is horizontal, or on the same plane with the branch from which they come out. On being touched they move themselves downwards, frequently in so great a degree that the two opposite almost touch one another by their under sides, and the young ones sometimes either come into contact, or even pass each other; the whole of the leaves of one pinna move by striking the branch with the nail of the finger, or other hard substance; or each leaf can be moved singly, by making an impression that shall not exceed beyond that leaf. In this way the leaves of one side of the pinna may be made to move one after another, whilst the opposite ones continue as they were; or they may be made to move alternately in any order, by touching properly the leaf intended to pinnated plants. In the latter a great uniformity subsists in the respective position of the leaves on the pinna; but in the carambola, some will be seen on the horizontal plane, some raised above it, and others fallen under it; and in an hour or so, without any order or regularity which can be observed, all of them will have changed their respective positions. Cutting the bark of the branch down to the wood, and even separating it about the space of half an inch all around, so as to stop all communication by the vessels of the bark, does not for the first day affect the leaves, either in their position or their aptitude for motion. In a branch, which was cut through in such a manner as to leave it suspended only by a little of the bark no thicker than a thread, the leaves next day did not rise so high as the others; but they were green and fresh, and, on being touched, moved, but in a much less degree than formerly. After sun-set the leaves go to sleep, first moving down so as to touch one another by their under sides; they therefore perform more extensive motion at night of themselves than they can be made to do in the day-time by external impressions. With a convex lens the rays of the sun may be collected on a leaf, so as to burn a hole in it, without occasioning any motion. But upon trying the experiment on the petiolus, the motion is as quick as if from strong percussion, although the rays be not so much concentrated as to cause pain when applied in the same degree on the back of the hand. The leaves move very fast from the electrical shock, even although very gentle. AVERRHOISTS. See AVERROISTS. AVERROES, one of the most subtle of the Arabian philosophers, flourished about the end of the eleventh and beginning of the twelfth centuries. He was the son of the high-priest and chief judge of Cordova in Spain; and educated in the university of Morocco, in which he was afterwards a professor; and studied natural philosophy, medicine, mathematics, law, and divinity. After the death of his father he enjoyed his posts; and was farther promoted by Almanzor, emperor of Morocco, to be judge of Morocco and Mauritania, with leave to appoint delegates, and remain at Cordova. But notwithstanding his great emoluments, his liberality to men of letters in necessity, whether they were his friends or his enemies, made him always in debt. He was afterwards stripped of all his posts and thrown into prison for heresy; but the judge who succeeded him, being convicted of oppression, he was restored to his former employments. He died at Morocco in 1206. Averroes was excessively corpulent, though he eat but once a-day. He spent his nights in the study of philosophy; and when fatigued, amused himself with poetry or history. But was never seen to play at any game, or to partake in any diversion. He was extremely fond of Aristotle's works, and wrote commentaries on them, whence he was styled the commentator, by way of eminence. He likewise wrote Colliget, i. e. Universal; or, The Whole Art of Physic; and many amorous verses; but these he burnt when he grew old. His other poems are lost. As to religion, his opinions were, that Christianity is absurd; Ja daism, the religion of children; and Mahommedanism, the religion of swine. AVERROISTS, a sect of peripatetic philosophers, who appeared in Italy some time before the restoration of learning, and attacked the immortality of the soul. They took their denomination from Averroes, the celebrated interpreter of Aristotle, above mentioned. Although they held the soul to be mortal, according to reason or philosophy, yet they submitted to the Christian theology, which declares it immortal. But their distinction was held suspicious; and this divorce of faith from reason was condemned by the last council of Lateran, under Leo X. AVERRUN'CATE, Į Lat. averrunco, I turn or take away whatever hurts. To weed, to avert an evil, to cut off what is superfluous. AVERRUNCA'TION. I wish myself a pseudo-prophet, But sure some mischief will come of it, Or force, we averruncate it. Butler's Hudibras. AVERRUNCI DEI; from averrunco, to avert; gods, whose business it was, according to the Pagan theology, to avert misfortunes. Apollo and Hercules were of the number, among the Greeks; Castor and Pollux among the Romans, and Isis among the Egyptians. AVERSA, a town of Naples, in the Terra di Lavoro, anciently called Atella. It is situated in a fine plain, covered with vineyards and orange trees, and is the seat of a bishop (who holds immediately of the pope), of a royal governor and a judge. There are here sixteen cloisters of different orders, exclusive of nine parish churches. Population 13,800. Eight miles north of Naples. Long. 14° 1' E., lat. 41° N. AVERSION, according to lord Kames, is opposed to affection, and not to desire, as it commonly is. We have an affection to one person; we have an aversion to another; the former disposes us to do good to its object, the latter to do ill. AVERSIONE LOCARE, AVERSIONE VENIRE, in the civil law, the selling, or letting things in the lump, without fixing particular prices for each piece. AVERT, AVERTER, A, and verto, versum, to AVER'SE, turn away or from. Averse AVERSELY, expresses the state of having AVERSE'NESS, the mind turned from a thing. AVERSA'TION, It signifies also unwilling, AVER'SION, loath, reluctant. AVER'SIVE. It is most true, that a natural and secret hatred, and aversation towards society in any man, hath somewhat of the savage beast; but it is most untrue, that it should have any character at all of the Divine Nature, except it proceed not out of a pleasure in solitude, but out of a love and desire to sequester a man's self for a higher conversation. Lord Bacon's Essays. When people began to espy the falsehood of oracles, whereupon all gentility was built; their hearts were utterly averted from it. Hooker. Even cut themselves off from the opportunities of proselyting others, by averting them from their com Government of the Tongue. pany. There is such a general aversation (in human nature) to contempt, that there is scarce any thing more exasperating: I will not deny, but the excess of the aversation may be levelled against pride. I beseech you, Id. T'avert your liking a more worthy way, Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy. on the frontier of France, towards the Netherlands, and three leagues distant from Maubeuge. It is the head of an arrondissement, in the department of the north; population about 3000. In the neighbourhood there are excellent quarries, and several iron foundries and smeltinghouses. This was one of the frontier towns retained for a definite period by the allies, in fulfilment of the treaty of Paris in 1815. Long. 4° E. lat. 50° 7′ N. AVEYRON, or AVEIRON, a department of France, having its name from the river, which running from east to west, separates it into two parts. Its boundaries are to the north, the department of the Cantal; north-east, the Lozere; Hast thou now dreaded, and now bless'd his sway, east, the Gard; south-east, Herault; south-west, By turns averse and joyful to obey? Averse alike, to flatter or offend; Prior. Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend. Pupe. The corruption of man is in nothing more manifest, than in his averseness to entertain any friendship or familiarity with God. Atterbury. Hatred is the passion of defiance; and there is a kind of aversation and hostility included in its essence. South. The jealous man's disease is of so malignant a nature that it converts all it takes into its own nourish A cool behaviour is interpreted as an instance of aversion: a fond one raises his suspicions. ment. Addison. AVERTI, in horsemanship, is applied to a regular step or motion enjoined in the lessons. In this sense they say pas averté. AVERY, a place where oats, or provender, are kept for the king's horses. AVES, birds, the name of Linnæus's second class of animals. See ORNITHOLOGY and Zoo LOGY. AVES, or the ISLE OF BIRDS, 1. One of the Carrihe stands, 451 miles south of Porto Rico, with a good harbour for careening ships. It is so called from the great number of birds that frequent it; 2. another lying northward of this. Lat. 15° 0' N.; and a third near the eastern coast of Newfoundland. Lat. 50° 5' N. AVESBURY (Robert), an English historian, of whom little more is known, than that he was keeper of the registry of the court of Canterbury, in the reign of Edward III. and consequently that he lived in the fourteenth century. He wrote Memorabilia gesta magnifici regis Angliæ domini, Edwardi tratii post conquestum, procerumque; tactis primitus quibusdam gestis de tempore patris sui domini Edwardi secundi, quæ in regnis Angliæ, Scotia, et Franciæ, ac in Aquitannia et Britannia, non humana sed Dei potentia, contigerunt, per Robertum Avesbury. This history ends with the battle of Poictiers, about A. D. 1356. It continued in MS. till 1720, when it was printed by the industrious Thomas Hearne at Oxford, from a MS. belonging to Sir Thomas Seabright. It is now very scarce. AVESE, or AVASE, a river of the United States of America, in the north-western territory, which runs into the Mississippi, in a south-west direction, about sixty miles above the Ohio. It is navigable in boats for upwards of sixty miles. AVESNES, or AVENNES, an irregular, but well fortified town on the Hepres, in Hainault, Tarn, and west, Lot. It corresponds to the ancient province of Rouergue, and is divided into five arrondissements; viz. those of Rodez (which is the capital of the department), Ville Franche, Milhau, St. Afrique, and Espalion. It contains 474 square leagues, equal to about 3740 square miles, and had at the last enumeration 318,047 inhabitants. They paid in direct taxes in 1803, £140,000 sterling. It constitutes, with the department of Lot, the spiritual jurisdiction of the bishop of Cahors. This department is watered by the Aveyron, the Lot, the Tarn, and the Viaur, and is covered with high and craggy mountains. Hence it abounds in game, fish, and wood, and is more adapted for grazing than for the cultivation of grain. Corn and wine, however, are raised in tolerable quantity. The mineral productions are copper, iron, lead, sulphur, alum, coal, and vitriol. There is also a considerable trade in cattle, wool, woollen stuffs, and in excelient cheese. The climate is reckoned fine, though occasionally severe in winter. AVEZZANO, a town of Naples in Abruzzo. It is built on an almost imperceptible declivity, one mile from the lake of Celano, to which an avenue of poplars leads from the baronnial castle. This edifice stands at a little distance from the town, is square, and flanked with towers; it was erected by Virginio Orsini, to which family this and many other great lordships belonged, before they were wrested from them in times of civil war, and transferred to the Colonnas. Avezzano was founded in 860, and contains 2800 inhabitants, and two religious communities within its walls, which are indeed in a ruinous condition. The houses are in general mean; but there are some large buildings and opulent families of the class of gentlemen, not possessed of fees held in capite. AUF. Sometimes written oaf and elf. For definition, see ELF. These when a child haps to be got, When folk perceive it thriveth not; The fault therein to smother, And took away the other. Drayton. AUGA, AUGE, or AGEA, in fabulous history, the daughter of Aleus, king of Tegea, by Neæra, she was ravished by Hercules, and brought forth a son, whom she left in the woods to conceal her |