EAR

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EAR

Persians ; according to Xenophon - It was afterwards assumed by Ithe Homans; who after a great variety of standards, at last fixed jon the eagle, in the second year of the consulate of C. Marius.Till that time, they had used indifferently wolves, leopards, andeagles, according to the humour of the commander. The Homaneagles, were not painted on a cloth or flag; but were figures inrelievo, of silver or gold, horn on the tops of pikes ; the wingsbeing displayed, and frequently a thunderbolt in their talons. Un-der the eagle on the pike, were piled bucklers, and sometimescrowns. This we learn from the medals. Constantine is said tohave first introduced the eagle with two heads, to intimate, thatthough the empire seemed divided, it was yet only one body.

Eagle , in architecture, is a figure of that bird anciently usedas an attribute, or cognizance of Jupiter, in the capital and friezesof the columns of temples consecrated to that god.

Eagle , in astronomy, a constellation of the northern hemis-phere, having its right wing contiguous to the equinoctial. SeeAquila, and Astronomy .

Eagle , in heraldry, is accounted one of the most noble bear-ings in armoury ; and ought to he given to none but such as greatlyexcel in generosity and courage, or who have done singular ser-vices to their sovereigns; ii which ca-es they may he allowed a Jwhole eagle, or an eagle naitl'ant, or only the beau or other partsthereof, in proportion to their exploits.

Eagle , Black, an order of knighthood, instituted in 1701, bythe elector of Bi andenburgh, on his being crowned king of Prussia.The knights wear an orange-coloured ribbon, to which is suspendeda black eagle.

Eagle , White, a Polish order of knighthood, instituted in1325 by Uladishus V. on marrying his j oii Casimir with a daughterof the great duke of Lithuania , ^'he knights were distinguishedby a gold chain, which they wore on the stomach, whereon hunga silver eagle crowned.

EAGLESTONE. See jI'ttta;.

EAGLE TS, in heraldry, several eagles on the same escut-cheon.

EAH E1NOM AUWE, an island in the S. Pacific Ocean, the imost northern, as well as the mo-l fertile of the two large islands,of which New Zealand consists. It was believed by the gentle-men who accompanied captain Cook , in his first voyage, that allkinds of European grain, as well as garden plants and fruit, wouldflourish here in the greatest abundance and perfection ; and fromthe vegetables found it was concluded, that the winters are notmore severe than those of England; and it was known by experi-ence, that the summer was not hotter, though the heat was moreequal. Here are no quadrupeds except dogs and rats; and thelatter are so scarce, that they- escaped the notice of many on board.The birds are not numerous. 'The gannet is the only one of the Eu-ropean kind that was observed. The insects are equally scarce;hut the sea makes abundant recoinpence for this scarcity of landani/nuls ; every creek swarms with fish, equally delicious with thosein this country. The forests are of vast’extent, and filled with ex-cellent timber trees, the largest, straightest, and cleanest, that cap-tain Cook had ever seen.

EA EDKRMAX, or EAT.DORMAN, among the Saxons , wasof the same import with ear] among the Danes, It was also usedfor an elder, senator, or statesman; whence the title Alderman.

EAOOA, EA OGIVE, or M 1DPI.EBIT.G, one of theFriendly islands in the South Pacific ocean , which abounds withgroves of fruit and other trees, interspersed with tracts coveredwith grass. It was first dicovered by r [ asman who called it Mid-dleburg. Lon. 17A. 30. \V. Eat. 2L 2-1 S.

EAR. See Anatomy , and Zootomy.

Ear, in botany, the same with spica. The flowers and seedsof wheat, rye, barley, lavender, &c. grow in ears. The stem ofthe ear means its tube or straw ; the knot of the ear, the lobes orcells wherein the grains are inclosed, Arc.

Ear, in music, the power of judging of harmony. See Mu-sic. In music we seem universally to acknowh dge a kind of in-terna 1 'sense, distinct from the external one of hearing; .which wecall a good ear. And the like distinction we should probably ac-knowledge in regard to our other senses, were our ideas of the dif-ferences equally clear. Something like this is universally ac-knowledged with regard to a critical and accurate perception am!judgement of the objects of sight; though by a familiar metaphor,

these sensations are transferred to a sense that has no connectionwith them. 'Thus a greater capacity of perceiving the beauties ofpainting, architecture, See. is called a fine taste, when it shouldratln r fee sided a fine sight.

EAKL, [corl, Sax. coryl, Erse,] a title of nobility, ancientlythe highest of this nation, now the the third. An earl ranks be-tween a marquis and a viscount. 1 he title is so ancient, that itsoriginal can scarcely be traced out. This, however, is certain,that among the Saxons they were called ealdo.anen, quasi eldermen, signifying the same with senior or senator among the Homans;and also schiremen, because they had each the civil government ofa division or shire. On the irruption of the Danes they changedtheir names to eorles, which, according to Camden, signified thesame in their language. In Latin they are called eonmtes (a titlefirst u>ed in the empire,) from being the king’s companions andassociates. After the Norman conquest they were for some timecalled counts, from the French ; hut they did not ltfng retain thatname, though their shires are thence called counties, and theirwives countesses, to this day. It is now become a mere title :they have nothing to do witli the government of the county ; whichis now entirely devolved on the sheriff, the earl’s deputy, or vice-conies. In writs, commissions, and other formal instruments, theking, when he mentions any peer of the degree of an earl, usuallysivleshim “ tru.-ty and we’ll beloved cousin:” an appellation asancient as the reign of Henry IV . ; who being either by his wife,mother, or sisters, actually related or allied to every earl in thekingdom, artfully acknowledged that connection in all his lettersand other public acts: whence the usage lias descended to his suc-cessor-, though the reason has long ago failed. An earl is createdby cincture of sword, mantle of state put upon him by the kinghimself, a cap and a coronet put upon his head, and a charter inhis baud. 1

Earl Marshal. See Marshal.

EARNEST, a part of the price paid in advance to bind partiesto the performance of a verbal agreement. The party is then ob-liged to abide by his bargain, ami is not discharged upon forfeitinghis earnest, but may bo sued for the whole money stipulated, amidamage-; and bv tiie statute ot frauds 'ip, c. c. 3, no contract forsale of goods not to be delivered immediately to the value of 101.or more, is valid, unless contract he made by tile parties, or thoselawfully authorized by thorn, or earnest is given.

EAR-RICK, an instrument of ivory, silver, or other metal,somewhat in form of a probe, sharp at one end, and hollow at theother, tor cleansing the ear.

Ear-Ring , in the sea language, is that part of the-bolt-ropewhich at the four corners of the sail is lett open, in the shape of aring. The two uppermost parts are put over the ends of the yard-arms, ami so the sad is made fast to (lie yard ; and into the lower-most* ear-rings, the sheets and tacks are seized or bent at the

ClL EAHSE LANGUAGE. See Garlic .

EARTH , in a-'tronomy, geography, and geology, the globewhich we inhabit, being one of the primary planets. See Astro-nomy, Geography, and Geology.

Earth, Motions, Revolutions, Velocity , Density, See.or the. See Astronomy. ^

Earth , Figure of the. The ancients had various opinionsas to the figure of the earth : some, as .Anaximander and Leucip-pus , held if cylindrical, or in the form of a drum: hut the mostgeneral opinion was, that it was fiat; that the visible horizon wasthe bouT.us of the earth, and the ocean the hounds of the horizon ;that the heavens and earth above tins ocean were the whole visible 1universe: and that all beneath the ocean was Hades. Of thisopinion were some of the Christian fathers, as LacUntius, St.Augustine , Sec. Such of the ancients however as understood anytiling of astronomy, and especially tlie doctrine of eclipses, musthave been acquainted with the round figure of the earth; as theancient Babylonian a-lronovuers, who hatl calculated eclipses longbefore the time of Alexander, and Thales the Grecian, who pre-ditted an eel ipse* of the sun. It is now indeed a-.rreed on all hands,that (lie form of this terraqueous fabric is globular, or very nearlyso. See Astronomy. Tiie round figure of the earth is evidentfrom the eclipses of the sun and moon ; in all of which the earth’sshadow always appears circular upon the face of the moon, whatway soever it he projected, whether E. W. N. or S.; and imwso-3 ever