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the water was poured in, moved in a right line from A to K, andby so doing passed above the eye, will, upon its emersion out ofthe water be bent dow nward, so as to strike upon the eye at Q,and thereby render the cAject at A visible. '1 his bending of therays of light, in their passage out of one medium into another, isowing to the attractive force of the denser medium acting uponthe rays at right angles to the surface. The fundamental law ofthe refraction of the rays of light is, that the sine of the angle ofincidence is always in a constant ratio to the sine of the angle ofrefraction, in ail inclinations of the incident ray whatever. SeeOptics. Now that this is the case, whatever be the inclinationof the incident ray, tnav be proved experimentally in the follow-ing manner: let a brass-quadrant, CEE, (fig. 7,) graduated onboth sides, and fixed at its centre C, to a perpendicular pillar,CD, have two indices, A and B, one on each side, moveable onthe centre C ; ancl let the index A, whereof the stem G is a continuation, be made to point to the fifteenth degree, aiid the indexB to the fifteenth minute of the twentieth degree: let then thepillar be immersed in water, till CE, the horizontal edge of thequadrant touch the surface of the water; and upon viewing thestem G, immersed in the water, it will, by reason of the refraction,appear to have changed its situation, and to lie in a line with theindex B. And the same thing will likewise obtain, if the index Abe set at the thirtieth degree, and B at the thirtieth minute of theforty-second degree ; that is, twenty-five, the sine of the less an-gle of incidence, is to thiity-three, the sine of the correspondingangle of refraction; as fifty, the sine of the greater angle of in-cidence, is to sixty-six, the sine of the angle of refraction corres-ponding thereto. And the same holds in all other cases. See Optics.

R efr act! ox of Altitude is the arc or portion of a verticalcircle, by which the altitude of a star is increased by the refractionof light.

Refraction of Ascension and Descension is an arc ofthe equator, by which the ascension and descension of a star, whe-ther right or oblique, is increased or diminished by the refraction.

Refraction of Declination is an arc of a circle of decli-nation, by which the declination of a star is increased or diminish-ed by the refraction.

Refraction of Latitude is an arc of a circle of latitude,bywhich the latitude of a star is increased or diminished by therefraction.

Refraction of Longitude is an arc of the ecliptic, bywhich the longitude of a star is increased or diminished by therefraction.

Refraction, Terrestrial, is that bywhich terrestrial ob-jects appear to be raised higher than they really are, in observingtheir altitudes. See Navigation, and Astronomy.

Refraction in Island Crystal. There is a double refrac-tion in this substance, contrary ways, by which not only obliquerays are divided into two, and refracted into opposite parts, buteven perpendicular rays are one-half refracted.

REFRANGIBILI l Y OF LIGHT is chiefly applied to thedisposition of rays to produce different colours. See Oftics.

REERIGERATIVE, in medicine, a remedy which refreshesthe inward parts by cooling them, as clysters, ptisans, &c.

REFRIGERATORY. 1. That part of a distilling vessel thatis placed about the head of a still, and filled with water to coolthe condensing vapours ; but this is now generally done by a wormor spiral pipe, turning through a tub of cold water. 2. Any thinginternally cooling.

REFUGE, Cities of, were places provided as asyla, forsuch as against their will should happen to kill a man. Of thesecities there were three on each side Jordan : on this side weieKedesh of Naphtali, Hebron, and Shechem ; beyond Jordanwere Bezer, Golan, and Ramoth-Giiead. When any of the He-brews, or strangers that dwelt in their country, happened to kill aman, they might retire thither, to be out of the reach of the vio-lent attempts of the relations of the deceased, and to prepare fortheir defence and justification before the judges. The manslayerunderwent two trials: first before the judges of the city of refugetp which he had fled; and secondly before the judges of his owncity. If found guilty, lie was put to death. If acquitted, lie wasHot immediately set at liberty'; but, to inspire a degree of horroragainst even involuntary homicide, lie was reconducted to theplace of refuge, and obliged to continue there in a sort of banish-Weut fill the death of the high-priest. If, before this time, he

ventured out, the revenger of Hood might freely kill him ; butafter the liigh-priesl’s death he was at liberty to go where he pleas-ed without molestation. The cities of refuge w ere to be wellsupplied with water and necessary provisions; to be of easy ac-cess ; to have good roads leading to them, with commodiousbridges where there was occasion. The width of the roads was tobe thirty-two cubits or forty-eight feet at least. At all cross-road*direction-posts were erected, with an inscription pointing cut theroad to the cities of refuge. 'File 15th of Adar, which answers toour February moon, was appointed for the city-magistrates to seethat the roads were in good condition. No person in any of thesecities was allowed to make w eapons, lest llie relations of the de-ceased should be furnished with the means of gratifying theirrevenge. Dent. xix. 3. iv. 41, 43; Josh. xx. 7. Three othercities of refuge were conditionally promised, hut were never granted.

REFUGEES, French Protestants , who by the revocation ofthe edict of Nantz, were constrained to ily from persecution, antito take refuge in Protestant countries. We have had since thattime, during the different wars, American, French, Italian, Dutch ,and Swiss, refugees, iic.

REGALE, a magnificent entertainment given to ambassadorsand other persons of distinction, to entertain or do them honour.It is usual in Italy , at the arrival of a traveller ot eminence, to sendhim a regale, that is, a present of sweetmeats, fruits, &c. by wayof refreshment.

REGALIA , in law, means the rights and prerogatives of a king.See Prerogative .

Regalia is also used for the apparatus of a coronation ; as thecrown, the sceptre with the cross, that with the dove, St. Ed-ward’s staff, the globe, and the orb with the cross, four severalswords, &c.

REGARDANT, in heraldry, signifies looking behind ; andit is used for a lion, or other beast, with his face turned towardshis tail.

Regarder, an ancient officer of the king’s forest, sworn tomake the regard of the forest every year ; that is, to take a viewof its limits, to inquire into all offences and defaults committed bythe foresters within the forest, and to observe whether all tiie offi-cers executed their respective duties.

REGATA , or REGATTA, a kind of boat-race, that wasformerly held at Venice, annually, with great eclat, when that citywas the capital of an independent republic. Regattas, in imitationof the Venetian, have been attempted on the Thames, but from awant of that enthusiasm, which inspired the Venetians, fell veryfar short of them.

REGENCY, vicarious government. There have been variousregencies during the minority of different kings of England ; par-ticularly of Henry HI. Edward (II. Richard H. Henry VI. andEdward V. And during the illness of George III . in the end of1788, there were repeated debates in parliament, respecting a re-gency, the mode of settling it, and the most proper persons to fillit; but his Majesty’s recovery rendered it at that lime totally unne-cessary. The lamentable return, however, of his Majesty’s dis-order in October, 1810, lias rendered the appointment of a regentindipensably necessary; and consequently His Royal Highness thePrince of Wales lias been fixed upon by the great council of thenation to fill this high office, which lie accepted on the 6th ofFebruary, 1811. See Regent.

REGENERATION, in theology, is that work of the HolySpirit, w hereby we are born again, and spiritually changed in ourwhole man. Our mind is made new ; being endowed with spi-ritual light, it apprehends, judges, esteems, devises, searches, rea-sons, thinks, and deliberates, on new matters, and alter a new man-ner; the conscience is renewed, by the changing influence ofGod ’s redeeming love: the will lias new inclinations, intentions,choice, delight, purposes, and a power over the sensitive part ; andthe affections are renewed and rectified as to their objects, and intheir order and degrees.

REGENT, one who governs a kingdom during the minorityor absence of a king. Til England, the methods of appointingthis guardian or reg-mt have been so various, anil the duration ofhis power so uncertain, that from lienee it might almost he collect-ed that bis office is unknown to 1 lie common iaw ; ami therefore(as Sir Edward Coke says, 4 Inst. 58,) the surest way is to havehim made by authority ot the great council in parliament.Various statutes have been enacted respecting regencies in dif-t fcienk