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itself possesses ; ami as it would be absurd to suppose that two bo-dies could possess one and the same place at the same time, it fol-lows, that the softest bodies are equally solid with the hardest.See Metaphysics. Among geometricians, the solidity of a bodydenotes the quantity or space contained in it, and is called alsoits solid content.

SOL1F1D1ANISM, [from tola and Jides, Lat.] the doctrine ofsalvation by faith alone.

SOLIII’ULL, a town of England, in Warwickshire , 8 milesS. E. of Birmingham, 24 N. E. of Worcester , and 107 N. W. otLondon .

SOLIKAMSK, a town of Russia, in Perm , on the Ussalka,112 miles N. of Perm . L on. 57. 26. E. Lat. 59. 16. N.

SOLILOQUY', [solus and loquor, Lat.] according to Papias ,is a discourse by way of answer to a question that a man proposesto himself. Soliloquies are very common on the modern stage ;yet nothing can be more unnatural than an actor making longspeeches to himself, to convey his intentions to the audience.Yet short soliloquies are not so unnatural as some think.

SOLIMAN II . emperor of the Turks, surnamed the Magnifi-cent, was the only son of Selim I. whom he succeeded in 1520.He was educated in a manner very different from the Ottomanprinces in general; for lie was instructed in the maxims of politicsand the secrets of government. He began his reign by restoringthose persons their possessions whom his father had unjustly plun-dered. He re-established the authority of the tribunals, and be-stowed tiie government of provinces upon none but persons (.1wealth and prob'.tv : “ l would have my viceroy , fhe said) resem-ble those rivers that fertilize the fields through which they pass,not those torrents which sweep every thing before them.” Afterconcluding a truce with Ismael, sonhy of Persia , and subduingGozeli Bey, who had raised a rebellion in Syria , he turneo hisarms against Europe. Belgrade was taken in 1521, and Rhodessurrendered in 1522, after an obstinate and enthusiastic defenceIn 1526 he defeated and slew the king of Hungary in the famousbattle of Monatz. Three years after Tie conquered Buda, and im-mediately laid siege to Vienna itself. But after continuing twentydays before that city, and assaulting it twenty times, he wasobliged to retreat with the loss of 80,000 men. Some time afterhe was defeated by the Persians , and disappointed in his hopes oftaking Malta . He succeeded, however, in dispossessing the Ge-noese of Cliio, an island-which had belonged to that republic forabove 200 years. He died while he was besieging Sigeth, inHungary , on the 30th Aug. 1566, aged 76. He was a prince ofthestrictest probity, a lover of justice, and vigorous in the execu-tion of it; but he tarnished all his glory by cruelty.

SOLMS.a town in the Lower Rhine, and landgravate ofHesse-Cassel, 10 miles S. E. ol Herborn . Lon. 8. 31. E. Lat. 50. 35. N.

SOLO, in the Italian music, is frequently used in pieces con-sisting of several parts, to mark those that are to perform alone ;as fiauto solo, vioiino solo. It is also used for sonatas composedfor one violin, one German flute, or other instrument, and a bass ;thus we say, Corelli’s solos, Geminiani ’s solos, &c. When two orthree parts play or sing separately from the grand chorus, they arecalled adoi solo, a tresolo, &c. Solo is sometimes denoted by S.

SOLOMON, ]O l, tP, Ileb. i. e. peaceable,] the son and suc-cessor of David, king of Israel , by Bathshcha; who seems to havebeen so named by his father in the spirit of prophecy, as he hadthe most peaceable and flourishing reign of any monarch in Israel or Judah. He was born about A. M. 2971. His judicious go-vernment in the early part of his reign ; his repeated divine com-munications, and wise choice, his extensive and successful com-merce with Egpyt, Opbir, Tyre, &c. his immense riches in con-sequence ; his fame from wisdom, which reached the most remotecorners of the civilized world ; his superb building and‘solemn de-dication of the temple, with his excellent prayer on that occasion,iuid Ids costly sacrifices miraculously consumed ; wilfi his feast ofseven days given to the whole people ; and many other interestingparticulars of his reign, are recorded in i Kings i.--ix. and 2 Chron-i.—ix. But while the sacred historians have done all justice to hisUncommon wisdom, they have not concealed his unparalleledfolly and debauchery, in not only taking 1000 wives and concu-bines, but in departing from the true God , and to please his hea-then wives, sacrificing to idols. In this defection, his lawful wife,the daughter of Pharaoh , and sister of Shisbak, seems to have had

no concern, as the idols of Egypt are not, mentioned. Some com-mentators rather think that pi.ncess became a Je-vish proselyte.Dr. .Watkins says it was “ through lie. matriage wnu the princessof Egypt , that he feu into idolatry ; hut the Dr. lias no authorityto say so, from history sacred or profane. Ashtoreth, M.lcom,Chemosh, and Moloch, were not Egy ptian idols. Solomon be-gan to build the temple in the fourth year of his reign, A. M, 2993,and completed it in his eleventh year, A. M. 3000. His kingdomextended from the north-east border of Eg'pt to the Euphrates ,ilis trade with Opliir alone Jias been estimated at two millionssterling. As an author, his Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song ofSongs , constitute a valuable part of the Canon of Scripture. Heis also recorded (1 Kings, iv. 33) '.o have written upon botany,zoology, ornithology, entomology, ichthyology": but hisworks on these subjects are lost. After reigning forty years, hedied A. M. 3011, and B. C.975. aged 58.

SOLON, one of the seven wise men of Greece , was born at Sa-latnis, and descended from the truly patriotic king, Codrus . He hadrecourseto merchandise (or his subsistence. He had however, agreater thirst after knowledge and fame than after riches, andmade his mercantile voyages subservient to the increase of bis in-tellectual treasures. He very early cultivated poetiy, and ap-plied himself to the study of wisdom. His popularity was ex-tender! through Greece in consequence of a successiul alliancewhich he foimed among the states in defence of the temple atDelphos against the Cirrhxans. When dissensions had arisen atAthens between the rich creditors and the poor debtors, Solon wascreated archon, with the un.lcct powers of supreme legislator andmagistrate. He soon resto-ed harmony between the rich andpoor - - lie cancelled! the debts which had proved the occasion ofso much oppression; and ordained that in. future no creditorshould be allowed to seize the body of the debtor for his security ihe made a netv distribution, of the people, instituted new courtsof judicature, and trained a judicious code of laws, which atter-wards became the basts of the laws of the XII. tables in Rome .Among his criminal Laws are many wise and excellent regulations ;but two of them were very exceptionable ; the permission ofa vo-luntary exile to persons that had been guilty of premeditatedmurder, and the appointment of a less severe punishment for arape than for seduction. Solon died in Cyprus , m his 80th year.Statues were erected to his memory, both at Athens and Saiamis.Among the precepts which have been asenbeo to Solon , are 1 he fol-lowing : “ Laws are like cobwebs,that entangle the wegk, Put arebroken through by the strong. He who has learned to obey, willknow how to command. In every tiling you do consider theend.”

SOLOR, an island in the East Indian Ocean, south of Celebes ,governed by its own king. Lon. 123. 55. E. Lat. 9.0. S.

SOLST ICE, [ suhtitium , Lat.] in astronomy, that tune whenthe sun is in one of the solstitial po uts, that is, when lie is at hisgreatest distance from the equator; thus called because he thenappears to stand still, and not to change his distance trom theequator for some time ; an appearance owing to the obliquity ofour sphere, and which those living under the equator are strangersto. The solstices are two in each year ; the aestival, or summer-sol-stice, and the hymnal, or winter-solstice. The summer-solsticew hen the sun seems to describe the tropic of cancer, which is onJune 21, when he makes the longest day ; the winter-solstice iswhen the sun enters the first degree, or seems to describe thetiopic of capricorn, which is on Dec. 21, when he makesthe shortestday. Tliis is to be understood in our northern hemisphere ; for 1in the southern, the sun’s entrance into capricorn makes the sum-mer-solstice, and that into cancer the winter-solstice.

SOLTWEI.D, a town of Brandenburg, in the Old Marche, orttheJetz. Lon. 11. 34. E. Lat. 52. 56. N.

SOLVENT", in chemistry, that which dissolves a solid bodyinto a transparent fluid.

SOLUTION , or DISSOLUTION, in chemistry, denotes anintimate union of solid with fluid bodies, so as to form a transpa*rent liquor. See Chi'mistry.

SOLWAY EUITH, or BOON ESS WATII, a navigable armof these*, which extends east from the Irish Sea , and forms theboundary between Scotland and England for upwards of fiftymiles'.

SOMATOLOGY, [owua and x>yi»,l the doctrine of bodies. _

SOMBRE^ 0 *