A P P
to them, that which determines any agent to approve his own action, is its apparent tendency to his private happinefs ; and even the Approbation of anothers action flows from no othc r caufe but an opinion of its tendency to the happinefs of the approver, either immediately or remotely. Others refolve Ap- probation into a moral fenfe, or a principle of benevolence by which we are determined to approve every kind affection either in ourfelvcs or others, and all publickly ul'eful actions, which we imagine to flow from fuch affection, without any view therein to our own private happinefs. Hutcbenf, Inquiry into Orig. Beauty, WV. Tract. 2, Sect. 4. p. 179. and his Eff. on Part", p. 207. feq. Approbation is more particularly ufed for a testimony given of the goodnefs, or value of a thing, e.gr. fuch a thing meets with univerfal Approbation.
It is a maxim among Civilians, approbare d'tcitur qui nan lm- probat. He is judged to approve who docs not difapprove. Cah. Lex. Jur. in voc.
By the civil law, a mere Approbation of a crime after com- miflion, docs not make a perfon guilty, but an Approbation attended with fact, is equivalent to a command. Wood, Inft. Impcr. Law. 1. 3. c. 7. p. 250. Approbation is more particularly ufed, in fpeaking of recom- mendations of books, given by perfons qualified or authorized to judge of them.
Thofe appointed to grant licences, and imprimaturs fre- quently exprefs their Approbations of books. The bifhop of Meaux's expofition came out with the Approbations of the pope and feveral cardinals' 1 — It has been an antient cuftom to demand Approbations of books from the pope. Mabillon b fays, after John the deacon, that the power of approving, or cenfuring books belongs to the pontifF,jurediviiHK- — [ a Work of Learn. T. 3. p. 83. b Act. Sanct. Bened, praef. c. 7. p. 90. feq. Baill. Jugem. de Scav. P. 1. c. 9.] Boileau had the honour of a royal Approbation. Louis XIV. in the privilege granted for publifhing the works of that poet declares that he does it en vice de donner au public par la hSiure de fes ouvroges la meme fatisfafiion que fa majejie en a refue. V. Jour, des Scav. T. 53. p. 361. APPROVEMENT (Cycl.) isfometimes ufed for appropriating, or enjoying the profits of a thing to a man's-felf. See Ap- propriation, Cycl.
This is called, in writers of the barbarous age, Appmare and Approvare. DuCange, GIofT. Lat. T. I. p. 270. Some think the word derived from ad to and provanda or freebenda-, fuftenance. APPROVER (Cycl.) is particularly ufed in antient law writers, for a bailiff or land fteward, appointed to have the care of a mannor, franchife or the like, and improve and make the moft of it for the benefit of his matter. Du Cange, GIofT. Lat. T. 1. p. 270.
In this fenfe the word is alfo written Appruare. V, Flet. 1. 2. c. 76. §. r. Item. c. 82. §. 2. Approvers are called, in middle age writers, probatares and ap- probatores. Du Cange, GlofT. Lat. T. 4. p. 430. in voc. pro- batores. APPROXIMATION, (Cycl.) in medicine, denotes a magnetical kind of cure, or method of tranfplanting a difeafe into fome other fubject, whether animate or vegetable, by bringing it in immedite contact with the patient. Brim. Lex. Med. in voc. Approximation, in algebra. Sec Equation. APPULSE, {Cycl.) in a general fenfe, a thing's being brought to, or in contact with another.
Articulation is either by Appulfe, i. e, when one of the move- able organs touches and refts on fome of thofe which are im- moveable ; or without Appuffe, only by inclination of the move- able organ to the immoveable. Hold. Elem. of Speech, p. 35, Appulse of Cattle, Appulfus pecoris, in the civil law, the light of driving them to water. Calv. Lex. Jur. p. no. b. This is ranked in the number of fcrvices. The word is formed from ad to and pellere to drive. Appulse, in aftronomy, is but a ftep towards a tranfit, occul- tation, conjunction, eclipfe, csV.
M. Flamfted % M. de la Hire b and others c have given ob- fervations of the moon's Appulfcs to the Pleiades. — [ a Phil. Tranf. N°. 76 p. 3061- It. N°. 86. p. 5034. b Mem. Acad. Scienc. An. 1708. p. 385. c V. Mem. Ibid p. 382.]
The Appulfa of the planets to the fixed ftars have always been of great ufe to afironomers in order to fix the places of the former- The ancients wanting an eafy method of com- paring the planets with the ecliptic, which is not vifible, had fcarce any other way of fixing their fituations, but by observ- ing their tract among the fixed ftars, and remarking their Ap~ pulfes to fome of thofe vifible points. Hift. Acad. Scienc. An. 1710. p. 417.
Dr. Hally has publifhed a method of determining the places of the planets, by obferving their near Appulfes to the fixed ftars. Phil. Tranf. N°. 369. Art. 1.
The beft method of difcovering the longitude at fca, is by ob- fervations of the Appulfcs of the moon to the fixed ftars. An anonymous author has publifhed an advertifement to aftro- nomers, of the advantages that may accrue from the obferva- tion of the moon's frequent Appulfes to the Hyades, during the
AI
APT
three then enfuing years, 1718, ig, 20. Phil. Tranf. N*. .154. Art. r. fee alio Mifc. Bcrol. T 3. p. 169. Of all the celeftial obfervations hitherto made, none are capable of lb. perfect an exactnefs, as the near Appulfcs of the moon and planets to the fixed ftars ; for though the places of the ftars have not as yet attained their ultimate prccifion, yet fuch obferva- tions are ever good, the places of the planets being thereby af- ccrtained in proportion to the correctuefs of any catalogues' that may be made hereafter. But the ordinary number of ftars, with which the planets may be thus compared, being fmall, the op- portunities of obferving are confequcntly rare ; whence appears the great ufe of a full catalogue of all the tclcfcopical ftars within the zodiac, viz. that thereby opportunities of obferving Ap- pulfcs may be more frequent. Since the royal obfervatory at Greewich was put under Dr. Halley's care, he endeavoured to put himfelf in a condition to fupply the many and great vacancies to be met with in the prcfent zodiac, and for the further fervicc of aftronomy publiihed a map, or planifphere, ot the ftarry zodiac. Wherein are accurately laid down all the ftars, to which the moon's Appulf, has ever been obferved in any part of the world. Phil. Tranf. N". -jfio D 200 fen
APRICOT. See the article PRjEcocr a A/J,. -™"
A PRIORI, {Cycl. ) in philofophy.— A thing is faid to be known a priori, which is found out by reafoning. IVolf. Plychol §.491. feq.
APROSCLETOS DICE, A^smXnlef Juis, in the Greek law, a fentence parted againft a perfon without having firft cited him'to appear. Calv. Lex. Jut. p. 79. a. Such fentences were null in themfelves
APSINTHATUM, a4.„9.1„, in phyfic, a kind of potion to ftrengthen the ftomach ; of which we meet with divers for- mulas in the antientwriters. Cnjiil. Lex. Med. in voc Vid Ait. 1. 3. c. 69. feq.
It was doubtlcfs thus denominated, becaufe compofed in great part of Jbfyntbium, or wormwood. Gorr. Med. Dcf. p. 68. Hence alfo A^uSifo o,»=c, vinum Abfmthitis, ftill in ufe.
APSYCHIA, in medicine, a fwooning or fainting away, called zVoLipopfychla and Jpopfychia. Brim. Lex. Med. in voc. PSYCTOS, a word ufed by Pliny and othcr of the antients, as the name of a ftonc found in Arcadia, and of the colour of iron, the quality of which they fay was, that when once heated red hot, it would never grow cold again. It is cafy to fee that this is an impoffibility ; and that fome errors among the an- ticnts, _ and mifunderftandings of their works by later writers have given the occafion for propagating fo idle an opinion. Pliny mentions alfo a ftonc called Ajyffos, which when once heated would continue hot for a week ; but this feems only the copy of fome othcr author who had written with more moderation on the fame ftone before defcribed, as beino- un- extinguifhable for ever. It is probable that all the accounts of this ftone arofe only from mifunderftandings of the relations given by the carlieft writers of our albcftus ; but if their ac- counts were any thing like thefc, they muft have been very widely diftant from the truth, fince no ftone fo foon cools as the afbeftus ; a piece of cloth made of it, if heated red hot, and laid in that condition on a piece of white paper, cooling fo quickly that it docs not burn the paper ; this has been an experiment often tried.
Metaphraftus tells us, that our tutelary faint and patron St. George being condemned to be hurnt alive, the Pagan judges were fo terrified with the miracles wrought by him in the name of JefusChrift, that they thought he would be able by means of that name to put out a common fire, and there- fore, ordered him to be thrown alive into a heap of the afbeftus made red hof, and then covered with as much more. It feems by this that the author underftood afbeftus to be the unextinguifhable ftone called Apfytlos by the old writers, and that this ftone being once heated could not be cooled again even by miracle; but Bollandus concludes from the accounts moft to be depended upon, that it was no-other than quick lime that this faint was burnt alive in. Philof. Tranf. N°. 172. p. 1055. We have fome ftones indeed in England, that when once heated will retain a warmth a long time, but all the other accounts fcem groundlcfs i our warming ftone ufed in Cornwall and Yorkfhire, to lay at the feet of peoples beds, will rerain warmth eight or ten hours ; and there is a fort of red ftone cut out of the fait mountains near Cordova, and formed into broad tiles called ruggiolos by the Italians, which being once well heated will retain a fenfible warmth twenty-four hours ; but thefc do not at all come up to the qualities of this imaginary ftone of the antients. See Asbestos.
APSY RTUS, in the materia medica of the antients, a name given to the common marrubium, or horehound, a plant at that time as well as now cftcemed very good in coughs and other complainrs of the breaft.
APTITUDE, or Aptness, (Cycl.) is often ufed in fpeaking of the talents of the mind, for a promptitude, or difpoiition to learn things with eafe and expedition. Charlt. Difc. of Biff, Wits. Sec. 2. Art. 2.
In which fenfe Aptnrfi amounts to the fame with what the the Greeks call Ei^aS.,., and the Latins bona indoles, and we fometimes docility.
Charlton divides Aptmfs into tljelepafts, M " z . acutenefs, faea- city, and memory!
APUA
