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tia is very thin, of a brown Colour, burns readily ; and in burning fmells ill. Its Ufe in Phyfick is the fame with that of Cajloreum, viz. for Vapours. Inftead of the Blata Bizantia, which is very rare, is frequently fubftituted a- nother kind of Shell, of lefs Virtue, call'd Solen. BLAZE, in the Manege. See Stab. BLAZING-STAR. See Comet. BLAZONING, in Heraldry, the Art of Deciphering the Arms, or Armories of Noble Houfes, &c. or of Naming all the Parts in their proper and particular Terms. There is this Difference between Anns and Blazon ; that the firft are the Device or Figures bore on the Coat, or Shield ; and Bla- zon the Defcription thereof in Words. See Arms and De- vice. \wBlazoning aCoat, 'tis a fpecialRule,to begin with the Field firft, and then proceed to the Blazon of Ait Charge. If the Field be taken up with feveral things, whether of one or various kinds, that which lies next and immediate- ly on the Field, muff be firft named ; then thofe more re- mote. After the Metal-Colour of the Field is named, the Manner of the Divifion of the Efcutcheon by Line, whe- ther downright, or bend-ways, muft be exprefs'd. After the Field in Colour, and the Line and Charge, if there be more Parts of the Field poffefs'd by the Charge than one, the principal Part of the Field mult be named firft. The Arms of all Emperors, Kings, and Princes, are blazon' d by Planets 5 thofe of the Nobility by precious Stones ; and Baronets, Knights, Efquires, and Genrlcmens Coats, by Metal and Colour. It muft farther be obferv'd, that Metal muft never be put on Metal, nor Colour on Colour ; for, in fo doing, the Arms are falfe. It may be added, that when Lions ftand upright in a Coat, they are call'd Rampant ; when walking forward, ^Pajfant; when they look you in the Face, 'Pajfant Guardant : In other Poftures they have other Terms, as Saliant, Regardant, &c. which fee. Wolves and Bears are term'd after the manner of Lions ; Gryphons (inftead of Rampant and Saliant') are term'd Sergreant ; Lions, Gryphons, and Eagles, are alfo Lavgued and Armed ; Swans, Membrcd ; Hawks, jefs'd and Bcll'd ; Cocks, Arm- ed CreCs'd, and joivlofd. And note, All thefe Things are to'be exprefs'd in Blazon, when met with, viz. when the Tonoues, Bills, and Claws, are found of different Colours from° the Body : When a living Creature proceeds from the Bottom of the Ordinary, 'tis term'd Iffuant ; when over two Colours, Jejfant ; if it proceed from the middle of any Ordinary, or common Charge, Naiffant.
There are various Etymologies of the Word Blazon : The moft probable brings ir from the German, blaefen, to blow a Horn ; it being the Cuftom of thofe who prefented themfelves at the Lifts in the antient Tournaments, to blow a Horn, to notify their coming. After this the Heralds founded their Trumpets, and then blazon'd the Arms of thofe who prefented themfelves; defcribing them aloud, and fometimes expatiating on the Praifes and high Ex- ploits of the Perfbns who bore them.
BLEACHING, or Blanching, the Art and Manner ttfWbitenixgtinenBi Stuffs, and Silks, &c. The Procefs in each is as follows.
For bleaching Silk. While 'tis yet raw, 'tis put in a thin Linen Bag, and thrown into a Veffel of boiling River- Water, wherein Soap has been diflblv'd, then boil'd two or three Hours, and the Bag being turn'd feveral times, taken out, beaten, and wafli'd in cold Water, flightly wrung out, and thrown into a Veffel of cold Water mix'd with Soap and a little Indigo : The Indigo gives it the bluifh Caff always obferv'd in white Silks. After taking out of the fecond Veffel, 'tis wrung out, and all the Water and Soap exprefs'd, ihook out to untwift and feparate the Threads, and hung up in the Air, in a kind of Stove made on purpofe, wherein is burnt Sulphur ; the Vapour whereof gives the laft Degree of Whitenefs to the Silk. See Silk.
To bleach Woollen Stuffs. There are three Manners of Whitening Stuffs ; the firft with Water and Soap ; the fe- cond with Vapour of Sulphur; the third with Chalk, Indi- 00, and Vapour of Sulphur. For the firft, the Stuffs being taken from theFulling-Mill, are put into foap'd Water, pret- ty hot, and work'd a-frefli by Force of Arms over a Bench, which finifhes the Whitening the Fulling-Mill had begun ; and laftly, wafli'd out in clear Water and dried : This is call'd the Natural Way of Bleaching. In the fecond Me- thod, they begin with wafhing the Stuff in River- Water; 'tis then laid to dry on Poles, and, when half dry, fpread •ut in a kind of Stove well clofed, wherein is burnt Sul- phur ; the Vapour whereof diffufing itfelf, flicks by little and little over all the Stuff, and gives it a fine Whitening: this is commonly call'd Bleaching by the Flower. In the third Method, after the Stuffs have been wafli'd, they are thrown into cold Water, impregnated with Chalk and In- digo ; after they have been well agitated here, they are wafli'd a-freih in Eldar Water, half dried on Poles, and fpread in a Stove to receive the Vapour of the Sulphur ; which finifhes their Bleaching. This is not efteem'd the belt Method of Bleaching., tho agreeable enough to the
Sight. It may be here obferv'd, that when a Stuff has. once receiv'd the Steam of Sulphur, 'twill fcirce receive any beautiful Dye, but Black or Blue.
To bleach fine Linens. After taking 'em from the Loom, while yet raw, they are fteep'd a Day in clear Water, wafli'd out and clear'd of their Filth, and thrown into a Backing Tub, fill'd with a cold Lixivium, or Lie. When taken out of the Lie, they are waffi'd in clear Water; fpread in a Meadow and water'd from time to time, with Water from little Dikes, or Canals, along the Ground, by means of Scoops, or hollow Peels of Wood, call'd by the Dutch, who pretend to be the Inventors of 'em, Gieter. After lying a certain time on the Ground, they are pafs'd thro a new Lie, pour'd on, hot ; and again wafli'd in clear Water, and laid a fecond Time on the Ground, and every thing repeated as before ; then pafs'd thro a foft gentle Lie, to difpofe 'em to relume the Softnefs which the other hariher Lies had taken from 'em, wafli'd in clear Water, foap'd with black Soap, and that Soap again wafli'd out in clear Water : they are then fteep'd in Cow's Milk, the Cream firft skimm'd off, which finifhes their Whititting ; and Scowering gives 'em a Softnefs, and makes 'em calf a little Nap : When taken out of the Milk, they are wafli'd in clear Warcr for the hill time. After all this Procefs, they give the Linen its firft Blue, by palling it thro a Water wherein a little Starch, Smalt, and 'Dutch Lapis have been fteep'd. Laftly, the proper Stiffnefs and Luftre is given with Search, pale Smalt, and other Gums, the (Quantity and Quality whereof may be adjlfted according to occafi- on. In fine Weather, the whole Procefs of Bleaching is atehiev'd in a Month's Time ; in ill Weather, it takes up fix Weeks, or more.
To bleach coarfc Linens. They are taken from the Loom, and laid in wooden Frames, full of cold Water ; where, by means of wooden Hammers, work'd by a Water-Mill, they are beat fo, as infenlibly to wafli and purge themfelves of their Filth ; then fpread on the Ground, where the Dew which they receive for eight Days, takes off more of their Rawnefs ; then put in a kind of wooden Tubs, or Pans, with a hot Lie over 'em. Thus lixiviated, they are again purg'd in the Mill, laid a-frefll on the Ground, and, af- ter eight Days more, pafs'd thro a fecond Lie, and all things repeated, till fuch time as they have acquir'd their juft Degree of Whitenefs. For Bleaching of Hair, fee Hair. For Bleaching of Wax, fee Wax, £?c.
BLEEDING, an Operation in Chirurgery, confiding in the Opening of a Vein with a Lancet, for the evacuating of corrupted or redundant Blood. Bleeding is the fureft and moft efficacious Species of Evacuants. It was very rare a- mong the Antients, but is frequent among the Moderns. Ofiie-iijis obferves, that at Rome Perloiis of Quality are not allow'd to be let blood, even in their moft dangerous Difeafes, without Leave from the Pope. The liippopatamus is laid to have firft taught Men the Ufe of Bleeding : For that Animal being overcharg'd with Blood, rubs hcrfeif againft a pointed Bulrufh, and opens a Vein ; till finding her Ple- nitude difcharged, flie welters in rhe Mire ro ftanch the Blood again. See Stiptick : See alfo Phlebotomy.
BLEMISH, a Term in Hunting, when the Hounds, or Beagles, finding where the Chace has been, make a Prof- fer to enter, but return.
BLEMMYES, People fuppos'd to be without Heads, and to have their Eyes and Mouth in their Breaft ; men- tion'd by 'P. Mela, and other antient Authors. They are fuppos'd to have inhabited Part of JEthwpia. Some Au- thors derive the Fable of the Blemmyes from this, that their Heads were hid between their Shoulders, by hoifting thofe up to an extravagant Height. Bochart derives the Word Blemmyes from 1*73, which implies a Negation, and 1310, Brain : In which Senfe the Blemmyes muft have been People without Brains.
BLIGHT, or Blast, a Difeafe incident to Plants, and af- fecting 'em varioufly ; the whole Plant fometimes perifhing of it, and fometimes only the Leaves, which will be fcorch'd and flirivel'd up, the reft remaining green and flourifliing. This Difeafe feldom happens, but upon the blowing of fliarp Eaftern Winds, which are moft frequent with us about March ; whence that Month proves, of all others, the moft fatal to Plants : From this Circumftance, fome ima- gine the Colds that then reign being exafperated by the Eaftern Winds, effect Blights ; but Mr. Bradley furnifhes us with a better Account : for, on this Principle, it were hard to fay, why one Plant, or one Part of a Plant, fhould be blight- ed mote than another. He obferves, then, that Caterpillars generally attend thofe Winds, and thatthey infect fome one kind of Tree more than another, and even fome particular Branches more than others ; and thence infers, either that the Eggs of thofe Infects, or the Infects themfelves, are brought to us by the Eafterly Winds ; or that the Tempe- rature of the Air, when the Eaftern Winds blow, is necef- fary to hatch thofe Cteatures, fuppofing the Eggs to have_ been already laid on the infected Parts, Now, each of
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