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Mdftftiolm obferves, that the Turks have a knack of poifcning their StirrepS, with fo fubtilc and penetrating a Poifon, that it makes its Way through the Boots, and kills the Rider. F. k Compte tells us, that the Tartan ride crofs- leg'd, and with their Stirrops exceedingly fhort,
Stirrops are allowed a modern Invention. Menage obferves, that St. Jerom is the firft. Author who mentions them.
STOCK, in Gardening, fjfc. the Stem or Trunk of a Tree. See Stem.
For Srocks of Fruit-trees ; the beft to Graft on ; arc thofe rais'd of Kernels of Wildings and Crabs of the moft thriving Trees.
Though the Fruit always take after the Graft ; yet the Stock has fome Influence. A wild Stock is always found to enliven a dull Apple. See Engrafting.
To have a Quantity of Stocks to gr?.ft on ; old Trees are to be cut down within two Inches of the Ground, which will caufe a multitude of Suckers to rife from the Roots. When thefe arc rifen Half a Yard, they_ are to be covered up with good Earth a Foot thick, and affoon as they have put forth 'Roots, in Winter are to be conveyed into the Nurfery, where, in a Year or two, they will be ready to Graft. Cherry Stocks, 'Plumb Stocks and Pear Stocks may be thus raifed from Suckers, as well as Stones or Seeds; but thofe raifed this latter way are prefcr'd. See Vs-wr-Tree, &c.
STOCK-FISH or STOCKFISCH, in Commerce, a kind of dried, falted Fifh ; of a greyifh Afh-colour, only the Belly ibmewhat whiter. See Fish.
The Commerce of Stcck-fiJJj is very considerable in Holland., both from the great Consumption thereof in the Country, and from their Vi&ualling their Vcffcls therewith. 'Tis faid to take its Name, from being as hard as a Stock, or from its needing to be beaten with a Stick, to fit it for Eating. See Fishery.
STOCKING, that Part of the Cloathing of the Leg and Foot, which immediately covers their Nudity, and fkreens them from the Rigor of the Cold. Anciently, the on\y Stockings in TJfe, were made of Cloth or mill'd Stuffs few'd together ; but fince the Invention of knitting and weaving Stockings of Silk, Wooll, Cotton, Thread, $$c. the Ufc ot cloth Stockings, is quite out of Doors.
The modern Stockings, whether wove or knit, are a kind of Tiflues form'd of an infinite Number of little Knots, call'd Stitches, Loop or Mapes, intermingled in one an- other.
Kmt Stockings arl wrought with Needles made of po- lifh'dlronor Brafs Wire, which interweave the Threads, and form the Mafhes the StccUug confifls of This Operation is call'd Knitting ; the Invention whereof it were difficult to fix precifely ; though its commonly attributed to the Scotch, on this ground, that the firft Works of this Kind came from thence. 'Tis added, that it was on this Account, that the Company of Stocking-knitters gftablifh'd at Paris in 1527, took for their Patron St. Fiacre ; who is faid to have been the Son of a King of Scotland.
Wove Stockings, are ordinarily very fine : They are ma- nufactured on a Frame Machine made of polifh'd Iron; the Structure whereof is exceedingly ingenious, but withal exceed- ingly complex, fo that 'twere very difficult to defcribeit well, by rea&n of the Diverfity and Number of its Parts ; nor is it even conceived, without a deal of Difficulty, when working before the Face.
The Englijb and French have greatly contefled the Honour of the Invention of the Stocking-loom 5 but the Matter of Fact, waving all national Prejudices, feems to be this ; That 'twas a Frenchman firft. invented this ufeful and furprizing Machine ; who, finding fome Difficulties in procuring an ex- clusive Privilege, which he required, to fettle himfelf at 'Paris, went over into England, where his Machine was admired, and the Workman rewarded according to his Merit.
The Invention thus imparted to the Englip ; they became' fo jealous hereof, that for a long Time it was forbid, under Pain of Death, to carry any of the Machines out of the lfland, or communicate a Model thereof to Foreigners. But as 'twas a Frenchman firft inrich'd our Nation with it, fb a Frenchman firft carried it Abroad ; and by an extraordinary Effort of Memory and Imagination, made a Loom at 'Paris, on the Idea he had form'd thereof, in a Voyage he made to England. This Loom firft let up in the Year 1656, has ferved for the Model of all thofe fince made in France, Holland, &c.
STOCKS, in Ship-Carpentry, a Frame of Timber, and great Ports, made afliorc, to build Pinnaces, Ketches, Boats and fuch fmall Craft, and fometimes fmall Frigates upon. See Ship and Vessel.
Hence we fay, a Ship is on the Stocks, when fhe is a build- ins.
'STOICISM, the Doctrines and Opinions of Zona's Fol- lowers, call'd Stoicks. See Stoicks.
STOICKS, a Sect of ancient Philofophers, the Followers of Zeno-; thus call'd from the Greek, roct, Portico, in regard
Zeno ufed to teach under a Portico or Piazza.
Sce PHiLosrj;
The Author of this Sect, Zeno, was of Cittinm, a Town in Cyprus, inhabited by a Colony of ' Phoenicians -^ whence he is fuppofed to have borrowed many of his Dogmata from the Phoenician Philofophy, which many learned Men have fhewn was, itfelf, borrowed from the Jeivip or Alofaic pk; lofophy ; though it mult be allowed, there appear as many Things in the Sroick Philofophy, borrowed from Plato's and Secwtes's School, as from that of Mvfes.
Zeno making a trading Voyage from Cittium to Athens richly loaden with Tyrian Purple, was Shipwreck d not f^ from Port ; upon which, we are told, confuhing the Oracle how he ihou'd beft fpend the reft of his Life, he was an- fwer'd, « tyyy^an-itytTQ to?? ynt^oif, By becoming of ljk e Colour with the Dead ; upon which he applied himfelf to the Study of the ancient Philofophers; became a Hearer of Crates the Cynic ; but Lamhts tells us, he had too much natural Modefty to give in to the Cynic Impudence.
From Crates, he had recourfe to KenccrateS, then to Polemon ; and at length began to think of inftkuting a new Sect.
To this Purpofe, a roe, 'Portico, call'd from the Pictures of Polignotvs therein, the painted 'Portico, was pitch'd on. Here ufing to walk and philofophize; he was foon attended by a great Number of Difciples, hence call'd Stw/W, Stoici.
He became exceedingly reverene'd At Athens, for the Pro- bity and Severity of his Life and Manners, and the Confiftency thereof with his Doctrine ; infomuch that the Athenians de- creed him, when living, a golden Crown, and ufed in dubious Times to depofite the Keys of the City with him ; and after his Death, confecrated an Altar to him.
One of his chief Followers was Cleanthes, who was fuc- ceeded by Chryfippus, and he by Dhgenes 'J3abylcnius y Antipatcr, c Pan ( etius and Poffidomus, among the Greeh ; and by Cato, Varro, Cicero, Seneca, the Emperor Antoninus, &c; among the Romans $ and by Pantienus, and Clemens Alexan- drimts, among the Chriftians.
The Stoic&s cultivated Logicks, Phyficks, Metaphyficks, i£c. but principally Ethicks. The principal of their Dogmata of the former Kinds, are as follows.
That there are certain Ktn&\{)-^w, Comprehenfions ; which others call xoivdt mt>iU$, commonNotices or innate Ideas or Principles; andCicero, Inchoat<e Intelligentiee, Beginnings of Underftanding ; naturally found in the Mind : That God is the fcminal Caufe of the Univerfe : That the World is an Animal; which Opinion the Stoicks maintain'd in common with the Platonifis, by reafon of God's inhabiting and in- forming every Part thereof, in quality of an Antral Miwdi. SceANiMA. That Nature is an artificial Fire, tending to Generation : And, that the World is to be deftroy'd at laft'by & Conflagration.
For the Morality of the Stoicks ; 'twas couch'd much irt Paradoxes : as, That a wife Man is void of all Paffion or Perturbation of Mind : That Pain is no real Evil ; but that a wife Man is happy in the midft of the fevered Torture: That a wife Man is always the fame, and always joyful; That none but a wife Man is free ; all others arc 'Servants ; That none but a wife Man is Rich ; That none but a wife Man ought to be citeem'd a King, Magiftrate, Poet or Philo-- fopher ; That all wife Men are great ; That all Things are a wife Man's, who is contented .with himfelf; That wife Men are the only Friends, and the only Lovers ; That no- thing ever happens to a wife Man beyond Expectation ; That all Virtues are infenfibly connected together; That all good Things are equal, and equally to be defired 5 and that Good- nefs admits of no Increafc or Diminution. Whether Virtue might be loft or no, was hotly difputed among them ; Chry- fippus held it might, by Drunkennefs and Atrabilis ; Clean- thes, that it could not, by reafon of the firm KctncAn^h Comprehenfions.
They own'd but one God ; whom, however, they call'd by various Names, as Mind, Fate, Jupiter, l$c. by which they did not mean various Things ; but various Powers and Re- lations of the fame Things. Providence, they exprefs'd under the Name of Fate, which Chryfippus defines to be 2 natural Scries or Composition of Things mutually following each other by an immutable Nexus or Tie fix'd from all Eternity. La'ftly, they held, That the human Soul furvivei after Death. See Fate, &c.
STOLE, STOLA, a facerdotal Orijament, wore by * he Romift Parifh Priefts over the Surplice, as a Mark of Supe- riority in their refpective Churches ; and by other Fri£" s over the Alb, at celebrating of Mafs ; in which Cafe, it ,2 oes acrofs the Stomach ; and by Deacons over the Left Shoulder, Scarf-wife. When the Prieft reads the Gofpel for any one, he lays the Bottom of his Stole on his Head.
The Stola is a broad Swath or Slip of Stuff, hanging from the Neck to the Feet, with Three CrofTcs thereon. ,
The Bifhops anciently pretended, that the Parifh Prieifs were never to appear before them, but in their Stoles. ln
