THE
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tthich is covet'd with Seats, Boxes, &c. and terminated with an Elevation of one, or two Galleries, difpofed into Benches afeendlng over one another. See Stage 3 fee alfo Comedy, Tragedy, §£c.
Theater, is alfo ufed in Architecture, chiefly among the Italians, for an Aflemblage of feveral Buildings, which, by a happy Difpofmon and Elevation, reprefents an agreeable Scene to the Eye.
Such as are moft of the Vineyards at Rome ; but particu- larly that of Monte Z)ragone t at Frefcati ; and in France, the new Caftle of St. Germain en Laye*.
Anatomical Theater, in a School of Medicine and Chirurgery, is a Hall, with Several Rows of Seats, difpofed in the Sweep of an Amphitheatre; having a Table, bearing on a Pivot, in the middle; for the Diffection of Bodies.
Such is the Anatomical Theater of the Royal Garden of Plants at 'Paris, S&.
The "Theater at Oxford is a beautiful Building creeled by Archbifhqp Sheldon* for the Ufe of Scholaftic JExerciles,
THEATINS, a Religious Order of Regular Priefts; thus call 'd from Don John 'Pietro Carafes, Archbifhopof Chiefi, in the Kingdom of Naples, which was anciently call'd Theate.
The lame Archbilhop was afterwards Pope, by the Name of 'Paul IV. after having been a Companion of Caetan, a Venetian Gentleman, the fir II Founder of this Order, at Rome in 1524.
The Theatins were the firft thatafTum'd the Title of Re- gular Clerks. They have not only no Lands or fix'd Reve- nues either in common or in particular 5 but they don't even ask or beg any thing, but watt for what Providence fhall lend them for their Subfiftance.
They employ themfelves much in Foreign Miffions; and in 1627 enter'd upon Mingrelia, where they have an Efta- blifhment : They have had the like in Tartary, Circaffa, and Georgia, which they have fince abandon'd, by Reafon of the little Fruit they perceiv'd thereof.
Their firft Congregation appear 'd at Rome in 1524, and was confirmed the fame Year by Clement VII. Their Con- ftitutions were drawn up at a General Chapter in 1604, and approv'd by Clement Mill. They wear Priefts Habit.
THEATINES, are Congregations of Nuns, under the Direction of the Tbeatins.
There are two Kinds of Theatines, under the Title of Sifters of the immaculate Conception, who form two different Congregations, the one engag'd by lolemn Vows, and the other only by II m pie Vows. Their common Foundrefs was Urfula Benincafa.
Thofe who make the Ample Vows, are the moft ancient j and are call'd fimply Theatines of the Congregation : They had their Rife at Naples in 1583.
The others are call'd Theatines of the Hermitage 1 The whole Bufinefs of thefe is Praying in Retirement ; and an auftere Solitude, to which they engage themfelves by folemn Vows.
The Theatims of the firft Congregation take Care of the Temporal Concerns of thefe laft. Their Houfes ftand toge- ther, and communicate by a large Hall. Their Foundrefs drew up their Conftitutions, and laid the Foundation of their Houfe at Naples - 7 but dy'd e'er it was finifh'd.
Gregory the XVtb, who confirm'd the new Inftitute under the Rule"of S. Augufiin, appointed that they fhould be un- der the Direction of the TheatinS. Urban VIII. revok'd this Article by a Brief in 1624, and fubjected them to the Nuncio of Naples ; but Clement IX. annull'd this Brief, and fiibmitted them anew to the Theatins by a Brief in 2 668.
THEBAID, Thebais, a famous heroic Poem of Statins, the Subject whereof is the Civil War of Thebes between the two Brothers Bteocles and polynices 5 or Thebes taken by Thefeus. See Heroic and Poem.
Statins was twelve Years in compofing his Thebaid, which confifts of XII Books • He wrote under T>ormtian.
He is cenfur'd by the beil Criticks, as Sojftt, l$c. for a vicious Multiplication of Fables and Actions, for too much Heat and Extravagance, and for going beyond the Bounds of Probability. See Fable and Probability.
Several Greek Poets had compos'd Thebaids before him 5 the principal were, Antagoras, Antifhanes of Colophon, Me- nelaus the JEgean, and an anonymous Author mention'd by iPauJanias, lib. ix.
Arijiotle, praifing Homer for the Simplicity of his Fable, oppofes to him the Ignorance of certain Poets, who ima- gin'd that the Unity of Fable or Action was abundantly provided for by the Unity of the Hero, and who compos'd Thefeids, Herculeids, &c. in each whereof they collected every thing that had ever happen'd to their principal Perfon. See Fable.
THEFT, Larceny., Furtum, in Law, a felonious taking away another Man's moveable and perfonal Goods, againft the Owner's Will, with an Intent to ileal them. See Larceny*
It is divided into Theft or Larceny, properly ib call'd, and petit Theft or Larceny ; the former whereof is of Goods above the Value of ud. and is deem'd Felony : The other, which is of Goods under that Value, is not Felony. See Felony.
Theft from the Perfon, or in Frefence of the Owner, is properly call'd Robbery. See Robbery.
THEFTHOLE, the receiving Goods from a Thief, to favour and maintain him, the Punifhment whereof is Im- prifonment, and not Lofs of Life or Member. See Theft.
THELQNIUM, T eloxium, or Breve ejfendi qiiietttm de Thelqnio, isa Writ lying for the Citizens of a City, or Burgeftes of a Town, that have a Charter or Prefcription to free them from Toll 5 againft the Officers of any Town or Marker, who would conirrain them to pay it, contrary to the faid Grant or Prefcription.
THEME, Thema, a Subject or Topic, to write or com- pofe on.
Theme, among Aftrologers, is the Figure they conftruct when they draw the Horofcope : It reprefents the State of the Heavens for a certain Point or Moment requir'd, i. e. the Places of the Stars and Planets for that Moment. See Ho- roscope.
It confifts of 12 Triangles, inclos'd within two Squares, and call'd the T-ivelve Houfes.
THENAR, in Anatomy, a Mufcle, call'd alfo AbdutJor <Pollicis manus. See Abductor.
THNETOPSYCHITES, a Sect in the ancient Church, who believ'd the Soul of Man perfectly like that of Brutes 5 and taught that it dy'd with the Body. See Soul.
We meet with no Account of thefe Hereticks any where, but in J. IJamafcemis, Hceref. go. unlefs they be the fame with thofe Eufebius fpeaks of, Hift. Ecclef. lib. ix. c. 38. who relates, that in Origen's Time, there were Hereticks in Ara- bia, who taught that the Soul of Man dy'd with the Body - 7 but that it fhould rife again with it at the End of the World. He adds, that Origen refuted them in a numerous Council, and reclaim'd them from their Errors. S. Augufiin and JJidore, calls them Arabian Hereticks.
Marfhal, in his Tables, has disfigurM the Word, for want of understanding it; he writes it Thenopfyckites, inftead of Thnetopfychites : He likewife places them in the Vlth Century ; on what Grounds we can't imagine.
The Word is compos'd of the Greek, &i'i)ToS 3 Mortal, and 4wyii, Soul.
THEOCATAGNOSTES, a Sea of Hereticks, or ra- ther Blafphemers, whodar'd to find fault with certain Words and Actions of God, and to blame many Things in the Scriptures.
Marjbal, in his Tables, places thefe Hereticks in the VHth Century 5 for what Reafon we know not ; 1)ama[cenus being the only Author that mentions them, but without tak- ing any Notice of the Time of their Appearance.
Add to this, that in Tiamafcenus's Treatife of Herefies, we meet with Hereticks that were not fo much the Authors of Sects fubfifting at any certain Time, as wicked Perfons, fuch as are found in all Times, and all Ages.
The Word is form'd from the Greek, deU, God, and nalcLyy'offKa. I condemn.
THEOCRACY, a State govern'd by the immediate Di- rection of God alone. See Government.
According to Jofephus, the ancient Government of the Jews was Theocratic ; God himfelf ordering and directing every thing belonging to the Sovereign Authority. See Judge.
This Theocracy lafted till the Time of Saul 5 when the Jfraelites, weary thereof, defir'd they might have a King like other Nations ; and thence-forward the State became Monarchic.
There was alfo a kind of imaginary Theocracy at Athens : While the Sons of Codrus were difputing the SuccefTton ; the Athenians, weary'd out with the Mileries of an inteftine War, abolifh'd the Royalty, and declar'd Jupiter the only King of the People of Athens.
The Word is form'd from -3-sof, God, and v.g/,T^, Power, Empire.
. THEODOLITE, a Mathematical Inftrument, much us'd in Surveying, for the taking of Angles, Diftances, Altitudes, sjc. See Angle, &c.
'Tismade varioufly ; feveral Ferfons having their feveral Ways of contriving it each more Ample, and portable, more accurate and expeditious, than other. The following one is not inferior to any we have feen ; It confifts of a Brafs Circle, about a Foot Diameter, cut in Form of Fig. 25- Plate Sur- veying ; having its Limb divided into 360 Degrees, and each Degree fub-divided either diagonally, or otherwiie, into Minutes.
Underneath, at cc, are hVd two little Pillars bb (Fig 26.) which fupport an Axis, whereon is fix'd a Telefcofe, confid- ing of two Glafles, in a fcjuare Brafs Tube ; for the viewing of remote Objects,
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