ABRASA, inſurgery, ulcers, where the ſkin is ſo tender and lax as to render them ſubject to abraſion.
ABRASION, in medicine, the corroding of any part by acrid humours or medicines.
ABRAUM, an obſolete name of a certain ſpecies of clay, called by ſome authors Adamic earth, on account of its red colour.
ABRASAX, or Abraxas, a myſtical term found in the ancient theology and philoſophy of Baſilides's followers.
ABRAX, an antique ſtone with the word abraxas engraved on it. They are of various ſizes, and moſt of them as old as the third century.
ABREAST, a ſea-term. In an attack, purſuit, or retreat at ſea, the ſquadrons or diviſions of a fleet are often obliged to vary their diſpoſitions, and at the ſame time obſerve a proper regularity, by ſailing in right or curved lines: when they ſail at a proper diſtance from each other, and are all equally forward, they are then ſaid to have formed the line abreast.
ABRENUNCIATION. See Renunciation.
ABRIDGEMENT, in literature, a term ſignifying the reduction of a book into a ſmaller compaſs.—The art of conveying much ſentiment in few words, is the happieſt talent an author can be poſſeſſed of. This talent is peculiarly neceſſary in the preſent ſtate of literature; for many writers have acquired the dexterity of ſpreading a few tritical thoughts over ſeveral hundred pages. When an author hits upon a thought that pleaſes him, he is apt to dwell upon it, to view it in different lights, to force it in improperly, or upon the ſlighteſt relations. Though this may be pleaſant to the writer, it tires and vexes the reader. There is another great source of diffuſion in compoſition. It is a capital object with an author, whatever be the ſubject, to give vent to all his beſt thoughts. When he finds a proper place for any of them, he is peculiarly happy. But, rather than ſacrifice a thought he is fond of, he forces it in by way of digreſſion, or ſuperfluous illuſtration. If none of theſe expedients anſwer his purpoſe, he has recourſe to the margin, a very convenient apartment for all manner of pedantry and impertinence. There is not an author, however correct, but is more or leſs faulty in this reſpect. An abridger, however, is not ſubject to theſe temptations. The thoughts are not his own; he views them in a cooler and leſs affectionate manner; he diſcovers an impropriety in ſome, a vanity in others, and a want of utility in many. His buſineſs, therefore, is to retrench ſuperfluities, digreſſions, quotations, pedantry, &c. and to lay before the public only what is really uſeful. This is by no means an eaſy employment: To abridge ſome books, requires talents equal, if not ſuperiour, to thoſe of the author. The facts, manner, ſpirit, and reaſoning, must be preſerved; nothing eſſential, either in argument or illuſtration, ought to be omitted. The difficulty of the taſk is the principal reaſon why we have ſo few good abridgements: Wynne's abridgement of Locke's Eſſay on the Human Underſtanding is, perhaps, the only unexceptionable one in our language.
Theſe obſervations relate ſolely to ſuch abridgements as are deſigned for the public. But,
When a perſon wants to ſet down the ſubſtance of any book, a ſhorter and leſs laborious method may be followed. It would be foreign to our plan to give examples of abridgements for the public: But, as it may be uſeful, especially to young people, to know how to abridge books for their own uſe, after giving a few directions, we ſhall exhibit an example or two, to ſhew with what eaſe it may be done.
Read the book carefully; endeavour to learn the principal view of the author; attend to the arguments employed: When you have done ſo, you will generally find, that what the author uſes as new or additional arguments, are in reality only collateral ones, or extenſions of the principal argument. Take a piece of paper, or a common-place book, put down what the author wants to prove, ſubjoin the argument or arguments, and you have the ſubſtance of the book in a few lines. For example.
In the Eſſay on Miracles, Mr Hume's deſign is to prove, That miracles which have not been the immediate objects of our ſenſes, cannot reaſonably be believed upon the teſtimony of others.
Now, his argument, (for there happens to be but one), is,
"That experience, which in ſome things is variable, in others uniform, is our only guide in reaſoning concerning matters of fact. A variable experience gives rise to probability only; an uniform experience amounts to a proof. Our belief of any fact from the teſtimony of eye-witneſſes, is derived from no other principle than our experience in the veracity of human teſtimony. If the fact atteſted be miraculous, here ariſes a conteſt of two oppoſite experiences, or proof againſt proof. Now, a miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has eſtabliſhed theſe laws, the proof againſt a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as complete as any argument from experience can poſſibly be imagined; and if ſo, it is an undeniable conſequence, that it cannot be ſurmounted by any proof whatever derived from human teſtimony."
In Dr Campbell's Diſſertation on Miracles, the author's principal aim is to ſhew the fallacy of Mr Hume's argument; which he has done moſt ſucceſsfully by another ſingle argument, as follows:
"The evidence ariſing from human teſtimony is not ſolely derived from experience: on the contrary, teſtimony hath a natural influence on belief antecedent to experience. The early and unlimited aſſent given to teſtimony by children gradually contracts as they advance in life: it is, therefore, more conſonant to truth, to ſay, that our diffidence in teſtimony is the reſult of experience, than that our faith in it has this foundation. Besſides, the uniformity of experience, in favour of any fact, is not a proof againſt its being reverſed in a particular inſtance. The evidence ariſing from the ſingle teſtimony of a man of known veracity will go far to
