extent than it is at preſent, becauſe ſeveral provinces have revolted, and the Turks have made encroachments to the caſt. The land is fertile in many places, and the air is very hot, except in the rainy ſeaſon, and then it is very temperate. For four months is the year, greater rains fall there than perhaps in any other part of the world, which occaſion the ſwelling of the river Nile, that has its ſource in this country. It contains mines of all ſorts of metal, except tin; but the inhabitants make no great advantage thereof. The fields are watered by ſeveral ſtreams, except in the mountainous parts. The emperor, or king, is called Negus; and he has been commonly taken for Preſtor John. His authority is abſolutre, and he often dwells with his whole court in tents. However, Abyſſinia is not without cities, as ſome pretend; for Gondar is a large place, where the king commonly reſides when he is not in the field. The inhabitants are black, or very near it; but they are not ſo ugly as the negroes. They make profeſſion of the Chriſtian religion, but it has a mixture of Judaiſm. The habit of perſons of quality is a ſilken veſt, with a ſort of ſearf; but the common people wear nothing but a pair of drawers.
ABYSSINIAN church, that eſtabliſhed in the empire of Abyſſinia. It is a branch of the Copts or Jacobites; a ſect of heretics, who admit but one nature in Jeſus Chriſt.
ACACALOTL, the Braſilian name of a ſpecies of the Corvus. See Corvus.
ACACIA, in botany, a ſynonime of the poinciana, geniſta, mimoſa, robinia, guaicum, &c. See theſe articles.
Acacia, in the materia mediea, the inſpiſſitated juice of the unripe fruit of the acacia. This juice is brought from Egypt in roundiſh pieces, wrapt up in thin bladders, and is uſed as a mild aſtringent.
Acacia germinca. See Pruna.
Acacia, among antiquaries, ſomething reſembling a roll or bag, ſeen on medals, as in the hands of ſeveral conſuls and emperors. Some take it to repreſent a handkerchief rolled up, wherewith they made ſignals at the games; others a roll of petitions or memorials; and ſome a purple bag full of earth, to remind them of their mortality.
ACACIANS, in eccleſiaſtical hiſtory, the name of ſeveral ſects of heretics; ſome of whom maintained, that the Son was only a ſimilar, not the ſame, ſubſtance with the Father; and others, that he was not only a diſtinct, but a diſſimilar ſubſtance. Two of theſe ſects had their denomination from Acacius biſhop of Cæſarea, who lived in the fourth century, and changed his opinions, ſo as, at different times, to be head of both. Another was named from Acacius patriarch of Conſtantinople, who lived in the cloſe of the fifth century.
ACADEMIC, Academician, or Academist, a member of an academy. See Academy in the modern ſenſe.
ACADEMICS, or Academist, a denomination given to the cultivators of a ſpecies of philoſophy originally derived from Socrates, and afterwards illuſtrated and inforced by Plato, who taught in a grove near Athens, conſecrated to the memory of Academus an Athenian hero; from which circumſtance this philoſophy received the name of academical. Before the days of Plato, philoſophy had, in a great meaſure, fallen into contempt. The contradictory ſyſtems and hypotheſes that had ſucceſſively been urged upon the world, were become ſo numerous, that, from a view of this inconſtancy and uncertainty of human opinions, many were led to conclude, that truth lay beyond the reach of our comprehenſion. Abſolutre and univerſal ſcepticiſm was the natural conſequence of this concluſion. In order to remedy this abuſe of philoſophy and of the human faculties, Plato laid hold of the principles of the academical philoſophy, and, in his Phædo, reaſons in the following manner: "If we are unable to diſcover truth, (ſays he), it muſt be owing to two circumſtances; either there is no truth in the nature of things, or the mind, from a defect in its powers, is not able to apprehend it. Upon the latter ſuppoſition, all the uncertainty and fluctuation in the opinions and judgments of mankind admit of an eaſy ſolution: Let us therefore be modeſt, and aſcribe our errors to the real weakneſs of our own minds, and not to the nature of things themſelves. Truth is often difficult to acceſs: in order to come at it, we muſt proceed with caution and diſſidence, carefully examining every ſtep; and after all our labour, we will frequently find our greateſt efforts diſappointed, and be obliged to confeſs our ignorance and weakneſs."
Labour and caution in our reſearches, in oppoſition to raſh and haſty deciſions, were the diſtinguiſhing characteriſtics of the diſciples of the ancient academy. A philoſopher poſſeſſed of theſe principles, will be flow in his progreſs, but will ſeldom fall into errors, or have occaſion to alter his opinion after it is once formed. Vanity and precipitance are the great ſources of ſcepticiſm; hurried on by theſe, inſtead of attending to the cool and deliberate principles recommended by the academy, ſeveral of our modern philoſophers have plunged themſelves into an abſurd and ridiculous kind of ſcepticism. They pretend to diſcredit things that are plain, ſimple, and eaſily comprehended; but give peremptory and deciſive judgments upon ſubjects that evidently exceed the limits of our capacity. Of theſe Berkley and Hume are the moſt conſiderable. Berkley denied the exiſtence of every thing, excepting his own ideas. Mr Hume has gone a ſtep further, and queſtioned even the exiſtence of ideas; but at the ſame time has not heſitated to give determined opinions with regard to eternity, providence, and a future ſtate, miraculous interpoſitions of the Deity, &c. ſubjects far above the reach of our faculties. In his eſſay on the academical or ſceptical philoſophy, he has confounded two very oppoſite ſpecies of philoſophy. After the days of Plato, indeed, the principles of the firſt academy were groſsly corrupted by Arceſilas, Carneades, &c. This might lead Mr Hume into the notion that the academical and ſceptical philoſophy were ſynonimous terms. But no principles can be of a more oppoſite nature
