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order; and the last adds the ornaments of tropes and figures to give strength and dignity to the whole.

ELOGY, a praise or panegyric bestowed upon a person or thing, on account of its merit. Two admirable rules of criticism are furnished upon this subject: 1. The beauty of elogy consists in expressive brevity, and therefore is injured by the presence of two synonymous words; 2. Elogies should not contain a single epithet, but praise by a simple and true relation of facts.

ELONGATION, in astronomy, the digression or recess of a planet from the sun, with respect to an eye placed on our earth. The term is chiefly used in speaking of Venus and Mercury, the arch of a great circle intercepted between either of these planets and the sun, being called the elongation of that planet from the sun.

But here it is to be observed that it is only a circle which has the sun for its centre; that the greatest elongation is in a line touching the planet's orbit. For in an elliptic orbit it may be, that the elongation from the sun may grow still greater, even after it has left the place where the line joining the earth and planet touches the orbit. For after that, the true distance of the planet from the sun may increase, whilst the distance of the sun and planet from the earth does not encrease, but rather decrease. But, because the orbits of the planets are nearly circular, such small differences may be neglected in astronomy. The greatest elongation of Venus is found by observation to be about forty-eight degrees, and the greatest elongation of Mercury about twenty-eight degrees, upon which account

this planet is rarely to be seen with the naked eye. ELONGATION, angle of, is an angle contained under Jines drawn from the centre of the sun and planet to the centre of the earth.

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ELOQUENCE, the art of speaking well, so as to affect and persuade. Cicero defines it, the art of speaking with copiousness and embellishment. Eloquence and rhetoric differ from each other, as the theory from the practice: rhetoric being the art which describes the rules of eloquence, and eloquence that art which uses them to advantage.

ELYSIUM, or Elysian Fields, in heathen theology, plains abounding with woods, fountains, verdure and every delightful object; supposed to be the habitation of heroes and good men, after death.

EMBALMING, is the opening a dead body, taking out the intestines, and filling the place with odoriferous and desiccative drugs and spices to prevent its putrifying. The Egyptians have always been celebrated for their adherence to this practice, and the skill with which they performed it. With some variation, it is still one of the peculiar customs of that nation. It appears to have been a metaphy sical notion, inculcated as of their religion, that the soul continued with the body. There naturally followed an affectionate desire to do every thing that living creatures can suppose acceptable to the dead. They were even desirous of having the dead bodies of their parents in their houses, and at their tables, and believed, as has been suggested, that their souls were present also; and it was essential to this gratification that those bodies should be preserved in the most perfect manner possible.

EMBARGO, in commerce, an arrest on ships, or

merchandize, by public authority; or a prohibition of state, commonly on foreign ships, in time of war, to prevent their going out of port; sometimes to prevent their coming in; and sometimes both, for a limited time. Embargo differs from quarantine, insomuch as this last is always for the term of forty days, in which persons from foreign parts infected with the plague, are not permitted to come on shore.

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EMBASSADOR, See AMBASSADOR.

EMBER-WEEKS, or days, in the Christian Church are certain seasons of the year set apart for the imploring God's blessing, by prayer and fasting, upon the ordinations performed in the church at such times.

EMBLEM, a kind of painted enigma, or certain figures painted or cut metaphorically, expressing some action. Thus friendship has been represented under the beautiful emblem of a girl, one of whose arms encircles a leafless tree: and the olive was an emblem of peace; so esteemed, probably, because it belonged to the labours of the husbandman, and the productions of the earth constitute that plenty which is an attendant on peace.

EMBOSSING, in architecture and sculpture, the forming or fashioning works in relievo, whether cut with a chissel, or otherwise. Embossing is a kind of sculpture, wherein the figures project from the plane whereon it is cut; and according as the figures are more or less prominent, they are said to be in alto, mezzo, or basso relievo ; or high, mean or low relief.

EMBROIDERY, a work in gold, or silver, or silkthread, wrought by the needle upon eloth, stuffs, or

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