general, are of an olive complexion, tall, graceful, and well featured. Their language is the Ethiopic, which bears a great affinity to the Arabic. Gold, silver, copper, and iron, are the principal ores which abound there, but not above one third part of their gold is converted into money, or used in trade.

ACADEMICS, a sect of philosophers, who followed the doctrine of Socrates and Plato, as to the uncertainty of knowledge, and the incomprehensibility of truth. Academic, in this sense, amounts to much the same with Platonist; the difference between them being only in point of time. who embraced the system of Plato, among the They ancients, were called Academici; whereas those who did the same since the restoration of learning, have assumed the denomination of Platonists.

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ACADEMY, in the modern acceptation, is a society of persons united for the pursuit of some objects of study and application, as the Royal Academy of Arts of London, and the Royal Academy of Sciences of Berlin. The term is derived from a house and gardens, once the residence of Academus, a celebrated Athenian, in which Plato and his disciples held philosophical conversations.

ACCELERATION, in mechanics, the increase of velocity in a moving body. Accelerated motion is that which continually receives fresh accessions of velocity, and is either equally or unequally accelerated. Acceleration stands directly opposed to Retardation, which denotes a diminution of velocity. See MECHANICS.

ACCENT, is 1. The manner of speaking or pronouncing. 2. The sound of a syllable. 3. The

marks made upon syllables to regulate their pro. nunciation. 4. A modification of the voice, expressive of the passions or sentiments. It is also used for a character placed over a syllable, to mark the accent, i. e. to shew it is to be pronounced in a higher, or in a lower tone; and to regulate the inflexions of the voice in reading. It is distinguished from emphasis, as the former regards the tone of the voice, the latter the strength of it. We reckon three grammatical accents in ordinary use, all borrowed from the Greeks, viz. the acute accent, which shews when the tone of the voice is to be raised.. In modern writings it is a little line, or virgula, placed over the vowel, a little sloping or inclined, in its descent, from right to left, as'. It is not ordinarily used, either in English or Latin: the French, indeed, retain it; but it is only to mark the close or masculine é. The grave accent, when the note or tone of the voice is to be depressed; and is figured thus'. The circumflex accent, which is it

composed of both the acute and the grave; points out a kind of undulation of the voice, and is expressed thus or“.

Accent, in music, is a modulation of the voice, to express a passion. Every bar or measure is divided into accented and unaccented parts. The accented parts are the principal; being those intended chiefly to move and affect; it is on these the spirit of the music depends.

ACCEPTANCE, in commerce, is when a man subscribes, signs, and makes himself a debtor for the sum contained in a bill of exchange, or other obligation, drawn upon, or addressed to him; as thus:

"Sir, "London, January 20, 1811. "Two months after date, pay to Mr. John Doe, "or his order, the sum of one hundred pounds, for

"value received of,

Sir,

(Addressed)

"Mr. Thomas Styles, Broad-street Buildings." In this case Mr. Thomas Styles makes himself liable to pay 100%. to Mr. John Doe or his order.

If there be a right understanding between both parties, a small matter amounts to an acceptance, as "Leave your bill with me, and I will accept "it ;" or, "Call for it to-morrow, and it shall be accepted." This obliges as effectually, by the custom of the merchants, and at law, as if the party had actually signed the bill.

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ACCESSORY, or ACCESSARY, in common law, is chiefly used for a person guilty of a felonious offence, not principally, but by participation: as, by advice, command or concealment. There are two kinds of accessories: before the fact, and after it. The first is he who commands or procures another to commit felony, and is not present himself; for if he be present, he is a principal. second is he who receives, assists, or comforts any man that has done murder, or felony, whereof he has knowledge.

The

ACCIPITRES. The first order of the Linnéan class, of Birds: the ordinal character being, bill

somewhat hooked downwards, the upper mandible dilated near the point, or armed with a tooth; nostrils open; legs short, and strong; feet formed for perching, having three toes forwards and one backwards; toes warty under the joints; claws hooked and sharp pointed; body muscular; flesh tough and not fit to be eaten; food, the carcasses of other animals, which they seize and tear; nest in high places: eggs about four; female larger than the male: they live in pairs. The birds of this order subsist by preying on other animals. There are four genera, viz. the Vultur, Falco, Strix and Lanius.

ACCOLADE, a ceremony practised in the days of chivalry, in conferring knighthood. The word obviously means something done to the neck. It is probable that, with the simplicity of ancient times, the sovereign originally embraced the hero whom he intended to dignify. This familiar expression of regard appears to have been exchanged for the more stately act of touching, or gently striking, with the royal sword, the neck of the kneeling knight. The form now used in dubbing a knight is, doubtlessly, a remain of the ancient accolade.

ACETATES, in chemistry, certain neutral salts formed by the combination of the acetic acid, or radical vinegar, with different substances, or bases. These salts differ from acetites in this respect; the acid employed in the production of the former is fully saturated with oxygen, or the acidifying principle, that is, it is completely acid; while that which is used to form the latter, contains a less proportion of oxygen than is sufficient to saturate it. The different acetates are expressed by the addition

VOL. I.

of the word denoting the substance to which the acid is uuited, as acetate of lime, &c.

ACETIC ACID, in chemistry, one of the vegetable acids, produced by distilling the acetous acid with metallic oxydes. It is of a green colour, but becomes white by rectification. It is extremely volatile and inflammable; corrodes and cauterizes the skin; and when heated in contact with air, takes fire. Combined with earths, alkalies, and minerals, it forms salts called acetates.

ACETITES, compound or neutral salts, formed by the union of the acetous acid, or distilled vinegar, with different bases: the most remarkable of these substances, and those whose properties are best known, are the acetite of alumene, copper and lead.

Acetous Acid, distilled vinegar, or the acid of vinegar, is obtained from mucilaginous substances by that degree of fermentation which succeeds the spirituous, called the acetous fermentation, and by concentrating the product. It is a transparent colourless fluid, of the specific gravity of 1.0095, nearly as volatile as water, exhaling a pungent fragrant odour, and of a lively agreeable taste.

ACID, in chemistry, the generic name of a comprehensive class of substances, which possess the following properties: sourness of taste; a power of changing blue vegetable colours to red; of forming with water a combination whose specific gravity is not a medium between the water and the acid; and of combining (and usually effervescing) with all the alkalies, and most of the metallic oxyds and earths, by which means those compounds are formed which are called neutral, or secondary salts. Though every acid does not possess all