ACTION, in law, denotes either the right of demanding in a legal manner, what is ones due, or the process brought for the recovering the same.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, a canonical book of the New Testament, which contains great part of the lives of St. Peter and St. Paul; commencing at the ascension of our Saviour, and continued down to St. Paul's arrival at, Rome, after his appeal to Cæsar; comprehending in all about thirty years. St. Luke has been generally taken for the author of this book, and his principal design in writing it was to obviate the false acts, and false histories, which began to be dispersed up and down the world. The exact time of his writing is not known; but it must have been at least two years after St. Paul's arrival at Rome, because it informs us that St. Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house; perhaps he wrote it while he remained with St. Paul, during the time of his imprisonment. The council of Laodicea places the Acts of the Apostles among the canonical books, and all the churches have acknowledged it as such without any controversy. The truth and divine original of Christianity, may be deduced from a comparison of the Acts of the Apostles, with the other received books of the New Testament. To this end Dr. Paley has, in his very masterly work, entitled Hora Paulinæ, brought together from the Acts of the Apostles, and from the different Epistles of Paul, such passages as furnish proof of undesigned coincidence; and which, therefore, are so many independent proofs of the authenticity both of the Acts and those Epistles.

ACUTE DISEASES, are distinguished from CHRONIC, which latter are of greater duration and slower progress. Acute diseases are attended with violent

symptoms, and require immediate aid: chronic diseases are those which usually last long.

ADIT OF A MINE, the hole, or aperture, whereby it is entered and dug, and by which the water and ores are carried away. The term amounts to the same with cuniculus or drift, and is distinguished from an air-shaft. The adit is usually made on the side of a hill.

ADJUTANT, a military officer, whose duty it is to carry orders from the major to the colonel and serjeants. When detachments are to be made, he gives the number to be furnished by each company or troop, and assigns the hour and place of rendezvous. He also places the guards, receives and distributes the ammunition to the companies, &c.; and, by the orders of the major, regulates the prices of provisions.

ADJOURNMENT, the putting off a court or other meeting till another day. In parliament, adjournment differs from prorogation, the former being not only for the shorter time, but also done by the house itself, whereas the latter is an act of royal authority,

ADMINISTRATOR, in law, is he to whom the administration of the goods of a deceased person, in default of an executor, is committed. If the administrator die, his executors are not charged with the administration; but a new administration is granted. This office was established by an act made in the 31st year of Edward III.

ADMIRAL, in England, a great naval officer, who has the government of a navy, and the hearing of all maritime causes.

Admiral, Lord High of England, a great officer of state, who presides over all persons and matters

connected with the navy. His office is of such high antiquity, and his powers so very unlimited, that its authority is defined rather by what it is not, than by what it is. Ever since the reign of queen Anne, the duties of lord high admiral have been executed by commissioners, commonly known by the title of Lords of the Admiralty.

Admiral, is also the commander in chief of any single fleet, or, in a general way of speech, any flagofficer whatever, as, though improperly, vice and rear admirals are called admirals.

Vice-Admiral, is the commander of the second squadron, and carries his flag at the fore-topmast head.

Rear-Admiral, is the commander of the third squadron, and carries his flag at the mizen-topmast head.

Vice-Admiral, is also an officer appointed by the lords-commissioners of the admiralty for executing jurisdiction within prescribed limits.

Admiralty, Court of, is a sovereign court held by the lord high admiral, or by the lords commissioners of the admiralty, where cognizance is taken in all maritime affairs, whether civil or criminal. All crimes committed on the high seas, or on great rivers below the first bridge next the sea, are cognizable in this court only, before which they must be tried by a judge and jury. By the late act of the 39th of his present majesty, it is enacted, "That all offences committed upon the high seas, out of the body of any county, shall be, and are declared to be, offences of the same nature respectively, as if they had been committed upon the shore. In consequence of which act, all offences

committed on the high seas are now to be heard and determined before a jury, as at common law. In civil matters, the verdict lies in the breast of the judge; but there is an appeal to the court of delegates; and from the vice-admiralty courts in foreign settlements an appeal may be brought before the court of admiralty here, or before the king in council. The advantages resulting to mariners from suing in the court of admiralty, rather than in the common courts of law, are, 1st. A whole ship's company may join in a suit for wages, by which means the expence is lessened; and 2d. The ship itself is responsible to the admiralty, and not to the owners. A third province of the court of admiralty relates to the law of nations. It belongs to this court to decide whether a captured ship be a lawful prize or not? If the affirmative is declared, the ship is said to be condemned.

ADVERB, a word joined to verbs, expressing the manner, time, &c. of an action. Example. It is conducive to health to rise early: here the word early is an adverb, and is joined to the verb rise.

ADVOWSON, signifies a right to present to a vacant benefice. This right is so called because it was first gained by such as were founders, benefactors, or maintainers of the church. Advowsons are either presentative, as when the patron presents or offers his clerk to the bishop to be instituted; collative, as where the benefice is given by the bishop, as original patron thereof, or by means of the right he has acquired by lapse; or donative, as where the king, or other patron, does, by a simple donation in writing, put the clerk into possession, without presentation, institution, or induction.

ENIGMA, or Enigma, is commonly called a riddle. The Greek words of which the term is formed, mean an obscure hint or saying. Enigmas may be either painted or written. The true end of language and of arts, however, is to enlighten, and not to obscure. Enigmas were the invention of intelligent men, who had the misfortune to live in countries, and in ages, where and when truth could not be openly spoken: a state of things which gives birth to wit of various kinds. In modern times, enigmas can serve no other purpose than that of enabling the inventor or propounder to obtain a contemptible triumph over those who do not happen to guess their meaning. An aptitude at unravelling them is, on the other hand, a talent scarcely to be desired. In all periods, enigma-makers seem to have endeavoured rather to intrap than to inform. This is a fact so true, that the understanding of enigmas, or dark sentences, became proverbial among the Hebrews, intimating skill in deception.

EOLIPILE, in hydraulics, a hollow ball of metal, with a small hole or opening; chiefly used to shew the convertibility of water into elastic steam. The best way of fitting up this instrument, is with a very slender neck or pipe, to screw on and off, for the convenience of introducing the water into the inside; for by unscrewing the pipe, and immerging the ball in water, it readily fills, the hole being pretty large; and then the pipe is screwed on. But if the pipe do not screw off, its orifice is too small to force its way in against the included air ; and therefore to expel most of the air, the ball is heated red hot, and suddenly plunged with its orifice into water, which will then rush in till the