which compoſe it: this cabbala is divided into three kinds, the gematrie, the notaricon, and the temura or themurah. The firſt whereof conſiſts in taking the letters of a Hebrew word for ciphers or arithmetical numbers, and explaining every word by the arithmetical value of the letters whereof it is compoſed. The ſecond ſort of cabbala, called notaricon, conſiſts in taking every particular letter of a word for an entire diction; and the third, called themurah, i.e. change, conſiſts in making different tranſpoſitions or changes of letters, placing one for the other, or one before the other.
Among the Chriſtians likewiſe, a certain ſort of magic is, by miſtake, called cabbala, which conſiſts in uſing improperly certain paſſages of ſcripture for magic operations, or in forming magic characters or figures with ſtars and taliſmans.
Some viſionaries, among the Jews, believe, that Jeſus Chriſt wrought his miracles by virtue of the myſteries of the cabbala.
CABBALISTS, the Jewiſh doctors who profeſs the
ſtudy of the cabbala.
In the opinion of theſe men, there is not a word, letter, or accent in the law, without ſome myſtery in it. The Jews are divided into two general ſects; the karaites, who refuſe to receive either tradition or the talmud, or any thing but the pure text of ſcripture; and the rabbiniſts, or talmudiſts, who, beſides this, receive the traditions of the ancients, and follow the talmud. The latter are again divided into two other ſects; pure rabbinifts, who explain the fcripture, in its natural ſenſe, by grammar, hiſtory, and tradition; and cabbaliſts, who, to, diſcover hidden myſtical ſenſes, which they ſuppoſe God to have couched therein, make uſe of the cabbala, and the myſtical methods above mentioned.
CABECA, or Cabesse, a name given to the fineſt ſilks
in the Eaſt Indies, as thoſe from 15 to 20 per cent.
inferior to them are called barina. The Indian
workmen endeavour to paſs them off one with the other; for which reaſon, the more experienced European merchants take care to open the bales, and to
examine all the ſkains one after another. The Dutch
diſtinguiſh two forts of cabecas; namely, the moor cabeca,
and the common cabeca. The former is fold at
Amſterdam for about 2112 ſchellinghen Flemiſh, and the
other for about 1812.
CABENDA, a port-town of Congo, in Africa, and
ſubject to the Portugueſe: E. long. 12°, and S. lat. 4°.
CABIDOS, or Cavidos, a long meaſure uſed at Goa,
and in other places of the Eaſt Indies belonging to the
Portugueſe, to meaſure ſtuffs, linens, tire, and equal
to 47 of the Paris ell.
CABIN, in the ſea-language, a ſmall room, or apartment,
whereof there are a great many in ſeveral parts
of a ſhip; particularly on the quarter-deck, and on
each ſide of the ſteerage, for the officers of the ſhip to
lie in.
The great cabin is the chief of all, and that which properly belongs to the captain or chief commander.
CABINET, or Cabbinet, the moſt retired place in
the fineſt part of a building, ſet apart for writing, ſtudying, or preſerving any thing that is precious.
A complete apartment conſiſts of a hall, anti-chamber, chamber, and cabinet, with a gallery on one ſide. Hence we ſay, a cabinet of paintings, curioſities.
Cabinet alſo denotes a piece of joiner's workmanſhip, being a kind of preſs or cheſt, with ſeveral doors and drawers.
There are common cabinets of oak or of cheſtnut, varniſhed cabinets of China and Japan, cabinets of inlaid work, and ſome of ebony, or the like ſcarce and precious woods.
Formerly the Dutch and German cabinets were much eſteemed in France, but are now quite out of date, as well as the cabinets of ebony, which came from Venice.
CABIRI, a term in the theology of the ancient Pagans,
ſignifying great and powerful gods; being a name
given to the gods of Samothracia. They were alſo
worſhipped in other parts of Greece, as Lemnos and
Thebes, where the cabiria were celebrated in honour
of them: theſe gods are ſaid to be, in number,
four, viz. Axicros, Axiocerſa, Axiocerſus, and
Caſmilus.
CABIRIA, feſtivals in honour of the cabiri, celebrated
in Thebes and Lemnos, but eſpecially in Samothracia,
an island conſecrated to the cabiri. All who were
initiated into the myſteries of theſe gods, were thought
to be ſecured thereby from ſtorms at ſea, and all other
dangers. The ceremony of initiation was performed
by placing the candidate, crowned with olive-branches,
and girded about the loins with a purple ribband, on
a kind of throne, about which the prieſts, and perſons
before initiated, danced.
CABLAN, the name of a kingdom and city of India,
beyond the Ganges.
CABLE, a thick, large, ſtrong rope, commonly of
hemp, which ſerves to keep a ſhip at anchor.
There is no merchant-ſhip, however weak, but has at leaſt three cables; namely, the chief cable, or cable of the ſheet-anchor, a common cable, and a ſmaller one
Cable is alſo ſaid of ropes, which ſerve to raiſe heavy loads, by the name of cranes, pullies, and other engines. The name of cable is uſually given to ſuch as have, at leaſt, three inches in diameter; those that are leſs are only called ropes of different names, according to their uſe.
Every cable, of whatever thickneſs ſoever it be, is compoſed of three ſtrand; every ſtrand of three ropes; and every rope of three twiſts: the twiſt is made of more or leſs threads, according to as the cable is to be thicker or thinner.
In the manufacture of cables, after the ropes are made, they uſe ſticks, which they paſs firſt between the ropes of which they make the ſtrands, and afterwards between the ſtrands of which they make the cable, to the end that they may all twiſt the better, and be more regularly wound together; and alſo, to prevent them from twining or intangling, they hang, at
