A M B
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A M B
AMBIDEXTER, one who ufes both Hands alike, the Left as well as the Right, and this in Cafes where only the Ufe of one is ncceffary.
The Word is form'd from the Latin ambo, both, and dex- ter, right hand.— Hippocrates obierves, that this never hap- pens to Women.
In a legal Senfe, Ambidexter fignifies a Juror, &C. who receives Money of both Parties, for the giving his Verdict, ££c. for which he is to forfeit decks tantnm, ten times as nauch as he receives. See Juror.
AMBIENT, a Terra applied to fuch things as incompafs others round about.
Thus, the Bodies fituate around any other Body, are cal- led the Ambient^ and often the Cir cum- Ambient Bodies.
And the whole Body of Air, becaufe it incompaffes all things on the Face of the Earth, is often by Phyfical Writers called, by way of Eminence, the Ambient, or Ambient Air. See Air.
The Word is form'd of the Latin Ambirc, to incompafs, go round.
AMBIGENAL Hyperbola, in Geometry is that which has one of its infinite Legs inferibed, and the other circum- fcribed. See Hyperbola, and Curve.
AMBIGUOUS, fomcthing dubious, obfeure, or which may be taken in different Senfes. — The Word is form'd of the Latin ambo, both, and ago, I drive ; q. d. that which keeps the Mind wavering, or in Sufpence ; not knowing which fide to chufe.
The Anfwers of the antient Oracles were always ambigu- otis. See Oracle.
AMBIT, of a Figure, in Geometry, is the Perimeter, -Circumference, or Sum of all the bounding or incompaf- fing Lines, that conflitute or include it. See Perimeter, Circumference, &c.
AMBITUS, among the antient Romans, fignified the Act of filing, or making Intereft for Offices.
The Candidates, in this Cafe, went about the City ; and into all publick Places, and Affemblies, to beg Voices 5 which was call'd Ambitus ; am, in the antient Latin, figni- fying circnm, about, or around, and ire, to go. See Can- didate.
AMBLE, Ambling, in Horfemanftiip, a peculiar kind of Pace, wherein a Horfc's two Legs of the fame Side, move at the fame time. See Pace.
The ambling Horfe changes Sides at each remove ; two Legs of a fide being in the Air, and two on the ground, at the fame time : An Amble is ufually the firft natural Pace of young Colts 5 which, as foon as they have Strength enough to trot, they quit. — There is no fuch thing as an Amble, in the Manage 5 the Riding-Matters allowing of no other Paces, befide Walk, Trot, and Gallop : Their Rea- fon is, That a Horfe may be put from a Trot to a Gallop, without flopping him ; but not from an Amble to a Gallop, without fuch Stop ; which lofes time, and interrupts the Juflnefs and Cadence of the Manage. See Trot, Gal- lop, ££?c.
There are various Practices and Methods of Difcipline, for bringing a young Horfe to Amble : Some chufe to toil him in his Foot-pace thro' new-plough'd Lands ; which na- turally inures him to the Stroke recjuir'd in the Amble. Its Inconveniencies are, the Weakncfs and Lamenefs that fuch diforderly Toil may bring on a young Horfe.
Others attempt it by fudden flopping, or checking him in the Cheeks, when in a Gallop ; and thus putting him in- to an Amazednefs, between Gallop and Trot 5 fo that lofing both, he neceffarily (fumbles on an Amble. — But this is apt to fpoil a good Mouth and Rein ; and expofes the Horfe to the Danger of an Hoof-reach, or Sinew-ftrain, by over-reach- ing, &c.
Others prefer ambling by Weights, as the beft way ; and to this end, fome overload their Horfe with exceflively heavy Shoes j which is apt to make him interfere, or
flrike ihort with his hind Feet.' Others fold leaden
Weights about the Fetlock Paflerns ; which are not only liable to the Mifchiefs of the former, but put the Horfe in danger of incurable Strains, crufhing of the Coronet, and breeding of Ring-bones, £*?c. — — Others load the Horfe's Back with Earth, Lead, or the like maffy Subflance 5 which may occafion a Swaying of the Back, overflraining of the Fillets, &c.
Some endeavour to make him Amble in band, ere they mount his Back, by means of fome Wall, fmooth Pale or Rail, and by checking him in the Mouth with the Bridle- hand 5 and correcting him with a Rod on the hinder Hoofs, and under the Belly, when he treads falfe: But this is apt to drive a Horfe to a defperate Frenzy, ere he can be made to understand what they would have of him ; and to rear, ipraul out his Legs, and make other antick Poftures, which are not eafily quitted again.
Others think to effect it by a pair of hind Shoes with long Spurns or Plates before the Toes ; and of fuch length, that if the Horfe offers to trot, the hind-foot beats the fore-
foot. But this occafions Wounds of the back Sinews, which often bring on an incurable Lamenefs.
Some attempt to procure an Amble, by folding fine, Ibft Lifts flrait about his Gambrels, in the Place where he is gartered for a Stiffle Strain ; and turn him thus to Grafs for two or three Weeks, and afterwards take away the Lift ■ — This is a Spanijh Method, but difapproved ; for tho a" Horfe cannot then trot but with Pain, yet the Members muft be Sufferers ; and tho the Amble be gain'd, it mult be flow and unfightly j becaufe attended with a cringing in the hind Parts.
In effect, Ambling by tie Tramel appears the nearefl to Nature, the heft and moil affured way. See Tram el.
There are divers Errors ufually practis'd in this Method : as, That the T-ramel is oft made too long, and fo gives no Stroke $ but makes a Horfe hackle and ihufflc his" Feet confufediy; or too fhorr, which makes him volt and twitch up his hind Feet fo luddenly, that by Cuttom it brines him to a String-halt; from which it will fcarce ever be r& cover'd. Sometimes the Tramcl is mifpkeed, and to pre- vent falling put above the Knee, and the hind Hoof. — In which Cafe, the Beaft cannot give any true Stroke, nor can the fore- Leg compel the hind to follow it : or if, to evade this, the Tramel be made fhorr and flrair, ir will prufs the main Sinew of the hind-Leg, and the flefhy part of the fore Thighs ., fo that the Horfe cannot go without halting before and cringing behind.
As to the Form of the iframcl ; fome make it all of Leather, which is inconvenient ; in that it will either flretch or break, and thus confound the Certainty of the Operation. In a true Tramel, the fide-Ropes are to be fo firm, as not to yield a Hair's breadth $ the Hole foft, and to lie fo clofc, as not to move from its firft Place 5 and the Back-hand flat, no matter how light, and to defcend from the Fillets fo as not to gall.
When the Horfe by being T'rameled on one fide, has at- tain'd to Amble perfectly in the Hand ; it is to be changed to the other fide, and that to be likewite brought to Rule. When, by this changing from one fide to another, with a half Tramel, the Horfe will run and amble in the Hand, rea- dily and Iwiftly, without Snappering and Stumbling 5 which is ordinarily done by two or three Hours labour ; the whole Tramel is to be put on, with the broad, flat, Back-band, and both fides tramel'd alike.
AMBLYGONOUS Angle, in Geometry, is an obtufe Angle ; or an Angle confifling of more than 90 Degrees. See Angle, and Obtuse.
A Triangle is faid to be Amblygonous, when it has one Angle greater than a right Angle. See Triangle.
The Word is Greek 5 compos'd of au£hv^ cbtufe, and ywi& y Aitgle.
AMBLYOPY, Amblyopia, m Medicine, a Difeafe of the Eyes ; orherwife called Gutta Serena and Amaurofis. See Gutta Serena, iVc.
The Word comes from cl^CaC^, obtufus, dull, and ot/^/, video, I fee.
AMBO, a kind of Pulpit, or Delk, antiently ufed in Churches, whereon the Priefls and Deacons flood to read, or fing part of the Service 3 and preach to the People. See Pulpit.
It was afcended by Steps 5 which occasioned that part of the Office perform 'd there, to be called the Gradual. See Gradual.
The Term is derived from <£}4$atv.o, I mount. — The La- tins alfo called it Analcgium ; by reafon they read there. — The Ainbo was mounted upon two Sides ; and hence fome derive the Appellation, from ambo, both.
The Gofpel was read at the Top of the Ambo ; the Epiflle a Step lower.
AMBROSIA, in the Heathen Theology, \§c. a delicious kind of Food, whereon the Gods were fuppofed to feed. See God.
Lucian, rallying thefe poetical Gods, tells us, that Am* bro/ia and Netlar, of which one is the Meat, and the other the Drink of the Gods, were not fo excellent as the Poets defcribe them 5 fince they would leave them for Blood and Fat, which they come to fuck from the Altars like Flies.
The Word is compounded of the Privative Particle a, and BpoT©-, Mortal 5 in regard it render'd thofe who fed thereon immortal, or was the Food of the Immortals.
AMBROSIAK, in Church Hiftory.— We frequently read of the Ambrofian Rite, the Ambrofian Office, &c. denoting a particular Office, or Formula of Worfliip, ufed in the Church of Milan ; which is fometimes alfo called the Am- brofian Church. See Rite, Office, &c.
We alfo meet with the Ambrofian Chant, or Song; which was diflinguifh'd from the Roman, in that it was flronger and higher.
The Term takes its rife from St. Ambrofe, Archbiftiop of
Milan in the IVth Century, who is ufually fuppofed to have
been the Author of this Office. Yet fome are of Opinion,
the Church of Milan had an Office different from that of
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