CYC ( #4 )
Schemes and other Figures ; to fave the Expences of en- graving on Copper : and for Prints, and Stamps, tor Paper, Callicoes, Linens, &c. See Printing. ;
The Invention of Cutting in Wood, as well as that in Cop- per, is afcribed to a Goldfmith of Florence ; but tis to Air
CYC
bert Durer, and Lucas, they are both owing ior their fer feftion. . ,
One Hugo de Carpi invented a manner of Cutting in Wood, by means whereof, the Prints appear'd as if painted inClair- Obfcure i In order to this, he made three Kinds ot Stamps for the fame Defign ; which were drawn, after one ano- ther, thro' the Profs for the fame Print : They were fo con- ducted, as that one ferv'd for the grand Lights, a fecond for the Demi-Teints, and a third for the Outlines, and the deep Shadows.
The Art of Cutting in Wood, was certainly carried to a very great Pitch about 150 "Seats ago ; and might even vie, for Beauty and Juflnefs, with that of engraving in Copper : At prefent 'tis in a low Condition, as having been long neg- leaed, and the Application of Artifts wholly employ'd on Copper, as the more eafy and promifing Province : Not but tjiat wooden Cuts have the Advantage of thofe in Copper on many Accounts ; chiefly for Figures and Devices in Books ; as being printed at the fame Time, and in the fame Prefs as the Letters ; whereas, for the other, there is requir'd a particular Impreflion.
The Cutters in Wood begin with preparing a Plank or Block, of the fee and thicknefs requird, and ever even and fmooth on the Side to be cut : for this, they ufually take Pear-Trce, or Box 5 tho the latter is the belt, as being the clofcll, and lcaft liable to be worm-eaten.
On this Block they make their Defign with a Pen, or Pen- cil, juft as they would have it printed. Thofe who can't make their own Defign, as many there are cannot, make life of a Defign furnifh'd 'em by another ; fattening it upon the Block with Pafle of Flower and Water, with a little Vinegar : the Strokes or Lines turn'd towards the Wood.
When the Paper is dry, they warn it gently over with a Sponge dip'd in Water; which done, they take off the Pa- per by little and little, Hill tubbing it a little firft, with the Tip of the Finger ; till at length there be nothing left on the Block, but the Strokes of Ink that form the Defign, which mark out fo much of the Block as is to be fpared, or left Handing.
The reft they cat off, and take away very curioufly with the Points of fine Iharp Knives, or little Chiffels, or Gravers, according to the Bignefs or Delicacy of the Work ; for they need no other Inftrumcnts.
Cuttings, or Slip, in Gardening, the Branches or Sprigs of Trees, or Plants, cut or flipp'd off to fet again ; which is done in any moift, fine Earth. See Planting.
The belt Seafon is from Allgltft to April ; but Care is to be taken, when 'tis done, the Sap be not too much in the Top, left it die ere that Part in the Earth have Root enough to fupport it : nor yet mud it be too dry, or fcanty ; the Sap in the Branches aftilling it to take Root.
In providing the Cuttings, fuch Branches as have Joints, Knots, or Burrs, are to be cut off two or three Branches beneath them, and the Leaves to be ftrip'd off fo fat as they are fet in the Eatth. Small Top-Branches, of two or three Years growth, ate fitteit for the Operation. See Manuring, Gardening.
CYCLE, in Chronology, Circle ; a certain Period, or Se- ries of Numbers, proceeding orderly from firft to laif, and recurring again from laft to firft ; fucceflively, and without interruption. Sec Period.
The Origin of Cycles was thus : The apparent Revolu- tion of the Sun round the Earth, has been divided, arbitra- rily, into 24. Hours ; the Bafis or Foundation of all our Men- furation of Time. Civil Ufe knows none but Hours ; or rather, Multiples of Hours, as Days, and Years. But nei- ther the annual Motion of the Sun, nor that of the other Heavenly Bodies, can be meafur'd exactly, and without any Remainder, by Hours, or their multiples. That of the Sun, v.g. is 36" 5 Days, 5 Hours, 49 Minutes, nearly ; that of the Moon 29 Days, 12 Hours, 44 Minutes.
Hence, to fwallow up thefe Fractions in whole Numbers, and yet in Numbers which only exprefs Days, and Years ; Cycles have been invented : which comprehending feveral Revolutions of the fame Body, replace it, after a certain Number of Years, in the fame Points of the Heaven, whence it firft departed 5 or, which is the fame thing, in the fame Place of the Civil Calendar. See Calendar. Such is the famous Cycle 0/19 Tears, call'd alfo the Cycle of the Moon, or Lunar Cycle, a Period of 19 Lunar Years, and feven Intercalary Months ; equivalent to 19 Soiar Years : in which Time, the New and Full Moons are fuppofed to return to the fame Day of the Julian Yea. See Moon.
This is alfo called the Metonic 'Period, from its Inventor Melon, the Athenian ; and the Golden Number : tho, pro- perly, the Golden Number is the particular Number which
fhews the Year of the Lunar Cycle, any given Year is in
This Cycle of the Moon only holds true for 312 Years ■ For, tho the New Moons do return to the fame Day after 19' Years ; yet not to the fame time of the Day, but near an Hour and a half fooner : which Error, in 3 u years amounts to an entire Day.
Yet, thofe employ'd in reforming the Calendar, went on a Suppofition of the 'Lunations returning precifely from 1 9 Years to 19 Years, for ever. See Gregorian.
The Ufe of this Cycle in the antient Calendar, is to Ihew the New Moon of each Year, and the Time of Ealter. See Easter.
In the new one, it only ferves to find the Epacts ; which Ihew, in either Calendar, that the New Moons fall 1 1 Days too late. See Epact.
As the Orientals began the Ufe of this Cycle at the Time of the Council of Nice ; they affumed, for the firft Year of the Cycle, the Pafchal New Moon to fall on the 13th of March : On which foot, the Lunar Cycle 3, fell on the ift of January, in the third Year.
The Occidentals, on the contrary, put the Number 1 to the ift of January, which occafion'd a confiderable Diffe- rence in the Time of Eafter : Hence, Dionyfius Exiguus, upon framing a new Calendar, perfuaded the Chriftians of the Weft to falve the Difference, and come into the Practice of the Church of Alexandria.
to find the Tear of the Lunar Cycle, is to find the Golden number. See Golden Number.
Cycle of IndiQions, is a Series of 15 Years, returning conttantly around, like the other Cycles ; and commencing from the third Year before Chrift. See Indiction.
When this Cycle of Indicfions was firft fet on foot among the Romans, and for what End ; is much controverted among Chronologers. 'Petavim leaves it as a thing not to. be afcertain'd. The molt probable Opinion is, that it was receiv'd about the Year 312, after the Time of Conftantine.
To find the Cycle of Indiliion for any given Tear ; add 3 to the given Year, and divide the Sum by 1 5, the Remain- der is the Cycle of IndiSion.
If there be no Remainder the Cycle is 15.
Cycle of the Sun, or Solar Cycle, a Revolution of 28 Years ; beginning with 1, and ending with 28 ; which elap- fed, the Dominical or Sunday-Letters, and thofe that ex- prefs the other Feafts, &c. return into their former Place, and proceed in the fame Order as before. See Domini- cal, 13c. ,
'Tis called Solar Cycle, not with regard to the Suns Courfe, which has nothing to do herein ; but from Sunday, antiently call'd Dies Solis, the Day of the Sun : in regard, 'tis the Dominical Letter is principally fought for from this Revolution ; the Dominical Letters, which are the firft in the Alphabet, having been fubftituted in lieu of the Nundi- nal Letters of the Romans.
The Reformation of the Calendar under Pope Gregory, occafion'd a confiderable Alteration of the Cycle : In the Gregorian Calendar, the Solar Cycle is not conftant and per- petual ; in regard, every fourth Secular Year is Common ; whereas, in the Julian 'tis Biffextile. The Epocha, or Be- ginning of the Solar Cycle, both Julian and Gregorian, is the 9th Year before Chrift.
to find the Cycle of the Sun for any given Tear ; add 9 to the Number given, and divide the Sum by 28 ; the Number remaining will be the Number of the Cycle, and the Quotient the Number of Revolutions fince Chrift.
If there be no Remainder, it will be the 28th, or laft Year of the Cycle.
Cycle of the Sun in the Julian Tear.
1 GF
2 E
4 C
5 BA
6 G
7 F
8 E
9 DC
10 B
11 A
12 G
13FE
14 D
15 C i<$ B
17 AG
18 F
19 E
20 D
21CB
22 A
23 G
24 F
25ED 16 C
27 B
28 A
Cycle of the Sun from the Gregorian Tear 1700, to the Tear 1800.
1 DC
2 B
4
, FE
6 D
7 C
8 B
9 AG
10 F
11 E
12 D
12CB
14 A
15 G
16 F
17 ED
18 C
19 B
20 A
21 GFI25 BA
22 E 26" G
23 DI27 F
24 C i 28 E
Cycle, it may be obferv'd, is not only us'd in the gene- ral for all the Numbers that compofe the Series ; but for each Number in particular : Thus, we compute, that the ordinary Epocha from the Birth of Jefus Chrift, had the Solar Cycle 10 ; the Lunar Cycle, or the Golden Number 2 • the Dominical Letter B, and the Cycle of IndiSion 4. _
CYCLISCUS, from *u'*\©-, Circulus ; an Inftrument in form of an Half- Moon ; ufed by the Surgeons to fcrape away Rottennefs. ■it CYCLOID,
