EAG
[ 260 ]
EAR
The Reafon why Eagles are generally given in Heraldry difplay'd, is partly, becaufe in that Pofture they fill up the Efcutcheon better, and partly, becaufe 'tis imagined a Pofture natural to the Eagle, when it plumes its Feathers, or faces the Sun. However, there are Eagles born in other Poftures : Some monftrous ones, with Human or Wolves Heads, &c.
The late Authors only fay difplatfd, to exprefs the two Heads ; and fay an Eagle, without any Addition, when it has but one. The Kingdom of Poland bears Gules, an Eagle argent, crovm'd and membefd Or.
The Eagle has been bore, by Way of Enfign, or Standard, by feveral Nations. The firft who feem to have bore the Eagle, are the Perjians ; according to the Tefiimony of Xenophon. Afterwards, it was affumed by the Romans 5 who after a great "Variety of Standards, at length fix'd on the Eagle, in the ad Year of the Confulatc of C. Marias : Till that Time, they ufed indifferently Wolves, Leopards, and Eagles, according to the Humour of the Commander.
Several among the Learned maintain, that the Romans borrowed this Cuftom from Jupiter, who had appropriated the Eagle as his own Badge, in Commemoration of its fupplying him with Nectar, while he lay conceal'd in Crete, for Fear of being devour'd by his Father Saturn. Others hold that they borrow'd it from the ■ftifcans, and others from the Efnrots.
The Roman Eagles, it muft be obferved, were not painted on a Cloth, or Flag 5 but were Figures in Relievo, of Silver or Gold, bore on the Top of Pikes - the Wings being difplay'd, and frequently a Thunder-bolt in their Talons. Under the Eagle were filed on the Pike, Bucklers, and fometiircs Crowns. Thus much we learn from the Medals. See Fefchius in his Dijfert. de Infignibus. And Lipfius, de Militia Romana, L. IV. Z)i£i. 5.
Conftantine is faid to have firft. introduced the Eagle with two Heads, to intimate, that tho' the Empire feem'd divided, it was yet only one Body. Others fay, that it was Charlemaign, who resuming the Eagle, as the Roman En- fign, added to it a fecond Head : But that Opinion is deftroy'd, by an Eagle with two Heads, noted by Lipfius, on the Anthonine Column ; as alfo by the Eagle's only having one Head on the Seal of the GoldeizSull, of the Emperor Charles IV. The Conjecture, therefore, of F. Menefirier, appears more-probable, who maintains, that as the Emperors of the Eajt, when there were two on the Throne at the fame Time, ftruck their Coins with the Im- preflion of a Crofs, with a double Traverfe, which each of them held in one Hand, as being the Symbol of the Chri- flians ; the like they did with the Eagle in their Enfigns 5 and inilead of doubling their Eagles, joyn'd them together, and reprefented them with two Heads. In which they were followed by the Emperors of the Wefl.
Fa.Papebroch, wifhes that this Conjecture of Menefirier were confirm'd by ancient Coins 5 without which, he rather inclines to think the Ufe of the Eagle with two Heads, to be merely arbitrary : Tho' he grants it probable, that it was firft introduced on Occailon oi two Emperors in the fame Throne.
Eagle, Aqiiila, in Aftronomy, is a Conficllation of the Northern Hemifphere, having its right Wing contiguous to the Equinoctial. See Constellation.
For the Stars in this Conftcllation, their Number, Lon- gitude, Latitude, &c. See Aqjjila.
There are alfo three feveral Stars, particularly denominated among the Arab Aftronomers, Eagles. The ift, Nafr Sohail, the Eagle of Canopus, called alfo Sitareh Jemen, the Star of Arabia fcelix; over which it is fuppofed to prehde ; The 2d, call'd Nafr Althair, the flying Eagle 5 and the 3d, Nafr Alvake, the retting Eagle,
IVhite-'BAGi.-sL, is a Polip Order of Knighthood, infti- tuted in 132.5, by Uladijlaus V. on Marrying his Son Cajimir, with a Daughter of the Great Duke of Lithuania.
The Cavaliers of this Order were difHngui fried by a Gold Chain, which they wore on the Stomach, whereon hung a Silver Eagle crown'd.
S^c^-Eagle, was a like Order, inftituted in 1701. by the Elector of lirandenburgh, on his being crown'd King of Prujfia.
Eagle, in Architecture, a Figure of that Bird antiently ufed, as an Attribute, or Cognizance of Jupiter, in the Capitals and Friezes of the Columns of Temples, confecrated to that God.
EAGLES-^cwe, in Natural Hiflory, a Stone, by the Greeks, call'd JEtites, and the Italians, pietra de Aquila ; as be- ing fometimes found in the Eagle's Neft ■ of famous tra- ditionary Virtue, either for the forwarding, or preventing the Delivery of Women in Labour, according as it is applied above, or below the Womb.
Matthiolus obferves that the Birds of Prey, could never hatch their Young without it, and that they go in Search for it as far as the Eafi-JndieS. fiaufch. has an exprefs Z^tf Trcatifc on the Subject. See jEtites.
The Eagle on Medals, is, according to M. Spanheim, a Symbol of Divinity and Providence, and according to all other Antiquaries, of Empire. The Princes on whofe Medals 'tis molt ufuall) found, are the Ptolomies and the Seleucides of Syria. An Eagle with the Word Consecratio, expreffes the Apotheofis of an Emperor.
EAGLET, or EAGLON, diminutives of Eagle, pro- perly fignifying young Eagle. The Eagle is faid to prove his Eaglets in the Brightnefs of the Sun j if they /hut their Eye-lids, he difowns them.
In Heraldry, when there are feveral EJagles on the fame Efcutcheon, they are called Eaglets.
EALDERMAN, orEALDORMAN, among the Saxons, was of like Import with an Earl among the 'Danes. Camb. Sritan. p. 107. Alfo an Elder, Senator, or States-man.
Hence, at this Day, we call thofe Aldermen, who are Affociates to the chief Officer in the Common- Council of a City, or Corporate Town. See Alderman.
EAR, the Organ of Hearing ; or the Part whereby Animals receive the Impreffion of Sounds. See Hearing and Sound.
The Ear is generally divided into Internal, and Ex- ternal,
The External, or outer Ear, in moft Animals, confifts of two grand Parts, viz. that which appears prominent from the Head, called the Auricle ; and an inner Part, which enters the Scull by a narrow PafTage, called the Meatus Auditorius, and leads to the Auris, or Ear, properly fo call'd. The Auricle, or outer Part of the External Ear, is femi- circular, and contains divers Sinuofities. Its upper Part, which is the broadeft, is called the 'Pinna, and fometimes the Ala - 7 and the lower, which is narrower, fofter and pen- dant, the Lobe, or Fibra, being that to which Ladies hang their Rings, i$c. The outer Area, or Extent of the Auricle, is called the Helix ; and the inner, oppofite thereto, the Anthelix : The little Protuberance of the Side next the Face, is called the tragus, or Hircus 5 and the Ridge juft above, and oppofite to it, Anti tragus: And the Cavity, leading to the Beginning of the Meatits, the Concha. See each Part defcribed under its proper Article j Helix, Tragus, Concha, &c.
The Auricle ffands out from the Head, and is furrowed with divers winding Canals, which receive and collect the wandring circumambient Impreffions, and Undulations of Sound, and modify and forward them to the inner Ear. It is form'd of a thin Cartilage, cover'd with a Skin. It has two Mufclcs, which in Men are very fmall, whence fome Anatomifts deny there are any at all, tho" others in- creafe their Number to three, one Atollent, and two Re- trahent-j and others to four. But in Brutes, which move and prick the Ears, as Horfes, Affes, &c. they are very large and considerable. Thofe who have loft their Auricles, M. 'Dionis observes, have but a confufed Way of Hearina- and are obliged either to form a Cavity round the Ear with their Hands j or to make ufe of a Horn, applying the End of it to the Meatus Auditorius. See Auricle.
The inner Part of the External Ear, is poiTefs'd by the Meatus Auditorius, or Auditory Paflage, which'commences from the Bottom of the Concha, called the Alveariura, and is continued in a winding Direction, turning fometimes this Way, and fometimes that, to the Membrana 'Tympani. The Meatus is dug out of the Os E'emporis, and lined with a Skin, or Membrane, which is furnifh'd with divers little Glands, that feparate a thick, yellow, glutinous Hu- mor, call'd Cerumen, or Ear-wax, ferVing to defend the Ear from the Ingrefs of Vermine, and other extraneous Bodies. This Meatus is all the External Ear in divers Animals, as Reptiles, Birds, Moles, divers Fifties, c^c. The further End thereof is clofed by a thin, dry, round, tranfparent Mem- brane, called the Membrana tympani 5 and improperly, tympanum, or Drum, which feparates the External Ear from the Internal. See Meatus Auditorius, and T*m.-
I'ANUM.
Behind the Membrana Tympani, is a Cavity call'd, by
different Authors, the 'tympanum, Cavitas tympani. Concha, Interna, and Meatus Auditorius Interims. In this Cavity are five considerable Parts, vim, four little Bones, two Aper- tures, called Foramina, or Fenefir<£, as "many Meatus's or Paffagcs ; four Mufcles, and a Branch of a Nerve.
The 1 ft of the Bones, or OfTelets, is the Malleolus, or Hammer, thus call'd from the Figure, which is bigger at one End, call'd the Head, than at the other, called the Helve, or Handle : The 2d, is called the Incus, or Anvil ; The 3d, the Stapes, or Stirrop: And the 4th, the Orbi- culare. Thefe Bones are nearly of the fame Bignefs at the Birth of the Child, as when it is arrived at Maturity • fo that all that Age does is to harden them.
To give Motion to thefe Bones, is the Office of the four Mufcles of this Cavity $ three of them belonging to the Malleus, viz. the Exte rmis, Obliquus, and In t emus ; and the 4th to the Stapes, called the Mufculus Stapedis.
Th«
