ADO
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A D V
It is ufually placed at the End of each Stanza of Sapphic Verfes ; and is fo called from Adonis, in whofe Praiie it was firft made. See Sapphic.
ADOPTION, Adoptio, an Act by which any one takes another into his Family, owns him tor his Son, and appoints him his Heir. See Father, Son, £<?c.
The Word is derived from adoptare ; whence came ado- hare, to make a Knight : whence alio Miles adotrattts, a a Knight newly made or dubb'd ; he who knighted him, being laid in fome Senfe to adopt him. See Knight.
The Cuftom of adopting was very familiar among the antient Romans, who had an exprefs Formula for it. — -They firft learnt it from the Greeks, among whom it was called Pi»i«f, Filiation. See Adoptive.
As Adoption was a fort of Imitation of Nature, intend- ed for the Comfort of thofe who had no Children $ Eu- nuchs were not allowed to adopt 5 as being under an actual Impotency of begetting Children. See Eunuch.
Neither was it lawful for a young Man to adopt an elder; becaufe that had been contrary to the Order of Nature : but it was even requir'd, that the Perfon who adopted, mould be eighteen Years elder than his adoptive Son; that there might at leaft appear a Probability of his being the natural Father.
The Romans had two Forms of Adoption 5 the one be- fore the Prrctor = the other at an Affeaibly of the People, in the Times of the Commonwealth, and afterwards by a Refcript of the Emperor.
In the firft, the Natural Father addrefs'd himfdf to the Prcetor, declaring, that he emancipated his Son, rcfign'd all his Authority over him, and confented he fhould be tran- ilated into the Family of the Adopter. See Emancipa- tion.
The latter manner o£ Adoption was practis'd, where the Party to be adopted was already free ; and was called Adrogation. See Adrogation.
The Perfon adopted cfrang'd all his Names 5 affirming the Prename, Name, and Sirname of the Petfon who adopt- ed him. See Name.
They had likewife their "Tejlamentary Adoptions, where- in Perfons were adopted by the Laft Will of the Deceas'd 5 but thefe were never efteem'd valid, till they had been con- firm'd by the People. See Testament.
Of late Years, another Form of Adoption has taken place ; and this is, by cutting off the Flair of a Perfon, and delivering it to the Father that is to adopt him. See FIair, and Tonsure.
'Twas this way that Pope JdviVlll. adopted Sofun King of Aries 5 which perhaps is the only I nf lance in Hiftory of Adoption in the Order of Ecclefiailicks ; a Law that pro- fefTes to imitate Nature, not daring to give Children to thofe in whom it would be thought a Crime to beget any.
M. Soujfac, in his NotJes Theclcgicte, gives us divers mo- dern Forms of Adoption ; fome perform'd at Baptifm 5 o- thers by the Sword, &c. See Baptism.
ADOPTIVE, Adoptivus, or Adoptitius, a Perfon a- dop ted by another. See Adoption.
The Emperor Adrian preferr'd Adoptive Children to Na- tural ones ; by reafon wc chufe the former, but are oblig'd to take the latter at random. — Adoptive Children, anions the Rvmans, were on the fame Footing with Natural ones - for which Reafon, they were cither to be inftituted Heirs, or exprefty disinherited 5 otherwife the Teftament was null.
M. Menage has publifli'd a Book of Eloges, or Verfes addrefs'd to him 5 which he calls Liber Adoptivus, an Adop- tive Book ; and adds it to his other Works.— Hcinjius and Furjiemberg of Afunjier, have likewife publifhed Adoptive Books.
ADOPTIVI, or Adoptiani, was an antient Seel in Re- ligion ; thus called, from the manner wherein they conceived our Saviour to be the Son of God.
They took their Rife from Felix of Urgel, and EUpand of "Toledo ; the latter of whom writing to the former for an Account of his Faith in that Point j was anfwer'd that according to the Ufe of the Language which obtains in refpect of Human Nature, Jefus was not the Natural, but only the Adoptive Son of God.
This Opinion they both afterwards propagated, towards the' Clofe of the Vlllth Century. — And Wh were convicted and condemn'd • and both abjur'd their Error.
ADORATION, the Aft of rendering divine Worfhip or Honours, to a Being. See God, and Worship.
The Adoration of Idols is called Idolatry. See Idolatry. The Ro?nanifis profels a fubordinate Adoration to -Saints, Images, Relicks, the Crofs, &c. See Saint, Image, Re- lick, Cross, $£!c.
The Word literally fignifies, to apply the Hand to the Mouth i Manim ad Os admovere, q. d, to kifs the Hand j this being, in the Eaftern Countries, one of the great Marks of Refpect and Submiffton.
The Election of Popes is performed two ways, by Ado- ration and by Scrutiny. — In the Ele&ion by Adoration, the
Cardinals rufh haftily, as if agitated by fome Spirit, arid fall without more ado to the Adoration of fume one among them, and proclaim him Pope. See Cardinal, Pope, t£c.
In the Election by Scrutiny, Adoration is the laft thing, and follows the Election 5 as in the other it is the EL.cr.ion it felf, or rather fuperfedes the Election. See Election, and Scrutiny.
AD Poudus Omnium, the Weight of the Whole ; an Abbreviation among Phyiicians, &cl fignifying, that the laft prelcrib'd Ingredient is to weigh as much as all the others before. Sec Abbreviature.
AD ghtcd •Damnum, a Writdirected to the SheriR-", com- manding him to inquire what hurt may befal the King by granting a Fair or Market in any Town, or Place. See Fair, Market, ci?r.
The fame Writ alfo iffues for an Inquiry to be made of what the King or other Perfon may iuSrr, by granting Lands in F^e-fimple to a Convent, Chapter, or other Body Politick ; by reafon fuch Land falls into Mortmain, or a dead hand : that is, into luch Condition, that the chief Lord lofes all Hope of Heriots, Service of Court, and Ef- cheats, upon any traiterous or felonious Offence committed by the Tenant : For that a Body Politick dies not, nor can perform peifonal Service to the King, or their Mefn Lords j as fingle Pcrlons may do. See Mortmain.
ADRAGANT, or Tragacanth, a fort of Gum. See Tragacanth.
ADRESS, or Address, a Difcourfe prefented to the King, in the Name of a confiderable Body of his People ; to exprefs, or notify their Sentiments of Joy, Satisfaction, or the like, on fome extraordinary Occafion.
Thus, we lay, the Lords Adrejs, the Commons Adrefs. — Adrejjes were firft fet on foot under the Administration of Oliver Orommel.
The Word is French, AdrcJJb, form'd of the Verb Adref- fer, to fend or direct any thing to a Perfon.— At 'Paris, their Office of Intelligence is called 'Bureau d'AdreJJe.
Adress, is alfo ufed for Dexterity. See Dexterity.
ADROGATION, among the Romans, was a kind of Adoption, only differing from it in this ; That the Perfon here adopted was free, and confented to be adopted by another ; and that it was done at the Affembly of the Peo- ple, while the Commonwealth fubiifted ; and afterwards by a Refcript of the Emperors. See Adoption.
AD Terminum qui pnetertit, is a Writ of Entry, which lies where a Man, having leafed Lands or Tenements for term of Life, or Years, is, after the Term expir'd, held from them by the Tenant, or other Stranger who enjoys the fame, and deforceth the Leffor. — The fame Writ alio lies for the LefTor's Heir.
ADVANCE-i^, or Ditch, is a Ditch of Water round the Efplanade, or Glacis of a Place 5 to prevent its being furprized by the Befiegers. See Fosse, and Glacis.
At>v AKCK-Guard, or YAN-Guard, is the firft Line or Di- vifion of an Army ranged or marching in Battle-array ; or that Part which is next the Enemy, or which marches firft toward them. See Line,
The whole Body of an Army is divided into Advance- Guard, Arrear-Guard, and Main Body. See Army, Z$c,
The Word is fometimes alfo applied to a fmall Pany of Horfe, as 15 or 2.0, commanded by a Lieutenant, beyond and in fight of, the Main Guard.
ADVANCER, among Hunters, is one of the Starts, or Branches of a Buck's Attire, between the back Antler and the Palm. See Attire, Head, &c.
ADVENT, Adventus, in the Calendar, the Time im- mediately preceding Chriftmas ; antiently employ'd in pious Preparation for the Adventus, or coming on, of the Feaft of the Nativity. See Nativity, $$c.
Advent includes four Sundays, or Weeks 5 commencing either from the Sunday which -fills on St. Andrew's Day, or that next after it. — B^t, it is to be noted, this Rule has not always obtain'd. In the Ambrojian Office, there are fix Weeks mark'd for Advent ; and St. Gregory, in his Sa- cramentary, allows five.
The firft Week of Advejit, in our way of reckoning, is that wherein it begins ; but it was antiently otherwife," the Week next Chriftmas being reputed the firft j and the Nu- meration carried backwards.
Great Aufterity was practis'd in the antient Church during this Seafon. — At firft they fatted three Days a-week 5 but were afterwards obliged to faft every Day : Whence the Sealon is frequently called in antient Writers, Lent, and ghiadragefima. See Lent, and Fast.
The Courts of Juftice were all fliur. — Under King John, it was exprefly declared, that in Adventu Domini' nulls* Ajjifci cap i debet : But this was afterwards alter'd ; and it was made lawful, in refpect of Juftice and Charity which ought at all Times to be regarded, to take Aftizes of Novel Difteifin, Mort dAncefter, and Darrein Prefentment, in the Time of Advent, Septuagefima, and Lent. See Assize.
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