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T R A
TRAGICOMEDY, another kind of Dramatic Piece, reprefenting fome Action pais'd among eminent Perfons, the Event whereof is not unhappy or bloody ; and wherein is fometimes admitted a Mixture of lei's fenous Characters.
The Ancients, M. 'Dacier obierves, knew nothing of fuch Compositions, wherein the Serious and Comic are blended: Nor does the Epithet M. Ccrntille gives them of Heroic Comedies, excufe their Irregularity.
Their Foundation is certainly bad 5 for endeavouring both to make us laugh and cry in their turns, they endeavour at contrary Emotions, which the Heart can never undergo 5 every thing that difpoles for the one, indilpofing for the other.
The Tragi-Comedy was formerly very common on the Englift Stage : Scarce iiich a thing in the 17 th Century, as a pure Tragedy without a ipice of Comedy, or Farce to make the People laugh. Now, that the Stage and our Taftes are brought nearer to the Model of Nature and the Ancients, the Tragi-Comedy is difufed. Tragi-Comedy is the only Cafe, wherein Comedy is allow'd to introduce Kings and Heroes. See Comedy.
TRAGUS, in Anatomy, one of the Protuberances of the Auricle, or external Ear 5 call'd alfo Hircus, becaufc ufually hairy. See Ear.
The Tragus is that Protuberance next the Temple ; that on the oppofite Side, to which the foft Lobe of the Ear is annex'd, is call'd the Antitragus.
TRAJAN Column, a famous hiflorical Column, erected in Rome, in Honour of the Emperor Trajan. See Column.
'Tis of the Tufcan Order, though fbmewhat Irregular : Its Height is Eight Diameters, and its Pedeilal Corinthian; it was built in a large Square there, call'd the Forum Ro- manum.
Its Bafe confiPcs of 12 Stones of an enormous Size, and it is raifed on a Socle or Foot of Eight Steps. Within-iide, is a Stair-cafe, illumined with 44 Windows. 'Tis 140 Foot high, which is 35 Foot fhort of the Antonine Column ; but the Workmanfhip of the former is much more valued.
'Tis adorn'd from top to bottom with Bas-relievo's, repre. fenting the great Actions of that Emperor againft the T>ac£.
Several learned Men have explain'd the Bas-reliefs of the Tra]an Column, and among others Ciaconius and Fabretti.
The late King of France, Louis XIV. had Models of all the Bas-reliefs taken off inPlaifter of 'Paris.
TRAJECTORY of a Comet, is its Path or Orbit ; or the Line it defcribes in its Motion. See Orbit.
This, Hevelius, in his Cometagraphia, will have to be very nearly a right Line ; but Dr. Bailey rather concludes it to be a very excentrical Elliplis. See Ellipsis.
Sir Jfaac Newton in Prop. 41. of his third Book, (hews how to determine the Trajectory of a Comet from three Obser- vations 5 and in his laffc Propoiition, how to correct a Tra- jeclory graphically defcribed. See Comet.
TRAIL-5?tMr//, in a Ship, is a curved Board on each Side of her Beak, which reaches from the Main-item to the Figure, or the Brackets. See Snip.
TRAIN; the Attendance of a great Perfon; or, the Trail of a Gown, or Robe of State.
In Falconry, it is the Tail of an Hawk. See Tail.
Train is likewife ufed for the Number of Beats which a "Watch makes in an Hour, or any other certain Time. See VlATCH-lfork, £&.
Train is alfo ufed for a Line of Gun-powder, laid to
five fire to a Quantity thereof, in order to do Execution, by lowing up Earth, Works, Buildings, \£c. See Qvn-Po-wder, Mine, £f?c.
Train of Artillery, includes the great Guns and other Pieces of Ordnance belonging to an Army in the Field. See Gun, Cannon, Ordnance, &c.
Train Oil, the Oil procured from theBlubber of Whales, by boiling. See Oil and Whale.
Train-ZVmS", orTRAiNEn-SaWs, a Name given to the Militia of England. See Militia.
Training a Load, among Miners, is the fearching for, and purfbina a Vein of Ore. * See Vein.
TRAMBLING the Tin Ore, among Miners, is a warning it very clean ; which is done with a Shovel, and in a Frame of" Boards. See Tin.
TRAMEL, an Iron Inftrumenr, wherewithal to make a Horfe amble. See Ambling.
It is alfo taken in many Places for an Iron moveable Inffru- ment in Chimneys, to hang Pots over the Fire.
Tramel-W«, is a long Net, wherewith to take Fowl by Night, in Champian-Countries ; much like the Net ufed for the Low- bell, both in Shape, Bignefs and Mafhes.
To ufeit, they fpread it on the Ground, fb as the nether or further End, fitted with fmall Plummets, may lie loofe thereon. Then the other Part being bore up by Men, placed at the Fore-ends, it is thus trailed along the Ground. At each Side, are carried great blazing Lights, by which the
Birds are raifed ; as they rifa under the Net, they are taken, See L o w-'Beil and Han n-Net.
The Word comes from the French, 1'remail, fbrm'd of the Latin Tremaculum or Tremactum, of Macula, by reafon it is compofed of three Rows of Maihes.
TRAMONTAN, Tramontane or Tramontain, fomething beyond, or on the further Side the Mountains.
The Term is particularly applied by the laiiai. Painters, to all fuch as live on the other Side the Alp, i. e. all out of Italy ; as the Germans, Flemifi, French, £jJc.
The French Lawyers give the fame Title of Tramontane or Ultramontane Doctors to the Italian Canonifls, Gomez, Hcfiienfis, Panorm, l$c. who go upon Rules and Maxims, too favourable to the Court of Rome, and contrary to thofe of France, ££c.
The Word is form'd from the Italian, tra, of the Latin - trans, which iignify beyond ; and mens or mont, Mountain.
On the Mediterranean, and in Italy, a North Wind is call'd a Tramontane Wind : and fome call the Pole Star, the Tra- montane.
Hence the Proverb, To loje the Tramontane ; that is, to be out ot one's Aim, to be difconcerted.
TRANCHES ufed by the French Armorifts, to exprefs that Manner of Partition call'd among us Tarty per bend 'Dexter. See Party and Bend.
A Scutcheon is faid to be tranche, cut, when it is divided in two Diagonally 5 the Diviiion coming from the Dexter Angle of the Chief, to the Sinifter Angle of the Point : When it is divided contrary-wife, it is faid to be taille.
TRANSACTION, a Negotiation, particularly an Accom- modation, or a Difpatch of fome Bufinefs, or of aDifpute be* tween two Parties, by a mutual and voluntary Agreement or Contract between them.
Philofophical Transactions, are a kind of Journal of theprincipal Things that come before the Royal Society of Lendo-a. See Journal and Royal Society.
The Tranfaclions contain the feveral Difcoveries and Hifloriesof Nature and Art, made by the Members of the Society, or communicated by them from their Correfpondentsj the feveral Experiments, Obfervations, ££fo made by them s or transmitted to them, &c.
They were firft fet on Foot in 166; by Mr. Oldenbourg, Secretary of the Society, and continued by him till the Year 1679. After his Death, Dr. Hook, the fucceeding Secretary, continued them under the Title of PbilojbpbicatColletlio;] 1 But Dr. Grew, appointed to the fame Office in 1680,1'erumcd the former Title of Philofophical IranfaBions, which was retain'dbyhis Succeffor Dr. plott, and fubfiils to this Day.
They were publifh'd every Month, with great Care by Mr. Oldenbourg, and thefirit Secretaries ; but after Dr.'Ptott, they were frequently interrupted. In the Year 1 700 Dr. Sloan reflored their regular Publication, Monthly- in time ihey relapfed, and only came out once in two Months ; from that they fell to 3, 4 and 6 Months. They are now publifh'd more frequently and regularly, by the Care of Dr. Jurin.
TRANGLE, in Heraldry, the Diminutive of a FefTe commonly called a 'Bar. See Bar and Fesse.
TRANSCENDANT, or Transcendental, fome- thing raifed, or elevated beyond other Things ; or which paffes and tranfeends the Reafons and Circumftances of other inferior Beings, fo as not to be intimately and effentially in- cluded under them.
The Term is particularly applied to the Object of Metaphy- ficks, which confiders Being in general, or Tranfcendant Beings, as God and Angels ; and Truths confiftin? in pure Speculation. SeeMETAPHYsicKs.
The Logicians and Metaphyficians, call Transcendental Terms, thofe which are fo general and of a Signification fo extenfive and univerfal, that they pafs through all the Cata- gories, and agree to all kinds of Things ; fuch are the Terms Ens, Untim, Verum, Soman, Res. See Ens, gfc.
Transcendental Quantities, among the School-men, g?c. are particularly apply'd to the Continuation of the Ex- igence, Duration, or Time of a Being. See Dur ation and Time.
Transcendental Quantities, among Geometricians, are undeterminate ones ; or fuch as cannot be exprefs'd or fix'd to any conftant Equation : Such is a Transcendental Curve, or the like. See Transcendental Curve.
M. Leibnitz has a DifTertation in the ASa Erudit. Lipf. wherein he endeavours to fhew the Origin of fuch Quantities, viz. why fome Problems ate neither Plain, Solid, nor Sur- folid, nor of any certain Degree, but do tranfeend al 1 alge- braical Equations. See Problem.
He alfo fhews how it may be demonftrated without a Cal- culus, that an algebraic Quadratrix for the Circle or Hyper- bola, is impoffible : For if fuch a Quadratrix could be found, it would follow, that by means thereof, any Angle, Ratio or Logarithm might be divided in the given Proportion of one right Line to another, and this, by one univerfal Conftrucfion- and, confequently, the Problem of the Section of an Angle'
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