The

secular clergyman, popular in France. Abbé had many privileges in the church, without any fixed station and rose occasionally to eminence both in the literary and political world.

The ABBESS has the same rights and authority over her nuns, that the Abbots regular have over their monks. Her sex does not allow her to perform the spiritual functions, annexed to the priesthood, wherewith the abbot is usually invested; but there are instances of some abbesses who commission a priest to act for them, and possess a kind of episcopal jurisdiction, exempt from the visitation of their diocesan. Martene, in his treatise on the rights of the church, observes, that some abbesses have formerly confessed their nuns. But he adds, that their excessive curiosity carried them such lengths, that there arose a necessity for checking it. However, St. Basil, in his Rule, allows the abbess to be present with the priest at the confession of her

nuns.

ABBE-BOYLE. See BOYLE. ABBERFORD, or ABERFORD, a parish and market-town, in the wapintake of Skyrack, W. Riding of Yorkshire, on the Cook, where the Roman highway crossed it. It is 16 miles S. W. from York, and 186 N. of London: market on Wednesday.

ABBEVILLE, a considerable town of France, the chief of an arrondissement, in the department of Somme, and late province of Picardy, seated in a pleasant valley, where the river Somme divides into several branches, and separates the town into two parts. It has 14 parish churches, and a collegiate one; the principal churches are St. George's and St. Giles's. It is partially fortified, being flanked with bastions, and surrounded by large ditches. Here is a good woollen manufactory, which was erected in 1665, by Van Robais, a Dutchman, whose family retain it. The cloths are said to be little inferior to those of England and Holland. They also manufacture sail cloth, coarse linens, and black and green soap, and carry on a good trade. It lies 15 miles E from the British channel, 20 N. W. from Amiens, 22 S. of Calais, and 85 N. by W. of Paris. Population 30,000.

The arrondissement of ABBEVILLE extends to the English Channel, the Somme watering its whole extent, and falling into the sea near Crotoy. It contains the old counties of Ponthieu, and Vimeux and 114,000 inhabitants.

ABBEYS, priories and monasteries, differ little but in name. FAUCHET observes, that, in the early days of the French monarchy, dukes and counts were called abbots, and duchies and counties abbeys. Even some of their kings are mentioned in history under the former title. Monasteries were at first nothing more than religious houses, whither persons retired from the bustle of the world, to spend their time in solitude and devotion. But they soon degenerated from their original institution, and procured large privileges, exemptions, and riches. They prevailed greatly in Britain before the reformation; particularly in England: and as they increased in riches, so the state became poor: for the lands which these regulars possessed, were

in mortuo manu, i. e. could never revert to the lords who gave them. This inconvenience gave rise to the statutes against gifts in mortmaine, which prohibited donations to these religious houses: and Lord Coke tells us, that several lords, at their creation, had a clause in their grant, that the donor might give or sell his land to whom he would, (exceptis viris religiosis et Judæis) excepting monks and Jews. Henry VIII. having appointed visitors to enquire into the lives of the monks and nuns, which were found in some places very disorderly: the abbots, perceiving their dissolution unavoidable, were induced to resign their houses to the king, who by that means became invested with the abbey lands: these were afterwards granted to different persons, whose descendants enjoy them at this day: they were then valued at £2,853,000 per annum. Though the suppression of religious houses, even considered in a political light only, was a great national benefit, it must be owned, that, at the time they flourished, they were not entirely useless. Abbeys or monasteries were then the repositories as well as the seminaries of learning; many valuable books and national records, as well as private evidences, have been preserved in their libraries; the only places wherein they could have been safely lodged in turbulent times; and many of those, which had escaped the ravages of the Danes, were destroyed with more than Gothic barbarity at the reformation. "Covetousness," says BALE, was at that time so busy about private commodity, that public wealth, in that most necessary article of respect, was not any where regarded. A number of them who purchased these superstitious mansions, reserved of the library books, some to serve their jakes, some to scour the candlesticks, and some to rub their boots; some they sold to the grocer and soap-seller; and some they sent over sea to the book-binders, not in small numbers, but in whole ships full; yea the universities of this realm are not clear of so detestable a fact. I know a merchant, that bought the contents of two noble libraries for 40s. price; a shame it is to be spoken!" See MONASTERY.

Dryd. Sp. Fr.

ABBIATI, (F.) an Italian historical painter of eminence, who was born in 1640, and died in 1715. He studied under Nouvolone.

ABBOT, or ABBAT, and ARCHIMANDRITE,

were titles at first indifferently assumed by the governors of the primitive monasteries. They were really distinguished from the clergy; though frequently confounded with them, because a degree above laymen. In those early days, the abbots were subject to the bishops and the ordinary pastors. Their monasteries being remote from cities, built in the farthest solitudes, they had no share in ecclesiastical affairs. They went on Sundays to the parish church with the rest of the people; or, if they were too remote, a priest was sent them to administer the sacraments; till at length they were allowed to have priests of their own. The abbot or archimandrite himself was usually the priest: but his function extended no farther than to the spiritual assistance of his monastery; and he remained still in obedience to the bishop. There being among the abbots several persons of learning, they made a vigorous opposition to the rising heresies of those times; which first occasioned the bishops to call them out of their deserts, and fix them about the suburbs of cities, and at length in the cities themselves: from which æra their degeneracy is to be dated. The abbots, now, soon wore off their former plainness and simplicity, and began to be locked on as prelates. They aspired at being independent of the bishops; and became so insupportable, that some severe laws were made against them at the council of Chalcedon; notwithstanding this, in time many of them carried the point of independency, and got the appellation of lord, with other badges of the episcopate, particularly the mitre. Hence arose a new species of distinction between the abbots. Those were termed mitred abbots, who were privileged to wear the mitre, and exercised episcopal authority within their respective precincts, being exempted from the jurisdiction of the bishop. Others were termed crosiered abbots, from their bearing the crosier or pastoral staff. Others were styled acumenical or universal abbots, in imitation of the patriarch of Constantinople: while others were termed cardinal abbots, from their superiority over all other abbots. Among us, the mitred abbots were lords of parliament; and called abbots sovereign, and abbots general. And as there were lords abbots, so there were also lords priors, who had exempt jurisdiction, and were likewise lords of parliament. Some reckon 26 of these lords abbots and priors that sat in parliament. Sir EDWARD COKE says, that there were 27 parliamentary abbots, and two priors. In the parliament, 20 Rich. II. there were but 25 abbots and two priors; but in the summons to parliament, anno 4, Ed. III. more are named. At present, in the Roman catholic countries, the principal distinctions observed between abbots are those of regular and commendatory. The former take the vow and wear the habit of their order; whereas the latter are seculars, though they are obliged by their bulls to take orders when of proper age. Anciently the ceremony of creating an abbot consisted in clothing him with the habit, called cuculus, or cowl, putting the pastoral staff into his hand, and the shoes called pedales on his feet; but at present it is only a simple benediction, improperly called, by some,

consecration.

ABBOT, (George,) archbishop of Canterbury was born 29th Oct. 1562, at Guildford in Surrey. He studied at Oxford, was chosen principal of University College in 1597, installed dean of Winchester in 1599, and thrice elected vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, in 1600, 1603, and 1605. The translation of the Bible, now in use, being begun in 1604, by order of K. James, dean Abbot was one of the eight divines to whom the New Testament was committed. In 1608, he went to Scotland, to assist in bringing about an union between the kirk of Scotland and the church of England-a business which he conducted with so much moderation, as well as address, that the origin of all his after preferment may be traced to it. In December, 1609, he was consecrated bishop of Litchfield and Coventry; in January, 1610, bishop of London; and on the 2d November following, appointed to the archiepiscopal see. His enemies have ascribed this rapid accumulation of honours less to his merits, than to the flattering compliments he paid the king; by equalling him with several of the wisest and best monarchs of antiquity. In 1613, however, he opposed that favourite object of the king's, the divorce between lady Frances Howard, and Robert, earl of Essex; and in 1618, the royal declaration permitting Sunday sports, which he prohibited being read in the church. When his health began to decline, he went to Hampshire for recreation, and being invited to a hunting match by Lord Zouch, he had the misfortune to kill the game-keeper by an arrow, which he shot at one of the deer from a cross bow. This accident affected the archbishop so much, that, besides settling an annuity of 201. on the widow, he kept a monthly fast on Tuesday, the day when the misfortune happened, all his life afterwards. His enemies endeavouring, on this account, to lessen him in the king's favour, James smartly observed, that, " an angel might have miscarried in this sort." Ten commissioners were appointed to inquire into the matter, whose report entirely exculpated the archbishop from crime, but it was thought proper that a dispensation of pardon and restoration should pass the great seal. After this he seldom assisted at the council, but attended it during the king's last illness very constantly. And, although troubled with the gout, he performed the ceremony of crowning king Charles I. He was never, however, greatly in this monarch's favour, and the duke of Buckingham and Laud being his enemies, he was suspended from all his functions as primate, upon his refusing to license a sermon of Dr. Sibthorpe's, justifying a loan which the king had demanded. At the meeting of parliament he was restored, and died at Croydon, the 5th of August, 1633, aged 71. Archbishop Abbot was a man of great moderation, and wished that the clergy should attract esteem, by the purity of their manners, rather than by the dignity of their function. He partook of the stern Calvinism that so largely pervaded the minds of most of the protestant reformers; but was more remarkable in early life than afterwards for his high-churchmanship. Being, at the former period, asked 'Whether a protestant prince might assist the subjects of a

neighbouring state in resisting tyranny and oppression?' he answered-' No; for even tyranny was God's authority.' In later life, he manfully opposed those extreme measures of Laud and his misguided sovereign, which brought the latter to the block. Dr. Southey, in his Book of the Church, speaks of him as "inclining to the puritans ;" and as bringing the court of High Commission into disgrace by his great severity. We cannot reconcile these charges. Lord Clarendon, also, in the evident spirit of party, throws out some severe reflections against him, but Dr. Wellwood has done justice to his merits, in his Memoirs. He endowed a hospital at Guildford, (where he was buried,) with an income of £300 a year. He wrote various tracts of temporary interest, and "Six Latin Lectures on Divinity, at Oxford," 1598, 4to.; "Exposition of the Prophet Jonah," 4to. 1600; "A Brief Description of the whole World," 12mo. 1634; "Treatise on the Perpetual Visibility and Succession of the True Church," 4to. 1624; and

a

History of the Massacre in the Valteline," inserted in Fox's Book of Martyrs.

ABBOT, (Robert,) bishop of Salisbury, elder brother to the archbishop, was born at Guildford, in 1560, studied at Oxford, took his degree of A.M. În 1582, and became a celebrated preacher. Upon his first sermon at Worcester, he was chosen lecturer in that city, soon after rector of All-saints; and John Stanhope, Esq. happening to hear him preach, immediately presented him to the rich living of Bingham, in Nottinghamshire. In 1597, he took the degree of D. D. and was appointed soon after, chaplain in ordinary to king James; who had such an opinion of him, that he ordered his book, De Antichristo, to be printed along with his own Commentary upon part of the Apocalypse. In 1609, he was elected master of Baliol college, a trust which he discharged with the utmost care. In 1615, he was appointed to the see of Salisbury, in which he exercised primitive diligence, visiting his diocese personally, and preaching weekly. He died of the stone, on the 2d of March, 1618, being one of the five bishops which Salisbury had in six years. Dr. Fuller speaking of the two brothers, says, "that George was the more plausible preacher, Robert the greatest scholar; George the abler statesman; Robert the deeper divine: gravity did frown in George, and smile in Robert." He published several pieces; he also left behind him sundry manuscripts, which Dr. Corbet, his son-in-law, made a present of to the Bodleian library.

ABBOTS-BROMLEY, or PAGET'S BROMLEY, a town in the hundred of South Pirchill, Staffordshire, 6 miles E. from Stafford, and 129 N. W. from London. It has a weekly market on Tuesday, and three annual fairs for horses and cattle. On the dissolution of the monasteries it was given to Lord Paget, whence its modern name, which it bears in the county map, though it still retains its old name with regard to the fairs, and in the king's books.

ABBOTSBURY, a market-town in Dorsetshire, so named from an abbey near it, founded as some say, by a steward of Canute the Great, others, by a Norman lady, about 1026; to which

Edward the Confessor, and William I. were both benefactors. It has a market on Thursday, a fair on the 10th of July, and lies eight miles S.W. of Dorchester, and 127 W. by S. from London.

ABBOTS-CASTLE, or APEWOOD CASTLE, an old fortification in Staffordshire, 7 miles from Wolverhampton, on the N. side of the road from Shrewsbury to London, situated on a lofty round promontory, and a steep ridge of hills; which extend a mile in length, and are supposed to have been one continued fortification of the ancient Britons.

ABBOTS-LANGLEY, a village in Herts, four miles from St. Albans, (and formerly belonging to the abbey there,) famous for being the birthplace of Pope ADRIAN IV. ABBREVIATE, v. n. ABBREVIATION, ABBREVIA TOr, ABBREVIATURE. Anglo-Saxon, bræcan, to break.

Ital. Abbreviare, from Lat. brevis, ad breve agere, which is from the Gr. βραχος,

To make short.-To shorten by contraction or cutting off, retaining the substance of the original. To make an epitome, or compendium, to abridge, curtail.

In all theyr wrytynges, [the Frenshe] when they come to any mater that soundyth any thynge to theyr honour, it is wrytten in the longest and mooste shewynge manoure to theyr honour and worshyp. But if it sounde any thynge to theyr dishonoure, then shall it be abreuyatyd or hyd, that the trouthe shall Fabyan, repr. 1811. p. 333. not be knowen.

The epistles of St. Paul, St. Peter, St. John, St. and advertisements, in the form of orations, reciting James, and Judas, the Apostles, do contain counsels divers places, as well out of the Old Testament as out of the Gospels, as it were an abbreviate, called of the Greeks and Latins epitome.

Sir T. Elyot's Gov. fol. 205. b. In Xiphilin and Theodosius, the two abbreviators of Dio Cassius, may be observed the like agreement and disagreement. West on the Resurrection, p. 343.

It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. Lord Bacon's Essays,26. He that means to have his sickness turned into safety, and life into health and virtue, must make religion the employment of his sickness, and prayer the employment of his religion. For there are certain compendiums or abbreviatures, and shortnings of religion, fitted to several states.

Taylor's Holy Living and Dying. At the creation the original of mankind was in two persons, but after the flood, their propagation issued the length of their lives before the flood, which were at least from six; against this we might very well set abbreviated after, and in half this space contracted into hundreds and threescores.

Brown's Vulgar Errours. ABBREVIATE of ADJUDICATIONS, in Scots law, dication, which is recorded in a register kept for an abstract or abridgment of a decree of adjuthat purpose.

ABBREVIATION, in ARCHEOLOGY, is a short method of expressing words by initials, or other letters. We subjoin the most useful.

1. CLASSICAL ABBREVIATIONS, Or those principally in use, on coins and monuments, and in Greek books

A. A. Auro argento.

A. A A. F. F. Auro argento ære flando feriundo. A. A. S. L. M. Apud agrum sibi legavit monumentum. Apud agrum sibi locum monumenti.

AB. Abdicavit.

AB. AUG. M. P. XXXXI. Ab Augustâ millia passuum quadraginta unum.

AB. AUGUSTOB. M. P. X. Ab Augustobrigâ millia passuum decem.

A. B. M. Animæ benè merenti.
ABN. Abnepos.

A. CAMB. M. P. XI. A Camboduno millia passuum undecim.

ACCENS. COS. Accensus consulis.

A.COMP. XIIII. A Compluto quatuor decem.
A. C. P.VI. A capite, vel ad caput pedes sex.
A. D. Ante diem. Agris dandis.

ADJECT. H-S. IX. Adjectis sestertiis novem mille.

A. D. P. Ante diem pridiè.

ADQ. Adquiescit vel adquisita pro acquisita. ÆD. II. II.VIR. II. Edilis iterum, duumvir iterum.

ÆD. II.VIR. QUINQ. Edilis duumvir quinquennalis.

ÆĎ. Q. II.VIR. Ædilis quinquennalis duumvir.
ÆL. Elius, Elia.

EM. vel AEM. Emilius, Emilia.
AER. Ærarium Erum, pro stipendio.
A. K. Ante kalendas.

A. G. Animo grato: Aulus Gellius.
AG. Ager vel Agrippa.

ALA. I. Ala prima.

A. L. P. Animo libens posuit.

A. L. V. S. Animo libens votum solvit.

A. MILL. XXXV, A milliariistriginta quinque,
vel ad milliaria triginta quinque.
A. M. XX. Ad milliare vicesimum.
AN. A.V. C. Anno ab urbe condita.

AN. C. H. S. Annorum cent. hic situs est.
AN. DCLX. Anno sexcentesimo sexagesimo.
AN. II. S. Annos duos semis.

AN. IVL. Annos quadraginta sex.
AN. N. Annos natus.

ANN. LIII. H. S. E. Annorum quinquagintarium hic situs est.

ANN. NAT. LXVI. Annos natus sexaginta sex. ANN. P. Annona prefectus.

ANN. PL. M. X. Annos vel annis plus minus decem.

AN. e. XVI. Anno defunctus decimo sexto.
AN.V. XX. Anno vixit viginti.

AN. P. M. Annorum plus minus.

A. XII. Annis duodecim.

A. N. TR. Argentum novumTrevirense.

AN. P. M. L. Annorum plus minus quinquaginta.

AN. P. R. C. Anno post Romam conditam.
AN.V. P. M. II. Annis vixit plus minus duobus.
AN. XXV. STIP.VIII. Annorum viginti quin-
que stipendii, vel stipendiorum octo.
A. P. M. Amico posuit monumentum.
A. P. T. Amico posuit titulum.

A. P.V. C. Annorum post urbem conditam.
APVD. L.V. CONV. Apud lapidem quintum

convenerunt.

ARG. P. X. Argenti pondo decem.

A. RION. A rationibus.
A.V. B. A viro bono.
A.V. C. Ab urbe conditâ.

A.V. L. Annos vixit quinquaginta, animo vovit libens.

AVSP. S. Auspicante sacrum.

A. XX. H. EST. Annorum viginti hic est.

B. pro V. berna pro verna, bixit pro vixit, bibo pro vivo, bictor pro victor, bidua pro vidua. B. A. Bixit annis, bonus ager, bonus amabilis, bona aurea, bonum aureum, bonis auguriis, bonis auspiciis.

B. B. Bona bona, benè benè.

B.D D. Bonis deabus.

B. F. Bona fide, bona femina, bona fortuna, benè factum.

B. F. reversed thus, . . Bona feinina, bona filia. B. H. Bona hereditaria, bonorum hæreditas.

B. L. Bona lex.
B. I. I. Boni judicis judicium.

B. M. P. Benè merito posuit.
B. M. P. C. Benè merito ponendum curavit.
BN.EM. Bonorum emptores.
B. M. S. C. Benè merito sepulcrum condidit.

BN. H.I. Bona hic invenies.

B. RP. N. Bono reipublicæ natus.
B. A. Bixit, id est, vixit annis.
BIGINTI. Viginti.

BIX. ANN. XXCI. M. IV. D. VII. Vixit annis octoginta unum, mensibus quatuor, diebus septem.

BX. ANUS.VII. ME.VI. DI. XVII. Vixit annos septem, menses sex, dies septem decem.

C. Cæsar, Caia, Caius, censor, civitas, consul, condemno, conscriptus, conjux.

C. C. Carissimæ conjugi, calumnia, causa, consilium cepit.

C. C. F. Caius Caii filius.

C. B. Commune bonum.

C. D. Comitialibus diebus.

C. H. Custos hortorum vel hæredum.
C. I. C. Caius Julius Cæsar.

CC. VV. Clarissimi viri.

CEN. Censor, centuria, centurio.

CERTA. QUINQ. ROM. CO. Certamen quinquennale Romæ conditum.

C. F. C. Clavi figendi causâ.

CL. Claudius.

CL.V. Clarissimus vir

CH. COH. Cohors.

C. M. vel CA. M. Causa mortis.

C. O. Civitas omnis.

nus, domus, donum, datum, decretum, &c.

D. A. Divus Augustus.

D. B. I. Diis benè juvantibus.

D. B. S. De bonis suis.

DCT. Detractum.
DDVIT. Dedicavit.

tate est. EID. Idus. EIM. Ejusmodi.

E. L. Ea lege.

E. M. Elegit vel erexit monumentum, ex more. EMP. Emptor.

EM. Q. Equitum magister.

E. N. Etiam nunc, est noster vel non. Enim. EOR. Eorum.

EP. Epistola.

E. P. Parie, è palatio, è publico.
EP. M. Epistolam misit.
EQ.M. Equitum magister.
EQ. O. Equester ordo.
EQ. P. Eques publicus.
EQ. R. Eques Romanus.
ER. Erit vel erunt.

EX. A. D. K. Ex ante diem Kalendas.

EX. A. D. C. A. Ex autoritate divi Cæsaris Augusti.

EX. A. D. V. K. DEC.AD. PRID. K. IAN. Ex antè diem quinto Kalendas Decembris ad pridiè Kalendas Januarii.

EX. H-S. X. P. F. I. Ex sestertiis decem parvis fit jussit.

EX. H. S. GION. Ex sestertiis mille nummûm. EX. H-S. ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞. Ex sestertiis quatuor

millia.

F. A. Filio amantissimo, vel filiæ amantissimæ. FAB. Fabrum, vel fabrorum.

ravit.

DT. Duntaxat.

Durat.

FAC. C. Faciendum curavit. FA. F. Factum feliciter.

DVL. vel DOL. Dulcissimus.

D. VS. Deæ virgines, de virtutibus, vel de ver

bis.

FAMA. Familia.

F. AN. X. F. C. Filio vel filiæ annorum decem faciendum curavit.

FB. Fabricant.

F. C. Fieri, vel faciendum curavit, fidei commissum. Fecit, vel fecerunt.

F. D. Flamen Dialis, filius dedit, factum dedi cavit.

F. D. Fide jussor, fundum.

FEA. Femina.

FEB. Februarius.

F. E. Factum est, vel filius ejus.

FE. C. Fermè centum.

FF. Fabrè factum, filius familias, fratris filius.

F. F. F. Ferro, flamma, fame, fortior, fortuna fato.

FF. Fecerunt.

FL. F. Flavii filius.

F. FQ. Filiis filiabusque.