Uranus, the most ancient of all the heathen deities, called also Cœlus, which means, the sky, or heavens.
Usufruct, the temporary use, enjoyment of the profits, without power to alienate.
Vacuous, empty, unfilled.
Venetian, belonging to Venice.
Venice, situated at the head of the Adriatic Sea, was formerly a great republic. The commerce and wealth of the East came to this favored spot. Venice ruled the Mediterranean Sea, and, at one time, seemed almost ready to overpower Europe. It has now almost entirely lost its importance, as a republic; but the city of Venice remains, and is, next to Rome, the finest of the Italian cities. It is built on seventy little islands in the Adriatic, and, instead of streets, canals pass between the houses, and people visit and do their business by moving in boats and gondolas, instead of walking or riding.
Verbiage, empty writing or discourse.
Vitalian, a leader of the Scythians, who besieged Constantinople in the early part of the sixth century.
Volatile alkali, see Alkali.
Volta, (Alessandro,) an Italian philosopher, who made valuable discoveries in electricity.
Vulgar Fractions, common fractions.
Walachia, Wallachia, or Valachia, a province of the Ottoman or Turkish empire in Europe, north of the River Danube.
Water-frame, a spinning machine, so called from its having been originally moved by water-power. It is also called a throstle. Weft, or woof, in weaving, the threads crossing the warp.
Wilkins, (John,) Bishop of Chester, a most ingenious and learned English philosopher, who was born A. D. 1614, and died in London, November 19, 1672.
Yemen, the southern province of the Arabian peninsula, the Arabia Felix of the ancients. The word signifies the South.
Zonaras, (John,) one of the Greek historians, who had considerable employments under the emperors of Constantinople, but, wearied with worldly matters, became a monk, and died in the early part of the twelfth century.
Abbt, Thomas, 192.
Abderrahman Aga, 341, 344.
Abelard, Thomas, the peripatetic,
196, note.
Accident,discoveries by, 113. Nie-
buhr's course of life determined
by, 310.
Achromatic telescope, 224.
Adelphi, paintings in the, 128.
Eolipile, The, 239.
Aga, Abderrahman, 341, 344.
Agriculture, Cartwright's interest
in, 286. Niebuhr's, 355.
Air, experiments on, 75, 76. Ne-
cessary to combustion and life,
79. Expansibility of, 79. Con-
densation of, 80. Aristotle on,
80. Davy's experiments on,
103, 109.
Air-pump, invented, 75. Defects
in, 77. Improved, 78, 79.
Albertus Magnus, or Albert the
Great, 212.
Alcendi, theory of, 199.
Alchindus, theory of, 199.
Alchymy, Bacon's faith in, 209.
Alcuin, Flaccus, 15.
Aleppo, plan of, furnished to Rus-
sel, 352.
Alexander and Peter the Great, 39.
Alexandria, Niebuhr's troubles at,
324.
Alexis Michelovitch, 28, note.
Alexovitch, Peter, 28, note.
Alfieri, Vittorio, 11, note.
Alfred, birth of, 15. Literary dis-
advantages of, 16. His improve-
ment of his time, 16. His
use of candles, 17. His love of
letters, and proficiency, 18.
Translation of Boethius's Con-
solations of Philosophy by, 22.
Introduction of civilization into
England by, 41.
Ali, Mohammed, 369.
Alkalies, 111.
Almagest, Ptolemy's, 24, 200.
Alphery, Nicephorus, 11.
Alphonso X., the Wise, 24.
Al Raschid, Haroun, 15.
Amsterdam, Peter's visit to, 27.
Amusement in the pursuit of
knowledge, 8.
Anaxagoras, 9, 10.
Andrea del Castagno, 106.
Antonio de Dominis, 216.
Apocalypse, Napier's, 44-46.
Apothecary's houses, the residen-
ces of distinguished men, 74,
103, 105.
Arabia, expedition to, 313; per-
sons engaged in it, 317-319;
expenses of it, 336. Niebuhr's
Description of, 340.
Arches, size of, in bridges, 292—
294, note.
Archimedes, 43, 49,note. Destruc-
tion of a fleet by, 58. Bacon
compared with, 205.
Aristotle, on the rarefaction of air,
80. Metaphysics and logic of,
in Bacon's time, 197, 204.
Overthrow of the despotism of,
209.
Arithmetical proportion, 48.
Arkwright, Sir Richard, birth and
poverty of, 265, 268, 276. Bar-
ber and hair-dealer, 265. His
acquaintance with Kay, 266,
268. Aided by Smalley, 268.
Alarmed, and moves to Notting-
ham, 268. His partnership with || Bacon, Francis, Lord, overthrew
Need and Strutt, 268, 276.
Takes out a patent and builds
mills, 268. Parts of the ma-
chinery of, 269. Verdict against,
in the case of Mordaunt, 271.
Second action by, 272. Patent-
right of, set aside, 272, 273.
His devotedness to one object,
276. Obligations of the cotton
trade to, 277. Citation respect-
ing, 277, note.
Armati, Salvini degl', spectacles at-
tributed to, 216.
Arnott, Neil, on the steam-engine,
Artillery, Napier's, 55.
Arts, Barry's series of paintings
for Society for the encourage-
ment of, 128.
Ascoli, Jerome de, Nicholas IV.,
203.
Asser, 16. On Alfred's candles,
17.
Astrology, in the Dark Ages, 199.
Bacon's belief in, 209. See
Judicial astrology.
Astronomical tables by Alphonso
X., 24.
Astronomy, discoveries in, in the
time of Napier, 47. Brahe's
early attachment to, 64; his
contributions to, 66. Connec-
tion of medicine with, in the
Dark Ages, 199. Friar Bacon's
proficiency in, 209. Herschel's
discoveries and zeal in, 234,
236.
Atmospheric engines, 246, 249,
251.
Aurelius, Marcus, 12.
Austin, Bloomfield with, 165, 169.
Authors, commencement of the
career of, 168, 184, 185.
See
Elementary Works.
Auvergne, William of, 212.
Averroes, the peripatetic, 199.
Avicenna, an Arabian physician,
the despotism of Aristotle, 209.
Bacon, Roger, 196.
Franciscan
monk, 197. His application to
sciences and other studies, 197,
200, 209. His return from
France, 200. Provokes the
Church, 201. Persecuted, 202.
Befriended by Clement IV., and
collects his Opus Majus, 202,
209. Second persecution and
imprisonment of, 203. Works
and death of, 203. In advance
of his age, 203. Attainments of,
204. Mechanical inventions by,
205. Errors of, in philosophy,
206; in optics, 207. Suggests
changing Old Style for New,
209. His belief in astrology and
alchymy, 209, 213. Gunpow-
der by, 210. His renown as a
magician, 211. On the Mira-
cles of Art and Nature, 213.
Opposition to, by the vulgar,
214. Books of, nailed to shelves,
214.
Baines, on Earnshaw's cotton ma-
chine, 267.
Bakerian lectures by Davy, 110.
Ballard, George, 170.
Banks, Sir Joseph, 109.
Barbour, John, 20.
Barometer, by Torricelli, 75.
Baron, title of, 43.
Barry, James, early years of, 123.
Studious and ascetic, 123.
His
temper, 124, 127, 132. First
paintings by, 124. His picture
of the baptism, 124. Introduced
to gay society and abandons it,
125. His acquaintance with
Burke, 125. Befriended by
Burke, and supported in Italy,
126, 133. Character of his
works after his return, 127. His
picture on the death of Wolfe,
127. His poverty, and enthusi-
asm in his art, 127, 132. Pic-
tures by, on the Progress of Hu-
man Improvement, 128. Econo-
mical habits of, 129 Literary
works by, 130. His arrogance
and independence, 132, 140.
Patronised by Sleigh, 185.
Bartlett, John, 237.
Bath, Lawrence at, 136.
Batoni, Pompeo Girolano, a paint-
er, 141.
Baudoin, Benedict, 171.
Bauernfeind, in the expedition to
Arabia, 319. Death of, 331.
Bayle, Pierre, on Democritus, 10.
Beban el Malouk, explored, 370.
Beddoes,Thomas, Davy's acquain-
tance with, 107.
Behmen, Jacob, 171.
Beighton improves steam-engines,
Belzoni, Giovanni Battista, early
journey of, to Rome, 367.
monk, 368. Wandering life of,
with his wife, 368. Employed
in Egypt, 369. Removes the
bust of Memnon, 369. Exca- |
vation of the Temple of Ipsam-
boul by, 370. Explores a tomb
beyond Thebes, 370, 372; one
of the pyramids, 371. Revisits
Europe, 371. Publishes travels
and discoveries, 372. Perishes,
372, 373.
its of, 151. Wood-cuts by, for
Hutton, 153. Partner with Biel-
by, 155.
Cut of an old hound
by, 155. History of Quadru-
peds by, 156. Improvement
by, in shading, 157. His indus-
try and love of his profession,
157. General attainments of,
158. His death, 159.
Beymgraben, friend of Niebuhr,
Bianchi, Antonio, water poet, 162,
163.
Bielby, Bewick the pupil of, 151,
Suggestions to Hutton by, re-
specting wood-engravings, 151.
Bewick's partner, 155.
Birch, Thomas, edits Boyle's
Works, 82.
Birrell's Diary, cited on Napier,
Black, Joseph, 250.
Blacklock, Thomas, 176.
Bloomfield, George, 166-170,
Bloomfield, Robert, early years of,
165. His reception and employ-
ment at London, 166. Diction-
ary presented to, 167. His read-
ing, 167-169. His first poe-
try, 168. Projects a long poem,
169. Marriage and poverty
of, 170. His acquirements
while a shoemaker, 171. Far-
mer's Boy by, 171, 173. Corres-
ponds with Lofft, 172. Other
poems by, 173. Death of, 174.
Bocage, Barbier du, Niebuhr's
Bernard employs Mendelsohn as a
tutor, 190; promotes him, 191;
makes him partner, 194.
Bernardi, Giuseppe, 148.
Bernstorf, J. H. E., emancipates
his serfs, 313. Proposition to,
respecting an Oriental expedi-
tion, 313. Authorizes Michaelis
to make nominations, 314. As-
sents to engagements with Von
Haven and Niebuhr, 315. His
interview with Niebuhr, 316.
Consents to his extension of his
journey, 334. His reception of
Niebuhr on his return, 336;|| Bombay, Niebuhr at, 331.
correspondence with, 354.
Boethius, A. M. T. S., Alfred's
and Elizabeth's translations of,
22, 23, note.
Boie, Niebuhr's acquaintance with,
347, Criticises Niebuhr, 348.
aids him in his publication, 339. || Bonaparte, Peter the Great and,
Deposed, 340. Niebuhr's ad-
herence to, 340.
Bewick, John, 156.
Bewick, Thomas, re-inventor of
wood engraving, birth and hab-
39. Code of laws called after,
39, note. Expedition of, to
Egypt, 323.
Books, cheapness of, 8. Dear in
the time of Alfred, 16. Defi-
ciency of in Russia provided || Büsch, teacher and friend of Nie-
for, by Peter the Great, 32.
Watt's power of extracting in-
formation from, 264. Overrat-
ing,301. See Elementary Works.
Buffon, George Louis Leclerc, ex-
periments of, with mirrors, 59.
Natural History by, 91.
Burchiello, Domenico, 164.
Burke, Edmund, Barry's first in-
terview with, 125. Befriends
and supports Barry in Italy,126,
133. Cited, 133.
Burnet, Gilbert, and Peter the
Great, 31.
Burning glasses, destruction of
ships by, 55, 58. Tschirnhaus-
en's glasshouses for making,
68. Made from the time of Ba-
con, 216. See Mirrors.
Burns, Robert, compared with
James I., 20. Remark on, 163.
Burton, mathematical instrument
maker, 225.
Butler, Samuel, on Napier's
bones, 54.
Boott, Francis, monument to Hen-Bulmer, William, suggestion to
ry Kirke White by, 183, note. Bewick by, 157.
Boulton, Matthew, Watt's partner-
ship with, 259.
Boyle, Robert, early education of,
69. His Latin, 70. His trav-
elling tutor, 70. Resides at
Geneva, 71; at Florence, 72.
Influence of Galileo's discover-
ies on, 72. His return to Eng-
land and studies, 72. Connec-
tion of, with the foundation of
the Royal Society, 73. Resides
at Oxford, 74. His experiments
on air, 75. Improves Guer-
icke's air-pump, 78. On air for
combustion and life, 79; its ex-
pansibility, 79; its condensa-
tion, 80. His residence in Lon-
don, and devotion to science,
80; to religion, 81. Vast lit-
erary labors and works of, 81.
His improvement of time, 82.
On receiving visits, 83. Celeb-
rity of, 83. His services to
chemistry, 84. Death of, 84.
Brahe, Tycho, 47. Early attach-
ed to astronomy, 64. His trav-
els, 64. Munificence of the
king to, 65. His residence and
observatory in Hueen, 65. Per-
secuted, and retires to Germany,
66. Patronised by Rodolph II.,
and resides at Prague, 66. His
contributions to astronomy, 66.
His use of compasses, 106.
Brazen heads, 211, 212.
Bridges, Edwards's, across the
Taff, 291-293. Large-arched,
in other places, 293.
Briggs, Henry, see Napier.
Brouncker, Viscount, 90.
Bruce, James, Niebuhr's opinion
of the Travels of, 352.
Buchan, Lord, facts from, respec-
ting Napier, 44, note.
Calley, John, his steam-engine,
Camera Obscura, origin of the,
Campe, Joachim Heinrich, The
New Robinson by, 106, note.
Candles, Alfred's use of, 17.
Canova, Antonio, 146.
early days of, 147. Befriended
by Falieri, 147, 148. With To-
retto, 148. At Venice, 149.
First commission to, 149. Ob-
scurity of, 149. His mode of
study, 150. First attractive per-
formance of, 150. His resi-
dence at Rome, 150.
Canstein, Baron von, 91.
Caravaggios, 120.
Cartwright, Edmund, power-loom
of, 279, 284, 285. Literary at-
tainments of, 283. Completion
of his invention, 285. Other
contrivances of, 285. His at-
tention to steam-conveyances,
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