years are required for a member of the legislature, 30 for a judge, juror or elector, and 22 to discharge any office in the courts. To contract marriage, it requires that the man should be at least 18 years old, and the woman 15. But marriage is not valid without the consent of parents (or, in case of their death, of the other relations in the ascending line, who take their place), until the man is 25, and the woman 21 years old, and even then it is necessary to give the parents or other relations notice. A person adopting must be as much as 50 years old, and at least 15 years older than the person adopted, unless the latter has saved the life of the former, in which case it is only necessary that the person adopting should be of full age, and older than the person adopted. (See Adoption.) Full age is fixed at 21 years for both sexes. At 16 years, a minor can make a will. Witnesses, in a strict sense, must be of full age. Under 15 years of age, a person can only affirm, without an oath. An innocent debtor of 70 years and upwards cannot be deprived of his personal liberty. If a criminal is under 16 years, and the jury find that he has acted without a proper sense of his guilt, he is acquitted, except that he may be confined, for a limited time, in a house of correction. These are the provisions of the French code.—In the U. S. of America, the rules of the English law respecting age have, in most cases, been adopted where applicable. To be chosen president of the U. S., a man must be at least 35 years old, a senator must be 30, and a representative 25 years old. Every free white male citizen, of 18 years, is obliged to serve in the militia till he reaches the age of 45 years, unless exempted for some special reason. (See age in Criminal Law.) AGE. We find the ages of the world mentioned by the earliest of the Greek poets. They compared the existence of mankind to the life of an individual, and the earliest period of the world to the tranquillity and happiness of youth. Hesiod speaks of five distinct ages: 1. The golden or Saturnian age, when Saturn ruled the earth. The people were free from the restraint of laws; they had neither ships nor weapons, wars nor soldiers; the fertile fields needed no cultivation, and perpetual spring blessed the earth. 2. The silver age, which he describes as licentious and wicked. 3. The brazen age; violent, savage and warlike. 4. The heroic age, which seemed an approximation to a better state of things. 5. The iron age, when justice and honor had left the earth. The poet

supposed this to be the age in which he himself lived. Ovid retained, in his Metamorphoses, the division of Hesiod, with this difference-he omitted the heroic age, and placed the four ages before the flood of Deucalion. This idea, first used as a poetical embellishment, was also introduced into philosophy. The ages were looked upon as a part of the great year of the world, the revolution of which was to bring the heavenly bodies to their first position. Mythology was thus brought into the closest connexion with astronomy. The first, or golden age, was under the dominion of Saturn; the second, of Jupiter; the third, of Neptune; and the fourth, of Pluto, or, as some say, of Apollo. The time of the completion of the great year of the world, or of the heavens, was fixed by some at 3000 solar years; by others, at the mysterious number 7777 solar years. Cicero estimated it at 12,954; Heraclitus, at 18,000; and Orpheus, at 12 months, consisting each of 100,000 years. The Sibylline books divided it into ten secular months, or the four seasons of the year. Spring was the golden age; Summer, the silver; Autumn, the brazen, which was interrupted by Deucalion's flood; and Winter, the iron age; and then the cycle began with Spring again.-The idea of ages of the world is so deeply fixed in the nature of man, that it is interwoven with the religious sentiments of almost every nation on the globe. We find examples of it in the millennial reign of the Apocalypse, and in the Yugs of the East Indians. The idea of four ages of the world prevailed among the Brahmins. The first, a kind of golden age, lasted, according to their tradition, 1,728,000 years; the men of this period lived 400 years, and were all giants; in this period, the god Brahma was born. In the second period, which lasted 1,296,000 years, their rajahs were born; men lived only 300 years, and vice began to creep into the world. During the third age, which lasted 8,064,000 years, men lived only 200 years, owing to the increase of vice. Of the last age, in which we now live, 4,027,213 years are already gone, and the life of man is sunk to one fourth of its original duration.

AGE. For the different ages of life, see Life; see also Longevity.

AGEDA, Synod of; an assembly of Jewish doctors, held A. D. 1650, so denominated from a plain, on which they met, about thirty leagues distant from Buda in Hungary. More than 300 rabbies, and many other Jews, of different nations, attended. The object was, to debate the

question whether the Messiah had appeared. The negative of the question was carried, and it was agreed that his coming was delayed on account of their sins and impenitence. They were of opinion that he would be born of a virgin, would come as a great conqueror, would deliver the Jews from every foreign yoke, and alter nothing in the Mosaic religion. Some ecclesiastics from Rome attended this meeting, but the multitude would not hear them.

AGEMOGLANS, or AZAMOGLANS, are children purchased from the Tartars, or raised every third year, by way of tribute, from the Christians tolerated in the Turkish empire. They are circumcised and instructed in the religion of their masters, and in military exercises. From them the janizaries were recruited. (See Janizaries.)

AGENDA, among divines, sometimes signifies things which a man is bound to perform, in opposition to credenda, which he is bound to believe. It also denotes the service or offices of the church. A. is also used to signify church books compiled by public authority, prescribing the order to be observed by the ministers and people, in the ceremonies and devotions of the church; e. g. the ritual, liturgy, missal, &c. In Prussia, the new A. (in the last sense), arbitrarily introduced by the king, but rejected by many clergymen and congregations, has occasioned some trouble of late years. Honors and promotions induced many of the clergy to adopt it, but others remained firm in their opposition. The city of Berlin and the famous professor Schleiermacher were very conspicuous in resisting it. In all the churches of which the king was patron, it was introduced.

AGESILAUS; a king of Sparta, 390-306, B. C.; elevated to the throne after the death of his brother Agis, by Lysander, who afterwards formed a conspiracy to depose him; but the plan was discovered and frustrated. Called by the Ionians to their assistance against Artaxerxes, he comienced, after Lysander's death, his glorious career; defeated the Persians, but was compelled to stop in his victorious course, and turn his arms against Thebes, Corinth, &c., which had united against Sparta, and, in a subsequent war with Thebes, to contend against Pelopidas and Epaminondas, the greatest generals of those times. His prudence, however, saved the city, without the hazard of a battle. He delivered it anew, at the age of eighty years, though it was actually in the hands 9

VOL. 1.

of Epaminondas. On his return from his last campaign in Egypt, loaded with honors and presents, he was overtaken by a storm on the coast of Libya, and perished, being then in his 84th year. In person, he was small and insignificant. He was, nevertheless, a noble prince, and almost adored by his soldiers, though he sometimes violated the virtue of justice, in cases in which he could be useful to his country or friends.

AGGREGATION, in physics; a species of union, whereby several things, which have no natural dependence or connexion with one another, are collected together, so as, in some sense, to constitute one. Thus, a heap of sand, or a mass of ruins, are bodies by aggregation.

AGHRIM, OF AUGHRIM; a village in the county of Galway, in Ireland, memorable for a decisive battle fought in the neighborhood, July 12, 1691, between the forces of William III, amounting to 20,000 men, commanded by general Ginckel, and those of James II, amounting to 28,000 men, commanded by the French general St. Ruth. The forces of William were victorious.

AGINCOURT, or AZINCOURT; a village in the district Saint-Pol, in the department Pas de Calais, famous for the battle of Oct. 25, 1415, between the French and English. Henry V, king of England, eager to conquer France, landed at Harfleur, took the place by storm, and wished to march through Picardy to Calais, in order to fix his winter-quarters in its neighborhood. With a powerful force, the dauphin advanced against him. The numerical superiority of the French was great, and the confidence of the leader and the nobles such, that they refused the proffered aid of the duke of Burgundy and the city of Paris. Henry V retreated to the Somme. The French followed to harass his retreat, and to defend the passage from Abbeville to St. Quentin, which he gained only through the inattention of the enemy. The English, however, being destitute of every thing, and reduced by sickness, Henry asked for peace on disadvantageous terms. The French refused his proposals, and succeeded in throwing themselves between Calais and the English. These latter consisted of 2000 men at arms and 12,000 archers, and were ranged in order of battle between two hills, with the archers on the wings. Stakes, of which every man carried one, were fixed in front of them. The French, commanded by the constable d'Albret, numbered 100,000 troops,

98

of whom 8000 were men at arms. They arranged themselves in two divisions, with the men at arms, of whom 2000 were mounted, in front. The English first put themselves in motion. The French horse instantly hastened to meet them, but were received with such a shower of arrows by the archers, that they fell back on the first division, and threw it into confusion. The light-armed archers seized their clubs and battle-axes, and broke into the ranks of the knights on foot, who could not move on account of their heavy coats of mail, and the closeness of their array. The English horse flew to assist the archers; the first French division retreated; the second could not sustain the charge of the victors; and the whole French army was soon entirely scattered. The victory was complete. Henry thought that the French would rally and renew the battle; and, being alarmed also by the report, that a party of peasants, in arms, were plundering his baggage, he ordered all the prisoners to be massacred. The command was already executed, when he discovered the groundlessness of his fear. The victorious army, however, in the pursuit of the flying enemy, took 14,000 prisoners more. 10,000 Frenchmen lay dead on the battle-field. Among them was the constable, with six dukes and princes. Five princes, among whom were the dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, were taken prisoners. The English lost 1600 men killed; among them the duke of York, Henry's uncle, whom the duke d'Alençon slew at his side, while pressing towards the king. He had already dashed the crown from Henry's head, and lifted his hand for a more effectual blow, when the king's attendants surrounded him, and he fell covered with wounds. After the battle, the English continued their march to Calais, and thence sailed for England, to assemble an army for a new invasion.

being so much more valuable than the current coin. This difference in value arises often from the circumstance, that the current coin is depreciated by wearing and clipping. The agio of the bankmoney of Hamburg was formerly 14 per cent. on this account. Agio is sometimes used to signify the premium or discount on bills of exchange.

AGINCOURT. (See Seroux d'Agincourt.) AGIO is the difference in value between bank money and coin or other currency. The term is in most frequent use in Holland and Venice. It is, however, used at Hamburg and other places in Germany. It is synonymous with premium, when the bank money is worth more than the same nominal amount of the current coin, and with discount, when its value is less. The agio at the bank of Amsterdam was from three to four per cent. before the French invasion of Holland in 1795; that of Venice was formally fixed at 20 per cent.; the bank money of each of those places

AGIS IV, king of Lacedæmon, and colleague of Leonidas in the government of Sparta, was the son of Eudamidas, and a lineal descendant of Agesilaus. Historians affirm that he was, in youth, of singular promise, and that, in maturer age, he prepared, by the introduction of new laws, to correct the abuses which had crept into the Spartan government. This he found a measure of peculiar difficulty, but he was supported by his maternal uncle Agesilaus, though with a selfish design, and likewise by many of the citizens. They obtained a law for the equalization of property, and A. himself shared a valuable estate with the community. In consequence of his exertions, Leonidas was deposed and banished. The people, however, soon became dissatisfied with the projected reform, and while A. was leading an army to aid the Achæans, the indiscretion of his uncle Agesilaus, during his absence, occasioned a conspiracy for the restoration of Leonidas. The conspirators, having succeeded, forced A. to take refuge in a temple, which he never left but for the purpose of bathing. On one of these occasions, he was surprised and dragged to prison. The ephori having there questioned him respecting his views in altering the laws, he answered that it was for the purpose of restoring those of Lycurgus. Sentence of death was passed upon him; but the ministers of the law, until forced by Demochares, refused to conduct him to a chamber reserved for the execution of criminals. He was there strangled, and he submitted to his sentence with heroic firmness. The grandmother and mother of A. shared the same fate.

AGITATORS, in English history, were persons elected by the army, in 1647, to watch over its interests, and to control the parliament, at that time sitting at Westminster. Two private men, or inferior officers, were appointed from each troop or company, and this body, when collected, was presumed to equal the house of commons; while the peers were represented by a council of officers of rank. Cromwell at first made use of them, but afterwards issued orders for

suppressing them. These associations, so dangerous to the constitution, gave rise to the act which forbids any member to enter either house of parliament armed-a regulation enforced with jealousy to this day. Hume's Hist. chap. lix.

AGLAIA; according to Hesiod, one of the 3 graces, daughter of Jupiter and Eurynome; according to others, the mother of the graces, and wife of Vulcan. (See Graces.)

AGLAR. (See Aquileia.)

AGNANO; a lake lying west of Naples. In its neighborhood are the famous grotto del Cane and the baths of St. Januarius. The former is noted for the suffocating vapors of carbonic acid gas, which ascend from its bottom. The baths are beneficial in cases of gout, syphilis, &c. Their reputation has been increased, of late years, by the way in which they have been applied by Mr. von Gimbernat to restore the weakened electricity of the sick.

AGNATES (agnati), in the civil law; relations on the male side, in opposition to cognates, relations on the female side. In the Scotch law, A. are understood to be those persons nearest related by the father, though females intervene.

AGNES, St.; a saint who suffered martyrdom at the time of the persecution of the Christians, in the reign of the empe. ror Diocletian. Her festival is celebrated on the 29th of January. Domenichino has painted her at the moment of her execution. Two churches of this saint, one in Rome, the other near the city, are remarkable buildings. In front of the latter, the feast of the saint is celebrated with much observance. Many cattle, horses, &c. are brought there and blessed by the priest. This ceremony is thought to protect them against sickness during the following year.

AGNES, St.; one of the Cassiterides, or Scilly isles. (q. v.) This island is commonly called Light-house island, because it has a light-house. W. lon. 6° 20; N. lat. 49° 53.

AGNES SOREL, the mistress of Charles VII, king of France, was born 1409, of a noble family, and was one of the most beautiful and accomplished women of her time. As lady of honor to Isabella of Lorraine, duchess of Anjou, she accompanied that princess, in 1431, to the French court. Her beauty attracted the favor of the young king, and he appointed her one of the queen's ladies of honor. After some resistance, A. yielded to the passion of the monarch. The English then had

99

possession of half of France; and Charles VII, though naturally bold, became depressed and inactive under the weight of his misfortunes. A. alone was able to rouse him from his apathy, and make him feel what he owed to himself and his people. The eventual success of his arms increased his passion for his mistress, who did not, however, abuse her power over him. She retired, in 1445, to Loches, where Charles had built her a castle. He afterwards conferred on her the county of Penthièvre, in Bretagne, the seigniories of Roche-Servière and Issoudun, in Berri, and the château de Beauté, on the bank of the Marne; whence she received the name of dame de beauté. She had lived here about 5 years, frequently visited by the king, when the queen invited her again to court, in 1449. A. consented, and, to be nearer the king, proceeded to the castle of Masnal-la-Belle, where she died, in 1450, so suddenly as to afford ground for the suspicion of poison. She was buried in the collegiate church of Loches, where her monument was to be seen in 1792. She left the king three daughters, who were acknowledged by him, and portioned at the expense of the

crown.

AGNESI, Maria Gaetana, an ornament of her sex, was born at Milan, in 1718. Her father was don Pedro di Agnesi. In her 9th year, she spoke Latin with correctness, and also delivered an oration in this language, in which she maintained that the study of the ancient languages was proper for females. This oration was printed at Milan, in 1727. In her 11th year, she is said to have spoken Greek as fluently as her mother tongue. She now proceeded to perfect herself in the oriental languages, so that she was usually called a living polyglot. She next studied geometry and speculative philosophy. Her father fostered her love of learning by assembling at his house, at certain times, learned societies, in which Maria proposed and defended philosophical theses. The president de Brosses asserts, in his Letters on Italy, that nothing can be imagined more delightful than these conversations with one of the prettiest and most learned females of the time. In her 20th year, she appears to have become tired of these erudite disputations, the substance of which was afterwards published by her father. They fill a quarto volume. Mathematics now attracted her attention, and she composed a treatise on conic sections; besides which, in her 30th year, she published a

100

treatise on the rudiments of analysis, which has been considered as the best introduction to Euler's works, and was translated into English, in 1801, by the reverend John Colson, professor of mathematics at Cambridge. It gained her so much reputation, that she was appointed, in her 32d year, professor of mathematics at the university of Bologna. Her deep study of this science seems to have cast a gloom over her spirits. She secluded herself altogether from society, retired to the strict order of blue nuns, and died in her 81st year, 1799. Her sister, Maria Theresa, set to music several cantatas, and the 3 operas, Sophonisba, Ciro in Armenia, and Nitocri, with applause.

AGNOËTE. (See Monophysites.) AGNOMEN, in ancient Rome; a name or epithet given to a person by way of praise or dispraise, or from some remarkable event in his history. Such names remained peculiar to the person, and not descendible to his issue. Thus one of the Scipios obtained the A. of Africanus, and the other of Asiaticus, from their achievements in Asia and Africa. The Romans often had three names besides the A.; the prænomen, corresponding to our Christian name, distinguishing the individual from others of the same family; the second, or nomen, marked his clan; and the third, or cognomen, expressed his family; to these the A., e. g. Atticus, Cunctator, Germanicus, &c. was added.

AGNUS DEI (Latin; the Lamb of God). 1. A prayer of the Romish liturgy, beginning with the words Agnus Dei, generally sung before the communion, and, according to the regulation of pope Sergius I, in 688, at the close of the mass. 2. A round piece of wax, on which is impressed the figure of the sacred Lamb, with the banner of the cross, or of St. John, with the year and name of the pope. The pope consecrates and distributes a great number of them. It was originally customary, in the churches of Rome, to distribute the remains of the Paschal taper, consecrated on Easter eve, in small pieces, among the people, who burned them at home, as an antidote against all kinds of misfortune. But when the number of candidates became too large to be all satisfied, the above expedient was adopted. A. D. is also the name of that portion of the mass, which is introduced, in Roman Catholic churches, at the distribution of the host.

AGows, in geogr.; the inhabitants of a province of Abyssinia. They are, in their

manners, ferocious, and in their religion, superstitious. They are heathens, and adore the spirit residing in the Nile. (See Abyssinia.) Bruce's Trav. vol. i. 401. vol. iii. 527.

AGRA; a province of Hindostan Proper, situated between 25° and 28° N. lat.; the capital of which, of the same name, is in the possession of the British. Several rajahs, allies of the British, possess the western and north-western district. The part of the province south of the Chur bul is under the dominion of the Mahrattas. No part of Hindostan affords a richer soil; grain of all kinds, sugar, indigo and cotton are yielded with little labor in all the British districts. Formerly the province was also famous for its silks. It furnishes superior horses. It contains 6 millions of inhabitants. A., the city, N. lat. 27° 12', and E. lon. 77° 56', is connected with the whole of the modern history of India. The Mahometans call it Akbarabad. It is ornamented with splendid edifices, of which the Taje Mahal, or Crown of Edifices, an unrivalled tomb to the memory of the empress of Shah Jehau, who died 1632, is the most famous. This is wholly built of the finest white marble. General lord Lake took A. in 1803, from the Mahrattas. A. is 137 miles from Delhi, and 830 from Calcutta.

AGRARIAN LAWS; laws enacted in ancient Rome for the division of public lands. In the valuable work on Roman history by Mr. Niebuhr, it is satisfactorily shown, that these laws, which have so long been considered in the light of unjust attacks on private property, had for their object only the distribution of lands which were the property of the state, and that the troubles to which they gave rise were occasioned by the opposition of persons who had settled on these lands without having acquired any title to them. These laws of the Romans were so intimately connected with their system of establishing colonies in the different parts of their territories, that, to attain a proper understanding of them, it is necessary to bestow a moment's consideration on that system.-According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, their plan of sending out colonists, or settlers, began as early as the time of Romulus, who generally placed colonists from the city of Rome on the lands taken in war. The same policy was pursued by the kings who succeeded him; and, when the kings were expelled, it was adopted by the senate and the people, and then by the dictators. There