DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19574#0023
■ A M E i?
together, with a mucilage of gum tragacanth made Into a mafs
or parte, and well wrought together with the hand.
AMBITION, isrepreiented, in painting, by a virgin cloathed
all in green, with ivy branches, feeming as about to leap over
a craggy rock, on the top of which are fcepters and crowns ;
ihe is attended by a lion lifting up his head. The ivy denotes
Ambition, always climbing higher, and fpoiling the wails; the
ambitious fparing neither the country, religion, nor counfel-
lors, that fo he may but only become greater than others 3 the
lion is an emblem of pride.
AMERICA, is reprefented by a woman, almoft naked, with
a tanned or tawny afpect, having a veil folded over her moul-
ders ; round her body an artificial ornament of feathers of di-
vers colours; holding in her hand a bow, and having a quiver
on her fhoulder or by her fide, and at her feet a human head
pierced with an arrow, and on the ground a lizard.
Naked, becaufe the inhabitants are all fo; the arms are
what both men and women ufe ; the human head intimates that
they are cannibals j the lizards are reported to be fo large there,
as to devour men.
AMETHYST, the name of a very well known and beau-
tiful gem. The fione, called Amethyft by the ancients, was
evidently that which is now called by this name, which is far
from being the cafe in regard to fome of the other gems. Anil
the gem they alfo called the hyacinth, was alfo no other than
a variety of this ftone, refembling a flower of that name.
They accounted, befides that, alfo five other fpecies of the
Amethyft, all which were truly no more than varieties of this
fione in the degree of colour; and all which we alfo have at
prefent, though not known among our jewellers under any
particular names. Indeed there might be numberlefs names,
and numberlefs fpecies accounted of this gem, if they were to
be given according to its different degrees of colour, it having
fometirnes a bluer, fometimes a redder purple, and varying; in
degree, through all the changes between the colour of the ripe
purple grape and the colourlefs hue of the pureft cryftals.
It is inferior to fcarce any of the gems in beauty, and, in the
fineft fpecimens, is of the fame hardnefs, and of equal value
with the ruby. It is found of various fizes, from the bignefs
of a fmall vetch to an inch and an half in diameter, and often
to much more than that in length; it is as various in fhape as
the diamond and fome other of the gems ; it is not unfrequently
found in a roundifh or pebble-like form, fometimes a little
longifh, and often thicker at one end than the other, and re-
fembling, in fome fort, a pear ; it is inthefe fhapes fometimes
equally rounded every way, but more frequently it is flatted on
one
together, with a mucilage of gum tragacanth made Into a mafs
or parte, and well wrought together with the hand.
AMBITION, isrepreiented, in painting, by a virgin cloathed
all in green, with ivy branches, feeming as about to leap over
a craggy rock, on the top of which are fcepters and crowns ;
ihe is attended by a lion lifting up his head. The ivy denotes
Ambition, always climbing higher, and fpoiling the wails; the
ambitious fparing neither the country, religion, nor counfel-
lors, that fo he may but only become greater than others 3 the
lion is an emblem of pride.
AMERICA, is reprefented by a woman, almoft naked, with
a tanned or tawny afpect, having a veil folded over her moul-
ders ; round her body an artificial ornament of feathers of di-
vers colours; holding in her hand a bow, and having a quiver
on her fhoulder or by her fide, and at her feet a human head
pierced with an arrow, and on the ground a lizard.
Naked, becaufe the inhabitants are all fo; the arms are
what both men and women ufe ; the human head intimates that
they are cannibals j the lizards are reported to be fo large there,
as to devour men.
AMETHYST, the name of a very well known and beau-
tiful gem. The fione, called Amethyft by the ancients, was
evidently that which is now called by this name, which is far
from being the cafe in regard to fome of the other gems. Anil
the gem they alfo called the hyacinth, was alfo no other than
a variety of this ftone, refembling a flower of that name.
They accounted, befides that, alfo five other fpecies of the
Amethyft, all which were truly no more than varieties of this
fione in the degree of colour; and all which we alfo have at
prefent, though not known among our jewellers under any
particular names. Indeed there might be numberlefs names,
and numberlefs fpecies accounted of this gem, if they were to
be given according to its different degrees of colour, it having
fometirnes a bluer, fometimes a redder purple, and varying; in
degree, through all the changes between the colour of the ripe
purple grape and the colourlefs hue of the pureft cryftals.
It is inferior to fcarce any of the gems in beauty, and, in the
fineft fpecimens, is of the fame hardnefs, and of equal value
with the ruby. It is found of various fizes, from the bignefs
of a fmall vetch to an inch and an half in diameter, and often
to much more than that in length; it is as various in fhape as
the diamond and fome other of the gems ; it is not unfrequently
found in a roundifh or pebble-like form, fometimes a little
longifh, and often thicker at one end than the other, and re-
fembling, in fome fort, a pear ; it is inthefe fhapes fometimes
equally rounded every way, but more frequently it is flatted on
one