CHA 



CHA 



palace of Westminster : he disposes like- 

 wise of the sword of state, to be car- 

 ried before the king, to what lord he 

 pleases. 



The office of Lord Great Chamberlain 

 of England is hereditary ; and where a 

 person dies siezed in fee of this office, 

 leaving two sisters, the office belongs to 

 b,oth, and they may execute it by deputy, 

 but such deputy must be approved of 

 by the king, and must not be of a degree 

 inferior to a knight. To the Lord Cham- 

 berlain the keys of Westminster Hall, 

 and the Court of Requests, are delivered 

 upon all solemn occasions. He goes on 

 the right hand of the sword, next the 

 king's person. The Gentleman Usher of 

 the Black Rod, Yeoman Usher, &c. are 

 under his authority. 



CHAMBERLAIN, Lord of the Household, 

 an officer who has the oversight and di- 

 rection of all the- officers belonging to 

 the king's chambers, except the precinct 

 of the king's bed-chamber. 



He has the oversight of the officers of 

 the wardrobe at all his Majesty's houses, 

 and of the removing wardrobes, or of 

 beds, tents, revels, music, comedians, 

 hunting, messengers, &c. retained in the 

 king's service. He moreover has the 

 oversight and direction of the Serjeants 

 at arms, of all physicians, apothecaries, 

 surgeons, barbers, the king's chaplains, 

 &c. and administers the oath to all offi- 

 cers above stairs. 



CHAMBERLAIN of London, keeps the 

 city money, which is laid up in the cham- 

 ber of London : he also presides over 

 the affairs of masters and apprentices, 

 and makes free of the city, &c. His of- 

 fice lasts only a year, but the custom 

 usually obtains to re-choose the same 

 person, unless charged with any misde- 

 meanor in his office. 



CHAMBERS, (EPHRAIM,) author of 

 the dictionary of sciences, called the 

 " Cyclopaedia." He was born at Milton, 

 in the county of Westmoreland, where 

 he received the common education for 

 qualifying a youth for trade and com- 

 merce. When he became of a proper 

 age, he was put apprentice to Mr. Se- 

 nex, the globe-maker, a business which 

 is connected with literature, especial- 

 ly with geography and astronomy. It 

 was during Mr. Chamber's residence 

 with this skilful artist, that he acquired 

 that taste for literature which accompa- 

 nied him through life, and directed all 

 his pursuits. It was even at this time 

 that he formed the design of his grand 

 \vork, the Cyclopaedia ; some of the first 

 articles of which were written behind 



VOL. Ill, 



the counter. To have leisure to pursue 

 this work, he quitted Mr. Senex, and 

 took chambers at Grey's Inn, where he 

 chiefly resided during the rest of his 

 life. The first edition of the Cyclopaedia, 

 which was the result of many years in- 

 tense application, appeared in 1728, in 2 

 vols. folio. The reputation that Mr. 

 Chambers acquired by the execution of 

 this work procured him the honour 

 of being elected F. R. S. November 6, 

 179. In less than ten years time, a 

 second edition became necessary ; which 

 accordingly was printed, with correc- 

 tions and additions, in 1738 : and this was 

 followed by a third edition the very next 

 year. 



Mr. Chambers's close and unremitting 

 attention to his studies at length impair- 

 ed his health, and obliged him occasion- 

 ally to take a country lodging, but with- 

 out much benefit ; he afterwards visited 

 the south of France, but still with little 

 effect ; he therefore returned to England, 

 where he soon after died, at Islington, 

 May 15, 1740, and was buried at Westmin- 

 ster Abbey. 



After the author's death, two more 

 editions of his Cyclopaedia were publish- 

 ed. The proprietors afterwards procured 

 a supplement to be compiled, by Mr. 

 Scott and Dr. Hill, but chiefly by the lat- 

 ter, which extended to two volumes 

 more ; and the whole has since been re- 

 duced into one alphabet, in four volumes, 

 by Dr. Rees, forming a very valuable 

 body of the sciences. 



A new edition of the same work, or 

 rather a new work under the title of the 

 " New Cyclopaedia," is now publishing 

 by the same learned Editor. This work, 

 of which Dr. Rees has published already 

 nine volumes, will probably extend to 

 thirty volumes quarto. It will, when com- 

 plete, be unquestionably the most com- 

 prehensive body of science ever present- 

 ed to the world. 



CHAMELEON. See LACERTA. 



CHAMPION, a person who under- 

 takes a combat in the place or quarrel 

 of another ; and sometimes the word 

 is used for him who fights in his own 

 cause. 



It appears that champions, in the just 

 sense of the word, were persons who 

 fought instead of those, that, by custom, 

 were obliged to accept the duel, but had 

 a just excuse for dispensing with it, as 

 being too old, infirm, or being ecclesias- 

 tics, and the like. Such causes as could 

 not be decided by the course of common 

 law were often tried by single combat ; 

 and he who had the good fortune to con- 



