ENG 



ENS 



subsided. The plate, polished and cleans- 

 ed with whiting 1 , is then placed to re- 

 ceive the liquid, which being poured on 

 it, is held slanting till the most fluid parts 

 have run off; it is afterwards laid to dry, 

 in the progress of which the resin gra- 

 nulates, and adheres firmly to the surface. 

 The greatest precaution must be used 

 in going through this process, as the in- 

 terposition of dust, grease, hairs, or fi- 

 bres of linen, will cause total derange- 

 ment ; and even then it is subject to most 

 vexatious uncertainty, often compelling 

 the experienced artist to renew it to ob- 

 tain a good grain; in short, ihe weather 

 and untoward accidents frequently ruin 

 his labours, though guarded against by 

 every method his invention suggests. 

 There is one advantage attending the 

 pouring the liquid oft', which is, that the 

 heaviest particles of the resin will float 

 to the lower side, and consequently leave 

 a coarser grain there than above, much 

 better suited to the deep shades of a 

 landscape than if the granulations had 

 been equally fine ; in large subjects the 

 grain is sooietimes laid coarse purposely 

 in the parts requiring it. 



Although a fine grain has a very pleas- 

 ing- effect, ami will bear close examina- 

 tion, it has several disadvantages ; for 

 this reason a medium description of gra- 

 nulation is preferable, which, admitting 

 the aqua fortis freely to the copper, it 

 bites deeper, and is less apt by acting la- 

 terally to force off the resin ; besides, the 

 plate will of course afford a greater num- 

 ber of impressions. 



Some hints have been given already for 

 biting the plate ; but however useful 

 those may be found in particular instan- 

 ces, there are others which can only be 

 extracted from close application and ex- 

 periment, and those are often varied in 

 their results: as an illustration, we may 

 suppose an artist provided with several 

 pieces of copper granulated, and trying 

 each successively by his watch with spi- 

 rits of nitre diluted to the state of the air 

 at the commencement of his operations, 

 how many minutes are necessary to pro- 

 duce one tint, how many for a second, 

 &c. granting him two hours for his ex- 

 periment ; during this interval a violent 

 shower of rain may occur, which will im- 

 mediately affect the acid, by weakening 

 its properties in the same proportion as 

 salt is observed to be dissolved by a hu- 

 mid atmosphere : thus it appears, a result 

 obtained on a clear dry day will not suit a 

 rainy one, and vice versa. 



In opposition to this discouraging un- 



certainty, and in opposition to the judg- 

 ment and preference of all true' con- 

 noisseurs, aquatinted prints seem to in- 

 crease in value in the estimation of many 

 persons, who forget that national taste 

 should be improved by works of superi- 

 or execution, and not vitiated by being 

 constantly familiarized to those produced 

 by means which set genius at defiance. 



ENNEAGON, in geometry, a polygon 

 with nine sides. If each side be 1, the 

 area will be 6, 18, &c. 



ENNEANDRIA, the name of the ninth 

 class in Linnaeus's sexual system, consist- 

 ing of plants which have hermaphrodite 

 flowers, with nine stamina or male or- 

 gans. The orders, or secondary divisions 

 in this class, are three, bein^y founded 

 on the number of the styles, seed buds, 

 or female organs. Laurus tinus, and 

 cassytha, have one style ; rhubarb, (rhe- 

 um,) has a triple stigma or summit, but 

 scarce any style ; flowering rush has six 

 styles. The genera just enumerated are 

 all that belong to the class Enneandria. 

 The first genus, laurus, is very extensive ; 

 comprehending the bay tree, cinnamon 

 tree, camphor tree, benjamin tree, sas- 

 safras tree, and the avocado or avogato 

 pear. 



ENS martis, an old name given by 

 chemists to sal ammoniac sublimed with 

 iron filings, and therefore consisting of 

 muriate of ammonia mixed with a little 

 muriate of iron. 



Exs veneris, a similar preparation, in 

 which copper filings are substituted for 

 those of iron. 



ENSATJE, (from enses, a sword,) the 

 name of the sixth order in Linnaeus's 

 Fragments of a Natural Method, con- 

 sisting of plants with sword-shaped 

 leaves. 



ENSIFORM, in general, something- 

 resembling a sword, ensis : thus we find 

 mention of ensiform leaves, ensiform car- 

 tilage, 8cc. 



ENSIGN, in the military art, a banner 

 under which the soldiers are ranged, ac- 

 cording to the different companies or 

 places they belong to. The European 

 ensigns are pieces of taffety with various 

 figures, arms, and devices, painted on 

 them in different colours: the Turkish 

 ensigns are horses' tails. 



ExstGN is also the officer that carries 

 the colours, being the lowest commis- 

 sioned officer in a company of foot, subor- 

 dinate to the captain and lieutenant It 

 is a very honourable and proper post for 

 a young gentleman on his first coming m- 

 to the army ; he is to carry the colours, 



