A B A 



ABA 



plagued by die encroachments of the CircafTian princes. 

 The nioft powerful inhabitants of the fjreat Alajfa are the 

 Natuschaki. Sec Adascia and Abhkas. 



ABASSI, a filvcr coin current in Perfia, worth two 

 mammoudis, or four chayts ; the chaye bcinjj tftlmated at 

 nine fols fix denicrs of French nionev, makes the alajji wortli 

 thirty-eight fob ; fevcnteen fols of Holland, or from one fliil- 

 ling and four pence to about eighteen pence Englilh. It de- 

 rives its name from Shah Abbas II. king of Perfia, under 

 vhom it was 11 ruck. 



ABASSI, in Geography. See Gombroon. 



ABASSIA, in Geography. See Abyssinia and 

 Ethiotia. 



ABAT-CHAUVEE, a name given in Poitou, Angou- 

 mois, Saintonge, La Wnvche, and Limofin, in France, to 

 a fort of very ordinary wool ; much like that called by the 

 French, paignons, a\id p/nrfj. 



Abate, yhiJrea, in Biography, a Neapolitan mailer, 

 who excelled in painting inanimate objefts. His colouring 

 was bold ; he gave a noble relief to the vafes and other orna- 

 ments, with which he enriched his defign ; and grouped all 

 his objefts with peculiar judgment and care. He died in 

 1732. Pilkington's Dift. • 



ABATE, in La'-M, from the French allatrc, fignifies to 

 break down or deilroy ; as, to abate a nuifance ; . and to 

 ahate a caftle. It is hkewife ufed to denote the aft of one 

 who fteps into an eilatc, void by the death of the lail pof- 

 feflbr, before the heir can enter ; and by that means keeps 

 him out. It alfo means to defeat or overthrow, on account 

 of fome error or exception. See Abatement. It is alfo 

 ufed in the neuter fenfe thus : the writ of the demandant 

 fiiall ahate, i. e. be fruftrated or overthrown ; the appeal 

 alateth by covin, i. e. the acciifation is defeated by deceit. 



Abate, in the Manege. A horfeisfaid to abate, or take 

 down his curvets, when he puts both his hinder legs to 

 the ground at once, and obferves the fame exaftnefs in all 

 the times. 



ABATELEMENT, in Commeree, (from the French 

 abbatre,), a term ufed fov a prohibition of trade to all French 

 merchants in the ports of the Levant, who will not Hand 

 to their bargains, or who refufe to pay their debts. It is a 

 fentence of the French conful, which muft be taken off 

 before they can fue any perfon for the payment of their 

 debts. 



ABATEMENT, in Heraldry, fomething added to a 

 coat-aimour, to dillinguifh its proper value and dignity, and 

 note fome dilhonourable aftjon, or ftain, in the charafter 

 of the perfon who bears it. Thefe abatements, which are 

 nine in number, may be made by reverfion or diminution. 



Reverfion is either turning the whole efcutcheon upfide- 

 down, for treafon ; or the adding another efcutcheon, in- 

 verted, in the former, for deflowering a maid or widow, or 

 flying from the banner of the fovereign. 



Diminution is the blemilhing any part by adding a ftain, 

 or mark of diminution : fuch are tlie delf tenne for a perfon 

 who revokes or recedes from a challenge ; a point dexter 

 parted tenne, for a perfon who boafts of an aft of valour 

 which he never performed ; a point in point fanguine, for 

 a perfon guilty of cowardice ; a point champaign tenne, for 

 him who kills his prifoner after his having demanded quar- 

 ter ; a plain point fanguine, for one who tells a lie to his 

 fovereign or commander in chief ; a gore finiller tenne, for 

 him who behaves in a cowardly manner towards his enemy ; 

 and a guflet fanguine, for an adulterer or drunkard, the 

 guffet being on the right fide for the former, and on the left 

 f»r the latter 



It may be added, that thefe marks muft not be of metal. 

 Vol. I 



and always cither tenne or fanguine, otherwifc inftcad of di- 

 minutions, they become additior.s of honour. 



The lalt editor of Cuillim difcards the whole notion of 

 abatements, as a chiniaMa. He alleges that no one inftance 

 is to be met with of fueh bearing ; and that it implies a eon- 

 tradiftion to fuppofe it. Arms, being injignia nobililjtis isf 

 honoris, cannot admit of any mark of infamy, without cenf- 

 ing to be arms, and becoming badges of difgrace, \\liieh 

 all would covet to lay afide. Befides, as no hercdita:y 

 honour can be aftually diminiflied, fo neither can the marks 

 thereof. Both indeed may be forfeited ; as in the cafe of 

 treafon, where the cfcutclieon is totally reverfed, to intimate 

 a total fuppreffion of the honour. 



Some inftances, however, are produced to the contrary 

 by C'l.'umbiere and others. But thefe, though they may 

 flu-w fome extraordinary refentmcnts of princes for ofl'enci'? 

 committed in their prefence, do not amount to a proof of 

 fuch cuftom or prafticc ; much lefs authoiiie the being of 

 particular badges in the hands of inferior ofiiccrs, as kings 

 at arms. Meneftrier calls them Englidi fancies. 



In a word, as arms are rather the titles of the dead than 

 of the living, it would feem, that they can neither fuifer 

 diminution nor abatement; for thus an equal indignity 

 would be put upon the anceftor and the defeendant. Dinv- 

 nution, therefore, and abatement, can only affeft arms lately 

 granted, and folely when the perfon who obtained them is 

 yet alive, and has tarniftied his former gloiy by his fubfequent 

 miftiehaviour. Even in this cafe, where abatement may pro- 

 perly take place, it can only be made by the fuppreftion of 

 fome honourable badge, and not by the introduftion of any 

 degrading emblem. 



Abatement, m Laio, is the fruftrating, or fetting afide 

 a fuit, on account of fome fault, either in the matter, or 

 proceeding thereof. Thus, Plea in 



Abatement, is fome exception alleged, either againft 

 the plaintiff's writ, as wanting due foi-m, or againft his count 

 or declaration, as being infuffieicnt, or varying from the writ, 

 fpecialty, or record; or againft the matter of either, as in- 

 fuflicient, or being before another court ; or againft the alle- 

 gations, as being uncertain, on account of fome mifnomer, 

 or the death of one of the parties, or the marriage of the 

 plaintiff, being a woman ; to which fome add difability.— 

 Upon any of thefe, the defendant prays, that the plaintiff's 

 writ or plaint may abate, i. e. that his fuit may ceafe for 

 that time ; if it be granted, all writs and proceftes muft be- 

 gin de novo. 



The death of a plaintiff did in all cafes abate the writ before 

 judgment, until the ftatute 8 and 9 W. III. c. 1 1. by which 

 neither the death of the plaintiff nor that of the defendant (hall 

 abate it, if the aftion might be originally profecuted by and 

 againft the executors dr adminiftrators of the pavues ; and if 

 there are two or more plaintiffs or defendants, and one, or 

 more, die ; the writ or aftion (liall not abate, if the caiife, or 

 aftion, furvives to the furviving plaintiff, againft the iurviv- 

 ing defendant, &c. See Plea. Abatement alfo denotes an 

 irrcijular entry upon lands. See Abate. 



Kii.\Ti.KT.\iT of Freehold, See Remainder. 



Abatement of Nufancc. See Nusance. 



Abatement, in Commeree, is a difcretionary allowance 

 made for damage in goods fold, for a defeft of weiglit or 

 meafure, on account of bad markets, or to a bauki-upt-debtor, 

 &c. See Discount and Rebate. 



Abatement, in the Ctfloms, is an allowance made upon 

 the duty of goods, when the quantum damaged is deter- 

 mined by the judgment of two merchants upon oath, and 

 afcertained by a certificate from the fui-veyor and land- 

 waiter. 



C ABATIS, 



