A B D 



rrcry line of tlut (lanta. In iliclc three poems, iho lines 

 lUiis dcUTmin«l by the initial letters, in the fame pocin, 

 are remarkably etjiial to one another in length, in the num- 

 ber of words nearly, and probably in the number of fyllablcs, 

 and the line^ of the fame ll.inza convfpond one with an- 

 other, in the matter and the form, in the fenfe and the con- 

 ftr\iC\ion. Of the other nine poems, fix, viz. Pi. xxv. xxxiv. 

 cxix. cxlv. Prov. xxxi. Lam. iv. confill of ftanzas of two 

 lines; two, via. Lam. i. ii. of ftanzas of three lines ; and 

 one, v«s. Pf. xxxvii. of ftanzas of four hncs j allowing for 

 inejjulaiiticj, which are probably owin^' to the millakcs of 

 trankribers. Thefe ftan/.ns likewife natiintlly divide them- 

 fclve« into their di.linci lines, the fenfe and conftrudion 

 pointing out their limits, and the lines correfponding one 

 with anotlier in matter and fonn, as in the poems more per- 

 fectly alidiabetical. In thefe however, two of them, viz. 

 Pf. cxi. exii. have the lines (horter than thofe of the third. 

 Lam. ui. by about one-third, or almoil half; and of the 

 other nine poems, the ftan/as of which are only alphabetical, 

 three, viz. Lam. i. ii. iv. conlilluf the longer lines, and the 

 fix othtrs of the (horter. 



From thefe examples it may be inferred, that the poems, 

 pcrfeetly alphabetical, confill of verfes properly fo called, 

 regulate'd by fome regard to harmony or cadence, meafurc, 

 numbers, or rhythm. The other poems, which are divided 

 into ftanzas by the initial letters, arc compofitions of the 

 fame kind, and equally confift of vcrfcs. We may alfo con- 

 clude from thefe pcrfeftly alphabetical poems, that the 

 Hebrew verfedid not confift in rhyme, or liniilar and corre- 

 fpondent founds at the ends of the verl'cs, but in fome fort 

 of rhythm, probably fome fort of metre, the laws of 

 which are altogether unknown and undiicoverable. Never- 

 thelcfs the peculiar form of compofition is fo obfer\'able, as 

 plainly to difcriminate in general the parts of the Hebrew 

 fcr'pturcs which are written in verfe from thofe which are 

 ^aitlen in pvofe. See Lowth's Prelinunary DifTertalion to 

 his Ifaiah, p. 4, &c. 



ABC ED E or Abscede, from abcedo, to Lnp a/under, 

 a term in Surxcry, fignifying nearly the fame thing as to 

 fuppurate. An abceded furfacc, is a part whofe texture 

 has been altered, vitiated, or feparated by the formation of 

 purulent matter. The mere contiguity of purulent matter 

 to a folid part of the living body, will lometimes efFeft a 

 diflblution of its natural fti-u£lure : this may arife either 

 from the acrimonious quality, or the mechanical prelTure, of 

 the confined pus. See Adscedentia, Abscess, Pus, and 

 Suppuration. 



ABCOURT, in Geography, a town near St. Germains, 

 four leagues from Paris, famous for a brifk chalybeat water, 

 impregnated with fixed air and the foflU alkali, and refem- 

 bling that of Spa. 



ABDALLAH, formed of ald,Jla'oe, and allah, God, and 

 denoting thcjlave ofGod,mBiograp/jy,zyonnger fon of Abdal- 

 Motalleb,and thefather of M a h om et. He was the moft beau- 

 tiful and modeft of the Anibian youth, and when hemamed 

 Amina, of the noble race of the Zahrites, 200 virgins are faid 

 to have expired of jealoufy and defpair. Gibbon's Hill. vol. ix. 

 p. 255. — Several other eminent Arabians bore the fame name. 



Abdallah, Ein Salem, was a Jew, intimate ^^^th Ma- 

 homet, and an early convert to his rehgion. He is laid to 

 have allifted him in compiling his pretended revelations. 



Abuallah, Ebn-Zoleir, having ingratiated himfelf with 

 the inhabitants of Mecca and Medina, by his religious zeal 

 and engaging behaviour, was proclaimed Caliph, A. D. 

 682. Htg- <>2' He was recognized in all the provinces of 

 the empire, except Syria and Paleftine; and enjoyed his dig- 

 nity nine years, till the 7 2d year of his age, and 73d of the 



A B D 



Hegira. At this junfture Mecca was befieged, and the 

 Caliph's fpirits were fupported by the attention of liis mo- 

 ther Afcnia, grand-daugliter to the Caliph Abubeker, who, 

 at the age o? 90, adminiftered rtfrediment to him and his 

 foldiers at the breach with her own hand. At length, how- 

 ever, he took leave of his mother, and fallied out on the 

 enemy. Having killed many with his own hand, he was at 

 Lift ovei-powered ; and when he found the blood trickling 

 down his face and beard, he is faid to have repeated this 

 verfc from an Arabian poet ; " The blood of our wounds 

 falls not upon our heels, but our feet ;" and he foon died. 

 The avarice of this Ald/dah gave rife to the proverb : " That 

 there was never a brave man who was not liberal, till Ah- 

 dallah the fon of Zobeir." He is reported to have been fo 

 pious and fo intent on his devotions, that a pigeon once 

 alighted on his head, whilll he was thus employed, and fat 

 lon<T there without his perceiving it. Gen. Diet. 



ABDALMALEC, the fon of Mirwan, and fifth caliph 

 of the race of the Onuniades, fucceeded his father in the 65th 

 year of the Hegira, A. D. 6S5, and reigned 21 years. At 

 the commencement of his reign he converted the temple of 

 Jerufidem into a mofque, and direfted his fubjcfts to per- 

 form their pilgrimage to this place ; becaufe Abdallah libn 

 Zobeir, who had been eledled caliph by the Arabs, re- 

 tained pofTefTion of Mecca. In the progrefs of his reign he 

 concluded a treaty with the Greek emperor, reduced Perfia, 

 or rath.er Irak, under his dominion, and having failed to 

 engage the fubmiffion of Abdallah by amicable conference, 

 laid fiege to Mecca, and took it. By this event he ac- 

 quired pofTefllon of the peninlula of the Arabs, and became 

 lole and abfolute mailer of the Modem empire. In the 76th 

 year of the Hegira, he caufcd dinars, and dirhems, to be 

 ttruck, with Arabic infcriptions upon them, which pro- 

 claimed the unity of the God of Mahomet. Before his 

 time the former, or gold coins, had Greek, and the latter, a 

 filver money, had Pcrfic cliaraclers upon them. On this oc- 

 cafion he eftablifhcd a mint for coinage in his own dominions. 

 Ahdalmahc was deemed brave, learned, and wife, and was 

 much more powerful than any of his predccefTors ; having 

 fubdued Abdallah Ebn Zobeir, and annexed Arabia to his 

 empire ; reduced to his obedience the lettaries of all deno- 

 minations that appeared in amis again ft him ; conquered In- 

 dia, or at leaft a coniiderable part of that vail region in the 

 Eaft ; and in the well, penetrated with liis victorious troops 

 as far as Spain. He was buried at Damafciis ; and the go- 

 vernment devolved on Al Walid, the eldeft of his fixteen 

 fons, who extended the Moflem contmefts, and rebuilt the 

 temple of Medina in a ftylc of extraordinary magnificence. 

 Under the reign of this caliph the Greek language and cha- 

 rafters were excluded from the accounts of the public re- 

 venue. If this change (fays Mr. Gibbon, Hift. of the De- 

 cline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. x. p. 8. 8vo.) 

 was produftive of the invention, or familiar ufe of our pre- 

 fent numerals, the Arabic or Indian cyphers, a regulation 

 of office has promoted the mofl important difcoveries of 

 arithmetic, algebra, and the mathematical fcienccs. Ah- 

 dalmalec was avaricious to fuch a degree as to be denominated 

 by fome of his fubjefls, in derifion, the fnueat of a Jhne ; 

 and his breath was fo fetid, that the flies which accider:tally 

 lighted upon his lips were poifoned by it ; from which cir- 

 cumftance he was called ih.e father of flies. Mod. Un. Hift. 

 vol, ii. p. ^2. 8vo. 



ABDALMOTALLEB, or Ahdol MotaUeh, the fon of 

 Ilafhem, the father of Abdallah, and grandfather of Ma- 

 homet, was, according to Abulfcda, prince, or chief of 

 the Koreilh, during the war of the Elephant. Upon the 

 death of the father of Maliomet, he tock charge of his 



grandfon ; 



