A M A 



A M A 



Amadeus VIII., count of Savoy, facceedcd his father 

 Amadeus VII., in 1391, and acquired tlie titles of the 

 " Pacific," and " tlie Solomon of the Age." Savoy was 

 ereftcd by the emperor in 1416, into a ducliy ; but after 

 tiiis elevation, Amadeus formed the refolulion of retiring 

 from his throne and family into a religious lioufe at a place 

 called Ripaille. In this retreat, which he had fought accord- 

 ins to the opinion of the world from religious motives, he 

 devoted himfelf to every kind of pleafuie and luxuiy, fo 

 that/(7/>f repmlks became proverbial to fignify a life of cx- 

 qnilite gratification and indulgence. Heie he inftituted the 

 order of St. Maurice, or the Annunciata, confiding of a 

 number of hermits, who excluded women from their com- 

 munity, but in other rcfpefts maintained the charatter of 

 Epicureans and votaries of pleafure. In this retreat Ama- 

 deus afpired to the papacy, and employed large fums of 

 money at the coimcil of Bafil, to fecure the objeft of his 

 ambition. Accordingly, in 1439, this council, having de- 

 pofcd pope Eugenius IV., conferred the triple crown on 

 Amadeus, under the name of Felix V, though he had never 

 taken holy orders. A fchifm was the confequence of this 

 extraordinary election ; and Eugenius at length excommuni- 

 cated his rival. On his death Amadeus was perfuadcd to 

 abdicate, and a new pope was chofen in his room. But his 

 refignation was amply recompenfed by the dignities of car- 

 dinal, bifliop and apollolical legate, and by his being allowed 

 to retain moft of the pontifical infignia. He died at the age 

 of 69, in 1 49 1, at Laufanne, which, during the latter part 

 of his life, he had chofen for his refidence, and was fuc- 

 ceeded by his fon Lewis, to whom, in his life-time, A. D. 

 1433, he had refigned the title, but few or none of the reve- 

 nues of the dukedom. Mod. Un. Hiil. vol. xxxiv. p. 78. 



Amadeus IX., count of Savoy, was furnamed the 

 " Happy," on account of his virtue and piety, his readinefs 

 to forgive thofe who offended, his love of juflice, and his 

 ftudy to promote the welfare of his fubjefts. He fucceeded 

 Lewis in 1464, and though his bodily infirmities prevented 

 his engaging in any great exploits, he acquired and main- 

 tained a very exemplaiy charafker. He was eminently dif- 

 tinguifhed by the benevolence of his difpofition. Being 

 once alked by a courtier, whether he kept hounds ; he 

 pointed to a great number of poor people, who were feated 

 at tables, eating and drinking, and replied : " thofe are my 

 hounds, with whom I go in chace of heaven." When he 

 was told that his alms would exhaufl his revenues : " take 

 the collar oi my order," he faid, " fell it, and relieve my 

 people." He married lolande of France, who concurred 

 with him in all his good deeds. His death, in 1472, at the age 

 of 37 years, and after a reign of feven, was ui'.iverfally re- 

 gretted. Mod. Un. Hill. vol. xxxiv. p. 82. 



AM AD I A, in Geography, a fortified and trading town 

 of Afia, in the province of Kurdiltan,. fituate upon a high 

 mountain. Its environs produce tobacco and gall-nuts, 

 which furnifll means of commerce. It is the refidence of 

 a bey, who governs the whole country'. N. lat. 36"^ 25'. 

 E. long. 43° r. 



AMADOCA, in j4ruierJ Geography, a town of European 

 Sarmatia, inhabited by the j'lnmdoci, and whofe habitations 

 were alfo on mountains of the fame name, between the Rox- 

 alanse and BHit;;rnfe. 



ALMADIS, in Natural Hljlory, a fpecies of the Con u s, 

 in the Vermes Testacea, with a ihell dilutely browTi, 

 broad fafcia, and articulated bands above and below ; and 

 an acute, crowned fpire, fi-iely and tranfverfely ftriated. 



AMADOW, a kind of black-match, tinder, or touch 

 wood, which comes from Germany. It is made of a fort 

 of large muduooms, or fpungy excrefcences, which com- 



monly grow on old trees, efpecially oaks, afii, and firs. Thia 

 fubftance being boiled in common water, and afterwards dried 

 and well oealcn, is then put into 3 ftrong ley prepared with 

 falt-petre, after which it is again put to dry in an oven. 

 The druggifls fell this match wholefale in France, and fe- 

 veral hawkers retail it. See Agaric 



Some give to the amadoiu the name oi pyrotechn'tcalfpunge, 

 becaufe of its aptnefs to take fire. 



AMADOWRY, a kind of cotton which comes from 

 Alexandria, by way of Marfeilles. 



AMiEA, or Amm^a, in Avcunt Geography, a town of 

 Lufitania, inhabited by the Ammienfes, between the Elvaa 

 and Tagus. 



AMAGETOBRIA, now Broie, an ancient town of Gaul, 

 mentioned by Csfar, placed by M. d'Anville on the Arar, 

 to the fouth of Segobodium, and to the weft of Vefontio. 



AMAGOR, in Geography, a town of Africa, in the 

 empire of Morocco, and province of Hea. 



AMAGUANA, the name of one of the Lucayan or 

 Bahama iflands, called alfo Mayaguamt. 



AMAIA, orAiviAGiA, formerly Vareg':a and Natr'icia, 

 a town of Spain, belonging to the Cantabri, on the confines 

 of Afliurias, about three leagues from Villa-Diego, at the 

 foot of a very high rock. 



AMAILLOU, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Two Sevres, and chief place of a canton, in the diftrift 

 of Partenay, three leagues fouth-eafl of Breffuire. 



ALMAIN, or Amavne, ^fia term, ufed by a man of 

 vi-ar, to his enemy ; and fignifyingjvVA/. 



Hence, iojlrike amain, is, to lower, or let fall, the top- 

 fails. The word is alfo written amayne. — Waving ama'm, is 

 to make a fign to another veffel, by waving a bright fword, 

 or other thing, as a demand for ftriking its top-fails. — This 

 is commonly done either in the fore-top, or on the poop. 

 Amain is alfo a term ufed in letting down a thing, by a 

 tackle, into the hold, or elfewhere, in the lowering a yard, 

 or the like, to denote, that the failors are to let go that 

 part of the rope which they held before, and let down the 

 thing eafily, and by degrees. Amain is alfo ufed to denote 

 at once and inftantly ; as let go amain. 



AMAK, called alfo Abulnagib al Bokari, in Bio- 

 grnphy, a celebrated Perfian poet, was a native of Bokhara, 

 and flouriihed towards the clofe of the nth century, under 

 the fovereigns of the Seljuk race. He was at the head of 

 an academy, confifiing of about 100 men of letters, with 

 handiome penfions, eftablifhed by Khedar Khan, who 

 reigned in the Tranfoxlan provinces, and who was a very 

 munificent patron of letters, and particularly of poetry. 

 This prince prefided in the academy, feated on a throne, at 

 the foot of which were four large bafons of gold and filver 

 coin, which were intended for the recompence of thofe poets 

 who obtained his approbation. Amak v.'as a dillinguiflied 

 favourite, lived by tlie bounty of his patron in great afflu- 

 ence, and kept a number of flaves, and thirty richly capari- 

 foned and trained horfes. Thus favoured, he became the objeft 

 of envy, and Ralchidi, whom he had recommended, endea- 

 voured to lupplanthim. Amak and Rafchidi were appointed 

 to contend for poetical vitlory in the fultan's prefence ; and 

 the latirlcal verles of the latter gained the prize, veiy much 

 to the mortification of the former. Amak lived nearly a 

 century. His principal work is the " Hiftory of the Loves 

 of Jofeph and Zoleiflcah," a romance, founded on the ac- 

 count of the patriarch Jofeph, in the Koran. He was moft 

 diltinguillied for his elegies. When fultan Sangiar was in- 

 confolable for the death of his fifter, and difregarded all the 

 elegiac verfcs of other poets, Amak was fent for to fool he 

 him ; and an elegy tranfmitted by him, when he was too 



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