CAB 



thf infefls will be injured hy the jerk, or, as more frequent- 

 Iv happens in this cafe, be broken to pieces. On the 

 contrary, when the frame falls in upon a rabbet, it is of no 

 confequenee whether the edge of the frame links into the 

 drawer below the level of the heads of the pms on which tl.e 

 infefts are placed or not ; it is only neceffary to obfcrve, that 

 the glafs does not prtfs upon the pins, fince it is the glals 

 only that can come in coiitadl with them. 



inftead of cork for the purpofe of lining the bottom ot 

 the drawers for infeds, it was cnftomary among old collectors 

 to cover the bottom of them with a thin coat or layer ot 

 pilch, or green wax. over which the paper was fomeumes 

 laid, and upon this the infeds were (luck. 1 he difadvan- 

 taceof this method, although recommended by recent au- 

 thority, is evident, when we confider how liab e both the 

 pitch and wax are to be affefteJ by the Hate of the weather. 

 An eminent colkclor, the late iMr.Tunftal, had the whole 

 of his infeds difpofed on green wax, each infeft being 

 placed on a fm:.ll tablet of it, and the tablets afterwards 

 affixed with a fma'l portion of melted wax to the bottom ot 

 the drawers. This cabinet was once removed to a (hort 

 dillance in the country, during the winter feafon, when, 

 notwithftanding the precaution of fattening the tablets in this 

 manner to the bottom of the drawers, fome of them fnapped 

 afunder with the cold, ar.d rolling about among rfie relt oc- 

 cafioned the lofs of many valuable infeds. In another in- 

 ftance a celebrated colUaion of infeds, ftuck on wax in a 

 fimilar manner, that had been prcfentcd to a great public 

 mufeum, was indifcreetly expofed to the heat of a bnft hre, 

 with a defign of warming the wax, that the pins might be 

 more eafily withdrawn, for the purpofe of removing the in- 

 fers to another cabinet ; but, fad mifchance ! the wax melt- 

 ing in a much fhorter time than was expefted, almoft every 

 infeCl in the cabinet funk into the fluid mafs, and was de- 

 ftroyed. Accidents of this kind may operate as a caution 

 to others, and prove, at leall, the fuperior advantage of 

 lining the bottoms of the drawers with cork inftead of wax. 

 Every crevice in the drawers for infefts (hould be care- 

 fully clofed up. Indeed the entomologlft, duly attentive to 

 the prefcrvation of his infefts, will conceive no pains nor 

 cxpence ill bellowed in having his cabinet fo well conftrufted 

 as to render it impoffible for the air or duft to penetrate. A 

 fmall recefs fliould be alfo made along the inner edge, or 

 fide of the drawer, for the admiffion of a quantity of cam- 

 phor, about one fourth part of an ounce of which in each 

 drawer will prcfcrve the infefts contained in the drawer from 

 the depredations of mites, or any other fmall infefts, for 

 years. It is an erroneous fuppofition, which many people 

 entertain, that infedls cannot be preferved ; for it may be 

 fafely affirmed from experience, that if they are placed in a 

 clofe cabinet, as before direfted, and the drawers occafional- 

 ly replenilhed with frelh camphor every fecond or third year, 

 or at mod every year, infefts are not more perithable than 

 almoll any other defcription of natural objefts. They may 

 be preferved in this manner without injury or diminution of 

 beauty for ten, twenty, or thirty years ; we have feen in- 

 fefts that have been collefted at a period more remote Hill, 

 and which fcarcely manifcfted any fymptom of decay. 



Some naturalifts prefer cajeput oil for fcenting the 

 drawers to deftroy the mites, and other deilruftive vermin, 

 ■with which the infefts would othcrwifc, in time, become 

 infefted. Muflc is another powerful antidote and preferva- 

 tive; and again, the ufe of bitter aloes is ilrongly recom- 

 mended ; but upon the whole, we are, for our own part, 

 fo fully fatisiied of the efficacy of camphor, that we fhould 

 always confider it preferable for this purpofe to any other 

 prefervativc. It has been thought neccflaiy by fome, that 



Q 



CAB 



the cork, with which the drawers are lined, fhould be well 

 impregnated with a folution of corrofive fublimate mercury, 

 in a faturatcd folution of crude fal-ammoniac in water, (an 

 ounce of which will be fufficient to difTolve twenty fcniples 

 of the fublimate). This may be tried, fince it has been 

 Ilrongly advifed, although we believe the precaution need- 

 lefs. Mr. Driiry adopted another plan : he pounded a quan- 

 tity of crude verdegrcafe with common bees wax, and fpread 

 a thin layer of it between the bottom and the cork, in thofe 

 drawers which were defigned for the reception of his more 

 delicate infefts. We are, however, of opinion, that a folution 

 of alum in water, waflied either over the cork or paper of 

 the drawer, would anfwerthe fame purpofe, and be attend- 

 ed with lefs trouble. See article Entomology. 

 Cabinet of Medals. See Mkdals. 



Cabinet is alfo ufed in fpeaking of the more felcft and 

 fecret councils of a prince or adminidration : thus we fay, the 

 fecrets, the intrigues of a cabinet. To avoid the inconve- 

 niences of a numerous council, the policy of Italy and 

 praftice of France have introduced cabinet councils ; a re- 

 medy worfe than the difeafe. King Charles 1. is charged 

 \s\\\\ firft cftablilhing this ufage in England. Belides his 

 privy council, that prince erefted a kind of cabinet council, 

 or junto, under the denomination of a council of ftate ; 

 compnfed of archbifhop Laud, the earl of Strafford, and 

 lord Collington, with the fecretaries of ilate. Yet fome 

 pretend to find the fubftance of a cabinet council of much 

 greater antiquity, and even allowed by parliament, who an- 

 ciently fettled a quorum of perfons moil confided in, without 

 whofe prefence no arduous matter was to be determined; 

 giving them power to aft without confulting the reft of the 

 council. As long fince as the 2Sth of Henry III. a char- 

 ter paffed in affirmance of the ancient rights of the king- 

 dom ; which provided that four great men, chofen by com- 

 mon confent, w'ao were to be conlervators of the kingdom, 

 among other things, fhould fee to the difpofing of monies 

 given by parliament, and appropriated to particular ufes ; 

 and parliaments were to be fummoned as they fhould advife. 

 But even of thefe four, any two made a quorum ; and ge- 

 nerally the chief jullice of England and chancellor were of 

 the number of the confervators. Math. Par. 2S Henry III, 

 In the firtl of Hen. VI. the parliament provides, that the 

 quorum for the privy council be fix or four at leall ; and 

 that in all weighty confiderations, the dukes of Bedford and 

 Glouceller, the king's uncles, (hould be prefent ; which 

 feems to be erefting a cabinet by law. 



CABIRA, afterwards called DiafpoUs, and fince Scbaflo- 

 polis, in /Indent Geography, a town ot Pontus, fuuth-eafl of 

 Amafia, upon the river Iris. Mithridates built a palace in 

 this city, where he had alio a fifh-pond, and in its vicinity 

 parks for chace, and, according to Strabo, mines. This 

 city became memorable for the defeat of Mithridates by Lu- 

 culLis. When Pompey took poffeffion of it, he gave it 

 the name of " Diofpolis," and the queen Pythodoris, widow 

 of Polemon, named king of Pontus by Antony, called it 

 " Sebafte," or " Seballopolis," i. e. the city of Au- 

 guflus, in honour of that prince. 



CABIRI, in ylntiquify, certain deities worlhipped more 

 efpecially by the Samothracians, and in the ifle of Imbros, 

 and fome other parts of Greece. 



Thefe Cabiri were originally Syrians or Phoenicians ; and 

 we are chiefly indebted to the fragment of Sanchoniathon, 

 recorded by Eufebius in his " Prsparatio Evangelica," for 

 the information, fcav^ty and dubious as it is, which has been 

 tranfmittcd concerning them. From him we karn, that 

 they were the Jons of Sydyc, and the fame with the Diof- 

 curi, Corybantes, and Samothraces ; that they firll difco. 



vered 



