G L A 



has more power to difTolve it, and becaufe the liquc'irJ 

 fno-.v defc.-i.diiig from above, the nufs abforbs a larger 

 quantity of water. It contains more inow than the Lower 

 Ghci-.'rs, becaufe the difTolutlon of the fnow is ccmpara- 

 tivrly lefs. Hence llie ice is even more porous, opaque, lc!s 

 comi)at\ than that of the l,a\ver Glaciers, and of fo doubt- 

 ful n texture, as renders it, in many parts, diiScult to 

 decide, whether it may be called ice or frozen fiiow. In a 

 word, there is a regular gradation from the fiiow on the 

 fumniits to the ice of the I^owcr Glaciers, formed by the 

 intermediate mixture, which becomes more corapacl and lefs 

 porous in proportion as it aj)proaclics the Lower Glaciers, 

 until it unites and alfunilates with them. And it is evident, 

 that the greater or leflcr degree of denfity is derived from 

 tiie gr.-at;r or leffer quantity of Wiiter, with which the mafs 

 is impregnated. 



It has been a ■contefted point among naturalifts, whether 

 the ^"liciers arc in a ilate of incre^ie or diminution. The 

 following obfervations may be alleged in proof of the latter 

 alternative. In 1785, the inferior glacier of Grindclvrald 

 v.-as diminished at leail 400 yards fuice the year 1776 ; in the 

 valley of Chamouny, the glaciers called " les tiiuraillcs de 

 glace," from their refembknce to walls, and which rife in 

 very thick, foliJ, parallel ranges to a height of 150, or, as 

 fome fay, 400 feet above their real bale, and forming the 

 border cf the glacier of Boflba, no longer exilled, and 

 voung trees had (hot up in the parts which were then cover- 

 ed by the glaciers of iVlontanvert. The advocates for the 

 increafe of the glaciers, notwithftanding thefe faftS, ajfplica- 

 ble, as they fay, to the lower regions, alfert, both from theo- 

 ry and obiervation, that more fnow falls, and more ice is an- 

 nually formed in the Alps than can be annually difTolved. 

 From th-'ovv they argue, that the cold occafioned by the mafs 

 of ice already formed ought to augment it ftill further: and 

 from experience thcv deduce, that within the remembrance 

 of the prefcnt generation, many mountains have been cover- 

 ed, many paflures and liabitations invaded, and many paf- 

 fages irrecoverably obllruclcd by the ice. In reply to the 

 argument from theory it is maintained, that the caufes v.hich 

 lead to the diminution of the ice are no lefs powerful than the 

 augmentation of the cold, which is fuppofed to occi'Jion its 

 indeiuiite increafe. Theie caufes are principally rain and 

 fleet in the \ch elevated regions, evaporation, defcent of the 

 fnow and ice, both precipitous and gradual, heat of the at- 

 mofphere, 3nd mean temperature of the earth, which is al- 

 ways above the freezing point, as is evident from the ht. at of 

 the forirfs which iffue from the bowels of the earth. With 

 resJ-ird to the argument derived irom experience, it is thought 

 fufticier.t to obferve, that wliile the faiSts that prove the pro- 

 grcfs of the ice are admitted, it by no means ieems to fol- 

 low, that its mafs is perpetually increafing. For the advo- 

 cates of this opinion, while thev fcrupuloufiy enumerate the 

 places which have been invaded by the ice, do not take no- 

 tice of thofe parts, no lefs numerous, from which the ice 

 has receded. Upon the \\ hole we have reafon to conclude, 

 that if the colleftion of ice and fnOT,v gains in iomc places, it 

 is diminifiied in others, and that, upon an average, the ag- 

 grc!;ate quantity is nearly the iaiae. Coxe's Travels in 

 ijv itzerland, vol. ii. 

 GLACIES Mari.e. See Specularis Ln^is. 

 GLACIS, in Buihl':iig, an eafy infcnfible flope or decli- 

 vity. The defcent or inclination of the glacis is lefs llcep 

 ihun that 0(f the talut. In gardening a defcent fometiines 

 begins in talut, and ends in glucis. 



The glacis of the corr.iche is an eafy imperceptible flope in 

 the cymatmm of the corniche, to p»omote the defcent and 

 '"■tliijljaiag off of the rain-water. 



C L A 



GhKtt?, m Forttfiiittioii, is particularly uftd for that of 

 the couiterfcarp, being a (loping bank, which reaches from 

 the parapet of the couutericarp, or covert-way, to 

 the level fide of the field, at the diftancc of about Iweiiiy 

 fathom. 



The conftruftion of the covert-way and glacis is more dif- 

 tindly illiulrated in P/a.V V. Fortificilioii, Jj<r. 6. When 

 the body of the place, and all the ncceffary out-works are 

 conilructed, lines are drawn parallel to the outcrmoll coun- 

 terfcarps of the ditches, at (I.k toifes dillant from it ; and 

 the fpace ?« n m «, included between that line and the coun- 

 terfcarp, will be the covert-way required. If lines are 

 drawn parallel to the lines w hicli terminate the covert-way, 

 and the places of arms m, m. Sec. at twenty toifes diftant 

 from them, the fpace x x x between thofe lines will be the 

 glacis. A, in this ligiire, reprefents the arrow ; B, the 

 detached redoubt ; -v, -v, the traverfes ; =•, z, the faily- 

 ports. When the ground is low, and water to be found, 

 there is often a ditch of about ten or twelve toifes rrade round 

 the glacis ; beyond which there is a fecond covert-w ay of four 

 toifes, with traverfes and places of arms, and a fecond gla- 

 cis from tifteen to eighteen toifes broad. Muller's Fort p. 42. 

 See Mi'ilary Cosstuuction. 



GLADBACK, or Gladbach, in Geography, a town 

 of Germany, in the circle of Weliphalia, and duchy of 

 .luliers; 16 miles N. of Juliers. N. lat. 51 14'. E. long. 

 6 15'. 



GLADDON, or Gladwin, the name of a plant, other- 

 wife called Ipurge-wort. 



GLADE, in ylgncullure, Gi^nkmng, Sec. a villa, or 

 open and light paffage made through a thick wood, grove, 

 or the like, by lopping o.*F the branches of trees alciig the 

 way. 



Glade, in Zoology. See Glead. 



GLADENBACH, in Gc-.^rrphy, a town of Germanv, 

 in the principality of Upper Hi-'lTe ; 12 miles N. of Gief- 

 fen. 



GLADIATORS, in y^nlignity, perfons who were re- 

 tained to tight ordinarily in the arena, for the entcrtainmejit 

 of the people. 



The gladiators were ufually flaves, and condeirnrd crimi- 

 nal,-, who fought from necefiity ; though, fometin.es, free- 

 men made prok-ffion of this practice, like our prize-iightcrs, 

 for a livelihood. After a Have had ferved on the arena three 

 years, he was difrciffed. 



The Romans borrowed this cruel divfrfion from the Afia- 

 tics : fome fuppofe that there was policy in this praftice, 

 the frequent combats of gladiators 

 people to defpife danger and death. 



the frequent combats of gladiators tending to accuilpm tlie 



this p; 



ECCuilf 



The origin of fuch con.bats feems to be as folh-.v.s : From 

 thcearlieft times with which wc have anv acqr.airttance witlt 

 prciane hidory, it had been the cuftom to facrifice captives, or 

 prifoners of war, to the manes of the great men who iiad died 

 in the engagement ; thus Achilles, in the Iliad, lib. xxiii. 

 facrifiees tutlve young Trojans to the manes of Patroclus ; 

 and in Virgil, lib. xi. ver. 81. jEi eas fends captives to 

 Evander, to be facrilieed at the funeral of his fou 

 Pallas. 



In courfe of time they camealfoto f:icrifice fiavcs at the 

 funerals of ?11 perfons of condition ; this was even efice.nn- 

 ed a neceffary part of the cerem<:ny ; but, as it would have 

 appeared barbarous to have mairacrcd them like bealts, 

 they were appointed to light with each other, and endeavour 

 to fave their own lives by killing their adveriaries. This 

 feemed fomewhat lefs inhuman, becaufe there wasapoffi-. 

 bility of avoiding death by an exertion of Ikill and 

 courage. 



This. 



