QUA 



acceffory to the murder of their king, into Valeria, and 

 committed dreadful dcvallations in the countries through 

 which they pafl'ed. In their way they met with two legions, 

 the Pannonian and Mcerian,whohad been fcnt to oppofe them, 

 ari taking advantage of a contelt which fubfilled among 

 them about precedency, they cut them both in j)ieces. In 

 this irruption the Quadians had been joined by the Sar- 

 matians ; but the latter were defeated with great (laughter 

 by Theodofius. then duke of Mcefia, and afterwards em- 

 peror. Agait.lt the Quadians Valentinian I. marched in 

 perfon ; and having made great preparations for his pro- 

 pofcd expedition mto their country, he took the field ; 

 pafled the Danube at Acinium, now Gran, or Buda, in 

 L.ower Hungary, entered the enemy's country, and de- 

 Rroyed it with fire and fword. At length, the Quadians 

 fued for peace ; but whilft the emperor was fpeaking to the 

 mefienger with great warmth, and threatening to extirpate 

 their wiiole nation, he fell to the ground in a fit, and foon 

 afterwards expired. Upon his death a treaty was con- 

 cluded with the Quadians. Their reftlefs fpirit and difpo- 

 fition for war manifefted themfelves again m the year 379, 

 when they invaded IllyTicum ; but they were driven out, 

 with fome lofs, by the emperor Gratian. In 407 they 

 entered Gaul with the other barbarians, over-ran its pro- 

 vinces, and committed dreadful ravages. From this time 

 no farther mention is made of the Quadians ; fo that they 

 were either fubdued, or utterly extirpated by the Goths, 

 who had fettled in Pannonia and lUyricum. Anc. Un. Hid. 

 Vol. xvii. 



QUADRA, in Building, any fquare border, or frame, 

 encompafiiiig a baflb-relievo, pannel, painting, or other 

 work. 



The word is alfo ufed, eVroneoufly, for a frame or bor- 

 der, of any other form ; as round, oval, or the like. 



Quadra and Vancouver's IJland, in Geography, a name 

 9;iven to the idand of Nootka, in comphment to fignor 

 Quadra, the Spanifn commander at Nootka Sound, and 

 captain Vancouver, who expefted to obtain pofTeflion of the 

 fettlement in the year 1792. See Nootka, and Nootka 

 Sound. 



QUADRAGESIMA, a term fometimes ufed for the 

 time of Lent, becaule confiding of forty days. 



Hence tome monks are faid to lead a quadragefimal life ; 

 or to live on quadragefimal food all the year. 



Quadragesima Sunday is the firft Sunday in Lent ; fo 

 called becaufe it is about the fortieth day before Eailer. 



On the fame account, the three preceding Sundays are 

 called Quinquagefima, Sexagefima, and Septuagefima. 



QUADRAGESIMALS, Quadragesimalia, denote 

 Mid-lent contributions, or oflFerings. 



- It was an ancient cuftom for people to vifit their mother- 

 church on Mid-lent Sunday, and to make their offerings at 

 the high altar ; and the like was done in Whitfun-week. 

 ■ But as thefe latter oblations, &c. were fometimes commuted 

 for by a payment of pentecoilals, or Whitfun-farthings ; fo 

 were the former alio changed into a cuttomary payment, 

 quadragefimals, denarii quadragefimales ; and fometimes 

 Letare, Jerufalem, from a hymn fo called, fung on that 

 day, beginning " Jerufalem, mater omnium," &c. 

 . QUADRANGLE, in Geometry, a~ quadrangular, or 

 quadrilateral figure ; or a figure which has four fides, or 

 four angles. 



To the clafs of quadrangles, or quadrangular figures, 

 belong the fquare, parallelogram, trapezium, rhombus, and 

 rhomboidcs. 



A fquare, &c. is a regular quadrangle ; a trapezium, an 

 jrregfular one. 



QUA 



Quadrangular figures are not proper for fortification ; the 

 flanks, and flanked angles, being too fmall. 



QUADRANGULARIS Pi.sci.s, the Square-fjh, in 

 Ichthyology, the name of a li(h, which, in its mofl ul'ual fize, 

 is about fifteen inches long, four inches high in the middle, 

 and three inches and a half over ; the forehead is fquare, a 

 little hollow, and, by the eminence of the eye-brows, two 

 inches and a half over ; the nofe blunt, and not very flcep, 

 with two holes in the place of noftrils, and the mouth very 

 fmall ; the back is a little convex toward the tail, and on the 

 fides a little obtufely angled ; as is alfo the belly, which is 

 plain and flat, and a little rifing toward the tail ; it has five 

 fins, two near the gills, two near the tail, and the tail-fin, 

 which is confiderably long. Part of the head and tail are 

 covered with a foft fkin, tlie red of the body with a kind 

 of crud, adorned all over with little round knots, reduced 

 for the mod part into hexagonal figures, and fubdivided 

 into equilateral triangles. Grew, Muf. Reg. Sac. p. no. 



QUADRANS, in Jintiquity, the fourth part of the as, 

 or pound. See As. 



QuADRANs, in our Cujloms, is the fourth part' of a pennyj 

 or a farthing. 



QUADRANT, Quadrans, in Geometry, an arc of a 

 circle, containing 90 degrees, or one-fourth of the entire 

 periphery. 



Sometimes, alfo, the fpace, or area, included between 

 this arc and two radii, drawn from the centre to each ex- 

 tremity thereof, is called a quadrant, or, more properly, a 

 quadrantal fpace ; as being a quarter of the entire circle. 



Quadrant alfo denotes a mathematical indrument, of 

 great ufe in navigation and altronomy, for the taking of al- 

 titudes, angles, &c. 



The quadrant is varioufly contrived, and furnifhed ivith 

 different apparatus, according to the feveral ufes for which 

 it is intended ; but they have all this in common, that they 

 confiil of a quadrant, or quarter of a circle, whofe limb is 

 divided into 90 degrees ; and that they have a plummet fuf- 

 pended from the centre ; and are furniflied with pinnulse or 

 fights, through which to look. 



Quadrant, the Common, or Surveying, (reprefented 

 Plate Wl. Sur'veying, Jig. 13.) is made of brafs, wood, or 

 other matter, ufually twelve or fifteen inches radius. Its 

 circular limb is divided into 90°, and each of thofe fubdi- 

 vided into as many equal parts as the fpace will allow, either 

 diagonally or otherwife. On one edge, or femi -diameter, 

 are fixed two immoveable fights ; and in the angle, or centre, 

 is hung a thread, with a plummet. To the centre is like- 

 wife, fonietimes, fixed a label, or moveable index, bearing 

 two other fights, like the index of a telefcope. And, in 

 lieu of the immoveable fights, there is fometimes fitted a 

 telefcope ; though this more peculiarly belongs to the adro- 

 nomical quadrant. 



On the under fide, or face, of the indrument, are fitted 

 a ball and focket ; by means of which it may be put in any 

 pofition, for ufe. 



Befides the effentials of the quadrant, there is frequently 

 added on the face, pear the centre, a kind of compartiment, 

 called the quadrat, or geometrical fquare ; as in the figure : 

 this, in fome meafure, making a diliindf inif rument of itfelf. 

 See its defcription and ufe under the article Quadrat. 



The quadrant is to be ufed in different fituations, ac- 

 cording to the dimenfions to be taken. To obferve heights 

 and depths, its plane is difpolcd at right angles to the ho- 

 rizon ; but to take horizontal didances, the plane is difpofed 

 parallel to it. 



Heights and didances, again, may be taken two ways ; 

 S 2 viz. 



