SCR 



SCR 



tion becomes fufficiently rapid, the centrifugal force of the 

 water in the horizontal pipe caufes it to be difcharged at the 

 end, its place being fupplied by means of the prelTure of 

 the atmofphere on the refervoir below, which forces the 

 water to afcend through the vertical pipe. It has alfo been 

 propofed to turn a machine of this kind by the counter-pref- 

 fure of another portion of water, in the manner of Parent's 

 mill, where there is fall enough to carry it off. This machine 

 may be fo arranged, that, according to theory, little of the 

 force applied may be loft ; but it has failed of producing in 

 praftice a very advantageous effeft. Young's Phil. vol. i. 

 See Centrifugal Machine, and Wheel. 



Screw, Bed or Barrel, a powerful machine for lifting 

 heavy bodies ; and, when placed againft the gripe of a (hip 

 to be launched, for ftarting her. It confifts of two large 

 poppets, or male fcrews, having holes in their heads to admit 

 levers to turn therewith, a bed formed of a large oblong 

 piece of elm, with female fcrews near each end to admit the 

 poppets, and a fole of elm plank for the heels of the pop- 

 pets to work on. When ufcd for launching of (hips, the 

 furface of the fole is inclined fo as to (land fquare to the ftem 

 or gripe. 



Hand-fcretvs, or jacks, double or fingle, are ufed by 

 hand to lift weighty bodies. It confifts of an elm box, con- 

 taining cogged iron wheels, of increafing powers. The 

 outer one, which moves the others, is put in motion by a 

 winch or handle on the outfide. They are called fingle or 

 double, according to their increafing force. 



Screw, in the Manege. See Splent. 



ScRZVi-Ptne, mBotanjf. See Pandanus. 



ScREW-Shell, the Englifh name of the Turbo ; which fee. 

 See alfo Conchology. 



ScRBW-Tree, in Botany. See Helicteres. 



SCRIBE, Scriba, IQQ, Jopher, derived from "IQD' 

 faphar, numeravit, whence "IQQ, fepher, liber, a principal 

 officer in the Jewifh law, whofe bufinefs was to write and in- 

 terpret fcripture. 



The Scribes, according to the etymological meaning of 

 the term, were perfons employed about books, writings, 

 numbers, or accounts ; in tranfcribing, reading, explaining, 

 «cc. 



We find no mention of Scribes, in the Old Teftament, 

 before Ezra, chap. vii. 6, whence fome learned men have 

 concluded, that the office was brought from Chaldaea and 

 Aflyria, and firft eftabhihed by the Jews after their return 

 from the Babylonifh captivity. However, Ezra's being 

 called a Scribe, which was a general title given to men of 

 literature, will not prove the office of eccleliaftical Scribes, 

 as it occurs in our Saviour's time, to have been fo ancient. 

 It probably grew up by degrees, after the fpirit of pro- 

 phecy ceafed among the Jews ; for when they had no prophet 

 to refolve their doubts about doftrine or worfhip, they fell 

 into difputes, and fplit into feAs and parties ; which made 

 an order of men iicceffary, whofe proper bufinefs it (hould 

 be to iludy the law, that they might explain and teach it to 

 the people. 



The Scribes were in great credit and efteem among the 

 Jews, and had even the precedency of the priefts and 

 facrificers. 



The Scribes are referred by moft authors to two general 

 clalTes : vi%. civil, and ecclefiqftieal Scribes : the former were 

 employed about any kind of civil writings or records, and the 

 latter were fuch as addifted themfelves to ftudying, tran- 

 fcribing, and explaining the holy fcriptures. Of the civil 

 Scribes there were various ranks and degrees, from the com- 

 mon fcrivener, or public notary or fchoolmafter, to the prin- 

 cipal fecretary of ftate. As for the eccleftajlical Scribes, 



they were the learned of the nation, who expounded the 

 law, and taught it to the people ; and they are, therefore, 

 fomet'met called vo/i(iJiS*T>caXoi, doHors of the laiu, or >o^ij<oi, 

 larvyers. Compare Matt. xxii. 35. with Mark, xii. 28. 

 Theie Scribes, who were generally Pharifees, were the 

 preaching clergy among the Jews ; and whilft the priefts at 

 tended the facrifices, they initriiCted the people. But 

 though the greateft part of the Scribes took part with the 

 Pharifees, and adhered to their opinions and tenets, as we 

 learn from the gofpel-hiftory, yet it is probable, from feveral 

 paffages of the New Teftament, that fome of them were of 

 the feft of the Sadducees. Some of the Scribes made it 

 their bufinefs to explain the traditions, wliich they called 

 the oral law, that is, the law dehverv d by ward of mouth, 

 which, as they pretend.-d, had been conveyed from Mofes 

 down to them, from generation to generation, by the tradi- 

 tion of the elders. They much refpectcd thefe traditions, 

 confidering them as the key of the law, and giving them the 

 preference to the law itfelf. Hence this blafphemous maxim ; 

 " the words of the Scribes are more lovely than the words 

 of the law of God." But it is evident, from the frequent 

 reproaches pronounced by our Saviour on the Scribes and 

 Pharifees in reference to this point, that under pretence of 

 explaining the law by their traditions, they had aftually made 

 it of no effect. Matt. xv. 2, 3, 6. Mark, vii. 7, 8, 9. The 

 Talmud will amply jnftify thefe reproaches. 



Jof. Scaliger endeavours to eftablifh a diftinclion between 

 the Scribes t/f the people, referred to by Herod, Matt. ii. 4, 

 and the Scribes of the laiu- The former he confiders 1a 

 a fort of public notaries, who were employed in fecular 

 bufinefs ; the latter as preachers and expounders of the law. 

 But the phrafe, Scribes of the law, no where occurs in fcrip- 

 ture ; and the Scribes of the people, whom Herod confulted, 

 were applied to, on account of their (kilfin explaining fcrip- 

 ture prophecies. (Matt. xvii. 10.) And they were probably 

 called Scribes of the people, becaufe they were the Rated 

 and ordinary teachers of the people. (Mark, i. 22.) Ca- 

 mero obferves, that a key was dehvered to each Scribe, as a 

 badge of his office, when he firft entered upon it, to which 

 our Saviour may be fuppofed to allude, Luke, xi. J2. 



Scribe, Scriba, was alfo the title of an officer among the 

 Romans, who wrote decrees or afts, and made out authentic 

 copies of them. 



Every magiftrate had hhfcriba, or fecretary ; fo that there 

 werefcribif ndiUtii, pratorii, quiejiorii, Sec. 



The fcriba were not admitted to the management of the 

 principal offices of the repubhc, unlefs they relinquifhed 

 their profeffion. 



In the time of the emperors, they were alfo called notarii ; 

 becaufe they made ufe of abbreviations, and (hort notes, in 

 writing. 



SCRIBING, in Joinery, Sec. aterm ufed, when one fide 

 of a piece of ftuff being to be fitted to the fide of fome other 

 piece, which la!t is not regular ; to make the two join clofe 

 together all the way, they fcribe it. 



That is, they lay the piece of ftuff to be fcribed clofe to 

 the other piece they inland to fcribe to, and open their com- 

 pafles to the greateft diftance the two pieces any where ftand 

 from each other ; then, bearing one of the legs againft the 

 fide to be fcribed to, with the other point they draw a line 

 on the ftuff to be fcribed. Thus have they a line on the irre- 

 gular piece parallel to the edge of the regular one ; and if 

 the ftuff be wrought away exaftlyto the line, when the two 

 pieces are put together they will feem a joint. 



SCRIBONIUS Largus, in Biography, a Roman phy- 

 fician, who lived in the reign of Claudius, and is faid to have 

 accompanied this emperor in his campaign in Britain. He 



wrotf 



