S E L 



S E L 



feated by Atitiochui in a j^reat battle at Ancyra. The war 

 between them was carried on with great inveteracy, while 

 the empire was invaded on one fide by Eumenes and Attalus, 

 kinirs of Pergamus ; and on the other, Arfaces, founder of 

 the Parthian monarchy, was raaking-a progrefs in Hyrcania. 

 Seleucus was at length delivered from the hollility of his 

 brother, who was detained captive in Egypt, whither he 

 had fled, and he then turned his arms againll Arfaces, but 

 in a great battle that was fought he was defeated and taken 

 prifoner. He died in Parthia, in confequence of a fall from 

 his horfe, in the year 226 B.C. 



Seleucus III., furnamed Ceraunus, eldeft fon of the 

 preceding, fucceeded him on the throne. He was a weak 

 and incapable prince, and after a reign of three years he 

 was poifoned by two of his chief officers, while engaged in 

 an expedition againlt Attalus. 



Selei'cus IV., furnamed Philopator, fucceeded his 

 father Antiochus the Great, in the year 187 B.C. He 

 was favourable to the Jews during the greatelt part of his 

 reign, but near the clofe of it he employed Heliodorus to 

 carry off the treafures of the temple at Jerufalem, as is men- 

 tioned in the fecond book of Maccabees. He was after- 

 wards poifoned by Heliodorus, who ufurped his throne. 

 This event occurred in the year 1 76 B.C. There were 

 feveral other kings of the name of Seleucus, but they did 

 nothing worthy of notice. 



SELEZNEVA, in Geography, a town of Ruffia, in the 

 government of Irkutfic, on the Ilim ; 28 miles S. of Ilimfk. 



SELF-Abuse. See j'c^-Pollution. 



Self -Dirjence, in Law. With regard to the defence of 

 one's felf, or the mutual and reciprocal defence of fuch as 

 ftand in the relations of hulband and wife, parent and child, 

 mailer and fervant, it is obferved, that, in thefe cafes, if the 

 party himfelf, or any of thefe his relations, be forcibly at- 

 tacked in his perfon or property, it is lawful for him to repel 

 force by force ; and the breach of the peace, which happens, 

 is chargeable upon him only who began the affray. 



Self-defence, therefore, as it is juftly called the primary 

 law of nature, fo it is not, nor can it be in faft, taken away 

 by the law of fociety. 



In the Englilh law, particularly, it is held an excufe for 

 breaches of the peace, nay, even for homicide itfelf ; but care 

 mult be taken, that the rcfiftance does not exceed the bounds 

 of mere defence and prevention, for then the defender would 

 himfelf become an aggreffor. Blackft. Com. vol. iii. 



SELF-Examination. See Examination. 



SELF-heal, in Botany. See Pruxella. 



SELF-Heal, in the Materia Medka. The greater felf- 

 heal, with an undivided leaf, grows wild in pafture grounds, 

 and flowers in June and July. It has been reckoned among 

 the vulnerary plants, and is accounted ferviceable in all forts 

 of wounds and putrid ulcers. It is reltringent, and good 

 for inward bleedings, and making bloody water ; and has 

 been much ufed in gargles, for ulcers in the mouth, throat, 

 or gums, either in juice, or in a Itrong decoftion. 



Its virtues do not appear to be very great ; its auftere or 

 bitterifh tafte is more fenfible in the flowery tops than in the 

 leaves ; though the latter are generally direfted for medi- 

 cinal ufe. 



Self-heal is alfo a name given to fanicle. 



SELF-Z.O'Uf, in Ethics, is that principle, or paflion, which 

 leads a man to defire and piirfue his own happinefs. It is con- 

 tradiftinguifhed from benevolence. See vWfn/a/ Philosophy. 



SELF-0/>ens, a term ufed by the miners in the north of 

 England to exprefs certain natural cavities, or chambers, 

 which are frequently met with, fome near the furface, fome 

 at very great depths, fome fmall, and others very large. 



Thefe are of various figures, and often run into ftrange 

 finufes. Dr. Liller, in accounting for the origin of earth- 

 quakes, fuppofes the whole crufl of llie earth to be more or 

 lefs hollowed in this manner ; which he alfo argues for, from 

 the ftreams of waters which arife in large quantities from 

 the fides of mountains, and mult have communication with 

 thefe felf-opens, and fupplies from them. 



Thefe natural hollows the doflor thinks to be the means 

 of continuing, and propagating earthquakes ; the firft caufe 

 of which he afcribes to the breath of the pyrites, which he 

 alfo fays is the pvritcs itfelf tola Jubjlantia. This he ob- 

 ferves takes fire of itfelf, on being expofed to the air in our 

 fight, and may do fo, from various other caufes under- 

 ground. The fulphuieous fmell of the air and waters be- 

 fore and after earthquakes, in the places where they happen, 

 feems a proof that they owe their origin to fome fuch ful- 

 phureous m.atter as tins ftone ; and the rolling and defultory 

 noife of an earthquake feems alfo to (hew that it is not ex- 

 panded every way at once, but is propagated through a 

 chain of thefe fubterranean hollows. 



It is not neceflary that we fhould fuppole a continued 

 chain of them, from the place where the earthquake begins 

 to be felt to the fpot where it ends ; but if there are many 

 of them irregularly fcattered about the earth, the force cf 

 the explofiou will be fufficient to burd through the foliii 

 parts between, and open a paffage from one to the other, 

 which may continue open no longer than the force continues, 

 and after the (hock is over, clofe together again, fo as to 

 leave no trace where it was. 



Our miners not only find the natural caverns, but they 

 alfo find them often full of what they call^>r damps, which 

 are inflammable vapours, of the very nature of thofe which he 

 fuppofes to occafion earthquakes ; and when fired make the 

 fame explofions, and caufe the fame effects in a certain degree. 

 Thefe fometimes require 3 candle, or other adtual fire, to 

 come in contaft, in order to kindle them ; but fometimes 

 they are found kindled of themfelves, and flaming on the 

 furface of the waters, in the bottoms of the pits, or at the 

 fiflures of the coal. Phil. Tranf. N° I J7. 



SELGA, or Seloe, m Ancient Geography, a confiderable 

 and well-peopled town of Aiia, in Pifidia. It was co- 

 lonized from Lacedsemon. 



SELGENFELT, in Geography, a town of Pruffia, in 

 the circle of Natangen ; 3 miles S. of Konigfberg. 



SELGENTHAL, a town of Germ.any, in the circle of 

 the Lower Rhine ; 3 miles N.W. of Burken. 



RELGOV.£, in Ancient Geography, a people of Britain, 

 feated to the welt of the Gadeni, in the countries now 

 called EMcdale, Annandale, and Nithfdale, lying along the 

 fliores of the Solvvay Frith, which is believed to have de- 

 rived its name from that of this ancient Britifh nation. Mr. 

 Baxter fuppofes that the name of thefe people was com- 

 pounded of the two Britifh words Sal Giii, which fignify 

 fait waves, alluding to the SoUvay Frith, with which the 

 coalls of their country were wafhed. But Dr. Macpherfon 

 thinks it more probable, that the name was derived from 

 the Britifh word Sealg, which literally fignifies hunting, 

 and metaphorically theft. The Selgovx became firfl: ac- 

 quainted with the Romans, when Agricola marched his 

 army through their country into Caledonia, in the fecond 

 or third year of his government in Britain ; at which time 

 they made their fubmiffion to that vidtorious general. 

 From that period they were alternately under the dominion 

 of the Romans, or enjoyed freedom, as that people ex- 

 tended or contrafted the limits of their empire in this ifland. 

 The Romans had feveral ftations and camps in the country 



of 



