V I R 



V I R 



large as in the firft or fecoiid fpecies. Calyx finely filky, 

 with ftiallow divifions. Petals blue ; the Jlandarit much paler 

 than the reft. Stamens fmooth. Germen \eTY filky.- 



5. V. lulea. Yellow American Virgilia. Purdi n. I 



" Leaflets alternate, ovate, (liort-pointed, fmooth. Clufters 

 elongated, pendulous. Legumes ilalked, flat." — On moun- 

 tains between Georgia and TennafTee. A handfome tree, 

 much like our Laburnum, flowering in June. The bark 

 gives a beautiful yellow dye. Purjlj. 



VIRGILIAN Husbandry. See Husbandry. 

 VIRGILIANiE SoRTEs. See Sortes. 

 VIRGIN, Virgo, a female who has had no carnal com- 

 merce with a man ; or, more properly, who has ilill the 

 jlos -virginis, or maidenhood. 



By the Mofaic law, the priefts are enjoined to take none 

 to wife but thofe that are virgins ; the widow, the divorced, 

 and the harlot, are to be refrained from. 



In the Roman breviary there is a particular office for virgins 

 departed, anfwering to thofe of faints, martyrs, and confeiFors. 

 Virgin is alfo applied, by way of eminence, to Mary the 

 mother of our Saviour. 



Many of the fathers, with the modern churches, hold, 

 that the Virgin not only conceived, but brought forth, or 

 was delivered without breach of her virginity ; otherwife, 

 faith St. Augulline, it would be falfe which is faid in the 

 creed, that he was born of a virgin. It is even alleged 

 that (he ilill remained a virgin to the end of her life ; 

 whence the Greeks always called her <xu TafSsro;, ever 

 Virgin Mary ; and after them the Latins, femper virgo. 

 Though, as tliis is not recorded in Holy Wnt, many have 

 denied it, and held that (he had afterwards to do with 

 Jofeph, and bore other children ; and this as early as the 

 time of Origen. Tertulliau hiiiifelf is produced as one that 

 denied the perpetual virginity ; and the like may be faid of 

 ApoUinaris and Euuomius, with their followers. See An- 

 TiDicoMARiANiTES and Helvidians. 



Virgin, Charily of the Holy. See Charity. 

 Virgin, Nativity of the. See Nativity. 

 Virgin, Prefcntation of the. See Presentation. 

 Virgins of Love. See Mission. 



Virgin is alfo applied, figuratively, to feveral things that 

 retain their abfolute purity, and have never been made ufe of. 

 Thus, 



Virgin Copper. See Copper. 

 Virgin Gold. See Gold. 

 Virgin OH. See Virgin Oil. 

 Virgin Parchment. See Parchment. 

 Virgin Quickfilver, is that found perfeAIy formed, and 

 fluid in the veins of mines ; or at leaft fuch as is got from 

 the mineral earth, by mere lotion, without fire. 

 Virgin Sulphur. See Sulphur. 

 Virgin Wax. See Virgin Wax. 

 Virgin'^ Bower, in Botany. See Clematis. 

 The leaves and flowers of the upright virgin's bower, or 

 clematis ercBa of Linnxus, called alfo Jlammula Jovis, and 

 diilinguiflied by its pinnated oval leaves and ercft ftalk, are 

 extremely acrid ; the former, when frefh, raifing bhllers on 

 the part to which they are applied. 



This is one of the new medicines introduced by Dr. 

 Stoerck. He has publilhed feveral cafes of its efficacy in 

 cancerous, venereal, and other malignant ulcers, obilinate 

 pains of the head and bones, inveterate itch, and other dif- 

 cafes proceeding from peculiar acrimony. It was ufed in- 

 ternally, in iiifufion of the flowers or haves, and cxtracl of 

 the plants ; and the powder was fpnnkled 011 the ulcers ex- 

 ternally, where it was found to adt as a moll excellent eiclia- 

 rotic and detergent. 



The medicine ia faid to haif proved diuretic to fome pa- 

 tients, and fudorific to others, but rarely to have moved the 

 belly. Small dofes, of only half a grain of the extraft, and 

 lialf a drachm of the dried leaves in iiifufion, were at iirft ex- 

 hibited, which were gradually increafed. Lewis. 



Virgin'^ Mili, in the Materia Medico, is a name given 

 to a folution of benzoin in fpirits, mixed with twenty times 

 its quantity, or more, of water, which renders it milky. 



It is faid to be of great fervice in diforders of the bread, 

 for refolving obftruftions of the pulmonary vefTels, and pro- 

 moting expeftoration. It is alfo ufed as a cofmetic. 

 Virgin'j Milk. See Virgin's Milk. 

 Virgin'j Thread, a fort of meteor that flies in tlie air, 

 like fmall untwifted filk, and which falhng upon the ground, 

 or open plants, changes itfelf into a fubllance like a fpider's 

 web. 



In thefe northern climates it is moft frequent in fummer ; 

 the days being then temperately warm, the earth not ex- 

 ceeding dry, nor yet overcharged with moiilure. 



This has formerly palled for a fort of dew of an earthy 

 flimy nature ; but naturalills are now agreed, that the vir- 

 gin's threads are no other than fo many fpiders' webs. 



Virgin, Cape, in Geography, a cape on the S.E. coaft of 

 South America, at the entrance into the Straits of Magellan. 

 It was fo called by Magellan, becaufe he difcovered it on the 

 feall of St. Urfula. S. lat. 52° 24'. W. long. 67= 52'. 



Virgin IJlands, a group of iflands in the Weft Indies, E. 

 of Porto Rico, extending 60 miles in length and upwards o£ 

 36 in breadth ; dangerous to navigators, though in the midlt 

 of them there is a bafin, 18 or 20 miles long, and 9 or 12 

 broad, in which fliips may anchor and be fheltered from all 

 winds, called the " Bay of Sir Francis Drake," from his 

 having pafled through them to St. Domingo. Some have 

 erroneoufly fuppofed that the name was beftoived upon them, 

 in 1580, by fir Francis Drake, in honour of queen liliiia- 

 beth ; but the faft is, that thefe iflands were named " Laa 

 Virgines" by Columbus himfelf, who difcovered them in 

 1493, and gave them this appellation, in allufion to the well- 

 known legend in the Romiih church of the 1 1 ,000 virgins. 

 After having been long iicglefled by the Spaniards, they 

 were vifited in 1596 by the earl of Cumberland, in his way 

 to Porto Rico ; and the hillorian of that voyage dcfcribeS 

 them as " a haunt of little illands, wholly uninhabited, fandy, 

 barren, and craggy." The whole group comprehends about 

 40 illands, iflets, and keys, and they are at prefent divided 

 between the Englilh, the Spaniards, and Danes. The Eng- 

 li(h hold Tortola, and Virgin-Gorda, called Pennifton, and 

 corruptly Spaiiifh-Town, in which arc two very good har- 

 bours ; Jofvaii Dykes, Guana ifle, Beef and Thatch illands, 

 Anegada, Nicker, Prickly Pear,Camane's, Ginger, Cooper's, 

 Salt ifland, Peter's ifland, and feveral others of httle value. 

 The Danes poflefs Santa Cruz, or Sta. Croix (which fee), 

 St. Thomas, with about twelve fmaller dependent iflands, 

 and St. John, having the bell harbour of any ifland to the 

 leeward of Antigua : and the Spaniards claim Crab ifland, 

 tiie Green or Serpent ifland, the Tropic Keys, and Great 

 and Little Pafl^age. Thofe iflands which now belong to 

 tlie Brilifli government wire firll polfefled by a j'arty of 

 Dutch Buccaneers, who fixed themfelves at Tortola (whidi 

 fee), and the Englifli title has remained. The colony 

 ilruggled with diiriculties until the year 1773 ; when a 

 petition was prefented to his majelly, reqiielling that 

 the governor and council might be permitted to franw 

 proper laws for their government and welfare ; pledging 

 themfelves, in fuch cafe, to grant to his m.ijelly, liis licirs 

 and fucctli'ors, an impofl of 45 per cent., in fpecic, upon all 

 commodities the growth of thele iflands, fjmilar to that which 

 H h 2 was 



