V I s 



V 1 s 



only while the perfon himfelf moves round, but, which is 

 more furprifing, it alfo continues for fome time after he 

 ceafes to move, when the eye, as well as the objeft, is at 

 abfolute reft. 



The reafon why objefts appear to move round the con- 

 trary way, when the eye turns round, is not fo difficult to 

 explain : for though, properly fpeaking, motion is not feen, 

 as not being itfelf the immediate objeft of fight, yet by the 

 fight we eafily know when the image changes its place on 

 the retina, and thence conclude that either the objeft, or 

 the eye, or both, are moved. But by the fight alone we 

 can never determine how far this motion belongs to the 

 objeft, hov/ far to the eye, or how far to both. 



If we imagine the eye at reft, we afcribe the whole motion 

 to the objeft, though it be truly at reft. If we imagine 

 the objeft at reft, we afcribe the whole motion to the eye, 

 though it belongs entirely to the objeft : and when the eye 

 is in motion, though we are fenfible of its motion, yet if we 

 do not imagine that it moves fo fwiftly as it really does, we 

 afcribe only a part of the motion to the eye, and the reft of 

 it we afcribe to the objedt, though it be truly at reft. 



This laft, fays Dr. Porterfield, is what happens in the 

 prefent cafe, when the eye turns round ; for though wc are 

 fenfible of the motion of the eye, yet we do not apprehend 

 that it moves fo faft as it really does ; and, therefore, the 

 bodies about appear to move the contrary way, as is agree- 

 able to experience. 



But the great difficulty ftiU remains, -viz. why, after 

 the eye ceafes to move, objefls ftiould, for fome time, ftill 

 appear to continue ia motion, though their piftures on 

 the retina be truly at reft, and do not at all change their 

 place. 



This, Dr. Porterfield imagined, proceeds from a miftake 

 with refpeft to the eye, which, though it be abfolutely at 

 reft, we nevrthelefs conceive it as moving the contrary way 

 to that in which it moved before ; from which miftake, with 

 refpeft to the motion of the eye, the objefts at reft will 

 appear to move the fame way which the eye is imagined to 

 move ; and confequently will feem to continue their motion 

 for fome time after the eve is at reft. Porterfield on the 

 Eye, vol. ii. p. 422. 424. 



Visible Horizon, Place, and Species. See the fubftantives. 



VISIER, Vizier, or f^ijir, an officer or dignitary in 

 the Ottoman empire, of which there are two kinds ; the 

 firft called by the Turks -vijir azem, that is, grand -vifr, 

 firft created in 1370, by Amurath I., in order to eafe him- 

 felf of the chief and weighter affairs of the government. 



The grand, or prime "vifir, is the prime minifter of ftate 

 of the whole empire, and prefides at the divan, or great 

 council. Being the lieutenant of the fultan, in whofe name 

 he governs, and from whom he holds the feal, invefted with 

 the grcateft authority, and entrufted with all the power of 

 execution, the vifir may ftrike off the heads of perfons re- 

 ceiving falaries who oppofe the progrefs of the government, 

 who throw obftacles in the way of its adminiftration, who 

 do not obey its orders, or do not execute them according 

 to its pleafure ; he commands the armies in perfon ; he dif- 

 pofes of the finances ; he names, or caufes perfons to be 

 named, to all the adminiftrative and military employments. 

 Nothing, in a word, is foreign to his powers, but the inter- 

 pretation of the law entrufted to the ulemas. 



But the greater the power of the grand vifir, the greater 

 is his refponfibility. He is accountable, both to the fove- 

 reign and to the people, for the afts of injuftice which he 

 commits, for the unfortunate refult of his adminiftration, 

 for the extortions which he does not reprefs ; he is account- 

 able, above all, for the unexpefted dearnefs of provifions, for 



too frequent fires, and for the defeats of the armies ! all the 

 misfortunes of the ftate are attributed to him. The fnrord, 

 always fufpended over his head, ftrikes him equally whether 

 he difpleafe the people, or difobhge the fultan. 



In the frequent cxcurfions which he makes incog, in the 

 city, for the purpofe of having an eye to good order, of 

 informing himfelf of the ftate of the articles of food, 

 examining the weights and meafures, and infpefting the 

 conduft of agents appointed for the diftribution of provi- 

 fions, the vifir, accompanied by a public executioner, and 

 fome officers difguifed like himfelf, orders delinquents to 

 be apprehended and puniftied on the Ipot : he calls out, if 

 neceflary, the guard of the quarter ; he direfts the baftinado 

 to be given to the ftiop-keepers who vend aliments of bad 

 quality ; he caufes him who is found with falfe weights to 

 be nailed by the ear againft the door of the ftiop ; he even 

 punifties with death relapfes or malverfations of too ferious 

 a nature. During fires, he orders to be ftruck off the head 

 of the thief caught in the very faft ; but, in thofe cafes, 

 the law has pronounced before-hand the penalty of death. 

 Charged to liften to the complaints of individuals, to caufe 

 juftice to be done to all, the vifir cannot, under any pre- 

 text, difpofe legally of the life and fortune of citizens. It 

 is not that he does not too frequently abufe his authority ; 

 it is not that he does not fometlmes yield to perfidious 

 advice, that he docs not fuffer himfelf to be led away by 

 motives of hatred and revenge, that the thirft of gold does 

 not impel him to arbitrary afts ; but woe be to him if his in- 

 juftice be too revolting ! When he too frequently puts 

 himfelf above the laws, the people, in their turn, trample 

 him under foot, unlefs the fultan be expeditious in adminif- 

 tering juftice. Thus circumftanced, it is extremely rare for 

 a vifir to grow old in the poft which he occupies. 



The title of vifir is giveji to all the pachas with three tails. 

 Six of thefe ordinary vifirs, whofe reputation for wifdom 

 and intelUgence was univerfally allowed, formerly compofed 

 the divan or council of the grand vifir. The vifir a(ked 

 their opinion when he thought it neceffary. Soon after the 

 acceffion of Selim to the throne, he compofed this council 

 of twelve perfons the moil diftinguiftied by their office. 

 The vifir and the mufti are prefidents of it ; the one in his 

 quality of lieutenant-general of the empire for tem.poral 

 affairs ; the other as vicar of the fultan for the interpretation 

 and depofitory of the laws. The other ten members are 

 the kiaya-bey, the reis-effendi, the tefterdar-effendi, the 

 tchelebi-effendi, the terfana-emini, the tchiaoux-bachi, two 

 ex -reis-effendi, and two ex-tefterdars-effendi. See Bashaw, 

 Bey, Kiaya-bey, &c. 



The firft of thoie above enumerated is the lieutenant of 

 the vifir ; the fecond is fecretary of ftate, or high chancellor 

 of the empire ; the third is the minifter of the finances ; the 

 fourth is the receiver-general of the tax on wine, eatables, 

 and moft articles of merchandize, and the adminiftrator of 

 thefe funds, &c. ; the fifth is the minifter of marine ; the 

 fixth fecretary of ftate. 



Renegado Chriftians have been fometimes raifed to the 

 vifirate; fuch were Khairedain, furnamed Barbaroffa ; Ulug 

 All, Cuproli, &c. 



VISIGAPATAM, in Geography, a town of Hin- 

 dooftan, in the circar of Cicacole, on the coaft. Near the 

 town is a pagoda, dedicated to monkeys, which abound in 

 the neighbourhood : they are fed by the priefts, and regu- 

 larly affemble at certain hours ; 50 miles S.W. of Cicacole. 

 N. lat. 17° 40'. E. long. 83° 30'. 



VISIGNANO, a town of Iftria; 11 miles N. of 

 Rovigno. 



VISINA, a town of Iftria ; 42 miles S.E. of Umago. 



VISION, 



