U R I 



U R I 



named ; but we refer to the article defcriptive of the cauft 

 of fo llrange a fiftion. 



The name of Vrihafpati occurs often in tlie Vedas ; a 

 proof of the early age of the perfon, whoever he was, that 

 firft bore the name. He had a daughter named Romafa, 

 married to the king Bhavayavya ; but we have no particulars 

 of their hiftory. Angiras, one of the holy perfons to whom 

 the Veda was revealed, is fometimes called father of Vrihaf- 

 pati ; other authorities fay Devala was his father. 



In the Ramayana, Vrihafpati is called Vachafpati, and 

 noticed as proverbial for eloquence. The name may be 

 tranflated lord of fpeech. See Vac ii. 



\J RIM and T/jummim, ^''^r^ D'Tltf. q- d. light and 

 perfeflion, the name of a kind of ornament belonging to 

 the habit of the Jewilh high-priell ; in virtue of which he 

 gave oracular anfwers to the people. 



The high prielts of the Jews, we are told, confulted God 

 in the moil important affairs of their commonwealth, and re- 

 ceived anfwers by the urim and thummim. What thefe 

 were is difputod among the critics : fome take them to be 

 the twelve precious iloues in the prieft-plate of the high- 

 prieft, on which were engraven the names of the twelve 

 tribes of Ifrael ; and they maintain that the oracle gave its 

 anfwer to any queftion propofed, by caufing fuch letters in 

 them to (liine with fuperior luftre, or to appear prominent 

 above tlic reil, as formed the words of the anfwer ; or by 

 an audible divine voice pronouncing the words, the high- 

 prieft was prevented from milfaking the anf.ver. .Jofcphus, 

 and fome others, imagine, the anfwer was returned by the 

 ftones of the bieaft-plate appearing with an unufual hiftre, 

 when it was favourable, or in tlie contrary cafe, dim. Others 

 fuppofe, that the urim and thummim were fomethingenclofed 

 between the folding of the breail -plate ; this fome will have 

 to be the tetragrammaton, or the word nin'> Jehovah. 

 Chriftophorus de Caftro, and after him Dr. Spencer, main- 

 tain them to be two little images fhut up in the doubling 

 of the breail -plate, which gave the oracular anfwer from 

 thence by an articulate voice. Accordingly, they derive 

 them from the Egyptians, who confulted their lares, and 

 had an oracle, or teraphim, which they called truth. This 

 opinion, however, ha? been fufficiently confuted by the 

 learned Dr. Pococke, Comment, on Hoiea, chap. iii. 4. and 

 by Witfius in his jEgyptiaca, lib. ii. cap. 3. 10, 11, 12. 

 The more common opinion among Chridians concerning the 

 oracle by urim and thummim, and which Dr. Prideaux 

 efpoufes, is, that wlien the high-prielt appeared before 

 the veil, clollicd with his ephod and breall-plate, to a(lc 

 counfel of God, the aniwer was given with an audible voice 

 from the mercy-feat, within tlie veil : but, it has been ob- 

 fcrved, that this account will by no means agree with the 

 hiftory of David's confulling the oracle by Abiathar ; 

 I Sam. xxiii. 9. 11. chap. xxx. 7, 8. bocaufe the ark, on 

 which was the mercy-feat, was then at Kirjathjearim ; where- 

 as Davic! was In tlio one cale at Ziklag, and in the other in 

 the foivll of Hareth. Braunius and Hottinger have adopted 

 another opinion : tliey fupjxjfe, that wlien Mofes is com- 

 manded to put in the breall-plate the urim and thummin, 

 fignifyiiig li^^hls and pcrfedioiis in the plural number, it was 

 meant that lie fiaould make choice of the moll perfeft fet of 

 llones, and have them fo jiolilhed as to give the brightell 

 luftre : and on this hypothelis, the ufe of the urim and 

 thummim, or of thefe exqnifitely polilhed jewels, was only 

 to be a fymbol of the divine prefence, and of the light and 

 pcrfeftion of the proplietic infpiration : and as fuch, con- 

 Ilantly to be worn by the high-priell in the cxercife of his 

 lacred fundtion, cfpccialiy m confulling tlie oracle. See 



Prideaux's Connexion, vol. i, p. 123, &c. Jfnningj'i 

 Jewilh Ant. vol. i. p.233, &c. 



Diodorus Siculu'J relates, that there was alfo a ceremonv 

 in ufe among the Egyptians, whole priacipal minifter cf 

 jullice wore a collar of precious Hones about his neck, which 

 was called ccP.r^ux, or truth. 



URIMA, in Anciiril Geography, a town of Afia, fituated 

 on the wellern bank of the Euphrates, S.E. of Samofata. 



URIMAO, in Geography, a town of Mexico, in the 

 province of Mcchoacan ; 35 miles N. of Zacatula. 



URINAL, in Domcjlic Economy, a vefTel fit to receive 

 and hold urine ; and ufed accordingly for the conveniency of 

 lick perfons. It is ufually of glafs, and crooked ; and 

 fometimes it is tilled with milk, to ali'uage the pain of the 

 gravel. 



Urinal, in Chemtjlry, is an oblong glafs veflcl, ufed for 

 making fohitions, and lo called from its refemblance to tlio 

 glaifes in which urine is fet to fettle, for the inl'peftion of tlie 

 phylician. 



URIN.'IRIUM, in Agriculture, a name fometimes ap- 

 plied to a fort of refervoir, or place conftrutled in the 

 ground for the reception of urine, and the liquid matters dif- 

 charged from the ftables, cattle-lheds, pig-ftie3, and other 

 places fituated about the farm -yard. 



It may be noticed, that a balon or receptacle of this nature 

 is elTentialto every well-contrived farm-yard ; as by blending « 

 vegetable, earthy, and other fimilar materials with thefc 

 hquids, a vaft iiicreafe of valuable manure may be readily 

 and conveniently provided. Thefe bafons (liould always be 

 formed in the molt (hady parts of fuch yards or places, and 

 be well connected with the buildings dellined for the horfes, 

 cattle, pigs, and other forts of live-Hock. In particular 

 fituations, too, they may be fo contrived as to be capable of 

 being dilchargod and thrown over the grals-lands that may lie 

 below them. An uleful and well-contrived cavity or refer- 

 voir of this fort is defcribed by Mr. Pew in the feventh volume 

 of the Bath Letters and Papers, in which the cow and other 

 cattle-ftalls are faid to be placed on the fide of a nap, or fmall 

 elevation ; and that, by means of gutters formed behind, the 

 liquor is conveyed into a link or drain, which runs under tlip 

 liable, where,by the help of another drain or link, it meets with 

 the liable liquor ; and thefe, with that from the pig-Hies, run 

 through an under-ground drain into the receptacle or refer- 

 voir. It is the pradtice of tlie proprietor, it is faid, to put 

 all forts of refule vegetable and animal matters into tliis re- 

 ceptacle, where it quickly rots ; and when the weather turns 

 moill, he has il llirred well up with poles, when it is dif- 

 charged over a meadow that lies below, or any particular 

 part of it, by means of trenches cut for the purpofe, which 

 is in this way rendered, it is ad'erled, allonilliingly fertile and 

 productive, as well as much more early than even watircd 

 lands. It is fuggelled, further, that this plan might he ex- 

 tended, by having the ftables, in fuch cales, placed on llie 

 centres of the knolls, as in this cafe three or fiur ri'fcrvoirs 

 might be formed ; and that by Hopping fome drains, and 

 opening others, the Huid contents might be diredcd one year 

 to one lidc and another year to another fide, as circumllanccs 

 might render necefldry. 



Thefe kinds of reiervoirs are fometimes fo fituated in ro 

 fpedt to the dung-Heads, as to have pumps fixed in them for 

 throwing the urine and liquid matters over the manure heaps, 

 as by that means much walte of fuch matters is prevented, 

 and the dung greatly improved. Befides, in this way, fuch 

 fluid materials can be the n.oll readily difperfed over dilfi'^vnt 

 forts of rich earthy fubllances, and the increale of manure 

 3 U 2 be 



