I N T 



formation, to tKe work of Newton aliove quoted ; to 

 Stir!i:ij's " Traclatus de Summatioiie," &c. or to the 

 tranflation of the fame by Holhday, pubhfhed in 1749; 

 and to the other traas mentioned in the preceding part 

 of this article, by Lalande, Maver, &c. Sec alfo Series. 



INTERPOSED Attic. See Attio. 



INTERPOSITION, the fmiation of a body between 

 two others, fo as to hide tliem, or prevent their nAioh. 



The cclipfe of the fun i< occafioned by an intcrpofition 

 of t!ie moon between tiie fun and us; and that of the 

 moon by the interpofition of the earth between the fun and 

 moon. 



INTERPRETATION of Law depend^, on more 

 equitable and excellent principles than thofe which prevailed 

 among the Romans, who, when any doubt arofe upon the 

 conftrnction of their laws, dated the cafe to the emperor in 

 writing, and took, his opinion upon it. To interrogate the 

 legidature, fays judge Blackftone, to decide particular dif- 

 piites, is not only endlefs, but affords great room for par- 

 tiality and opprelTion. Tlie fairell and moll rational method 

 to interpret the will of the legiflator is by exploring his 

 intentions at the time when the law was made, by ilgns 

 the moil natural and probable. Thefe figns are either the 

 words, the context, the fubjed-matter, the effects and con- 

 fequence, or the fpirit and reafon of the law. Words are 

 generally- to be underllood in their ufual and moll known 

 fignitication . If words are dubious, their meaning may be 

 ellablirtied from the context. Thus the preamble often ferves 

 to aid the conftruftion of an aft of parliament; and the 

 comparifon of one law with other laws, made by the fame 

 legiflator, and bearing fome affinity or relation to the fub- 

 jfidl, will anfwer a fimilar purpofe. As to xhe fubjea-matter, 

 woi-ds are always to be underllood as having a regard to it. 

 With rcfpeft to the ejfe8s and confequince, the rule is, that 

 where words bear either none, or a very abfurd fignifica- 

 tioD, if literally underllood, we muil a little deviate from 

 the received fenfe of them. But after all, the moil uni- 

 verfal and efFeclu.il way of difcovering the true meaning of 

 a law, when the words are dubious, is by confidering the 

 nafon and f^'irit of it ; or the caufe which moved the legif- 

 lator to cnadl it. For whan this reafon ceafes, the law 

 jtfelf ought likewife to ceale with it. From tliis method 

 of interpreting laws by the reafon of them, arifcs what vi-e 

 call equity ; which fee. 



INTERPRETER, a perfon who explains the thouglitp, 

 ■words, or writings, of fome other, which before were un- 

 intelligible. 



The word interpres, according to Ifidore, is compofed of 

 the prspoiition inter, and partes, as fignifying a perlon in 

 the middle betwixt two parties, to make them mutually 

 undcrftand each other's thoughts. Others derive it from 

 inter, and pras, I. e. filejiijhr, q. d. a perfon who ferves as 

 fecurity between two others, who do not underftand one 

 another. 



There have been great debates about interpreting fcrip- 

 ture. The Romanlils contend, that it belongs abfolutely 

 to the church ; adding, that where (he is iilent, reafon 

 may be confulted ; but, where Ihe fpeaks, reafon is to be 

 difregarded- The Proteilants generally allow reafon to be 

 the fovereign judge, or i;iterpreter, though fome among 

 them have a llrong regard to fynods, and others to the 

 authority of the primitive fathers. Laftly, others have re- 

 courfe to the fpirit wiihin every perfon to interpret for them ; 

 which is what Bochart calls amiu^i! ra w/su/iKTor. It is, or 

 at leall ought to be, the fundamental principle of all Pro- 

 teilants, and indeed of all Chrillians, that every man (hould 

 interpret fcripture for himfelf, admitting no compulfory or 



INT 



controlling authority, but at the fame tinie availing himfelt 

 of ail the afPillances which others may afford for direfting 

 his inquiries and determining his judgment. " Let every 

 man," fays fcripture itfelf, «' be fully perfuaded in his own 

 mind." 



INTERREGNUM, the time during which a throne is 

 vacant, or a kingdom without a head. 



In hereditary kingdoms, as England, there are properly 

 no interregnums. (See Right cf Cuowx.) In elective 

 kingdoms, the interregnums are extremely liable to failions 

 and diforders. 



INTERREX, a magiftrate who governs during an in- 

 terregmim, or in the interval between the death of a monarch 

 and the eleftion or inauguration of his fucceflbr. 



This magiftrate was ellablilhed in old Rome, and was 

 almoft as ancient as the city itfelf. After the death of 

 Romulus there was an interregnum of a year, during which 

 the fenators were each interrex in their turn, five days 

 a-picce. 



After the eftablifhment of confuls, and a commonwealth, 

 though there were no kings, yet the name and fundlion 

 of interrex were flill preferved ; for when the magiftrates 

 were abfent, or when there was any irregularity in their 

 election, or they had abdicated, fo that the comitia could 

 not be held, provided they were unwilling to create a dic- 

 tator, they made an interrex, whole ofSce and authority 

 were to laillive days ; after which they made another. To 

 the interrex was delegated all the regal and confular autho- 

 rity,, and he performed all their funftions. He aflembled 

 the fenate, held comitia, or courts, and took care the 

 election of magiilrates was according to the rules. Indeed, 

 at llrll it was not thecuftom of the interrex to hold comitiai 

 at leaft; we have no inflance of it in the ancient Romaa 

 hiftory. . _ 



The patricians alone had the right cf elefting an interrex. 

 This office fell with the republic, when the emperors made 

 themfelves nuiflers of every thing. 



INTERRMENT, Intekmekt, or Enterment, the aft 

 of interring, i. e. burying, or laying a deceafed perfon in the 

 ground. See Bukial. 



The excommunicated are not to be interred in holy, /. e. 

 in confccrated ground. The ancients did not inteir tiicir 

 dead; they burnt tlicm, as the Indians do at this day. See 

 Burning. 



The Abyflinians, in lieu of interring their dead, fliut them 

 up in the bodies of trees, dug hollow for this purpofe. 



Gardeners alfo interr, or earth up, celery, endive, and 

 lettuce, to blanch, or whiten, and make them the tenderer. 



To interr wild flocks in ditches, is what Columella calls 

 deponere femina fcrobibus. There are fome feeds, as willows, 

 olives, &c. which grow very well, by interring their trun- 

 cheons, i. e. cutting a truncheon, or piece, off at both ends, 

 and planting it in the ground ; which is vshat the Latins 

 call iiihumare taleas, talis ferere. 



INTERROGATE, a judiciary ail, performed by a 

 judge, or commilfioner deputed to examine or quefliona 

 party ; who firll gives his oath, that he will anfwer truly to 

 every thing he is interrogated. 



INTERROGATION, \n Rhetoric See Erotesis. 

 As to the difference between interrogation and a^clanmtion, 

 (which fee) we may obferve, that interrogations are often 

 employed with propriety in the courfe of no highc r emotions 

 than naturally arife in purfuing fome clofe and earned rea- 

 foning ; whcrea*exclamations belong only to drongcr emo- 

 tions of the mind, asfurprife, admiration, auger, joy, grief, 

 and the like. Both interrogation and exclamation, and all 

 pallionatc figures of fpecch, being natural figns of a movtd 

 O o 2 and 



