AUT 
AUT 
ble at the same time f he adds, that “ the 
great accumulation of electric matter seems 
to lie beyond the verge of our atmosphere, 
as estimated by the cessation of twilight.” 
However the height of these meteors, none 
of which appear to have ascended so high 
as 100 miles, is trivial, compared with the 
elevations above ascribed to the aurora bo- 
realis. But as it is difficult to make such 
observations on this phenomenon, as are 
sufficient to afford a just estimate of its alti- 
tude, they must be subject to considerable 
variation, and to material error. 
It is not improbable, that the highest 
regions of the aurora borealis are the same 
with those in which fire-balls move ; more 
especially as Dr. Blagden informs us, that 
instances are recorded, in which the nor- 
thern lights have been seen to join, and 
form luminous balls, darting about with 
great velocity, and even leaving a train be- 
hind like the common fire-balls. This in- 
genious author, however, conjecturing that 
distinct regions are allotted to the electri- 
cal phenomena of our atmosphere, assigns 
the appearance of fire-balls to that region 
which lies beyond the limits of our crepus- 
cular atmosphere ; and a greater elevation 
above the earth to that accumulation of 
electricity in a lighter and less condensed 
form, which produces the '-wonderfully di- 
versified streams and coruscations of the 
aurora borealis. 
AUSTRAL, something relating to the 
south : thus the six signs on the south side 
of the equinoctial are called austral signs. 
AUTER fois acquit, in law, a plea made 
by a criminal that he has been already ac- 
quitted of the same crime, with which he 
is charged. There are likewise pleas of 
auter fois convict and attaint, that he has 
been before convicted of the same felony. 
AUTHENTIC, something of acknow- 
ledged and received authority. In law it 
signifies something clothed in all its for- 
malities, and attested by persons to whom 
credit has been regularly given. Thus, we 
say, authentic papers, authentic instru- 
ments. In music, authentic is a term ap- 
plied to four of the church modes or tones, 
which rise a fourth above their dominants, 
which are always a fifth above their finals ; 
in this distinguished from the plegal modes, 
which fall a fourth below their finals. Thus 
when an octave is divided arithmetically ac- 
cording to the numbers 2, 3, 4, that is, 
when the fifth is flat, and the fourth sharp, 
the mode or tone is called authentic, in 
contradistinction to the plegal tone, where 
the octave is divided harmonically by the 
numbers 3, 4, 6, which makes the fourth a 
flat, and the fifth a sharp. 
AUTHORITY, in a general sense, sig- 
nifies a right to command, and make one’s 
self obeyed. 
Authority, in law, signifies a power 
given by word, or writing, to a second per- 
son to act something, and may be by writ, 
warrant, commission, letter of attorney, 
&c. and sometimes by law. An authority 
given to another, to do what a person him- 
self cannot do is void ; and it must be for 
doing a thing that is lawful, otherwise it 
will be no good authority. 
Authority is represented in painting, like, 
a grave matron sitting in a chair of state, 
richly clothed in a garment embroidered 
with gold, holding in her right hand a 
sword, and in her left a sceptre. By her 
side is a double trophy of books and arms. 
AUTOGRAPHUM, the very hand writ- 
ing of a person, or the original manuscript 
of a treatise or discourse. Autographa, or 
original manuscripts of the New Testament, 
are the copies written by the apostles, or 
by amanuenses under their immediate 
inspection. St, Paul seems generally to 
have adopted the latter mode ; but to pre- 
vent the circulation of spurious epistles, he 
wrote the concluding benediction with his 
own hand. The early loss of the autogra- 
pha of the New Testament affords matter 
of surprise, when it is known that the ori- 
ginal manuscripts of Luther, and other emi- 
nent men who lived at the time of the re- 
formation are still subsisting. 
AUTOMATUM, or Automaton, an 
instrument, or rather machine ; which, by 
means of springs, weights, &c. seems to 
move itself,, as a watch, clock, &c. Such 
also were Archytus’s flying dove, Regio- 
montanus’s wooden-eagle, x&c, See An- 
droides. 
AUTUMN, the third season of the year, 
when the harvest and fruits are gathered in. 
Hence, in the language of the Alchemists, 
it signifies the time when the philosophers’ 
stone is brought to perfection. 
Autumn is represented, in painting, by a 
manat perfect age, clothed like the vernal, 
and likewise girded with a starry girdle; 
holding in one hand a pair of scales equally 
poized, with a globe in each ; in the other, 
a bunch of divers fruits and grapes. His 
age denotes the perfection of this season, 
and the balance, that sign of the zodiac 
which the sun enters when our autumn 
begins. 
