CAT 
CAP 
which have leaves and other ornaments, 
capitals of scidptnres. 
Capital, Tuscan, consists of three mem- 
bers, viz. an abacus, under this an ovolo or 
quarter round, and under that a neck or 
colarino, terminating in an astragal or fillet, 
belonging to the shaft. 
It is the most simple and unadorned of 
all capitals ; and the character which dis- 
tinguishes it from the Doric, is that the 
abacus is square, and quite plain without 
moulding. 
Capital, Doric, has its abacus crowned 
with a talon and three annullets under the 
ovolo. 
Capital, Ionic, that which is distinguish- 
ed by volutes and ovolos. The ovolo is 
adorned with eggs, as they are sometimes 
called from their oval form. 
Capital, Corinthian, is the richest of all, 
being adorned with a double row of leaves, 
with eight large and as many small volutes, 
situated round a body, which by some is 
called campana, or bell, and by others tam- 
bour. 
Capital, composite, that which has the 
double row of leaves of the Corinthian, and 
the volutes of Ionic capital. 
Capitals, among printers, large or ini- 
tial letters, in which titles are composed. 
The English printers some years ago 
made it a rule to begin almost every sub- 
stantive with a capital ; a custom not more 
absurd than that of using no capitals at 
all. 
Capitals, however, may very properly 
commence the first word of every book, 
chapter, letter, note, or any other piece of 
writing : the first word after a period, and, 
if the two sentences are totally indepen- 
dent, after a note of interrogation or excla- 
mation ; but if a number of interrogative or 
exclamatory sentences are thrown into one 
general group, or if the construction of the 
latter sentences depends on the former, all 
of them, except the first, may begin with a 
small letter : the appellations of the Deity : 
proper names of persons, places, streets, 
mountains, rivers, sliips ; adjectives derived 
from the proper names of places : the first 
word of a quotation, introduced after a 
colon, or when it is in a direct form ; but 
when a quotation is introduced obliquely 
after a comma, a capital is unnecessary : 
the first word of an exaihple : every sub- 
stantive and principal word in the titles of 
books : and the first word of every line in 
poetry. The pronoun I, and the interjec- 
tion O, are also written in capitals. Other 
words, beside the preceding, may likewise 
begin with capitals, when they are re- 
markably emphatical, or the principal sub- 
ject of the composition. The ancient MSS. 
both Greek and Latin, are written wholly 
in capitals. 
CAPITATION, a tax or imposition rais- 
ed on each person in consideration of his la- 
bour, industry, office, rank, &c. 
CAPITE, in law, an ancient tenure of 
land, which was held immediately of the 
king, as of his crown, either by knight’s 
service or socage. The tenure in capite 
was of two kinds, the one principal and ge- 
neral, the other special or subaltern. The 
former was of the king, the fountain from 
whence all tenures have their main origi- 
nal. The latter was of a particular sub- 
ject, so called because he was the first that 
granted tlie land in such manner, and 
hence he was styled “ capitalis dominus, 
and caput terras illius.” This tenure is now 
abolished, and, with others, turned into 
common socage. 
CAPITULATION, in military affairs, 
a treaty made between the garrison or in- 
habitants of a place besieged, and the be- 
siegers, for the delivering up the place on 
certain conditions. 
The most honourable and ordinary terms 
of capitulation are, to march out at the 
breach, with arms and baggage, drums beat- 
ing, colours flying, a match lighted at both 
ends, and some pieces of cannon, waggons, 
and convoys for their baggage, and for the 
sick and wounded. 
CAPPARIS, in botany, English caper- 
bush, a genus of the Polyandria Monogynia 
class and order. Natural order of Puta- 
mincm. Capparides, Jussieu : Essential cha- 
racter : calyx four-leaved, coriaceous ; pe- 
tals four ; stamens long ; berry corticose, 
one-celled, pedicelled. There are twenty- 
five species. This genus consists of shrubs. 
The leaves are simple, in the berry-bearing 
sorts having frequently two spines at the 
base, but in those which bear pods com- 
monly naked or bi-glandular. Flowers in a 
kind of corymb, terminating. Some of the 
species have a berry, others have a silique or 
pod for a fruit. C. spinosa, common caper- 
busli, is a low shrub, generally growing out 
of the joints of old walls, the fissures of 
rocks, aud among rubbish. It grows wild 
in the southern countries of Europe, and 
in the Levant. Dr. Smith thinks it sur- 
prising that this beautiful shrub, which is 
as common in the south of France as the 
bramble with us, should be almost unknown 
