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food, m order that he might verify the 
truth of his prophecy. 
CARDIN AL, in a general sense, an ap- 
pellation given to things on account of their 
pre-eminence : thus we say, cardinal winds, 
cardinal virtues, &c. 
The cardinal virtues are these four, jus- 
tice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude, 
upon which all the rest hinge. 
Cardinal points, in cosmography, are 
the four intersections of the horizon with 
the meridian, and the prime vertical circle. 
Of these, two, viz. the intersections of thp 
horizon and meridian, are called north and 
south, with regard to the poles they are di- 
rected to. The other two, viz. the inter- 
sections of the horizon and first vertical, 
are called east and 'West. The cardinal 
points therefore coincide with the four car- 
dinal regions of the heavens, and are 90° 
distant from each other. The intermediate 
points are called collateral points. 
Cardinal signs, in the zodiac, are Aries, 
Libra, Cancer, and Capricorn. 
Cardinal, more particularly, signifies 
an ecclesiastical prince in the Romish 
church, being one who has a voice in the 
conclave at the election of a Pope. The 
cardinals were originally nothing more than 
deacons, to whom was entrusted the care 
of distributing the alms to the poor of the 
several quarters of Rome ; and as they 
held assemblies of the poor in certain 
churches of their several districts, they 
took the title of these churches. They be- 
gan to be called cardinals in the year 300, 
daring the pontificate of St. Sylvester, by 
which appellation was meant the cliief 
priests of a parish, and next in dignity to a 
bishop. This office grew more considerable 
afterwards, and by small degrees arrived at 
its present height, in which it is the reward 
of such as have served his holiness well, 
even princes thinking it no diminution of 
their honour, to become members of the 
college of cardinals. 
The cardinals compose the Pope’s coun- 
cil, and till the time of Urban VIII. were 
styled most illustrious ; but by a decree of 
that Pope in 1630, they had the title of 
eminence conferred upon them. 
At the creation of a new cardinal, the 
Pope performs the ceremony of shutting 
and opening his mouth, which is done in 
a private consistory. The shutting his 
mouth, implies the depriving him of the 
liberty of giving his opinion in congrega- 
tions ; and the opening his mouth, which 
is performed fifteen days after, signifies 
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the taking off this restraint. However, 
if the Pope happens to die during tlie 
time a cardinal’s mouth is shut, he can 
neither give his voice in the election of a 
new Pope, nor be himself advanced to that 
dignity. 
The privileges of the cardinals are very 
great : they have an absolute power in 
the' church during the vacancy of the holy 
see : they have a right to elect the new 
Pope, and are the only persons on whom 
the choice can fall: most of the grand 
offices in the court of Rome are filled by 
cardinals. The dress of a cardinal is a 
red sourtanne, a rochet, a short purple 
mantle, and a red hat. When they are 
sent to the courts of princes, it is in qua- 
lity of legates a latere ; and when they 
are appointed governors of towns, their 
government is called by tlie name of lega- 
tion. 
CARDING, the combing and preparing 
of wool, cotton, flax, &c. with the instru- 
ments called cards. 
CARDIOID, in the higher geometry, an 
algebraical curve, so called from its re- 
scmiblance to a heart. 
CARDIOSPERMUM, in botany, a ge- 
nus of the Octandria Trigynia class and or- 
der. Natural order of Trihilat®. Sapindi, 
Jussieu. Essential character: calyx four- 
leaved ; petals four ; nectary four-leaved, 
unequal ; capsules three, cornate, inflated. 
There are three species, all of them natives 
of warm countries. They are annual, and 
perish soon after they have perfected then' 
seeds. They do not thrive witli us, ex- 
cepting in a stove. 
CARDIUM, in natural history, the 
cockle, a genus of worms of the order Tes- 
tacea ; animal a tethys ; shell bivalve, near- 
ly equilateral, eqnivalve, generally convex, 
longitudinally ribbed, striate or grooved, 
with a toothed margin ; hinge wdth two 
teeth near the beak, and a larger remote 
lateral on each side, each locking into the 
opposite. There are nearly 60 species. 
CARDUUS, in botany, English thistle, a 
genus of the Syngenesia Polygamia dSqualis 
class and order. Natural order of Compo- 
site Capitatae. Cinarocephal®, Juss. Essen- 
tial character : calyx ovate, imbricate, with 
spiny scales ; receptacle hairy. There are 
fifty-one species. Little need be said of 
this genus ; nature having made abundant 
provision for their increase, by annexing to 
their seeds alight down, which makes them 
readily float in the air, and scatters them 
wide over the neighbouring fields. As they 
