EAR 
1-75 EAR 
growth, the aft of growing up foon in comparifon with 
other things of the fame kind.—The goodnefs of tlie 
crop is great gain, if the goodnefs anfwer the earline/s of 
coming up. Bacon. 
E ARL'STON, or Earsilton, a town of Scotland, in 
Berwickfhire, feated on the river Leader, thirty-five miles 
fouth-eaft of Edinburgh. It is the birth-place of the ce¬ 
lebrated- Thomas the Rhymer, whofe real name was 
Thomas Lermont: the ruins of the little tower lie pof- 
feffed, hill remain at the wed end of the town. A little 
helow Earlfton, on a rocky bank overlooking the Leader, 
Hands Cowdenknows, an ancient building, now fomevvhat 
modernized ; and on the adjacent knolls may be feen the 
remains of its br-oom, fo renowned in Scottifh lore. 
EAR'LY, adj. [aejt, Saxon, before. ] Soon with refpeft 
to fomething eife : as, in the morning, with refpeft to the 
fun in time, with refpeft to creation ; in tire feafon, in 
comparifon with other produfts.—Sicknefs is yarly old 
age : it teaches 11s diffidence in our earthly ftatbj and in- 
fpires us with thouglits of a future. Pope. 
I am a tainted wether of the flock, 
Meeted for death : the weakeft kind of fruit 
Drops earlkfl to the ground, and fo let me. Shahefpearc. 
EAR'LY, aA. Soon; betimes.—The princefs makes 
he’r ifliie like herfelf, by indilling early into their minds 
religion, virtue, and honour. Addfon. 
None in more languages can (hew 
Thofe arts, which you fo early know. Waller. 
“ Early to bed, and Early to rife, 
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wife.” 
This proverbial didich is addveffed to every clafs of in¬ 
dolent perfons ; and efpecially to thofe nocturnal revel¬ 
lers, ganieders, and drunkards, who convert the night 
into day, and finally bring upon them mental imbecility, 
poverty, and difeafe. 
“The Early bird catches the worm;” or,The cow 
that’s fird up gets the fird of the dew. Or, “Early 
fow, Early mow.”—Thefe proverbs are fo many admo¬ 
nitions to rifing early, and well-fpending the day. 
“ It EarlY pricks that will be a thorn.”—Spoken of 
the inclinations and tendencies of children which are foon 
to be difcovered, and confequentiy eafy to be provided 
againd, if attended with an earned, deady, and philan¬ 
thropic, mind. The Latins fay : Protinus apparct, qui ar. 
bores frugifera; futura. 
To EARN, v. a. [eajiman, Sax.] To gain as the re¬ 
ward or wages of labour; or any performance.—Thofe 
that have joined with their honour" great perils, are lefs 
[object to envy; for men think that they earn their ho¬ 
nours-hardly. Bacon. —The great expence of the poor 
takes ifp almodall their earnings. Locke. —To obtain, as a 
confequence of aftion : 
To do the aft, that might th* addition earn, 
Not the world’s mafs of vanity could make me. Shakefp. 
EARN, a river of Scotland, which fifes in Loch Earn, 
nd joins the Tay, a little below Perth. 
EARNE, a lake of Ireland, in the county of Ferma¬ 
nagh, thirty miles in lefigth. It is qarrovv in. the middle ; 
and in tfiis part is an ifland on which dands Innilkilling. 
To EARNE, v. n. now Yearn ; [from gyjrnan, Sax.] 
To have a great longing ; to feel great anxiety. Spenjer. 
EAR'NEST, adj. [eopiney”c, Sax. ] Ardent in any af¬ 
fection ; warm ; zealous; importunate.—He which pray- 
eth in due fort, is thereby made the more attentive to 
hear ; and he which heareth, the more earnejl to pray. 
Hooker. —Intent; fixed; eager; 
On that profpeft drange 
Their earnejl eyes they fix’d ; imagining, / 
For one forbidden tree, a multitude 
Now ris’n, to work them further woe or fiiame. Milton. 
Serious ; important. Some fay in earnejl, not in jejl. — 
They whom earnejl lets do often hinder from being par- 
„ ' 4 
takers of the whole, have yet this the length of div'ne 
fervice, opportunity for accefs unto fume reafonable part 
thereof. Hooker. 
EAR'NEST, f. Serioufnefs; a ferious event, not a 
jeft; reality; not a feigned appearance.—The main bu- 
finefs and earnejl of the world is money, dominion, and 
power. L’EJlrangc. 
Nor can I think that God, Creator wife! 
Though threal’ning, will in earnejl fo deftroy 
Us, his prime creatures. Milton. 
\_Ernitz penge, Dan. arm, Fr.] Pledge;, handfel ; fir ft 
fruits ; token 6f fomething of the fame kind in futurity. 
—The apoftles term it the handfel or earnejl of that which 
is to come. Hooker. —It may be looked upon as a pledge 
and earnejl of quiet and tranquillity. Smalridge. 
Which leader ffiall the doubtful vift’ry blefs, 
And give an earnejl of the war’s fuccefs. Waller. 
' EAR'NEST, f. in law, money paid in part of a larger 
fum, or part of the goods delivered, on any contraft, See. 
which being done by way of earned, the property of the 
goods is abfolutely bound by it: and the buyer may re¬ 
cover the goods by aftion, as well as the vendor may the 
price of them. And by the datuteof frauds, 29 Car. II. 
c.3. no contraft for fale of goods, to the value of ten 
pounds or more, to be valid, unlefs inch earned is made 
or given. 
E AR'NESTLY, cdu. Warmly; affeftionately ; zeal- 
oufiy ; importunately ; intenfely.— Earvcjlly Evoke the 
goodnefs and power of an .ill-merciful and almighty God. 
--Eagerly ; deliroufly : 
Mv foul, more family releas'd 
Will outdrip her’s ; as bullets flown before, 
A latter bullet may o’ertake, the powder being more. 
Donne. 
EAR'NESTNESS, f. Eagernefs; warmth ; vehe¬ 
mence ; impeiuofity : 
Marcus is over warm ; his fond complaints 
Have To much earnejlnefs and paffio-n in them, 
I hear him with a fecret kind of horror, 
And tremble at his vehemence. Addifon. 
Solemnity; zeal; ferioufnefs.—There never was a charge 
maintained with fuch a fliew of gravity and earnejlnefs, 
which had u (lighter foundation to fupp'ort it. Atterbury. 
.—Solitude ; care ; intenfenefs.—Withoverdraining, and 
earnejlnj's of fuddling their pieces, they often did them 
more harm than good. Dryden. 
EARSH,/. [from err, to plough.] An arable field, 
fro hi which the corn has been cat and carried, and the 
ftubble only remains. See Stubble. 
Fires oft are good on barren earjhes made, 
With crackling flames to burn the ftubble blade. May. 
EAR'SHOT,y. Reach of .the ear ; fpace within which 
words may be heard.—Gomer^dand you out of earfnet: 
I have fomething to fay to your wife .in private. Dryden. 
EARTH, J'. [eojYC, Sax.] Soil; terrene matter : 
The fmiling god is feen ; wh-ile- water, earth, 
And air, atted his bounty. Thomfon. 
The terraqueous globe ; the world.—This folid globe 
we live upon is called the earth ; which word, taken in 
a more limited fenfe, dignifies fuch parts of this globe as 
are capable, being expofed to the air, to give rooting 
and nouriffiment to plants, fo that they may dand and 
grow in it. Locke. 
Nought fo vile that on the earth doth live, 
But to the earth fome fpecialgood doth give. Shakefp. 
Different modification of terrene matter/ In this fenfe it 
has a plural ; as in the different genera of earths, viz. 
boles, clqys, marls, ophers, Sc c.— Earths are opake, in- 
fipid, ana, when dried, friable, or confiding of parts eafy 
to feparate, and foluble in water; not difpofed to burn, 
flame s 
