A B 5 
the warlike nations that once covered the face of the coun¬ 
try : the natural philolopher will have a noble field for ob- 
fervation in the fiupendous monuments that rife on all 
fides. Monte-corno and Majella are among the'molt inte- 
refting; the firft is,like an aged monument of. nature, bald, 
and horribly broken on every afpedt: from various ap¬ 
pearances, it is evident that its bowels contain many valua¬ 
ble veins of metallic ore; but the great difficulty of accefs 
renders the fearch of them almoft impracticable. Majella 
has other merits, and of a gayer kind:—nature has clothed 
its declivities and elevated fields with an infinite variety of 
her molt precious plants; vulnerary herbs grow there in as 
great perfection as on the Alps of Swiflerland, and are 
applied by the natives to wounds with equal fuccefs. 
ABSALOM, the fon of David by Maacah, was bro¬ 
ther to Thamar, David’s daughter, who was ravifhed by 
Amnon their eldeft brother by another mother. Abla- 
lom waited two years for an opportunity of revenging the 
injury done to his filter; and at laft procured the aflaflin- 
ation of Amnon at a feaft which he had prepared for the 
king’s fons. He took refuge with Talmai king of Gelhur ; 
and, was no fooner reftored to favour, but he engaged the 
Ifraeikesto revolt from his father. Abfalom was defeated 
in the wood of Ephraim : as he was flying, his hair caught 
hold of an qak, where he hung till Joab came and thruft 
him through with three darts. David had exprefsly or¬ 
dered his life to be fipared; and he lamented his death 
extremely. 
ABSCESS,/. [ abfeeffus , Lat.] in furgery, a cavity con¬ 
taining pus; or, a gathering of matter in a part; fo called, 
becaufe the parts which were joined are now feparated; 
one part recedes from another, to make way for the col¬ 
lected matter. For the cure, fee Surgery. 
To ABSCIND, v. a. To cut off, either in a natural or 
figurative fenfe. \ 
ABSCISSA, [Lat.] Part of the diameter of a conic 
feftion, intercepted between the vertex and a femi-ordi- 
nate. 
ABSCISSION,/ [ abfcijjio , Lat.] The aCl of cutting 
off. The date of being cut off. 
To ABSCOND, v n. \_abfcondo, Lat.] To hide one’s 
felf; to retire from the public view: generally ufed of 
perfons in debt, or criminals eluding the law.—The mar- 
motte or mus alpinus, which abfeonds all winter, lives on 
its own fat: for in autumn, when it fhuts itfelf up in its 
hole, it is very fat; but, in the fpring-time, when it comes 
forth again, very lean. Ray. 
ABSCONDER,/ The perfon that abfeonds. 
ABSCONSA, / a dark lanthern ufed by the monks at 
the ceremony of burying their dead. 
ABSENCE, / [ abfentio , Lat.] The (late of being abfent, 
oppofed to prefence. Inattention, heedleffnefs, negledt of 
the prefent objeft. Want of appearance in a legal fenfe. 
-—Abfence is of a fourfold kind or fpecies. The firft is a 
neceffary abfence, as in banifhed perfons; this is entirely 
neceffary. A fecond, neceffary and voluntary ; as, upon 
the account of the commonwealth; or in the fervice of 
the church. The third kind the civilians call a probable 
abfence■ as, that of Undents on the fcore of fludy. And 
the fourth, an abfence entirely voluntary; as, on the ac¬ 
count of trade, merchandife, and the like. Some add a 
fifth kind of abfence , ..which is committed cum dolo & culpa, 
by a man’s non-appearance'on a citation ; as, in a contu¬ 
macious perfon, who, in hatred to his contumacy, is, by 
the law, in fome refpedts, reputed as a perfon prefent. 
Aylijfe. 
ABSENT, adj. \abfens, Lat.] Not prefent. Abfent in 
mind, inattentive; regardlefs of the prefent objetd. It is 
ufed with the particle/m; 
In fpring the fields, in autumn hills I love; 
At morn the plains, at noon the fliady grove; 
But Delia always: abfent from her fight, 
Nor plains at morn, nor groves at noon delight. Pope, 
A B S 
3 * 
To Absent, v. a. To withdraw, to forbear to come in¬ 
to prefence: 
Go—for thy flay, not free, abfents thee more. Milton, 
ABSENTANEOUS, adj. Relating to abfence; abfent. 
ABSENTEE,/. He that is abfent from his ftation or 
employment, or country, A word ufed commonly with 
regard to Irifhmen living out of their country,—Then was 
the firfl: ftatute made againft abfentees, commanding all fuch 
as had land in Ireland, to return and reiide thereupon. 
Davies.. —A great- part of eflates in Ireland are owned by 
abfentees, and fuch as draw over the profits raifed out of 
Ireland, refunding nothing. Child. 
ABSINTL 1 IATED, part, [from abfnthium, Lat. worm¬ 
wood.] Imbittered," impregnated with wormwood. Bar¬ 
tholin mentions a woman whofe milk was become abiin- 
thiated, and rendered as bitter as gall, by the too liberal 
ufe of wormwood. 
Vinum abfinthites, or poculum alfntfriatum, “wormwood 
wine,” is much fpoke of among the ancients as a whole- 
fome drink, and even an antidote againft drunkennefs- 
Ray makes it a preventative of venery. It is made by in¬ 
filling the leaves of the plant in wine; but, according to 
Fehr, it ought to be prepared by fermentation, in order 
to correft the crudities, and call forth a volatile fait; which 
laft, however, does not exift in wormwood. Some prefer 
the dittiiled water; but whatever virtues wormwood pof- 
feffes reiide entirely in its effential oil. 
ABSINTHIUM,/ in botany. See Artemisia, A- 
chillea, Anthemis, Parthenium, Senecio, Tana- 
CENTUM. 
ABSIS, / in aftronomy, the fame with Apsis. 
To ABS 1 ST, v. n. \_abffo, Lat.] To Hand off, to leave off. 
To ABSOLVE, v.a. \_abfolvo, Lat. ]' To clear, to acquit 
of a crime in a judicial fenfe. To fet free from an engage¬ 
ment or promife. To pronounce fin remitted, in the ec- 
clefiaftical fenfe: 
But all is calm in this eternal fleep; 
Here grief forgets to groan, and love to weep; 
E’en fuperftition lofes every fear; 
For God, not man, abfolves our frailties here. Pope. 
ABSOLUTE, adj. \_alfolutus, Lat.] Complete; applied 
as well to perfons as things. . Unconditional; as, an abfo¬ 
lute promife. Not relative; as, abfolute fpace.—An abfo- 
lute mode is that which belongs to it's fubjeft, without re- 
fpedt to any other beings whatfoever; but a relative' mode 
is derived from the regard that one being has to others. 
Watts .— In this fenfe we fpeak of the ablative ca ‘it abfolute 
in grammar. Not limited; as, alfolute power. Pofitive; 
certain; without any hefttation. In this fenfe it rarely 
occurs. 
Absolute, in metaphyfics, is more particularly un- 
derftood of a being or thing which does not proceed from 
any caufe, or does notfublift by virtue of any other being, 
confidered as its caufe; in which fenfe, God alone is ab¬ 
folute. Abfolute, in this fenfe, is Synonymous with inde¬ 
pendent, and ftands oppofed to dependent. 
Absolute alfo denotes a thing’s being free from con¬ 
ditions or limitations; in which fenfe, the word is fynony- 
rnous with unconditional. We-fay, an abfolute decree, abjo- 
lute promife, abfolute obedience. 
Absolute Government, adj. that wherein the 
prince is left folely to hi? own will, not being limited to 
the obfervance of any laws except th'ofe oi his own dis¬ 
cretion. 
Absolute Eqjjation, in aftronomy, is the aggregate 
of the optic and eccentric equations. The apparent ine¬ 
quality of a planet’s motion ariiing from its mat being 
equally diftant from the earth atall times,, is called its op¬ 
tic equation, and would fublift even if the planet’s real 
motion were uniform. The eccentric.inequality is cabled 
by the planet’s motion being uniform. To iiiuftrate whkh, 
conceive the lun to move, or to appear to move, in the 
circumference 
