22 
A B L 
pute flill fubfifts among their refpg'Stive followers. The 
chief reafon alleged by the former is, that the Roman 
writers often joined Greek words with the Latin prepofi- 
tions, which govern ablative cafes, as well as with nouns 
of the lame cafe. To which their opponents anfvver, that 
the Latins anciently had no ablative themfelves; but inftead 
thereof, made ufe, like the Greeks, of the dative cafe: 
till at length they formed an ablative, governed by prepo- 
fitions, which were not put before the dative : that, at firft, 
the two cafes had always tire fame termination, as they flill 
have in many inftances: but that this was afterwards 
changed in certain words. It is no wonder then, that the 
Latins fometimes join prepofitions which govern an abla¬ 
tive cule, or nouns in the ablative cafe, with Greek da¬ 
tives, fince they were originally the fame; and that the 
Greek, dative has the fame effeil as the Latin ablative. 
ABLE, adj. \habile , Fr. kahilis, Lat. fkilful, ready.] 
Having ftrong faculties, or great ftrength or knowledge, 
riches or any other power of mind, body, or fortune. Hav¬ 
ing power (ufticient; enabled.—Before a verb, with the 
particle to, it fignifies generally having the power. Wrath 
is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to (land 
before envy > Prov. xxvii. 4.—With for it is not often nor 
very properly ufed. 
Able, or Abel (Thomas), chaplain to queen Catha¬ 
rine confort to Henry VIII. diflinguifhed himfelfby his zeal 
in oppofing the proceedings againlt that unfortunate prin- 
cefs for a divorce. He took the degree of batchelor of 
arts at Oxford on the 4th of July, 1513, and that of maf- 
ter of arts on the 27th of July, 1516. In 1534 he fell un¬ 
der a profecution for being concerned in the affair of 
Elizabeth Barton, called the Holy Maid of Kent. This was 
an infamous impoftor, fuborned by the monks to ufe fome 
ffrange gefticulations, and to pretend to infpiration by the 
fpirit of prophecy; and fo well did (lie acl her part, that 
fome people of confequence gave credit to her; but being 
at lad detected, die was- condemned and executed, after 
difeovering the names of her principal accomplices and 
inftigators. On her account Able was accufed of mifpri- 
fon of treafon, by flat. 25 Henry VIII. and, being alfo 
one of thofe who denied the king’s fupremacy over the 
church, he was apprehended and imprifoned; during 
which time his confinement was fo rigorous, that the keep¬ 
er of Newgate was committed to the Marfhalfea prifon for 
fuffering him to go out upon bail. He was afterwards 
hanged, drawn, and quartered, at Smithfield, in 1540. 
To Able, v. a. To make able; to enable, which is the 
word commonly ufed. 
ABLE-BODIED, adj . Strong of body.—It lies in the 
power of every fine woman, to fecure at lead half a do¬ 
zen able-bodied men to his majefty’s fervice. Addifon. 
ABLECTI, in Roman antiquity, a feleift body of fol- 
diers chofen from among thofe called Extraordinarii. 
7 b ABLEGATE, v. a. [ ablego, Lat.] To fend abroad 
upon fome employment; to lend out of the way. 
ABLEGATION, f. The aft of fending abroad. 
ABI.EGMINA,yi in Roman antiquity, thofe choice 
parts of the entrails of victims which were offered in facri- 
fice to the gods. They were fprinkled with flour, and 
burnt upon the altar; the priefts pouring fome wine on 
them. 
ABLE,NESS, f Ability of body or mind, vigour, force. 
ABLEPSY, /! Gr.] Want of fight, blind- 
nefs; unadvifednefs. 
ABLIGURITION ,f [ abliguritio , Lat.] Prodigal ex¬ 
pence on meat and drink. 
ABI.IGATE, v. a. [from abligo, Lat.] To tie up from. 
To AELOCATE, v. a. [abloco , Lat.] To let out to 
hire.—Perhaps properly by him who has hired it from 
another. 
ABLOCATION,y. A letting out to hire. 
ABLOE, a town of Little Tartary, between the river 
Dnieper and the Black Sea. Lat. 46. 20. N. Ion. 33.15. E. 
To ABLUDE, v.n. \_abludo, Lat.] To be unlike. 
ABLUENT, adj. [_abluens } Lat. from abluo, to wa(h 
ABO 
away. ] That which wafhes clean; that which has the pow¬ 
er of cleanfing. 
ABLUTION, f. \_abluiio, Lat.] The a£l of cleanfing, 
or waffling clean. The water ufed in waffling : 
Waffl’d by the briny wave, the pious train 
Are cleans’d, and caff th’ ablution3 in the main. Pope. 
The rinfing of chemical preparations in water, to diffolve 
and wafli away any acrimonious particles. 
Ablution, in a religious lenfe, a ceremony in ufe 
among the ancients, and flill pjaltifed in feveral parts of 
the world: it confided in waffling the body, which was 
alwaysdonebefore facrificing, or even entering their houfes. 
—Ablutions appear to be as old as any ceremonies, and ex¬ 
ternal worfliip itfelf. Mofes enjoined them; the heathens 
adopted them; and Mahomet and his followers have con¬ 
tinued them: thus they have got footing among mod 
nations, and make a confiderable part of many eftabliffied 
religions. The Egyptian priefts had their diurnal and 
nocturnal ablutions; the Grecians their fprinklings; the 
Romans their luftrations and lavations; the Jews their 
waffling of hands and feet, befide their baptifms. The 
ancient Chriftians had their ablutions before communion; 
which the Romiffi church dill retain before their mafs, 
fometimes after: the Syrians, Cophts, See. have their fo- 
lemn walkings on Good-Friday: the Turks their greater 
and Idler ablutions; their Gliaft and Wodou, their Aman, 
Taharat, &c.—The Indians practife ablution, and have a 
high veneration for the waters of the Ganges. But as they 
cannot at all times be near enough to wafli themfelves in 
its facred waters, the bramins tell them that all other wa¬ 
ters will have the fame virtue, if, whillt they are bathing", 
they pronounce thefe wrnrds, “ O Ganges, purify me.” 
No doubt ablutions might be deligned to reprefent in¬ 
ward purity; but they were at the fame time calculated 
for the preferv.ation of health. However whimfical thefe 
walkings may appear to fome, few things would tend more 
to prevent difeafes than a proper attention to many of them. 
Were every perfon, for example, after vifiting the lick, 
handling a dead body, or touching any thing that might 
convey infection, to wafli before he went into company, 
or lat down to meat, he would run lefs hazard of catching 
the infeflion himfelf, or of communicating it to others. 
ABNAKIS, atribeof Indians between Canada and New 
England, who diffike labour, and prefer hunting and fiffi- 
ing to tillage. 
To ABNEGATE, v. a. \_abnego, Lat.] To deny. 
ABNEGATION, f. \_abncgatio, Lat. denial, from abne- 
go, to deny.] Denial, renunciation. 
ABNER, the foil of Ner, father-in-law to Saul, and 
general of all his forces, who ferved him on all occafions 
with fidelity and courage. After the death of that prince, 
Abner fet Iffibofiieth, Saul’s fop, on the throne. A war 
breaking out between the tribe of Judah who had elected 
David king, and Ifrael, Abner marched againft that prince 
with the flower of his troops, but was defeated. Abner 
afterward, being difguifed, went over to David, and dif- 
pofed the chiefs of the army and the elders of Ifrael to 
declare for him; and was received by David with fuch tef- 
timonies of affedion, as gave umbrage tojoab, who kill¬ 
ed him traiteroufly. 
ABNODATION,yi jabnodatio, Lat.] The ad of cut ■ 
ting away knots from trees: a term of gardening. 
ABNORMOUS, adj. [abnormis , Lat. out of rule.] Ir¬ 
regular, misfhapen. 
ABO, a maritime town in Sweden: it is the capital of 
the province of Finland, and lies upon the point where the 
gulphs of Bothnia and Finland unite. It is a good port; 
and is the fee of abiftiop, fuffragan of Upfal. It has an 
univerfity; founded by queen Chriftina in 1640, and en¬ 
dowed with the fame privileges as that of Upfal. There 
is alfo a fchool here, which was founded by Guftavus 
Adolphus, for 300 fcholars. This town is tolerably well 
built, and contains feveral brick buildings; but the gene¬ 
rality are of wood painted red. The inhabitants export 
linen. 
