,8 A B G 
i-61 to x. —Other improvements have fince been made on 
the new c-r achromatic telefcopes by the inventor Mr. 
John Dollond, and by his fon Peter Dollond; which fee 
at large under the article Optics. 
Aberration, (Crown of,) is a luminous circle fur¬ 
rounding the real diflc of the fun, and depending on the 
aberration of the folar rays, whereby his apparent diame¬ 
ter is enlarged. 
To ABERUNCATE, v. a. [averunco, Lat.] To pull up 
by the roots; to extirpate utterly. 
ABERYSTWITH, a market-town of Gardiganfhire, 
in Wales, feated on the Ridal, near its confluence with 
ihe Iftwith, where it falls into the lea. It is a populous 
and rich town, and has a great trade in lead, and a conli- 
derable fifliery of whiting, cod, and herrings. It was 
formerly furrounded with walls, and fortified with a caf- 
tle; but both are now in ruins. It is 30 miles diftant 
from Cardigan, and 203 fouth-weft of London. Lat 52. 
30. Ion. 4. o. W. 
ABESTA,yi the name of one of the facred books of 
the Perlian magi, which they afcribe to their great founder 
Zoroafter. The abefta is a commentary on two others of 
their religious books called Zend and Pazend; the three 
together including the whole fyftem of the Ignicold or 
worfhippers of fire. 
To ABET, v.a. [from betan, Sax. fignifyingto enkindle 
or animate.] To pulh forward another, to fupport him in 
his defigns by connivance, encouragement, or help. It 
was once indifferent, but is almoft always taken by mo¬ 
dern writers in an ill fenfe. 
ABETMENT, f. The a£t of abetting. 
ABETTER, or Abettor, f. Hethatabets; thefup- 
porter or encourager of another.—In law, it implies one 
who encourages another to the performance of fome cri¬ 
minal adtion. Abettors of murder, are fuch as com¬ 
mand, procure, or counfel, others to commit a murder; 
and, in cafe they are prefent when the murder is commit¬ 
ted, they fliall be taken as principals, but if abfent at the 
time of committing the fa£t, they fliall be confidered as 
acceffaries only. Treafon is the only crime in which 
abettors are excluded by law, every individual concerned 
being confidered as a principal. 
ABEX, a country in Africa, bordering on the Red 
Sea. It is fubjedl to the Turks, and has the name of the 
Beglerbeg. of-Habeleth. It is about five hundred miles in 
length and one hundred in breadth, and is a w'retched bar¬ 
ren country. The heat here is almoft infupportable, and 
the air is fo unhealthy, that an European cannot ftay long 
in it without the utmoft hazkrd of his life. It is very 
mountainous, and there are many more wild beafts than 
men. Here are forefts, in which grow a great number of 
ebony-trees. 
ABEYANCE, f. [law-term, from buyer, Fr. to ex- 
pe£t,] is that which is in expectation, remembrance, and 
intendment, of the law. By a principle of law', in every 
land there is a fee-fimple in fomebody, or elfe it is in abey¬ 
ance-, that is, though for the prefent it be in no man, yet 
it is in expectancy belonging to him that is next to enjoy 
the land. Thus if a man be patron of a church, and pre- 
fenteth a clerk to the fame, the fee of the lands and tene¬ 
ments pertaining to the rectory is in the parfon: but if the 
parfon dies, and the church becometh void, then is the 
fee in abeyance, until there be a new parfon prefented, in- 
ftituted, and indudted. 1 Inji. 342. And though where 
no perfon is feen or knowrn in whom the inheritance can 
veft, it may be in abeyance, as in a limitation to feveral 
perfons, and the furvivor, and the heirs of fuch furvivor, 
becaufe it is uncertain who will be furvivor: yet the free¬ 
hold cannot, becaufe there muft be a tenant to the prsecipe 
always. 1 Vezcy, 174. 
ABGAR, or Abgarus, a name given to feveral of 
the kings of Edefla in Syria. The moft celebrated of them 
is one who, it is faid, w>as,cotemporary with our Saviour; 
and who having a diftemper in his feet, and hearing of 
Chrilt’s miraculous cures, reguefted him by letter to come 
A B H 
and cure him. Eufebius, who believed that this letter 
was genuine, and alfo an anfwer our Saviour is faid to 
have returned to it, has tranfiated them both from the 
Syriac, and afferts that they were taken out of the ar¬ 
chives of the city of Edefla. The firft is as follows:— 
“ Abgarus, prince of Edefla, to Jefus the holy Saviour, 
who hath appeared in the flefti in the confines of Jerufa- 
lem, greeting. I have heard of thee, and of the cures 
thou haft wrought without medicines or herbs. For it is 
reported thou makeft the blind to fee, the lame to w'alk, 
lepers to be clean, devils and unclean fpirits to be expelled, 
fuch as have long been difeafed to be healed, and the dead 
to be railed; all which when I heard concerning thee, I 
concluded with myfelf, That either thou waft a god come 
down from heaven, or the Son of God lent to do thefe 
things. I have therefore written to thee, befeeching thee 
to vouchfafe to come unto me, and cure my difeafe. For 
I have alfo heard that the Jews ufe thee ill, 'and lay fnares 
to deftroy thee. I have here a little city, pleafantly fitua- 
ted, and fufficient for 11s both. Abgarus.” To this 
letter, Jefus, it is faid, returned an anfwer by Annanias, 
Abgarus’s courier; which was as follows: “ Blefled art 
thou, O Abgarus: who haft believed in me whom thou 
haft not feen; for the fcriptures fay of me, They who 
have feen me have not believed in me, that they who have 
not feen, may, by believing, have life. But whereas thou 
writeft to have me come to thee, it is of necefiity that I 
fulfill all things here for which I am fent; and having fi- 
nifhed them, to return to him that fent me: but when I 
am returned to him, I will then fend one of my dilciples 
. to thee, who fliall cure thy malady, and give life to thee 
and thine. Jesus.” After Chrift’s afcenlion, Judas, who 
is alfo named Thomas, fent Thaddeus, one of the feventy, 
to Abgarus; who preached the gofpel to him and his peo¬ 
ple, cured him of his diforder, and wrought many other 
miracles: which was done, fays Eufebius, A. D. 43.— 
Though the above letters are acknowledged to be fpurious 
by the candid writers of the church of Rome; feveral 
Proteftant authors, as Dr. Parker, Dr. Cave, and Dr. 
Grabe, have maintained that they are genuine, and ought 
not to be rejected. 
ABGILLUS (John), furnamed Prefter-John, was fon 
to a king of the Frifcii; and, from the aufterity of his 
life, obtained the name of Prejler, or Prieft. He attended 
Charlemagne in his expedition to the Holy Land; but, in- 
ftead of returning with that monarch to Europe, it is pre¬ 
tended that he gained mighty conquefts, and founded the 
empire of the Abyflines, called, from his name, the em¬ 
pire of Prefter-John. 
ABGREGATION,yi \abgregatio , Lat.] A feparation 
from the flock. 
ABHEL,yi in botany, a name given to the flirub called 
Savin. 
ABHER, Habar, or Ebher, a city of Perfian-irak, 
or ancient Parthia, with a fmall river of the fame name 
running through the middle of it, which makes it very 
pleafant. Itsmofques, bazars, inns, &c. are elegant, and 
their gardens are of immenfe extent. It contains 2500 
houfes, and is governed by a deroga. Lat. 36. 14. N. Ion. 
50. 59. E. 
To ABHOR, v. a. \abhorreo, Lat.] To hate with acri¬ 
mony; to deteft to extremity; to loath ; to abominate. A 
church-of-England man abhors the humour of the age, in 
delighting to fling fcandals upon the clergy in general; 
which, befides the difgrace to the reformation, and to reli¬ 
gion itfelf, calls an ignominy upon the kingdom. Swift. 
ABHORRENCE, or Abhorrency, f. The a£t of 
abhorring, deteftation; the difpofition to abhor, hatred. 
The firft tendency to any injuftice that appears, muft be 
fupprefled with a /how of wonder and abhorrency in parents 
and governors. Locke. 
ABHORRENT, adj. Struck with abhorrence; loath¬ 
ing; contrary to; foreign; inconfiftent with. It is ufed 
with the particles from or to, but more properly with from. 
—This I conceive to be an hypothefis, well worthy a ra- 
3 tional 
