2 i6 a I M 
fpurious varnifh-tree of the Japanefe : but it is clear that 
lie was miftaken ; for the leaves of that tree are entire, 
and have none of thole Angular glands which are found 
in this; nor does the ailanthus yield any juice. It is a na¬ 
tive of China; and was firlt railed in England by Mr. 
Miller and Philip Carteret Webb, Efq. about the year 
1751, from feeds fent over by Father d’lncarville. With 
us it has hitherto produced only male flowers; at Paris 
and Leyden it has borne female flowers and fruit, but the 
fruit has not ripened. Some years it bears only male flow¬ 
ers; but about twice in ten years it has both male and fe¬ 
male flowers, in France. 
AILE, f [of the French aieul, avus, a grandfather.] In 
law, is a writ that lies, where a man’s grandfather, or great 
grandfather (called befaile), being feized of lands and te¬ 
nements in fee-fimple on the day that he died, a flranger 
abateth or entereth the fame day, and dilpolfelles the heir 
-of his inheritance. F. N. B. 
AILIN G^part. adj. Sickly; full of complaints. 
AILMENT, f. Pain; difeafe. 
AILMER, or TEthelmare, earl of Cornwall and 
Devonfhire, in the reign of king Edgar. It is not known of 
what family he was. His authority and riches were great, 
and fo alfo was his piety. He founded the abbey of Cerne, 
in Dorfetlhire; and had fo great a veneration for Ead- 
wald, the brother of St. Edmund the Martyr, who had 
lived a hermit in that country, near the Silver Well, as 
they called it, that, with the ailiftanceof archbifliop Dun- 
ftan, he tranflated his relics to the old church of Cerne. 
AILRED, or Eelred, abbot of Revefby in Lincoln- 
fhire, in the reigns of Stephen and Henry II. He was born 
in 1109, of a noble family, and educated in Scotland with 
Henry the fon of king David. On his return to England, 
he became a monk of the Ciitertian order, in the monaf- 
tery of Revefby, of which he afterwards was made abbot. 
He died on the 12th of January 1166, agtd 57, and was 
buried in his monaftery. “ He was (fays I.eland) in great 
elleem during his life; celebrated for the miracles wrought 
after his death ; and admitted into the catalogue of faints.” 
His principal work is the Speculum Ckaritatis. I.eland, 
B ile, and Pits, mention feveral manuferipts of his writing, 
which never were publiflied. 
AILS A, an infulated rock on the weflern coaft of Scot¬ 
land, between the fhores of Airihire and Cantire. It is 
two miles in circumference at the bafe, is acceflible only 
at one place, and rifes to a great height in a pyramidical 
form. A few goats and rabbits fubiift among the fhort 
grafs and furze ; but the importance of tire rock confifls 
in the great variety and boundlefs numbers of birds, by 
which it is frequented, particularly the gannets or folan- 
geefe, whofe young are ufed at the bed tables, and bring 
a good price. Other birds are caught for their feathers. 
The depth of water around the bale is from feven to for¬ 
ty-eight fathoms. It is furrounded with excellent banks, 
well flocked with cod and other white fifli. 
To AIM, v.n. [It is derived by Skinner from efmer, to 
point at.] To endeavour to ftrjke w r ith a miflive weapon ; 
to direft towards ; with the particle at: 
Aim’Jl thou at princes, all amaz’d they faid. Pope. 
To point the view, or direct the fleps towards any thing ; 
to tend towards; to endeavour to reach or obtain : with to 
formerly, now only with at. —Religion tends to the eafe 
and pleafure, the peace and tranquillity, of our minds, 
which all the wifdom of the world did always aim at, as 
the utmoft felicity of this life. Tillotfon. 
To Aim, v. a. To direft the miflile weapon; more par¬ 
ticularly taken for'the aft of pointing the weapon by the 
eye, before its difmiflion from the hand. 
Aim,/ The direftion of a miflile weapon. The point 
to which the thing thrown is directed. In a figurative 
fenfe, a purpofe; a fcheme; an intention; adefign: 
But fee how oft ambitious aims are croft, 
And chiefs contend till all the prize is lofl. Pope. 
A I R 
The objeft of a defign; the thing after which any one 
endeavours. Conjecture; guefs. 
There is a hiftory in all men’s lives, 
Figuring the nature of the times deceas’d ; 
The which obferv’d, a man may prophefy, 
With a near aim, of the main chance of things. Shakefpcare. 
AINSWORTH (Dr. Henry), an eminent nonconformifl: 
divine, who, abourthe year 1590, diftinguilhed himfelf 
among the Brownifts; which drew upon him fuch trou¬ 
bles, that he was obliged to retire to Holland, and became 
minifterofa church at Arnflerdam. His lkill in the He¬ 
brew language, and his excellent Annotations on the Ho¬ 
ly Scriptures, which are frill highly efleemed, gained him 
great reputation. His learned produftions were efleemed 
even by his adverfaries, who, while they refuted his ex¬ 
travagant tenets, yet paid a proper deference to his abili¬ 
ties. But nothing could have effect upon him, or make 
him return home: fo he died in exile. His death was 
fudden, and not without llifpicion of violence: for it is 
reported, that, having found a diamond of great value, he 
advertifed it; and when the owner, who was a Jew, came 
to demand it, he offered him any gratuity lie would de¬ 
fire. Ainfworth, though poor, requefled only of the 
Jew, that he would procure him a conference with fome 
of his rabbis upon the prophefies of the Old Teflament 
relating to the Mefliah, which the Jew promifed; but, not 
having intereflto obtain fuch a conference, it was thought 
that he contrived to get Ainfworth poifoned. He was 
undoubtedly a perfon of profound learning, and deeply 
read in the works of the rabbis. He had a flrong under- 
flanding, quick penetration, and Wonderful diligence. 
He publiflied occafionally feveral treatifes, many of which 
made a great noife in the word. 
Ainsworth (Robert), born at Woodyale in Lanca- 
fliirein 1660, was mailer of a boarding-fehool at Bethnal- 
green, from whence he removed to Hackney, near Lon¬ 
don. After acquiring a moderate fortune, he retired, 
and lived privately till the time of his death, which hap¬ 
pened in 1743. We are indebted to him for the beft La¬ 
tin and Englifh Dictionary extant: he publiflied it in 
quarto, 1736; and in 1732, the fourth edition, underthe 
care of Dr. Ward of Grefham college, and the Rev. Wil¬ 
liam Younge, was enlarged to two vols. folio. He had 
a turn for Latin and Englifh poetry, as well as for anti¬ 
quities ; and fome fingle Angle poems of his have been 
printed in each of thofe languages. He died at London 
the 4th of April 1743, aged-eighty-three years, and was 
buried, according to his own defire, at Poplar. 
AIR, / [azV, Fr. a'er, Lat.] The element encompaf- 
flng the terraqueous globe. See Aerology. Theftateof 
the air; or the air confidered with regard to health. Air 
in motion; a fmall gentle wind : 
Let vernal airs through trembling ofiers play. 
And Albion’s cliffs refound the rural lay. Pope. 
Scent; vapour. Blaft; peftilential vapour.—Stinks which 
the noflrils ftraight abhor are not the moft pernicious, but 
fuch airs as have fome fimilitude with man’s body; and fo 
infinuate themfelves, and betray the fpirits. Bacon. —Any 
thing light or uncertain ; that is as light as air. The open 
weather; air unconfined. Vent; utterance; emiflion in¬ 
to the air. Publication; expofure to the public view and 
knowledge.—I am forry to find it has taken air, that I 
have fome hand in thefe papers. The mien, or manner of 
a perfon; the look. An affefted or laboured manner or 
geflure ; as, a lofty air, a gay air. Airs in horfemanfhip, 
denote the artificial or praftifed motions of a managed 
horfe. 
To Air, v. a. To expofe to the air; to open to the air. 
—Fleas breed principally of ffraw or mats, where there 
hath been a little moifture, or the chamber and bed-ftraw 
kept clofe, and not aired. Bacon. —To gratify, by enjoy¬ 
ing the open air, with the reciprocal pronoun.—As I was 
airing 
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