112 
C H A 
monly followed the armies of all the Celtic nations; 
The covinus was a war-chariot, and a very terrible in- 
ftrument of deftrudtion; being armed with fcythes and 
hooks for cutting and tearing all who ftood in its way. 
The effedum and rheda were alfo war-chariots, probably 
of a larger iize, defigned for containing a charioteer, and 
two warriors for fighting. The far greater number of 
the Britiffi war-chariots feem to have been of this kind; 
and, as Csefar relates, were found in fuch numbers among 
the Britons, that Caffibelanus, after difmifling all his 
other forces, retained no fewer than 4.000 war-chariots 
about his perl’on. The fame author relates, that, by con¬ 
tinual experience, they had arrived at fuch perfec¬ 
tion in the management of their chariots, that, “ in the 
mod; fteep and difficult places, they could flop their 
horles upon full ftretch, turn them which way they 
pleafed, run along the pole, reft on the harnefs, and 
throw themlelves back into their chariots, with incredible 
dexterity. .We find, in the heathen mythology, that 
chariots were fometimes confecrated to the fun j and the 
lcripture informs us, that Jofiah burnt thofe which had 
been offered up to the fun by his predeceffors. This fu- 
perftitious cuftom was in imitation of the heathens, and 
principally of the Perfians, who had horfes and chariots 
confecrated in honour of the fun. Herodotus, Xeno¬ 
phon, and Quintus > CUrtius, lpeak of white chariots 
crowned, that were, confecrated to the fun, among the 
Perfians, which, in their. ceremonies, were drawn by 
white horfes confecrated to the fame luminary. 
Triumphal CHA'RIGT, was one of the principal orna¬ 
ments of the celebration of a vidtory. The Roman tri¬ 
umphal chariot was generally made of ivory, round like 
a tower, or rather of a cylindrical figure ; it was gilt at 
the top, and ornamented with crowns 5 and, to reprefent 
a vidtory more naturally, they often ftained it with blood. 
It was ufually drawn by four white horfes; but often- 
timesby lions, elephants, tygers, bears, leopards, dogs, &c. 
CH ARIQUIL', a town of Perfia, in the province of 
Irak Agemi: ninety miles fouth-eait of Amadan. 
CHARISA'SAR, a town of Alia in the country Can- 
daliar: fifteen miles north-eaft of Candahar. 
CHARIOTE'ER, f He that drives the chariot. It is 
ufed onlyun fpeaking of military chariots, and thofe in 
the ancient public games : 
The burning chariot, and the charioteer , 
In >bright Bootes and his wane appear. Addifoii. 
CHA'RIOT RACE, f. A fport anciently ufed, where 
chariots were driven for the prize, as now horles run.— 
There is a wonderful vigour and fpirit in the defcription 
of the horfe and chariot race. Addifon. 
CHA'RIS, a goddels among the Greeks, furrounded 
with plealures, graces, and delight. She was the miftrels 
of Vulcan. Homer. 
CHARI'SIA,/. in the heathen theology, a feftival in- 
ftituted in honour of the graces. It continued the whole 
night, moft of which time was l’pent in dancing ; after 
which, cakes made of flour mixed with honey were 
diftributed among the guefts. 
CHARPSIUS, a furname of Jupiter. The word is 
derived from gratia, gtace, or favour; and the 
Greeks ufed at their meals to make a libation to Jupiter 
Charifius. 
CHARIS'TICARY, /. A perfon to whom is given the 
enjoyment of the revenues of a monaftery, hofpital, or 
benefice. The charifticaries among the Greek Chriftians, 
were a kind of donatories, or commendatories, who en¬ 
joyed all the revenues of hofpitals and monafteries, with¬ 
out giving an account thereof to any perfon. The origin 
of this abufe is referred to the Iconoclaftse, particularly 
Conftantine Copronymus, the avowed enemy of the 
monks, whole monafteries he gave away to ftrangers. 
CH A'RIT, a town of Arabia: twenty-four miles north 
of Sana. 
CHARITABLE, adj. [ charitable, Fr. from charite'.] 
C H A 
Kind in giving alms; liberal to the poor.—How fhall we 
then wilh, that it might be allowed ustolive over our lives 
again, in order to fill every minute of them with charit¬ 
able offices. Attcrbury .—Kind in judging of others; dif- 
pofed to tendernefs ; benevolent. 
CHARITABLE CORPORATION, f. A fociety in 
the reign of Geo. II. who obtained a ftatute to lend mo¬ 
ney to induftrious poor, at 5I. per cent, intereft on pawns 
and pledges, to prevent their falling into the hands of 
the pawnbrokers, arid therefore they were called the cha¬ 
ritable corporation: but they likewife took 5I. percent, 
for the charge of officers, warehoufes, &c. But the chief 
officers of this corporation, by connivance of the princi¬ 
pal directors, abfconded and broke, and defrauded the 
public proprietors of great fums; for relief of the fuffe- 
rers, feverah ftatutes were made. See 5 Geo. 2. c. 31, 32, 
7 Geo. 2. c. 11. 
CH A'RITABLE U'SES, f. The laws againft devifes 
in mortmain do not extend to any thing but fuperftitious 
ules ; it is therefore held, that a man may give lands for 
the maintenance of a fchool, an hofpital, or any other 
charitable ufes. But as it was apprehended, from recent 
experience, that perfons on their death-beds might make 
large and improvident difpofitions, even for thefe good 
purpofes, and defeat the political end of the ftatutes 
of mortmain, it is therefore enadted by ftat. 9 Geo. 
II. c. 36, that no lands 01 tenements, or money to be 
laid out thereon, (hall be given for,-or charged with, any 
charitable ufes whatlbever, unlefs by deed indented, exe¬ 
cuted in the prefence of two witneffes, twelve calendar 
months before the death of the donor; and enrolled in 
the court of chancery,_within fix months after its execu¬ 
tion ; (except llock in the public funds, and which muft 
be transferred at leaft fix calendar months previous to the 
donor’s death;) and unlefs fuch gift be made to take ef- 
fedt immediately, and be v/ithout power of revocation; 
and that all other gifts fhall be void. The two Univer- 
fities, their colleges, and the fcholars on the foundation 
of the colleges of Eaton, Winchefter, and Weftminfter, 
are exempted out of this adt; but with this provifo, that 
no college fhall be at liberty to purchafemore advowfons 
than are equal in number to one moiety of the fellows or 
ftudents on their foundations. Corporations are except¬ 
ed out of the ftatutes of wills (32 H. 8. c. 1. 34 H. 8. 
-t. 5), to prevent theextenfion of gifts in mortmain; but 
now, by conftrudtion of ftat. 43 Eliz. c. 4, it is held that 
a devife to a corporation for a charitable ufe is valid, as 
operating in the nature of an appointment, rather than 
of a bequeft. And indeed the piety of judges hath for¬ 
merly carried them great lengths in fupporting fuch cha¬ 
ritable ufes : it being held that the ftat. of Eliz. which 
favours appointments to charities, fuperfedes and repeals 
all former ftatutes : (Gilb. Rep. 45. 1 P. Wms. 248 :) and 
fupplies all defedts of affurances. And therefore not only 
a devife to a corporation, but a devife by a copyhold te¬ 
nant, without furrender, to the ufe of his will, and a 
devife, nay even a fettlement by tenant in tail, without 
either fine or recovery, if made to a charitable ufe, is good 
by way of appointment. Moor 890, 2 Tern. 453. Pre. Ch . 
a6. 2 Comm. 375. 
The king as parens patri* has the general fuperintend- 
ance of all charities, which he exercifes by the lord chan¬ 
cellor. And therefore, whenever it is neceffary, the at¬ 
torney-general, at the relation of fome informant, who 
is ufually called the relator, files, ex officio, an information 
in the court of chancery, to have the charity properly 
eftabliffied. Alfo by ftat. 43 Eliz. c. 4, authority is gi¬ 
ven to the lord chancellor or lord keeper, and to the chan¬ 
cellor of the Duchy of Lancafter, refpedtively, to grant 
commiifions under their leveral feals, to enquire into any 
abufes of charitable donations, and redtity the fame by 
decree ; which may be reviewed in the refpedtive courts 
of the feveral chancellors, upon exceptions taken there¬ 
to. But, though this is done in the petty bag office in the 
court of chancery, becaufe the commiffion is there re¬ 
turned. 
