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ETELE'NT, a town of Afiatic Turkey, in the Arabian 
Irak, on the Tigris: fixty-fix miles north-north-weft of 
Baflora. 
ETE'OCLES, in fabulous hiftory, a fonof (Edipus and 
Jocafta. After his father’s death, it was agreed between 
him and his brother Polynices, that they fhouldboth ftiare 
the royalty, and reign alternately each a year. Eteocles, 
by right of feniority, firft afcended the throne ; but after 
the firft year of his reign was expired he refuted to give 
up the crown to his brother, according to their mutual 
agreement. Polynices, refolving to punilh Inch on open 
violation of a folemn engagement, went to implore the 
afliftance of Adraftus king of Argos. He received that 
king’s daughter in marriage, and was foon after aftifted 
with a ftrong army headed by feven famous generals. 
Thefe hoftile preparations were noticed by.Eteocles, who 
on his part did not remain inactive. Hechofe feven brave 
chiefs to oppofe the feven leaders of the Argives, and 
ftationed them at the feven gates of the city. He placed 
himfelf againft his brother Polynices, and he oppofed 
Menalippus to Tydeus, Polyphontes to Capaneus, Me- 
gareus to Eteoclus, Hyperbius to Parthenopaeus, and 
Lafthenes to Amphiaraus. Much blood was Pned in light 
and unavailing (kirmiflies, and it was at laft agreed be¬ 
tween the two brothers that the war fhould be decided 
by ft ngle combat. They both fell in an engagement 
conduced with the moft inveterate fury on either fide ; 
and it is fabled that the allies of thefe two brothers, who 
had been fo inimical one to the other, feparated them- 
lelves on the burning pile, as if fenfible of refentment, 
and hoftile to reconciliaton. Euripides. 
ETEONI'CUS, a Lacedaemonian general, who, upon 
hearing that Callicratidas was conquered at Arginufae, 
ordered the melfengers of this news to be crowned, "and 
to enter Mitylene in triumph. This fo terrified Conon, 
who befieged the town, that he concluded that the enemy 
had obtained fome advantageous victory, and he raifed 
the fiege. Diodorus. 
ETEO'STIC, /. [from ersos Gr.] A ftioPt 
compofition, wherein are contained fome letters, which 
in their numeral capacity mark the date of the year : 
Or pump’d forthofe hard trifles, anagrams, 
Or eteojhcs. B. Jonfon’s Underwoods. 
ETER'NAL, adj. [ eternus , Lat.] Without beginning 
or end.—The eternal God is thy refuge. Deut. xxxiii. 27. 
—Without beginning.—It is a queftion quite different 
from our having an idea of eternity, to know whether 
there were any real being, whofe duration has been eter¬ 
nal ? Locke. —Without end ; endlefs ; immortal : 
Thou know’ft that Banquo and his Fleance lives : 
But in them nature’s copy’s not eternal. Shakefpeare. 
Perpetual; conftant; unintermitting. 
Burnt off’rings morn and ev’ning (hall be thine, 
And fires eternal in thy temple fliine. Dryden. 
Unchangeable.—Hobbes believed the eternal truths which 
he oppofed. Dryden. 
ETER'NAL, f. \_eternel Fr.] One of the appellations 
of the Godhead.—That law whereby the Eternal himfelf 
doth work. Hooker. 
The Eternal , to prevent fuch horrid fray, 
Hung out of heav’n his golden fcales. Milton. 
ETER'NALIST,/; .[ eternus Lat.] One that holds the 
paft.exifter.ee of the world infinite.—I would alk the 
eiernalijls, what mark is there that they could expeft to 
defire of the novelty of a world, that is not found in 
this ? Or what mark is thereof eternity that is to be found 
in this ? Burnet. 
To ETER'NALIZE, v. a. To make eternal. 
ETER'NALLY, c.dv. Without beginning or end.— 
Unchangeably ; invariably.—That which is morally good, 
or evil, at any lime, or in any cafe, muft be alfo eternally 
and unchangeably fo, with relation to that time and to 
that cafe. South.— Perpetually ; without intermiftion : 
Bear me, fome god, to Baja’s gentle feats. 
Or cover me in Umbria’s green retreats, 
Where weftern gales eternally refide, 
And all the feafons lavilh all their pride. Addifon. 
ETER'NE, adj. [ eternus , Lat.] Eternal; perpetual; 
endlefs : 
The Cyclops hammers fall 
On Mars his armour, forg’d for proof eterne. Shakefpeare. 
ETER'NITY, f. [from the Latin aternitasf In ftridt- 
nefs of fpeech, this word implies perpetual duration without 
beginning, middle, or end. By this continuity it is diftin- 
guifhed from Time, which is but a portion of eternity, a 
portion commencing at a given period, and extending to a 
certain fpace. But the word eternity is not always ufed 
in its firft fenfe. It is applied, to fignify length of time ; 
as when poets and hiftorians profefs to render exploit* 
memorable through all eternity. It is taken alfo to mean 
a period continuedfo long, as not to ceafe till a change of circum- 
fiances has enfued ; as when Hannibal fwore eternal hatred to 
Rome i.e. a hatred not to be laid alide till Rome fiiould 
be deftroyed. Eternity is attributed to angels and to the 
fouls of men : it is then meant to exprefs exiftence, which 
has indeed a beginning, but which (hall never have an 
end. The higheft fenfe of this word is applied to Al¬ 
mighty God. In the fublinre language of Holy Scrip¬ 
ture God is faid to “ inhabit eternity by which figu¬ 
rative expreflion we are to underftand, that eternity of 
exiftence is the attribute of God and of the region where 
his glory is chiefly manifefted. The finite intellect of 
man has not powers fufficiently enlarged to comprehend 
any fubjeff, which in its nature is infinite. For this rea- 
fon, it cannot comprehend eternity. Yet it forms fome 
imperfedt idea of eternity : and from the attual exiftence 
of the univerfe, it proves that antecedently to fuch exif¬ 
tence, there muft have been a God, who could give that 
exiftence, and who himfelf muft have been felf exiftent. 
But if felf-exiftent, God muft have been from eternity ; 
becaufe as there never could have been a tiling front 
which he derived exiftence, fo there never could have 
been a time in which he did not exift : for the fuppofition 
that there could have been fuch a time, would render 
felt-exiftence inipoflible : it would be in effect to affirm 
that what did not once exift, afterwards gave to itfelf 
exiftence ; which is inipoflible. With God th'ere is infe- 
parabiy connected the idea of eternity in the primary and 
ltridt import of the term, namely, perpetual duration with¬ 
out beginning, middle, or end. 
To ETER'NIZE, v. a. \_eterno, Lat.] To make end¬ 
lefs ; to perpetuate : 
I with two fair gifts 
Created him endow’d ; with happinefs, 
And immortality: that-fondly loft, 
This other ferv’d but to eternize woe. Milton. 
To make for ever famous ; to immortalize : 
I might relate of thoufands, and their names 
Eternize here on earth ; but thole elect 
Angels, contented with their fame in lieav’n, 
Seek not the praife of men. Milton. 
Creech feems to have accented the firft fyllable : 
Hence came its name, in that the grateful Jove 
Hath eterniz’d the glory of his love. Creech’s Mani. 
ETERNO'Z, a town of France, in the department of 
Doubs, and chief place of a canton, in the diftridt of 
Qnmgey : two leagues and a half fouth-eaft of Quingey. 
ETE'SI/E, or Etesian Winds, f [from Hoc, Gr. 
year.] Anniverfary winds, fuch as the monfoonsand trade- 
winds, which continue conftantly blowing for certain 
ftated feafons of the year. Pliny fays, that the Aquilones, 
north-eaft winds, are called Prodromi, and that they blow 
eight days before the dog-ftar rifes. He alfo obferves, 
that the Etefian winds (thefe are the fame north-eaft 
winds) fet in two days after the dog-ftar rifes, and con¬ 
tinue tony days. Profper Alpinus informs 11s, that the 
J- Etelian 
