A S H 
ASEP'TA, / [from « neg. and crwru, to putrefy.] Any 
tiling unputrified, or unconcodted. 
A'SER, a town of Alia, in the Arabian Irak, lituated 
on the Tigris, eight miles north-north-weft of Baffora. 
ASFA'CA, a town of Perfia, in the province of Me- 
cran, fiftv-two leagues north-weft of Mecran. 
AS'FELD LA VIL'LE, a town of France, in the de¬ 
partment of the Ardennes, and chief place of a canton, in 
the diftrict of Rethel : thirteen miles north of Rheims. 
AS'FUN, a town of Egypt, four miles north of Erment. 
AS GILL (John), a humorous writer, who was bred to 
the lav.', and practiled in Ireland with great fuccefs. He 
was there elected a member of the houfe of commons, but 
■was expelled for writing a treatife on the pofTibility of 
avoiding death ; and, being afterwards chofen a member 
for the borough of Bramber in Suflex, he w’as alfo on the 
fame account expelled the parliament of England. After 
this, he continued thirty years a prifoner in the Mint, 
Fleet, and King’s-bench ; during which time lie publiflied 
a multitude of fmall political pamphlets, feveral of which 
were in defence of the fucceftion of the houfe of Hanover, 
and againft the pretender. He died in the King’s-bench, 
in 173S, aged fourfcore years. 
ASH, (Common, Flowering, and Manna,)/, in botany, 
fee Fraxinus. Ash (Mountain), fee Sorbus. Ash 
(Poifon), fee Rhus. 
ASH-COLOURED, adj. Coloured between brown and 
grey, like the bark of an ailhen branch.—Clay, ajh-coloured , 
was part of a ftratum which lay above the ftrata of (tone. 
Woodward. 
ASFi'-HOLE or Ash-pit,/ among chemifts, the lowed 
part of a furnace, conftrudted fo as to receive the afhes fal¬ 
ling from the fire, and to give a paffage to the air which is to 
be introduced into the furnace, to keep up the combuftion. 
ASH-WED'NESDAY, the firft day of Lent; fo called 
from a cufiom in the Romifli church, of fprinkling allies 
that day on the heads of penitents then admitted to 
penance. See Lent. 
ASH' WEED,/ in botany. See Asgopodium. 
A'SHA, a town of Germany, in the archduchy of Auf- 
tria, four miles north of Efferding. 
ASHA'MED, adj. [from Jhamc. ] Touched with fhame ; 
generally with of before the caufe of fhame if a noun, and 
to if a verb.—Profefs publicly the dodtrine of Jefus Chrift, 
not being afhamed of the word of God, or of any practices 
enjoined by it. Taylor. 
One would have thought ftie would have ftirr’d ; but drove 
With modefty, and was ajham'd to move. Dryden. 
ASHAU', a river of Germany, in the circle of Lower 
Saxony, which runs into the Lechte, near Zell. 
ASH'BORNE, a town of Derbyfnire, feated on the eaft 
fide of the river Dove, ten miles from Derby, and 139 from 
London. Its chief trade is in the great quantities of cheefe 
fent from it up and down the Trent. It has a done 
bridge over the Dove ; is large and populous ; and it hud 
a handfome church, but the fteeple was dedroyed by a 
dorm i July 1782. Its fairs are February 33, April 3, 
July 5, May 23, Auguft 13, October 20, and Nov. 29. 
Market on Saturdays. Lat.53.o.N. Ion. 1.35. W. 
At a fmall didance from Atbborne is a beautiful valley 
called Dove-dale, which is a narrow winding glen among 
a variety of hills and rocks, through which the river Dove 
takes its courfe for about two miles. It is bounded in a 
very romantic manner by hills, rocks, and hanging woods, 
which are extremely various, and the hills in particular are 
of a bold and Itriking character. They fpread on all fides 
in vaft fweeps, and are inexpreflibly magnificent. The 
rocks are in fome places very abrupt, riling in various fhapes 
cf hill and wood, and forming a wild affemblage of roman¬ 
tic objedts. The courfe of the river is various, from a 
genrie current to a great rapidity over broken rocks, and 
in fome places falls ; which, with fragments of rocks, and 
branches of wood growing from among them, affords a 
fcene truly pidturefq.ue. 
A S H 259 
ASH'BURNHAM, a town of the American States in 
Worcedcr county, MafTachufets, thirty miles north of 
Worcefter, and fifty-four from Bodon ; incorporated in 
1765, and contains-951 inhabitants. 
ASH'BURTON, a town in Devonfhire, fitnated in a 
valley, ericompatied by hills, except on the eaft and weft 
fides. 11 is an ancient borough by prefcription, governed 
by a port-reeve, w ho is chofen yearly at the court leet and 
baron of the lords of the manor, and is the returning-of¬ 
ficer of the members to parliament. This is one of the 
four dannary towns of Devonfhire, (the other three are 
Taviftock, Plympton, and Chegford,) and is remarkable 
for its mines of tin and copper, and manufacture of ferge, 
the latter of which returns upwards of ioo,oool. per an¬ 
num. The market onTuefday is principally for wool and 
yarn, and that on Saturday for provilions. It lias four 
fairs, the fird Thurfday in March and June, Augud 10, 
and November 11. The town is a great thoroughfare on 
the road from Plymouth to London, being about half-way 
between Exeter and Plymouth. There is a handfome 
church, more like a collegiate than a parochial one ; and 
a chapel, which was anciently a chantry ; but is now ufed 
for a fichool. This towp gives the title of baron to lend 
Afhburton, whofe feat is at Spitchweek, diftant about four 
miles. Afhburton is diftant from Newton-Abbot feven 
miles, Totnefs eight, Plymouth twenty-three, and Lon¬ 
don 193. 
ASH'BY, a town of the American States, in Middlefex 
county, MafTachufets, fifty miles north-weft from Bodon 5 
containing 751 inhabitants. 
ASH'BY-DE-LA-ZOU'CH, a town in Leicefterfhire, 
fo called from the family of De la Zouch, who were the 
owners of its caftle, and relided in it for many generations. 
It is 116 miles diftant from London, pleafantly fituated in 
a fertile vale on the fkirts of Derbylhire, by the fide of a 
fmall river called Gilwilkaw, over which is a handfome 
(lone bridge. Near this place is a noted mineral water 
called Griffydam. Afhby carries on a confiderable trade 
in making malt. Its fairs are noted for horfes of a large 
breed, and are held on Ealter Monday and Tuefday, Whit- 
Tuefday, St. Bartholomew, and St. Simon and Jude, old 
ftile. The church is a Gothic ftrudture dedicated to St. 
Helen ; and here is a good free grammar-fchool, and two 
charity-fchools, where fifty-one poorToys are clothed and- 
educated; alfo a large manufactory, which employs a great 
number of hands, in jerries, combing, fpinning, worfted- 
making, and framework-knitting. Felt-making likewile 
is carried on here. Lat.52.40.N- Ion. 1. 20.W. 
ASH'CUTNEY, a mountain of North America, in Ver¬ 
mont, fituate partly in the rownfhips of Windfor and 
Weathersfield, and oppofite Claremont, on Sugar-river, 
in the ftate of New Hampfhire. It is 2031 feet above the 
lea, and 1732 feet above high water in Connecticut river, 
which runs beneath its eaftern fide. 
ASLI'DOD, a city of the Phiiiftines, the fame with 
Azotus.. See Azotus. 
ASH'DOTH P 1 SGAH, pTnitwHeb. well-watered pla¬ 
ces.] A city in the tribe of Reuben, fituated at the foot 
of mount Pifgah ; whence its name. 
ASH'DOWN, [called AJJ'andum, q. d. an hill foraffes.} 
A place in Eftex famous for the great overthrow given 
there to Edmund Ironfide, by Canute the Dune. 
ASH'EN, adj. Made of afh wood : 
At once lie (aid, and threw 
His a/Iien fpear, which quiver’d as it flew. Dryden. 
ASHENAGU'R, a province of India, correfponding 
with the country of the Aft’acani, in which Alexander 
warred, on the weft of the Indus, fituate at or near the 
conflux of the Penje-koreh and Sewad rivers, and two 
marches from Bijore. The prefent Sewad is part of the 
ancient province of Afhenagur. 
ASH'ER, [Heb. blelfednefs.] A fon of Jacob by Zi 
pail, who gave name to one of trie twelve tribes of Ifraeli 
ASH'ER, a city of Paleltine between Scythopolis and 
Shecheni, 
