832 
I G N 
■be obferved on the road to Broomfgrove, about five miles 
from Birmingham. The time of obfervation was the 12th 
of December, 1776, before day-light. A great many of 
thefe lights were playing in an adjacent field, in different 
directions 5 from fome of which there fuddenly fprung 
up bright branches of light, fomething refembling the 
explofion of a rocket that contained many brilliant liars, 
if the difcharge was upwards inltead of the ufual direc¬ 
tion, and the hedge and trees on each fide of the hedge 
were, illuminated. This appearance continued but a few 
feconds, and then the Jack-a-lanterns played as before- 
Mr. Warltire was not near enough to obferve if the .ap¬ 
parent explofions were attended with any report. 
Cronfledt gives it as his opinion, that ignes fatui, as 
well as the meteors called falling liars, are owing to col- 
leclions .of inflammable air raifeckto a great height in the 
atmofphere. -But, with regard to the latter, the vail height 
at which they move evidently dhows that they cannot be 
the effedl of any gravitating vapour .whatever; for the 
lightell inflammable air is one-twelfth of that of the com¬ 
mon atmofphere; and we have ho reafon to believe* that, 
at the dillance of forty or fifty miles from the earth, the 
latter is near one-twelfth of its weight at the furface. 
From the account given by Mr. Warltire., we Ihould be 
apt to conclude, that there is a itrong affinity betwixt the 
ignes fatui and fire-balls, infonmch that the one might be 
very eafily converted into the other. From this then we 
mull afcribe an eleCtrical origin to the one as well as the 
other. EleCtricity, we know, can aflume both of tliefe 
appearances, as is evident in the cafe of points; or even 
when the atmofphere is violently electrified, as round the 
firing of an electrical kite, which always will appear to be 
furrounded with a blue flame in the night, if the eleCtri- 
city be very llrong. 
On the wdrole, it appears, that eleCtricity afting.upon a 
fmall quantity of atmofpherical air, with a certain degree 
of vigour, will produce an appearance refembling an ignis 
fatuus ; with a fuperior force it will produce a fire-ball; 
and a fudden increafe of eleCtrical power might produce 
thofe fparks and apparent explofions obferved by Mr. 
Warltire. The only difficulty therefore is, Why does 
eleflricity. exert its power upon one portion of the atmofi- 
qphere . rather than another, feeing it has an opportunity 
of diffufing itfelf equally through the whole ? To this it 
feems impoffible to give any other anfwer than that we fee 
the fafl is lb ; and that, in all.cafes where there is a quan¬ 
tity of eleflrified air or.vapour, there will be an accumu¬ 
lation in one part father than another. Thus, in the ex¬ 
periment already related, where the gentleman perceived 
a blue flame following him, the wdiole air of the room 
was eleflrified, but the greateil power of theffiuid was 
exerted on that which gave the luminous appearance. 
With regard to the ufes of the ignes fatui in the fyf- 
tem of nature, we can only fay, that they leem to be ac¬ 
cidental appearances refulting from the motion of the 
eleftric fluid, and are, no doubt, like other meteors, fub- 
fervient to the prefervation of its equilibrium, and thus 
are ufeful in preventing thofe dreadful commotions which 
enfue when a proper medium for fo doing is deficient. 
To IGNI'TE, v. a. [from ignis, Lat. fire.] To kindle ; 
to fet on fire.—Take good firm chalk, ignite it in a cruci¬ 
ble, and then powder it. Grew. 
IGNITE'GIUM, f. [from ignis, Lat. fire, and tego, to 
cover.] The curfew; the beil which rings at eight o’clock. 
■$ee,C urfew-btL j,; vol. v. 
IGNIT'IBLE, adj. Inflammable; capable of being fet 
on. fire. Not in ufe. —Such bodies only [trike fire which 
[lave lulpliur or ignitible parts. Brown. 
IGNI'TION,y. [Fr. from ignite. ] The aft of kindling, 
of letting on fire. ; —Xhofe black circular lines we fee on 
diffies, and other turned veflels of wood, are the effefls of 
ignition, by the preffure of an edged ilick upon the veil'd 
turned nimbly in the lqthe. Ray. 
IGNFTING, f. The aft of kindling, or letting on fire. 
IGNIVOMOUS, adj. [igwvmus, Lat] Vomiting fire. 
I G N 
—-Vulcanos and ignivomous mountains are fome of the moil 
terrible fhocks of the globe. Derkam. 
IGNOBILXTY,/ [from ignoble. Mcannefs of birth. 
Bailey. Not ufed. 
_ IGNO'JBLE, adj. [' Fr. from ighobilis, Lat.] Mean of 
birth ; not noble ; not of illuftrious race : 
As when in tumults rife th’ ignoble crowd, 
Mad are their motions, and their tongues are loud. Dryd, 
Worthlefs; not deferving honour. Ufed of things or 
perfons: 
The noble ifle doth want her proper lirnbs; 
Her royal Itock graft with ignoble plants. Shakefpeare. 
TGNO'BLY, adv. Ignominioufly; meanly ; dilhonour- 
ably; reproachfully; difgracefully: 
To tliefe, that fober race of men, whofe lives 
Religious titled them the foils of God, 
Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame. 
Ignobly! Milton. 
IGNOMINXOUS, adj. \_ignominieux, Fr. ignominiofus „ 
Lat.] Mean; fliameful; reproachful-; diflionourable.. 
Ufed both of perfons.and things.—Nor has this kingdom 
deferved to be facrificed to one Angle, rapacious, oblcure^ 
ignominious, projeflor. Swift. 
They gave, and file transferred, the curs’d advice. 
That monarchs fliould their inward foul difguife; 
By ignominious arts, for fervile ends. 
Should compliment their foes, and fhim their friends. Prior , 
IGNOMIN'IOUSLY, adv. Meanly; fcandaloully; dif- 
gracefully; fiiamefully; reproachfully.—It is fome allay 
to the infamy of him who died ignominioufly to be buried 
privately. South. - 
IG'NOMINY, f. \igrtominie, Fr. ignominia, Lat.] Dis¬ 
grace ; reproach ; ftame ; infamy ; meannefs ; dilhonour. 
■—Their generals have been received with honour after 
their defeat; yours with ignominy after conquefl. Addifon . 
Adieu, and take thy praife with thee to heav’n : 
Thy ignominy fleep with thee in the grave. Shakefpeare. 
IG'NOMY, [a contraction of] Ignominy.—I blufli to 
think upon this ignomy. Shakefpeare. 
IGNORA'MUS,/ [Latin.] A fooliffi fellow; a vain 
uninitruCted pretender. A low word .—Tell an ignoramus „ 
in place and power, that lie has a wit and an underftand- 
ing above all the world, and he lhall readily admit the 
commendation. South. 
This word (fignifying We are ignorant) was formerly 
written on a bill of indictment by the grand jury impannel- 
led on the inquifition of criminal caules, when they rejected 
the evidence as too weak or defective to make good the 
prefentment againll a perfon fo as to put him on the trial 5 
the effeCt whereof was, that all farther inquiry and pro¬ 
ceedings againft that party on that bill, (for the words 
now uled are. Not a true bill, or Not found,) for the fault 
wherewith he is charged, is thereby flopped, and he is 
delivered without further anfwer. 3 Injt. 30. See the ar¬ 
ticle Indictment. 
IG'NORANCE, f. [ ignorance, Fr. ignoratio, Lat.] Want 
of knowledge; unleafnednefs.—If all the clergy were as 
learned as theml’elves are that moft complain of ignorance 
in others, yet our book of prayer might remain the fame. 
Hooker. 
Still baniffi your.defenders, ’till at length 
Your ignorance deliver you, 
As molt abated captives, to fome nation 
That won you without blows. Shakefpeare 
If we fee right, we fee our woes; 
Then what avails it to have eyes? 
From ignorance our comfort flows.; 
The only wretched are the wifej Prior. 
Want of knowledge refpeCling fome particular thing.—It 
is in every body’s power to pretend ignorance of the law. 
Sherlock, 
