793 
O R P 
of good learning and judgment, genuine, and worthy of 
l'ome regard. (Cudworth’s Intel. Sylt.) However, Or¬ 
pheus’s theology has been preferred to that of the other 
heathens by the Chriftian fathers; and an ingenious 
writer (Burnet, Archasolog. lib. i.) has furmifeu, that his 
eftabliftiing of polytheifm was owing rather to the necel- 
iity lie was under of complying with the limpidity of the 
barbarous people whom he firlt civilized, than his own 
approbation; being obliged to give them, not the reli¬ 
gion which he himfelf bell: approved, but fuch a one as 
they were capable of receiving. This has been the apo¬ 
logy for many imperfeft codes of religion and govern¬ 
ment. It is farther obfervable with regard to the dodtrine 
of this ancient poet, that he was the firlt who taught the 
Greeks the doctrine of the primitive egg, whence all 
other beings proceeded; (Plut. in Symp. Macrob. Sat. 1 . vii. 
c. 16.) an opinion very ancient, which, without doubt, 
he had learned from the Egyptians, who, as well as thofe 
of feveral other nations, reprefented the world under this 
emblem. This fymbol was adopted and employed by the 
Phoenicians, Chaldeans, Perfians, Indians, and even the 
Chinefe; nor is it improbable, that this was the primary 
opinion of all who undertook to explain the formation of 
the world. 
Brucker, in his “ Hiftory of Philofophy,” by Enfield, 
(vol. i.) has deduced from the Orphic verfes and other 
fragments of Orpheus the following fummary of the doc¬ 
trine of Orpheus concerning God and nature. “God, 
from all eternity, contained within himfelf the unformed 
principles of the material world, and confifted of a com¬ 
pound nature, active and palfive. By the energy of the 
adtive principle, he fent forth from himfelf, at the com¬ 
mencement of a certain finite period, all material and 
fpiritusl beings, which partake, in different degrees, of 
the divine nature. All beings, proceeding originally from 
Gcd, will, after certain purgations, return to him. The 
univerle itfelf will be deftroyed by fire, and afterwards 
renewed.” He adds, an Orphic fragment is preferved by 
Athenagoras, in which the formation of the world is re¬ 
prefented under the emblem of an egg, formed by the 
union of night or chaos, and ether, which at length bunt, 
and dilclofed the forms of nature. The meaning of this 
allegory probably is, that, by the energy of the divine ac¬ 
tive principle upon the eternal mafs of pafiive matter, the 
vifible world was produced. Some writers have afcribed 
to Orpheus the dodtrine fince maintained by Spinoza, 
which confounds the Deity with the Univerle, making 
him the To H at. But the dodtrine of emanation, which 
fuppofes that the principles of all things were originally 
in God, and at length flowed from him, is confonant to 
the general tenor of the Orphic fragments, arid is the 
more likely to have been the real dodtrine of Orpheus, as 
it prevailed, in the moll remote times, through the Eaft, 
and palled thence to the North. The human foul, Or¬ 
pheus, after the Thracians and Egyptians, from whom 
lie derived his philofophy, held to be immortal. Diodorus 
Siculus relates, that he was the firlt who taught (that is, 
among the Greeks) the dodtrine of the future punilh- 
ment of the wicked, and the future happinefs of the good. 
That this dodtrine was commonly received among the 
followers of Orpheus appears from the fubjoined anec¬ 
dote. A prieft of Orpheus, who was exceedingly poor 
and wretched, boalling to Philip of Macedon that all 
who were admitted into the Orphic' mylteries would be 
happy after death; Philip faid to him, “Why then do 
you not immediately die, and put an end to your poverty 
and rnifery ?” 
ORPIER'RES, a town of France, in the department 
of the Higher Alps : eighteen miles ealt of Le Buis, and 
feven fouth of Serres. 
OR'PIMENT, f. Yellow arfenic ; Arfenicum auripig- 
mentmn. See the article Mineralogy," vol. xv. p. 512. 
—True and genuine'orpmewt is a ioliaceous foflil, of a 
fine and pure texture, remarkably heavy ; and its colour 
is a bright and beautiful yellow, like that of gold. It is 
Vol. XVII. No. 1217. 
O R S 
not hard, but very tough, eafily bending without breakifjg. 
Orpiment has been fuppofed to contain gold ; and is found 
in mines of gold, filver, and copper, and fometimes in 
the ftrata of marl. Hill. —For the golden colour, it may 
be made by fome finall mixture of orpiment, fuch as they 
ufe to brals in the yellow alchymy; it will eafily recover 
that which the iron lofeth. Baron. 
OR'PINE, J'. [orpin, Fr.] A plant. See Shdum and 
Telephium. 
Cool violets, and orpine growung (till; 
Eiubathed balm, and cheerful gaiingale. Spcnfer. 
OR'PINE, Bafe. See Andrachne. 
-, Smaller. See Crassula. 
-, True. See Telepiiium. 
OR'PINGTON, a village in Kent, on the river Cray, 
four miles and a half fouth-eaft from Bromley. Henry 
VIII. granted the manor to fir Percival Hart, who built 
a feat here, in which he magnificently entertained queen 
Elizabeth, July 22, 1573; who, on her reception here, 
“ received,” fays Philipot, (Hill', of Kent,) “ the firll ca¬ 
rdies of a nymph who perfonated the genius of the houfe: 
then the feene was fhifted, and, from feveral chambers, 
which, as they were contrived, reprefented a Ihip, a fea- 
conflidt w'as offered up to the fpedlators’ view, which fo 
much obliged the eyes of this princefs with the charms 
of delight, that, upon her departure, fhe left upon this 
houfe (to commemorate the memory both of the author 
and the artifice) the name and appellation of Bank Heart, 
by which it is ftill called,” Such anecdotes give us a juft 
idea of the manners of that period of our hiftory, which 
was diftinguifhed for its romantic hofpitality. The feat 
at prefent belongs to fir Thomas Dyke, bart. 
ORR, a town of Arabia, in the province of Yemen, 
the relidence of a dola: feventy miles nortivenft of Ho- 
deida, and twenty-four weft-fouth-weft of Sana. 
ORR WATER, a river of Scotland, which runs into 
Solway Frith ten miles eaft of Kircudbright, and in lat. 
54. 55. N. Ion. 3. 50. W. 
OR'RA, a mountain of Arabia, in the province of 
Yemen: twenty miles north-eaft of Abu Arifch. 
OR'RACH, or Orach. See Atriplex. 
OR'REL, a village in Lancafhire: three miles fouth- 
weft of W igan. 
OR'RERY, f . An inftrument which, by many compli¬ 
cated movements, reprefents the revolutions of the hea¬ 
venly bodies. It was firft made by Mr. Rowley, a mathe¬ 
matician born at Lichfield, and fo named from his patron 
the earl of Orrery. By one or other of this family almoft: 
every art has been encouraged and improved. Johnjon. 
See the article Astronomy, vol. ii. p. 430. 
OR'RIA, a town of Spain, in the kingdom of Arra- 
gon : nine miles north of Teruel. 
OR'RINGTON, a town of Maflachufetts, in the diftrict 
of Maine, on the Penobfcot: no miles north-north-ealt 
of Portland. 
OR'RIO, a town of Spain, in the province of Bif- 
cay: fifteen miles fouth-eaft of Bilboa. 
OR'RIS, [oris, Lat.] A plant and flower.—The na¬ 
ture of the orris- root is almoft ftngular : for roots that 
are in any degree fweet, it is but the fame fweetnefs with 
the wood or leaf; but the orris is not fweet in the leaf, 
neither is the flower any thing fo fweet as the root. Bacon. 
OR'RIS, f . [old Fr.] A fort of gold or filver lace. 
Dr. Johnjon. —If fuch a word as orris, in this fenfe, ex’ifts, 
(which I doubt,) it can only be a corruption of Orfrais, 
which fee. Todd. 
QR'RON WATER, a river of Scotland, which runs 
into the Frith of Cromarty at Dingwall. 
OR'RSVILLE, a town of North America, in the date 
of Tenneflee. 
ORSA'R A, a town of Naples, in Capitanata : four miles 
fouth ofTroja. 
ORSA'TO, orURSATUg (Sertoxio), an eminent anti¬ 
quary, was born, of a noble family at Padaa in 1617. He 
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