TAR 
On one side Ihe castle is defended by a vast ditch, cut out 
of the solid rock; on the other by an abrupt precipice that 
overhangs the vale of Cheshire. The entrance is through a 
noble gateway, guarded on each side by a great round tower, 
with walls of a prodigious thickness. Within the walls are 
the remains of a rectangular building that was formerly the 
chapel. This castle devolved from the earls of Chester to 
the crown, and after undergoing many vicissitudes, fell to 
ruins, in which state it continued to the reign of Henry VIII. 
Being afterwards repaired, it was garrisoned during the civil 
wars, and after this was dismantled by order of parliament. 
Market on Thursday, and several annual fairs. Tarporley in 
1811 contained 166 houses, and 701 inhabitants; 11 miles 
east-south-east of Chester, and 172 north-west of London. 
TARPOU, a lake of Thibet, about 60 miles in circumfer¬ 
ence. Lat. 30. 32. N. long. 81. 54. W. 
TARRABY, a township of England, in Cumberland, near 
Carlisle. 
TA'RRAGON, s. A plant called herb-dragon. 
TARRAGONA, a sea-port in the north-east of Spain, in 
Catalonia, near the mouth of the river Francoli. It is a place 
of great antiquity, though the traditionary accounts of its 
population are exaggerated and absurd. It is built on a hill, 
and surrounded by walls with turrets, erected either by the 
Moors, or by the Christians of the middle ages. It was 
occupied by the British in the beginning of the 18th century, 
with an intention of rendering it a good "naval station, for 
which, however, the harbour was not well calculated. On 
the acquisition of Gibraltar in 1704, the design was abandon¬ 
ed, aud the works then commenced have since presented 
nothing but heaps of ruins. Tarragona contains 7500 inha¬ 
bitants, is the see of a bishop, and has a large and elegant ca¬ 
thedral, built in the Gothic style. It was under the Romans 
the chief town of the province called Tarraconensis, and in 
the year 516 was the seat of a church council, in which 
monks are mentioned for the first time in history. A more 
affecting claim to historical notice has been conferred on it 
by its siege and sack by the French in 1811, so creditable to 
the talents, and so dishonourable td the humanity of Marshal 
Suchet. An attempt to re-take it, in June, 1813, by an allied 
force under Sir John Murray, was not successful, that officer 
deeming it imprudent to await the approach of a French army 
with the troops under his command, the Spanish part of which 
was indifferently disciplined. He accordingly re-embarked; 
and though at first exposed to censure, was soon justified by 
the events of the campaign, in which these troops, under other 
commanders, were found unable to withstand their veteran 
antagonists; 49 miles west-south-west of Barcelona, and 278 
east of Madrid. Lat. 41. 8. 50. N. long. 1. 15. 30. E. 
TARRANT GUNVILLE, a parish of England, in Dor¬ 
setshire ; 4 miles from Blandford. This, with six other vil¬ 
lages in the same county, namely Tarrant Hinton, Kynes, 
Launceston, Monkton, Rawson, and Rushton, take the name 
of Tarrant, from being situated near the river of that name. 
Tarrant Gunville, contains 444 inhabitants. 
TARRAS, a small river of Scotland, in Dumfries-shire, 
which rises in the parish of Ewes, and falls into the Esk, 3 
miles below the town of Langholm. It is remarkable for its 
rugged channel and romantic scenery. 
TARRAS A, a town of the north-east of Spain, in Cata¬ 
lonia ; 9 miles north-north-west of Barcelona, with 4000 in¬ 
habitants. It is situated in one of the most industrious parts 
of Spain, and has several manufactories of broad cloth and 
serges. 
TARREGA, a small town of the north-east of Spain, in 
Catalonia; 5 miles west of Cervera. It is situated on a height, 
has 3600 inhabitants, and is fortified. 
TARRETBURN, East and West, two adjoining ham¬ 
lets of England, in Northumberland, near Hexham. 
TARRIANCE, s. Stay; delay; perhaps sojourn. 
Dispatch me hence; 
Come, answer not; but do it presently, 
I am impatient of my iarriance. Shakspeare. 
Vol. XXIII. No. 1612. 
TAR 853 
TA'RRIER, s. [This should be written terrier, from 
ietrc, French, the earth.'] A sort of small dog, that hunts 
the fox or otter out of his hole.—The fox is earthed; but I 
shall send my two tarriers in after him. Dry den. 
TA'RRIER, s. One that tarries or stays; one that waits; 
whatever delays or puts off.—He is oftentimes called of them 
Fabius Cunctator, that is to say, the tarrier and delaier. 
Sir T. Elyot. 
TARRING, a small town of England, in the county 
of Sussex; 17 miles west of Brighton, and 57 south of 
London. 
TARRING, West, a parish of England, formerly a mar¬ 
ket town, in the county of Sussex, near Shoreham, with two 
annual fairs, in April and October. 
TARRINGTON, or Tadington, a parish of England, 
in Herefordshire; 6j miles west-north-west of Ledbury. Po¬ 
pulation 488. 
To TA'RRY, v. n. [targir, French. Kilian refers 
both the French and our word to the Teut. traeghen, to 
delay; by metathesis therefore tarry .] To stay; to continue 
in a place. 
Tarry I here, I but attend on death ; 
But fly I hence, I fly away from life. Shakspeare. 
To delay; to be long in coming.—Thou art my deliverer; 
make no tarrying, O God. Psalms. —To wait; to expect 
attending.— Tarry ye here for us until we come again, 
Exod. 
To TA'RRY, v. a. To wait for.—I will go drink with 
you, but I cannot tarry dinner. Shakspeare. 
TA'RRY; adj. Consisting of tar; resembling tar. 
Foul tarry spittle tumbling with their tongue 
On their raw leather lips. Adore. 
TARRY-TOWN, a village and landing place on the east 
bank of the Hudson, in West Chester county. New York; 30 
miles north of New York. 
TA'RSEL, s. A kind of hawk. See Tassel. 
A falc’ner Henry is, when Emma hawks; 
With her of tarstds and of lures he talks. Prior. 
TARSET, a township of England, in Northumberland; 
19 miles north-west-by north of Hexham. 
TARSET CASTLE, in England, a Roman encamp¬ 
ment in the county of Northumberland, near Bellingham. 
It is 20 yards long and 10 broad, and is defended by a deep 
fosse. At each corner of the area appear the remains of tur¬ 
rets or mounds. 
TARSIA, a small town of Italy, in the south of the 
kingdom of Naples, in Calabria Citra. 
TARSO, a small town in the east of Austrian Italy, in 
the delegation of Treviso. 
TARSTON, a hamlet of England, in Oxfordshire; 2 
miles south-south-west of Neat Enstone. 
TARSUS, in Anatomy, that part of the foot (consisting 
of about its posterior half) to which the leg is articulated. 
Its front portion corresponds to the instep in common lan¬ 
guage.—An obscure motion, where the conjunction is called 
synanthrosis; as, in joining the tarsu to the metatarsus. 
Wiseman. 
The same name is foolishly enough applied to the portion 
of cartilage contained in each eyelid. 
TARSUS, a large city of Asia Minor, the ancient capital 
of Cilicia. It certainly possesses a very high antiquity, and 
is said by Arrian and Strabo to have been founded by Sar- 
danapalus on the same day with Anchiale, while others are 
of opinion that it was a Grecian colony founded by Tripto- 
lemus. It was much favoured by Augustus, as well as 
Adrian, and rose to such celebrity as to rival Athens, An¬ 
tioch, and Alexandria, in wealth and grandeur, as well as 
in the cultivation of literature and science. It was also 
adorned with a number of magnificent temples, as well as 
with a gymnasium and theatre. The city is situated in a 
fertile plain, on the right bank of the Cydnus. There is a 
castle said to be built by Bajazet; and the town is partly 
10 H surrounded 
