Contempla CONTEMPLATION, an act of the mind, wheretion by it applies itself to confider and reflect upon the works of God, nature, &c. Continence. Livy, Val. Maximus, &c. CONTEMPORARY, or COTEMPORARY, a perfon or thing that exifted in the fame age with another. Thus, Socrates, Plato, and Ariftophanes, were contemporaries. CONTEMPT, in a general fenfe, the act of defpifing, or the state of being despised. CONTEMPT, in law, is a difobedience to the rules and orders of a court, which hath power to punish such offence; and as this is fometimes a greater, and fometimes a leffer offence, fo it is punished with greater or lefs punishment, by fine, and fometimes by imprifonment. CONTENT, in geometry, the area or quantity of matter or space included in certain bounds. CONTESSA, a port-town of Turkey in Europe, in the province of Macedonia, fituated on a bay of the Archipelago, about 200 miles weft of Conftantinople. E. Long. 25. o. N. Lat. 41. o. CONTEXT, among divines and critics, that part of fcripture or other writing which lies about the text, before or after it, or both. To take the full and genuine sense of the text, the context fhould be regarded. CONTEXTURE, a word frequently used in speak ing both of the works of nature and art; and denoting the difpofition and union of the constituent parts with refpect to one another. CONTI, a town of Picardy in France, with the title of a principality. It is feated on the river Seille, in E. Long. 2. 17. N. Lat. 49. 54. CONTIGUITY, in geometry, is when the furface of one body touches that of another. CONTIGUOUS, a relative term understood of things difpofed so near each other, that they join their furfaces or touch. The houses in ancient Rome were not contiguous as ours are, but all infulated. CONTINENCE, in ethics, a moral virtue, by which we refift concupifcence. It should seem that there is this distinction between chastity and continence, in that it requires no effort to be chatte, which refults from conftitution; whereas continence appears to be the confequence of a victory gained over ourfelves. The verb continere, in the Latin, fignifies "to reAtrain." The term, however, is moft ufually applied to men; as chastity is to women. See CHASTITY. Continence is a virtue that makes but an inconfiderable figure in our days. However, we ought not to lofe our ideas of things, though we have debauched our true relish in our practice: for, after all, folid virtue will keep its place in the opinion of the wife and fenfible part of mankind. And though cuftom has not made it fo fcandalous as it ought to be to infnare innocent women, and triumph in the falsehood; fuch actions as we shall relate must be accounted true gallantry, and rife higher in our esteem the farther they are removed from our imitation. 1. Scipio the Younger, when only 24 years of age, was appointed by the Roman republic to the command of the army against the Spaniards. His wifdom and valour would have done honour to the most experienced general. Determined to ftrike an important blow, he forms a defign of befieging Carthagena, then the ca pital of the Carthaginian empire in Spain. His mea- Continence. fures were fo judiciously concerted, and with so much courage and intrepidity purfued, both by fea and land, that notwithstanding a bold and vigorous defence, the capital was taken by ftorm. The plunder was immenfe. Ten thousand free-men were made prifoners; and above 300 more, of both fexes, were received as hoftages. One of the latter, a very ancient lady, the wife of Mandonius, brother of Indibilis king of the Ilergetes, watching her opportunity, came out of the crowd, and, throwing herfelf at the conqueror's feet, conjured him, with tears in her eyes, to recommend to thofe who had the ladies in their keeping to have regard to their fex and birth. Scipio, who did not understand her meaning at firft, affured her that he had given orders that they fhould not want for any thing. But the lady replied, "Thofe conveniences are not what affect us. In the condition to which fortune hath reduced us, with what ought we not to be contented? I have many other apprehenfions, when L confider, on one fide, the licentioufnefs of war; and, on the other, the youth and beauty of the princeffes which you fee here before us; for as as to me, my age protects me from all fear in this refpect." She had with her the daughters of Indibilis, and several other ladies of high rank, all in the flower of youth, who confidered her as their mother. Scipio then comprehending what the subject of her fear was, "My own glory (fays he), and that of the Roman people, are concerned in not suffering that virtue, which ought always to be respected wherever we find it, should be expofed in my camp to a treatment unworthy of it. But you give me a new motive for being more strict in my care of it, in the virtuous folicitude you show in thinking only of the preservation of your honour, in the midst of fo many other objects of fear." After this converfation, he committed the care of the ladiesto fome officers of experienced prudence, ftrictly commanding that they should treat them with all the refpect they could pay to the mothers, wives, and daughters, of their allies and particular friends. It was not long before Scipio's integrity and virtue were put to the trial. Being retired in his camp, fome of his officers brought him a young virgin of fuch exquifite beauty, that the drew upon her the eyes and admiration of every body. The young conqueror ftarted from his feat with confufion and furprize; and, like one thunderftruck, feemed to be robbed of that prefence of mind. and felf-poffeffion fo neceffary in a general, and for which Scipio was remarkably famous. In a few moments, having rallied his ftraggling fpirits, he inquired of the beautiful captive, in the most civil and polite manner, concerning her country, birth, and connections; and finding that she was betrothed to a Celtiberian prince named Allucius, he ordered both him. and the captive's parents to be fent for. The Spanish prince no fooner appeared in his prefence, than, even before he spoke to the father and mother, he took him afide; and, to remove the anxiety he might be in on account of the young lady, he addreffed him in these: words: "You and I are young, which admits of my fpeaking to you with more liberty. Those who brought me your future spouse, affured me, at the fame time,. that you loved her with extreme tenderness; and her beauty left me no room to doubt it. Upon which. ree engraven on a filver fhield, which he prefented to Scipio; Continences a prefent infinitely more eftimable and glorious than all his treafures and triumphs. This buckler, which Scipio carried with him when he returned to Rome, was loft, in paffing the Rhone, with part of the baggage. It continued in that river till the year 1665, when fome fishermen found it. It is now in the king of France'scabinet. Continence, reflecting, that if, like you, I had thought on making an engagement, and were not wholly engroffed with the affairs of my country, I should defire that fo honourable and legitimate a paffion fhould find favour, I think myself happy in the prefent conjuncture to do you this fervice. Though the fortune of war has made me your mafter, I defire to be your friend. Here is your wife take her, and may the gods blefs you with her. One thing, however, I would have you be fully affured of, that he has been amongft us as the would have been in the house of her father and mother. Far be it from Scipio to purchase a loose and momentary pleafure at the expence of virtue, honour, and the happiness of an honest man. No: I have kept her for you, in order to make you a prefent worthy of you and of me. The only gratitude I require of you for this ineftimable gift is, that you would be a friend to the Roman people." Allucius's heart was too full to make him any answer: but throwing himself at the general's feet, he wept aloud. The captive lady fell into the fame pofture; and remained fo, till the father burft out into the following, words: "Oh! divine Scipio! the gods have given you more than human virtue! Oh! glorious leader! Oh! wondrous youth! does not that obliged virgin give you, while fhe prays to the gods for your profperity, raptures above all the tranfports you could have reaped from the poffeffion of her injured perfon?" The relations of the young lady had brought with them a very confiderable fum for her ranfom: but when they saw that she was reftored to them in fo generous and godlike a manner, they intreated the conqueror, with great earneftnefs, to accept that fum as a prefent; and declared, by his complying, that new favour would complete their joy and gratitude. Scipio, not being able to refift fuch warm and earneft folicitations, told them that he accepted the gift, and ordered it to be laid at his feet: then addreffing himself to Allucius, "I add (fays he) to the portion which you are to receive from your father-in-law this fum; which I defire you to accept as a marriage-prefent." If we confider that Scipio was at this time in the prime of life, unmarried, and under no restraint, we cannot but acknowledge, that the conqueft he made of himself was far more glorious than that of the Car thaginian empire: and though his treatment of this captive prince was not more delicate and generous than what might justly be expected from a perfon endowed with reafon and reflection; yet confidering how few there are in his circumftances who would have acted as he did, we cannot but applaud his conduct, and propofe him as a fuitable example to future ages. Nor was his virtue unrewarded. The young prince, charmed with the liberality and politenefs of Scipio, went into his country to publifh the praifes of fo generous a victor. He cried out, in the tranfports of his gratitude, "That there was come into Spain a young hero like the gods; who conquered all things lefs by the force of his arms than the charms of his virtue and the greatness of his beneficence." Upon this report all Celtiberia fubmitted to the Romans; and Allucius returned in a fhout to Scipio, at the head of 1400 chofen horfe, to facilitate his future conquefts. To render the marks of his gratitude still more durable, Allucius caufed the action we have juft related to be 2. The circumftance which raises Alexander the Great above many conquerors, and, as it were, above himself, is the ufe he made of his victory after the battle of Iffus. This is the most beautiful incident in his life. It is the point of view in which it is his intereft to be confidered; and it is impoffible for him not to appear truly great in that view. By the victo ry of Iffus he became poffeffed of the whole Perfian empire; not only Syfigambis, Darius'a mother, was his captive, but also his wife and daughters, princeffes whofe beauty was not to be equalled in all Asia. Alexander, like Scipio, was in the bloom of life, a conqueror, free, and not yet engaged in matrimony: neverthelefs, his camp was to thofe princeffes a facred afylum, or rather a temple, in which their chastity was fecured as under the guard of virtue itself; and fo highly revered, that Darius, in his expiring moments, hearing the kind treatment they had met with, could not help lifting up his dying hands towards heaven, and wifhing fuccefs to fo wife and generous a conqueror, who could govern his paffions at fo critical a time. Plutarch informs us more particularly, that the prin ceffes lived fo retired in the camp, according to their own defire, that they were not feen by any perfon except their own attendants; nor did any other perfon dare to approach their apartments. After the first vi fit, which was a refpectful and ceremonious one, Alexander, to avoid expofing himself to the dangers of human frailty, made a folemn refolution never to vifit Darius's queen any more. He himfelf informs us of this memorable circumftance, in a letter written by him to Parmenio, in which he commanded him to put to Plutarch'.. death certain Macedonians who had forced the wives of fome foreign foldiers. In this letter was the following paragraph: "For as to myself, it will be found that I neither faw nor would fee the wife of Darius ; and did not suffer any one to speak of her beauty be-fore me." 3. Ifocrates informs us, that Nicocles, king of Salamin, gloried in never having known, any woman befides his wife; and was amazed that all other contracts of civil fociety fhould be treated with due regard, whilft that of marriage, the moft facred and inviolable of obligations, was broken through with impunity; and that men fhould not blush to commit an infidelity with refpect to their wives, of which, fhould their wives be guilty, it would throw them into the utmost anguish and fury. 4. Henry VI. king of England, though unhappy in his family and government, was nevertheless poffeffed of many virtues. He was fo remarkable for his chaftity, that before his marriage he would not allow any lady of a fufpicious character and unguarded conduct to frequent the court: and having obferved one day fome ladies with their bofoms uncovered, he turned away his eyes from the indecent object, and reprimand- Rapins · ed them fmartly in the fimple dialect of the times; Continence Fy, fy (said he), for shame; forfooth ye be to 5. In the reign of king Charles II. when licentioufnefs was at its height in Britain, a yeoman of the guards refufed the miftrefs of a king. The lady, who was diffatisfied with her noble lover, had fixed her eyes upon this man, and thought he had no more to do than fpeak her pleafure. He got out of her way. He refused to understand her; and when the preffed him further, he faid, "I am married." The ftory reached the king, with all its circumftances: but they who expected an extravagant laugh upon the occafion were disappointed. He fent for the perfon: he found him a gentleman, though reduced to that mean ftation; and "Odds fish, man (fays he), though I am not honeft enough to be virtuous myfelf, I value them that are." He gave him an appointment, and respect ed him for life. 6. The extreme parts of Scotland, whofe people we defpife for their poverty, are honeft in this refpect to a wonder; and in the Swede's dominion, towards the pole, there is no name for adultery. They thought it an offence man could not commit againit man; and have no word to exprefs it in their language. The unpolished Lapland peafant, with thefe thoughts, is, as a human creature, much more refpectable than the gay Briton, whofe heart is ftained with vices, and etranged from natural affection; and he is happier. The perfect confidence mutually repofed between him and the honeft partner of his breaft, entails a fatisfaction even in the lowest poverty. It gilds the humble heart, and lights the cabin; their homely meal is a facrifice of thanks, and every breath of fmoke arifes in incenfe. If hand be laid upon hand, it is fure affection; and if fome infant plays about their knees, they look upon him and upon each other with a delight that greatnefs feldom knows, because it feels diftruft. CONTINENT, in general, an appellation given to things continued without interruption; in which fenfe we fay, continent fever, &c. CONTINENT, in geography, a great extent of land not interrupted by feas, in contradiftinction to ifland and peninfula, &c. See GEOGRAPHY.-Sicily is faid to have been anciently torn from the continent of Italy; and it is an old tradition, which fome of our antiquaries ftill have a regard to, that Britain was formerly a part of the continent of France. The world is ufually divided into two great continents, the old and the new. Whether there exifts in the fouthern hemifphere another continent, or the whole be only an immenfe watery region, is a queftion that for near three centuries has engaged the attention of the learned as well as the commercial world, and given rife to many interefting voyages and difcoveries; concerning which, fee the article SOUTH Sea. CONTINGENT, fomething cafual or unusual. Hence future contingent, denotes a conditional event which may or may not happen, according as circumftances fall out. CONTINGENT, is also a term of relation for the quota that falls to any perfon upon a divifion. Thus each prince of Germany in time of war is to furnish fo many men, so much money, and munition, for his con- Continued tingent. CONTINUED, or CONTINUAL, in a general fenfe, means inceffant, or proceeding without interruption. CONTINUED Fever, is fuch a one as fometimes remits, but never intermits or goes entirely off till its period. CONTINUED Bafs, in mufic, thus called, fays Rouffeau, because it is continued through the whole piece. Its principal use, besides that of regulating the harmony, is to fupport the voice and preferve the tone. They pretend that it was one Ludovico Viana, of whom a treatife ftill remains, who towards the end of the laft century first put the continued bass in practice. CONTINUED Proportion, in arithmetic, is that where the confequent of the firft ratio is the fame with the antecedent of the fecond; as 4:8::8:16; in contradiftinction to difcrete proportion. CONTINUITY, is defined by some schoolmen the immediate cohefion of parts in the fame quantum; by others, a mode of body, whereby its extremities become one; and by others, a ftate of body_resulting from the mutual implication of its parts. There are two kinds of continuity, mathematical and phyfical. The firft is merely imaginary, fince it fuppofes real or phyfical parts where there are none. The other, or phyfical continuity, is that state of two or more particles, in which their parts are fo mutually implicated as to conftitute one uninterrupted quantity or continuum. CONTINUO, in mufic, fignifies the thorough bafs, as baffo continuo is the continual or thorough bass, which is fometimes marked in mufic-books by, the letters B. C. CONTOBABDITES, a fect in the fixth century. Their firft leader was Severus of Antioch; who was fucceeded by John the grammarian furnamed Philo. ponus, and one Theodofius whofe followers were allo called Theodofians. Part of them, who were willing to receive a book compofed by Theodofius on the Trinity, made a feparate body, and were called Contobabites, from fome place, which Nicephorus does not mention, but which muft apparently have been the place where they held their affemblies. The Contobabdites allowed of no bishops; which is the only cir.. 'cumftance given us concerning them. CONTOR, CONDOR, Or CUNDUR, the American name of a species of VULTUR. CONTORSION, in general, fignifies the action of twisting or wrefting a member of the body out of its natural fituation. Rope-dancers accuftom themselves to contorfions of their limbs from their youth, to render the fibres of their articulations lax, and fupple to all kinds of poftures. CONTORSION, in medicine, has many fignifications. 1. It denotes the iliac paffion. 2. An incomplete diflocation, when a bone is in part, but not entirely, forced from its articulation. 3. A dislocation of the ver tebræ of the back fide-ways, or a crookedness of these vertebræ. And, 4. A diforder of the head, in which it is drawn towards one fide, either by a spafmodic contraction of the mufcles on the fame fide, or a palfy of the antagonist muscles on the other. CONTORTE, the name of the 30th order in Linnæus's Contorta. Contract. Contraft. rifdiction; giving each of the parties a copy thereof, Contractile tranfcribed by his clerks or domeftic regitters, and fealed with his feal. Which practice paffed into France, where it obtained a long time. Contour næus's Fragments of a natural method, confifting of plants which have a fingle petal that is twisted or bent to one fide. This order contains the following genera, viz. echites, cerbera, gardenia, genipa, microcnemum, nerium, periploca, rawolfia, tabernæmontana, vinca, apocynum, afclepias, comeraria, ceropegia, cynanchum, plumeria, ftapelia. CONTOUR, in painting, the outline, or that which defines a figure. A great part of the skill of the painter lies in managing the contours well. Contour, with the Italian painters, fignifies the lineaments of the face. CONTOURNE, in heraldry, is used when a beaft is reprefented standing or running with its face to the finifter fide of the efcutcheon, they being always fuppofed to look to the right, if not otherwife exprefled. CONTOURNIATED, a term among antiquaries applied to medals, the edges of which appear as if turned in a lath. This fort of work feems to have had its origin in Greece; and to have been defigned to perpetnate the memories of great men, particularly thofe who had bore away the prize at the folemn games. Such are thofe remaining of Homer, Solon, Euclid, Pythagoras, Socrates, and feveral athlete. CONTRABAND, in commerce, a prohibited commodity, or merchandife bought or fold, imported or exported, in prejudice to the laws and ordinances of a ftate, or the public prohibitions of the fovereign. Contraband goods are not only liable to confifcation themfelves, but also fubject all other allowed merchandife found with them in the fame box, bale, or parcel, together with the horfes, waggons, &c. which conduct them. There are contrabands likewife, which, befides the forfeiture of the goods, are attended with feveral penalties and difabilities. CONTRACT, in a general fenfe, a mutual confent of two or more parties, who voluntarily promife and oblige themselves to do fomething; pay a certain fum, or the like. All donations, exchanges, leafes, &c. are fo many different contracts. CONTRACT is particularly ufed in common law, for an agreement or covenant between two, with a lawful confideration or caufe. As, if I fell my horse for money; or covenant, in confideration of L. 20, to make you a lease of a farm; these are good contracts, becaufe there is quid pro quo. Ufurious CONTRACT, is a contract to pay more intereft for money than the laws allow. See USURY. Those contracts are faid to be null which the law prohibits the making of; fuch are all contracts between perfons incapable of contracting, as minors, religious, lunatics, wives without confent of their hufbands, &c. CONTRACT is alfo ufed for the inftrument in writing, which ferves as a proof of the confent granted, and the obligation paffed between the parties. Among the ancient Romans, contracts, and all vcluntary acts, were written, either by the parties them felves, or by one of the witneffes, or by a domeftic fecretary of one of the parties, whom they called a notary, but who was no public perfon as among us. The contract, when finished, was carried to the magiftrate, who gave it a public authority by receiving it inter acta, into the number of acts under his ju CONTRACTILE FORCE, that property or power inherent in certain bodies, whereby, when extended, they are enabled to draw themfelves up again to their former dimentions. CONTRACTION, in phyfics, the diminishing the extent or dimenfions of a body, or the causing its parts to approach nearer to each other; in which fenfe it ftands oppofed to dilatation or expanfion. CONTRACTION is frequently ufed, by anatomical writers, to exprefs the fhrinking up of a fibre, or an affemblage of fibres, when extended. Convaltions and fpafras proceed from a preternatural contraction of the fibres of the mufcles of the part convuifed. On the contrary, paralytic diforders generally proceed from a too great laxnefs of the fibres of the parts affected; or from the want of that degree of contraction neceffary to perform the natural motion or action of the part. In the first, therefore, the animal fpirits are fuppofed to flow, either in too great a quantity, or irregularly; and, in the laft, the animal fpirits are either denied a free paffage into the part affected, or the tenfion of the fibrille is fuppofed infufficient to promote the circulation. CONTRACTION, in grammar, is the reducing of two fyllables into one, as can't for cannot, Should'st for Shouldeft, &c. CONTRADICTION, a fpecies of direct oppofition, wherein one thing is found diametrically oppofite to another. CONTRADICTORY PROPOSITIONS, are oppofites, one of which imports a mere and naked denial of the other. Seeming contradictories is when the members of a period quite difagree in appearance and found, but perfectly agree and are confitent in fense: thus, "Cowards die many times before their death; "The valiant never taste of death but once." SHAKESPEARE. 39 CONTRAFISSURE, in furgery, a kind of fracture, or fiffure, in the cranium, which fometimes happens on the tide oppofite to that which received the blow, or, at leaft, at fome diftance from it. CONTRAINDICATION, in medicine, is an indication which forbids that to be done which the main fcope of a difeafe points out. Suppose, e. gr. in the cure of a disease a vomit were judged proper; if the patient be fubject to a vomiting of blood, it is a fufficient contraindication as to its exhibition. CONTRARIETY, an oppofition between two things, which imports their being contrary to one another; and confifts in this, that one of the terms implies a negation of the other, either mediately or immediately; fo that contrariety may be faid to be the contraft, or oppofition of two things, one of which imports the abfence of the other, as love and hatred. Contraft cafion, to certify whether or no things have been con- Controller trolled or examined. CONTRAST, in painting and fculpture, expreffes an Controller. Oppofition or difference of pofition, attitude, &c. of two or more figures, contrived to make variety in a painting, &c. as where, in a groupe of three figures, one is fhown before, another behind, and another fideways, they are faid to be in contrast. The contraft is not only to be obferved in the position of feveral figures, but alfo in that of the feveral members of the fame figure: thus, if the right arm advance fartheft, the right leg is to be hindermoft; if the eye be directed one way, the arm to go the contrary way, &c. The contraft muft be purfued even in the drapery. CONTRAST, in architecture, is to avoid the repetition of the fame thing, in order to please by variety. CONTRATE WHEEL, in watch-work, that next to the crown, the teeth and hoop whereof lie contrary to those of the other wheels, from whence it takes its name. See WATCH Making. CONTRAVALLATION, or the Line CONTRAVALLATION, in fortification, a trench guarded with a parapet, and ufually cut round about a place by the beliegers, to fecure themselves on that fide, and to ftop the fallies of the garrifon. See FORTIFICA TION. CONTRAVENTION, in law, a man's failing to discharge his word, obligation, duty, or the laws or cuftoms of the place. CONTRAYERVA, in botany. See DORSTENIA. CONTRE, in heraldry, an appellation given to feveral bearings, on account of their cutting the fhield contrary and oppofite ways: thus we meet with contre-bend, contre-chevron, contre-pale, &c. when there are two ordinaries of the fame nature oppofite to each other, fo as colour may be oppofed to metal, and metal to colour. CONTRIBUTION, the payment of each perfon's quota of the part he is to bear in fome impofition, or common expence. See CONTINGENT, &c.-Contributions are either involuntary, as thofe of taxes and impofts; or voluntary, as thofe of expences for carrying on fome undertaking for the intereft of the community. CONTRIBUTIONS, in a military fenfe, are impofitions paid by frontier countries to fecure themfelves from being plundered, and ruined by the enemy's army. The peafants till their ground under the faith of contributions, as fecurely as in time of profound peace. CONTRITION, in theology, a forrow for our fine, refulting from the reflection of having offended God, from the fole confideration of his goodness, without any regard to the punishment due to the trefpafs, and attended with a fincere refolution of reforming them. The word is derived from the Latin conterere, to break or bruife. CONTROL is properly a double regifter kept of acts, iffues, &c. of the officers or commiffioners in the revenue, army, &c. in order to perceive the true ftate thereof, and to certify the truth, and the due keeping of the acts fubject to the enregifterment. CONTROLLER, an officer appointed to control or overfee the accounts of other officers; and, on oc In Britain we have feveral officers of this name ; as controller of the king's house, controller of the navy, controller of the customs, controller of the mint, &c. CONTROLLER of the Hanaper, an officer that attends the lord chancellor daily, in term and in feal-time, to take all things fealed in leathern bags from the clerks of the hanaper, and to make the number and effect thereof, and enter them in a book, with all the duties belonging to the king and other officers for the fame, and fo charge the clerk of the hanaper with them. CONTROLLER of the Household, the fecond officer under the lord fteward. The name of his office comes from the French word contrerouler, His office is to control the accounts and reckonings of the Green Cloth, of which board he is always a member. He carries a white ftaff, and is always one of the privycouncil. He has L. 107: 17:6 a-year wages, and L. 1092: 2:6 board-wages. CONTROLLER of the Pipe, an officer of the exchequer, that makes out a fummons twice every year, to levy the farms and debts of the pipe. See PIPE and Ex CHEQUER. CONTROLLERS of the Pells, two officers of the exchequer, who are the chamberlain's clerks, and keep a control of the pell of receipts, and goings out. CONTUMACY, in law, a refufal to appear in court when legally fummoned, or the difobedience to the rules and orders of a court having power to punish fuch offence. CONTUSION, in medicine and furgery, any hurt of the body that is inflicted by a blunt inftrument. See SURGERY. CONVALESCENCE, in medicine, the infenfible recovery of health; or that flate in which, after the cure of a diforder, the body which has been reduced, has not yet regained its vigour, but begins to resume its powers. Proper aliments conduce to the re-eftablifhment of the languid faculties; but as the tone of the bowels is weakened, the digeftive faculty is not equal to its office, which is fhown by light fweats over the whole body; and the finalleft excefs in this refpect is oftentimes the occafion of dangerous relapfes. A perfon in this ftate is like a tape☛ relumined, which the leaft degree of wind is fufficient to extinguish. CONVALLARIA, or LILY of the VALLEY, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the hexandria clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking under Sarmentacea, or 11th order. The corolla is fexfid; the berry fpotted and trilocular. The fpecies are eight, three of which are natives of Britain, viz. the maialis, or may-lily; the multiflora, or folomon's-feal; and the polygonatum, or fweet-fmelling folomon's-feal. They are plants of confiderable beauty, and may easily be propagated by their creeping roots. CONVENARUM URBS, or Lugdunum, (anc. geog.) a town of the Couvenae, a people of Gallia Narbonenfis, at the foot of the Pyrenees. Its origin was owing to the Sertorian war, Pompey compelling the robbers of the Pyrenees and fugitive flaves to fet tle Convena rum. |