VAS
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VAS
Varnish, is alfo ufed for a kind of mining Plaifter, wherewith Potters Ware, Delft Ware, China Ware, &c. are cover'd, to give them a Smoothnefs and Luftre. Melted Lead is the Vamijh us'd for the firft 5 and Smalt for the fecond.
The true Vamijh ufed by the Cbwefe and Jafonefe, to give that inimitable Luftre to their Porcelain, is one of the grand Secrets in that Manufacture 5 and the only thing want- ing, to make 'Delft and French Ware vie with the Cbinefe. Several have defcribed the Preparation thereof; particu- larly Kircber : but none ever fucceeded in the Trial. See Porcelain.
Varnish is alfo a Term given to the Colours which antique Medals have got in the Earth. See Medal.
The Value of a Medal is heighten'd by a Beauty which Nature alone is able to give, and Art has never yet at- tain'd to counterfeit : we mean, the Colour or Varnifh which certain Soils tinge the Medal withal - 7 foine with a blue, al- moft as beautiful as that of a Turquoife ; others with an inimitable Vermilion Colour ; others with a certain mining polifli'd brown, infinitely finer than our Brazil Figures.
The mod ufual Vamijh is a fine green, which hangs to the moft delicate Strokes without effacing them j much more accurately than the fineft Enamel does on Metals.
Brafs alone is lufceptible of it ; for as ro Silver, the green Ruft that gathers on it always fpoils it ; and it muft be fcower'd off with Vinegar, or Lemon Juice.
There is alfo a falfe, or modern Vamijh 5 which the Fal- sifiers of Medals give to their Counterfeits, to give them the Air of Antiquity : 'Tis difcover'd by its being fofter than the natural Vamijh, which is as hard as the Metal it felf
Some lay their fpurious Medals under-ground, where they contrail a degree of Vamijh that may impofe on the lels knowing : Others ufe Sal Armoniac, mix'd with Vinegar ; others burnt Paper.
VAS, Vejfel. See Vessel.
V&.s-£reve, q. d. Short Veffel, in Anatomy, a Veffel at the bottom of the Stomach 5 thus called from its Ihortnefs. See Stomach.
It fends divers little Branches from the bottom of the Stomach to the Spleen ; or, according to the Ufe the An- tients imagin'd it to be of, from the Spleen to the Sto- mach : For their Notion was, that by means of this Veffel, the Sp ! een fupplied the Stomach with an acid Juic^ $ which ailing on the inner nervous Membranes of the Stomach, caus'd the Senfation of Hunger ; and at the fame time mix- ing with the Foods conrain'd therein, affifted by its acid quality in the Diffolution thereof. SecSPLEEN, Hunger, &c.
But upon examining the little Branches of this Veffel more accurately, we find rhey don't pierce into the Stomach, and that they arc no more than Branches of Veins, ferving to return the Blood into the Splenic Vein : whence it paffes into the Vena 'Porta. See Splenic, and Porta.
VASA Adipofa, Pr<sparantia, &c. See Adiposa, Prs-
PARANTIA, &C.
Vasa Concordia, among Hydraulic Authors, are two Veffels, fo conflruiled, as that one of them, tho full of Wine, won't run a Drop, unlefs the other, being full of Wa- ter, do run alfo.
Their Structure and Apparatus may be feen in WolptiS, Element. Mathef. T. II. Hydraul.
VASCULAR, in Anatomy, is applied to any thing con- iifting of divers Veffels, Veins, Arteries, &c.
Thus, we lay, The Vafctdar and Valvular Texture of the Lungs.
All the Flefh in an animal Body is found to be Vafctdar, none of it Parenchymous, as the Antients imagin'd. See Flesh, Parenchyma, &c.
Vascular, Vascularius, in Antiquity, was the Deno- mination of a kind of Tradefmen, or Artificers, among the antient Romans.
The Vafcidarii were properly a kind of Goldfmiths, or "Workmen who made Silver and Gold Veffels without Re- lievo's, or Figures of different Matter thereon.
Hence, according to Salmafius, it is, that Cicero in his Vlth Oration againft Verres, diftingui/hes Vafcular ins from Chelator.
In the Art called by the Greek 'Efwo/svxi), which was the Art of Superadding Ornaments of precious Stones, or rich Metals, to Vafes of other Metals $ the Vafcidarii and Cce- latores were different ; the firlt being thofe who made the Vafe, the fecond thofe who added the Ornaments : But in the Art called Tofgunjgi, or the Art of cutting Bas Reliefs, or ftamping other Figures on Metal ; the Vafcidarii were alfo C&latores, or Engravers : that is, they who made the Vafe, made alfo the Relievos, or Figures wherewith it was enrich'd. _ VASCULIFEROUS Plants, are, according to the Bota- nifts, fuch as befides the common Calyx, have a peculiar Veffel or Cafe to contain the Seed $ which is fometimes di- vided into Cells. See Plant.
Thefe have always a Monopetalous Flower j either uni- form, or difform. See Monopetalous.
The former, have their Seeds all divided, i°, into two Partitions, as the Hyofcyamm, Nicotiana, Priapaia, and the Gentia.na. z°, Into three Partitions, as the Convolvulus* Speculum Veneris, Tracbclium, Rapunculus Campanula, Re- pimculus Corniculatus, &c. 3 , Into four Partitions; as the Stramonium.
Thofe of the latter Kind, which have a difform Monope- talous Flower, as the Lin aria Pwguicula, Antirrhinum, Arijlolochia, Scrophularia, Digitalis, Pedicular is, Melampy- rum, Eupbrafia, Sec.
VASE, a Term of equal import with the Latin Vas, whence it is form'd 5 and the Englifh Veffel.
It is applied to the antient Veffels, dug from under-ground, or otherwife found, and preferv'd in Cabinets, £J?c. as. Vef- fels of Sacrifice, Urns, &c. and to other more modern Vef- fels which are rather of Curiofity and Shew than Ufe 5 as thofe of Cryftal, Porcelain, &c.
Vases, in Architecture, are certain Ornaments, plac'd on Corniches, Socles, or Pedeftals * reprefenting the Veffels of the Antients 5 particularly thofe ufed in Sacrifice, as the Pnefericalum, Simpulum, Incenfe-Pors, and Flower- Pots : all which are occafionally enrich'd with Baffo Relievo's.
They are commonly placed there to crown or finim. Fa- cades, or Frontifpieces. See Crowning.
They are frequently call'd Acroteria 5 and are ulually in- fulate. See Acroteria.
Vitruvius mentions a kind of 'Theatrical Vafes, made of Brafs, or Earthen Ware, call'd Ecbeia 5 which they difpos'd in private Places, under the Steps and Seats of the Theatres, to aid and increafe the Reflection and Refonancc of the Aclors Voices, &c. See Theatre.
'Tis laid, there are Vafes of this Kind in the Cathedral Church of Milan.
Vase is particularly ufed in Architecture, to fignify the Body of the Corinthian and Compofite Capital j call'd alfo the Tamhour, or Drum; and fometimes the Campana, or Sell. See Corinthian, and Campana.
Vase is alfo fometimes ufed among Florifls, for what they otherwile call the Calyx.
The Vafe, or rather Calyx of a Tulip, is the Top, or Head of a Tulip $ the Leaves whereof torm a kind of Vafe, or Cup. See Calyx.
Goldfmiths, Pewterers, &c. alfo ufe -Vafe for the middie of a Church Candleftick ; which is ufually of a roundilh, Fi- gure, bordering fomewhat on that of a Vafe.
VASSAL, in our antient Cultoms, a Perfon who vow'd Fidelity, and Homage to a Lord, on account of fomc Land, £=?c. which he held of him, in Fee. See Fealty, Ho- mage, Lord, {$c.
The Vajfal, Vajfallus, was alfo called Piratus, Lord's- man, and Fee-man ; but now the Denomination is chang'd into that of Tenant in Fee. See Tenant.
They fometimes alfo ufed the Term Vaffour for Vajfal 5 whence Vavajffour. See Vavassour.
If ^Vajfal offended his Lord gievoufly, either in Per r on, or in Honour, he committed the Crime of Felony ; which carry'd with it a Confifc itionof his Fee. See Vassalage.
A Rear Vassal, is he who holds of a Lord, who him- felf is Vajfal of another Lord. See Mesne.
Vassal was alfo antiently ufed for Soldier ^ by reafon Fees, at firit, were given to none but Military Men. See Fee.
Du Cange will have the Word to come from Vajfus, which antiently fignify'd a Servant or Domeflic of a Prince, and fometimes the Comites, or Ajfeffores in publick Trials.
Menage, after Cujas, takes Vajfal to have been form'd of Gejfe, or Gejfus ; an antient Gaul/jh Word, fignifying Fel- low, Or Companion in Arms 5 from Geffo, or Geffum, or J<£- fum, a kind of Javelin us'd among them.
Voffius derives Vajfal from Vas, Pledge ; whence alfo he will have it to be, that they are fometimes called Fideles.
VASSALAGE, the State of a Vajfal b or a Servitude and Dependency on a fuperior Lord. See Vassal.
Antiently, they diftinguifh'd between Liege Vajfalage and Simple Vajfalage.
Liege Vajfalage only belonged to the King $ as carrying with it an Obligation on the fide of the Vajfal, to ferve his Lord in War againil all Perfons whatever.
In all Simple Vajfalage, the Fealty, or Liege Vajfalage, was ftill referv'd to the King.
Some alfo make ABive Vajfalage, and Pajjive : The firft is the Right of Fealty redding in the Lord 5 the fecond, the Service and Duties incumbent on the Tenant.
VASTO, in Law, a Writ that lies for the Heir, againtt the Tenant for Life, or Years, for making waile 5 or for him in the Reverfion, or Remainder.
VASTUS, in Anatomy, a Name common to two Mufcles of the Leg, diflinguifh'd into internal, and external ; thus call'd from their largenefs : both of 'em ferving to extend the Leg.
Vastus
