Elis

(it was faid) by Phidias. At the gate leading to Olympia was the monument of a perfon, who was buried, as Elizabeth an oracle had commanded, neither within nor without the city. The structures of Elis, Dr Chandler observes, seem to have been raised with materials far lefs elegant and durable than the produce of the Ionian and Attic quarries. The ruins are of brick, and not confiderable, confifting of pieces of ordinary wall, and an octagon building with niches, which, it is fuppofed, was the temple, with a circular periftyle. Thefe ftand detached from each other, ranging in a vale fouthward from the wide bed of the river Peneus; which, by the margin, has feveral large ftones, perhaps relicks of the gymnafium. The citadel was on a hill, which has on the top fome remnants of a wall. ELISHA the prophet, famous for the miracles he performed, died about 830 B. C. See the Bible. ELISION, in Grammar, the cutting off or fuppreffing a vowel at the end of a word, for the fake of found or measure, the next word beginning with a vowel.

Elifions are pretty frequently met with in English poetry, but more frequently in the Latin, French, &c. They chiefly confift in fuppreffions of the a, e, and, though an elifion fuppreffes any of the other

vowels.

ELIXATION, in Pharmacy, the extracting the virtues of ingredients by boiling or stewing.

ELIXIR, in Medicine, a compound tincture extracted from many efficacious ingredients. Hence the difference between a tincture and an elixir seems to be this, that a tincture is drawn from one ingredient, fometimes with an addition of another to open it and to difpofe it to yield to the menftruum; whereas an elixir is a tincture extracted from several ingredients at the fame time.

ELIZABETH, queen of England, daughter of Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn, was born at Greenwich, September 7. 1533. According to the humour of the times, he was early inftructed in the learned languages, first by Grindal, who died when he was about 17, and afterwards by the celebrated Roger Afcham. She acquired likewife confiderable knowledge of the Italian, Spanish, and French languages. Dr Grindal was alfo her preceptor in divinity, which the is faid to have ftudied with uncommon application and industry. That Elizabeth became a Proteftant, and her filter Mary a Papift, was the effect of that caufe which determines the religion of all mankind; namely, the opinion of thofe by whom they were educated: and this difference of opinion, in their tutors, is not at all furprifing, when we recollect, that their father. Harry was of both religions, or of neither.

But the ftudies of Elizabeth were not confined merely to languages and theology: fhe was alfo inftructed in the political hiftory of the ancients; and was fo well skilled in mufic, as to fing and play "artfully and fweetly."

After the fhort reign of her brother Edward, our heroine being then about 20 years of age, her firebrand fifter &cceding to the crown, Elizabeth experienced a confiderable degree of perfecution, fo as to be not a little apprehenfive of a violent death. She was accufed of nobody knows what; imprifoned; and, we are told, inhumanly treated. At last, by the intercef

fion of King Philip of Spain, fhe was fet at liberty; Elizabeth. which the continued to enjoy, till, on the death of her pious fifter, fhe, on the 17th of November 1558, afcended the throne of England. Her political history as a queen, is univerfally known and admired*: but * See (Hi. her attention to the government of her kingdom did story of) not totally fufpend her purfuit of learning. Afcham, England. in his Schoolmafter, tells us, that, about the year 1563, five years after her acceffion, the being then at Windfor, befides her perfect readiness in Latin, Italian, French, and Spanish, the read more Greek in one day than fome prebendaries of that church did read Latin in a whole week, (p. 21.)-She employed Sir John Fortefque to read to her Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, Euripides, Æfchines, and Sophocles. (Ballard, p. 219.). That the Latin language was familiar to her, is evident from her fpeech to the univerfity of Oxford, when he was near fixty; alfo from her spirited answer to the Polish ambaffador in the year 1598. And that she was also skilled in the art of poetry, appears not only from the feveral fcraps which have been preferved, but likewife from the teftimony of a contemporary writer, Puttenham, in his Art of Engl. Poetry (a very scarce book). Thefe are his words: "But, laft in recital, "and first in degree, is the queen, whose learned, de"licate, noble mufe, eafily furmounteth all the reft, "for fenfe, fweetnefs, or fubtility, be it in ode, elegy,

66

epigram, or any other kind of poem," &c. In this author are to be found only a specimen of 16 verses of her English poetry. "But," fays Mr Walpole, "a greater inftance of her genius, and that too in La"tin, was her extempore reply to an infolent prohibi❝tion delivered to her from Philip II. by his ambaffa, "dor, in this tetrastic.

Te veto ne pergas bello defendere Belgas:
Quæ Dracus eripuit, nunc reftituantur oportet:
Quas pater evertit, jubeo te condere cellas:
Religio papæ fac reftituatur ad unguem.

"She inftantly answered him, with as much spirit as fhe used to return his invafions ;.

Doubtlefs, fhe was a woman of fingular capacity and extraordinary acquirements: and if we could forget the ftory of the Scottish Mary, and of her favourite Effex, together with the burning of a few Anabaptifts; in fhort, could we forbear to contemplate her character through the medium of religion and morality, we might pronounce her the most illustrious of illuftrious women. See further the articles ENGLAND, MARY, and SCOTLAND. She died in her palace at Richmond, the 24th of March 1602, aged 70, having reigned 44 years; and was interred in the chapel of Henry VII. in Weftminster Abbey. Her fucceffor James erected a magnificent monument to her memory.-She wrote, 1. The Mirror, or Glafs of the Sinful Soul. This was tranflated out of French verfe into English profe, when she was eleven years old. It was dedicated to Queen Catharine Parr. Probably it was never printed; but the dedication and preface are preferved in the Sylloge epiftolarum, in Hearne's edition of Livii ForoJulienfis, p. 161. 2. Prayers and Meditations, &c. Dedicated to her father, dated at Hatfield, 1545. Manufcript, in the royal library. 3. A Dialogue out of Xenophon, in Greek, between Hiero a King, yet fome time a private perfon, and Simonides a Poet, as touching the life of the Prince and Private Man. First printed from a manufcript in her majefty's own handwriting, in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1743. 4. Two Orations of Ifocrates, tranflated into Latin. 5. Latin Oration at Cambridge. Preferved in the king's library: alfo in Hollinfhed's Chron. p. 1206.; and in Fuller's Hift. of Cambr. p. 138. 6. Latin Oration at Oxford. See Wood's Hift. and Antiq. of Oxf. lib. i. p. 289. alfo in Dr Jebb's Append. to his Life of Mary Queen of Scots. 7. A comment on Plato. 8. Boethius de confolatione philofophia, tranflated into English anno 1593. 9. Salluft de bello Jugurthino, tranflated into English anno 1590. 10. A play of Euripides, tranflated into Latin, (Cat. of Royal Auth.). II. A Prayer for the use of her fleet in the great expedition in 1596. 12. Part of Horace's Art of Poetry, tranflated into English anno 1598. 13. Plutarch de curiofitate, tranflated into English. 14. Letters on various occafions to different perfons: feveral speeches to her parliament; and a number of other pieces.

|| Elliot.

] ELIZABETH PETROWNA, (daughter of Peter the Elizabeth Great), the laft emprefs of Ruffia, diftinguished herfelf by her fignal clemency. She made a vow that no perfon fhould be put to death in her reign, and she ftrictly obferved it. The example was followed, and confirmed by law, under the auguft fovereign of Ruffia, Catharine II. Elizabeth died in 1762, in the 21st year of her reign and 52d of her age.

ELK, in Zoology. See CERVUS, MAMMALIA Index. ELL, (ulna,) a measure which obtains, under different denominations, in moft countries, whereby cloths, ftuffs, linens, filks, &c. are ufually measured; anfwering nearly to the yard of England, the canna of Italy, the vara of Spain, the palm of Sicily, &c.

Servius will have the ell to be the space contained between the two hands when ftretched forth; but Suetonius makes it only the cubit.

The ells most frequently ufed with us are the English and Flemish; the former containing three feet nine inches, or one yard and a quarter; the latter only 27 inches, or three quarters of a yard; fo that the ell English is to the Flemish ell as five to three. In Scotland, the ell contains 37 English inches.

M. Ricard, in his Treatife of Commerce, reduces the ells thus: 100 ells of Amfterdam are equal to 98% of Brabant, Antwerp, and Bruffels; to 584 of England and France; to 120 of Hamburgh, Francfort, Leipfic, and Cologne; 125 of Breflaw; 110 of Bergen and Drontheim; and 117 of Stockholm.

ELLIOT, the Right Honourable George Auguftus,. Lord Heathfield, was the youngest fon of the late Sir Gilbert Elliot, Baronet, of Stobbs (A) in Roxburghshire; and was born about the year 1718. He received the first rudiments of his education under a private tutor : and at an early time of life was fent to the university of Leyden, where he made confiderable progrefs in claffical learning, and fpoke with fluency and elegance the German and French languages. Being defigned for a military life, he was fent from thence to the celebrated Ecole Royale du Genie Militaire, conducted by the great Vauban at La Fere in Picardy; where he laidthe foundation of what he fo confpicuously exhibited at the defence of Gibraltar. He completed his military courfe on the continent by a tour, for the purpose of feeing in practice what he had ftudied in theory. Pruffia was the model for difcipline, and he continued fome time as a volunteer in that fervice.

Mr Elliot returned in the 17th year of his age to his native country, Scotland; and was the fame year, 1735, introduced by his father Sir Gilbert to Lieutenant-Colonel Peers of the 23d regiment of foot, then lying at Edinburgh, as a youth anxious to bear arms for

Elliot.

for his king and country. He was accordingly entered as a volunteer in that regiment, where he continued for a year or more. From the 23d regiment he went into the engineer corps at Woolwich, and made great progrefs in that ftudy, until his uncle Colonel Elliot brought him in his adjutant of the fecond troop of horfe grenadiers. With thefe troops he went upon fervice to Germany, and was with them in a variety of actions. At the battle of Dettingen he was wounded. In this regiment he bought the rank of captain and major, and afterwards purchased the lieutenant-colonelcy from Colonel Brewerton, who fucceeded to his uncle. On arriving at this rank, he refigned his commiffion as an engineer, which he had enjoyed along with his other rank, and in which fervice he had been actively employed very much to the advantage of his country. He received the inftructions of the famous engineer Bellidor, and made himself completely master of the fcience of gunnery. Had he not fo difintereftedly refigned his rank in the engineer department, he would long before his death, by regular progreffion, have been at the head of that corps. Soon after this he was appointed aid-de-camp to George II. and was diftinguished for his military kill and difcipline. In the year 1759, he quitted the second troop of horse grenadier guards, being felected to raife, form, and difcipline, the first regiment of light horfe, called after him Elliot's. As foon as they were raised and formed, he was appointed to the command of the cavalry in the expedition on the coafts of France, with the rank of brigadier-general. After this he paffed into Germany, where he was employed on the staff, and greatly distinguished himself in a variety of movements; where his regiment displayed a strictness of difcipline, an activity and enterprife, which gained them. fignal honour and indeed they have been the pattern regiment both in regard to difcipline and appointment, to the many light dragoon troops that have been fince raised in our service. From Germany he was recalled for the purpose of being employed as fecond in command in the memorable expedition against the Havannah; the circumftances of which conqueft are well known.

:

On the peace, his gallant regiment was reviewed by the king, when they prefented to his majesty the stand ards which they had taken from the enemy. Gratified with their fine difcipline and high character, the king asked General Elliot what mark of his favour he could bestow on his regiment equal to their merit? He anfwered that his regiment would be proud if his majefty fhould think, that, by their fervices, they were entitled to the diftinction of Royals. It was accordingly made a royal regiment, with this flattering title, "The 15th, or King's Royal Regiment of Light Dragoons." At the fame time the king expreffed a defire to confer fome honour on the general himfelf; but the latter declared, that the honour and fatisfaction of his majefty's approbation of his fervices was his beft reward.

During the peace he was not idle. His great talents in the various branches of the military art gave him ample employment. In the year 1775, he was appointed to fucceed General A'Court as commander in chief of the forces in Ireland; but did not continue long in this ftation, not even long enough to unpack all his trunks; for finding that interferences were

He

made by petty authority derogatory of his own, he refifted the practice with becoming fpirit; and not choof-ing to disturb the government of the fifter kingdom on a matter perfonal to himself, he folicited to be recalled. He accordingly was fo, and appointed to the command of Gibraltar in a fortunate hour for the fafety of that important fortrefs. The fyftem of his life, as well as his education, peculiarly qualified him for this truft. He was perhaps the most abftemious man of the age; neither indulging himself in animal food or wine. He never slept more than four hours at a time; so that he was up later and earlier than most other men. fo inured himself to habits of hardiness, that the things which are difficult and painful to other men, were to him his daily practice, and rendered pleasant by use. It could not be easy to ftarve fuch a man into a furrender, nor poffible to furprife him. The example of the commander in chief in a befieged garrifon had the moft perfuafive efficacy in forming the manners of a foldiery. Like him his brave followers came to regulate their lives by the most ftrict rules of difcipline, before there arofe a neceffity for so doing; and fevere exercife, with fhort diet, became habitual to them by their own choice. The military fyftem of difcipline which he introduced, and the preparations which he made for his defence, were contrived with fo much judgment, and executed with fo much addrefs, that he was able with a handful of men to preferve his poft against an attack, the conftancy of which, even without the vigour, had been fufficient to exhauft any common fet of men. Collected within himself, he in no inftance destroyed, by premature attacks, the labours which would coft the enemy time, patience, and expence to complete; he deliberately obferved their approaches, and feized on the proper moment, with the keenest perspection, in which to make his attack with fuccefs. He never spent his ammunition in useless parade or in unimportant attacks. He never relaxed from his difcipline by the appearance of fecurity, nor hazarded the lives of his garrifon by wild experiments. By a cool and temperate demeanour, he maintained his ftation for three years of conftant investment, in which all the powers of Spain were employed. All the eyes of Europe were on this garrifon; and his conduct has justly exalted him to the most elevated rank in the military annals of the day. On his return to England, the gratitude of the British fenate was as forward as the public voice in giving him that diftinguished mark his merit deferved. Both houfes of parliament voted an unanimous address of thanks to the general. The king conferred on him the honour of Knight of the Bath, with a penfion during his own and a fecond life of his own appointment; and on June 14. 1787, his majefty advanced him to the peerage, by the title of Lord Heathfield, Baron Gibraltar, permitting him to take, in addition to his family arms, the arms of the fortrefs he had fo bravely defended, to perpetuate to futurity his noble conduct.

His lordship died on the 9th of July 1790, at his chateau at Aix-la-Chapelle, of a fecond ftroke of the palfy, after having for fome weeks preceding enjoyed tolerable good health and an unusual flow of fpirits. His death happened two days before he was to have fet out for Leghorn on his way to Gibraltar; of which place he was once more appointed to the de

fence,

Al Amid, fecretary to the council of war under the Elmacinus fultans of Egypt for 45 years; and in 1238, when his father died, fucceeded him in his place. His hiftory Elphinston. of the Saracens was tranflated from Arabic into Latin by Erpinius: and printed in these two languages in folio, at Leyden, in 1625. Erpinius died before the publication; but Golius took care of it, and added a preface. It was dedicated by Erpinius's widow to Dr Andrews, bishop of Winchester.

ELLIPOMACROSTYLA, an old term in Natu ral Hiftory, from the Greek, wns imperfect, panges long, and ruxes a column; which expreffes an imperfect crystal with a long column, one end of the column being affixed to fome folid body, and composed of thin and flender hexangular columns, terminated by hexangular pyramids.

ELLIPOPACHYSTYLA, an old term in Natural History, derived from the Greek, 12λns imperfect, waxus thick, and runes a column, and expreffes a cryftal of the imperfect kind with a thick column.

ELLIPSIS, in Geometry, a curve line returning into itself, and produced from the section of a cone by a plane cutting both its fides, but not parallel to the bafe. See CONIC Sections.

ELLIPSIS, in Grammar, a figure of fyntax, wherein one or more words are not expreffed; and from this deficiency it has got the name ellipfis.

ELLIPTIC, or ELLIPTICAL, fomething belonging to an ellipfis.

ELLISIA, a genus of plants belonging to the pentandria class; and in the natural method ranking under the 28th order, Lurida. See BOTANY Index.

ELLYS, DR ANTHONY, who was born in 1693, and educated at Clarehall, Cambridge, after rifing through many inferior degrees of dignity in the church of England, was, in 1752, promoted to the fee of St David's. He died at Gloucester in 1761, and is men. tioned here only for the fake of his works, which are lefs known than they should in the present time of novel opinions. They are, befides occafional fermons, 1. A Plea for the Sacramental Test, as a just security to the Church established, and very conducive to the welfare of the State. 2. Remarks on Hume's Effay on Miracles. 3. Tracts on the Liberty spiritual and temporal of Proteftants in England, addreffed to J. N. Efq. at Aix-la Chapelle; the first part of which was printed in 1763, the fecond in 1765. In these tracts, as the editors of them truly obferve, he "discovers not only fine parts, extenfive knowledge, and found judge ment, but a heart overflowing with benevolence and candour, and a moft Chriftian temper: for he always thought a perfon, though on the right fide of the queftion, with principles of perfecution, to be a worfe man than be that was on the wrong." This amiable and respectable writer affords in his own conduct a proof that a man may be fteadily attached to a party, without wifhing to eneroach upon the rights of others.

ELM. See ULMUS, BOTANY Index. ELMACINUS, GEORGE, author of a Hiftory of the Saracens, was born in Egypt towards the middle of the 13th century. His hiftory comes down from Mahomet to the year of the Hegira 512, answering to the year of our Lord 1134; in which he fets down year by year, in a very concife manner, whatever regards the Saracen empire, intermixed with fome paffages relating to the eastern Chriftians. His abilities muft have been confiderable; fince, though he profeffed Chriftianity, he held an office of truft near the perfons of the Mahometan princes. He was fon to Yafer

ELOCUTION. See ORATORY, Part III.

ELOGY, a praife or panegyric bestowed on any perfon or thing, in confideration of its merit. The beauty of elogy confifts in an expreffive brevity. Eulogiums fhould not have fo much as one epithet, properly fo called, nor two words fynonymous: they should ftrictly adhere to truth: for extravagant and improbable elogies rather leffen the character of the perfon or thing they would extol.

ELOHI, ELOI, or Elohim, in fcripture, one of the names of God. But it is to be observed, that angels, princes, great men, judges, and even falfe gods, are fometimes called by this name. The fequel of the dif courfe is what affifts us in judging rightly concerning the true meaning of this word. It is the fame as Eloha. One is the fingular, the other the plural. Neverthelefs Elohim is often conftrued in the fingular number, particularly when the true God is fpoken of: but when false gods are spoken of, it is conftrued rather in the plural.

ELOINED, in Law, fignifies reftrained or hindered from doing fomething: thus it is faid, that if those within age be eloined, fo that they cannot fue perfonally, their next friend fhall fue for them.

ELONGATION, in Aftronomy, the digreffion or recefs of a planet from the fun, with refpect to an eye placed on our earth. The term is chiefly used in speaking of Venus or Mercury, the arch of a great circle intercepted between either of these planets and the fun being called the elongation of that planet from the fun.

ELONGATION, in Surgery, is an imperfect luxation, occafioned by the ftretching or lengthening of the ligaments of any part.

ELOPEMENT, in Law, is where a married woman departs from her husband, and cohabits with an adulterer; in which case the husband is not obliged to allow her any alimony out of her eftate, nor is he chargeable for neceffaries for her of any kind. However, the bare advertising a wife in the gazette, or other public paper, is not a legal notice to perfons in general not to truft her; though a perfonal notice given by the hufband to particular perfons is faid to be good. An action lies, and large damages may be recovered, against a perfon for carrying away and detaining another man's wife.

ELOQUENCE, the art of fpeaking well, fo as to affect and perfuade. See ORATORY.

ELPHINSTON, WILLIAM, a Scotch prelate and ftatesman of confiderable eminence, who flourished in the end of the 15th and commencement of the 16th century, was born at Glasgow in the year 1431. At the univerfity of this city he received his education, and in the learning which diftinguished that period he made extraordinary proficiency. His ftudies being completed, he went over to France, to make himself master

of

П

province of Gothland, and territory of Schonen, feated Elamburg on the fide of the Sound, over againft Elfinore. It was formerly a fortrefs belonging to the Danes; but all the Elvas. fortifications were demolished in 1679, and there is only one tower of a castle which remains undemolished. It now belongs to Sweden. E. Long. 13. 20. N. Lat. 56. 2.

Elphinston of the civil and canon law in the university of Paris, where he afterwards became a profeffor, and for the Elfimburg. fpace of fix years acquired confiderable reputation in the difcharge of his duty. On his return to Scotland, he entered into holy orders, was foon appointed official of Glasgow, and afterwards of St Andrews. He was admitted a member of the king's council; and on a mifunderstanding taking place between James III. of Scotland and Louis XI of France, his powerful mediation at the latter court, in conjunction with the bishop of Dunkeld and the earl of Buchan, effected an amicable reconciliation. As Elphinston on this occafion difplayed fuch prudence and eloquence, the king was fo grateful for his meritorious fervices, that he rewarded him with the fee of Rofs, from which he was translated to the diocese of Aberdeen about the year 1484, and also appointed to the high office of chancellor of the king dom, which he managed with fo much moderation and equity, that all parties efteemed and admired him. When the civil wars broke out between James and the difcontented nobility, Bishop Elphinston appears to have declined all interference with public affairs of a political nature, and confined himself to the difcharge of his minifterial duties. But when James IV. ascended the throne, his abilities as a statesman were again called forth, and he was chofen ambaffador to the emperor Maximilian, in order to bring about a marriage alliance between his royal mafter and the emperor's daughter; but she had been previously promifed to another. Yet the bishop's miffion was not without its falutary effects, as he was the mean of terminating an enmity which had long existed between the Dutch and Scots. This he conducted in fuch a masterly manner, that James never undertook any thing of importance, without first procuring the fanction of his approbation. He was equally the zealous patron of learning; and it is generally believed that the establishment of a univerfity at Aberdeen was entirely owing to his influence with the Pope, from whom he obtained a bull for that purpose; and by his exertions was King's college undertaken and completed. He bequeathed, at the time of his decease, large fums of money for its fupport. He terminated his mortal career in 1514, about 83 years of age, at which advanced period his conftitutional vigour was very little impaired, and all the faculties of his mind were in full force; but the ferious loffes at the memorable battle of Flowden had broken his heart. He wrote a history of his native country, which is among the manufcripts of Sir Thomas Fairfax, in the Bodleian library at Oxford.

EDSHEMIER, ADAM, a celebrated painter, born at Francfort on the Maine, in 1574. He was first a difciple of Philip Uffenbach, a German; but his defire of improvement carrying him to Rome, he foon became a most excellent artist in landscapes, history, and nightpieces, with fmall figures. His works are but few; and the great pains he bestowed in finishing them raifed their prices fo high, that they are hardly anywhere to be found but in the cabinets of princes. He was of a melancholy turn, and funk under the embarrassments of his circumftances in 1610. James Erneft Thomas of Landau was his difciple; and imitated his ftyle fo nicely, that their performances are not eafily diftinguished.

ELSIMBURG, a port town of Sweden, in the 3

ELSINORE, or ELSINOOR, a port town of Denmark, feated on the Sound, in the isle of Zealand. E. Long. 13. 23. N. Lat. 56. 0.-It was a small village, containing a few fishermen's huts, until 1445, when it was made a ftaple town by Eric of Pomerania; who conferred upon the new fettlers confiderable immunities, and built a castle for their defence. From that period it gradually increafed in fize and wealth, and is now the most commercial place in Denmark next to Copenhagen. It contains about 5000 inhabitants, amongst whom are a confiderable number of foreign merchants, and the confuls of the principal nations trading to the Baltic. The paffage of the Sound is guarded by the fortrefs of Cronborg, which is fituated upon the edge of a peninfular promontory, the nearest point of land from the oppofite coaft of Sweden. It is ftrongly fortified towards the fhore by ditches, baftions, and regular entrenchments; and towards the fea by feveral batteries, mounted with 60 cannon, the largest whereof are 48 pounders. Every veffel, as it paffes, lowers her top-fails, and pays a toll at Elfinore. It is generally afferted, that this fortrefs guards the Sound; and that all the fhips muft, on account of the fhoal waters and currents, fteer fo near the batteries as to be expofed to their fire in cafe of refufal. This, however, is a mistaken notion. On account indeed of the numerous and oppofite currents in the Sound, the fafeft paffage lies near the fortrefs; but the water in any part is of fufficient depth for veffels to keep at a diftance from the batteries, and the largeft thips can even fail close to the coaft of Sweden. The conftant discharge, however, of the toll, is not fo much owing to the ftrength of the fortrefs as to a compliance with the public law of Europe. Many difputes have arifen concerning the right by which the crown of Denmark impofes fuch a duty. The kings of Sweden, in particular, claiming an equal title to the free paffage of the Strait, were for fome time exempted by treaty from paying it; but in 1720, Frederic I. agreed that all Swedish veffels fhould for the future be subject to the ufual impofts. All veffels, befide a small duty, are rated at 14 per cent. of their cargoes, except the English, French, Dutch, and Swedish, which pay only one per cent.; and in return the crown takes the charge of conftructing light-houfes, and erecting fignals to mark the fhoals and rocks, from the Categate to the entrance into the Baltic. The tolls of the Sound, and of the two Belts, fupply an annual revenue of above 100,000l.

ELVAS, a large town, and one of the best and most important in Portugal, feated in the province of Alentejo, a few miles from the frontiers of Eftremadura in Spain. It is built on a mountain, and is ftrongly fortified with works of free-ftone. The ftreets of the town are handfome, and the houses neat; and there is a ciftern fo large, that it will hold water enough to fupply the whole town fix months. The water is conveyed to it by a magnificent aqueduct,

three