Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 8, ELE-FOR

ELI [ i
Elgmfliire, produclivc. The principal rivers arc, the Spey, Find-
, r,‘i~ home, and Lojjle; all of which abound with falmon.
It contains two royal boroughs, viz. Elgin, the county
town, and Forres; and feveral confiderable towns, as
Grantown, Garmouth, LoJJiemouth, &c. The principal
feats are Gordon-cajlle, the feat of the duke of Gordon j
Cajlle Grant, the feat of Sir James Grant; Altyre, the
feat of Colonel Gumming, &c. Morayihire abounds
with many remains of antiquity j the principal of which
are the magnificent cathedral of Elgin, the priory of
Plufcardine near the town of Elgin, the bimop’s palace
at Spynie, the caftles of Lochindorb, Dunpkail, and the
dun of Relugas, in the parifh of Edenkeillie. The
ancient Scottilh hiftorians, particularly Fordun and
Buchanan, give accounts of the Danes landing in
Moray, about 1008, when Malcolm II. marched againft
them, and wTas defeated near Forres : after this they
brought over their Avives and children, and Avere in
poifciTion of the country for fome time ) until they Avere
finally expelled by that monarch, after the viclories
gained over them at Luncarty near Perth, at Barrie in
the county of Angus, and at Mortl'aeh in the county
of Banff. There are jnany monuments of that nation ;
the moil remarkable of which is Sweno's Jlone or pillar,
on the road from Nairn and Forres, in the parilh of
Rafford. Except freeftone, limeftone, and marl, no
mineral fubflance of value has been difcovered.
Purifies.
I Alves
Birnie
Dallas
Drainy
5 Duffus
Duthil
Dyke and Moy
Edenkeillie
Elgin
10 Forres
Kinlofs
KnockandoAV
Rafford
Rothes
*5 St AndreAVS
Speymouth
Spynie
t8 Urquhart
Population
“ D5S-
1691
525
700
1174
1679
I785
1826
I443
6306
J993
1191
1267
W3
1940
1132
994
865
1110
28,934
26,080
Population in
1790—1798.
402
888
1040
1800
mo
I529
1800
4534
2987
1031
1500
1072
I coo
777
I347
602
1050
26,080
Decreafe, 28 54
ELI, high pried of the Ifraelites, and judge over
them for forty years, Avas defcended from Ithamar, a
junior branch of the houfe of Aaron, and feems to have
blended the prieftly Avith the judicial character in the
year 1156 before the commencement of the Chriftian
sera. It appears that the JeAvs were in a date of fub-
jeftion or vaifalage to the Philiftines during the greater
part of Eli’s adminiftration, and, Avhat may at firft ap¬
pear lingular, he contributed to the degeneracy of his
countrymen, although his OAYn piety and goodnefs Avere
8 ] ELI
unqueftionably great. He did not exert his magiflerial
authority in the exemplary punifhment of vice, and
even permitted his orvn fons Avith impunity to perpe¬
trate the molt atrocious adds of impiety and debauchery.
This Avant of firmnefs, to give it no worfe a name, Avas
very reprehenfible in one Avho filled fuch an important
office, and peculiarly fo in a man who Avas himfelf a
faint.
The celebrated Samfon made his appearance during
the adminiftration of Eli, taking part in the manage¬
ment of public affairs for about tAventy years, by Avhufe
aftonifhing deeds the independent fpirit of that people
was in fome meafure revived. Ihe circumftances at¬
tending the death of Samfon, which proved fo calami¬
tous to the nobility of the Philiftines, might have in¬
duced the Jews to throAv off the yoke } but they did
not polfefs a fuflicient degree of virtue and public fpirit
for fuch an exertion. Eli at this period was Arery far
advanced in years, and, if poflible, ftill more negligent
in the difeharge of his duty as a chief magiftrate, al~
loAving his tAvo fons, Hophni and Phineas, to proceed
to the moft extravagant height of impiety and debauch¬
ery, whofe example had a moft poAverful influence on
the manners of the people. Fie was far from being un¬
acquainted with their condudf, but he reproved them
Avith fuch gentlenefs as Avas highly reprehenlible, and
but ill calculated to produce any change on the beha¬
viour of his fons.
The deity Avas fo juftly offended with this deportment
of Eli, that a facred feer Avas commiflioned to upbraid
him for his ingratitude and Avant of refolution. Young
Samuel likeAvife Avas favoured Avith a vifion of the ap¬
proaching ruin of Eli’s family, which he related to the
otherAvife venerable old man, on being folemnly ad¬
jured not to conceal a Angle circumltance. When
Eli heard the declaration of the young prophet, being
fully convinced that his conduit had been highly re¬
prehenfible, he exclaimed, “ It is the Lord j let him
do Avhat feemeth him good.” Soon after this the If-
raelites fuftained a confiderable lofs in attempting to
procure their emancipation, carrying the ark of God
into their camp to animate the people, and intimidate
their enemies ; but the ark Avas captured by the Philif¬
tines, and Hophni and Phineas were {lain. This in¬
telligence having been brought to Eli, he no fooner
heard that the ark of God Avas taken, than he fell back¬
wards from his feat, broke his neck, and died in the
98th year of his age.
ELIAS, the prophet, memorable for having efcaped
the common cataftrophe of mankind ; being taken up
alive into heaven, in a fiery chariot, about 895 B. C,
See the Bible.
ELIJAH, Avho is fometimes denominated Elias, avus
one of the moft diftinguifhed of the JeAvifh prophets,
and furnamed the Tifhbite, probably from the diftrict
in Avhich he Avas born. Fie began his prophetic offu e
about 920 years before Chrift, in the reign of Avicked
Ahab, by whom the Sidonian idolatry Avas introduced
among the Ifraelites, The prophet Avas commiflioned
to appear before this impious prince, and threaten the
country Avith a long drought as a punifhment for Ins
crimes. Tire indignation of Ahab Avas fo great againft.
the prophet for this prediction, that lie refolved to
punifh him in a fignal manner ; but Elijah withdrew to
a
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