Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 20, SUI-ZYM

THE.
1 -nhlll trait, perfpeftive, and architefture
* il lent tafte for defign, and had a free and firm pencil.
Had he been fo fortunate as to have ftudied at Rome
and Venice, to acquire greater correftnefs at the one,
and a more exaft knowledge of the perfe&ion of colour¬
ing at the other, no artift among the moderns might
perhaps have been his fuperior. Neverthelefs, he was
fo eminent in many parts of his profeffion, that he mull
for ever be ranked among the belt painters of his time ;
and his performances in the dome of St Paul’s church
at London, in the hofpital at Greenwich, and at Hamp-
ton-court, are fuch public proofs of his merit as will con¬
vey his name to pofterity with great honour;
This painter lived in general efteem ; he enriched
himfelf by the excellence of his works ; was appointed
ftate-painter to Queen Anne, from whom he received
the honour of knighthood *, had the Angular fatisfaHion
to repur chafe his family ellate j and was fo much di-
ftinguUhed as to be elefted one of the members of par¬
liament. He died in 173 2.
THOROUGH-wax, in Botany. See Bupleurum.
THOTH, or Theut, (called by the Phoenicians
'faaat, by the Greeks Hermes, and by the Romans Mer-
tury), was a Phoenician of very fuperior talents, and
one of the civilizers of mankind. He was prime mini-
fter to Ofiris, whom, after his death, he deified} and
he was himfelf deified by his countrymen the Egyptians,
for the benefits that he had rendered to the human race.
See Mercury, Mythology, N° 34. and Polythe¬
ism, N° 18.
THOUGHT, a general name for all the ideas con-
fequent on the operations of the mind, and even on the
operations themfelves. See Metaphysics.
Thought, in compofition. See Oratory, Part I.
and II.
THOUINIA, a genus of plants belonging to the
clafs of diandria, and order of monogynia. See Botany
Index.
THRACE, a country very frequently mentioned by
the Greek and Latin writers, deriving its name, ac¬
cording to Jofephus, from Tiras one of the fons of Ja-
phet. It was bounded on the north by Mount Haemus ;
en the fouth, by the Aegean fea } on the weft, by Ma-
cedon and the river Strymon} and on the eaft, by the
Euxine fea, the Hellefpont, and the Propontis.—'The
Thracian Cherfonefus is a peninfula inclofed on the
fouth by the Aegean fea, on the weft by the gulf of
Melas, and on the eaft by the Hellefpont} being join¬
ed on the north to the continent by a neck of land
about 37 furlongs broad. The inland parts of Thrace
are very cold and barren, the fnow lying on the moun¬
tains the greateft part of the year } but the maritime
provinces are produffive of all forts of grain and necef-
faries for life } and withal fo pleafant, that Mela com¬
pares them to the moft fruitful and agreeable countries
wf Alia.
The ancient Thracians were deemed a brave and
warlike nation, but of a cruel and favage temper ; be¬
ing, according to the Greek writers, ftrangers to all hu¬
manity and good nature. It ivas to the Thracians,
however, that the Greeks were chiefly indebted for the
polite arts that fiourifhed among them } for Orphseus,
Linus, Mufaeus, Thamyris, and Eumolpus, ^11 Thra¬
cians, were the firft, as Euftathius informs us, who
charmed the inhabitants of Greece with their eloquence
Vol. XX. Part II.
Th race,
Thrafhing.
[ 409 ] T H R
the wed an excel- and melody, and perfuaded them to exchange then
fiercenefs for a fociable life and peaceful manners } nay,
great part of Greece was anciently peopled by i hra-
cians. Tereus, a Thracian, governed at Daulis in Pho-
cis, where the tragical ftory of Philomela and Progne
was a£ted. From thence a body of 1 hracians pafled
over to Euboea, and poffeffed themfelves of that iiland*
Of the fame nation were the Aones, Tembices, and
Hyanthians, who made themlelves mailers of Boeotia :
and great part of Attica itfelf was inhabited by I hra¬
cians, under the command of the celebrated Eumolpus.
It is not, therefore, without the utmofi ingratitude and
injuftice that the Greeks ftyle them Barbarians, fince
to them chiefly they were indebted both for the peo¬
pling and polifhing of their country.
Thrace was anciently divided into a number of petty
ftates, which were firft fubdued by Philip of Macedon.
On the decline of the Macedonian empire, the country
fell under the power of the Romans. It continued un¬
der fubje&ion to them till the irruption of the Turks,
in whofe hands it ftill remains.
THRASHING, in Agriculture, the operation by
which corn is feparated from the ftraw. This opera¬
tion is performed in a variety of ways, fometimes by the
feet of animals, fometimes by a flail, and fometimes by
a machine.
The moft ancient method of feparating the corn from
the ftraw was by the hoofs of cattle or horfes. This
was praAifed by the Ifraelites, as we find from the
books of Mofes} it was alfo common among the Greeks
and Romans *. Flails and thralhing machines were al- *
fo not uncommon among thefe nationsf. The flail™11, 3®'
which was ufed by the Romans, called baculus, fuJUs, jjj,
or pertica, was probably nothing more than a cudgel or ^2. col. ii»
pole. The thraftiing machine, which was called tribula%\- TibulU
or tribulum, and fometimes traha, was a kind of Hedge
made of boards joined together, and loaded with ftone
iron. Horfes were yoked to this machine, and a man was ftQmer>i\.
feated upon it to drive them over the (heaves of corn. xx. 495.
Different methods are employed in different countries
for feparating the corn from the ftalk. In the greateft
part of France the flail is ufed } but in the fouthern
diftri&s it is generally performed by the feet of animals.
Animals are alfo ufed for the fame purpofe in Spain, in
Italy, in the Morea, in the Canaries, in China, and in the
vicinity of Canton, where the flail is alfo fometimes ufed.
It appears that in hot climates the grains do not adhere
fo firmly to the ftalk as in cold countries, and therefore
may be more eafily feparated. This will explain the
reafon why animals are fo frequently employed in hot
countries for treading out the corn } whereas in cold
climates we know they are feldom tried, and have no
reafon to fuppofe that they would anfwer the purpofe.
In the Itle of France in Africa, rice and wheat are
thrafhed with poles, and maize with flicks ;
not been pofiible to teach the negroes the
flail.
The animals ufed for treading out corn are, oxen,
cows, horfes, mules, and even affes when the quantity
is not great. The operation is performed in this man¬
ner ; The (heaves, after being opened, are fpread in
fuch a manner that the ears of the corn are laid as
much uppermoft as poflible, and a man, (landing in the
centre, holds the halters of the cattle, which are made
to trot round as in a manege 5 whilft other men with
3 F * forks'
for it has
ufe of the