Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 6, CHI-Crystallization

324 COMM
Principles, which they depend for fubfiftence, they will fink into
'—m v~~ i‘-1 ruin. It is by mere dint of frugality, cheap and par-
fimonious living, that the navigation of this induitri-
ous people is fupported. Conflant employment, and
an accumulation of almoft imperceptible gains, fill
their coffers with wealth, in fpite of the large outgo¬
ings, to which their own proper nourifhment yearly
forces them. The large profits upon induftry in other
countries, which are no proof of generofity, but a fa¬
tal effect of a. fcanty fubfiftence, is far from dazzling
their eyes.. They feldom are found in the lift of
competitors at any foreign port •, if they have their
cargo to difpofe of, they wait with pleafure in their
own veflels, confuming their own provifions, and at
laft accept of what others have left. It may be faid,
that many other circumftances concur in favour of the
Dutch, befides the article of fubfiftenee. Without dif-
puting this matter, it may be obferved, that if a com¬
putation be made of the hands employed in providing
fubfiftence, and of thofe who are feverally taken up
in fupplying every other want, their numbers will be
found nearly to balance one another in the moft luxu¬
rious countries. From this we may conclude, that
E R C E.
the article of food, among the lower claffes, muft bear pr;nciPr
a very high proportion to all the other articles of their 1
eonfumption ; and therefore a diminution upon the
price of fubfiftence, muft be of infinite confequence to
manufacturers who are obliged to buy it. From this
confideration, let us judge of the confequence of fuch
augmentations upon the price of grain as are familiar
to us ; 30 or 40 per cent, feems nothing. Now this
augmentation operates upon two-thirds, at leaft, of the
whole expence of a labouring man : let any one who
lives in tolerable affluence make the application of this
to himfelf, and examine how he would manage his
affairs, if, by accidents of rains or winds, his- expences
were to rife 30 per cent, without a poffibility of re-
ftraining them 5 for this is unfortunately the cafe with,
all the lower claffes. From whence it may be con^
eluded, that the keeping food cheap, and ftill more the
preferving it at all times at an equal ftandard, is the
fountain of the wealth of Holland j and that any hurt¬
ful competition in this article muft beget a diforder
which will affeCl the whole of the manufacturers of %
ftate.
COM
Cemmercy COMMERCY, a handfome town of France in the
U 3 duchy of Bar, with the title of a principality, and a
C’ommina- magnificent caftle. It is feated on the river Meufe, in
, >Qry» E. Long. 5. 24. N. Lat. 48. 20.
*—J COMMERSONIA. See Botany Index.
COMMINATION, an office in the liturgy of the
church of England, appointed to be read on Afti
Wednefday, or the firft day of Lent. It is fubftitu-
ted in the room of that godly difeipline in the primitive
church, by which (as the introduction to the office
expreffes it), “ fuch perfons, as flood convicted of no¬
torious fins, were put to open penance, and punilhed
in this world, that their fouls might be faved in the
day of the Lord j and that others, admonilhed by
their example, might be the more afraid to offend.”
This difeipline, in after ages, degenerated, in the
church of Rome, into a formal confeffion of fins upon
Afh Wednefday, and the empty ceremony of fprink-
ling allies upon the heads of the people. Our reform¬
ers wifely rejefted this ceremony, as mere ftiadow
and (how •, and fubftituted this office in its room, which
is A denunciation of God's anger and judgment againjl
finners, that the people being apprifed of God’s wrath
and indignation againft fin, may not, through want of
difcipline in the church, be encouraged to follow and
purfue them ; but rather be moved to fupply that dif¬
cipline to themfelves, and fo as to avoid being judged
and condemned at the tribunal of God.
COMMINATORY, an appellation given to what¬
ever threatens punilhment, or fome penalty. Thus,
in France, when an exile is enjoined not to return un¬
der pain of death, it is deemed a comminatory penalty j
finee if he do return, it is not ftri&ly executed :
but a fecond injunction is laid on him, which is more
2
COM
than comminatory, and, from the day of the date there- Commi'n*.
of, imports death without remedy. tory
GOMMINGES, a province of France, 45 miles in II
length, and 15 in breadth ; bounded on the north by CommiC-
Gafcony, on the fouth by Catalonia, on the eaft by . * J' , <
Coufferans, and on the weft by Bigorre. Its princi¬
pal trade confifts in cattle, mules, and corn. St Ber¬
trand is the capital town.
COMMINUTION, denotes the breaking, or rather
grinding, a body to very fmall particles.
COMMIRE, John, a celebrated Latin poet, bom
at Amboife in 1625, entered into the fociety of the
.Jefuits, and taught polite literature and divinity. He
died at Paris in 1702. We have a volume of his
Latin Poems, and a colleftion of his pofthumous
works. His odes and fables are more particularly ad¬
mired.
COMMISSARY, in the ecclefiafiical law, an offi¬
cer of the biftrop, who exercifes fpiritual jurifdiClion in
places of a diocefe fo far from the epifcopal fee, that
the chancellor cannot call the people to the biftiop’s
principal confiftory court, without giving them too
much inconveniency.
COMMISSART-Court, in Scotland, a court originally
conftituted by the bifhops for executing in their name
an ufurped jurifdi£lion ; and was anciently called the
hijhop's court, curia Chrijliav.itatis, or conjifiarial courts
This court was modelled by Queen Mary at the Refor¬
mation, and continues to this day.
Commissary, in a military fenfe, is of different
forts.
COMMISSAR T-General of the Muflers, an officer ap¬
pointed to mufter the army, as often as the general
thinks proper, in order to know the ftrength of each
regimen!