[ I59 ]


0nd Hinds, 'tis enough to ftir them, and to ufe them as Oars
to condu& dhe Vefel.
SWIMMING BlAdder, a Veficle of Air, inclos'd in the
Bodies of Fillies, by means whereof they are enabled to
faufain themfelves at any Depth of Water. See FISHES.
For the Air in that Bladder being more or lefs comprefs'l,
according to the Depth the Filh fds at; rakes up more or
lefs Space; and confequently the Body of the Fifh, Part of
whofe Bulk this ladder is, is greater or lefter, according to
the feveral Depths; and yet retais the fame abfolute Weight.
Now the Rule de           huidnibus Umido, is, that a Body heavier
than Co much Water as is equal in Quantity to the Bulk of
. it, will neceffarily fink; a Body that Is lighter, willfwim ;
and a Body of equal Weight, will refi in any Part of theWater.
By this Rule, if the Pitfh in the middle Region of the
Water be of equal Weight with Water, Bulk for Bulk; the
Fifli will refi there without any natural Tendency upwards or
downwards.
And if the Fillh be deeper in the Water, its Bulk becom-
in g lefs by the- greater Comprefflion of the Bladder; it will
f1ll remain commenfuratp to 'the Gravity of the Water in
that Part.
If the Fifli be higher than the middle Region; the Air
dilating itfelf, and, e Bulk of the Filfh confequently in-
creafing, but not the' Weight- the Filh will rife upwards, and
refi a-top of the-Water.
'Tis probable the Fifh, by fome Aeion, can emit Air out
of its Bladder, and take frefh in: Mr. Ray obferves, that
it mofl Fifes, there is a manifeffChannel leading from the
Gul et to the lzding Blder, which doubtlefs ferves for
the Conveyance ; and that there is a mufculous Power in the
Coat of the Shadder, whereby the Fill can contra& it when
it lifts. The fame Author addsj in Confirmation of this
Doarine, that'tis found, if the fwimming Bladder of any
Filli be pricked or broke, the Fifli immediately finks to the
Bottom, and can neither fupport nor raife itfelf  And that
in flatFillies, as Soles, Plaife, 8ec. which lie always groveling
at the Bottom, there is nofwimnming Bladder at all.
SWINE-Pox. See Pox.
SWOONING, a Kind of Syncope, or Fainting, wherein
the Patient lofes all his Strength, and his Underflanding.
Swooning may be occafson'd by any thing that alters, cor-
irupts, or diffipates the Vital Spirits; as, long Watching, vio-
lent Pains, great and fudden Evacuations, putrid'Vapours
arifing from Abfteffes in the noble Parts. See SYNCOPE.
SWORD, an offenfive Weapon, wore at the Side, ferving
either to prick, or cut, or both. See FENCING.
Its Parts are the Blade, Guard, Hand or Graf, and Pzu-
melt to which'may be added, the Bow and Scabbard. The
Mafiers of Defence divide the Sword into the upper, middle,
and lower Part; or the throng, middle, and fmall or weak Part.
Anciently there were a kind of two-handed Swords, call'd
PSado's, which were to be manag'd with both Hands; which
in thofe Days they could brandifli fo nimbly, as to cover the
whole Body therewith.
The Savages of Mexico, when firfi vifited by the Spani-
ards, had a kind of Wooden Swords, which would do as
much Execution as ours. In Spain, Swords are only allow'd
of Cuch a Lengthi determin'd by Authority. The ancient
Cavaliers gave Names to their Swords; .7oyeufe was that of
. Charlemain; -3Darandal that of Orlando, &c.
SwoRn-Blade Company. See COMPANY.
SYCOPHANT, a Greek Term, originally ufed at Athens,
for Perfons who made it their Buflmefs to inform againfi thofe
who tiole Figs, to the Owners;X or againfi thofe, who, con-
trary to the Law, which prohibited the Exportation of Figs,
yet pradfifed the Thing; and deceiv'd the Offcers, the In-
f'i;peaors of the Ports, ERc.
jii   At length, the Term became ufed in the general for all In-
formers, Tale-bearers, Parafites, &c. efpecially thofe in the
Courts of Princes: And, at laft, for a Lyer, Impoffer, &c.
The Word is form'd from tuxn, a Fig, and qnpl, I fay.
SYCOPHANTIC Plants., See PARASITE.S.
SYLLABIC, 'in the Greek Grammar.     There are two
Kinds of Augmentations in the' Greek: The firft call'd Sylla-
bic, which is when the Word is increas'd by a Syllable;
:and the other rempal, which is when a lhort Syllable be-
comes long. See AUGMENTATIVE.
I 'SYLLABLE, in Grammar, a Part of a Word, confithing
of one or more Letters pronounc'd together. See LETTER.
Or, a Syllable is a compleat Sound, utter'd in one Breath,
confifling either of a Vowel alone, or of a Vowel and one
or more Confoants, not exceeding feven. See VOWEL, CON-
SONANT, &C.
.d /  $ ger defines a Syllable to be an Element under one
Accent; that is, what can be pronounced at once.
Pri'cian, more intelligibly, calls it a Comprehenfion of fe-
veral Letters falling under one Accent, and produc'd atone
Motion of the Breath: But fCme Grammarians reje& this
D efinition, as excluding all Syllables of one Letter.
Another defines Syllable a literal, or articulate Voice, of an
indgividul Sound. See VoIcE.


S YL


In every Word, therefore, there are as many Syllaibles as
there are vocal Sounds; and as many vocal - Sounds, as there
are fimple or compound Vowels; each whereof requires a
diffin&  Motion of the pefforal Mufcles: T hus, a, a1 a,
make three Syllables, form'd by fo many Motions, diffin-
guilh'd by fmall Stops betwixt each Expiration.
In the Hebrew, all the Syllables begin with Confonants ,
allowing Aepb to be one ; nor has any Syllabe more than a
fingle'Vowel. See VOWEL.
'-From the Number of Syllables in Words they become de-
nominated Mono     beri B'Vyllables, Drf llables, and-Poly-
fyllables, q. d. Words of one Syllable, two Syllables, three
Syllables, and many Syllables. See WORD, MONOSYLLABLE,
The Word is deriv'd from the Greek eumA