cal amufements are held in efteem. It was not attempted in England until the end of the 17th century; and its introduction experienced the oppofition of those who then dictated on all fubjects connected with literature. They juftly ridiculed the monftrous abfurdity of regulating the moft ferious events of tragedy by an orcheftra; and even to the comic exhibitions they objected, on account of their being performed in a language not generally understood. They remonftrated on the impropriety of fquandering away large fums of money on foreigners, and neglecting the merit of eminent British performers. The mufic, however, at the Italian opera, was fo exquifite, that crowded audiences were never wanting. Fashion patronised it, and a fucceffion of new performers gave it conftantly increafing eclat. The establishment of this theatre is now extenfive, and more brilliant than any in London. The scenery is moft splendid, and the falaries of the performers are enormous. Not Rowe, not Sheridan, not Shakespeare, can prevent the English theatre from being considered a bore, which is only occafionally to be endured, while the dear delightful opera continues the nightly refort of rank and beauty. It is proper, however, to add, that at the King's Theatre, a gratification is afforded, in the Ballet, to the eye as well as the ear; and more of the loungers who frequent the boxes of the Operahoufes are attracted by the luxurious difplay of female elegance, than by the magic of fweet founds. * OPERABLE. adj. [from operor, Latin.] To be done; practicable. Not in ufe.-Being incapable of operable circumftances, or rightly to judge the prudentiality of affairs, they only gaze upon the vifible fuccefs. Brown's Vulg. Err. OPERA-GLASS. See DIOPTRICS, § 49. * OPERANT. adj. operant, French.] Active; having power to produce any effect. A word not in ufe, though elegant. Earth, yield me roots!. Who feek's far better of thee, fauce his palate With thy moft operant poifon. Shak. Timon. My operant powers their functions leave. Shak. *To OPERATE. v. n. [operor, Latin; operer, French. To act; to have agency; to produce effects; with on before the subject of operation.The virtues of private perfons operate but on a few. Atterbury. Bodies produce ideas in us, manifeftly by impulfe, the only way which we can conceive bodies operate on. Locke-It can operate on the guts and ftomach, and thereby produce diftinct ideas. Locke. A plain convincing reafon operates on the mind, both of a learned and ignorant hearer, as long as they live. Swift.-Where caufes operate freely, with a liberty of indifference to this or the contrary, the effect will be contingent. Watts. (1.) * OPERATION. n. J. [operatio, Lat. operation, French. 1. Agency; production of effects; influence.-There are in men operations, natural, rational, fupernatural, fome politick, fome finally ecclefiaftical. Hooker.— By all the operations of the orbs, From whom we do exift and cease to be, Here I disclaim all my paternal care. K. Lear. All operations by tranfmiffion of spirits, and imagination, work at a distance, and not at touch. Bacon's Nat. Hift-Waller's prefence had an extraordinary operation to procure any thing defired. Clarendon.The tree whofe operation brings Knowledge of good and evil, fhun to taste. Milton. -If the operation of thefe falts be, in convenient glaffes, promoted by warmth, the afcending fteams may eafily be caught and reduced into a penetrant fpirit. Boyle.-Speculative painting, without the affiftance of manual operation, can never attain to perfection. Dryden's Dufresnoy.-The pain and fickness caused by manna are the effects of its operation on the ftomach and guts. Locke. 2. Action; effect. This is often confounded with the former fenfe.-Repentance and renovation confift not in the ftrife, wish, or purpose, but in the actual operations of good life. Hamm.--Many medicinal drugs of rare operation. Heylyn.That falfe fruit Far other operation firft difplay'd, Carnal defire inflaming. Milt. Par. Loft. The offices appointed, and the powers exercifed in the church, by their inftitution and operation are holy Pearfon.-Thefe qualities are not fubfiftent in thofe bodies, but are operations of fancy begotten in fomething elfe. Bentley. 3. [In chirurgery.] The part of the art of healing which depends on the use of inftruments. 4. The motions or employments of an army. (2.) OPERATION, in furgery and medicine (§ 1. def. 3.), denotes a methodical action of the hand on the human body, to re-establish health. * OPERATIVE. adj. [from operate.] Having the power of acting; having forcible agency; active; vigorous; efficacious.-To be over curious in fearching how God's all-piercing and operative fpirit, diftinguishing, gave form to the matter of the univerfal, is a fearch like unto his, whò, not contented with a known ford, will presume to pafs over the greateft rivers in all parts. Raleigh. He thought a little discountenance upon thofe perfons would fupprefs that spirit within themfelves, or make the poifon of it lefs operative upon others. Clarendon. In actions of religion we fhould be zealous, active, and operative, so far as prudence will permit. Taylor.-This circumftance of the promise must give life to all the reft, and make them operative toward the producing of good life. Decay of Piety.-It holds in all operative principles, efpecially in morality; in which, not to proceed, is certainly to go backward. South. -The will is the conclufion of an operative fyllogifm. Norris. * OPERATOR. n. f. [operateur, French; from operate.] One that performs any act of the hand; one who produces any effect.—An imaginary operator opening the first with a great deal of nicety, upon a curfory view it appeared like the head of another. Addifon's Spec.-To adminifter this dofe, there cannot be fewer than fifty thousand operators, allowing one operator to every thirty. Savift. OPEROSE. adj. [perofus, Lat.] Laborious; full of trouble and tedioufnefs.-Such an explica. tion is purely imaginary, and alfo very operofe. Burnet's Burnet's Theory-Written language, as it is more operofe, fo it is more digested, and is permanent. Holder. OPETOPEC, a fertile island of the United States, with a town so named, in Lake Nicaragua, 18 miles E. of Nicaragua. OPGINSKAIA, or Opeginskaia, a town of Ruffia, in Novogorod; 60 miles E. of Novogorod. OPHEIM, a town of Norway, in Bergen. OPHELTES. See NEMEAN GAMES. OPHIDIUM, a genus of fishes belonging to the order of apodes. The principal characters are thefe: The head is somewhat naked; the teeth are in the jaws, palate, and fauces; the body long; the fins of the back, tail, and anus, confounded in one; no fin on the under part of the body; and the eyes covered by the common fkin. Of this genus there are several species, of which the moft curious is the OPHIDIUM BARBATUM of Linnæus, thus defcribed by Dr Broullonet in the 71ft vol. of the Phil. Tranf. "The feales of the ophidium (says he) are irregularly placed and difperfed over the whole body. Their form is fometimes round, fometimes nearly oval. They are larger near the head, and in the lower part of the body; but are hardly to be diftinguished near the tail. They adhere to the body by means of a particular tranfparent skin, which is in general very thin, but fomewhat thicker near the neck, and extended loosely over the whole head: this fkin is very easily destroyed, after which the feales falling, the body appears spotted: fig. 1. Pl. CCXLVIII. When you look at them with the naked eye (fig. 2.), they appear as covered with very small grains; but viewed through a microscope (fig. 3.), the middle of them appears more elevated than the margin; and from the centre to the margin, close by each other, there are many lines or rays formed by fmall scales placed one upon another, like tiles upon a roof, the superior being always the nearer to the centre. This fort of fcales, which may be called umbonate, are faftened to the body by very fmall veffels which are inserted in their middle; they are to be seen on the body only, not on the head nor the fins." The anatomy of this fish comprehends fome very remarkable circumftances, which, our author thinks, were never obferved in any other species. When the skin is drawn off, there appears a thin membrane of a filver colour, which covers the mufcles. The mufcles 'being removed, we find the peritoneum, which lines the abdominal cavity, and is adherent to the fwimming bladder by fome elongations. It is of a filver hue, with fome very fmall black points. The ventricle is not to be diftinguished from the intestines by any other mark but by its fize; its form is oblong; it is extended almoft to the anus, whence the inteftinal duct has a retrograde courfe, and then defcends again, having a little dilatation near the anus. On the vertebræ next the anus, on the outfide of the peritoneum, is a kind of cavity of an oblong form, containing a reddifh vifcus, which he takes to be the kidney. The firft vertebra from the head has nothing very remarkable in its ftructure. The 2d has on each fide an elongated and fharp apophyfis, to the apex of which is annexed a small ligament. The 3d is very flat, and has on each fide a kind of tri- for I have feen (fays our author) two, of which the vertebræ were not different from the vertebræ of the other fpecies; which difference depends, perhaps, on the difference of fex. I am inclined to believe fo; but the generation in this fish feems to be no lefs myfterious than that of the eel: I could never diftinguish a male from a female in this fpecies." This fifh commonly grows to the fize of 8 or 9 inches. It is found in all the Mediterranean fea, and in great plenty in the Adriatic: its flesh is not of a good tafte, rather coarse, as is that of all the species of fishes which, having no ventral fins, are obliged to make great efforts in fwimming, and have confequently the muscles harder. OPHIOGLOSSUM, ADDER'S TONGUE, a genus of the natural order of filices, belonging to the cryptogamia clafs of plants. The fpike is articulated, flat, and turned to the two fides; with the articuli or joints opening across. There are 7 species, of which the only remarkable one is the OPHIOGLOSSUM VULGATUM, the common adder's tongue, which is a native of feveral places of Britain, growing in meadows and moist pastures. The country people make an ointment of the fresh leaves, and use it as a vulnerary to green wounds; which is a very ancient application, recommended by Matthiolus, Tragus, and others. OPHIOMANCY, n. f. in antiquity, the art of making predictions from ferpents. Thus Calchas, on feeing a ferpent devour 8 fparrows with their dam, foretold the duration of the fiege of Troy : and the 7 coils of a ferpent that was feen on ARchifes's tomb, were interpreted to mean the 7 years that Æneas wandered from place to place before he arrived at Latium. OPHIOPHAGI, OPHIOPHAGI, ferpent-eaters. See ETHIOPIA, $3. * OPHIOPHAGOUS. adj. [opis and pay.] Serpent-eating. Not ufed.-All fnakes are not of fuch poisonous qualities as common opinion prefumeth; as is confirmable from ophiophagous na tions, and fuch as feed upon ferpents. Brozun. OPHIORRHIZA, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the pentandria clafs of plants; and in the natural method rank. ing under the 47th order, Stellata. The corolla is funnel-shaped; the capfule twin, bilocular, and polyfpermous. There are two species; the most remarkable is the OPHIORRHIZA ASIATICUM, or true lignum colubrinum. The root of this is known in the Eaft Indies to be a specific against the poison of that moft dreadful animal called the hooded ferpent. There is a treatise in Amen. Acad. tom. iv. upon this fubject, wherein the author, John And. Darelius, undertakes, from the description of such authors as had feen it upon the spot, to ascertain the plant from which the genuine root is taken. It appears in this account, that it had puzzled the European physicians; and what had been fold in the shops for it, is the root of a very different plant, and of a poisonous nature. The true root is called mungus, for the following reafon.-There is a kind of weafel in the Eaft Indies, called mungutia by the natives, mungo by the Portuguese, and muncas by the Dutch. This animal pursues the hooded ferpent, as the cat does the moufe. As foon as the ferpent appears, the weafel attacks him; and if the chances to be bit by him, the immediately runs to find a certain vegetable, upon eating which she returns, and renews the fight.The Indians are of opinion that this plant is the mungus. That celebrated traveller Kæmpfer, who kept one of these weasels tame, that eat with him, lived with him, and was his companion wherever he went, fays he faw one of thefe battles between her and the ferpent, but could not certainly find out what root the weafel looked for. But whether the weafel firft difcovered this antidote or not, it is an infallible remedy against the bite of the hooded serpent. OPHIOXYLON, in botany, a genus of the monacia order, belonging to the polygamia clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking with thofe of which the order is doubtful. The hermaphrodite calyx is quinquefid; the corolla quinquefid and funnel-fhaped; with a cylindrical nectarium within its mouth. (1.) OPHIR, or Aufir, a son of Joktan, who is fuppofed to have given name to the land of OPHIR. See N° 2. (2.) OPHIR, a country mentioned in Scripture, from which Solomon had great quantities of gold brought home in thips which he fent for that purpofe; but refpecting the fituation of which authors are much divided in opinion. Some have gone to the Weft, others to the Eaft Indies, and the eastern coafts of Africa, in fearch of it. But the two opinions which have been moft plaufibly fupported, are thofe of Mr Bruce, the Abyffinian traveller, and Dr Doig, author of Letters on the Savage State. The latter holds that Ophir was fomewhere on the W. coast of Africa; the former is fatisfied that it was the country which is now called Sofala, a kingdom of Africa, on the coaft of Mofambique, near Zanguebar. See SOFALA. OPHIRA, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the octandria clafs of plants. The involucrum is bivalvular and triflorous; the corolla tetrapetalous above; the berry unilocular. OPHIS, a river of Arcadia, which runs into the Alpheus. (1.) * OPHITES. n. J. A ftone resembling a ferpent.-Ophites has a dusky greenish ground, with spots of a lighter green, oblong, and usually nearly fquare. Woodward. (2.) OPHITES, in lithology, is a fort of variegated marble, otherwife called SERPENTINE. See MARBLE, and NAXOS, N° 1. (3.) OPHITES, plur. in church hiftory, Chrif tian heretics, so called both from the veneration they had for the serpent that tempted Eve, and the worship they paid to a real ferpent: they pretended, that the ferpent was Jefus Chrift, and that he taught men the knowledge of good and evil. They diftinguished between Jefus and Chrift: Jefus, they faid, was born of the Virgin, but Chrift came down from heaven to be united with him; Jefus was crucified, but Chrift had left him to return to heaven. They diftinguifhed the God of the Jews, whom they termed Jaldabaoth, from the fupreme God: to the former they afcribed the body, to the latter the foul of men. They had a live ferpent, which they kept in a kind of cage; at certain times they opened the cage-door, and called the ferpent: the animal came out, and, mounting upon the table, twined itself about fome loaves of bread; this bread they broke, and diftributed it to the company, who all kiffed the ferpent: this they called their Eucharist. (1.) OPHIUSA, an island near Crete. (2.) OPHIUSA, the ancient name of RHODES. (3.) OPHIUSA, an island of the BALEARES. (4.) OPHIUSA, a town of Sarmatia. OPHRYNIUM, an ancient town of Troas, on the Hellefpont, where Hector had a grove. OPHRYS, TWY BLADE, a genus of the diandria order, belonging to the gynandria class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 7th order, Orchidea. The nectarium is a little carinated below. The fpecies are numerous; but the most remarkable are the following: I. OPHRYS ANTHROPOPHORA, man-shaped ophrys, or man-orchis, hath a roundish bulbous root, crowned with 3 or 4 oblong leaves; upright thick ftalks, rifing a foot and a half high, adorned with narrow leaves, and terminated with loose fpikes of greenith flowers, representing the figure of a naked man; the lip of the nectarium linear tripartite, with the middle fegment longeft and bifid. There is a variety with brownish flowers tinged with green. 2. OPHRYS INSECTIFERA, the infe orchis, BEE-FLOWER, or GNAT-FLOWER, has two roundifh bulbous roots, crowned with oblong leaves; erect leafy ftalks, from 6 to 10 or 12 inches high, terminated by fpikes of infect-fhaped greenish flowers, having the lip of the nectarium almoft five-lobed. This wonderful species exhibits flowers in different varieties, that represent fingular figures figures of flies, bees, and other infects; and are of different colours in the varieties. 3. OPHRYS MONORCHIS, or musky ophrys, hath a roundish bulbous root; crowned with three or four oblong leaves; an erect naked ftalk, fix inches high; terminated by a loose spike of yellowish, mufky-fcented flowers. 4. OPHRYS NIDUS AVIS, or bird's-neft, hath a bulbous, fibrated, clustered root; upright, thick, fucculent ftalks, a foot high, fheathed by the leaves, and terminated by loose spikes of palebrown-flowers; having the lip of the nectarium bifid. 5. OPHRYS OVATA, oval-leaved ophrys, or common twy-blade, hath a bulbous, fibrated root; crowned by two oval, broad, obtufe, veined, oppofite leaves; an erect, fucculent green stalk, fix or eight inches high, naked above, and terminated by a loose spike of greenish flowers, having the lip of the nectarium bifid. The flowers of this fpecies resemble the figure of gnat. 6. OPHRYS SPIRALIS, fpiral orchis or triple ladies-treffes, hath bulbous, oblong, aggregated roots; crowned by a clufter of oval, pointed, ribbed leaves; erect fimple ftalks, half a foot high; terminated by long fpikes of white odoriferous flowers, hanging to one fide, having the lip of the nectarium entire, and crenated.-All these fpecies of ophrys flower in fummer, at different times, in different forts, from May until July; and in moft of the forts exhibit a fingularly curious appearance. The plants are all perennial in root, which are of the bulbous fleshy kind, from which the flower-ftalks rife annually in fpring, and decay in autumn; at which period is the proper time for removing the roots from one place to another. They all grow wild in Britain, &c.; are refidents of woods, bogs, marfhy grounds, fterile paftures, chalky foils, and the like places, where they flourish and display their fingular flowers in great abundance, from which places they are introduced into gardens for variety; and having procured fome plants at the proper season, and planted them in foils and fituations fomewhat fimilar to that in which they naturally grow, the roots will abide for feveral years, and flower annually. As to their propagation, it may be tried by feed in a fhady border, as foon as it is ripe; likewife by off-fets from the root, though they multiply fparingly in gardens: however, roots of fome ftanding may be examined at the proper season, and any off-fets feparated and planted in the proper places. OPHTHALMIA. See MEDICINE, Index. OPHTHALMICK. adj. [ophthalmique, Fr. from opdu, Gr.] Relating to the eye. OPHTHALMOŠCOPY, n. J. a branch of phyfiognomy, which deduces the knowledge of a man's temper and manner from the appearance of his eyes. * OPHTHALMY. n. f. [opthalmie, Fr. from au, Gr.] A difeafe of the eyes, being an inflammation in the coats, proceeding from arterious blood gotten out of the veffels and collected into thofe parts. Dia.-The use of cool applications, externally, is moft eafy to the eye; but after all, there will fometimes enfue a troublesome pthalmy. Sharp's Surgery. OPI, a town of Naples in Abruzzo Citer. (1.) * OPIATE. adj. Soporiferous; fomnife rous; narcotick; caufing fleep.-The particular ingredients of thofe magical ointments, are opiate and foporiferous. Bacon. The paft'ral reed Of Hermes, or his opiate rod. Milt. Par. Loft. -Lettuce, which has a milky juice, with an anodyne or opiate quality refolvent of the bile, is proper for melancholy. Arbuthnot on Aliments. (2.)* OPIATE. n. f. A medicine that causes fleep. They chofe atheism as an opiate to still those frightening apprehensions of hell, by inducing a dulnefs and lethargy of mind, rather than to make use of that native and falutary medicine, a hearty repentance. Bentley. Harte. No fameness of a prattling ftream is thine," Which, with one unifon of murmur flows, Opiate of inattention and repose. (3.) OPIATES are medicines of a thicker confiftence than a fyrup, prepared with opium scarcely fluid. They confift of various ingredients, made up with honey or fyrup; and are to be used for a long time either for purgative, alterative, or corroborative intentions. Opiate is also used for any medicine given to procure fleep, whether in the form of electuaries, drops, or pills. OPICI, the ancient people of Campania. * OPIFICE. n. f. Lopificium, Lat.] Workmanfhip; handywork. Dia. *OPIFICER. n. f. [opifex. Latin. One that performs any work; artift. A word not received.-There is an infinite diftance betwixt the poor mortal artist, and the almighty opificer. Bentley's Sermons. OPILIUS, a Roman grammarian, who flourished about A. A. C. 94. He wrote a book entitled Libri Mufarum. * OPINABLE. adj. [opinor, Lat.] Which may be thought. Di&. * OPINATION. n. f. [opinor, Lat.] notion. Dia. Opinion; * OPINATOR. n. f. [opinor, Lat.] One who holds an opinion.-Confider againft what kind of opinators the reafon above given is levelled. Hale. *To OPINE. v. n. [opinor, Latin.] To think; to judge; to be of opinion. Hudibras. They'll spine they feel the pain And blows they felt to day, again. In matters of mere fpeculation, it is not material to the welfare of government, or themselves, whether they opine right or wrong. South But I, who think more highly of our kind, Opine, that nature, as in duty bound, Deep hid the fhining mischief under ground. Pope. * OPINIATIVE. adj. [from opinion.] 1. Stiff in a preconceived notion. 2. Imagined; not proved. It is difficult to find out truth, because it is in fuch inconfiderable proportions fcattered in a mass of opiniative uncertainties. OPINIATOR. n. f. [opiniatre, Fr.] One fond of his own notion; inflexible; adherent to his own opinion.-What will not opiniators and felf-believing men difpute of and make doubt of? Raleigh.-Effex left Roberts governour; a man of a four and furly nature, a great opiniator, and one who must be overcome before he would believe that that he could be fo. Clarendon-Down was he caft from all his greatnefs, and forced to end his days in a mean condition: as it is pity but all fuch politic opiniators fhould South. * OPINIATRE. adj. [Fr.] Obftinate; ftub. born.-Inftead of an able man, you defire to have him an infignificant wrangler, opiniatre in difcourfe and priding himfelf in contradicting others. *OPINIATRETY. 2 n. f. [opiniatreté, [French.] * OPINIATRY. Obftinacy; inflexibility; determination of mind; ftubbornnefs. This word though it has been tried in different forms, is not yet received, nor is it wanted.-Left popular opiniatry fhould arife, we will deliver the chief opinione. Brown.-The one fets the thoughts upon wit and falfe colours, and not upon truth; the other teaches fallacy, wrangling, and opiniatry. Locke. The floating of other men's opinions in our brains, make us not one jot the more knowing, though they happen to be true; what in them was fcience, is in us but opiniotrety. Locke. I can pafs by opiniatry, and the bufy meddling of those who thrust themselves into every thing. Woodward. I was extremely concerned at his opiniatrety in leading me: but he shall not get rid fo. Pope. (1.) OPINION. n. f. [opinion, Fr. opinio, Latin.] 1. Perfuafion of mind, without proof or certain knowledge. Opinion is a light, vain, crude and imperfect thing, fettled in the imagination, but never arriving at the understanding. Ben. Jonfon, Opinion is, when the affent of the understanding is fo far gained by evidence of probability, that it rather inclines to one perfuafion than to another, yet not altogether without a mixture of uncertainty or doubting. Hale.-Time wears out the fictions of opinion, and doth by degrees difcover that fallacy of ungrounded paffions. Wilkins By their error we are taught, That happiness is but opinion. Prior. 2. Sentiments; judgment; notion.-Where no fuch fettled cuftom hath made it law, there it hath force only according to the ftrength of reason and circumstances joined with it, or as it thews the opinion and judgment of them that made it. Selden. -Can they make it out against the common fense and opinion of all mankind, that there is no fuch thing as a future ftate of mifery for fuch as have Jived ill here? South.-Friendship gives a man a peculiar right and claim to the good opinion of his friend: South. We may allow this to be his opinion concerning heirs, that where there are divers children the eldest fon has right to be heir. Locke. -Philofophers are of opinion, that infinite space is poffeffed by God's infinite omniprefence. Locke. -A ftory out of Boccalini fufficiently fhews us the opinion that judicious author entertained of the criticks. Addifon. 3. Favourable judgment. In actions of arms fmall matters are of great moment, efpecially when they ferve to raise an opinion of commanders. Hayward-Howfoever, I have no opinion of thefe things. Bacon.-If a woman had no opinion of her own perfon and dress, the would never be angry at thofe who are not of the fame opinion with herself. Law. (2.) OPINION, (§ 1, def. 1.) is that judgment which the mind forms of any propofition for the truth or falfehood of which there is not fufficient evidence to produce fcience or abfolute belief. That three angles of a plane triangle are equal to two right angles, is not a matter of opinion, nor can it with propriety be called an object of the mathe matician's belief: he does more than believe it; he knows it to be true. When two or three men, under no temptation to deceive, declare that they were witneffes of an uncommon, though not preternatural event, their teftimony is complete evidence, and produces abfolute belief in the minds of those to whom it is given; but it does not pro. duce fcience like rigid demonftration. The fact is not doubted, but those who have it on report do not know it to be true, as they know the truth of propofitions intuitively or demonftrably certain. When one or two men relate a ftory including many circumstances to a third person, and an. other comes who pofitively contradicts it, either in whole or in part, he, to whom thofe jarring teftimonies are given, weighs all the circumftances in his own mind, balances the one against the other, and lends an affent, more or lefs wavering, to that fide on which the evidence appears to preponderate. This affent is his opinion respecting the facts of which he has received fuch different accounts. Opinions are often formed of events not yet in being. Were an officer from the Britifh fleet, now lying off the coast of France (Feb. 1804) to come into the room where we are writing, and tell us that the French fleet had paffed by them in a thick fog, and were supposed by this time to have landed roo,000 troops on the coaft of Kent, we should abfolutely believe every fact which he had fold us, upon the evidence of bis teftimony; but we could only be of opinion that his concluding, fuppofitions were true. In forming opinions of this kind, upon which, in a great measure depends our fuccefs in any pursuit, every circumftance fhould be carefully attended to, and our judgments guided by former expe. rience. Truth is a thing of fuch importance to man, that he fhould always purfae the beft methods for attaining it; and when the object eludes all his researches, he fhould remedy the difap. pointment, by attaching himself to that which has the strongest resemblance to it; and that which moft resembles truth is called probability, as the judgment which is formed of it is termed opinion. See PROBABILITY. *To OPINION. v. a. [from the noun.] To opine; to think.-A word out of use, and unworthy of revival,The Stoicks opinioned the fouls of wife men dwell about the moon, and thofe of fools wandered about the earth. Brown. That the foul and the angels are devoid of quantity and dimenfion, is generally opinioned. Glanville. * OPINIONATIVE. adj. [from opinion.] Fond of preconceived notions; Rubborn.-Striking at the root of pedantry and opinionative assurance, would be no hindrance to the world's improvement. Glanville.-One would rather chufe a reader, without art, than one ill inftructed with learning, but opinionative, and without judgment. Burnet. * OPINIONATIVELY. adv. [from opinionative.] Stubbornly. * OPINIONATIVENESS. n f. [from opinionative. Obftinacy. * OPINIONIST. (opinionile, Fr. from opinion. One |