Some make it clear by reiterated fermentations, their situation enjoy many great advantages, the and others by additions, as ifinglass. Mortim. Hujb. principal of which are these: ist, Many benefits (2.) ISINGLASS. See ICHTHYOCOLLA. are derived to the inhabitants of an island from its (3.) * IsinGLASS STONE.n.f. A fossil which is unity. The very largest country on a continent one of the purest and simplest of the natural bo- is still but a part, which implies dependence, and dies. The masses are of a brownish or reddish is necessarily attended with a train of imperfeccolour; but when the plates are separated, they tions; from all of which, the people who live in are perfectly colourless, and more bright and pel- an island (at least in a large one) are, or may be, lucid than the finest glass. It is found in Muscovy, entirely free. All countries on the continent are Persia, the island of Cyprus, in the Alps and Ap. exposed to continual dangers, against which their pennines, and the mountains of Germany. Hill. inhabitants must be perpetually upon their guard. (1.) ISIS, a celebrated deity of the Egyptians, This renders a large military force requifite. It daughter of Saturn and Rhea, according to Dio- involves them in continual negociations, leagues, dorus of Sicily. Some fuppose her to be the fame and alliances ; all of which, however, cannot exwith lo. (See Io.) Plutarch says lsis married her empt them from frequent wars, or the miferies brother Osiris, and mentions some other absurd that attend them, and which bave commonly bad traditions respecting her. These two ancient dei- effects on their internal policy. 'ad, The climate ties, as some observe, comprehended all nature is generally mild and salubrious from the vapours aid all the gods of the heathens. Isis was the Ves of the surrounding sea, which, according to the lanus of Cyprus, the Minerva of Athens, the Cybele titude, abates the violence of heat, and moderates of the Phrygians, the Ceres of Eleusis, the Pro- the rigour of cold, both of which are fenfibly and serpine of Sicily, the Diana of Crete, the Bellona constantly less than on continents under the fame of the Romans, &c. Osiris and Iris reigned joint- elevation of the pole. We have a remarkable inly in Egypt, but Typhon, the brother of Ofiris, ftance of this in the islands called anciently Stoe. rebelled and murdered him. The ox and the cow HADES, in the modern Latin Infula Arearum, by were the symbols of Osiris and lsis; because, while us the HiERES. They are three in number, lying on earth, they had diligently applied themselves in 43° Lat. N. before Toulon. In them, the to agriculture. Ilis was supposed to be the moon fruits of France and Italy arrive at the highest perand Oliris the sun'; she was represented as hold. fection, and all the medical herbs of Italy, Greece, ing a globe in her hand, with a vessel full of ears and Egypt, grow wild. Yet the climate is won. of corn. The Egyptians believed, that the inun- derfully temperate and pleasant in all seasons. dations of the Nile proceeded from the tears There is commonly a greater variety, and always wliich llis shed for murder of Osiris. The word a greater fertility, in the soil, occafioned chiefly ilis , according to fome, signifies ancient. The in- by the warmth of the circumambient air, frequent Icriptions on the statutes of the goddess were often showers, and, in confequence of both, being conin these words: “ I am all that has been, that tinually impregnated with vegetable falts. 4. A ihall be, and none among mortals has hitherto ta- considerable advantage arises from acceffibility on ken of my veil.” Iler worship was universal in every side, by which islands are open to receive Egypt. See ISLACI. fupplies from other countries, and bave the con(2.) Isis, a river that rises in Gloucestershire, veniency of exporting their commodities and ma. and flows through a part of Wiltfhire. It begins nufactures to all markets, and, in comparison of to be navigable for boats at Cricklade, and after the continent, at all seasons. The opposite fides running a ferpentine course of about 4 miles, it of an island may, in regard to commerce, be con. leaves Gloucestershire, at a village called Castle lidered as two countries; each has its ports, its Eaton, and falls into the Thames. See THAMES proper commodities, its proper correspondences ; ISKOLDZ, a town of Lithuania. in confequence of which, it promotes the cultiva. ISKOROSC, a town of Poland, in Volhynia. tion, and procures vent for the manufactures, of (1.) ISLA, or ILAY. See ILA. a large diftrid behind it; while the intermediate 12.) Isla, a river of Forfarthire, which rises in midland space finds a profit in that inland trade, the Grampians, runs through Gleniņa, then turns which these two districts supply. The winds conWSW. and falls into the Tay at Kinclaven. trary on one side are favourable on the ottier; and (3.) Isly, a river of Banffshire, the sea, the common road to both coasts, it conISLAM, the true faith according to the Maho- tinually ploughed by vesselsoutward and homeward mctans. See MAHOMETÀNISM. bound, which keeps up that active and enterpri (1.) ISLAND. n. f. [infula, Lat. isola, Italian; fing spirit which characterises islanders. s. an cnland, Erse. It is pronounced iland.) A tract of isand has the most extensive and the most effectuland surrounded by water. He will carry this al frontier, on all fides, fubfifting for ever, with island home in his pocket, and give it his forr for out repairs, and without expenfe: and, which is an apple. And sowing the kernels of it in the fea, still more, derives from this very frontier a great bring forth more islands. Shak. part of the subfiftence of its inhabitants, and a vaAn iftand shades it from the rolling fea. Dryd. Juable article in its commerce, from its fisheries. Island of bliss! amid' the fubje& feas. Thoms. It is commonly said the sea is a mine, but its trea. (2.) ISLAND (tands contradistinguished from fures are more lafting and more certain, procured CONTINENT, or. TERRA FIRMA. See HOLLAND, by labour solely, and fit for ufe or for sale as soon No VII. 1. as procured, quickly consumed, and thereby the (3.) ISLAND, or ICELAND CRYSTAL. See source of continual employment to a ftout, bards, CRYSTAL, s III. laborious race of men, who likewise find emplos: (4.) ISLANDS, ADVANTAGES OF. INands from ment for numbers, and are in various respects otherwile (5.) ISLANDS, BAY OF, a bay of New Zealand, at the N. extremity of the moft northern of the two islands so named. In 1772, M. Dufrefne Ma-, rion, with two French sloops under his command, put into this bay in great diftrefs, and, with 28 of his crew, was surprised and murdered by the natives. Otherwife beneficial members of the community. iflands are frequently formed in the South Sea, is The defence by this natural barrier is not only by the coraline infects. On this fubject the folpermanent, but in every respect more to be relied lowing curious differtation by Alexander Dalrymon, than any that could be raised by the fkill and ple, Efq. hath appeared in the Philof. Tranf. for industry of men at the greatest expense. All these 1767. "Thefe iflands are generally long and nar benefits are infured to the inhabitants of every row; they are formed by a narrow bar of land, ifland, if they place their hopes in the affiduous inclofing the fea within it; generally, perhaps alcultivation of their own country, bend all their ways, with fome ingrefs at leaft to the tide; comendeavours to railing and extending their commonly with an opening capable of receiving a merce, and put their truft (under Providence) canoe, and frequently fufficient to admit even larin the natural fafeguard of a hardy race of men ger veffels. The origin of these islands will explain accustomed to robuft exercises, and in what ne- their nature. What led me first to this deduction, ceffarily arifes from their way of life, a naval force. was an obfervation of Abdul Roobin, a Sooloo The first inhabitants of iflands come in veffels, are pilot, that all the islands lying off the NE. coaft of for a time dependent on the country from whence Borneo, had fhoals to the eastward of them. These they came, arrive at independence by enlarging islands being covered to the W. by Borneo, the their correspondence; and thus commerce is na- winds from that quarter do not attack them with foral and effential to iflanders; which is the rea- violence. But the NE. winds, tumbling in the bilfon that they thrive fo long as they cultivate it, lows from a wide ocean, heap up the coral with and decline in proportion as it decays. See which thofe feas are filled. This, obvious after COAST, $ 2. ftorms, is perhaps at all other times imperceptibly effected. The coral banks, raised in the fame manner, become dry. Thefe banks are found of all depths, at all distances from shore, entirely unconnected with the land, and detached from each other: although it often happens that they are divided by a narrow gut without bottom. Coral banks alfo grow, by a quick progreffion, towards the furface: but the winds, heaping up the coral from deeper water, chiefly accelerate the formation of these into iflands. They become gradually fhallower; and, when once the fea meets with refiftance, the coral is quickly thrown up by the force of the waves breaking against the bank; and hence, in the open fea, there is scarce an instance of a coral bank having fo little water that a large ship cannot pafs over, but it is alfo fo fhallow that a boat would ground on it. I have seen these coral banks in all the ftages; fome in deep water, others with few rocks appearing above the furface; fome juft formed into islands, without the leaf appearance of vegetation; and others from fuch as have a few weeds on the highest part, to those which are covered with large timber, with a bottomless sea at a piftol-fhot distance. The loofe coral, rolled inward by the billows in large pieces, will ground; and the reflux being unable to carry them away, they become a bar to coagulate the fand, always found intermixed with coral; which fand, being eafieft raised, will be lodged at top. When the fand-bank is raised by violent ftorms beyond the reach of common waves, it becomes a refting place to vagrant birds, whom the search of prey draws thither. The dung, feathers, &c. increafe the foil, and prepare it for the reception of accidental roots, branches, and feed, caft up by the waves, or brought thither by birds. Thus islands are formed: the leaves and rotten branches intermixing with the fand, form in time a black mould, of which in general these islands confift; more fandy and lefs woody; and, when full of large trees, with a greater proportion of mould. Cocoa nuts, continuing long in the fea without losing their vegetative powers, are commonly to be found in fuch iflands; particularly as they are adapted to all foils, whether fandy, rich, or rocky, The violence of the waves within the tropics muft generally be directed to two points, accord (6.) ISLANDS, DISQUISITION RESPECTING THE FORMATION OF. Several naturalifts are of opinion, that the islands were formed at the deluge; others think, that there have been newislands formed by the cafting up of vaft heaps of clay, mud, fand, &c.; others think they have been feparated from the continent by violent ftorms, inundations, and earthquakes. These last have obferved, that the Eaft Indies, which abound in islands more than any other part of the world, are likewife more annoyed with earthquakes, tempests, lightnings, volcanoes, &c. than any other part. Others again conclude, that islands are as ancient as the world, and that there were some at the beginning; and, among other arguments, fupport their opinion from Gen. x. 5. and other paffages of Scripture. Varenius thinks that there have been iflands produced each of these ways. St Helena, Afcenfion, and other steep rocky iflands, he supposes to have become fo by the fea overflowing their neighbour ing champaigns; but by the heaping up huge quantities of fand, and other terrestrial matter, he thinks the islands of Zealand, Japan, &c. were formed. Sumatra and Ceylon, and moft of the Eaft India islands, he thinks, were rent off from the main land; and concludes, that the islands of the Archipelago were formed in the fame way, imagining it probable that Deucalion's flood might contribute towards it. The ancients had a notion that Delos, and a few other islands, rofe from the bottom of the fea; which, how fabulous foever it may appear, agrees with later obfervations. Seneca takes notice, that the islands Therafia rofe thus out of the Egean fea in his time, of which the mariners were eye-witneffes. It is indeed very probable, that many islands have exifted not only from the deluge, but from the creation of the world; and we have undoubted proofs of the for mation of iflands in all the different ways above. mentioned. Another way, however, in which ing to the monfoons. Hence the islands formed from coral banks must be long and narrow, and lie nearly in a meridional direction. For even fuppofing the banks to be round, as they feldom are when large, the fea, meeting moft refiftance in the middle, muft heave up the matter in greater quantities there than towards the extremities: and, by the fame rule, the ends will generally be open, or at leaft loweft. They will alfo commonly have foundings there, as the remains of the bank, not accumulated, will be under water. Where the coral banks are not exposed to the common monfoon, they will alter their direction; and be either round, extending the parallel, or be of irregular forms, according to accidental circumftances. The interior parts of these islands being fea, sometimes form harbours capable of receiving veffels of fome burthen, and, I believe, always abound greatly with fish; and, fuch as I have feen, with turtle grass and other fea plants, particularly one fpecies, called by the Sooloos gammye, which grows in little globules, and is fomewhat pungent, as well as acid, to the tafte. It need not be repeated, that the ends of those iflands only are the places to expect foundings; and they commonly have a fhallow fpit running out from each point. Abdul Roobin's obfervation points out another circumstance, which may be ufeful to navigators; by confideration of the winds to which any islands are moft expofed, to form a probable conjecture which fide has deepest water; and from a view which fide has the fhoals, an idea may be formed which winds rage with moft violence." See CORALLINA. (7.) ISLANDS, FLOATING. Hiftory abounds with accounts of floating islands; but the greateft part of them are either falfe or exaggerated. What we generally fee of this kind is no more than the concretion of the lighter and more viscous matter floating on the surface of the water in cakes; and, with the roots of the plants, forming congeries of different fizes, which not being fixed to the fhore in any part, are blown about by the winds and float on the furface. These are generally found in lakes, where they are confined, and, in procefs of time, fome of them acquire a confiderable fize. Seneca tells us of many of these floating islands in Italy; and fome later writers have defcribed not a few of them in other places. But however true these accounts might have been at the time when they were written, very few proofs of their authenticity are now to be found; the floating islands having either disappeared, or been fo fixed to the fides as to make a part of the fhore. Pliny tells us of a great island which at one time swam about in the lake Cutilia in the country of Reatinum, which was discovered to the old Romans by a miracle; and Pomponius tells us, that in Ly. dia there were feveral islands fo loofe in their foundations, that every little accident fhook and removed them. (8.) ISLANDS OF ICE. See ICE-ISLANDS. * ISLANDER. n.f. [from island. Pronounce ilander.] An inhabitant of a country furrounded by water. We, as all islanders, are lunares, or the moon's men. Camden. Your dinner, and the generous iflanders -There are many bitter fayings against islanders in general, representing them as fierce, treache rous, and unhofpitable: those who live on the continent have fuch frequent intercourfe with men of different religions and languages, that they be come more kind than those who are the inhabitants of an ifland. Addifon's Freeholder.The native iflanders alone their care, Popes ISLAY, or ILAY. See LLA, N° 1. (1.)* ISLE. n. f. [ifle, Fr. infula, Latin. Pronounce ile.] 1. An island; a country furrounded by water. The inftalment of this noble duke In the feat royal of this famous ile. Shak. R. III. Seas ftain'd with gore I fing, advent❜rous toil, And how thefe monsters did difarm an ifle. Waller. 2. [Written, I think, corruptly for aile, from aile, French, from ala, Lat. the aile being probably at first only a wing or fide walk. It may come likewife from allée, French, a walk.] A long walk in a church or public building. O'er the twilight groves and dufky caves, Long founding ifles and intermingled graves, Black melancholy fits. Pope. (2.) ISLE, a town of France in the dep. of Tarn, miles SW. of Gaillac, and 23 NNE. of Toulouse. (3.) ISLE ADAM, a town of France, with a handfome caftle on the Oife, 3 miles from Beaumont, and 20 from Paris. Lon. 2. 13. E. Lat. 49. 7. N (4.) ISLE AND VILAINE. See ILLE, N° 3. Rennes is the capital of the department. (5.) ISLE AUMONT, a town of France in the dept. of Aube, 6 miles S. of Troyes. (6.) ISLE BOUCHARD. See BOUCHART. (7.) ISLE BOUIN. See BOUIN. (8.) ISLE DE DIEU. See DIEU, N° 3. An attempt was made upon the coaft of France, in 1794, and a few troops of British and French emigrants were landed on this island, but it proved fruitless. (9.) ISLE DE NOE, a town of France, in the dep. of Gers, 5 miles N. of Mirande. (10.) ISLE DODON, or a town of France in (10.) ISLE EN DODON, the dep. of Upper Garonne, 18 miles NNE. of St Gaudeus. (11.) ISLE JOURDAIN, a town of France, in the dep. of Gers, and late province of Armagnac, in an ifland of the Save, 8 miles N. of Lombez. Lon. 1. 2. E. Lat. 43. 40. N. (12.) ISLE JOURDAIN, a town of France, in the dep. of Vienne, 24 miles SSE. of Poitiers. Lon. 18. 21. E. of Ferro. Lat. 46. 14. N. (13.) ISLE MADAME, a fort of France, in the dep. of Lower Charente, at the mouth of the Charente, 7 miles W. of Rochefort. (14.) ISLE OF BEEVES, a fertile island, in the Gulf of Mexico, and bay of Campeachy, 17 miles long, 8 broad, and abounding in cattle and fruits. (15.) ISLE OF DOGS. See DOGS, ISLE OF. (16.) ISLE OF FRANCE, one of the 12 ci-devant governments of France. See FRANCE, N° II. It was bounded on the N. by Picardy, W. by Normandy, S. by the Orleannois, and E. by Champagne. It was about 90 miles in length and breadth. The air is temperate, and the foil fertile; and it abounds in wine, corn, and fruits. (17.) ISLE OF FRANCE. See MAURITIUS. (18.) ISLE (18.) ISLE ROUSSE, a town of the French republic, in Corfica, 36 miles SW. of Bastia. (19.) ISLE SUR LE DOUBS, a town of France, in the dep. of the Doubs, 44 miles NE. of Clerval. ISLEB, a town of Germany, in Saxony. ISLEBIANS, in ecclefiaftical history, a name given to those who adopted the fentiments of a Lutheran divine of Saxony, called John Agricola, a difciple and companion of Luther, a native of ISLEB, whence the name; who interpreting literally fome of the precepts of St Paul with regard to the Jewish law, declaimed against the law and the neceffity of good works. See AGRICOLA JOHN, and ANTINOMIANS. ISLET. n. f. a small island. ISLETTES LES GRANDS, a town of France, in the dep. of the Meufe, 3 miles W. of Clermont. ISLEWORTH, a large parish and village in Middlefex, 9 miles W. of London, on the Thames. Sion Houfe, the magnificent feat of the duke of Northumberland, several handsome villas, and the S. fide of Hounslow, are in this parish. Lon. o. 14. W. Lat. 51. 29. N. ISLINGTON, a village of Middlesex, on the N. fide of London, to which it is almoft contiguous. It appears to be of Saxon origin; and in the conqueror's time was written ISLEDON, or ISENDON. The church is one of the prebends of St Paul's; to the dean and chapter of which a certain precinct belongs, for the probate of wills, and granting adminiftrations. The church was a Gothic ftructure, erected in 1503, and ftood till 1751, when the inhabitants applied to parliament for leave to rebuild it, and foon after erected the prefent ftructure, which is a very substantial brick edifice, though it does not want an air of lightness. It has about 2000 houfes including the Upper and Lower Holloways, 3 fides of Newington Green, and part of Kingfland, on the road to Ware. The White Conduit-house, fo called from a White ftone conduit that ftands before the entrance, has handsome gardens with good walks, and two large rooms for the entertainment of company. In the SW. part of this village is that noble refervoir, improperly called New-river Head; though they are only two bafons, which receive that river from Hertfordshire, and whence the water is thrown by an engine into the company's pipes for the fupply of London. In the red moat on the N. fide of these bafons, called Six-Acre Field, from the contents of it, which is the third field beyond the White Conduit, there appears to have been a fortrefs inclosed with a rampart and ditch, fuppofed to have been a Roman camp used by Suetonius Paulinus after his retreat (which Tacitus mentions) from London, before he fallied thence, and routed the Britons under their queen Boadicea; and that which is vulgarly, but erroneously, called Jack Straw's castle, in a square place in the SW. angle of the field, fuppofed to have been the feat of the Roman general's prætorium or tent. In this parish are two charity fchools; one founded in 1613 by Dame Alice Owen, for educating 30 children. This foundation, with a row of alms-houses, are under the care of the brewers company. Here is an hofpital with its chapel, and a work-house for the poor. There is a spring of chalybeate water, in a very pleafant garden, which for fome years was conftantly attended by the princess Amelia, and many perfons of quality, who drank the waters. To this place, which is called New Tunbridge Wells, many people resort, during fummer, the price of drinking the waters being 1os. 6d. for the feason. Near this is a houfe of entertainment called Saddler's Wells, where, during the fummer feafon, people are amused with rope-dancing, tumbling, pantomimes, &c. (1.) ISLIP, a town of Oxfordshire, 56 miles from London, noted for the birth and baptifm of Edward the Confeffor. By the late inland navigation, it has communication with the rivers Merfey, Dee, Ribble, Oufe, Trent, Darwent, Severn, Humber, Thames, Avon, &c. which navigation, including its windings, extends above 500 miles, in the counties of Lincoln, Nottingham, York, Lançafter, Weftmoreland, Chefter, Stafford, Warwick, Leicester, Oxford, Worcester, &c. It has a good market for sheep, and fome remains of an ancient palace, said to have been king Ethelred's. Here is a charity school. The chapel wherein Edward was baptized, ftood at a small distance N. from the church, is ftill called the king's chapel, was entirely defecrated during Cromwell's ufurpation, and converted to the meaneft ufes of a farm-yard; at present it has a roof of thatch. It is built of ftone 15 yards long, and broad, and retains traces of the arches of an oblong window at the eaft end. This manor was given by Edward the Confeffor to Westminster abbey, to which it ftill belongs. 7 (2.) ISLIP, a village in Northamptonshire. (3.) ISLIP, a township of New York, in Suffolk county, Long Island. It has 609 citizens. ISMAEL, or a ftrong town of Turkey in EuISMAIL, Srope, in Beffarabia. It was taken by ftorm, by the Ruffians, on the 22d of Dec. 1790: and, it is faid, that the long fiege, and the capture, did not coft them less than 10,000 men. The moft fhocking part of the tranfaction is, that the garrifon (whose bravery merited, and would have received from a generous foe, the higheft honours) were maffacred in cold blood by the merciless Ruffians, to the amount, by their own account, of 30,000 men: and the place was abandoned to the fury of the brutal foldiery. Ifmail is feated on the Ñ. fide of the Danube, 140 miles S. by W. of Bender. Lon. 29. 30. E. Lat. 45. 11. N. ISMAELINS. See ASSASSINS, § 1, 2. ISM ALLAH. See ARABIANS, 16. ISMANING, a town and county of Bavaria, on the Ifer, 8 miles NNE. of Munich. ISMARUS, a town of the Cicones in Thrace, giving name to a lake. In Virgil it is called Ifmara. Servius fuppofes it to be the mountain of Thrace, on which Orpheus dwelt. (1.) ISMID, a town of Turkey, in Caramania. (2.) ISMID, or ISNIKMID, a town of Afiatic Turkey, on a bay of the sea of Marmora, supposed to have been the ancient NICOMEDIA, capital of Bithynia. It is 45 miles ESE. of Conftantinople. ISNARDIA, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the tetrandria clafs of plants; and dept. of Corfica, 38 miles N. of Porto Vecchio, and 39 SSE. of Corte. plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 17th order, Calycantheme. There is no corolla; the calyx is quadrifid; the capfule quadfilocular, and girt with the calyx. ISNIC, or ISNIK, a town of Afiatic Turkey in Natolia, with a Greek archbishop's fee. It is the ancient Nice. See NICE, N° 1. Nothing remains of its ancient fplendor but an aqueduct. The Jews inhabit the greatest part of it; and it is feated in a country fertile in corn and excellent wine. Lon. 30. 9. E. Lat. 47. 15. N. ISNY, an imperial town of Suabia, in Algow: feated on the Ifny. Lon. 9. 10. E. Lat. 47. 33. N. (1.) ISOCHRONAL. adj. is applied to fuch vibrations of a pendulum as are performed in the fame space of time; as all the vibrations or fwings of the fame pendulum are, whether the arches it defcribes are fhorter or longer. (2.) ISOCHRONAL LINE, that in which a heavy body is fupposed to descend without any acceleration. ISOCRATES, one of the greatest orators of Greece, was born at Athens, A. A. C. He was the fon of Theodorus, who had enriched himself by making mufical inftruments, and gave his fon a liberal education. He was the difciple of Prodicus, Gorgias, and other great orators. He endeavoured at firft to declaim in public, but without fuccefs; he therefore contented himself with inftructing his scholars, and making private orations. He always fhowed great love for his country; and being informed of the lofs of the battle of Cheronea, he abftained four days from eating, and died, aged 98. There are ftill extant 21 of his orations, which are admired, and have been tranflated from the Greek into Latin by Wolfius. Ifocrates excelled in the juftnefs of his thoughts, and the elegance of his expreffions. There are alfo nine letters attributed to him. ISOETES, in botany; a genus of the natural order of filices, belonging to the cryptogamia clafs of plants. The antheræ of the male flower are within the base of the frons or leaf. The capfule of the female flower is bilocular, and within the base of the leaf. (1.) ISOLA, a fea-port town of Naples, in Calabria Ultra, with a bishop's fee; 15 miles SE. of St Severina. Lon. 7. 33. E. Lat. 39. 1. N. (2.) ISOLA, a river of Germany in Tirol. (3) ISOLA, a town of Auftria, now in the power of France, 16 miles SW. of Capo d' Iftria, feated on an ifthmus that runs far into the Adriatic, and produces the famous Ribolla wine. (4.) ISOLA, a town of Naples, in Terra di Lavora, 3 miles S. of Sora. (5.) ISOLA DELLA SCALA, a town of the Italian republic, in the dep. of the Mincio, and diftrict of Verona, (late prov. of the Veronefe) 13 miles S. of Verona. It was the head quarters of the French, on the 12th April 1799, when they were attacked by the Auftrians under Gen. Kray, and, after a moft obftinate refiftance, defeated, with the lofs of 11 cannons, 30 waggons, 7 ftandards, and 2000 men. (6.) ISOLA, MONTE DE, a tract of mountainous land in Italy, dep. of the Mincio, and diftri&t of Verona, (ci-devant Veronefe), 9 miles long and five broad, containing feveral villages. ISOLACCIO, a town of France, in the ifland ISOLETTA, a town of Italy in the dep. of the Mella, and late prov. of Bresciano, 15 miles S. of Brescia. ISOMBRES. See INSUBRI. ISONA, a town of Spain, in Catalonia. * ISOPERIMETRIČAL. 2. §. [10@, xigt, and Mergo.] In geometry, are fuch figures as have equal perimeters or circumferences, of which the circle is the greateft. Harris. ISOPYRUM, in botany; a genus of the polygynia order, belonging to the polyandria clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 26th order, Multifiliqua. There is no calyx, but 5 petals; the nectaria trifid and tubular; the capfules recurved and polyfpermous. ISORDSKICK, or FIROTZA, a town of Servia, 14 miles SE. of Belgrade. * ISOSCELES. n. f (ifofecle, Fr. or equiangular triangle.] That which hath only two fides equal. Harris. ISPAHAN, or, as the Perfians pronounce it, SPAUHAWN, the capital of Perfia, is fituated in the province of Irac Agemi, or Perfia Proper, upon the ruins, as is generally supposed, of the ancient HECATOM PYLOS, or, as others think, of the Afpa of Ptolemy. Moft of the eastern aftronomers and geographers place it in Lat. 32. 25. N. Lon. 86. 40. E. It ftands on a very extenfive plain, furrounded by mountains; and has 8 diftricts belonging to it, that contain about 400 towns and villages. The fertility of the foil, the mildness of the climate, and the fine temperature of the air, all confpire to render Ifpahan one of the moft delightful cities in the world. The city is of no great antiquity; and the two parts into which it is divided, preserve the two names of contiguous towns, from the junction of which it was formed. The inhabitants of these, notwithstanding their neighbourhood, bear an inveterate antipathy to each other; which they discover on all public occafions. Spauhawn owes the glory it now poffeffes to the great Shaw Abas; who, after the conqueft of the kingdoms of Lar and Ormus, made it the capital of his empire, between 1620 and 1628. The mountains, with which it is furrounded, defend it alike from the fultry heats of fummer and the piercing winds of winter; and the plain on which it ftands is watered by feveral rivers, which are very falubrious. See ZENDEROUD. The extent of Spauhawn is not lefs than 20 miles within the walls; which are of earth, poorly built, and fo covered with houfes and fhaded with gardens, that in many places it is dif ficult to discover them. The Perfians were wont to say, Spauharn nifpigebon, i. e. Spauhawn is half the world. Sir John Chardin fays, that though fome reckoned 11,000,000 inhabitants in it, he did not look upon it as more populous than Lon don. At a diftance, the city is not eafily diftinguifhed; for many of the ftreets being adorned with plantains, and every houfe having its garden, the whole looks like a wood. The ftreets in general are neither broad nor convenient; there being three great evils which attend them; viz. 1. Being built on common fewers, thefe are fr quently broke up, which is very dangerous, al |