AMULET, a charm, or preservative against mischief, witchcraft, or diseases.
Amulets were made of stone, metal, simples, animals, and in a word of every thing that imagination suggested.
Sometimes they consisted of words, characters, and sentences, ranged in a particular order, and engraved upon wood, &c. and worn about the neck, or some other part of the body. See ABRACADABRA.
At other times they were neither written nor engraved; but prepared with many superstitious ceremonies, great regard being usually paid to the influence of the stars. The Arabians have given to this species of amulet the name of TALISMAN.
All nations have been fond of amulets: the Jews, were extremely superstitious in the use of them, to drive
drive away diseases: and the Mishna forbids them, unless received from an approved man who had cured at least three persons before by the same means.
Among the Christians of the early times, amulets were made of the wood of the cross, or ribbands with a text of Scripture written in them, as preservatives against diseases. Notwithstanding the progress of learning and refinement, there is not any country in Europe, even at this day, where they do not believe in some charm or other. The pope is supposed to have the virtue of making amulets, which he exercises in the consecrating of Agnus Dei's, &c. The sponge which has wiped his table, was formerly in great veneration as a preservative from wounds, and from death itself: on this account it was sent with great solemnity by Gregory II. to the duke of Aquitain.
Amulets are now much fallen from the repute they were anciently in; yet the great Mr Boyle alleges them as an instance of the ingress of external effluvia into the habit, in order to show the great porosity of the human body. He adds, that he is persuaded some of these external medicines do answer; for that he himself, having been once subject to bleed at the nose, and reduced to use several remedies to check it, found the moss of a dead man's skull, though only applied so as to touch the skin till the moss was warm thereby, the most effectual of any. The same Mr Boyle shows how the effluvia, even of cold amulets, may, in course of time, pervade the pores of a living animal; by supposing an agreement between the pores of the skin and the figure of the corpuscles. Bellini has attempted to demonstrate the possibility of the thing in his last propositions De Febris; and the like is done by Dr Wainwright, Dr Keill, &c.
AMURATH or AMURAT I. the fourth emperor of the Turks, and one of the greatest princes of the Ottoman empire, succeeded Solyman in 1390. He took from the Greeks Gallipoli in Thrace, and Adrianople, which last he chose for the place of his residence. He defeated the prince of Bulgaria, conquered Misnia, chastised his rebellious bashaws, and is said to have gained 36 battles. This prince, in order to form a body of devoted troops that might serve as the immediate guards of his person and dignity, appointed his officers to seize annually, as the imperial property, the fifth part of the Christian youth taken in war. These, after being instructed in the Mahometan religion, inured to obedience by severe discipline, and trained to warlike exercises, were formed into a body distinguished by the name of Janizaries, or New Soldiers. Every sentiment which enthusiasm can inspire, every mark of distinction that the favour of the prince could confer, were employed in order to animate this body with martial ardour, and with a consciousness of its own pre-eminence. The Janizaries soon became the chief strength and pride of the Ottoman armies, and were distinguished above all the troops whose duty it was to attend on the person of the sultan.—At length the death of Lazarus, despot of Servia, who had endeavoured in vain to stop the progress of Amurath's arms, touched Milo, one of his servants, in so sensible a manner, that, in revenge, he stabbed the sultan in the midst of his troops, and killed him upon the spot, A. D. 1389, after he had reigned 23 years.