in antiquity, a species of punishment, or rather the instrument wherewith it was inflicted, consisting of two pieces of wood crossing each other.

This punishment was only inflicted on malefactors and slaves, and thence called servile supplicium. The most usual method was to nail the criminal's hands and feet to this machine, in an erect posture; though there are instances of criminals so nailed with their head downward.

Invention of the Cross, a festival observed on May 3rd, by the Latin church, in memory of the empress Helena's (the mother of Constantine) finding the true cross of Christ on mount Calvary, where she caused erect a church for the preservation of it.

Exaltation of the Cross, a grand festival solemnized on September 14th in commemoration of Heraclius's restoring to mount Calvary the true cross, that had been carried off by Cophroes king of Persia, upon taking the city of Jerusalem.

Order of the Cross, an order of ladies instituted in 1668, by the empress Eleonora de Gonzaga, wife of the emperor Leopold, on occasion of the miraculous recovery of a little golden cross, wherein were inclosed fed two pieces of the true crofs, out of the ashes of a part of the palace that had been burnt down; though the fire burnt the cafe wherein it was inclofed, and melted the crystal, it appeared that the wood had not received the leaft damage.

heraldry. See Heraldry, no. 25.

The crofs is a very ancient and honourable bearing, and is frequently to be met with in the coats of arms of thofe whofe ancestors attended the warlike expeditions againft the Turks.

mining, two nicks cut on the superficies of the earth, thus +, which the miners make when they take the ground to dig for ore. This crofs gives the miners three days liberty to make and to let on stones. As many of these croffes as the miner makes, so many mears of ground he may have in the vein, provided he fet on stones within three days after making his crofs or croffes. But if he make but one crofs, and a flander-by makes the second, and a stranger makes the third, every one is served with the next near, according as they have firft or laft, sooner or later made their crofs, or croffes upon the ground.

coins, a name given to the right fide, or face; the other being called the pile or reverse. It has been a common error, that the reverse was meant by the crofs; because at this time, with us, it is marked with figures disposed in that form: but the stamping the head of the prince in thofe kingdoms, on the right fide of the coin, was preceded by a general custom of striking on that part the figure of a crofs, while the other, called the pile, contained the arms, or fome other device.

Cross-Bar Shot, a bullet with an iron bar pafling through it, and flanding fix or eight inches out at both fides: it is ufed at fea, for deftroying the enemy's rigging.

Cross-Jack, pronounced cro-jack, a sail extended on the lower yard of the mizen maff, which is hence called the crof-jack yard. This sail, however, has generally been found of little fervice, and is therefore very feldom ufed.

Cross-Piece, a rail of timber extended over the windlass of a merchant-hip from the knight-heads to the beltry. It is fluck full of wooden pins, which are ufed to falten the running rigging as occasion requires. See Windlass.

Cross Trees, certain pieces of timber, supported by the cheeks and trefle-trees, at the upper ends of the lower maffs, athwart which they are laid to fuftain the frame of the top.

Cross-Bill, in ornithology. See Loxia.

Cross Wort, in botany. See Valentia.

English artist, famous only for copying, in the reigns of Charles I. and Charles II. Of this talent there is a fhort current, more to the credit of his skill than of his probity. He is faid to have been employed by Charles I. to copy the celebrated Madonna of Raphael in St Mark's church at Venice; and that, having obtained leave of the flate for that purpofe, he executed his piece fo well as to bring away the original and leave his copy in the place of it. The deception was not detected until it was too late to recover the lofs; and this piece was bought in Oliver's time by the Spanish ambafador for his master, who placed it in the efcurial.

Crosen, a handsome town of Silesia in Germany, and capital of a principality of the fame name. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Bobar and Oder, in a fertile country abounding in wine and fruits. There is a bridge over the Oder which is fortified. E. Long. 15° 20'. N. Lat. 52° 5'.

Crotalaria, Rattle-wort; a genus of the decandria order, belonging to the diadelphia clas of plants. There are 11 species, all of them natives of warm climates. They rise from 18 inches to 5 feet in height, and are adorned with flowers of a blue or yellow colour. The moft remarkable species is the retusa with fimple oblong wedged leaves. It is a native of the island of Ceylon, and some other parts of the East Indies. The flowers are yellow, the pods smooth, cylindrical, inflated, and placed horizontally: they are filled with seeds, which, when dried, and shaken by the slightest wind, emit a rattling noise: and this, by the rude inhabitants of the countries where the plant is native, is attributed to the devil, who is thought to deliver his oracles in this whimsical manner.