something belonging to the Teutones. The Teutonic language is supposed to have been the language of the ancient Germans, and hence is reckoned amongst the mother-tongues. See Philology, no 219.

**Teutonic Order**, an order of military knights, established towards the close of the twelfth century, on the following occasion.—When the emperor Barbarossa engaged in a crusade for the recovery of the Holy Land out of the hands of Saladin, he was followed by great numbers of German volunteers, who from various motives enlisted under his banner. After the death of Barbarossa, the Germans, who had finalized themselves before Acre or Ptolemais, resolved to choose another leader; and at last fixed their choice upon Frederic duke of Swabia, second son to the emperor, and Henry duke of Brabant. Under these generals they behaved with so much bravery, that Henry king of Jerusalem, the patriarch, and several other princes, determined to reward their valour by instituting an order of knighthood in their favour. This was accordingly done; and our new knights had at first the title of the knights of St George; afterwards it was thought proper to put them under the tutelage of the Virgin Mary, to whom there was already an hospital dedicated on Mount Zion, for the relief of German pilgrims. From this time they were called Equites Marianii, or knights of St Mary. Laws, regulations, and statutes, were drawn up for them by the Christian kings in Syria and the patriarch; and among other obligations it was required, that every person admitted to the privileges of the order should be of noble parentage; that the order should defend the Christian religion and the Holy Land; that they should exercise hospitality towards the Christians in general, but particularly those of their own country; and that they should with all their power endeavour to propagate and extend the Christian faith and the religion of Jesus. In the year 1190, having become rich by donations from the superstitious, they elected their first grandmaster, Henry Walpot, a German, who had distinguished himself by his zeal and valour; and their choice was confirmed by the emperor. The following year, pope Celestine III. confirmed their privileges already granted, giving them the title of the Teutonic knights of the hospital of St Mary the Virgin. By the conditions of this bull, they vowed perpetual continence, obedience, and poverty; obligations which it may well be imagined were not very strictly kept.

See Poland, no 59, 61, 67—69, and Prussia, no 3, 4.

**Tewkesbury**, a town in Gloucestershire, formerly noted for its metalwork. It is now a large handsome corporation, containing about 500 houses, with a magnificent church. It is seated at the confluence of the rivers Severn and Avon, has a cotton manufactory, and sends two members to parliament. W. Long. 2. 14. N. Lat. 52. 0.

**Texel**, a town of the United Provinces, in north Holland, seated at the mouth of the Zuider-Zee, with a good harbour, and a strong fort. It is seated in a fruitful island, known all over the world by the great number of ships that pass this way every day from all parts; it is about six miles long, and five broad, lying a little northward to the continent of Holland, between which and the island is one of the principal passages out of the Zuider-Zee into the ocean. It is defended from the sea by land hills and strong banks. Most of the soil is applied to feed sheep, of which they have great flocks; and the cheese made of their milk is said to vie with the Parmesan. This island contains several fair villages, and a town on the east side, called Burch, strongly fortified and garrisoned, and inhabited chiefly by fishermen. N. Lat. 53. 8. E. Long. 4. 51.

**Text**, a relative term, contradistinguished to gloss or commentary, and signifying an original discourse exclusive of any note or interpretation. This word is particularly used for a certain passage of scripture, chosen by a preacher to be the subject of his sermon.

**Texture**, properly denotes the arrangement and cohesion of several flender bodies or threads interwoven or entangled among each other, as in the webs of spiders, or in the cloths, stuffs, &c.

Texture is also used in speaking of any union or constituent particles of a concrete body, whether by weaving, hooking, knitting, tying, chaining, indenting, intruding, compressing, attracting, or any other way. In which sense we say, a close compact texture, a lax porous texture, a regular or irregular texture, &c.

**Tewit**, in ornithology. See Tringa.

**Thabor**. See Tabor.

**Thales**, a celebrated Greek philosopher, and the first of the seven wise men of Greece, was born at Miletus about 640 B.C. In order to improve himself in the knowledge of the sciences, he travelled into Egypt, where he discoursed with the priests and other learned men. Some say that he married; but others observe, that he eluded the solicitations of his mother on this head, by telling her, when he was young, that it was too soon; and afterwards, that it was too late. Thales acquired great reputation by his wisdom and learning: he was the first among the Greeks who foretold eclipses of the sun, and made extraordinary discoveries in astronomy. Thales was the author of the Ionian sect of philosophers, who were thus called from his being born at Miletus, a city of Ionia. He maintained that water was the principle of which all the bodies in the universe are composed; that the world was the work of God; and that God sees the most secret thoughts in the heart of man. He said, "That the most difficult thing in the world is to know ourselves; the most easy to advise others; and the most sweet to accomplish our desires. That, in order to live well, we ought to abstain from what we find fault with in others. That the bodily felicity consists in health, and that of the mind in knowledge. That the most ancient of beings is God, because he is uncreated; that nothing is more beautiful than the world, because it is the work of God; nothing more extensive than space, quicker than spirit, stronger than necessity, wiser than time." It was also one of his sentences, "That we ought never to say that to anyone that may be turned to our prejudice; and that we should live with our friends as with persons that may become our enemies." He thanked God for three things; that he was born of the human, not of the brute species; a man, and not a woman; a Greek, and not a barbarian. None of the ancient philosophers ever applied themselves more earnestly to the study of astronomy than Thales. Diogenes Laertius reports, that leaving his lodging with an old woman to contemplate the stars, he fell into a ditch; on which the good woman cried, "How canst thou know what is doing in the heavens, when thou canst not perceive what is at thy feet?" He went to see Cæsarius, who was marching with a powerful army into Cappadocia, and enabled him to pass the river Halys without making a bridge. Thales died soon after, at about 90 years of age. He composed several treatises in verse, on meteors, the equinoxes, &c. but they are all lost.

**Thalia**, in Pagan mythology, one of the nine muses. She presided over Comedy; and is represented crowned with a garland of ivy, holding a mask in her hand, and wearing buckles on her feet.

**Thalia**, in botany: A genus of plants belonging to the class of monandra, and order of monogynia; and in the natural system ranging under the 8th order, Scitamineae. The corolla is pentapetalous and undulated; and the drupe has a bilo-