among Physicians, a name given to those whose prepuce is either wanting or shrunk, so that it can no longer cover the glans. Many authors have supposed this sense of the word Apella warranted from the passage in Horace, credat judaeus Apella non ego. But, according to Salmahus and others, Apella is the proper name of a certain Jew, and not an adjective signifying circumcised.

APPELLES, one of the most celebrated painters of antiquity. He was born in the isle of Cos, and flourished in the time of Alexander the Great, with whom he was in high favour. He executed a picture of this prince, holding a thunderbolt in his hand: a piece, finished with so much skill and dexterity, that it used to be said there were two Alexanders; one invincible, the son of Philip; the other inimitable, the production of Apelles. Alexander gave him a remarkable proof of his regard: for when he employed Apelles to draw Campalpe, one of his mistresses, having found that he had conceived an affection for her, he resigned her to him; and it was from her that Apelles is said to have drawn his Venus Anadyomene.

One of Apelles's chief excellencies was his making his pictures exactly resemble the persons represented; insomuch that the physiognomists are said to have been able to form a judgment of the person's destiny as readily from his portraits as if they had seen the originals. But what is called grace was the characteristic of this artist. His pencil was so famous for drawing fine lines, that Protogenes discovered by a single line Apelles, that Apelles had been at his house. Protogenes lived at Rhodes: Apelles sailed thither, and went to his house with great eagerness, to see the works of an artist who was known to him only by name. Protogenes was gone from home: but an old woman was left watching a large piece of canvas, which was fitted in a frame for painting. She told Apelles that Protogenes was gone out; and asked him his name, that she might inform her master who had inquired for him. "Tell him (says Apelles) he was inquired for by this person?"—at the same time taking up a pencil, he drew on the canvas a line of great delicacy. When Protogenes returned, the old woman acquainted him with what had happened. That artist, upon contemplating the fine stroke of the line, immediately pronounced that Apelles had been there; for so finished a work could be produced by no other person. Protogenes, however, himself drew a finer line of another colour; and, as he was going away, ordered the old woman to show that line to Apelles if he came again; and to say, "This is the person for whom you are inquiring." Apelles returned, and saw the line: he would not for shame be overcome; and therefore, in a colour different from either of the former, he drew some lines so exquisitely delicate, that it was utterly impossible for finer strokes to be made. Protogenes now confessed the superiority of Apelles, flew to the harbour in search of him, and resolved to leave the canvas with the lines on it for the amusement of future artists.