in Astronomy, a general name for all the heavenly bodies, which, like so many brilliant fluids, are dispersed throughout the whole heavens. The stars are distinguished, from the phenomena of their motion, &c. into fixed, and erratic or wandering stars: these last are again distinguished into the greater luminaries, viz. the sun and moon; the planets, or wandering stars, properly so called, and the comets; which have been all fully considered and explained under the article ASTRONOMY. As to the fixed stars, they are so called, because they seem to be fixed, or perfectly at rest, and consequently appear always at the same distance from each other.

Falling STARS, in Meteorology, fiery meteors which dart through the sky in form of a star. See METEOR.

Twinkling of the STARS. See OPTICS.

is also a badge of honour, worn by the knights of the Garter, Bath, and Thistle. See GARTER.

STAR of Bethlehem. See ORNITHOGALUM, BOTANY. Index.

in Fortification, denotes a small fort, having five or more points, or faliant and re-entering angles, flanking one another, and their faces 90 or 100 feet long.

Court of STAR-CHAMBER, (camera stellata), a famous, or rather infamous, English tribunal, said to have been so called either from a Saxon word signifying to steer or govern; or from its punishing the crimen fellicitatus, or omenage; or because the room wherein it sat, the old council-chamber of the palace of Westminster, (Lamb. 148.) which is now converted into the lottery-office, and forms the eastern side of New-Palace yard, was full of windows; or, (to which Sir Edward Coke, 4 Inst. 66. accedes), because haply the roof thereof was at the first garnished with gilded stars. As all these are merely conjectures, (for no stars are now in the roof, nor are any said to have remained there so late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth), it may be allowable to propole another conjectural etymology, as plausible perhaps as any of them. It is well known, that, before the banishment of the Jews under Edward I. their contracts and obligations were denominated in our ancient records flarra or flarrs, from a corruption of the Hebrew word, shetar, a covenant. (Tovey's Angl. Judae, 32. Selden. tit. of hon. ii. 34. Uxor Ebraica, i. 14.). These flarrs, by an ordinance of Richard I. preferred by Hoveden, were commanded to be enrolled and deposited in chests under three keys in certain places; one, and the most considerable, of which was in the king's exchequer at Westminster: and no flarr was allowed to be valid, unless it were found in some of the said repositories. (Memorand. in Scac' P. 6. Edw. I. prefixed to Maynard's year-book of Edw. II. fol. 8. Madox hift. exc. c. vii. § 4, 5, 6.). The room at the exchequer, where the chests containing these flarrs were kept, was probably called the flar-chamber; and, when the Jews were expelled the kingdom, was applied to the use of the king's council, sitting in their judicial capacity. To confirm this, the first time the flar-chamber is mentioned in any record, it is said to have been situated near the receipt of the exchequer at Westminster: (the king's council, his chancellor, treasurer, justices, and other pages, were assembled en la chambre des effeilles pres la receipt al Westminster. Clauf. 41 Edw. III. m. 13.). For in process of time, when the meaning of the Jewish flarrs was forgotten, the word flar-chamber was naturally rendered in law French, la chambre des effeilles, and in law Latin camera stellata; which continued to be the style in Latin till the dissolution of that court.

This was a court of very ancient original; but new-modelled by statutes 3 Hen. VII. c. 1. and 21 Henry VIII. c. 20. consisting of divers lords spiritual and temporal, being privy-counsellors, together with two judges of the courts of common law, without the intervention of any jury. Their jurisdiction extended legally over riots, perjury, misbehaviour of sheriffs, and other notorious misdemeanors, contrary to the laws of the land. Yet this was afterwards (as Lord Clarendon informs us) "stretched" "to the afflicting of all proclamations and orders of state; to the vindicating of illegal commissions and grants of monopolies; holding for honourable that which pleased, and for just that which profited; and becoming both a court of law to determine civil rights, and a court of revenue to enrich the treasury: the council-table by proclamations enjoining to the people that which was not enjoined by the laws, and prohibiting that which was not prohibited; and the star-chamber, which consisted of the same persons in different rooms, censuring the breach and disobedience to those proclamations by very great fines, imprisonments, and corporal severities: so that any disrespect to any acts of state, or to the persons of state-men, was in no time more penal, and the foundations of right never more in danger to be destroyed." For which reasons, it was finally abolished by statute 16 Car. I. c. 10. to the general joy of the whole nation. See KING'S-BENCH. There is in the British Museum (Harl. MSS. vol. i. No. 126.) a very full, methodical, and accurate account of the constitution and course of this court, compiled by William Hudson of Gray's Inn, an eminent practitioner therein. A short account of the same, with copies of all its procsels, may also be found in 18 Rym. Foed. 192, &c.