or Khan, the title given to the sovereign princes of Tartary.

The word, in the Persian, signifies mighty lord; in the Slavonic, emperor. Sperlingius, in his dissertation on the Danish term of majesty, koning, king, thinks the Tartarian cham may be well derived from it; adding, that in the north they say kan, kommen, konge, kon-

(A) Sir Thomas, during his residence in Italy, being particularly fond of natural history, spent some time at Puzzoli, where he was very attentive to the art of producing alum. This attention proved infinitely serviceable to his country, though of no great benefit to himself or his family, his attempt being attended with much difficulty and expense. It was begun about the year 1600, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; but was not brought to any degree of perfection till some time in the reign of Charles I., by the assistance of one Russel a Walloon, and two other workmen brought from the alum works at Rochelle. By one of the arbitrary acts of Charles, it was then deemed a mine royal, and granted to Sir Paul Pindar. The long parliament adjudged it a monopoly, and justly restored it to the original proprietors.