a chain of chalky hills forming the southern part of Buckinghamshire, the northern part of the county being distinguished by the name of the Vale. The air on these heights is extremely healthful. The soil, though stony, produces good crops of wheat and barley; and in many places it is covered with thick woods, among which are great quantities of beech. Chiltern is also applied to the hilly parts of Berkshire, and is believed to have the same meaning in some other counties. Hence the hundreds situated in those parts are denominated the Chiltern Hundreds.

Chiltern Hundreds, stewards of. Of the hundreds into which many of the English counties were divided by King Alfred for their better government, the jurisdiction was originally vested in peculiar courts; but it came afterwards to be devolved on the county courts, and so it remains at present, excepting with regard to some, as the Chilterns, which have by privilege been annexed to the crown. The latter having still their own courts, a steward of these courts is appointed by the chancellor of the exchequer, with a salary of twenty shillings, and all fees and perquisites belonging to the office; and this is deemed an appointment of sufficient profit to vacate a seat in parliament.

CHIMERA, in fabulous history, a celebrated monster, sprung from Echidna and Typhon. It had three heads, namely, that of a lion, that of a goat, and that of a dragon, and continually vomited forth flames. The fore parts of its body were those of a lion, the middle was that of a goat, and the hinder parts were those of a dragon. It generally lived in Lycia about the reign of Jobates, by whose orders Bellerophon, mounted on the horse Pegasus, overcame it. This fabulous tradition is explained by the recollection that there was in Lycia a burning mountain, whose top was the resort of lions, on account of its desolate wilderness; while the middle, which was fruitful, was covered with goats; and the marshy ground at the bottom abounded with serpents. Bellerophon is said to have conquered the chimera, because he destroyed the wild beasts on that mountain, and rendered it habitable. Plutarch says, that it was the captain of some pirates who adorned their ships with the images of a lion, a goat, and a dragon.

By a chimera, among the philosophers, is understood a mere creature of the imagination, composed of such contradictions and absurdities as cannot possibly anywhere exist except in the fancy.