Arson

[0. Fr., from Lat. ardeo, arsum, to burn.] (Law.) The malicious setting on fire of the house or building of another. It is a felony at common law, and originally punishable with death. If homicide result, the act is murder. Art. [A.S. eart.] The second person, singular, indicative mood, present tense, of the substantive verb, am . Art, n. [Fr., from Lat. ars , artis ; from Greek aretë , excellence, virtue, power, skill.] The power of doing something not taught by nature or instinct; as, to walk is natural, to dance is an art ; -power or skill in the use of knowledge; the practical application of the rules, or principles of science. - A system of rules to facilitate the performance of certain actions; contrivance; dexterity; addre ; adroitne . "The art of our nece ities is strange, That can make vile things precious." - Shaks. -Cunning; artifice; deceit. -Profe ion, busine , or trade. "More matter with le art." - Shaks. (Esthetics.) Art, as distinguished from science, consists of the truths disclosed by that species of knowledge disposed in the most convenient order for practice, instead of the best order for thought. Art proposes to itself a given end, and, after defining it, hands it over to science. Science, after investigating the causes and conditions of this end, returns it to art, with a theorem of the combination of circumstances under which the de sired end may be effected. After receiving them, art inquires whether any or all of those scientific combinations are within the compa of human power and human means, and pronounces the end inquired after attainable or not. It will be observed ere, that all that art supplies is the major premise, or the a ertion that the given aim is the one to be desired. The grounds of every rule of art are to be found in the theorems of science. An art can then only consist of rules, together with as much of the speculative propositions (which lose all their speculative look as soon as they come into the artist's hands) as comprises the justification of those rules. Though art must a ume the same general laws as science does, yet it follows them only into such of their detailed consequences as have led to certain practical rules, and pries into every secret corner, as well as into the open stores of the household of science, bent on finding out the nece ities of which she is in search, and which the exigencies of human life demand. Hence, as Edmund Burke wisely remarks, in his Treatise on the Sublime and Beautiful , "Art can never give the rules that make an art." It must always owe them to science. Whatever speaks in precepts or rules, as contrasted with a ertions regarding facts, is art ; and hence it always adopts the imperative mood, whereas, science almost invariably adopts the indicative. Science is wholly occupied with declarations, while art is wholly engaged with injunctions that something should be done. Thus, the builder's art desires to have houses, the architect's art desires to have them beautiful; and the medical art desires to cure diseases of the human body. See FINE ARTS. Art and part. ( Law .) A phrase used in Scotland: when any one is charged with a crime, they say he is art and part in committing the same, that is, he was concerned both in the contrivance and execution of it. The derivation of these words from the Latin artifex et part i ceps, IMG:content-0350.png:[blocks in formation] Ar'ta, the ancient. AMBRACIA, capital of nome of same name in Greece, about 7 m. above the gulf of A .; estimated pop . (1897) 5,000. Ar'ta, (GULF OF,) a deep inlet of the Ionian sea, between Albania and the N.W. part of Greece. At its entrance it is only 700 yards acro . The fort of La Punta is there built on a long tongue of land called the promontory of Actium. - See ACTIUM. Artaba'nus IV., the last of the Part hi an monarchs, who, in A. D. 217, escaping with great difficulty from a perfidious ma acre commenced by the Romans under Car a call a, mustered an army, and engaged his foes in a battle which lasted for two days; but as the armies were preparing to renew the combat, A. was informed of Car a call a's death. Peace was then made on honorable terms. A. afterward incited his subjects to revolt, and in a battle, in 226, was taken and put to death. Thus ended, in the 3d century, the Part hi an empire. Artasi'res, the last Arsacid king of Armenia. He was placed on the throne by Bahram V. of Persia, who afterward deposed him and annexed his dominions to Persia, under the name of Per sar men i a, 248. c. Arta'ta. (Com.) In Persia, a measure of quantity, equivalent to 1,809 imp. bushels. Artavas'des I., a king of Armenia, who succeeded his father Tigranes. He joined the Roman forces commanded by Cra us, but deserted to the enemy, causing the defeat of the Romans, and the death of Cra us. He similarly betrayed Mark Antony when engaged against the Medes; but afterward falling into Antony's power, А. was taken with his wife and children to Alexandria, where they were dragged at the victor's chariot-wheels in golden chains. After the battle of Actium, Cleopatra caused his head to be struck off and sent to the king of Media. Reigned in the 1st century в. с. Artaxerxes I., surnamed LONG I MAN US, was the third son of Xerxes, king of Persia, and, having murdered his brother Darius, ascended the throne 465 в. с. Не D. 424 B. C., and was succeeded by his only son Xerxes. This prince is generally supposed to have been the Ahasuerus of Scripture, who married Esther, and by whose permi ion Ezra restored the Jewish religion at Jérusalem. Some modern authors, neverthele , identify Ahasuerus with Xerxes. ARTAXERXES II., surnamed MNEMON, was the eldest son of Darius Nothus, and began his reign 405 в. с. His brother Cyrus formed a conspiracy against him, for which he was sentenced to death; but at the interce ion of his mother Parysatis, the sentence was commuted to banishment to Asia Minor. Cyrus repaid this act of clemency by mustering a large army of Asiatics, and some Greek troops under Clearchus, with whom he marched to Babylon; but being encountered by A. , he was defeated and slain. The Greeks, however, escaped, and reached their own country, under Xenophon. A. died at the age of 94, after reigning 62 years. ARTAXER'XES III., succeeded A. II., his father, 359 в. с. То pave his way to the succe ion, he murdered two of his brothers, and afterward put to death all the remaining branches of the family. He suppre ed several insurrections which were raised against him, and in Egypt slew the sacred bull Apis, and gave the flesh to his soldiers. For this, his eunuch, Bagras, an Egyptian, caused him to be poisoned, and after giving his carca to cats, made knife-handles of his bones, 339 в. с.