A'PRIES, king of Egypt, the Pharaoh-Hophra of the time of Zedekiah and Nebuch adnezzar. Ile invaded Syria, but gained no substantial advantages. Herodotus says he was so vain and confident of his power that he would not believe that even a deity could overcome hint. His fall was predicted by Jeremiah (xliv. 30), and it came through the revolt of his troops, who took Amasis for their leader, and made A. a prisoner, 560 n.c. Amasis saved his life for a time, but was compelled to give him over to his enemies, who strangled him.
APRIL. The Romans gave this month the name of Aprilis, from aperire, to open, April. The Romans gave this month the name of Aprilis, from aperire, to open, because it was the season when the buds began tq, open; by the Anglo-Saxons it was called Ooster, or Easter-month; and by the Dutch, Grass-month. The custom of sending one upon a bootless errand on the first day of this month, is perhaps a travesty of the sending hither and thither of the Savior from Anna to Caiaphas, and from Pilate to Ilerod, because during the middle ages this scene in Christ's life was made the subject of a miracle-play (q.v.) at Easter, which occurs in the month of A. It is possible, how ever, that it may be a relic of some old heathen festival. The custom, whatever be its origin, of playing off little tricks on this day, whereby ridicule may be fixed upon unguarded individuals, appears to be universal throughout Europe. In France, one thus imposed upon is called un poisson d'Arril (an A. fish). In England, such a person is called an A. fool; in Scotland, a gowk. Gowk is the Scotch for the cuckoo, and also
signifies a foolish person. The favorite jest in Britain is to send one upon an errand for something grossly nonsensical—as for pigeon's milk, or the history of Adam's grand father; or to make appointments which are not to be kept; or to call to a passer-by that his hatchet is unloosed, or that there is a spot of mud upon his face. When he falls into the snare. the term A. fool or gowk is applied with a shout of laughter. It is curious that the Hindoos practice precisely similar tricks on the 31st of March, when they hold what is called the Huli festival.
reasoning or demonstration is that which rests on general notions or ideas, and is independent of experience. Reasoning front experience is called reasoning. A predilection for one or the other of these forms of reasoning forms one of the most important distinctions among schools of philosophy. Plato may be taken as typical of the A-P. school, Locke and Bacon of the other. A-P. speculation. is more in accordance with the genius of the Germans than with that of the practical British. A-P. philosophy claims for its conclusions the character of necessary truths, and denies that there can be A-P. proof of anything, that kind of reasoning furnishing only a confirma tion or verification. The opposite school maintain that the general notions or principles on which A-P. reasoning rests, are themselves the results of experience, and that, there fore, all truth rests really on A-P. grounds.