l'RA'NIA, in Grecian mythology, the muse of astronomy. She is generally represented with a. crown of stars, in a garment spotted with stars, and holding in her left hand a. celestial globe or it lyre. Urania is likewise the name of the heavenly Venus, or of pure intellec tual love. One of the Oveanides, or sea nymphs, was also called Urania.
It I :11, the [rim and Thummim, among the Israelites, signify lights and perfections. These a kind of orna ment belonging to the habit of the high priest, in virtue of which he gave oracular answers to the people ; hut what they were has trot been satisfactorily ascertained.
URN, in antiquity, a. kind of vase of a roundish form, but largest in the middle, destined to receive the ashes of the dead. The substances employed in the con struction of these vessels were nu Amongst them are gold, bronze, glass, terracotta, marble, mei porphyry. Many have been discovered hearing inscript ions; others with the name only of the party to whose remains they were devoted.— It was also customary with the Roma 119 to put the names of those who were to engage at the public gamines, into urns, taking them in the order in drawn out. Into such a vessel also they threw the notes of their votes at the elections.—The urn (arms) was also a llotuan measure for liquids, containing about three gallons and a half, wine meas ure. It was half the amphora UIt.'Sl."Ll NES or of UrS1116,
a sisterhood founder] by St. Angela. of Brescia, in 1537, at first without being bound to the rules of the monastic life, but devoting themselves merely to the practice of Christian ell ity and the ed ucation of children Alany governments, which abolished convents in general, pro tected the Ursulines on account of t heir useful labors, particularly in the practice of attending on the sick, and administering to their cure and their comforts.
li'SANCE, in eoinnierce, the time fixed for the payment of bills of exchange, reckoned either from the day on which the bill is accepted. or from that of its date, varying in different countries, and thus called, because wholly dependent on usage.
literally a "door-keeper :" being derived from the Frenell "huissier." In Britain, usher is the name given to several public officers, in which sense it seems to be synonymous with sergeant. These ushers are in waiting, introduco strangers, and execute orders. Usher is also used as the denomination of an assist ant to a school-master; where it scents to refer to his office of introducing the scholars to learning.
in Boman antiquities, a public burning-place, enclosed by walls, in which bodies, mostly of the 'poorer sort of people, were constituent. An ustrinum, according to Mont fatten'', was square, and in compass about 3U0 feet.