is an exercise of art displayed in devising and in contriving, the former has most of ingenuity or cunning, the latter of plain judgment. A device consists of something newly made, a contrivance respects the arrangement of things; devices are the work of the human understanding only, contrivances are likewise formed by animals.

To devise is also synonymous with bequest; but devise is a formal, beqeath an informal, assignment of our property to another at our death. We devise only by a legal testament, we may bequeath simply by word of mouth. De-void, viduus, empty. Empty and vacant are applied to physical objects, void or devoid have a moral acceptation only. Empty, marks the absence of that which is adapted for filling; vacant, that which should occupy a thing: we speak of a house being empty, of a seat being vacant.

In the figurative application, empty and vacant have a similar analogy: a dream is said to be empty, or a title empty; a stare is said to be vacant, or an hour vacant. Void or devoid, are used in the same sense as vacant, as epithets; but are not prefixed as adjectives we speak of a creature as void of reason, and of an individual as devoid of common sense.

De-volve, from devolvo, (see VOLVO, p. 41,) I roll down. To fall in succession into new hands.

De-vote, from devoto or devoveo, (voveo, I vow,) signifies, to vow for an express purpose. We may dedicate or devote any thing to the service of some object, but the former is employed mostly in regard to superiors, and the latter to persons without distinction of rank: we dedicate a building to the service of God, we devote our time to the benefit of our friends or the relief of the poor; we are addicted to a thing from an irresistible propensity, we are devoted to it from a settled attachment, we apply to a thing from a sense of its utility. Devotion expresses not so much the performance of any particufar duty, as the spirit which must animate

all religious duties. "Devotion may be considered either as an exercise of public or private prayers at set times or occasions, or a temper of the mind, a state and disposition of the heart, which is rightly affected with such exercises." Law.

DI, DIS.-DIS was doubtless derived, by the Romans, from the Greek word, dis, twice. [The etymologies of on, from one, and dis, from two, are analogous.] "Dis denotes that a thing, once whole or compounded, is now divided: it is equivalent to the English words asunder, apart. Before f, DIS is changed into DIF, as differ, diffuse." Booth.

Diary. (See DIES, p. 10.) An account of the transactions and observations of every day. In sea voyages, where there is nothing to be seen but sky and sea, men make diaries; but, in land-travel, wherein so much is observed, they too frequently omit it." Bacon.

Dictate, from dicto, I speak often. To declare with confidence. See Dico, p. 9.

Dif-fer, differo, (see FERO, p. 13,) I bear asunder. Differ, vary, and disagree, are applicable either to persons or things; dissent to persons only. We may differ from any cause or in any degree, we vary only in small matters; there must be two at least to differ, one may vary: thus, two or more may differ in an account which they give, one person may vary at different times in the account which he gives: we differ in matters of fact or speculation, we vary only in matters of fact, we disagree mostly in matters of speculation.

Different is positive, unlike is negative; we look at what is different and draw a comparison, but that which is unlike needs no comparison. "A man of judgment shall sometimes hear ignorant men differ, and know well within himself that those which so differ mean one thing, and yet they themselves never agree." Bacon." Nobility, or difference from the vulgar, was not in the beginning given to the succession of blood, but to the succession of virtue." Raleigh.

Dif-ficult. (See FACIO, p. 11.) "Men should consider, that raising difficulties concerning the mysteries of religion, cannot make them more wise, learned, or virtuous." Swift.

Dif-fident, from diffido, (see FIDO, p. 13,) signifies, having no faith.-Distrustful is said either of ourselves or others, diffident only of ourselves; a person is distrustful of his own powers to execute an office, or he is of a diffident disposition.

Modesty is a proper distrust of ourselves, diffidence is generally an improper distrust; diffidence and presumption both arise from a want of knowing ourselves.

"Be silent always, when you doubt your sense;
"And speak, though sure, with seeming diffidence."
Pope.

Dif-fuse, diffundo, (see FUNDO, p. 15,) I pour out, or spread wide. A diffuse writer is fond of amplification, he abounds in illustrations; the prolix writer is fond of circumlocution and trifling particulars. Diffuseness is a fault only in degree, and according to circumstances; prolixity is a positive fault at all times the diffuse style has too much of repetition, the prolix style abounds with tautology.

Di-gest, digero, (see GERO, p. 16,) I gather that which is apart and set it in order. We dispose ordinary matters by simply assigning a place to each, in this

manner trees are disposed in a row; but we arrange and digest by an intellectual effort in the first case by putting those together which ought to go together; and, in the latter, by separating that which is dissimilar, and bringing together that which is similar.

Dignify and dignity. (See DIGNUS, p. 10.)

"Some

men have a native dignity, which will procure them more regard by a look, than others can obtain by the most imperious commands." Richardson.

Di-gress, digredior, (see GRADUS, p. 16,) I step aside. Both digress and deviate express going out of the ordinary course; but digress is used only in particular, and deviate in general cases: we digress only in a narrative, we deviate in our conduct as well as in words. "In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to digress into a particular definition, as often as a man varies the signification of any term.” Di-lapidation, lapis, lapidus, a stone, the falling away of the stone work of a building.

Di-late, dilato, (see FERO, p. 13,) I bear apart. The idea of drawing any thing out, so as to occupy a greater space, is common to the terms dilate and expand; the former marks the action of any body within itself, the latter an external action on any body. A bladder dilates on the admission of air, knowledge expands the mind.

Di-latory, from defero, (see FERO, p. 13,) signifies, prone to defer, to be slow: but slow is a general term applicable to the motion of any object, or to the motion of persons, as well as to their dispositions ; dilatory relates to the disposition of persons only, tardy is applicable to mental actions, and tedious to whatever causes weariness.

Di-ligent, diligo, (see LEGO, No. I. p. 19,) I choose something from things that are separate; hence diligent implies attachment to an object, and consequent attention to it. A man may be active without being diligent, since he may employ himself in what is of no importance;

but he cannot be diligent without being active, since diligence supposes some degree of activity in one's application to a useful object.-A man may be diligent without being assiduous; but he cannot be assiduous without being diligent, for assiduity is a sort of persevering diligence.

Sedulous, implies adhering closely to an object: one is sedulous from a conviction of the importance of a thing; one may be diligent by fits and starts, according to the humour of the moment.

Di-lute, from diluo, (see Luo, p. 22,) I wash off; sig. nifies, to add a thin fluid to one that is thicker. Di-minish, from diminuo, (minus, less,) signifies, either making less or becoming less.-Lessen and diminish are both applied to size, quantity, and number; but the former mostly in the proper and familiar sense, the latter in the figurative and higher acceptation: the size of a room is lessened, the credit and respectability of a person is diminished.

A child is said to be little, as respects its age as well as its size; it is said to be small, as respects its size only; it is said to be diminutive, when it is exceedingly small considering its age.

Di-rect, from dirigo, (see REGO, p. 31,) I put every thing into its place.-Conducting requires most wisdom and knowledge, managing most action, direction most authority. To direct is personal, it supposes authority; to regulate is general, it supposes superior information an officer directs the movements of his men, a master of the ceremonies regulates the concerns of an entertainment.

Direct is always used with regard to others; regulate, frequently, with regard to ourselves: a teacher directs his pupils, and a master orders his servants : here direction implies instruction, and order marks authority.

Dis-cern, from discerno, (see CERNO, p. 6,) signifies to have a knowledge of by comparison. To perceive is a positive, to discern a relative, action we perceive

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