ABATE My wonder abated, when, upon looking around me, I saw most of them attentive to three sirens clothed like goddesses, and distinguished by the names of Sloth, Ignorance, and Pleasure. .ADDISON. Cassini allows, I think, ten French toises of elevation for every line of mercury, adding one foot to each ten, two to the second, three to the third, and so on; but surely the weight of the air diminishes in a much greater proportion. BRYDONE. Abate, transitively taken, signifies to bring down, i. e., to make less in height or degree by means of force or a particular effort, as to abate pride or to abate misery; lessen and diminish, the former in the familiar, the latter in the grave style, signify to make less in quantity or magnitude by an ordinary process, as the size of a room is lessened, the credit of a person is diminished. We may lessen the number of our evils by not dwelling upon them; nothing diminishes the lustre of great deeds more than cruelty. Tully was the first who observed that friendship improves happiness and abates misery. ADDISON. He sought fresh fountains in a foreign soil; ADDISON. The freeness of the giver, his not exacting security, nor expressing conditions of return, doth not diminish, but rather increase the debt. BARROW. The decrease is the process, the diminution is the result; as a decrease in the taxes causes a diminution in the revenue. The term decrease is peculiarly applicable to material objects which can grow less, diminution is applicable to objects generally which may become or be actually less from any cause. If this spring had its origin from rain and vapor, there would be an increase and decrease of the one as there should happen to be of the other. DERHAM. If Parthenissa can now possess her own mind, and think as little of her beauty as she ought to have done when she had it, there will be no great HUGHES, diminution of her charms. ABETTOR, ACCESSARY, ACCOMPLICE. ABETTOR, or one that abets, gives aid and encouragement by counsel, promAn ACCESSARY, or ises, or rewards. one added and annexed, takes an active, though subordinate part. An ACCOMPLICE, from the word accomplish, implies the principal in any plot, who takes a leading part and brings it to perfection. Abettors propose, accessaries assist, accomplices execute. The abettor and accessary, or the abettor and accomplice, may be one and the same person; but not so the accessary and accomplice. In every deep-laid scheme there must be abettors to set it on foot, accessaries to co-operate, and accomplices to put it into execution: in the Gunpowder Plot there were many secret abettors, some noblemen who were accessaries, and Guy Fawkes the principal accomplice. I speak this with an eye to those cruel treatments which men of all sides are apt to give the characters of those who do not agree with them. How many men of honor are exposed to public obloquy and reproach! Those, therefore, who are either the instruments or abettors in such infernal dealings ought to be looked upon as their cause, not their cause to promote religion. persons who make use of religion to support ADDISON. Either he picks a purse, or robs a house, Accomplice, like the other terms, may be applied to other objects besides criminal offences. Parliament cannot with any great propriety punish others for that in which they themselves have been accomplices. BURKE. TO ABHOR, DETEST, ABOMINATE, THESE terms equally denote a sentiABHOR, in Latin ment of aversion. abhorreo, compounded of ab, from, and horreo, to stiffen with horror, signifies to start from with a strong emotion of horror. DETEST, in Latin detestor, com pounded of de, from or against, and tes- | for passing one's life. RESIDE, from tor, to bear witness, signifies to condemn the Latin re and sideo, to sit down, conwith indignation. ABOMINATE, in Lat- veys the full idea of a settlement. INin abominatus, participle of abominor, HABIT, from the Latin habito, a frequencompounded of ab, from or against, and tative of habeo, signifies to have or occuominor, to wish ill-luck, signifies to hold py for a permanency. in religious abhorrence, to detest in the highest possible degree. LOATHE, in Saxon lathen, may possibly be a variation of load, in the sense of overload, because it expresses the nausea which commonly attends an overloaded stomach. What we abhor is repugnant to our moral feelings; what we detest is opposed to our moral principles; what we abominate docs violence to our religious and moral sentiments; what we loathe offends our physical taste. We abhor what is base and ungenerous, we detest hypocrisy; we abominate profanation and open impiety; we loathe food when we are sick. The lie that flatters I abhor the most. COWPER. This thirst of kindred blood my sons detest. DRYDEN. The passion that is excited in the fable of the sick kite is terror, the object of which is the despair of him who perceives himself to be dying, and has reason to fear that his very prayer is an abomination. HAWKESWORTH. No costly lords the sumptuous banquet deal, GOLDSMITH. In the moral acceptation loathe is a strong figure of speech to mark the abhorrence and disgust which the sight or thought of offensive objects produce. Revolving in his mind the stern command, He longs to fly, and loathes the charming land. DRYDEN. TO ABIDE, SOJOURN, DWELL, LIVE, RESIDE, INHABIT. ABIDE, in Saxon abitan, old German beiten, comes from the Arabic or Persian but or bit, to pass the night, that is, to make a partial stay. SOJOURN, in French séjourner, from sub and diurnus, in the daytime, signifies to pass the day, that is, a certain portion of one's time, in a place. DWELL, from the Danish dwelger, to abide, and the Saxon dwelian, Dutch dwalen, to wander, conveys the idea of a movable habitation, such as was the practice of living formerly in tents. present it implies a stay in a place by way of residence, which is expressed in common discourse by the word LIVE, At The length of stay implied in these terms is marked by a certain gradation. Abide denotes the shortest stay; to 80journ is of longer continuance; dwell comprehends the idea of perpetuity in a given place, but reside and inhabit are partial and local-we dwell only in one spot, but we may reside at or inhabit many places. These words have likewise a reference to the state of society. Abide and sojourn relate more properly to the wandering habits of men in a primitive state of society. Dwell, as implying a stay under a cover, is universal in its application; for we may dwell either in a palace, a house, a cottage, or any shelter. Live, reside, and inhabit, are confined to a civilized state of society; the former applying to the abodes of the inferior orders, the latter to those of the higher classes. The word inhabit is nev er used but in connection with the place inhabited. The Easterns abode with each other, sojourned in a country, and dwelt in tents. The angels abode with Lot that night; Abram sojourned in the land of Canaan; the Israelites dwelt in the land of Goshen. Savages either dwell in the cavities which nature has formed for them, or in some rude structure erected for a temporary purpose; but as men increase in cultivation they build places for themselves which they can inhabit: the poor have their cottages in which they can live; the wealthy provide themselves with superb buildings in which they reside. From the first to the last of man's abode on earth, the discipline must never be relaxed of guarding the heart from the dominion of passion. BLAIR. ABILITY JOHNSON. By good company, in the place which I have the misfortune to inhabit, we understand not always those from whom good can be learned. JOHNSON. Being obliged to remove my habitation, I was | tions of thought in general; capacity, on led by my evil genius to a convenient house in the other hand, is that peculiar endowthe street where the nobility reside. ment, that enlargement of understanding, that exalts the possessor above the rest of mankind. Many men have the abilities for managing the concerns of others, who would not have the capacity for conducting a concern of their own. We should not judge highly of that man's abilities who could only mar the plans of others, but had no capacity for conceiving and proposing anything better in their stead. ABILITY, CAPACITY. ABILITY, in French habilité, Latin habilitas, comes from able, habile, habilis, and habeo, to have, because possession CAPACI and power are inseparable. TY, in French capacité, Latin capacitas, from capax and capio, to receive, marks the abstract quality of being able to receive or hold. I grieve that our senate is dwindled into a school of rhetoric where men rise to display their abilities rather than to deliberate. SIR W. JONES. An heroic poem requires the accomplishment of some great undertaking which requires the duty of a soldier and the capacity of a general. DRYDEN. ABILITY, FACULTY, TALENT. Ability is to capacity as the genus to the species. Ability comprehends the power of doing in general, without specifying the quality or degree; capacity is a particular kind of ability. Ability may be either physical or mental; capacity, when said of persons, is mental only. Ability respects action, capacity respects thought. Ability always supposes some-ing case, the general term. FACULTY, thing able to be done; capacity is a men- in Latin facultas, changed from facilitas tal endowment, and always supposes some- and facio, to do, signifying doableness, or an ability to do; and TALENT, in Latin thing ready to receive or hold. talentum, a Greek coin exceeding one hundred pounds sterling, and employed figuratively for a gift, possession, or power— denote definite kinds of power. Riches are of no use if sickness take from us SWIFT. the ability of enjoying them. In what I have done I have rather given a proof of my willingness and desire than of my ability to do him (Shakspeare) justice. world. POPE. The object is too big for our capacity when we would comprehend the circumference of a ADDISON. Ability is nowise limited in its extent; it may be small or great: capacity of itself always implies a positive and superior degree of power, although it may be modified by epithets to denote different degrees; a boy of capacity will have the advantage over his school-fellows, particularly if he be classed with those of a dull capacity. St. Paul requireth learning in presbyters, yea such learning as doth enable them to exhort in doctrine which is sound, and disprove them that gainsay it; what measure of ability in such things shall serve to make men capable of that HOOKER. kind of office, he doth not determine. Sir Francis Bacon's capacity seemed to have grasped all that was revealed in books before. HUGHES. Abilities, when used in the plural only, is confined to the signification of mental endowments, and comprehends the opera Ability relates to human power gener ally, by which a man is enabled to act; it may vary in degree and quality with times, persons, and circumstances; health, strength, and fortune are abilities; facul ty is a gift of nature directed to a certain end, and following a certain rule. ability may be acquired, and consequently is properly applied to individuals, an ability to speak extempore or an ability to write; but a faculty belongs to the species, as a faculty of speech, or of hearing, etc. An Ability to teach by sermons is a grace which God doth bestow on them whom he maketh sufHOOKER. ficient for the commendable discharge of their duty. No fruit our palate courts, or flower our smell, JENNINGS. Ability being in general the power of doing, may be applied in its unqualified ABILITY sense to the whole species, without any distinction. Human ability is an unequal match for the violent and unforeseen vicissitudes of the world. BLAIR. Faculty is always taken in a restricted sense, although applied to the species. The vital faculty is that by which life is preserved, and the ordinary functions of speech are preserved; the animal faculty is what conducts the operations of the mind. QUINCY. Faculty and talent are both gifts of nature, but a faculty is supposed to be given in an equal degree to all, a talent in an unequal degree; as the faculty of seeing, the talent of mimicry, the talent for music: a faculty may be impaired by age, disease, or other circumstances; a talent is improved by exercise. Reason is a noble faculty, and, when kept within its proper sphere, and applied to useful purposes, proves a means of exalting human creatures almost to the rank of superior beings. 'Tis not indeed my talent to engage In lofty trifles, or to swell my page With wind and noise. BEATTIE. DRYDEN. any qualification. DEXTERITY, from dexter, the right hand, signifying mechanical or manual facility; and ADDRESS, signifying a mode of address, are particular terms. Ability may be used to denote any degree, as to do according to the best of one's ability; and it may be qualified to denote a small degree of ability. It is not possible for our small party and small ability to extend their operations so far as to be much felt among numbers. COWPER. Dexterity and address are positive degrees of ability. It is often observed that the race is won as much by the dexterity of the rider as by the vigor and fleetness of the animal. EARL OF BATH. I could produce innumerable instances, from my own observation, of events imputed to the profound skill and address of a minister which in reality were either mere effects of negligence, weakness, humor, or pride, or at best the natural course of things left to themselves. SWIFT. Ability is, however, frequently taken in a restricted sense for a positive degree the two other terms, from which it differs of ability, which brings it still nearer to case refers to intellectual endowment As all these terms may be applied to different objects, they are aptly enough used in the plural to denote so many dis-only in the application; ability in this tinct powers: abilities denote all our powers generally, corporeal and mental, but generally, dexterity relates to a particular more especially the latter; faculties relate power or facility of executing, and adto the ordinary powers of body and mind, dress to a particular mode or manner of as when we speak of a person's retain addressing one's self on particular occaing or losing his faculties; talents relate sions. Ability shows itself in the most to the particular gifts or powers which important transactions, and the general may serve a beneficial purpose, as to em-ister of state displays his ability; dexteri conduct in the highest stations, as a minploy one's talents usefully. Amidst the agitations of popular government, occasions will sometimes be afforded for eminent abilities to break forth with peculiar lustre. BLAIR. It may be observed that young persons little acquainted with the world, and who have not been used to approach men in power, are commonly struck with an awe which takes away the free use of their faculties. BURK. Weakness of counsels, fluctuation of opinion, and deficiency of spirit marked his administration during an inglorious period of sixteen years, from which England did not recover until the mediocrity of his ministerial talents was controlled by the ascendency of Pitt. COXE. ty and address are employed occasionally, the former in removing difficulties and escaping dangers, the latter in improving advantages and accommodating tempers; the former in directing the course of things, the latter in managing of men. The ability displayed by the commander was only equalled by the valor and adroitness of the seamen. CLARKE. His wisdom, by often evading from perils, was turned rather into a dexterity to deliver himself from dangers when they pressed him, than into a providence to prevent and remove them afar off. BACON. It was no sooner dark, than she conveyed into his room a young maid of no disagreeable figure, who was one of her attendants, and did not want address to improve the opportunity for the advancement of her fortune. SPECTATOR. ABILITY ABLE, CAPABLE, CAPACIOUS. THESE epithets, from which the preceding abstract nouns are derived, have distinctions peculiar to themselves. Able and capable are applied to ordinary actions, but not always indifferently, the one for the other: able is said of the abilities generally, as a child is able or not able to walk; capable is said of one's ability to do particular things, as to be capable of performing a great journey. Able is said of that which one can do, as to be able to write or read; capable is said of that which either a person or a thing can take, receive, or hold; a person is capable of an office, or capable of great things; a thing is capable of improve ment. Whom farre before did march, a goodly band SPENSER. What measure of ability in such things shall serve to make men capable of that kind of office, he doth not determine. HOOKER. 13 Able may be added to a noun by way of epithet, when it denotes a positive degree of ability, as an able commander, an able financier. ABJURE TO ABJURE, RECANT, RETRACT, RE ABJURE, in Latin abjuro, is compounded of the privative ab and juro, to swear, signifying to swear to the contrary, or give up with an oath. RECANT, in Latin recanto, is compounded of the privative re and canto, to sing or declare, signifying to unsay, to contradict by a counter declaration. RETRACT, in Latin retractus, participle of retraho, is compounded of re, back, and traho, to draw, signifying to draw back what has been let go. REVOKE and RECALL have the same original sense as recant, with this difference only, that the word call, which is expressed also by voke, or in Latin voco, implies an action more suited to a multitude than the word canto, to sing, which may pass in solitude. We abjure a religion, we recant a doctrine, we retract a promise, we revoke a command, we recall an expression. What has been solemnly professed is renounced by abjuration; what has been publicly maintained as a settled point of belief is as publicly given up by recanting; what has been pledged so as to gain credit is contradicted by retracting; what has been pronounced by an act of authority is rendered null by revocation; what has been misspoken through inadex-vertence or mistake is rectified by recalling the words. I look upon an able statesman out of business like a huge whale, that will endeavor to overturn the ship unless he has an empty cask to play TATLER. with. Capable may be used absolutely to press a mental power. Although Archbishop Cranmer recantLook you how pale he glares! His form and cause conjoined, preaching to stones, ed the principles of the Reformation, yet SHAKSPEARE. he soon after recalled his words, and died Would make them capable. boldly for his faith. Henry IV. of France Capable and capacious, though derived abjured Calvinism, but he did not retract from the same verb capio, to take or re- the promise which he had made to the ceive, are distinguished from each other Calvinists of his protection. Louis XIV. in respect to the powers or properties of drove many of his best subjects from the objects to which they are applied, France by revoking the edict of Nantes. capable being said of powers generally, Interest but too often leads men to abjure capacious only of the property of having their faith; the fear of shame or punishamplitude of space, or a power to take in ment leads them to recant their opinions; or comprehend; as men are capable of the want of principle dictates the retractthought or reason, of life or death, etc.;ing of one's promise; reasons of state a hall may be said to be capacious, or, figuratively, a man has a capacious mind. MILTON. His violence thou fear'st not, being such What breast but thine capacious to receive COWLEY. occasion the revoking of decrees; a love SHENSTONE |