ABATE. wonders, far above the reach of human comprehension. Confusion is at the best an infirmity more or less excusable according to the nature of the cause. A steady mind and a clear head is not easily confused, but persons of quick sensibility cannot always preserve a perfect collection of thought in trying situations, and those who have any consciousness of guilt, that are not very hardened, will be soon thrown into confusion by close interrogatories. If Peter was so abashed when Christ gave him a look after his denial; if there was so much dread in his looks when be was a prisoner; how much greater will it be when he sits as a judge. SOUTH. Alas! I am afraid they have awaked, The various evils of disease and poverty, pain and sorrow, are frequently derived from others; but shame and confusion are supposed to proceed from ourselves, and to be incurred only by the misconduct which they furnish. HAWKESWORTH. TO ABATE, LESSEN, DIMINISH, ABATE, from the French abattre, signified originally to beat down, in the active sense; to come down, in the neuter sense. DIMINISH, or as it is sometimes written minish, from the Latin diminuo, and minuo to lessen, and minus less, expresses, like the verb LESSEN, the sense of either making less or becoming less. DECREASE is compounded of the privative de and crease, in Latin cresce to grow, signifying to grow less. The first three are used transitively or intransitively; the latter only intransitively. Abate respects the vigour of action; a person's fever is abated or abates; the violence of the storm abates; pain and anger abate. 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 or garden is lessened. The credit and respectability of a person is diminished. Nothing is so calculated to abate the ardour of youth as grief and disappointment. An evil may be les sened when it cannot be removed by the application of remedies. Nothing diminishes the lustre of great deeds more than cruelty. The passion of an angry man ought to be allowed to abate before any appeal is made to his understanding. We may lessen the number of our evils by not dwelling upon them. Objects apparently diminish according to the distance from which they are observed. To decrease is to diminish for a continuance; a retreating ar.ny will decrease rapidly when, exposed to all the privations and hardships attendant on forced marches, it is compelled to fight for its safety. Some things decrease so gradually that it is some time before they are observed to be diminished. In the abstract sense the word lessening is mostly supplied by diminution. It will be no abatement of sorrow to a generous mind to know that the diminution of evil to itself has been produced by the abridgement of good to another. My wonder abated, when upon looking around me, I saw most of them attentive to three Syrens clothed like goddesses, and distinguished by the names of Sloth, Ignorance, and Pleasure. ADDISON. Tully was the first who observed that friendsbip improves happiness and abates misery. ADDISON. He sought fresh fountains in a foreign soil; The pleasure lessened the attending toil. ADDISON. 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 diminution of her charms. HUGHES. These leaks shall then decrease; the sails once more Direct our course to some relieving shore. FALCONER. to abate, v. To subside. ABBREVIATION, v. Contracted. TO ABDICATE, v. To abandon. TO ABDICATE, DESERT. THE celebrated speech of Lord Somers in 1788 on King James's vacating the throne is quoted by Mr. Taylor as a "model of synonymic discrimination;" but though I have admitted it as a happy elucidation of two important words, yet I am not inclined to think that they come sufficiently close in signification to render any comparison necessary. "What is appointed me to speak to is your Lordships' first amendment by which the word abdicated in the Commons' vote is changed into the word deserted, and I am to acquaint your Lordships what some of the grounds are that induced the Commons to insist on the word abdicated, and not to agree to your amendment. "The first reason your Lordships are pleased to deliver for your changing the word is, that the word abdicated your Lordships do not find is a word known to the common law of England, and therefore ought not to be used. The next is that the common application of the word amounts to a voluntary express renunciation, which is not in this case, nor will follow from the premises. My Lords, as to the first of these reasons, if it be an objection that the word abdicated hath not a known sense in the common law of England, there is the same objection against the word deserted, so that your Lordships' first reason hath the same force against your own amendment, as against the term used by the Commons. "The words are both Latin words, and used in the best authors, and both of a known signification; their meaning is very well understood, though it be true their meaning is not the same. The word abdicate doth naturally and properly signify, entirely to renounce, throw off, disown, relinquish any thing or person, so as to have no further to do with it; and that whether it be done by express words or in writing (which is the sense your Lordships put upon it and which is properly called resignation or cession), or by doing such acts as are inconsistent with the holding and retaining of the thing, which the Commons take to be the present case, and therefore make choice of the word abdicate, as that which they thought did above allothers express that meaning. And in this latter sense it is taken by others; and that this is the true signification of the word I shall show your Lordships out of the best authors. *The first I shall mention is Grotius, De Jure Belli et Pacis, 1. 2, c. 4, § 4. Venit enim hoc non ex jure civili, sed ex jure naturali, quo quisque suum potest abdicare, et ex naturali præsumptione, quâ voluisse quis cre→ ditur quod sufficienter significavit. And then he goes on: recusari hæreditas, non tantum verbis sed etiam re, potest, et quovis indicio voluntatis. "Another instance which I shall mention, to show that for abdicating a thing it is sufficient to do an act which is inconsistent with retaining it, though there be nothing of express renunciation, is out of Calvin's Lexicon Juridicum, where he says, generum abdicat qui sponsam repudiat. Here is an abdication without express words, but is by doing such an act as doth sufficiently signify his purpose. "The next author I shall quote is Brissonius, De Verborum Significatione, who hath this passage: Homo liber qui seipsum vendit abdicat se statu suo." That is, he who sells himself hath thereby done such an act as cannot consist with his former state of freedom, and is thereby said properly se abdicasse statu suo. "Budæus in his Commentaries, Ad Legem Secundam de Origine Juris, expounds the words in the same sense. Abdicare se magistratu est idem quod abire penitus magistratu. He that goes out of his office of magistracy, let it be in what manner he will, has abdicated the magistracy. "And Grotius, in his book de Jure Belli et Pacis, l. 1, c. 4, § 9, seems to expound the word abdicare by manifeste habere pro derelicto; that is, he who hath abdicated any thing hath so far relinquished it, that he hath no right of return to it. And that is the sense the Commons put upon the word. It is an entire alienation of the thing abdicated, and so stands in opposition to dicare. Dicat qui proprium aliquot faciat, abdicat qui alienat; so says Pralejus in his Lexicon Juris. It is therefore insisted on as the proper word by the Commons. "But, the word deserted (which is the word used in the amendment made by your Lordships) hath not only a very doubtful signification, but in the common acceptance both of the civil and canon law, doth signify only a bare withdrawing, a temporary quitting of a thing, and neglect only, ABDICATE. which leaveth the party at liberty of returning to it again. Desertum pro neglecto, says Spigelius in his Lexicon. But the difference between deserere and derelinquere is expressly laid down by Bartolus on the 8th law of the 58th title of the 11th book of the Code, and his words are these: Nota diligenter ex hac lege, quod aliud est agrum deserere, aliud derelinquere, qui enim derelinquit ipsum ex penitentiâ non revocare, sed qui deserit, intra biennium potest. "Whereby it appears, my Lords, that is called desertion, which is temporary and relievable; that is called dereliction, where there is no power or right to return. "So in the best Latin authors, and in the civil law,deserere exercitum is used to signify soldiers leaving their colours; and in the canon law to desert a benefice signifies no more than to be a non-resident. "In both cases the party hath not only a right of returning, but is bound to return again; which, my Lords, as the Commons do not take to be the present case, so they cannot think that your Lordships do, because it is expressly said, in one of your reasons given in defence of the last amendment, that your Lordships have been and are willing to secure the nation against the return of King James, which your Lordships would not in justice do, if you did look upon it to be no more than a negligent withdrawing, which leaveth a liberty to the party to return. "For which reasons, my Lords, the Commons cannot agree to the first amendment, to insert the word deserted instead of abdicated; because it doth not in any sort come up to their sense of the thing, so they apprehend, it doth not reach your Lordships' meaning as it is expressed in your reasons, whereas they look upon the word abdicated to express properly what is to be inferred from that part of the vote to which your Lordships have agreed, viz. That King James II. by going about to subvert the constitution, and by breaking the original contract between king and people, and by violating the fundamental laws, and withdrawing himself out of the kingdom, hath thereby renounced to be a king according to the constitu 5 ABETTOR. tion. By avowing to govern accord cording to a despotic power unknown to the constitution and inconsistent therewith, he hath renounced to be a king according to the law; such a king as he swore to be at the coronation; such a king to whom the allegiance of an English subject is due; and hath set up another kind of dominion, which is to all intents an abdication or abandoning of his legal title as fully as if it had been done by express words. "And, my Lords, for these reasons the Commons do insist upon the word abdicated, and cannot agree to the word deserted." Without all this learned verbosity it will be obvious to every person that the two words are widely distinct from each other; abdication being a pure act of discretion for which a man is answerable to himself only; but desertion an act which involves more or less a breach of moral obligation. ABETTOR, ACCESSARY, ACCOMPLICE. ABETTOR, or one that abets, give aid and encouragement by counsel, promises, or rewards. An ACCES SARY, or 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 grand 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 honour are exposed to public obloquy and reproach? Those therefore who are either the instruments or abettors in such in fernal dealings ought to be looked upon as persons who make use of religion to support their cause, not their cause to promote religion. Why are the French obliged to lend us a part of their tongue before we can know they are conquered? They must be made accessaries to their own disgrace, as the Britons were formerly so artificially wrought in the curtain of the Roman theatre, that they seemed to draw it up in order to give the spectators an opportunity of seeing their own defeat celebrated on the stage. ADDISON. Either he picks a purse, or robs a house, THESE terms equally denote a sentiment of aversion. ABHOR, in Latin 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, compounded of de from or against and testor to bear witness, signifies to condemn with indignation. ABOMINATE, in Latin abominatus, participle of abominor, compounded of ab from or against and ominor to wish ill luck, signifies to hold in religious abhorrence, to detest in the highest possible degree. LOATH, 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. In the moral acception it is a strong figure of speech to mark the abhorrence and disgust which the sight of offensive objects produces. What we abhor is repugnant to our moral feelings; what we detest contradicts our moral principle; what we abominate does equal violence to our religious and moral sentiments; what we loath acts upon us physically and mentally. Inhumanity and cruelty are objects of abhorrence; crimes and injustice of detestation; impiety and profanity of abomination; enormous offenders of loathing. The tender mind will abhor what is base and atrocious; the rigid moralist will detest every violent infringement on the rights of his fellow creatures; the conscientious man will abominate every breach of the divine law. The agonized mind loaths the sight of every object which recalls to its recollection the subject of its distress. TO ABIDE, SOJOURN, DWELL, 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 sejourner, from sub and diurnus in the day time, 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 moveable habitation, such as was the practice of living formerly in tents. At present it implies a perpetual stay, which is expressed in common discourse by the word live, for passing one's life. RESIDE, from the Latin re and sideo to sit down, conveys the full idea of a settlement. INHABIT, from the Latin habito, a frequentative of habeo, signifies to have or occupy for a permanency. The length of stay implied in these terms is marked by a certain gradation. Abide denotes the shortest stay; to sojourn is of longer continuance; dwell comprehends the idea of perpetuity, 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 refe rence to the state of society. ABILITY. 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 never used but in connexion 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. By the Israelites' sojourning in Egypt, God made way for their bondage there, and their bondage for a glorious deliverance through those prodigious manifestations of the divine power. Hence from my sight! Thy father cannot bear Fly with thy infamy to some dark cell, Being obliged to remove my habitation, I was led by my evil genius to a convenient house in the street where the nobility reside. 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. ABILITY, CAPACITY. ABILITY, in French habilité, Latin habilitas, comes from able, habile, habilis, and habeo to have, because ABILITY. possession and power are inseparable. CAPACITY, in French capacité, Latin capacitas, from capar and capio to receive, marks the abstract quality of being able to receive or hold. 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 is mental only. Ability respects action, capacity respects thought. Ability always supposes something able to be done; capacity is a mental endowment and always supposes something ready to receive or hold. Hence we say an able commander; an able statesman; a man of a capacious mind; a great capacity of thought. Ability is no wise limited in its extent, it may be small or great; căpacity 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 schoolfellows, particularly if he be classed with those of a dull capacity. A person may be able to write a letter who is not capable of writing a book. Abilities, when used in the plural only, is confined to the signification of mental endowments, and comprehends the operations of thought in general; capacity on the other hand is that peculiar endowment, 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 any thing better in their stead. Mr. Taylor has attempted to il lustrate these terms by drawing a parallel between Mr. Fox and Mr. Burke; but I conceive that whatever might be the abilities of either as a leader of * Vide "Ability, capacity." |