DES 
rieties of points, a fyncopes, diverfities of meafures, 
aud whatfoever elfe is 
CANT, 
that the trebie may be — ted 
the bafs the treble. See 
DES DANT, in Genealogy a term relative to of 
is born or iffued fro 
and on the eouaay, 
from - = and impotts, by a ea of the year 
See Descent. 
DESCENDENS, OsLiquus, in Anatomy, a name given 
by Fabricius, and pain to the i oe d by Albinus 
sbliguus externus abdomi , &ec. 
SCEN i Of formedon i in. Sec FormEDON, 
tee ene that falls or moves from 
are © aeending and defcending ftars; and afcending 
and defend ng de 
There are alfo ie and deeendiog veins {pringing 
out of ‘* cava (fee Vein) 3 and oo and defcending 
arteries rifing outoftheacrta. See Art 
SCENDING Latitude, in Affronomy, is ie latitude of a 
planet in its return from the nodes to the e ig uator, 
DESCENSION, is ve? ha or obligt 
De nde Right, of a flar, or fign, a po int, or are, 
of the e equator, which itech with the ro or fign, below 
the horizon, in a right {ph 
DEscCENSION, Oblique, isa ‘point, or arch of the equator, 
which defeende at the fame time with a ftar, or fign, below 
the horizon, in an oblique {phere 
“ Defcenfions, both right and oblique, are accounted from 
the firft point of Aries, or the vernal interfe€tion, according 
to the order of the figns ; that is, from weft to ea d, 
as they are unequal, when it rea that they an(wer to 
equal arcs of the ecliptic, as, e. gr. to the twelve figns of 
the zodiac, it elleue that on nes a greater part of the 
equator riles, or defcends, with a fign, in which cafe the 
fign is faid to afcend, or defcend rightly : and fometimes, 
again, a lefs part of the equator rifes, or fets, with the fame 
fign ; in which cafe, ‘a is faid to afcend and defcend ob- 
liquely. See Ascen 
Descension, Refrain A Mh See rept a 
DESCENSIONAL RENCE, is the difference be- 
tween the ie ~ clique feeenton. of the fame ftar, or 
point of the 
DESCE NT. ‘di filatin by, in Chemifiry, ig a mode of 
diftillation adopted in inftances, where the fubftance : 
be diftilled is placed in a ee above the receiver, and hea 
being applied at top, the liquor sail ie sles the receiver be. 
low, which is kept ceol for that pur 
ESCENT into a ditch, in Portifetiony is a deep trench, 
or fap, cut through the gine e, an er the covert-~ 
ed above with ae nks and hurdles, and loaded 
i i See Moa 
the vars in dry ditches, it is carried to the bottom of 
where traverfes are made to lodge and fecure the 
“ Descent, in Genealogy and Heraldry, the order, or fuc- 
ceffion, of defcendants in a line, or nag! 
e fay, one defcent, two defcen c. A gentleman 
is a B sptaaah blood who Ae four delet of pentiliys both 
y his father’s and mother’s fide, 2. ¢. whofe great grand- 
father, sania iice a Father, on both fides, were all gen- 
DES 
Descent is alfo ufed, in Heraldry, to exprefs the come 
ing down of any. thing from a ove, 
Us, ‘ lion en defcent is a ae with his head towards 
one of the bafe points, and his s towards one of the 
oa the chief; as if he were epine from fome high 
ac 
Descent, Discent, or Heels 7 in Law 
rea ie title whereby a man on the 8 
common law, when a werfon has lands of inheritance 
ic 
anceftor ; and an ef. 
ending to the heir, is in law called the inherite 
ance. fee and INHERITANCE 
Thus, to make his def{cent from his anceftors, is to fhew 
how, and by what particular degrees, the land in quettion 
ame to a perfon from his anceftors. See Consancus- 
NI 
D: cfeeat, in common law, is either pale or collateral. 
Descent, Lineal, is that conveye wr, ina right line, 
from ‘ne nde to the father, and oor the father to 
the fon, from the fon to the grandfon, &c. 
Descent, Collateral, is that {pringing out of ihe fide of 
the line, or blood ; as from a man to his brother, nephew, 
or the like. 
Judge Black tone has colle€ted and illuftrated the follow- 
ing rules o 
tes are tra 
co 
po 
The affirmative part of this rule has been 
almoit univerfally adopted by all nations: but the negative 
part, whereby parents and all lineal anceftors are excluded 
from fucceeding to the inheritance of their ee. is pe~ 
culiar to our laws, and thofe of the fame original : 
the Jewifh law, on failure of iffue the father facceeded to 
were firft preferred; and, on failure of thefe, the father 
and mother, or lineal afcendants, fucceeded together with 
the brethren and fifters; though by the law of the Twelve 
Tables, the mother was originally excluded, on account of 
er fex is rule was introduced into our law at the fame 
time with, a confequence of, the feodal tenures: and 
hough the right of fucceffion in the a ing line was re- 
ftored ; for it was laid down 
proper feud, becaufe 
vice. However, acco r law, though daughters 
are excluded by fons, oe Pere before any collateral re. 
5 lationse 
