DIR 
‘Thebes, and faid by Panfanias to difcharge itfelf into the 
Tf{nenus, ‘Pindar is faid to have had his houfe near the river 
ir rce. oe 
DIRE, in Geography, a town of Bohemia, in the circle 
of Leitmeritz ; 6 miles cipa. 
DIREA, or EIRA, a tow aor Guereee ee 
n Arithmetic. The rule of three dire 43 
‘ Rue of proportion. 
RECT, in Aflronomy. We confider the planets in three 
flates; viz. dire@, ftationary, and retrograde. See 
Puaner. 
They are faid to be dire&, when they appear to move for- 
ward, according to the fucceffion of the figns; and retro- 
grade, a they go the contrary way. 
T, in Matters of Genealogy, is underftood of the 
principal line, or the line of afcendants and defcendants ; 
in contradiftinQion to the collateral line. ESCENT 
A very good srg ufes the phrafe dire# fpeech, or 
harangue, when he introduces any one ing, or ha 
, whe 
ranguing of intr. when the hiftorian 
rehearfes the chief points of what was delivered by the 
{peaker, it is called an indire@ fpeech. 
Ere 
Direcr Poe j ata are thofe whofe planes lie diredly i 
epen to the Hi or weft points of the ce or parallel 
to the meridian of the place. See Dia 
Direct fouth, or north Fe gees ., dials. See Diat. 
Direct, in Mufic, is a es ‘3 tat the end of a ftaff, 
efpecially at the foot of a age upon co line or fpace 
_ where the firft note of the next ftaff is fet. 
Direct, in Optics. Dire& vifion is that performed by 
dire& rays; in contradiftin@ion to vifion by refraéted, or 
reflecte Dire vifion is the fubje& of which 
a the laws and rales thereof. See Vis 
RECT rays, are thofe which pafs in fale lines From 
the |} eae to the eye, without being turned out of their 
reCtilinear direéti y any intermediate body, cither 
r Ra 
} 
» 
OQ 
1 
o 
fo} 
ee] 
o 
a 
e 
a 
m 
e€ . 
See Ricut fphere. 
DIRECTION, in Afironomy, the motion, and other 
phenomena, of a planet, when dire@. See Praner. 
Direction, in Afrology, isa ind of calculus, whereb 
they pretend to-find the time wherein any notable accident 
fhall befal the perfon whole horofcope is “drawn 
For inftance, having eftablifhed the fun, moon, or af- 
ers, or ube ie life; and Mars, or 
omifers, or portenders death ; th 
oe) Iculation of the time i te the fignificator 
fhall meet the portender. 
he fignificator they likewife call apheta, or giver of 
: and the promifer, anereta, promiflor, or giver of 
death. 
They work the direGions of all the principal points of 
the heavens, and flars, as the geal mid. heaven, fun, 
moon, and part of fortune. ‘The done for the 
planets, and fixed fars; but all differently, according to 
the different authors. 
Direction, Lflands of, in a ede iad {mall iflands 
at the W. entrance of flraits of Magellan, in the fouth 
Pacific ocean. S. lat. 52° 277. 
; They w 
by mee a ranger may find a free paflage through the reef 
DIR 
quite to the main. The largeft, and the northernmoft of the 
three, is called Lizard ifland, which fee. 
IRECTION, line of, in Gunnery, was formerly marked: 
on guns with a flit or cavity at the breech, and a button at 
s found every time it is fred, see or aie 
ment, which Mr. Muller complains of as a tedious and 
uncertain method; and he recommends ome the 
line of dire€tion, as more 
than the common practice. Syftem of Math. vol. v. p. ge 
and 230. 
tg ae ON of ao in Mechanics, denotes the fituation 
trighe line a 
t 
then A B 
a ae moves from 
ne aws of motion, as ined by fir Ifaac News 
oa n, ftate, that a bo ody i in motion will continue to move in a 
fraight — unlefs it be compelled to change an direétion, 
rce or forces impr se and yaaa of that 
sean pinay put it in motio efore, when a bod 
m curve, it muit be contaullsy defleéted on its 
feiohs direction by die action of fome other force, 
conftant tly ats upon it; hence when a bea moves in a curs 
vilinear path, the direcion of its motion is not faid to be that 
curye line; but it is faid that the body changes its dire€tion 
at every poi int of its courfe, or continually. Coafequently 
the direction of a body fo moving, at any particular poict of 
~ Diveeviat, line of, isa a line wires to be drawn 
from the eae of gravity of t o the centre of the 
— and i o yo 
e, downw ca 
of al the particles of a ody, t 
centre of gravity, are exaGily equal to, or balanced by, the 
momenta of all the particles which are on the other fide of 
that centre, it follows that the whole body muff rife or fall 
according as its centre of gravity rifes or falls: and when the 
body falls in confequence of its own gravity, viz. in confe- 
uence of its being attra&ted by the earth, the mutual 
their vee of gravi 
tion of t 
ine 
dire tion. Tha 
h 
dcr particles are included an aes move is fo ver in pro- 
portion to the body of the earth, that their (ea lines of 
dire@tion wel hae any fenfible error, be confidered as 
perfe&tly para 
It is at “ott the preceding obfervations, that a pees 
3 
