D E M 
■paper of the Mfcellanea Curiofa. A carpenter-cut down 
a tree which grew in the neighbourhood of a gibbet, 
•where a famous thief had been fufpended for a confider- 
able time. When the workman came to fplit the trunk, 
he was aftonifhed to find, in the very center of the wood, 
an exact reprefentation of the gibbet and the malefactor, 
•which remained fair on each fide, after he had accorn- 
plilhed the divifion. He carried one of the imprefiions 
to the philofopher in his neighbourhood, who gratified 
the learned fociety with this fingular inftance of fym- 
pathy ; and the account was publifhed with two very 
accurate engravings, to fatisfy the reader more com¬ 
pletely. 
The laft fympathift, and healer by touch, previous to 
Dr. Mefmer and Leverett, was Greatrack, whofe cures 
were related by Mr. Boyle, and mentioned by Dr. More, 
in his preface to the SaduciJ'mus Triumphatus, as attefted 
by feveral fellows of the royal fociety : a relation of his 
cures was publifhed in the Philofophical TranfaCtions, 
No. 256. Thefe were the fore-runners of animal mag- 
netifm, which, after all, probably owed fomewhal of its 
favourable reception, to the ftrange faculty of difeover- 
ing fubterraneous water, attributed about the fame time 
to Bleton; and animal magnetifm would, perhaps, have 
acquired as fh'ong a party, if it had been unchecked by 
authority, as any dejufion with which we reproach the 
ruder ftates of fociety. For fuch is the credulous ten¬ 
dency of the mind, that even the eighteenth century, 
notwithstanding the boafted improvements of reafon, has 
not been free from illufions of the mod ridiculous nature. 
Demonqlogifts have always alferted, that it is impof- 
fible to weaken the credit of their faCts without deftroy- 
Ing the foundations of hiftory ; and it is certain, that 
the abundant evidence produced in fnpport of manifeft 
contradictions, and phyfical impofiibilities, tends to lef- 
fen our confidence in hiftorical narrations. But when we 
inveftigate demonological faCts a little more clofely, when 
we trace the fame hiftory through many writers, who 
copy it from each other, or from an original of little au¬ 
thority, their real number is found to be fmall; and, of 
thefe few, the greater part has been proved to be falla¬ 
cious. Dr. Ferriar concludes this paper by obferving, 
that an acquaintance with the hiftories and arguments of 
demonologifts, produces an ufeful hefitation in affenting 
to evidence, however fpecious; for, in doubtful cafes, 
however numerous the witnefles may be, it will always 
be remembered, how frequently men have fhewed tlient- 
felves determined to fee and believe things invifible and 
incredible. For the articles Daemon, and Demoniac, 
as connected with theology and the holy feriptures, fee 
pages 55 s * an d 560, of this volume. 
DEMON'S! RABLE, adj. [demonjlraiilis, Lat.] That 
which may be proved beyond doubt or contradiction ; 
that which may be made not only probable but evident. 
—The grand articles of our belief are as dcmonjiratle as 
geometry. Glanville. 
DEMON'STRABLY, adv. In fuch a manner as admits 
■of certain proof; evidently; beyond pofiibility of con¬ 
tradiction.—He fhould have compelled his minifters to 
execute the law, in cafes that demcn/lrably concerned the 
public peace. Clarendon. 
To DEMONSTRATE, v. a. [dcmovjlro , Lat.] To- 
prove with the higheft degree of certainty ; to prove in 
fuch a manner as reduces the contrary pofition to evident 
abfurdity.—We cannot demonjlrate thefe things fo, as to 
jfhew that the contrary often involves a contradiction. 
Tillotfon. 
DEMONSTRATION, f. [demon/!ratio, Lat.] The 
higheft degree of deducible or argumental evidence ; the 
ftrongeft degree of proof; fuch proof as not only evinces 
the pofition proved to be true, but fltews the contrary 
pofition to be abfurd and impoffible.—What appeareth 
to be true by Itrong and invincible demonjlration, fuch as 
wherein it is not by any way poffible to be deceived, 
thereunto the mind doth necefTarily yield. Hooker .—In- 
V01. V. No. 308. 
D E M 71.-5 
dubitable evidence of the fenfes or reafon.—Which way 
foever we turn ourfelves, we are encountered with clear 
evidences and fenfible demon/}rations of a Deity. Tillotfon. 
—The method of demo nitrating in mathematics, is the 
fame with that of drawing conclufions from principles in 
logic. Indeed, the demonftrations of mathematicians 
are no other than feries of enthymenes ; every thing is 
concluded by force of fyllogifni, only omitting the pre- 
mifes, which either occur of their own accord, or are 
recollected by means of quotations. Hutton. 
DEMONSTRATIVE, adj. [ demon/lrativMs, Lat.] 
Having the power of demonftration ; invincibly conclu- 
five ; certain.—An argument necefTary and demov/lrative , 
is fuch as, being propofed unto any man, and underftood, 
the man cannot choole but inwardly yield. Hooker. —Hav¬ 
ing the power of exprefitng clearly and certainly.— 
Painting is necefTary to all other arts, becaufe of the need 
which they have of dcmpnjlrative figures, which often give 
more light to the underftanding than the cleareft dii- 
courfes. Drydcn. 
DEMONSTRATIVELY, adv. With evidence not 
to be oppofed or doubted.—No man, in matters of this 
life, requires an affurance either of the good which he 
defigns, or of the evil which he avoids, from arguments 
dcmonjlratively certain. South. 
Firft, I demonJlratively prove. 
That feet were only made to move. Prior. 
Clearly; plainly; with certain knowledge.— DemonJlrat~- 
ively underftanding the fimplicity of perfection, it was 
not in the power of earth to work them from it. Proton. 
DEMONSTRATOR, f. One that proves ; one that 
teaches; one that demonftrates. 
DEMONSTRA'TORY, adj. Having the tendency to 
demonftrate. 
DEMO'NT, or Demona, a town of Piedmont, in the 
marquifate of Saluzzo, fituated in a valley near the Stu- 
ria, with a citadel built on a fharp rock. It contains 
three parifli churches : eleven miles weft of Coni, and 
fourteen fouth-fouth-weft of Saluzzo. 
DEMOPH'OON, fon of Thefeus and Phaedra, king of 
Athens, 1182 years before Chrift, reigned thirty-three 
years. At his return from the Trojan war, he vifited 
Thrace, where he was tenderly received and treated by 
Phyllis. Fie retired to Athens, and forgot the kindhefs 
and love of Phyllis, who hanged herfclf in defpair. Ovid. 
DEMOSTHENES, the rnoft celebrated orator of an¬ 
cient Greece, born 381 years before Chrift, was the fon 
of a citizen of Athens of the fame name, who carried on 
a manufacture of fword-blades. Demofthenes was left 
an orphan at the age of feven, with a fortune eftimated 
at fifteen talents (about 2900!.) Fie was of a (lender and 
weakly habit of body, whence his mother would not per¬ 
mit him to engage in laborious exercifes; and the un¬ 
faithful nefs of his guardians deprived him of thofe ad- 
van tages of literary tuition which he might have expeCted. 
Flis ambition to become an orator firft developed itfelf in 
his feventeenth year, when he was taken to hear the 
pleadings in a public caufe of great expectation. The 
honour paid to the fuccefsful orator fired him with emu¬ 
lation; and he thenceforth bad adieu to all other objeCts 
of juvenile purfnit, and alliduoufiy applied to the art of 
declamation. Ilis mafter in rhetoric was I fas us ; and lie 
is laid alfo to have been a hearer of Plato, from whom 
he borrowed his magnificence of diCtion. The firft ex- 
ercife of his eloquence was at the expiration of his mi¬ 
nority, when he called his.guardians to account for the 
management of his fortune 1 ; and by their (kill in chicane 
he was enabled to acquire confiderable experience at the 
bar, though at the expence of great part of his patrimo¬ 
ny. Several natural defects, however, impeded his pro- 
grefs, and caufed him to undergo various mortifications 
in his addreffes to the people. Flis voice was weak and 
Hammering, liis pronunciation indiftinCt, and his geftures 
ungraceful. To amend thefe faults he employed incel- 
8 T fant 
