7 j 6 D E P 
amend any thing; after which he figns them, and then, 
and not before, the examinations are complete, and good 
evidence, i P. IV. 415. The fame practice prevails in 
the commons, in ecclefiaftical caufes. Where a witnefs 
was examined inacaufe in chancery, and, before figning 
his examination, died, the matter of the rolls, upon ad- 
vifing with the matter in chancery, then in court, denied 
the making ufe of the depofitions, as being not perfedt. 
1 P. IV. 414. But where, after an order for publication, 
defendant examined a witnefs, and then perceiving the 
irregularity, (it being after publication,) the defendant, 
on the ufual affidavit by himfelf, his clerk in court, and 
folicitor, that they had not feen, nor would fee, any of 
the depofitions, got an order to re-examine this witnefs ; 
but, before re-examination, the witnefs died: upon affi¬ 
davit of this, lord chief juft ice Parker ordered that the 
defendant might make ufe of the depofitions, the re-ex¬ 
amination being prevented by the adt of God. 1 P. IV. 
4i5- 
Depofitions in chancery, after a caufe is determined, 
may be given in evidence in a trial at bar in the court 
of king’s-bench, in a fuit for the fame matter, between 
the fame parties, if the party that depofed be dead, but 
not otherwife; for, if he be living, he mull appear in per- 
fon in court to be examined, &c. 1 Lil. Abr. 445. Depo¬ 
fitions of informers, &c. taken upon oath before a coroner, 
upon an inquifition of death ; or before juftices of peace on 
a commitment or bailment of felony, may be given in evi¬ 
dence at a trial for the fame felony ; if it be proved on 
oath that the informer is dead, or unable to travel, or 
kept away by the procurement of the prifoner ; and oatli 
mull be made that the depofitions are the fame-that were 
fworn before the coroner or juftice, without any altern¬ 
ation. iHawli.P.C. Depofitions taken before a coroner, 
cannot be given in evidence upon an appeal for the fame 
death ; becaufe it is a different profecution from that 
wherein they were taken : and it has been adjudged, that 
the evidence given by a witnefs at one trial, could not, 
in the ordinary courfe of juftice, be made ufe of againft 
a criminal, on the death of Inch witnefs, at another trial. 
2 Hawk. P. C. 
The examinations of witneffes abroad, and of fiich as 
are aged or going abroad, de bene ejfe, to be read in evi¬ 
dence, if the trial lliould be deferred till after their death 
or departure, are now very frequently effected by mutual 
confent in trials at common law, if the parties are open 
and candid : and this may alfo be done indirectly at any 
time, through the channel of a court of equity ; but fuch 
a practice has never yet been adopted direCtly as a rule 
of a court of law. Yet where the caufe of aCtion arifes 
in India, and a fuit is brought thereupon in any of the 
courts of Weftminfter, the court may iffue a commiffon 
to examine witneffes upon the fpot, and tranfmit the de¬ 
pofitions to England. 13 Geo. III. c. 63. 
DEPOSITORY, f. The place where any thing is 
lodged. Depoftary is properly ufed of perfons, and depo- 
Jitory of places; but in the following example they are 
confounded.—The Jews themfelves are the depositories of 
all the prophecies which tend to their own confufion. 
Addfon. 
DEPRAVA'TION, f. [ depravatio , Lat.] The aCt of 
making anything bad; the aCt of corrupting; corrup¬ 
tion.—The three forms of government have their feve- 
ral perfections, and arc fubjeCt to their feveral deprava¬ 
tions : however, few ftates are ruined by defect in their 
inftitution, but generally by corruption of manners. Swift. 
.—The ftate of being made bad; degeneracy; depravity..— 
We have a catalogue of the blacked: fins that human na¬ 
ture, in its liigheft depravation, is capable of committing. 
South. —Defamation; cenfure : afenfe not now in ufe ■. 
Stubborn critics are apt, without a theme 
For deprivation , to fquare all the fex. Shakefpeare. 
To DEPRA'VE, v. a. [depravo , Lat.] To vitiate ; to 
corrupt; to contaminate.—We admire the providence of 
D E P 
God in the continuance of feripture, notwithHanding the 
endeavours of infidels to abolifli, and the fraudulence of 
heretics to deprave, the fame. Hooker. 
A tafte which plenty does deprave 
Loaths lawful good, and lawlefs ill does crave. Dryden. 
A o defame ; to vilify.—I have heard his doings depraved 
of fome, who did rather of malicious mind, or private 
grievance, feek to detraCt from the honour of his deeds 
and counfels, than of any juft caufe. Spenfer.— That lye, 
and cog, and flout, deprave, and flander. Shakefpeare. 
DEPRA'VEDNESS,yi Corruption; taint; contami¬ 
nation; vitiated ftate.—Our original defravednefs, and 
pronenefs of our eternal part to all evil. Hammond. 
DEPR A'VEMENT,yi A vitiated'ftate ; corruption. 
—He maketh men believe, that apparitions are either de¬ 
ceptions of fight, or melancholy depravanents of fancy. 
Brown. 
DEPRA'VER,/: A corrupter; he that caufes depra¬ 
vity. A vilifier.—I am not fo ill bred, as to be a depraver 
of your worthinefs. Ben Jonfon. 
DEPR A'VITY, f. Corruption; a vitiated ftate. 
DE'PRECABLE, adj. Capable of being intreated, fit 
to be intreated. Scott. 
To DE'PRECATE, v. a. To beg off; to pray deliver¬ 
ance from ; to avert by prayer.—In deprecating of evil, 
we make an humble acknowledgment of guilt, and of 
God’s juftice in chaftifing, as well as clemency in fparing, 
the guilty. Grew. —The judgments which we would de¬ 
precate are not removed. Smalridge. —To implore mercy 
of: this i* not proper: 
At length he fets 
Thofe darts, whofe points make gods adore 
His might, and deprecate his power. Prior. 
DEPRECA'TION,yi \_dcprecatio, Lat.] Prayeragair.ft 
evil: 
I, with leave of fpeech implor’d, 
And humble deprecation, thus reply’d. Milton. 
Intreaty; petitioning. Anexcufe; a begging pardon for. 
DE'PRECATIVE, or Deprecatory, adj. That 
ferves to deprecate ; apologetic ; tending to avert evil 
by fupplication. — Bifliop Fox, underftanding that the 
Scottiih king was ftill difeontent, being troubled that the 
occafion of breaking of the truce ftiould grow from his 
men, fent many humble and deprecatory letters to the 
Scottish king to appeafe him. Bacon. 
DEPREC A'TOR,yi \_deprecator , Lat.] One that averts 
evil by petition. 
To DEPRE'CIATE, v. a. \_depretiare, Lat.] To bring 
a thing down to a lower price. To undervalue.—As 
there are none more ambitious of fame, than thofe who 
are coiners in poetry, it is very natural for fiich as have 
not fucceeded in it, to depreciate the works of thofe who 
have. SpcElator. 
DE'PREDABLE, adj. Capable of being robbed, lia¬ 
ble to be plundered. Not muck ufed. 
To DE'PREDATE, v.-a. \_depradari, Lat.] To rob; 
to pillage. To fpoil; to devour.—It maketh the fub- 
ftance of the body more folid and compa’dt, and fo lefs 
apt to be confumed and depredated by the fpirits. Bacon. 
DEPREDA'L'ION,yi [_depra-datio, Lat. ] A robbing; 
a fpoiling.—The land had never been before fo free from 
robberies and depredations as through this reign. Wot- 
ton .—Voracity; wafte.—The fpeedy depredation of air 
upon watry moifture, and verfion of the fame into air, 
appeareth in nothing more vifible than in the hidden va- 
niflnng of a little cloud of breath, or vapour, from glafs, 
or the blade of a fword, or any fuch poliftied body. Bacon. 
DEPREDA'TOR,yi \_depradator, Lat. ] A robber ; a 
devourer.—It is reported, that the flirub called our La¬ 
dy’s Seal, which is a kind of briony, and coleworts, fet 
near together, one or both will die : the caufe is, for that 
they be both great depredators of the earth, and one of 
them ftarveth the other. Bacon. 
'Ts 
