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746 D E R 
tiful from its variegated colours and high polifh. See the 
article Mineralogy. 
DER'CETO, or Dercetis, a goddefs of Syria, called 
alfo Atergatis, whom fome fuppofed to be’the fame as 
Aftarte. She was fabled as a beautiful woman above 
the waift, and the lower part terminated' in a fifli’s tail. 
According to Diodorus, Venfts, whom the had offended, 
made her paffionately fond of a young pried, remarkable . 
for the beauty of his features. She had a daughter by- 
hint, and became fo afhanted of her incontinence, that 
fhe removed her lover, expofed the fruit of her amour, 
and threw herfelf into a lake. Her body was transformed 
into a fifth, and her child was preferved, and called Semi- 
ramis. As the was chiefly worfliipped in Syria, and repre- 
fented like a fifh, the Syrians anciently abltained from 
fifties. Lucian. 
DERCYLT.IDAS, a general of Sparta, celebrated for 
his military exploits. He took nine different cities in 
eight days, and freed Cherfonefus from the inroads oi 
the Thracians by building a wall acrofs the country. He 
lived before Chrift 399. Xenophon. 
DE'REHAM, East Dereham, or Market Dere¬ 
ham, [of beojt, a deer; and ham, Sax. a lodge. ] Atown 
of Norfolk, fituated in the center of the county, fixteen 
miles weft of Norwich, twelve eaft of Swaffham, twenty- 
two north of Thetford, and 106 north-eaft of London. 
The parifli precindts extend nearly three miles in length, 
and three in breadth ; and contain about 2700 inhabi¬ 
tants. It has a weekly market on Fridays, very plenti¬ 
fully fupplied ; and two fairs in the year, on Thurfday 
and Friday before old Midfummer, and on the Thurfday 
and Friday fe’nnight before old Michaelmas. Here was 
formerly a feflions-houfe and jail, when the town Snd 
hundred were under the particular jurifdidtion of a bai¬ 
liff, deputed by the biftiop of Ely, to whom the hundred 
and pari fit at that time belonged. This town was de- 
ftroyed by fire in July 1581, and again in July 1679, when, 
in the fpace of three hours, no lefs than 170 houfes, barns, 
&c. were burnt down, betides the market-place, butchers’ 
fhambles, &c. alfo goods and cattle were deftroyed to the 
amount of 19,5531. and five perfons were burnt to death. 
DERELIC'TION,/ \_dereliBio, Lat.] The act of for- 
faking or leaving ; abandonment. The ftate of being for- 
faken.—There is no other thing to be looked for, but 
the eflfedts of God’s moft juft dilpleafure, the withdraw¬ 
ing of grace, dereliction in this world, and in the world to 
come confution. Hooker. 
DE'RELICT, adj. \_dercliBus, Lat.] Any thingforfaken 
or left,, or wilfully caft away. By the common law, de~ 
reliB lands, fuddenly left by the fea, belong to the king ; 
but if the fea (brink back fo (lowly that the gain be by 
little and little, i. e. by fmall and imperceptible degrees, 
it (hall go to the owner of the lands adjoining. 2 Comm. 
261. 
DE'RENBURG, a town of Germany, in the circle of 
Lower Saxony, and principality of Halberftadt, and ca¬ 
pital of a lordlhip : fix miles weft-fouth-weft of Halber¬ 
ftadt, and feventeen eaft of Goflar. 
DE'RENPERG,-a town of Germany, in the archduchy 
of Auftria : three miles fouth of Ebenfurth. 
DEREVIANNO'E, a town of Ruflia, in the province 
of Ufting, on the Vitchegda: feventy-fix miles eaft of Uft 
SifoKk. 
DEREVIANNO'E, a town of Ruftia, in the govern¬ 
ment of Olonetz, on the weft coaft of Lake Olonetz : 
twelve miles fouth of Petrovad(k. 
DEREW'NI A, a town of I.ithuania, in the palatinate 
of Novogrodek: forty-two miles eaft-north-eaft of No- 
vogrodek. 
DERG, a lake of Ireland, with a river of the fame 
name, which runs from the lake to the river Foyle, in 
.the county of Donegal: eight miles eaft of Donegal. 
DERG'HAS, a town of Perfia, in the province of Se- 
geftan: 120 miles, eaft-fouth-eaft of Zareng. 
DER'GUES (Le), a town of France, in the depart¬ 
ment of the Aveiron, and chief place of a canton, in the 
diftridt of Sauveterre : five leagues fouth of Rhodez. 
DER'HAM (William), an eminent Englifli divine and 
philofopher, born at Stowton, near Worcefter, in 1657. 
His fchool-education he received at Blockley, in his na¬ 
tive county, whence he was removed to Trinity college, 
Oxford in 1675. He took his degree of bachelor of arts 
in 1678-9, when he had fo far diftinguiflied himfelf in his 
college by his learning, diligence, andother qualifications, 
that Dr. Bathurft, the prefident, ftrongly recommended 
him to the notice of Dr., Seth Ward, biftiop of Salifbury. 
Through the influence of that prelate, he became chap¬ 
lain, as foon as lie had taken orders, in 1681, to lady 
dowager Grey, of Warke. In 1682, he was prefented to 
the vicarage of Wargrave, in Berkfhire ; and, in 1689, 
to the redtory of Upminfter, in Eflex. In the latter place 
he applied himfelf with great fedulity to the ftudy of na¬ 
ture, and to mathematics and natural philofophy; which 
foon attradted confiderable notice, and occafioned his be¬ 
ing chofen a fellow of the royal fociety. Of that fociety 
he proved one of the moft ufeful and induftrious mem¬ 
bers, fupplying them for a number of years with many 
curious and valuable papers, publifhed in the Philofo- 
phical Tranfadtions. In his younger years he publifhed 
the Artificial Clock-maker, a Treatife of Watch and 
Clock-work, (hewing the Art of calculating Numbers to 
all Sorts of Movements; the Way to alter Clock-work ; 
to make Chimes, and fet them to mufical Notes ; and to 
calculate and correct the Motions of Pendulums, &c. 
12100. which was favourably received, and went through 
repeated editions. In 1711 and 1712, he difeharged the 
office of preacher at Mr. Boyle’s ledture ; and, in 1713, 
publifhed the fermons which he had delivered there, 
thrown into a new form, under the title of Phyfico-theo- 
logy; or, a Dentonftration of the Being and Attributes 
of God front his Works of Creation, &c. with large 
notes, and many curious obfervations, 8vo. In 1714, he 
publifhed Aftro-theology ; or, a Demonftration of the 
Being- and Attributes of God, front a Survey of the 
Heavens, illuftrated with Copper-plates, 8vo. Both thefe 
works, the former more particularly, poffefs very great 
merit in a philofophical and in a devotional point of 
view, and are well adapted to imprefs young minds with 
honourable conceptions of the great Author and Gover¬ 
nor of the univerle. Later improvements in fcience may 
have rendered fome of his remarks obfolete, and his con- 
fequent application of them of no value ; but the gene¬ 
ral utility of his plan is not affedted by thefe circum- 
ftances. On the accefiion of George I. he was made 
chaplain to his majefty ; and, in 1716, appointed one of 
the canons of Windfor. In 1730, the univerfity of Ox¬ 
ford conferred on him the degree of dodtor in divinity by 
diploma. In the fame year he publifhed Chrifto-theology; 
or, a Demonftration of the Divine Authority of the Chrif- 
tian Religion, 8vo. Befides fuch works as were entirely 
of his own compofition, he added notes and obfervations 
to Albin’s Natural Hiftory of Birds and Englilii Infedts ; 
reviled Mifcellanea Curio/a, in 3 vols. 8vo. 1726 ; publifhed 
Joannis Raii Synopfis Methodica Avium & Pijcium , &c. 8 vo„ 
1713; Philofophical Letters between the late learned Mr. 
Ray and feveral of his ingenious Correfpondents, 8vo. 
1718; and new editions of other pieces of that celebrated 
naturalift, with additions from his manuferipts. He alfo 
publifhed the Philofophical Experiments and Obferva¬ 
tions of Dr. Robert Hooke, F. R. S. and Geom. Prof. 
Grefh. and other eminent Virtuofos in his Time, 8vo. 
1726. Dr. Derham died at Upminfter, in 1735, highly 
elteemed for his amiable and moral qualities, as well as 
fcientific knowledge. 
DER'IC, [a contradlion of Theodoric ; Dicdric, Teut.J 
A man’s name. 
To DERI'DE, v. a. \_derideo , Lat.] To laugh at; to 
mock; to turn to ridicule; tofcorn.—What lhall be the 
portion 
