750 
D E S 
D E S 
DES AGUEDE'RO, a river of Mexico, which runs 
from the lake of Nicaragua into the Caribbean fea. Lat. 
i 12. N. Ion. 66. 22. W. Ferro. 
DESAGU'LIERS (John Theophilus), an eminent ex¬ 
perimental philofopher, the fon of the reverend John De- 
faguliers, a French proteftant refugee, born at Rochelle 
in 1683. His father brought him to England an infant; 
and, having taught him the daffies hintfelf, he font him 
to Chrift-church college, Oxford; where, in 1702, he 
fucceeded Dr. Keil in reading lefitures on experimental 
philofophy at Hart-hall. In 1712 he married, and fettled 
in London, where-he firft introduced the reading of lec¬ 
tures in experimental philofophy, which he continued 
during the reft of his life with the greateft applaufe, 
having feveral times the honour of reading his lectures 
before the king and royal family. In 1714 he was eledted 
fellow of the royal fociety, and proved a very ufeful 
member, as.appears from the great number of his pa¬ 
pers that are printed in their Philofuphical TranfinStions 
on the fubjeCts of optics, mechanics, and meteorology. 
The magnificent duke of Chandos made Dr. Defaguliers 
his chaplain, and prefented him to the living of, Edg- 
ware, near his feat at Cannons ; and he became after¬ 
ward chaplain to Frederick prince of Wales. In the 
latter part of his life, he removed to lodgings over the 
Great Piazza in Covent-garden, where lie carried on his' 
lectures with great fuccefs till the time of his death, 
which happened in 1749, at fixty-fix years of age. He 
was a member of feveral foreign academies, and corre¬ 
sponding member of the royal academy of fciences at Pa¬ 
ris ; from which academy he obtained the prize, pro- 
pofed by them for the belt account of electricity. He 
communicated a multitude of curious and valuable pa¬ 
pers to the royal fociety, for the year 1714 to 1743, or 
from vol. 29 to 42. Befide thofe numerous commu¬ 
nications, he publilhed a valuable Courfe of Experimen¬ 
tal Philofophy, 1734, in 2 large vols. 4to. and gave an 
edition of Gregory’s Elements of Catoptrics and Diop¬ 
trics, with an Appendix on Reflecting Telefcopes, 8vo. 
1735. This appendix contains fome original letters that 
palled between fir Ifaac Newton and Mr. James Gregory, 
relating to thofe telefcopes. 
BESAI'GNE, a town of France, in the department of 
the Ardeche : five leagues and a half north of Privas. 
DESA'NA, a town of Italy, in the lordfhip of Ver- 
celli: five miles fouth-weft of Vercelli. 
DESAQfJADE'RO, a river in Peru, South America, 
over which the Ynca Huana Capac built a bridge of flags 
and rufhes, to tranfport his army to the other fide, and 
which remained only a few years fince. 
To DESAR'CINATE, v. n. [ defarcinarc, Lat.] To 
take away the baggage ; to unload. 
DESCAL'SAS,y. [Span.] A kind of friars who went 
barefooted. 
DES'CANT,yi \_defanto, Ital.] A fong or tune com- 
pofed in parts.. See the article Music. 
The wakeful nightingale 
All night long her amorous defcant fung. Milton. 
A difcourfe ; a deputation ; a difquifition branched out 
into feveral divifions or heads. It is commonly ufed as 
a word of cenfure or contempt.—Kindnefs would fup- 
plant our unkind reportings, and fevere dejcants upon our 
brethren. Government of the Tongue. 
To DES'CANT, v. n. To ling in parts. To difcourfe 
at large ; to make fpeeches : in a fenfe of cenfure or 
contempt.—A virtuous man Ihould be pleafed to find 
people dfranting upon his aCtions, becaufe, when they 
are thoroughly canvafled and examined, they turn to his 
honour. Addifon. 
Corn’ll thou for this, vain boaller, to furvey me. 
To defcant on ray firength, and give thy verdict, Milton. 
To DESCE'ND, v. n, [dfccndo, Lat.] To go down¬ 
wards ; to come from a higher place to a lower ; to fall • 
to fink.—-The rain defended, and the floods came, and the 
w'inds blew, and beat upon that houfe; and it fell not, 
for it was founded upon a rock. Matthew', vii. 25, 
O goddefs! who, defending from the Ikies, 
Vouchfaf’d thy prefence to my wond’ring eyes. Pope. 
To come down, in a popular fenfe, implying only an ar¬ 
rival at one place from another.—Fie S\u\M defend into 
battle, and perilh. 1 Samuel, xxvi. 10.—To come fud- 
denly or violently ; to fall upon as from an eminence : 
His wifii’d return with happy pow r r befriend. 
And on the luitors let thy wrath defend. Pope. 
To go down : in a figurative fenfe : 
He, with honed meditations fed. 
Into himfelf defended. Milton. 
To make an invafion : 
A foreign fon upon the fliore defends, 
Whofe martial fame from pole to pole extends. Dry den. 
To proceed as from an original; to be derived from.— 
Defpair defends from a mean original; the offspring of 
fear, lazinefs, and impatience. Collier. —Will, is younger 
brother to a baronet, and defended of the ancient family 
of the Wimbles. Addifon. —To fall in order of inherit¬ 
ance to a fuccelfor.—Our author provides,for the defend¬ 
ing and conveyance down of Adam’s monarchical power 
to pofterity, by the inheritance of his heir, fucceeding 
to Iris father’s authority. Locke. —To extend a difcourfe 
from general to particular confiderations.— Congrega¬ 
tions difeerned the fmall accord that was among them- 
felves, when they defended to particulars. Decay of Piety. 
To DESCE'ND, v. a. To walk downward upon any 
place.—In all our journey through the Alps, as well 
when we climbed as when we defended them, we had ftill 
a riv.er running along with the road. Addifon. 
He ended, and they both defend the hill; 
Defcended Adam to the bow’r, where Eve / 
Lay flecping. Milton. 
DESCEND'ANT, f. \_dcfendani, Fr. defcendais, Lat.] 
The offspring of an anceftor; he that is in the line of 
generation, at whatever diftance ; 
O, true defendant of a patriot line, 
Vouchfafe this picture of thy foul to fee. Dryden. 
DESCEND'ENT, adj. \_dfcehdens, Lat. It feems to 
be eftablifhed, that the fubftantive fliould derive the 
termination from the French,.and the adjective from the 
Latin.] Falling.; finking; coming down; defeending.—• 
There is a regrefsof the lap in plants from above down¬ 
wards; and this dfeendent is that which principally nou- 
riflies both fruit and plant. Ray. —Proceeding from an¬ 
other, as an original or anceftor : 
More than mortal grace 
Speaks thee dfeendent of ethereal race. Pope. 
DESCEND'ER, f. in law,a writ which lieth where 
a gift in tail is made, and the tenant in tail alienes the 
lands entailed, or is diffeifed of them and dies ; the heir 
in tail fhall have this writ againft him,.who is then the 
actual tenant of the freehold. See Formedon. 
DESCENDIBl'LITY, f. Conformity to rules of de- 
feent.—He muff neceffarily take the. crown fubjeCt to 
thefe laws, and with all its inherent properties ; the firft 
and principal of which was its dcfcendildlity. Black/lone. 
DESCENDIBLE, adj. Such as may be defcended ; 
fuch as may admit of a pafiage downwards. Tranfmif- 
fible by inheritance.—According to the cuftoms of other 
countries, thofe honorary fees and infeudations were de- 
fcendible to the eldeft, and not to all the males. Hale. 
DESCEND'INGLY, adv. By way of defeent. 
DESCEN'SION, [defe/fo, Lat.] The act of going 
downwards. 
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