D I F 
817 
Unlike ; difllmrlatv—Happinefs confifts in tilings which 
produce pleafure, and in the abfence of thoi’e which 
caufe any pain : now thefe, to different men, are very dif¬ 
ferent. things. Locke. 
DIFFERENTIAL,/! A term foran indefinitely fmall 
quantity, part, or difference. By fome the differential is 
confidercd as infinitely fmall, or lefs than any afiignable 
quantity; and alfo as of the fame import as fluxion. It 
is called a differential, or differential quantity, becaufe 
often confidered as the difference between two quanti¬ 
ties ; and as fuch it is the foundation of the differential 
calculus. Newton ufed the term moment in a like fenfe, 
as being the momentary increafe or decreafe of a varia¬ 
ble quantity. M. Leibnitz and others call it an injinitc- 
fimal. Kepler calls the logarithms of tangents, differen¬ 
tials ; and fome mathematicians, as Stirling, &c. have 
applied the term to certain equations defining the nature 
of feries. The differential method is a rule in Algebra 
for finding quantities by means of their fucceffive diffe¬ 
rences ; which is of very general life and application, 
efpecially in the conftruCtion of tables, and the fumma- 
tion of feries, &c. As to the differential method, it may 
be obferved, that though Newton and fome others have 
treated it as a method of deferibing an algebraic curve, 
at leaf! of the parabolic kind, through any number of 
given points; yet the confideration of curves is not 
at all effential to it, though it may help the imagination. 
The defeription of a parabolic curve through given 
points, is the fame problem as the finding of quantities 
from their given differences, which may always be done 
by Algebra. See the article Algebra, vol. i. p. 313. 
DIF'FERENTLY, adv. In a different manner.—He 
may confider how differently he is affedled by the fame 
thought, which prelents itfelf in a great writer, from 
■what he is when he finds it delivered by an ordinary ge¬ 
nius. Addifon. 
DIF'FERINGLY, adv. In a different manner.—Such 
protuberant and concave parts of a furface may remit the 
light fo dfferingly, as to vary a colour. Boyle. 
DIFFl'CIL, adj. [difficilis, Lat.] Difficult; hard ; not 
eafy ; not obvious. Little ufed. —That that ffiould give 
motion to an unwieldy bulk, which itfelf hath neither 
bulk nor motion, is of as difficil apprehenfion as any myf- 
tery in nature. Glanville.- —Scrupulous ; hard to be per¬ 
fuaded.'—The cardinal finding the pope difficil in grant¬ 
ing the difpenfation, doth ufe it as a principal argument, 
concerning the king’s merit, that he had touched none of 
thofe deniers which had been levied by popes in Eng¬ 
land. Bacon. 
DIFFl'CILNESS, f. Difficulty to be perfuaded ; in¬ 
compliance ; impracticability; A word not.in ufe, but pro¬ 
per. —The lighter fort of malignity turneth but to a crolf- 
nefs, or frowardnefs, or aptnefs to oppofe, or difficilnef, 
or the like ; but the deeper fort, to envy and mere mif- 
chief. Bacon. 
DIF'FICULT, adj. \_difficilis, Lat.] Hard; not eafy ; 
not facil.—It is difficult in the 'eyes of this people. Zacha- 
riah. —Troublefome ; vexatious. Hard to pleafe ; peev- 
ifh ; morofe. 
DIF'FICULTLY, adv. Hardly; with difficulty.—A 
man, who has always indulged himfelf in the full enjoy¬ 
ment of his (Lition, will difficultly be perfuaded to think 
any methods unjuft that offer to continue it. Rogers. 
blF'FICULTY,/. ^difficulte', F*r.] Hardnefs; contra¬ 
riety to eafinefs or facility.—The religion which, by this 
covenant, we engage ourfelves to obferve, is a work of 
labour and difficulty, a fervice that requires our greateft 
care and attention. Rogers. —That which is hard to ac- 
complifti ; that which is not eafy.—They miftake diffi¬ 
culties for impoffibilities : a pernicious miftake certainly ; 
for men are feldom convinced of it, till their convictions 
do them no good. South. —Diftrefs ; oppofition : 
Thus, by degrees, he rofe to Jove’s imperial feat : 
Thus difficulties prove a foul legitimately great. Dry den. 
Vol jV. No. 317. 
D I F 
Perplexity in affairs ; uneafinefs of circumftances.—They 
lie under fome difficulties by reafon of the emperor’s dif- 
pleafure, who has forbidden their manufactures. Addi- 
Jon. —Objection ; cavil.-—Men fiiould confider, that raif- 
ing difficulties concerning the myfteries in religion, cannot 
make them more wife, learned, or virtuous. Swift. 
To DIFFTDE, v. n. [ dijfido, Lat.] To diftruft; to have 
no confidence in : 
With hope and fear 
The woman did the new folution hear; 
The man diffides in his own augury, 
And doubts the gods. ' Drydsn, 
DIF'FIDENCE, f. Diftruft; want of confidence ini 
others : 
You have brought fcandal 
To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt 
In feeble hearts, propenfe enough before 
To waver. Milton. 
Doubt; want of confidence in ourfelves.—Whatfoever 
atheifts think on, or whatfoever they look on, all do ad - 
minifter fome reafons for fufpicion and diffidence, left pof- 
fibly they may be in the wrong; and then it is a fearful 
thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Bentley. 
Be filent always when you doubt your fenfe : 
And fpeak, though lure, with feeming diffidence. Pope. 
DIF'FIDENT, adj. Diftruftful ; doubting others.—- 
Plir.y fpeakes of the Seres, the fame people with the Chi 
nefe, as being very lhy and diffident in their manner of 
dealing. Arbuthnot. 
Be not diffident 
Of wifdom ; fhe deferts thee not, if thou 
Difmifs not her, when raoft thou need’ft her nigh. Milton. 
Doubtful of an event, ufed of things ; uncertain.—I was 
really fo diffident of it, as to let it lie by me thefe two 
years, juft as you now fee it. Pope ,—Doubtful of him¬ 
felf ; not confident.—I am not fo confident of my own 
fufficiency, as not willingly to admit the counfel of 
others; but yet I am not fo diffident of myfelf, as brut- 
iflily to fubmit to any man’s dictates. King Charles. —Dif¬ 
trefs makes the humble heart diffident. Clariffa. 
To DIF 1 TND, v. a. [ dijfindo , Lat.] To cleave in two; 
to fplit. 
DIFFIS'SION, f [ difficio, Lat.] The aft of cleaving 
or fplitting. 
DIFFLA'TION,/. Idifflare, Lat.] The aft of Matter¬ 
ing with a blaft of wind. 
DIF'FLUENCE, or Diffluencv, f [from diffluo^ 
Lat.] The quality of falling away on all fides ; the 
effect of fluidity; the contrary to confiftency.—Ice is 
water congealed by the frigidity of the air, whereby it 
acquireth no new form, but rather a confidence or de¬ 
termination of its diffluency. Brown. 
DIFFLU'ENT, adj. \_difflucns, Lat.] Flowing every 
way ; not confident; not fixed. 
DIFFO'RM, adj. [from forma, Lat.] Contrary to uni. 
form; having parts of different ftrufture; diffimilar; un¬ 
like; irregular: as, a difform flower, one of which the 
leaves are unlike each other.—The unequal refractions 
of difform rays proceed not from any contingent irregula¬ 
rities ; fuch as are veins, an uneven polilli, or fortuitous 
pofition of the pores of glafs. Newton. 
DIFFOR'MITY,/. Diverfity of form ; irregularity; 
diffimilitude.—While they murmur againft the prefent 
difpolure of things, they defire in them a difformity from 
the primitive rule, and the idea of that mind that formed 
all things beft. Brown. 
DIF'FRA'CTION, f. A term firft ufed by Grimaldi, 
to denote that property of the rays of light, which others 
have called inflexion ; the difeovery of which is attri¬ 
buted by fome to Grimaldi, and by others to Dr. Hook. 
DIFFRAN'CHISEMENT,/. [franchife, Fr.] The 
aft of taking away the privileges of a city. 
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