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ace able, dfperfedly here and there, to find now a word, 
and then a fentence, which may be more probably fuf- 
pefled, than eafily cleared, of error. Hooker. 
DISPER'SEDNESS,/. Tiie ftate of being difperfed ; 
difperfion. 
DISPER'SENESS,/ Thinnefs; fcatterednefs,—The 
torrid parts of Africk are by Pifo refembled to a iibburd’s 
fkin, the diftance of whofe fpots reprefent th e dijperfenefs 
of habitations or towns in Africk. Brcrewood. 
DISPER'SER,/. A fcatterrer; a fpreader.—Thofe 
who are pleafed with defamatory libels, Co far as to ap¬ 
prove the authors and difperfers of them, are as guilty as 
if they had coinpofed them. Spe&ator. 
DISPER'SION, /. [from difpcrfo, Lat. ] The aft of 
{battering or fpreading. The date of being fcattered.— 
Noah began from thence his difperfion. Raleigh. —After fo 
many dijperjions, and fo many divifions, two or three of 
us may yet be gathered together. Pope. —[In optics.] 
The divergency of refradled rays of light, bee Optics. 
The difperfion of mankind, in confequence of the con- 
ftifion of tongues at the definition of Babel, happened 
in the loift year after the flood, according to the Hebrew 
chronology, and by the Samaritan computation in the 
401ft. However, various difficulties have been fuggefted 
by chronologers concerning the true era of this event; 
which, it is mod probable, will for ever remain in doubt. 
Dr. Blair fixes it to have happened in the year 2247 be¬ 
fore the birth of Chrift. See the article Chronology, 
vol.iv. p.540. Dr. Bryant maintains, thfktthe difperfion, 
as well as the confnfion of tongues, was local, and limited 
to the inhabitants of the province of Babel; that the fe- 
paration and diftributibn recorded to have taken place in 
the days of Pelcg, Gen. x. 25, 31, 32, which was the re- 
fnlt of divine appointment, occalioned a general migra¬ 
tion ; and that all the families among the fons of men 
were concerned in it. The lioufe of Shem, from which 
the Mefiiah was to fpring, was particularly regarded in 
this diftribution ; the portion of his children was near 
the place of feparation; they in general had Afia to their 
lot ; as Japhet had Europe, and Ham the large continent 
of Africa. But the fons of Clms would not fubmit to 
the divine difpenfation; they went off under the conduct 
of Nimrod, and feem to have been for a long time in a 
roving date. However, at laft they arrived at the plains 
of Shinar ; and having ejected AIhurand hisfons, feized 
his dominions, and laid there the foundation of a great 
monarchy. But afterwards fearing left they fitould be 
divided and fcattered abroad, they built the tower of 
Babel as a landmark to which they might repair; and 
probably to anfwer the purpofes of an idolatrous temple, 
or high altar, dedicated to the hoft of heaven, from which 
they were never long fo be abfent. They only, viz. the 
fons of Chus or the Cuthites,. and their alfociates from 
other families, who had been guilty of rebellion again!! 
divine authority, and of wicked ambition and tyranny, 
were punifhed with the judgment of confounded fpeech 
through a failure in labial utterance, and of the difperfion 
recorded in Gen. x. 8, 9 ; in confequence of which they 
were fcattered abroad from this city and tower, without 
any certain place of deftination. The Cuthites invaded 
Egypt or the land of Mizraim in its infant (late, feized 
the whole country, and held it for fome ages in fubjec- 
tion ; and they extended likewife to tire Indies and 
Ganges, and ftill farther into China and Japan. From 
them the province of Ciifhan or Gofiien derived its name. 
Here they obtained the appellation of royal fiepherds ; and 
when they were by force driven out of the country, after 
having been in polfellion of it for 260 or 280 years, the 
land which they had been obliged to quit was given to 
the Ifraelites, who were alfo denominated Jhepherds, but 
fhould not be confounded with the former or the antece¬ 
dent inhabitants of Gofhen. 
DISPHENDONO'MENA, or Diasphendonomena, 
f. [of hxcrCpiiihvcicy.oii, Gr. to lling afunder.] A punifli- 
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ment anciently in life among the Perftans, in which they 
drew down the tops of two trees together, and bound the 
offender to each of them by the legs ; the'trees being 
let go, by their force violently tore the offender in pieces. 
DISPI'CI ENCE, f. [from the Lat. de, from, and fpicio, 
to look.] Premeditation, confideration, caution. Scott. 
To DISPI'RIT, v. a. To difeourage ; to dejedt; to 
deprefs ; to damp ; to terrify; to intimidate ; to fright; 
to ftrike with fear.—Steady to my principles, and not 
dj/irited with my afflictions, I have overcome all diffi¬ 
culties. Dryden. —To exhauft the fpirits ; to opt refs the 
conftitution of the body.—He has difpirited himfelf by a 
debauch, and-drank away his good humour. Collier. 
DISPI'RITEDNESS, f. Want of vigour; want of 
vivacity. 
To DISPI.A'CE, v. a. To put out of place ; to place 
in another lituation; as, the cheffmen are dif placed. To 
put out of any ftate, condition, office, truft, or dignity.—■ 
To dijilace any who are in, upon difplealure, is by all 
means to be avoided, unlefs there be a manifeft caufe for 
it. Bacon. —To diformer: 
You have difplac'd the mirth, broke the good meeting 
With mod admir’d diforder. Shakefpeare. 
DISPLA'CENCY, f [ difplicentia , Lat.] Incivility; 
difobligation. Difguft ; any tiling unpleafing.—Th e dif. 
placencies that he receives, by the confequences of his ex. 
cefs, far outweigh all that is grateful in it. Decay of Piety. 
To DISPI.A'NT, v. a. To remove a plant; to drive a 
people from the place in which they have fixed their re- 
fidence.—I mayjuftly account new plantations to be the 
children of former kingdoms : I like a plantation in a pure 
foil ; that is, where people are not di/planted. Bacon. 
DISPLANTA'TION,/ [from dis and planlatio, Lat.] 
The removal of a plant. The ejection of a people.—■ 
The Edenites were garrifoned to refift the Affyrians, 
whofe difplantation Senacherib vaunted of. Raleigh. 
DISPLA'NTING, /. Removal.—Even out of that 
will I caufe thefe of Cyprus to mutiny ; whofe quali¬ 
fication (hall come into no true tafte again; but by the 
difplanting of Caffio. Shakefpeare. 
To DISPLA'Y, v. a. [difployer, Fr.] To fpread wide; 
There he found him all carelefsly difplay'd, 
In fecret Ihadow from the funny ray, 
On a fweet bed of lilies foftly laid. Spenfer. 
To exhibit to the fight or mind.—The works of nature, 
and the words of revelation, difplay truth to mankind in 
characters fo vifible, that thofe, who are not quite blind, 
may read. Locke. 
Thou heaven’s alternate beauty canft dfplay , 
The blufii of morning, and the milky way. Dryden. 
To carve ; to cut up.—He carves, dif plays, and cuts up 
to a wonder. SpeSlator. —To talk without reftraint: 
The very fellow which of late 
Difplay'd fo faucily again!! your highnefs. Shakefpeare. 
To fet oftentatioufly to view.—They are all couched in 
a pit, with obfeured lights; which, at the very inftant 
of our meeting, they will at once difplay to the night. 
Shakefpeare. —To difeover : 
But kept their forward way 
Through many covert groves, and thickets clofe, 
In which they creeping did at laft difplay 
That w'anton ladie with her lover loofe. Spenfer. 
DISPLA'Y,/. An exhibition of any thing to view.—. 
Our ennobled underftandings take the wings of the morn¬ 
ing, to vilit the world above us, and have a glorious dif¬ 
play of the nigh eft form of created excellencies. G/anville. 
—We can with the greateft coldnels behold the ftupen- 
dous difplays of omnipotence, and be in tranfports at the 
puny eliays of human (kill. Spedlator. 
To DIS'PLE, v. a. [contracted from to difciple.~] To 
chaftife ; 
And 
