884 
D I S 
Diftribution ; aft of government; difpenfation : 
All is beft, though oft vve doubt 
What th’ unfearehable depofe 
Of higheft wifdom brings about, 
And ever beft found in the clofe. Milton. 
Difpofition; caft of behaviour. Olfolcte : 
He hath a perfon, and a fmooth difpofe, 
To be fufpefted ; fram’d to make women falfe. S/iakefp. 
Difpofition; caft of mind ; inclination. ObfoUte: 
He carries on the ftream of his difpofe 
Without obfervance or refpeft of any. Shakefpeare. 
DISPO'SER,/. Diftributor; difpenfer; beftower.— 
The magiftrate is both the beggar and the dijpojer of what 
is’got by begging. Graunt. —Governor; regulator; di- 
reftor.—I think myfelf'.obliged, whatever my private 
apprehenfions may be of the fuccefs, to do my duty, and 
leave events to their difpofer. Boyle. 
Would I had been difpofer of thy (tars, 
Thou fhouldlt have had thy with, and died in wars. Dryd. 
One who takes from, and gives to, whom he pleafes : 
But brandifh’d high, in an ill omen’d hour, 
To thee, proud Gaul, behold thy jufteft fear, 
The mafter fword, difpofer of thy pow’r. Prior. 
DISPOSI'TION,/. [from difpoftio, Lat.] Order; me¬ 
thod ; diftribution.—’Under this head of invention is 
placed the difpofition of the work, to put all things in a 
beautiful order and harmony, that the whole may be of 
a piece. Dryden. —Natural litnefs; quality.—Refrangi- 
biiity of the rays of light is their difpofition to be refrafted, 
or turned out of their way, in pafling out ofone tranfpa- 
renf body or medium into another. Newton. —Tendency 
to any aft or (late.— Difpofition is when the power and 
ability of doing any thing is forward, and ready upon 
every occafion to break into any aftion. Loch. —Temper 
of mind.—I have fufferedmore for their fakes, more than 
the villainous inconftancy of man’s difpofition is able to 
bear. Shakefpeare. 
LefTer had been 
The thwarting? of your difpofition, if 
You had not (hew’d them how you were difpos’d. 
Shaktfpcare. 
Affeftion of kindnefs or ill-will.'—I take myfelf to be as 
well informed as mod men in the difpoftions of each people 
towards the other. Szwft. —Predominant inclination.— 
The love we bear to our friends is generally caufed by 
our finding -the fame difpofition in them which we feel in 
ourfelves. Pape. —Affortment; adjuftment of external 
circumftances : net nfed. 
I crave fit difpofition for my wife, 
Due reference of place and exhibition, 
As levels with her breeding. Shakefpeare. 
DISPOSI'TION, f. in Scots law, is a deed or writing 
which contains the grant of any fubjeft:: when applied to 
heritable fubjefts, it in fome cafes is called a charter, 
which differs from a difpofition only in a few immaterial 
forms. 
DISPO'SITIVE, adj. That which implies difpofal of 
any property; decretive.—The words of all judicial afts 
are written narratively, unlefs it be in fentences wherein 
difpofitive and enadling terms are made ufe of. Aylijfe. 
DISPO'SITIVELY, adv. In a difpofitive manner. 
Refpefting individuals ; diftributively.—That axiom in 
philofophy, that the generation of one thing .is the cor¬ 
ruption of another, although it be fubftantially true, con¬ 
cerning the form and matter, is alfo difpoftively verified in 
the efficient or producer. Brown. 
DISPO'SITOR, f. The lord of that fign in which the 
planet is, and by which therefore it is over-ruled. 
To DISPOSSESS, v. a. To put out of poffeffion; to 
deprive; to diffeize.—The children went to Gilead, and 
took it, and difpojfejfed the Amorite which was in it. Numb. 
xxxii. 39. 
D I S 
In thee I hope ; thy fuccours I invoke, 
To win the crown whence I am 'dif.cffefs’d ; 
Eor like renown awaiteth on the (troke, 
To caft the haughty down, or raii.: th’ opprefs’d. Fairf 
It is generally ufed with of before the thing taken away. 
—Nothing can create more trouble to a man than to en¬ 
deavour to difpoffefs him of this conceit. Tillotfon. 
No pow’r (hall dfpoffs 
My thoughts of that expefted happinefs. Denham. 
Formerly with from .—It will be found a work of no 
fmall difficulty to difpoffefs and throw out a vice from that 
heart, where long poifetiion begins to plead prcicription. 
South. 
They arrogate dominion undeferv’d 
Over their brethren, and quite difpoffefs 
Concord and law of nature from the earth. Milton. 
DISPO'SURE, f Difpofal; government; power; 
management: 
In his difpefure is the orb of earth, 
The throne of kings, and all of human birth. Sand. 
State ; pofture.—They remained in a kind of warlike 
difpofure, or perhaps little better. Wotton. 
DISPRAI'SE, f. Blame; cenfure; difhonour.—My 
faults will not be hid, and it is no di/praife to me that 
they will not: the clearnefs of one’s mind is never bet¬ 
ter proved titan in dilcovering its own faults. Pope. 
Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail, 
Or knock the breads ; no weaknefs; no contempt, 
Dfprafe, or blame. , Milton. 
To DISPRAI'SE, v. a. To blame; to cenfure ; to 
condemn.—In praifing Anthony, I have difprais'd Caefar. 
Shakefpeare. —The critics, while they like my wares, may 
difpraife my writing. SpcBator. 
DISPRAl'SER, f. Acenfurer; one who blames. 
DISPRAI'SABLE, adj. Unworthy of commendation. 
DISPRAI'SINGLY, adv. With blame; with cenfure: 
Michael Cuftio! 
- That came a wooing with you ; many a time. 
When I have fpoke of you difpraifingly. 
Hath ta’en your part. Shakefpeare. 
To DISPRE'AD, v. a. To fpread different ways. In 
this word, and a few others, dis has the fame force as in 
Latin compofition, and means, different ways; indifferent 
diredtions. The word is poetical : 
As morning fun her beams difpreaden clear, 
And in her face fair truth and mercy doth appear. Spenf. 
Above, .below, around, with art difpread. 
The fure iiiclofure folds the genial bed. Pope. 
To DISPROFE'SS, v. a. Togiveoverthe profeffion of: 
His armes which he had vow’d to difprofefs, 
She gather’d up, and did about him drels. Spenfer. 
DISPRO'FIT, f. Lofs ; damage; detriment. 
DISPROO'F, f. Confutation ; conviftion of error or 
falfehood.—I need not offer any thing farther in fupport 
of one, or in difproof of the other. Rogers. 
To DISPRO'PERTY, v. a. To difpoffefs of any pro¬ 
perty. 
DISPROPOR'TION, f. Unfuitablenefs in form or 
quantity of one thing, or one part of the fame thing, to 
another; want of fymmetry; difparity.—That we are 
defigned for a more exalted happinefs than can be derived 
from the things of this life, we may infer from their vaft 
disproportion to the defires and capacities of our foul. Rogers. 
Reafoning, I oft admire 
Flow nature, wife and frugal, could commit 
Such difproportions ; with fuperfluous hand 
So many nobler bodies to create, 
Greater, fo many fold, to this one ufe. Milton. 
To DISPROPORTION, v.a. To mifmatch ; to join 
things unfuitable in quantity or form; to join unfitly.—• 
Mufic 
