D I V 
D I V 
proportion to its quantity of matter multiplied by its .ve¬ 
locity ; and fince it is demonftrated that the velocity of 
the particles of light is at lead a million of times greater 
than the velocity of a cannon-ball, it is plain, that if a 
million of thefe particles were round, and of the fize of 
a fmall grain of land, we durft no more open our eyes 
to the light, than expofe them to fand fhot point-blank 
from a cannon. 
By the help of microfcopes, fitch objects as would 
otherwife efcape our light, appear very large : there are 
fome fmall animals fc'arcely vifible with the bed micro¬ 
fcopes ; and yet thefe have all the parts neceflary for 
life, as blood and other fluids. How wonderful then 
mud the fubtilty of the parts be which make up fuch 
fluids! Whence is deducible the followigg theorem : 
Any particle of matter, how fmall foever, and any finite 
fpace, how large foever, being given; it is pofiible for 
that fmall fand, or particle of matter, to be dilfufed 
through all that great fpace, and to fill it in fuch man¬ 
ner, as that there Hta.ll be no pore in it whole diameter 
fit all exceed any given line ; as is demondrated by Dr. 
Keil. IntroduEl. ad, Ver. Phyf. 
DIVl'SIBLENESSjyi Divifibility.—Naturalids difa- 
gree about the origin of motion, and the indefinite divifi- 
blenefs of matter. Boyle. 
DI VI'SION, [ [ divifio , Lat.] The a£l of dividing any 
thing into parts. The date of being divided.—Thou 
maded the fpirit of the firmament, and commandedd it to 
part afunder, and to make a divijion betwixt the waters. 
2 E/dr. vi. 41.—That by .which any thing is kept apart; 
partition. A hyphen. The part which is feparated from 
the red by dividing. Difunion ; difeord ; difference.— 
There was a divijion among the people, becaufe of him. 
John, vii. 43.—Parts into which a difeourfe is didributed. 
•—Exprefs the heads of your divifions in as few and clear 
words as you can, otherwife I never can be able to retain 
them. Swift. —Space between the notes of nmfic, or parts 
of a mufical compofure ; jud time.—Our tongue will run 
divifions in a tune, not milling a note, even when our 
thoughts are totally engaged elfewhere. Glanville. —Dif- 
tinftion.—I will put a divijion between my people and 
thy people. Exodus. —[In arithmetic.] The reparation or 
parting of any number or quantity given, into any parts 
afiigned. See Arithmetic and Algebra. Subdivi- 
fion; diftindion of the general into fpecies : 
Abound 
In the divijion of each feveral crime, 
Adding it many ways. Shahefpcare. 
DIVl'SCR,/! [Lat.] The number given, by which 
the dividend is divided ; the number which (hewelh how 
many parts the dividend is to be divided into. See 
Arithmetic. 
DIVI'SURE,/. A divifion. Scott. 
DIVITIO'SITY, /. [from the Lat. dioitia, riches.] 
The date of being very rich. Scott. 
DI'UM, in ancient geography, a town of Chalcidice 
in Macedonia, near Mount Athos. Alfo a promontory 
of Crete, on the north fide of the illand. A third Dium, 
a promontory of EuVoea; or a town of that name in Eu¬ 
boea, near the promontory Cenasum, on the north-wed 
tide of the idand, called alfo Dia. —A fourth Dium in 
Pieria of Macedonia, on the wed fide of the Sinus Ther- 
maicus. Strabo and Livy place it on the borders of Pie¬ 
ria to the fouth, at the foot of mount Olympus towards 
Theffaly. That it was a fplendid city, appears from Po¬ 
lybius, who relates, that its gymnafium and walls were 
overthrown by the AEtolians. From which overthrow, 
hpwever, it again recovered, Alexander adding new fplen- 
dor to it, by the brafs datues cad by Lyfippus, and eredt- 
ed there in memory of the dain at the battle of Granicus : 
an ornament which was continued down to the time of 
the Romans; who made it a colony, called Dienfis —A 
fifth Dium beyond Jordan, near Pella in the Pirea. 
DIVODU'RUM, anciently a town of the Medioma- 
Vol. V. No. 325. 
917 
trici, in Gallia Belgica, (ituated on the Mofelle, in the 
fpot where flow Metz dands. 
DIVO'RCE,/. [ divorce , Fr. from divortium, Lat.] The 
feparation of two, defaSlo married together, made by law : 
it is a judgment fpiritual ; and, therefore, if there be oc- 
calion, it ought to be reverfed in the fpiritual court. Co. 
Lit. 335. And, befides fentence of divorce, in the old 
law, the woman divorced was to have of her hulband a 
writing called a bill of divorce, which was to this e fleet, 
viz. “ I promife that hereafter I will lay no claim to 
thee,” &c. There are many divorces mentioned in the 
law-books; as, caufdpreecontraElus-, caufdfrigiditatis -, caufd 
confanguinitatis ; caufd affbiitatis ; cavjdprofejjioms, Sec. But 
the uftial divorces are only of two kinds, i. e. a menfa & 
thoro, from bed and board ; and a vinculo matrimonii, from 
the very bond of marriage. A divorce a menfa SB thoro 
diifolveth not the marriage ; for the caufe of it is fub- 
fequent to the marriage, and fuppofes the marriage to 
be lawful: this divoroe may be by reafon of adultery in 
either of the parties,, for cruelty of the lniiband, &c. 
And as it doth not diflolve the marriage, fo it doth not 
debar the woman of her dower, or baflardize the iflue, 
or make void any eftate for the life of hulband and wife. 
See. Co. Lit. 235. The woman under feparation by this 
divorce, rnuft fue by her next friend ; and Ihe may fue 
her hulband in her own name for alimony. Wood's Inf. 62. 
A divorce a vinculo matrimonii, abfolutely dilfolves the 
marriage, and makes it void from the beginning, the 
caufes of it being precedent to the marriage; as, precon¬ 
tract with fome other perfon, confanguinity or affinity 
within the Levitical degrees, impotcncy, impuberty, &c. 
On this divorce dower is gone ; and if, by reafon of pre¬ 
contract, confanguinity, or affinity, the children begotten 
between them are baltards. Co. Lit. 335. But in thefe 
divorces, the wife, it is faid, lhall receive all again that 
Hie brought with her, becaule the nullity of the marriage 
arifes through fome impediment; and the goods of the 
wife were given for her advancement in marriage, which 
now ceafeth : but this is where the goods are not fpent; 
and, if the hulband give them away during the cover¬ 
ture, without any collulion, it fiiall bind her; if flie 
knows her goods unfpent, file may bring adfion of deti¬ 
nue for them; and as for money, See. which cannot be 
known, (lie may lire in the fpiritual court. A \lf Abr. 673. 
This divorce enables the parties to marry agaip. But, 
in the other cafes, a power for fo doing mull be obtained 
by act: of parliament. 
Where lands were formerly given to hulband and wife, 
and the heirs of their bodies in frank-marriage ; if they 
had been afterwards divorced, the wife was to have her 
whole lands]; and, by divorce, an eftate-tail of baron and 
feme, it is faid, may be extindl. Godb. 18. After a fen¬ 
tence of divorce is given in the fpiritual court caufdpr<r- 
contraflus, the ilfue of that marriage fiiall be baltards, fo 
long as the fentence Hands unrepealed ; and no proof (hall 
be admitted at common law to the contrary. Co. Lit. 2 35. 
In fuch cafe, iflue of afecond marriage may inherit until 
the fentence is repealed. 2 Leon. 207. If, after a divorce 
a menfa & thoro, either of the parties marry again, the 
other being living, fuch marriage is a mere nullity ; and, 
by fentence to confirm the firfi contract, the and her firft 
hulband become hulband and wife to all intents, without 
any formal divorce from the fecond. 1 Leon. 173. Alfo 
on this divorce, as the marriage continues, marrying 
again while either party is living, hath been held to be 
bigamy within the fiat. 1 Jac. I. c. 11. 
A divorce for adultery was anciently a vinculo matrimo¬ 
nii-, and, therefore, in the beginning of the reign of queen 
Elizabeth, the opinion of the church of England was, 
that, after a divorce for adultery, the parties might mar¬ 
ry again ; but, in Foliambe’s cafe, H. 44 EL in the ftar- 
chamber, that opinion was changed ; and archbifhop 
Bancroft, by the advice of divines, held, that adultery 
was only a caufe of divorce a menfa & thoro. 3 Salk. 1 38. 
Sentence of divorce rnuft be given in the life of the par- 
11 A dies. 
