fc' 9 ' 4 . COM 
lines; 2, a line of fuperficies, areas, or planes, the num¬ 
bers on which anfwer to the fqnares of thofe on the line 
of lines; 3, a line of folids, the numbers on which an¬ 
fwer to the cubes of thofe on the line of lines ; 4, a line 
of circles, or rather of polygons to be infcribed in cir¬ 
cles. Thefe lines' are all unequally divided, the firft 
three from one to twenty, and the lall from fix to twenty. 
The ufe of the fir ft is to divide a line into any number of 
equal parts ; by the lecond and third are found the fides 
of like planes or foiids in any given proportion; and, by 
the fourth, circles are divided into any number of equal 
parts, or any polygons infcribed in them. 
Spring Compares, or Dividers, are made of hardened 
fteel, with an arched head, which by its fpring opens the 
legs ; the opening being directed by a circular lerew faf- 
ttned to one of the legs; let through the other, and worked 
with a nut. 
TrifcBmg Compares, for the trifefHng of angles geome¬ 
trically, for which purpofe they were invented by M. 
Tarragon. The ihftrument confifts of two central rules, 
and an arch of a circle of 120 degrees, immoveable, with 
its radius ; the radius is fattened with one of the central 
rules, like the two legs of a feftor, that the central rule 
may be carried through all the points of the circumfe¬ 
rence of the arch. The radius and rule fhould be as thin 
as poffible; and the rule fattened to the radius fhould be 
hammered cold, to be more elaitic; and the breadth of 
the other central rule mutt be triple the breadth of the 
radius: in this rule alfo is a groove, with a dove-tail faf- 
tened on it, for its motion ; there mult alfo be a hole in 
the center of each rule. 
Turn-up Compares, a late contrivance to fave the trou¬ 
ble of changing the points : the body is like the common 
eompafles; and, towards the bottom of the legs without 
fide, are added two other points, befides the ufual ones ; 
the one carrying a drawing-pen point, and the other a 
port-crayon; both being adjutted to turn up, to be ufed 
or not, as occafion may require. 
COM'PASS-S A W,/ The cotnpafs-fanv fhould not have 
its teeth fet, as other laws have ; but the edge of it fhould 
be made fo broad, and the back fo thin, that it may eafily 
■follow the broad edge. Its office is to cut a round ; and 
therefore the edge mutt be made broad, and the back thin, 
that the back may have a wide kerf to turn in. Moxton. 
COMPA S'SION, /. [ companion , Fr. from con and patior, 
Lat.] Pity; comm.iferation; forrow for the fufferings of 
others; painful fjmpathy.—Ye had companion of me in 
my bonds. Hebrews, x. 34.—The feelings of compafficn 
have been defined by Hobbes as a mere lelfifh paflion, 
refulting from a mixture of fear and care for our own 
advantages, in life. Hutchefon refolves it into native 
inftinfl. But Dr. Butler more properly confiders com¬ 
panion as an original, dillincl, and godlike, faculty or 
affedfion of human nature : a linking example of which 
is as follows: When Alexander drew near the city of 
Perfepolis, he perceived a large body of men, who exhi¬ 
bited a memorable example of the greatett mifery. Thefe 
were about four thoufand Greeks, very far advanced in 
years ; who, having been made prisoners of war, had fuf- 
fered all the torments which the Perfian tyranny could 
inflidf. The hands of fome had been cut off, the feet of 
others, and others again had loft their nofes and ears; 
after which, the Perfians having impreffed by fire, bar¬ 
barous characters on their faces, had the inhumanity to 
keep them, as fo many laughing-flocks, with which they 
fported perpetually. They appeared like fo many fhadows 
rather than men ; fpeech being almolt the only thing by 
which they were known to be fuch. Alexander could not 
refrain from tears at this fight; and, as they unanimoufl.y 
befought him to commiferate their condition, he bid them, 
with the utmofl tendernefs, not to defpond ; and affured 
them that they fhould again fee their wives and native 
country. This propofal, which one might fuppofe fhould 
»atural!y have filled them with joy, leemed to heighten 
COM 
their mifery; and, with tears in their eyes, “ How will 
it bp poffible (faid fome of them) for us to appear pub¬ 
licly before all Greece, in the dreadful condition to which 
we are reduced ; a condition ftill more fhameful than dif- 
fatisfaftory ? The heft way to bear mifery is to conceal 
it; and no country is fo fweet to the wretched as fcJi- 
tude, and an oblivion of their pall misfortunes.” They 
therefore befought the king to permit them to continue 
in a country where they had fpent fo many years, and to 
end their days among thofe who were already accuflomed 
to their misfortunes. Alexander granted their requeft; 
and prefented each of them three thoufand drachmas, five 
men’s fuits of clothes, the fame number of women’s, two 
couple of oxen to plough their lands, and corn to fow 
them : lie commanded the governor of the province not— 
to fuffer them to be moletted in any manner; and ordered 
that they fhould be free from taxes and tributes of every 
kind. Such behaviour as this was truly royal. Thrice 
happy thofe princes who are affeCled with the pleafure 
Which arifes from the doing of good actions, and who 
melt with compaffion for the unfortunate ! Curtius. 
To COMPAS'SION, v. a. To pity; to compaffionale; 
to commiferate. A wordJcarcely ufed. 
O heavens ! can you hear a good man groan, 
And not relent, or not compaffion him ? Sbahefpeare. 
COMPAS'SION ATE, adj. Inclined to compaffion; in¬ 
clined to pity; merciful; tender; melting; loft; eafily 
affefled with for row by the mifery of others.—There never 
was any heart truly great and generous, that was not alio 
tender and coinpafjionate South. 
To COMPAS'SION ATE, <v. a. To pity; to commife¬ 
rate.—Experience layeth princes torn eflates before t'neir 
eyes, and withal perliiades them to compajjionate them- 
felves. Raleigh. 
Coinpajjionatcs my pains, and pities me! 
What is compaffion, when ’tis void of love ? Addifon. 
COMPASSIONATELY; adv. Mercifully ; tenderly. 
—The fines were affigned to the re-building St. Paul’s, 
and thought therefore to be the more fevereiy impofed, 
and the lei’s compajjionately reduced and excufed. Clarendon. 
COM'PAST, part adj. Of a round form.—Sore he 
fows’d him on the compajl creft. Spenfer. —She came to 
him the other day into the compajl window. Shakefpeare. 
COMPATE RNIT Y,f. [con andipaternitas, Lat.] Gof- 
fipied, or compatemity, by the canon law, is a fpiritual af¬ 
finity ; and a j uror that was gofiip to either of the parties 
might, in former times, have been challenged as not in¬ 
different by our law. Davies. 
COMPATIBI'LIT Y,/ Confiftency; the power of co- 
exitting with fomething elfe; agreement with any tiling. 
COMPA'TIBLE, adj. [corrupted, by an unlkilful com¬ 
pliance with pronunciation, from competible, from competo, 
Lat. to fult, to agree. Competible is found in good writers, 
. and ought always to be uled.] Suitable to; fit for; con¬ 
fident with ; not incongruous to.—The object of the will 
is fuch a good as is cotnpatible to an intellectual nature. 
Hale. —Confiftent; agreeable.—Our poets have joined to¬ 
gether fuch qualities as are by nature the molt compatible ; 
valour with anger, meeknels with piety, and prudence 
with diffimulation. Broome. 
COMPATIBLENESS,/. Confiftency; agreement with 
any thing. 
COMP'ATIBLY, adv. Fitly; fuitably. 
COMPA'TIENT, adj. [from con and patior, Lat.] Suf¬ 
fering together. 
COMPATRIOT, f. [from con and patriot, Lat.] One 
of the fame country.—The governor knew he was fo cir- 
cumfpeft as not to adhere to any of the factions of the 
time, in a neutrality indifferently and friendiy entertain¬ 
ing all his compatriots. Drummond. 
COMPE'ER, /. [ compar , Lat.] Equal; companion; 
colleague; affociate: 
Sefoftm 
