O F E 
Stephens. —The Venice glafles would crack of tliemfelves. 
Hoyle. 
Of himfelf is none, 
But that Eternal infinite, and one 
Who never did begin, who ne’er can end ; 
On him all beings, as their 1 'ource, depend. Dryden. 
The thirfty cattle, of tliemfelves, abftain’d 
From water, and their grafly fare difdain’d. Dryden. 
Noting properties, qualities, or condition.—The colour 
of a body may be changed by a liquor which of itfelf is 
of no colour, provided it be inline. Boyle. 
The frefh eglantine exhal’d a breath, 
'Whofe odours were of power to raife from death. Dryd. 
.Noting extraction.—Mr. Rowe was born of an ancient fa¬ 
mily in Devonlhire, that for many ages had made a hand- 
fome figure in their country. Rowe's Life. —Noting adhe¬ 
rence, or belonging : 
Pray that in towns and temples of our own, 
The name of great Anchifes may be known. Dryden .. 
Noting the matter of any thing.—The common materials 
’ which the ancients made their (hips of, were the wild ath, 
the evergreen oak, the beech, and the alder. Arbiithnot 
on Coins. —Noting the motive.—It 'was not of my own 
choice I undertook this work. Dryden. 
Our fovereign Lord has ponder’d in his mind 
The means to fpare the blood of gentle kind; 
And o/his grace and inborn clemency, 
fie modifies his firlt fevere decree. Dryden. 
Noting form or manner of exiftence.—As if our Lord, 
even of purpofe to prevent this fancy of extemporai and 
voluntary prayers, had not left of his own framing, one 
which might remain as a part of the church-liturgy, and 
•ferve as a pattern whereby to frame all other prayers 
with efficacy, yet without Superfluity of words. Ilooher .— 
Noting fomething that has fome particular quality.— 
Mother, fays the thrufh, never had any fuch a iriend as I 
have of this fwallow. No, fays (lie, nor ever motherfuch 
a fool as I have o/'this fame thrufh. L' Eflrange. — Noting 
faculties of power granted.—If any man minifter, let him 
do it as cf the ability which God giveth. i Peter iv. ix.— 
Noting preference, or poltponence : 
Your iiighnefs (hall repole you at tlieTow’er.— 
I do not like the tower of any place. Shahefpeare. 
Noting change of one (late to another : 
O miferable of happy ! is this the end 
Of this new glorious world, and me fo late 
The glory of that glory, who now become 
Accurs’d, <f blefled. Milton's P. L. 
Noting caufality. — Good-nature, by which I mean bene¬ 
ficence and candour, is the produCt of right reaion; 
which of neceffiry will give allowance to the failures of 
others, by coniidcring that there is nothing perfect in 
mankind. Dryden. —Noting proportion.— How many are 
there of an hundred, even amongft fcholars tliemfelves. 
Locke. —Noting kind or ipecies.—To cultivate the advan¬ 
tages of luccels, is an aifair o/’the cabinet ; and the ne¬ 
eded of this fuccefs may be oi the molt fatal confequence 
to a nation. Swift.—It is put before an indefinite ex- 
preffion of time : as, e/ iate, in late times ; of old, in old 
times.— Of late, divers learned men have adopted the 
three hypoftatical principles. Boyle on Colours. 
In days of old there liv’d, of mighty fame, « 
A valiant prince, and Thefeus was his name. Dryden. 
OFAN'TO, a river of Naples, which rifes near Conza, 
and runs into the Adriatic ten miles welt of Trani. 
OFA'RA, a town of Japan, in the iftand of Niphon, 
and capital of a kingdom called Fida : xoo miles north- 
welt of Jeddo, and 205 north-ealt of Meaco. 
■ OFE'N A, a town of Naples, in Abruzzo Ultra : four¬ 
teen miles ealt of Aquila. 
OFF 41<) 
OFES'CA, a town of Servia, on the north'fide of the 
Danube, oppolite Belgrade. 
OFF, adv. [n/ - , Dutch.] Of this adverb the chief ufe 
is to conjoin it with verbs : as, to come off; to fly off; to 
take off; which are found under the verbs, it is gene¬ 
rally oppofed to on: as, to lay on; to take off. In this 
cafe it fignifies, difunion ; leparation ; breach of conti¬ 
nuity.—Where are you, Sir John? come, off with your 
boots. S/iahe/'peare. 
See lurking gold upon the fatal tree ; 
Then rend it off. Dryden. 
It fignifies diltance.—About thirty paces off were placed 
harquebufiers. Knolles. 
Weft of this foreft, fcarcely off a mile, 
In goodly form comes on the enemy. Shahefpeare. 
In painting or ftatuary it fignifies projection or relief: 
’Tis a good piece ; 
This comes well and excellent. Shahefpeare. 
It fignifies evanefcence ; abl'ence or departure.— Compe¬ 
titions intermit, and go off and on as it happens, upon 
this or that occalion. L' Eflrange. — It fignifies any kind of 
dilappointment; defeat, interruption ; adverfe divifion : 
as, The affair is off; the match is off. On the oppolite 
fide of a queftion.—Thequeftions no way touch upon pu- 
ritanifm, either off or on. Sanderfon. —From ; not toward. 
—Philoclea, whofe delight of hearing and feeing was 
before a (tay for interrupting her, gave herfelf to be feen 
unto her with fuch a lightening of beauty upon Zelmane, 
that neither could look on, nor would look off. Sidney. 
Off-hand; not ftudied.—Several ftarts of fancy off-hand 
look well enough. L'Ej'trange. 
To he off. In common talk, fignifies to recede from an 
intended contract or defign 
To come off. To efcape by fome 'accident or fubter- 
fuge. 
To get off. To make efcape. 
To go off. To defert ; to abandon. Applied to guns, 
to take lire and be difcharged ; borrowed from the arrow 
and bow. 
Well or HI off. Having good or bad fuccefs. 
Off, whether alone or in compofition, means either li¬ 
terally or figuratively, disjunction, abl'ence, privation, or 
diltance. 
OFF, interject. An expreflion of abhorrence, or com¬ 
mand to depart.— Off! or I fly for ever from thy fight. 
Smith's Phadra. 
OFF, prep. Not on.— I continued feeling again the 
fame pain ; and, finding it grow violent, I burnt it, and 
felt no more after the third time ; was never off my legs, 
nor kept my chamber a day. Temple.— Diftant from.- 
Cicero’s Tulculum .was at a place called Grotto Ferrate, 
about two miles off this town, though mod of the modern 
writers have fixed it to Frefcati. Addijon on Italy. 
OFF'-RECKONINGS, f. in military language, a fpe- 
cific account between government and the colonels* of 
Brinlh regiments, for the clothing of the men. This ac¬ 
count is divided into two parts, viz. grofs off-reckonings, 
and net oft-reckonings. 
( j'ioJs Off-Reckonings confift of all the pay of the 
non-commilfioned officers and private men above the fub- 
filtence. 
Bet Off-Reckonings are the produce of the grofs off¬ 
reckonings, referved for the clothing of the men, after 
the warrant-deductions of one lhilling in the pound, and 
one day’s pay of the whole regiment for Chelfea-hofpital, 
and alio the deduction of two-pence in the pound for the 
agent, have been made at the Pay-office. The balance of 
the pay of the officers, over and above their fiubfiftence, 
after the warrant-deduftions are made, and the refpited 
pay, if there be any, is charged to the officer, is called 
clearings; which are paid by the paymalter to the agent, 
wno pays them to the officers, and there finds his two- 
pences. James's Mil. Didt, 
off'-set. 
