knew that if they were taken, they would be hung.

When a man is in such trouble or affliction, that we can see no way of his getting out of it, we say he is in a desperate condi

tion.

De spīșe, v. a. to look down with very great contempt upon a person or thing.

The Bible says; "The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it."

That which ought to be despised, we call despicable; as, to open a sealed letter, when a person has no right to do it, is despicable. De spond, v. n. to become so much discouraged as to make little or no effort to obtain some good, or avoid some evil.

He has had so many misfortunes of late, and met with so many disappointments, that he is very desponding, and his friends fear that if his despondency continues much longer, it may settle down into despair.

Des pot ic, a. absolute in power. arbitrary, tyrannical.

govern

The captain was so despotic in his ment of the ship, that he could never get a sailor to go a second time with him to sea. Děs tine, v. a. to fix upon the use or purpose for which a person or thing is to be employed, or the state or condition in which they are to be placed.

He is building a large ship, which is des

tined for the East India trade.

His oldest son is a farmer. He has destined his youngest one to go to college.

He set out on a journey from New-York, and arrived safely at Quebec, the place of his destination.

The final destiny of this world, is, to be | consumed by fire.

Děs ti tute, a. not having a thing.

During the coldest weather, the poor family were destitute of fuel.

You cannot safely trust him, for he is destitute of honesty.

We say of one who is friendless and needy, that he is destitute.

De tăch, v. a. to take away a part from the whole, or one thing from another.

A father found that his son was often in the company of some very wicked boys, and to detach him from them removed him to another school.

to send off part of an army for some particular purpose.

The general ordered a detachment of one thousand men to march by night, and attack the fort.

De tāin, v. a. to keep from one what belongs to him.

When you have borrowed a book and read it, you should not detain it, but return it immediately to the owner.

to keep back from going.

The ship was detained three days in port by a head wind before she could sail. The detention gave the passengers a good opportu nity of examining the curiosities of the place. De těct, v. a. to find out and bring to light, usually something wrong which is concealed.

Arnold, an American officer, had agreed to give up West Point to the British, but his treachery was detected, and his design defeated, by the arrest of Major Andre who had been sent to him by the British as a spy. De těr, v. a. to keep back, or discourage, by fear.

The travellers had been to Alexandria, and were intending to visit Cairo, but were deterred from doing it by hearing that the plague had broken out there.

De ter mine, v. a. to fix upon, or settle.

Frank wished very much to study French,

but his father, after thinking about it, determined that, at present, he should not take any new study.

The determination of Washington, at the end of the war, to retire from all public business and live on his farm, shows that he was not an ambitious man.

Robert's father taught him to determine the height of the steeple, by setting up a pole ten feet long near it, measuring the shadows of each, and then calculating that if the shadow of the pole is made by a pole of ten feet in length, the shadow of the steeple must be made by a steeple so many feet in height. De těst, v. a. to have the strongest dislike to what is mean and wrong.

A certain rich man was so hard in his dealings with the poor, that he was detested by all his neighbors.

He is an old man, and his conduct in trying to corrupt young persons, is most detestable.

Dē vi ate, v. n. to go aside from a

straight line, or from the right way.

The travellers deviated from the usual road in order to visit a remarkable cave.

We ought to be on our guard against the smallest deviations from truth.

De vice, n. an ingenious contrivance or design, usually to accomplish some evil.

He feigned himself an old blind man, and by this device got a good deal of money. emblem.

The device on his seal was an anchor, representing Hope.

De vișe, v. a. to contrive or invent. "Do they not err that devise evil? but

mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good."

De võte, v. a. to give up a person or thing wholly to some particular purpose or service.

Hannah, the pious mother of Samuel, carried him up to the tabernacle at Shiloh, when he was about three years old, and devoted

him to the service of the Lord; and he remained there under the charge of Eli, the high-priest.

Although very much engaged in business, he devoted some time every day to the improvement of his mind. Such devotion to study is very commendable.

We call praying to God, and singing his praises, acts of devotion.

De vout', a. loving to pray to God and praise him, and doing it frequently and reverently.

Devout men carried the first martyr Stephen to his burial.

Dex ter i ty, n. the ability to do things in an easy, skillful, and expeditious manner.

In driving safely over a rough, steep, and dangerous road, the coachman showed great dexterity.

Dic tate, v. a. for one to point out, and command with authority, what to do, or to tell another what to write.

A father found that his sons were not following the directions he had given them, and it became necessary for him to dictate to them precisely what they must do.

His arm being lame, he dictated to his clerk, who wrote it, the letter which he wished to send to his friend.

Dif fi dent, a. we say of a person who is very bashful, and has but little confidence in his ability to do a thing, that he is diffident. Dig ni ty, n. the thinking, feeling, and acting above what is improper, unjust, or mean, so as to be regarded with great respect by

others.

He who would have true dignity of mind, must learn to fear God and obey his commandments.

When Daniel stood before Belshazzar, to explain the hand writing upon the wall, he declined receiving the gifts of the king, and acted with great dignity as a prophet of the Lord.

He was very dignified in his manners, and yet so gentle and affectionate that even children loved to be in his company.

a high office or rank.

It is not uncommon in the East for persons born in a very low condition to rise to places of the highest dignity and power. Joseph was a striking instance of this, and so is Mohammed Ali, the pasha of Egypt.

Dil i gent, a. engaged in some kind of work, cheerfully, actively, and perseveringly.

"The hand of the diligent maketh rich."

It is curious to see with what diligence the little ants lay up their food.

Di min ish, v. a. and n. to make, or become less, usually in size, quantity, or number.

As he looked down from the steeple, the people in the streets appeared to be very much diminished in size.

We call a thing diminutive, when it is very much smaller than other things of the same kind.

to ac

Dint, n. a blow, or the mark made by it.-force, power; as complish a thing by dint of perseverance, by dint of entreaty, by dint of arms.

Di rect, a. not crooked, in a straight line.

The road is so direct that you cannot but go right.

plain, about which there can be no mistake.

Charles wished to stop and play after school, but the master gave him a direct order to go home.

Di rect, v. a. to point out to another what course to take.

When a person inquires of us the way to a certain place, we ought to be civil, and take pains to direct him.

"In all thy ways acknowledge God, and he shall direct thy paths."

to point in a straight line towards some object.

He directed the ship towards the lighthouse.

to point out with authority what one should do.

He directed the servant to call him at five o'clock in the morning.

The direction of a letter is what is written on the outside, to show to what person and place it is to go.

Dis a ble, v. a. to take away the ability to do a particular thing.

The loss of his sight disabled him from carrying on the business of an engraver.

The ship was so disabled by the storm, that she was compelled to come back to NewYork, and get new masts and rigging.

Dis ap point', v. a. for something to happen, or to be done, contrary to what one expects, wishes, or intends.

John and his sister Mary had been anticipating a great deal of pleasure in visiting their uncle, but when the day came on which they were to go, they were sadly disappointed by hearing that he was too unwell to see them.

We must expect to meet many disappointments, and should learn to bear them with patience.

Diş ǎs ter, n. a sudden event which causes disappointment or misfor

tune.

The sweeping off of the only mill in the Diş cern, v. a. to see or find out village by the flood, was a great disaster. something distant or obscure.

We could but just discern the house through the fog.

He is a man of great discernment. He seems to understand the characters of persons after a very short acquaintance. -Dis charge, v. a. to take or send out a load; as, the ship discharged her cargo, they discharged the cannon. to do all that is required of one, so that no further claim can be made. He has discharged his debts, and now owes nobody.

Sir Matthew Hale discharged the duties of a judge with great wisdom and fidelity. to dismiss one from some service or employment.

The hired man behaved so badly, that he paid him his wages and discharged him. Dis ci ple, n. one who receives instruction from another on important subjects.

He who would be a disciple of Christ, must feel the need of being taught by him. Dīs ci pline, n. a settled course of instruction and government combined.

He taught the scholars well, and he made them punctual, attentive, diligent, kind, and obedient. His discipline was excellent. Dis claim, v. a. to deny that one makes any claim to a thing, or that he has any knowledge of it, or that he has any thing to do with it.

He was charged with having written a certain book, but disclaimed entirely being the author of it.

Dis cord, n. disagreement in feelings or opinions, usually leading to disputes and strife.

Avoid a tale bearer, for he is sure to cause discord wherever he goes.

We call a painful disagreement of sounds in music a discord.

Dis cover, (dis kŭv er,) v. a. to see, to find out, or to bring to view what was before unknown.

Columbus discovered America in the year

1492.

Dis crēēt, a. looking carefully at consequences before one says or does something; avoiding what may be injurious; and choosing out the best means for attaining an object.

"The discretion of a man deferreth his anger."

Dis cuss, v. a. for two or more persons to examine a subject particularly and thoroughly, and to argue about it in order to find out what is right, or best to be done.

The owners of a ship discussed the matter some time, before they concluded on what voyage to send her.

Dis dain, v. a. to regard and treat a

thing with utter contempt, and to feel that to have any thing to do with it, would make one exceedingly mean and vile.

A wicked boy offered to give Robert a knife if he would help him to steal some apples, but he disdained the offer.

was before unknown or concealed.

The opening rose-bud discloses its beauties.

He was true to his promise, and nothing could induce him to disclose the secret.

or shape of a thing, so as to make it less agreeable to the sight.

He had a large scar on his cheek which disfigured his looks very much.

Dis grace, n. the not being regarded with favor.

A child who had done wrong, was not permitted to come to the table at meals for one day. He was in disgrace. saying or doing something of which a person ought to be very much ashamed.

It was a great disgrace to the young man to be so rude and impolite to his sister.

It was very disgraceful conduct in the boys to disturb the people who were worshipping in the church.

Dis guişe, v. a. to conceal by putting on an unusual or false appearance, or by words, intended to mislead or deceive.

Alfred, king of England, disguised himself as a harper, and went into the camp of his enemies, the Danes, to find out their strength and their plans.

Dis gust, v. a. to cause great dislike.

She was so affected and conceited in her manners and conversation that she disgusted the whole company.

Diş mal, a. dark, cheerless, comfortless; causing discouragement and

sadness.

I saw the prisoner in his dungeon. It was without light, cold and damp, and he had nothing to lie on but some straw on the stone floor. It was a dismal place.

Dis may, v. a. to put into great fear, to deprive of and the powcourage er of effort.

When Saul and the Israelites heard the challenge of Goliath, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

Dis patch, v. a. to send on special

business, and usually in haste.

He was taken suddenly and dangerously sick, and his friends dispatched a messenger, on horseback, ten miles, after a physician. to do a thing quickly, to finish.

They had a great deal of business to do, and in order to dispatch it they sat up nearly the whole night.

to put to death.

Herod sent some one who dispatched John the Baptist in prison.

Dis pěl, v. a. to bring to an end by scattering and driving away.

The rising sun dispelled the fog.

He was very apprehensive that his son was lost at sea, but he received a letter from him yesterday which dispelled all his fears. Dis pense, v. a. to deal out, to give portions of what is good to others. When Christ was on earth, he dispensed many blessings to the poor, the sick, and the wretched.

When we say, we can dispense with a thing, we mean that we can do without it; as, there is no fear of rain, you may dispense with your umbrella.

Dis perse, v. a. to break up into parts, and to scatter what was before united.

In autumn, the dry leaves on the trees were dispersed by the gale, and left the branches bare.

Dis play, v. a. to spread out, so as to strike the eye and be fully seen.

The peacock displays its train of beautiful feathers, and seems to be vain of them. It knows no better.

The Spartan band of three hundred men, which defended the straits of Thermopylæ against the vast army of Xerxes, displayed heroic courage. They were all slain but one. This happened 480 years before Christ. Dis pōşe, v. a. to place, or put in order.

The master disposed the scholars in two parts, placing the boys on one side of the room, and the girls on the other.

to lead one to do something.

One said to his friend who was a poor man; "What could have disposed you to buy that expensive painting?"