D1S
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DIS
the Exercifc of the Difcus was one of thofe practifed in the Solemnities of their public Games : It confided in pitching, or throwing a Difcus either upward, or ftraight forward ; and he who threw it higheftj or furtheft, bore aw ay the Prize.
Thofc who practis'd at this Game, were call'd Difco- boli, i- c. Throwers of the Difcus.
Hyacinth, a Favourite of Apollo, playing at the Difcus with that God, was kill'd by a Blow of Apollo's. Difcus, which his Rival Zephyrus diverted from its Courfe, and calt on the Boy's Head.
The Difcus was thrown by means of a little Cord made of Hair, as appears from Claudian Lib. II. in En- trap. Cdrm. 20. v. 359. iS feq. Ovid defcribes this Sport ftletem. Lib. X. v. 175. The Romans learnt the Game of the Difcus of the Greeks, and praais'd it among them- felves.
Dempfer, Parallip. in Rofwi Antirj. Rom. L. V. C. I. and Vet . Faber. Agonificon L. II. C.I. treat of the Diver- fion of the Difcus.
DISC, DISK, or Sifeus, in Aftronomy, the Body, or Face of the Sun, or Moon ; fuch as it appears to us. See Sun, &c.
In a total Eclipfe of either of thofe Luminaries, the whole Disk is obiiured, or darken'd ; In a partial Eclipfe, only Part of them. See Eclipse.
Half the Moon's Disk was immerged in the Shadow of the Earth in fuch an Eclipfe.
The Difc is conceiv'd to be divided into twelve equal Parts, call'd Digits ; by means whereof it is, that the Magnitude of an Eclipfe is meafur'd, or cfbmated. Such an Eclipfe was fo many Digits, or Parts of the Sun, or Moon's Disk. Mercury and Venus are fometimes feen in the Sun's Disk, tranfiting the Sun's Disk. See Transit.
Disc, in Opticks, the Magnitude of Telefcope Glaffes ; or the Width of their Apertures, whatever their Figure be, whether Plain, Convex, Menifcus, eVc.
Disc, Difcus, in Botany, is applied to the centra], or middle Part of radiated Flowers ; as being round and plain like a Quoit. See Discous Flower.
This is fometimes alfo call'd the Tel-vis, or Safon.
The Difc is compofed of feveral Fleurons perpendicularly placed.
Disc, in the Greek Liturgy, is the fame Thing with the Patcna in the Latin.
In the Greek Church the confecrated Bread is laid on a Difctts, as in the Latin Church it is on a 'Patina. The 2>ifcus only differs from the 'Patina, in that it is bigger, and deeper; as refembling a Plate, which was the proper Signification of the Word Difcus among the Ancients.
Discekt. See Descent.
DISCERNING, an A& of the Mind whereby it diftin- guifhes between Idea's. See Idea.
On this Faculty of Discerning, depends the Evidence and Certainty of feveral, even general Propositions, which pafs for innate Truths ; and which in Reality flow from this clear decerning Faculty of the Mind, whereby it perceives two Idea's to be the fame, or different.
In being able nicely to diftinguifh one Thing from an- other, where there is the leaf! Difference, confifts in great Meafure the Exactnefs of Judgment, and Clearnefs of Rea- fon, which is to be obferv'd in one Man above another; which is quite oppofite to Wit, which confifts moft in the Affemblage of Idea's, and putting thofe together with Quicknefs and Variety, which have the leaf! Refemblance to form agreeable Vifions: whereas Judgment feparates care- fully thofe Idea's, wherein can be found the leaft Differ- ence, to prevent Error, and Delufion. To the well-diftin- guiihing our Idea's, it chiefly contributes, that they be clear, and determinate ; and when they are fo, there will not arife any Confufion, or Miftake about them, tho' the Sen- fes fhould convey them from the fame Object, differently on different Occafions. See Judgment.
DISCIPLINE, primarily fignifies Inftruction and Govern- ment ; But is figuratively applied to a ftated Method of living, according to the Rules of fome Profeflion.
Thus we fay the Military Discipline, the Ecclefiafic, or Church Discipline, the Regular, or Monafiic Disci- pline, Be.
We don't fay Civil Difcipline, but inftead thereof, 'Po- licy. See Policy.
Discipline, is alfo ufed in a peculiar Senfe, for the Chaftifement, or bodily Punifhmcnt inflicted on a Religious, who has been caught delinquent ; Or even for that they vo- luntarily undergo, or inflict on themfelves by way of Mor- tification. See Penance.
Among all the Aufteritics practifed by the ancient Monks ran Solitaries, Dupin obferves, there is no mention made of DifcipH ne : In Effect, it does not appear to have been in Oft in Antiquity, unlefs to punilh the Monks, who had been taken tripping.
'Tis commonly faid to be St. Dominie and Peter Da-
ian, who firft introduced the Ufe of Discipline ■ But F" Mabillonuot^ that Guy Abbot ofPompofia, and others; had praa.fed ,t before them. Tis pretty certain, the Practice was firft eftablifh d in the eleventh Century with Defign to redeem the Penances the Canons impos'd on di- vers Offences ; and at length, they came not only to re- deem for themfelves, but alfo for others. Sec Fa Ma- billon.
Discipline, is alfo frequently ufed for the Inflrument wherewith a Monk chaftifes, or mortifies himfelf ; which is ufually made of Ropes, knotted Hair, or twilled Parch- ment. St. Jerom is painted with Disciplines of Iron Chains with Spur Rowels, Be.
DISCLAIMER, in Law, a Plea, containing an exprefs Denial, renouncing, or difclaiming of a Thing alledgcd: As «™J Tenant fue a Replevin upon a Diflrefs taken by the Lord, and the Lord avow, faying, that he holds of him as his Lord, and that he deffraiW for Rent not pay'd or Service not perform'd; then the Tenant denying to hold of fuch Lord, is faid to difclaim : And the Lord provin" the Tenant to hold of him, the Tenant lofes his Land
Alfo a Man denying himf'elf to be of the Blood, or Kindred of another in his Plea, is faid to difclaim his Blood. If a Man arraign'd of Felony, difclaim Goods - being clear d, he lofes 'em.
DISCONTINUANCE, an Interruption, Intermiffion, or Ceflation of the Courfe of a Thing : As, Discontinuance of Poffeffwn; of a Plea ; Procefs, &c.
The Effect of a Difcontimiance oS PoJfeJJion, is this that a Man may not enter on his own Land, or Tenement alienated, whatever his Right be to it, of himfelf, or by his own Authority; but'muft bring his Writ, and fcek to recover Poffeffion by Law. As if a Man alien the Lands he holdeth in Right of his Wife ; Or if a Tenant in Tail make any Feoffment, or Leafe for Life not warranted by the Stat. 32. Hen.VIU. by Fine, or Livery of Scifin ; Such Alienations are call'd Dijcontinuauces. See Pos- session.
The Effect of Discontinuance of Plea, is, that the Op- portunity of Profecution is loft, and not recoverable, but by beginning a new Suit. For to be discontinued, and to be put off without a Day, are the fame Thing ; and nothing lefs than to be finally difmifs'd the Court.
If a Juftice-Seat be difcontinued by the not comln» of the Juftices, the King commonly renews the fame by his Writ, Be. Crompton Jurifi. See Plea.
DISCORD, in Mufic, the Relation of two Sounds which are always, and of themfelves, difagreeable, whether ap- plied in Succcffion, or Confonance. See Sound.
If two fimple Sounds are in fuch a Relation of Tune that is, have fuch a Difference of Tune, as that beino founded together, they make a Mixture, or compound Souncf which the Ear receives with Difpleafure, it is call'd a Dif- cord ; As, on the contrary, if it receive it with Plcafurc, it is call'd a Concord : And whatever two Sounds make an agree* able, or difagreeable Compound, they will have the fame Effects refpectively, if they be applied in Succeffion. See Tune, Concord.
As Concords are denominated Harmonical Intervals ■ fo may Difcords be denominated Unharmonical Intervals. See Interval.
Difcords are diftinguiih'd into Concinnous, and Inconcin- nous Intervals.
The Concinnous, by the Ancients call'd Emmeli, are fuch as are apt, or fit for Mufic, next to, and in Combination with Concords. Thefe are Relations, which in themfelves are neither very agreeable, nor difagreeable ; and have only a good Effect in Mufic by their Oppofition, as they heighten, and illuftrate the more natural andefTential Principles of the Plea- fure we feek for ; or, as by their Mixture, and Combination with them, they produce a Variety neceffary to our beino better pleas'd.
Notwithftanding this they are ftill call'd Difcords ; as the Bittcrnefs of fome Things may help to fet off the Sweetnefs of others, and yet ftill be bitter.
The Inconcinnous Difcords, by the Ancients call'd Ecmeli, are fuch as are never chofen in Mufic ; as having too great a Harfhnefs in them : Tho' even the greater! Difcord is not without its Ufe. See Concinnous, Be.
The Effential Principles of Harmony, Harmonical Inter- vals, or Concords, are but few, in Number only eight ; the indefinite Number of other Ratio's arc all Difcords. Hence Mr. Malcolm fhews the Neceffity of raking fome of the lefs untoward of thefe Difcords into the Syltem of Mufic 1 In order to this, he conflicts the Effect of having none but harmonical Intervals in the Syftem of Mufic.
1. With refpect to a Angle Voice; If that fhould move al- ways from one Degree of Tune to another, fo as every Note, or Sound to the next were in the Ratio of fome Concord ; the Variety, which is Life of Mufic, would foon be sxhau- CL* ikd,
