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Diversion, in Medicine, is the turning of the Courfo, or Flux of Humours from one Part to another, by proper Ap- plications. See Revulsion, and Derivation.
DIVERSITY differs from Difimftion in this, that the latter is the Work of the Mind ; but the former is in Things themfelves, antecedent to any Operation of the Mind. For Things that are feveral, are different ; even tho 1 do not conceive 'em. See Distinction, and Difference.
The Diverfitv, or Difference of Things, therefore, anfcs from their effcntial Attributes.
DIVESTING, properly fignifles Undrejfing, or (tripping oft" one's Garments, in Contra-diftinaion to Invefiing. See Investiture.
InLaw, it is us'd for the Aft of furrendring, or relinquiih- ing one's Effects. By a Contract of Donation, or Sale, the Donor, or Seller are faid to be liijjfeifed, and divefied of their Property in fuch a Commodity, and the Donee, or Purchafer becomes invefied therewith.
Demiffion is a general Divejliture, which the Fathers and Mothers make of all their Effects, in Favour of their Children.
DIVIDEND, in Arithmetick, the Number given to be divided 5 Or that whereof the Divifion is made. See Di- vision.
The Dividend muff always be greater than the Divifor. The Quotient always contains as many Unites, as the Di- vidend contains the Divifor times. See Division.
DIVINATION, the Art of foretelling future Events. See Prophesy. _
Divination is divided by the Ancients into Artificial and Natural.
Artificial is that, which proceeds by reafoning upon cer- tain external Signs, which it confiders as Indications of Fu- turity : natural is that, which prefages Things from a mere internal Senfe, and Perfuafion of the Mind, without any Affiftance of Signs.
Natural Divination is of two Kinds : the one Native 5 the other by Influx.
The firft is founded on this Suppofition, that the Soul, collected within it felf, and not diftuied among the Organs of the Body, has, from its own Nature and Effence fome Fore-knowledge of future Things ; Witnefs what is feen in Dreams, Extafics, the Confines of Death, (5c.
The fecond is founded on this, that the Soul receives, after the Manner of a Mirror, fome fecundary Illumination from the Pretence of God, and other Spirits.
Artificial Divination is alfo of two Kinds : the one arguing from Natural Caufies ; fuch are the Predictions of Phyficians about the Events of Diteafes, from the Pulfe, Urine, (Sc. fuch alfo are thofc of the Politician, Oh Ve- nalem Urbem, (5 citofierituraw.fi. Emptorem Inveneris.
The fecond proceeds from Experiment and Obiervations arbitrarily inftituted ; and is moftly fuperflitious.
Infinite are the Syflems of Divination reducible to this Head : By Birds, the Entrails of Seafts, Dreams, Lines of the Hand, 'Points mark'd at Random, Numbers, Names, the Motion of a Sieve, the Air, Fire, the Sortes c Pr<enefii- rne, Virgiliante, and Homeric<e ; Numerous others, with the principal Species whereof, with their Names, are :
pfiychomancy, or Sciomancy, which confifts in calling up the Souls, or Shades of the Deceas'd, to learn of 'em fome- thing required. DaSylomancy, perform'd by means of one, or more Rings. Hydromancy, perform'd with Sea-Water. 'Pegomancy, with Spring- Water. Omi thorn ancy, which was the Bufinefs of the Augurs. Clidomancy, perform'd with Keys. Coskiromtmcy, with a Riddle, or Sieve. Cledonifim, by Words, or Voice. Extifpicina, by the Entrails of Victims. Alphitomancy, or Aleuromancy, by Flower. Kerannofico- pia, by the Confederation of Thunder-bolts. Capnomancy, by Smoak. AleSriomancy, by Cocks. 'Pyromancy, by Fire. Zithomancy, by Stones. Lychnomancy, by Lamps. Necro- mancy, by the Dead, or their Bones, (Sc Oncrocritica, by Dreams. Orojcopy, by Eggs. Lecanomancy, by a Bafon of Water. Gafiromancy, by the Belly, or by Vials. ^Palpi- tation, Salififatio, wtApos, by the Pulfation, or Motion of fome Member. Axinomancy, by a Hatchet, or Cleaver. Ca- toptromancy, or Cryfiallomancy, by a Mirror. Chiromancy, by the Lines of the Hand. Geomancy, by the Earth. Cero- mancy, by Figures of Wax. Arithnomancy, by Numbers. Selomancy, by Arrows. Sycomancy, &c. all defcribed by Cardan in his lVth Book, de Sapientia 5 and under their proper Articles in this Dictionary. See Psychomancy, Dactylomancy, Sortes, (Sc.
Find has feveral particular Treatifes of the feveral Species of Divination : Cicero has two Books of the Divination of the Ancients, wherein he refutes the whole Syftem. All theft Kinds of Divination have been condemn'd by the Fa- thers, and Councils, as fuppofing fome Compact with the Devil.
In Holy Scripture we find mention made of nine different Kinds of Divination.
The firfl perform'd by thelnfpe&ion of Planets, Stars, arid Clouds : "Tis fuppofed to be the Pra.ticers of this, whom Mofies calls (:ij;a Meonen, of fjj; Anan, Clouds, Deuter. C. XVIII. v. 10. 2. Thofe, whom the Prophet calls in the fame Place KHIjn Menachefieh, which the Vulgate, and Ge- nerality of Interpreters render Augur. 3. Thofe, who in the fame Place are call'd tltMlO Mecaficheph, which the Septuagint, and Vulgate tranllate; A Man given to ill Prac- tices. 4. Such Authors, whom Mofes in the fame Chapter, a 11. calls "lain Hhober. 5. Thofe, who confult Spirits, call'd 'Python ; or, as Mofies expreffes it in the fame Book, 31N "?N2>, thofe who askQueftions oiPython. 6. Witches, or Magicians, whom Mofies calls 'JJ7T Judeoni. 7. Thofe, who confult the Dead, Necromancers. 8. The Prophet Ho- fieah, C. IV. 12. mentions fuch as confult Rods, >bP3 bxt?, which Kind of Divination may be call'd Rabdomancy. 9. The laft Kind of Divination mention'd in Scripture, is Hepatofcofiy, or the Confederation of the Liver.
DIVINE, fomething that comes from, or relates to a God. See God.
The Word is alfo us'd, figuratively, for any thing that is excellent, extraordinary, and that teems to go beyond the Power of Nature, and the Capacity of Mankind : In this Senfe, the Compafs, Telefcope, Clocks, (5c. are faid to be divine Inventions. 'Plato is call'd the divine Author, the Divine 'Plato 5 and the fame Appellation is given to Se- neca : Hippocrates is call'd, the divine old Man, Divinus Senex, (5c.
The Arabs give the Appellation of Divines, Jl'n'jX Ela- hioun, to their fecond Sect of Philofophers, which confifts of fuch as admit a firft Mover of all Things, a fpiritual Sub- ftance free from all Kind of Matter, in a Word, a God. By this Name they diftinguifh. 'em from their firft Sect, whom they call Deherioun, or Thabaioun, i. e. Worldly, or Natural, or rather, Worldlings, and Naturalifts, as admit- ting of no Principles beyond the Material World, and Na- ture.
The Word jrn^X Elahioun, is deriv'd from N^X Alia, God : So that the Elahioun are the Divines, or Theo- logues, as Cafiellus renders it 5 or, fuch as own a God.
DIVINITY, the Nature, and Effence of God. See God.
Divinity and Humanity are joyn'd together in Jefius Chrift. 'Tis falfly, that the Atheifts hold the Notion of a Divinity to be a Political Invention of the ancient Legifla- tors, to fecure and warrant the Obfervation of their Laws : On the contrary, 'tis certain, the Legiflators made Ufe of the Opinion, which they found already imprefs'd on the Minds of the People.
The Heathen Divinities may be reduced to three ClafTes : The firft, 'Theological, reprefenting the Divine Nature under divers Attributes j Thus Jupiter denotes the abfolute Power of God, jfuno his Juftice, (5c.
The fecond Oafs of Divinities are Phyfical : Thus Eolus is that Power in Nature, whereby Vapours and Exhalations are collected to form Winds, (5c.
The laft are Moral Divinities. Thus the Furies are only the fecret Reproaches and Stings of Confcience.
Divinity is alfo us'd in the fame Senfe with Theology. See Theology.
DIVING, the Art, or Act of defcending under Water to confiderable Depths, and abiding there a competent Time.
The Ufes of Diving are very confiderable, particularly in the Fifhing for Pearls, Corals, Spunges, (5c. See Pearl- Fifibing, Spunce, &c.
There have been divers Methods propofed, and Engines contriv'd, to render the Bufinefs of Diving more fafe and eafy. The great Point is to furnifh the Diver with frefh Air, without which, he muft either make a fliort Stay, or perifh.
Thofe who dive for Spunges in the Mediterranean, help themfelves by carrying down Spunges dipt in Oil in their Mouths. But confidering the frnall Quantity of Air that can be contain'd in the Pores of a Spunge, and how much that little will be contracted by the Preffure of the incumbent Air, fuch a Supply cannot long fubfift the Diver. For it is found by Experiment, that a Gallon of Air included in a Bladder, and by a Pipe reciprocally infpired and expired by the Lungs, becomes unfit for Refpiration in little more than one Minute of Time. For tho' its Elafticity be but little alter'd in paffing the Lungs, yet it lofes its vivifying Spirit, and is render'd effete.
In effect, a naked Diver, Dr. Halley affures us, without a Spunge, cannot remain above a couple of Minutes enclofed in Water j nor much longer with one, without Suffocating 5 nor, without long Practice, near folongj ordinary Perfons beginning to itifte in about half a Minute. Befides that, if the Depth be confiderable, the Preffure of the Water in the Veffels makes the Eyes Blood-fhot, and frequently occafions a Spitting of Blood.
Hence,
