of tenacious temper insists on trifles that are supposed to affect his importance; a pertinacious temper insists on every thing which is apt to affect his opinions. Tenacity and pertinacity are both foibles, but the former is sometimes more excuseable than the latter.

We may be tenacious of that which is good, as when a man is tenacious of whatever may affect his honor; So tenacious are we of the old ecclesiastical modes, that very little alteration has been made in them since the fourteenth or fifteenth century; adhering to our old settled maxim, never entirely, nor at once, to depart from antiquity.' BURKE. We cannot be pertinacious in any thing but our opinions, and that too in cases where they are least defensible; The most pertinacious and vehement demonstrator may be wearied in time by continual negation.' JOHNSON. It commonly happens that people are most tenacious of being thought to possess that in which they are most deficient, and most pertinacious in maintaining that which is most absurd. A liar is tenacious of his reputation for truth; Men are tenacious of the opinions that first possess them.' LOCKE. Sophists, freethinkers, and sceptics, are the most pertinacious objectors to whatever is established; One of the dissenters appeared to Dr. Sanderson to be so bold, so troublesome, and illogical, in the dispute, as forced him to say, that he had never met with a man of more pertinacious confidence and less abilities.' WALTON.

CONTINUAL, PERPETUAL, CONSTANT.

Continual, in French continuel, Latin continuus, from contineo to hold or keep together, signifies keeping together without intermission; perpetual, in French perpetuel, Latin perpetualis, from perpeto, compounded of per and peto to seek thoroughly, signifies going on every where and at all times; constant, in Latin constans, or con and sto, signifies the quality of standing to a thing, or standing close together.

What is continual admits of no interruption: what is perpetual admits of no termination. There may be an end to that which is continual, and there may be intervals in that which is perpetual. Rains are continual in the tropical climates at certain seasons; complaints among the lower orders are perpetual, but they are frequently without foundation. There is a continual passing and repassing in the streets of the metropolis during the day;

Open your ears, for which if you will stop

The vent of hearing when loud rumour speaks;
Upon my tongue continual slanders ride,
The which in every language I pronounce.

SHAKSPEARE.

The world, and all that it contains, are subject to perpetual change; If affluence of fortune unhappily concur to favour the inclinations of the youthful,

amusements and diversions succeed in a perpetual round.' BLAIR.

The continual is that which admits of no interruption, the constant is that which admits of no change. The last twenty-five years have presented to the world a continual succession of events, that have exceeded in importance those going before; the French revolution and the atrocities attendant upon it have been the constant theme of execration with the well disposed part of mankind. To an intelligent parent it is a continual source of pleasure to watch the progress of his child in the acquirement of knowledge, and the development of his faculties;

'Tis all blank sadness, or continual tears. POPE.

It will be the constant endeavour of a parent to train him up in principles of religion and virtue, while he is cultivating his talents, and storing his mind with science;

The world's a scene of changes, and to be

Constant in nature were inconstancy. COWLEY. is employed in the moral sense to denote the temper of Continual is used in the proper sense only, constant the mind (v. Constancy),

CONTINUAL, CONTINUED.

Both these terms mark length of duration, but the former admits of a certain degree of interruption, which the latter does not. What is continual may have frequent pauses; what is continued ceases only to terminate. Rains are continual; noises in a tumultuous street are continual: the bass in music is said to be continued; the mirth of a drunken party is one continued noise. Continual interruptions abate the vigor of application and create disgust: *in countries situated near the poles, there is one continued darkness for the space of five or six months; during which time the inhabitants are obliged to leave the place.

Continual respects the duration of actions or circumstances only; continued is likewise applied to the extent or course of things: rumors are continual; talking, walking, running, and the like, is continual,

And gulphy Simoïs rolling to the main,
Helmets and shields and godlike heroes slain:
These turn'd by Phoebus from their wonted ways,
Delug'd the rampire nine continual days. POPE.

A line, a series, a scene, or a stream of water, &c. is continued;

Our life is one continued toil for fame. MARTYN. 'By too intense and continued application, our feeble powers would soon be worn out.' BLAIR.

CONTINUANCE, CONTINUATION,

DURATION.

Continuance is said of the time that a thing continues (v. To continue); continuation expresses the act of continuing what has been begun. The continuance of any particular practice may be attended with serious consequence; Their duty depending upon fear, the one was of no greater continuance than the other.' HAYWARD. The continuation of a work depends on the abilities and will of the workman;

The Roman poem is but the second part of the Ilias, the continuation of the same story.' RAY. Authors have however not always observed this distinction; • Providence seems to have equally divided the whole mass of mankind into different sexes, that every woman may have her husband, and that both may equally contribute to the continuance of the species.' STEELE. The Pythagorean transmigration, the sensual habitations of the Mahometan, and the shady realms of Pluto, do all agree in the main point, the continuation of our existence.' BERKELEY.

Continuance and duration, in Latin duratio, from duro to harden, or figuratively to last, are both employed for time; things may be of long continuance, or of long duration but continuance is used only with regard to the action; duration with regard to the thing and its existence. Whatever is occasionally done, and soon to be ended, is not for a continuance; whatever is made, and soon destroyed, is not of long duration; there are many excellent institutions in England which promise to be of no less continuance than of utility; That pleasure is not of greater continuance, which arises from the prejudice or malice of its hearers.' ADDISON. Duration is with us a relative term; things are of long or short duration: by comparison, the duration of the world and all sublunary objects is nothing in regard to eternity; Mr. Locke observes, "that we get the idea of time and duration, by reflecting on that train of ideas which succeed one another in our minds." ADDISON.

CONTINUATION, CONTINUITY.

Continuation, as may be seen above (v. Continuance), is the act of continuing; continuity is the quality of continuing: the former is employed in the figurative sense for the duration of events and actions; the latter in the physical sense for the adhesion of the component parts of the bodies. The continuation of a history up to the existing period of the writer is the work of every age, if not of every year; The sun ascending into the northern signs begetteth first a temperate heat, which by his approach unto the solstice he intendeth; and by continuation the same even upon declination.' BROWN (Vulgar Errors). There are bodies of so little continuity that they will crumble to pieces on the slightest touch; A body always perceives the passages by which it insinuates; feels the impulse of another body where it yields

thereto perceives the separation of its continuity, and for a time resists it; in fine, perception is diffused through all nature.' BACON.

The sprightly breast demands
Incessant rapture; life, a tedious load,
Deny'd its continuity of joy. SHENSTONE.

DURABLE, LASTING, PERMANENT.

Durable is said of things that are intended to remain a shorter time than those which are lasting; and permanent expresses less than durable; durable, from the Latin durus hard, respects the texture of bodies, and marks the capacity to hold out; lasting, from the verb to last, or the adjective last, signifies to remain the last or longest, and is applicable only to that which is supposed of the longest duration. Permanent, from the Latin permaneo, signifies remaining

to the end.

Durable is naturally said of material substances; and lasting of those which are spiritual; although in ordinary discourse sometimes they exchange offices: permanent applies more to the affairs of men. which ceases quickly is not lasting; that which is That which perishes quickly is not durable: that only for a time is not permanent.

Stone is more durable than iron, and iron than wood: in the feudal times animosities between families used to be lasting: a clerk has not a permanent situation in an office. However we may boast of our progress in the arts, we appear to have lost the art of making things as durable as they were made in former times; If writings be thus durable, and may pass from age to age, through the whole course of time, how careful should an author be of not committing any thing to print that may corrupt posterity.' ADDISON. The writings of the moderns will many of them be as lasting monuments of human genius as those of the ancients; I must desire my fair readers to give a proper direction to their being admired; in order to which they must endeavour to make themselves the objects of a reasonable and lasting admiration.' ADDISON. One who is of a contented moderate disposition will generally prefer a permanent situation with small gains to one that is very lucrative but temporary and precarious; Land comprehends all things in law of a permanent sub

stantial nature.' BLACKSTONE.

DURABLE, CONSTANT.

Durability is the property of things; constancy (v. Constancy) is the property of either persons or things. The durable is that which lasts long. The constant is that which continues without interruption. No durable connections can be formed which are founded on vicious principles; Some states have suddenly emerged, and even in the depths of their calamity have laid the foundation of a towering and

durable greatness.' BURKE. Some persons are never happy but in a constant round of pleasures; Since we cannot promise ourselves constant health, let us endeavour at such a temper, as may be our best support in the decay of it.' STEELE. What is durable is so from its inherent property, but what is constant, in regard to persons or things, arises from the temper of the mind; He shewed his firm adherence to religion as modelled by our national constitution, and was constant to its offices in devotion, both in public and in his family.' ADDISON.

DURATION, TIME.

In the philosophical sense, according to Mr. Locke, time is that mode of duration which is formed in the mind by its own power of observing and measuring passing objects.

In the vulgar sense in which duration is synonymous with time, it stands for the time of duration, and is more particularly applicable to the objects which are said to last; time being employed in general for whatever passes in the world.

Duration comprehends the beginning and end of any portion of time, that is the how long of a thing; time is employed more frequently for the particular portion itself, namely, the time when: we mark the duration of a sound from the time of its commencement to the time that it ceases: the duration of a

prince's reign is an object of particular concern to his subjects if he be either very good or the reverse; the time in which he reigns is marked by extraordinary events. An historian computes the duration of reigns and of events in order to determine the antiquity of a nation; I think another probable conjecture (respecting the soul's immortality) may be raised from our appetite to duration itself." STEELE. An historian fixes the exact time when each person begins to reign and when he dies, in order to determine the number of years that each reigned; The time of the fool is long because he does not know what to do with it; that of the wise man, because he distinguishes every moment of it with useful or amusing thoughts.' ADDISON.

TIME, SEASON, TIMELY, SEASONABLE. Time is here the generic term; it is taken either for the whole or the part: season is any given portion of time. We speak of time when the simple idea of time only is to be expressed, as the time of the day, or the time of the year; the season is spoken in reference to some circumstances; the year is divided into four parts, called the seasons, according to the nature of the weather: hence, in general, that time is called the season which is suitable for any particular purpose; youth is the season for improvement. It is a matter of necessity to choose the time; it is an affair of wisdom to choose the season; You will often want religion in times of most danger.' CHATHAM.

"Piso's behaviour towards us in this season of affliction has endeared him to us.' MELMOTH (Letters of Cicero.)

The same distinction exists between the epithets timely and seasonable as their primitives. The former signifies within the time, that is, before the time is past; the latter according to the season or what the season requires. A timely notice prevents that which would otherwise happen; It imports all men, especially bad men, to think on the judgement, that by a timely repentance they may prevent the woeful effects of it.' SOUTH. A seasonable hint seldom fails of its effect because it is seasonable; What you call a bold, is not only the kindest, but the most seasonable proposal you could have made.' LOCKE. We must not expect to have a timely notice of death, but must be prepared to die at any time; an admonition to one who is on a sick-bed is very seasonable, when given by a minister of religion or a friend. The opposites of these terms are untimely or ill-timed and unseasonable: untimely is directly opposed to timely, signifying before the time appointed; as an untimely death: but ill-timed is indirectly opposed, signifying in the wrong time; as an ill-timed remark.

TIME, PERIOD, AGE, DATE, ÆRA,
EPOCHA.

Time (v. Time) is, as before, taken either from time in general, or time in particular; all the other terms are taken for particular portions of time. Time, in the sense of a particular portion of time, is used indefinitely, and in cases where the other terms are

not so proper;

There is a time when we should not only number our days, but our hours.' YOUNG. Time included within any given points is termed a period, from the Greek Tepiodos, signifying a course, round, or any revolution: thus, the period of day, or of night, is the space of time comprehended between the rising and setting, or setting and rising of the sun; the period of a year comprehends the space which the earth requires for its annual revolution. So, in an extended and moral application, we have stated periods in our life for particular things: during the period of infancy a child is in a state of total dependance on its parents; a period of apprenticeship has been appointed for youth to learn different trades; Some experiment would be made how by art to make plants more lasting than their ordinary period; as to make a stalk of wheat last a whole year.' BACON. This term is employed not only to denote the whole intervening space of time, but also the particular concluding point, which makes it equivalent in sense to the termination of the existence of any body, as to put a period to one's existence, for to kill one's self, or be killed;

But the last period, and the fatal hour,
DENHAM.
Of Troy is come.

The age is a species of period comprehending the

life of a man, and consequently referring to what is done by men living within that period: hence we speak of the different ages that have existed since the commencement of the world, and characterise this or that age by the particular degrees of vice or virtue, genius, and the like, for which it is distinguished; The story of Haman only shows us what human nature has too generally appeared to be in every age.' BLAIR.

The date is that period of time which is reckoned from the date or commencement of a thing to the time that it is spoken of: hence we speak of a thing as being of a long or a short date, that is, of being of long or short duration; Plantations have one advantage in them which is not to be found in most other works, as they give a pleasure of a more lasting date." ADDISON.

Era, in Latin æra, probably from as brass, signifying coin with which one computes; and epocha, from the Greek inoxǹ, from èñéxw to stop, signifying a resting place; both refer to points of time rendered remarkable by events: but the term ara is more commonly employed in the literal sense for points of computation in chronology, as the Christian era; That period of the Athenian history which is included within the era of Pisistratus, and the death of Menander the comic poet, may justly be styled the literary age of Greece.' CUMBERLAND. The term epocha is indefinitely employed for any period distinguished by remarkable events: the grand rebellion is an epocha in the history of England; The institution of this library (by Pisistratus) forms a signal epocha in the annals of literature.' CUMBERLAND.

TIMESERVING, TEMPORIZING. Timeserving and temporizing are both applied to the conduct of one who adapts himself servilely to the time and season; but a timeserver is rather active, and a temporizer passive. A timeserver avows those opinions which will serve his purpose: the temporizer forbears to avow those which are likely for the time being to hurt him. The former acts from a desire of gain, the latter from a fear of loss. Timeservers are of all parties, as they come in the way; Ward had complied during the late times, and held in by taking the covenant: so he was hated by the high men as a timeserver.' BURNETT. Temporizers are of no party, as occasion requires; Feeble and temporizing measures will always be the result, when men assemble to deliberate in a situation where they ought to act.' ROBERTSON. Sycophant courtiers must always be timeservers: ministers of state are frequently temporizers.

INSTANT, MOMENT.

Instant, from sto to stand, signifies the point of time that stands over us, or as it were over our heads;

moment, from the Latin momentum, is any small particle, particularly a small particle of time.

The instant is always taken for the time present; the moment is taken generally for either past, present, or future. A dutiful child comes the instant he is called; a prudent person embraces the favorable moment. When they are both taken for the present time, the instant expresses a much shorter space than the moment; when we desire a person to do a thing this instant, it requires haste; if we desire him to do it this moment, it only admits of no delay. Instantaneous relief is necessary on some occasions to preserve life; Some circumstances of misery are so powerfully ridiculous, that neither kindness nor duty can withstand them; they force the friend, the dependant, or the child, to give way to instantaneous motions of merriment.' JOHNSON. A moment's thought will furnish a ready wit with a suitable reply; I can easily overlook any present momentary sorrow, when I reflect that it is in my power to be happy a thousand years hence.' BERKELEY.

TEMPORARY, TRANSIENT, TRANSITORY, FLEETING.

Temporary, from tempus time, characterizes that which is intended to last only for a time, in distinction from that which is permanent; offices depending upon a state of war are temporary, in distinction from those which are connected with internal policy; By the force of superior principles the temporary prevalence of passions may be restrained.' JOHNSON. Transient, that is, passing, or in the act of passing, characterizes what in its nature exists only for the moment; a glance is transient; Any sudden diversion of the spirits, or the justling in of a transient thought, is able to deface the little images of things (in the memory). SOUTH. Transitory, that is, apt to pass away, characterizes every thing in the world which is formed only to exist for a time, and then to pass away; thus our pleasures, and our pains, and our very being, are denominated transitory; Man is a transitory being.' JOHNSON. Fleeting, which is derived from the verb to fly and flight, is but a stronger term to express the same idea as transitory; Thus when my fleeting days at last, Unheeded, silently are past,

Calmly I shall resign my breath,

In life unknown, forgot in death. SPECTATOR.

COEVAL, COTEMPORARY.

Coeval, from the Latin ævum an age, signifies of the same age; cotemporary, from tempus, signifies of the same time.

An age is a specifically long space of time; a time is indefinite; hence the application of the terms to things in the first case, and to persons in the second :

OFTEN, FREQUENTLY. Often, or in its contracted form oft, comes in all probability through the medium of the northern languages, from the Greek again, and signifies properly repetition of action; frequently, from frequent crowded or numerous, respects a plurality or number of objects.

An ignorant man often uses a word without knowing what it means; ignorant people frequently mistake the meaning of the words they hear. A person goes out very often in the course of a week; he has frequently six or seven persons to visit him in the

OLD, ANCIENT, ANTIQUE, ANTIQUATED, OLD-FASHIONED, OBSOLETE.

Old, in German alt, Low German old, &c. comes from the Greek wλos of yesterday; ancient, in French ancien, and antique, antiquated, all come from the Latin antiquus, and antea before, signifying in general before our time; old-fashioned signifies after an old fashion; obsolete, in Latin obsoletus, participle of obsoleo, signifies literally out of use.

Old respects what has long existed and still exists; ancient what existed at a distant period, but does not necessarily exist at present; antique, that which has been long ancient, and of which there remain but faint traces: antiquated, old-fashioned, and obsolete that which has ceased to be any longer used or esteemed. A fashion is old when it has been long in use; The Venetians are tenacious of old laws and customs to their great prejudice.' ADDISON. A custom is ancient when its use has long been passed;

'But sev'n wise men the ancient world did know,
We scarce know sev'n who think themselves not so.
DENHAM.

A bust or statue is antique which is the work of the ancients, or made after the manner of the ancient works of art;

Under an oak, whose antique root peeps out
Under the brook that brawls along this wood,
A poor sequester'd stag,

That from the hunters' aim had ta'en a hurt,
Did come to languish. SHAKSPEARE.

A person is antiquated whose appearance is grown out of date; Whoever thinks it necessary to regulate his conversation by antiquated rules, will be rather despised for his futility than caressed for his politeness." JOHNSON. Manners which are gone quite out of fashion are old-fashioned; The swords in the arsenal of Venice are old-fashioned and unwieldy.' ADDISON. A word or custom is obsolete which is grown out of use; Obsolete words may be laudably revived, when they are more sounding or more significant than those in practice.' DRYDEN.

The old is opposed to the new:, some things are the worse for being old; other things are the better. Ancient and antique are opposed to modern: all things are valued the more for being ancient or antique; hence we esteem the writings of the ancients above those of the moderns. The antiquated is