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Every Convention has either a Name, and a Caufe or Confideration, or it has none : In the firft Cafe, it obliges civilly and naturally j in the latter only naturally. See Con- tract.
Convention is much ufed both in antient and modern Pleadings for an Agreement, or Covenant. See Covenant. Hence, Conventione facienda, a Writ that lies for breach of Covenant in writing.
In the Book of Rolls of the Manor of Hatfield in Tork- Jhire, we have a Record of a pleafanr Convention, Anno II. Ed. III. between Robert de Roderham and John de Ithen, the latter of whom fold the Devil in a firing for three-pence halfpenny to the former, to be deliver'd on the fourth Day after the Convention : when, the Purchafer making his de- mand, the Seller refus'd to give him livery ; to the great Lofs (as the Record reprefents it) of forty Shillings to the Purchafer, &c. But it appearing to the Court that fuch a Plea does not lie among Chriftians ; the Parties were ad- journ'd to Hell for Judgment.
Convention is alio the Name given to an extraordinary Affembly of Parliamenr, or of the States of the Realm, held without the King's Writ. See Parliament.
The Conventional Eftates, in io"88, afterthe Retreat of K. r famcs II. upon mature Deliberation, came to a Conclusion, "that K. James, by his Practices here, and his Flight hence, had abdicated the Kingdom 5 and that the Throne was vacant ; and therefore devolv'd upon King William and Queen Mary. See Abdication.
Upon this their Affembly expir'd, and a Parliament was fummon'd in their ftead.
There was a Convention of the like kind in Scotland, and with the like effect.
CONVENTIONE, in Law, is a Writ which lies for the Breach of any Covenant. See Covenant. Fitzherbert calls it a Wrir of Covenant. CONVENTUAL fomething belonging to a Convent. See Convent.
Conventual, is particularly ufed for a Religious who actually refides in a Convent ; in contradiftinction to thofe who are only Hofts, or are entertain'd there, or are in pof- fefiion of Benefices depending on theHoule.
Conventual 'Prior differs from a Clauftral 'Prior, in that the former has the full right and Authority of an Abbot ; the only difference between 'em being in the Name : Whereas the Clauftral Prior is a Dependant of the Abbot, and derives all his Authority from him. See Prior, and Abbot.
The Conventual Prior is oblig'd to affutne the Prieflhood in a Year, or at molt in two Years, from the Day of his Admiffion : in default whereof, rhe Benefice becomes vacanr. Some Priories are actually Conventual, i. e. are ftock'd with Religious ; others are only Conventual by habitude, v.g. where there have been no Religious during the fpace of 40 Years : The Continuance of one fingle Religious, keeps the Priory Conventual ABu , for in default of one the Priory becomes fimple.
By a Declaration of the King of France, in i(T8o, 'tis decided, that a Conventuality never degenerates in any lapfe of time, while there are regular Places fubfifting in it for twelve Religious, with Revenues for their fupport. See Priory.
Conventual Church. See Parish. CONVERGING, or CONVERGENT Lines, in Geo- metry, are thofe which continually approximate, or whofe dillance becomes continually lefs and lefs. See Line.
In oppofition to divergent Lines, whofe diflance becomes continually greater. See Diverging.
Lines that converge one way, diverge the other. Converging Rays, in Dioptricks, are thofe Rays which in their Paffage out of one-Medium, into another of a dif- ferent Denfity, are refracted towards one another 5 fo, as if far enough continu'd, they meet in a Point, or Focus. See Ray, Refraction, Sfc.
Thus, all convex Lenfes make the Rays converge, and concave ones to diverge, i. e. the one inflects 'em towards a Centre, and the other deflects 'em from it ; and the more, as fuch Lenfes are Portions of fmaller Spheres. See Concave, and Convex.
On which Properties, all the Effects of Lenfes, Micro- fcopes, Telefcopes, &c. depend. See Lens, Microscope,^. Rays coming converging out of a denfer Medium into a rarer, become more convergent, and concur fooner than if they were to continue their Motion thro' the firft. See Medium. Rays coming converging out of a rarer into a denfer Me- dium, converge lefs, and concur later, than if they had con- tinued their Motion thro' the firft.
Parallel Rays, parting from a denfer into a rarer Medium, -v.g. from Glafs into Air, the Sutface of the Glafs being to- wards the Air, will become convergent, and concur in a Fo- cus. See Parallel.
Diverging Rays, or Rays coming from a Point, under the
Focus ; and as the radiant Poir
goes further off: If the Radianr be near, the Focus will" infinitely diftant ; i. e. the Rays will be parallel • A i r the Point be brought nearer ftill, the Rays will dive See Divergent ; fee alfo Convexity, Concavity ?!i Parallelism. ' nQ
Converging Series, in Mathematicks, a Method of A proximarion, or coming ftill nearer and nearer towards if" true Root of any Number, or Equation ; even tlio it b impoffiblc to find any fuch true Roors in Numbers S> Approximation; fee alfo Series, Quadrature k'c
CONVERSE, in Geometry, fgc. A Propofition is fiu to be the Converfe of another, when, after drawino a Co clufion from fomething firft fuppos'd, we proceed to fuppo?" what had been before concluded, and to draw ftom it wh ° had been fuppos'd. See Conversion.
Thus, 'tis demonftrated in Geometry, That if the t» Sides of a Triangle be equal ; the two Angles oppofite to th f° Sides are equal alfo : The Converfe of the Propofition i s That if the two Angles of a Triangle be equal, rhe two Sides oppofite to thofe Angles are equal alfo.
In Aftrology, Converfe DireBion is ufed in oppofition to direB Direaion ; i. e. by the latter, the Promoter is carried to the Significator, according ro the Order of the Signs : bv the former it is carried from Eaft to Weft, and contrary to the Order of the Signs.
CONVERSION, in a moral Senfe, a return from Evil to Good ; refulting from a Senfe, either of the natural Defor- mity of the one, and Amiablenefs of the other ; or of the Advantages and Difadvantages that await the one and the other.
Or, It is a Change of the Heart, with a regard to the Morals, Paflions, Defires, Purfuits ; and of the Mind, with regard to the Sentiments, &c.
Conversion, Conversio, in Logicks, a Circumftance.or Affection of Propofitions, wherein the Order of the Terms, or Extremes is changed ; fo that the Subject comes into the' Place of the Predicate, and the Predicate into that of the Subject ; without any Alteration in the Quality of either.
As, No Virtue is Vice, No Vice is Virtue : In which we fee the Subject of the former, made the Predicate of the latter, and the Predicate the Subject ; yet both true.
Convcrflon is ufually defined a due Change of the Order 0/ the Extremes, i. e. under fuch a Habitude and Coherence, with refpect to each other, that the one is rightly infet'd from the other. Hence, in every legitimate Converfion two Things are requir'd ; iff, A Communicarion or Reciproca- tion of Terms ; not in refpect of Words but of Order, id, The Inference of one Propofition out of the other.
Ariftotle makes two Kinds of Converfion ; the one Sim- ple, by others call'd Univerfal ; wherein nothing is chang'd befide the Order of Extremes, 7'. e. the Terms are tranf- pos'd, without altering either the Quality or Quantity there- of: As, No Mind is "Body, No Sody is Mind.
The 2d, per Accident, called alfo particular ; wherein, befide changing the Places of the Terms, rhere is a Change of an univerfal Sign into a particular one : As, Every good Man fiudies the Welfare of his Country, Some Man tie) fltidies the Welfare of his Country is good.
To thefe, fome of Arifiotle's Followers add a third Kind of Converfion, call'd by Contrapofition ; As, Every Man is an Animal, Every no-Animal is no-Man.
Conversion, in Rhetotick, S?e. is underftood of Argu- ments which are return'd, retorted, and Ihewn on oppofite Sides, by changing the Subject into the Attribute, and the Attribute into the Subject.
There are Ccmvcrfions of Arguments ; from one Figure to another, and from general Propofitions to particular ones.
Thus Cicero againft Anthony; Doletis tres exercitus P.K.. interfeBos ? interfecit Anthonms. 2tefideratis clariffiwos cives ? eoft/tie vobis eripuit Anthonius. AuSoritas imps cr- dims aJiiBa eft ? afflixit Anthonius.
Conversion, in War, is when the Soldiers are order'd to prefent their Arms to the Enemy, who attack 'em in Flank, whereas they were before fuppos'd to be in Front : The E- volution neceflary thereto is called Converfion, or Quarter- •wheeling. See Quarter-wheeling.
Conversion of Equations, in Algebra, is when the Quan- tity fought, or any Parr thereof, being in Fractions, the Whole is redue'd to one common Denomination ; and then, omitting the Denominators, the Equation continued in the Numerators only. See Equation, and Fraction.
Thus, fuppofe a~b= a f+ff+h + b; multiply all by A, and it will ftand thus, da — db = aa-\-cc--dh-\-^-
In Atithmetick, we ufe the Term Proportion by Conver- fion of Ratio, for a Comparifon of the Antecedent, and Con- fequent in two equal Ratios. See Ratio.
Thus, as thete is the fame Ratio between 2 and 5, as be- tween 8 and 12 ; 'tis concluded there is the fame Ratio be- tween 2 and 1, as between 8 and 4.
CONVERSOS. See Convert.
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