ARBITRARY, a. [L. arbitrarious.]

1. Depending on will or discretion; not governed by any fixed rules; as, an arbitrary decision; an arbitrary punishment.

Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.

2. Despotic; absolute in power; having no external control; as, an arbitrary prince or government.

'ARMS, n. plu. [L. arma.]

1. Weapons of offense, or armor for defense and protection of the body.

2. War; hostility.

Arms and the man I sing.

To be in arms, to be in a state of hostility, or in a military life.

To arms is a phrase which denotes a taking arms for war or hostility; particularly, a summoning to war.

To take arms, is to arm for attack or defense.

Bred to arms denotes that a person has been educated to the profession of a soldier.

3. The ensigns armorial of a family; consisting of figures and colors borne in shields, banners, &c., as marks of dignity and distinction, and descending from father to son.

4. In law, arms are any thing which a man takes in his hand in anger, to strike or assault another.

BEAR, v.t. pret.bore; pp. born,borne. [L. fero, pario, porto. The primary sense is to throw out, to bring forth, or in general, to thrust or drive along. ]

1. To support; to sustain; as, to bear a weight or burden.

2. To carry; to convey; to support and remove from place to place; as, "they bear him upon the shoulder;", "the eagle beareth them on her wings."

3. To wear; to bear as a mark of authority or distinction; as, to bear a sword, a badge, a name; to bear arms in a coat.

BLESS'ING, ppr. Making happy; wishing happiness to; praising or extolling; consecrating by prayer.

BLESS'ING,n. Benediction; a wish of happiness pronounced; a prayer imploring happiness upon another.

1. A solemn prophetic benediction, in which happiness is desired, invoked or foretold.

This is the blessing wherewith Moses--blessed the children of Israel. Deut.33.

2. Any means of happiness; a gift,benefit or advantage;that which promotes temporal prosperity and welfare, or secures immortal felicity. A just and pious magistrate is a public blessing. The divine favor is the greatest blessing.

3. Among the Jews,a present; a gift; either because it was attended with kind wishes for the welfare of the giver, or because it was the means of increasing happiness.

Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee. Gen.33.

BENEF'ICENT, a. Doing good; performing acts of kindness and charity. It differs from benign, as the act from the disposition; beneficence being benignity or kindness exerted in action.

CONSTITUTION, n.

1. The act of constituting, enacting, establishing, or appointing.

2. The state of being; that form of being or peculiar structure and connection of parts which makes or characterizes a system or body. Hence the particular frame or temperament of the human body is called its constitution. We speak of a robust or feeble constitution; a cold, phlegmatic, sanguine or irritable constitution. We speak of the constitution of the air, or other substance; the constitution of the solar system; the constitution of things.

3. The frame or temper of mind, affections or passions.

4. The established form of government in a state, kingdom or country; a system of fundamental rules, principles and ordinances for the government of a state or nation. In free states, the constitution is paramount to the statutes or laws enacted by the legislature, limiting and controlling its power; and in the United States, the legislature is created, and its powers designated, by the constitution.

5. A particular law, ordinance, or regulation, made by the authority of any superior, civil or ecclesiastical; as the constitutions of Justinian and his successors.

6. A system of fundamental principles for the government of rational and social beings.

The New Testament is the moral constitution of modern society.

DECLAR'ATORY, a. Making declaration, clear manifestation, or exhibition; expressive; as, this clause is declaratory of the will of the legislature. The declaratory part of a law, is that which sets forth and defines what is right and what is wrong. A declaratory act, is an act or statute which sets forth more clearly and explains the intention of the legislature in a former act.

FREE'DOM, n.

1. A state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement. Freedom is personal, civil, political, and religious. [See Liberty.]

2. Particular privileges; franchise; immunity; as the freedom of a city.

3. Power of enjoying franchises.

4. Exemption from fate, necessity, or any constraint in consequence of predetermination or otherwise; as the freedom of the will.

5. Any exemption from constraint or control.

6. Ease or facility of doing any thing. He speaks or acts with freedom.

7. Frankness; boldness. He addressed his audience with freedom.

8. License; improper familiarity; violation of the rules of decorum; with a plural. Beware of what are called innocent freedoms.

FUNDAMENT'AL, a. Pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation. Hence, essential; important; as a fundamental truth or principle; a fundamental law; a fundamental sound or chord in music.

FUNDAMENT'AL, n. A leading or primary principle, rule, law or article, which serves as the ground work of a system; essential part; as the fundamentals of the christian faith.

KEEP, v.t. pret. and pp. kept. [L. habeo, and capio.]

1. To hold; to retain in one's power or possession; not to lose or part with; as, to keep a house or a farm; to keep any thing in the memory, mind or heart.

2. To have in custody for security or preservation.

The crown of Stephanus, first king of Hungary,was always kept in the castle of Vicegrade.

3. To preserve; to retain.

The Lord God, merciful and gracious, keeping mercy for thousands--Ex.34.

4. To preserve from falling or from danger; to protect; to guard or sustain.

And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee. Gen.28.

Luke 4.

5. To hold or restrain from departure; to detain.

--That I may know what keeps me here with you.

6. To tend; to have the care of.

And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. Gen.2.

7. To tend; to feed; to pasture; as, to keep a flock of sheep or a herd of cattle in a yard or in a field. He keeps his horses on oats or on hay.

8. To preserve in any tenor or state. Keep a stiff rein.

Keep the constitution sound.

9. To regard; to attend to.

While the stars and course of heaven I keep--

10. To hold in any state; as, to keep in order.

11. To continue any state, course or action; as, to keep silence; to keep the same road or the same pace; to keep reading or talking; to keep a given distance.

12. To practice; to do or perform; to obey; to observe in practice; not to neglect or violate; as, to keep the laws, statutes or commandments of God.

13. To fulfill; to perform; as, to keep one's word,promise or covenant.

14. To practice; to use habitually; as, to keep bad hours.

15. To copy carefully.

Her servant's eyes were fix'd upon her face,

And as she moved or turned,her motions viewed,

Her measures kept, and step by step pursued.

16. To observe or solemnize.

17. To board; to maintain; to supply with necessaries of life. The men are kept at a moderate price per week.

18. To have in the house; to entertain; as, to keep lodgers.

19. To maintain; not to intermit; as, to keep watch or guard.

20. To hold in one's own bosom; to confine to one's own knowledge; not to disclose or communicate to others; not to betray; as, to keep a secret; to keep one's own counsel.

21. To have in pay; as, to keep a servant.

To keep back, to reserve; to withhold; not to disclose or communicate.

I will keep nothing back from you. Jer.42.

1. To restrain;; to prevent from advancing.

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins. Ps.19.

2. To reserve; to withhold; not to deliver. Acts.5.

To keep company with, to frequent the society of; to associate with. Let youth keep company with the wise and good.

To accompany; to go with; as, to keep company with one on a journey or voyage.

To keep down, to prevent from rising; not to lift or suffer to be raised.

To keep in, to prevent from escape; to hold in confinement.

1. To conceal; not to tell or disclose.

2. To restrain; to curb.

To keep off, to hinder from approach or attack; as, to keep off an enemy or an evil.

To keep under, to restrain; to hold in subjection; as, to keep under an antagonist or a conquered country; to keep under the appetites and passions.

To keep up, to maintain; to prevent from falling or diminution; as, to keep up the price of goods; to keep up one's credit.

1. To maintain; to continue; to hinder from ceasing.

In joy, that which keeps up the action is the desire to continue it.keep out, to hinder from entering or taking possession.

To keep bed, to remain in bed without rising; to be confined to one's bed.

To keep house, to maintain a family state.

His income enables him to keep house.

1. To remain in the house; to be confined.

His feeble health obliges him to keep house.

To keep from, to restrain; to prevent approach.

To keep a school, to maintain or support it; as, the town or its inhabitants keep ten schools; more properly, to govern and instruct or teach a school, as a preceptor.

KEEP, v.i. To remain in any state; as, to keep at a distance; to keep aloft; to keep near; to keep in the house; to keep before or behind; to keep in favor; to keep out of company, or out of reach.

1. To last; to endure; not to perish or be impaired. Seek for winter's use apples that will keep.

If the malt is not thoroughly dried,the ale it makes will not keep.

2. To lodge; to dwell; to reside for a time.

Knock at the study, where, they say, he keeps.

To keep to, to adhere strictly; not to neglect or deviate from; as, to keep to old customs; to keep to a rule; to keep to one's word or promise.

To keep on, to go forward; to proceed; to continue to advance.

To keep up, to remain unsubdued; or not to be confined to one's bed.

In popular language, this word signifies to continue; to repeat continually; not to cease.

KEEP, n. Custody; guard. [Little used.]

1. Colloquially, case; condition; as in good keep.

2. Guardianship; restraint. [Little used.]

3. A place of confinement; in old castles,the dungeon.

LIB'ERTY, n. [L. libertas, from liber, free.]

1. Freedom from restraint, in a general sense, and applicable to the body, or to the will or mind. The body is at liberty, when not confined; the will or mind is at liberty, when not checked or controlled. A man enjoys liberty, when no physical force operates to restrain his actions or volitions.

2. Natural liberty, consists in the power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, except from the laws of nature. It is a state of exemption from the control of others, and from positive laws and the institutions of social life. This liberty is abridged by the establishment of government.

3. Civil liberty, is the liberty of men in a state of society, or natural liberty, so far only abridged and restrained, as is necessary and expedient for the safety and interest of the society, state or nation. A restraint of natural liberty, not necessary or expedient for the public, is tyranny or oppression. civil liberty is an exemption from the arbitrary will of others, which exemption is secured by established laws, which restrain every man from injuring or controlling another. Hence the restraints of law are essential to civil liberty.

The liberty of one depends not so much on the removal of all restraint from him, as on the due restraint upon the liberty of others.

In this sentence, the latter word liberty denotes natural liberty.

4. Political liberty, is sometimes used as synonymous with civil liberty. But it more properly designates the liberty of a nation, the freedom of a nation or state from all unjust abridgment of its rights and independence by another nation. Hence we often speak of the political liberties of Europe, or the nations of Europe.

5. Religious liberty, is the free right of adopting and enjoying opinions on religious subjects, and of worshiping the Supreme Being according to the dictates of conscience, without external control.

6. Liberty, in metaphysics, as opposed to necessity, is the power of an agent to do or forbear any particular action, according to the determination or thought of the mind, by which either is preferred to the other.

Freedom of the will; exemption from compulsion or restraint in willing or volition.

7. Privilege; exemption; immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant; with a plural. Thus we speak of the liberties of the commercial cities of Europe.

8. Leave; permission granted. The witness obtained liberty to leave the court.

9. A space in which one is permitted to pass without restraint, and beyond which he may not lawfully pass; with a plural; as the liberties of a prison.

10. Freedom of action or speech beyond the ordinary bounds of civility or decorum. Females should repel all improper liberties.

To take the liberty to do or say any thing, to use freedom not specially granted.

To set at liberty, to deliver from confinement; to release from restraint.

To be at liberty, to be free from restraint.

Liberty of the press, is freedom from any restriction on the power to publish books; the free power of publishing what one pleases, subject only to punishment for abusing the privilege, or publishing what is mischievous to the public or injurious to individuals.

LICEN'TIOUSNESS, n. Excessive indulgence of liberty; contempt of the just restraints of law, morality and decorum. The licentiousness of authors is justly condemned; the licentiousness of the press is punishable by law.

Law is the god of wise men; licentiousness is the god of fools.

NATURE, n. [L. from nature, born, produced,]

1. In a general sense, whatever is made or produced; a word that comprehends all the works of God; the universe. Of a phoenix we say, there is no such thing in nature.

And look through nature up to natures God.

2. By a metonymy of the effect for the cause, nature is used for the agent, creator, author, producer of things, or for the powers that produce them. By the expression, trees and fossils are produced by nature, we mean, they are formed or produced by certain inherent powers in matter, or we mean that they are produced by God, the Creator, the Author of whatever is made or produced. The opinion that things are produced by inherent powers of matter, independent of a supreme intelligent author, is atheism. But generally men mean by nature, thus used, the Author of created things, or the operation of his power.

3. The essence, essential qualities or attributes of a thing, which constitute it what it is; as the nature of the soul; the nature of blood; the nature of a fluid; the nature of plants, or of a metal; the nature of a circle or an angle. When we speak of the nature of man, we understand the peculiar constitution of his body or mind, or the qualities of the species which distinguish him from other animals. When we speak of the nature of a man, or an individual of the race, we mean his particular qualities or constitution; either the peculiar temperament of his body, or the affections of his mind, his natural appetites, passions, disposition or temper. So of irrational animals.

4. The established or regular course of things; as when we say, an event is not according to nature, or it is out of the order of nature.

5. A law or principle of action or motion in a natural body. A stone by nature falls, or inclines to fall.

6. Constitution aggregate powers of a body, especially a living one. We say, nature is strong or weak; nature is almost exhausted.

7. The constitution and appearances of things.

The works, whether of poets, painters, moralists or historians, which are built upon general nature, live forever.

8. Natural affection or reverence.

Have we not seen, the murdering son ascend his parents bed through violated nature force his way?

9. System of created things.

He binding nature fast in fate, Left conscience free and will.

10. Sort; species; kind; particular character.

A dispute of this nature caused mischief to a king and an archbishop.

11. Sentiments r images conformed to nature, or to truth and reality.

Only nature can please those tastes which are unprejudiced and refined.

12. Birth. No man is noble by nature.

NATURE, v.t. To endow with natural qualities. [Not in use]

NOT, adv. [See Naught.]

1. A word that expreses negation, denial or refusal; as, he will no go; will you remain? I will not. In the first member of a sentence, it may be followed by nor or neither; as not for a price nor reward; I was not in sfety, neither had I rest.

2. With the substantive verb in the following phrase, it denies being, or denotes extinction of existence.

Thine eyes are open upon me, and I am not. Job 7.

ORDA'IN, v.t. [L. ordino, from ordo, order.]

1. Properly, to set; to establish in a particular office or order; hence, to invest with a ministerial function or sacerdotal power; to introduce and establish or settle in the pastoral office with the customary forms and solemnities; as, to ordain a minister of the gospel. In America, men are ordained over a particular church and congregation, or as evangelists without the charge of a particular church, or as deacons in the episcopal church.

2. To appoint; to decree.

Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month. 1Kings 12.

As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed.

Acts 13.

3. To set; to establish; to institute; to constitute.

Mulmutius ordained our laws.

4. To set apart for an office; to appoint.

Jesus ordained twelve that they should be with him. Mark 3.

5. To appoint; to prepare.

For Tophet is ordained of old. Is. 30.

PEOPLE, n. [L. populus.]

1. The body of persons who compose a community, town, city or nation. We say, the people of a town; the people of London or Paris; the English people. In this sense, the word is not used in the plural, but it comprehends all classes of inhabitants, considered as a collective body, or any portion of the inhabitants of a city or country.

PRIN'CIPLE, n. [L. principium, beginning.]

1. In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing; that from which a thing proceeds; as the principle of motion; the principles of action.

2. Element; constituent part; primordial substance.

Modern philosophers suppose matter to be one simple principle, or solid extension diversified by its various shapes.

3. Being that produces any thing; operative cause.

The soul of man is an active principle.

4. In science, a truth admitted either without proof, or considered as having been before proved. In the former sense, it is synonymous with axiom; in the latter, with the phrase, established principle.

5. Ground; foundation; that which supports an assertion, an action, or a series of actions or of reasoning. On what principle can this be affirmed or denied? He justifies his proceedings on the principle of expedience or necessity. He reasons on sound principles.

6. A general truth; a law comprehending many subordinate truths; as the principles of morality, of law, of government, &c.

7. Tenet; that which is believed, whether truth or not, but which serves as a rule of action or the basis of a system; as the principles of the Stoics, or of the Epicureans.

8. A principle of human nature, is a law of action in human beings; a constitutional propensity common to the human species. Thus it is a principle of human nature to resent injuries and repel insults.

RESTRICT'IVE, a.

SECU'RE, a. [L. securus.]

1. Free from danger of being taken by an enemy; that may resist assault or attack. The place is well fortified and very secure. Gibraltar is a secure fortress. In this sense, secure is followed by against or from; as secure against attack, or from an enemy.

2. Free from danger; safe; applied to persons; with from.

3. Free from fear or apprehension of danger; not alarmed; not disturbed by fear; confident of safety; hence, careless of the means of defense. Men are often most in danger when they feel most secure.

Confidence then bore thee on, secure

SELF-DEFENSE, n. self-defens'. [self and defense.] The act of defending one's own person, property or reputation. A man may be justifiable in killing another in self-defense.

SELF-EV'IDENT, a. Evident without proof or reasoning; that produces certainty or clear conviction upon a bare presentation to the mind; as a self-evident propostion or truth. That two and three make five, is self-evident.

SELF-PRESERVA'TION, n. [self and preservation.] The preservation of one's self from destruction or injury.

SHALL,

1. Shall is primarily in the present, and in our mother tongue was followed by a verb in the infinitive, like other verbs. "Ic sceal fram the beon gefullod." I have need to be baptized of thee. "Ic nu sceal singan sar-cwidas." I must now sing mornful songs.

We still use shall and should before another verb in the infinitive, without the sign to; but significance of shall is considerably deflected from its primitive sense. It is now treated as a mere auxiliary to other verbs, serving to form some of the tenses. In the present tense, shall, before a verb in the infinitive, forms the future tense; but its force and effect are different with different persons or personal pronouns. Thus in the first person, shall simply foretells or declares what will take place; as, I or we shall ride to town on Monday. This declaration simply informs another of a fact that is to take place. The sense of shall here is changed from an expression of need or duty, to that of previous statement or information, grounded on intention or resolution. When uttered with emphasis, "I shall go," it expresses firm determination, but not a promise.

2. In the second and third persons, shall implies a promise, command or determination. "You shall receive your wages," "he shall receive his wages," imply that you or he ought to receive them; but usage gives these phrases the force of a promise in the person uttering them.

When shall is uttered with emphasis in such phrases, it expresses determination in the speaker, and implies an authority to enforce the act. "Do you refuse to go? Does he refuse to go? But you or he shall go."

3. Shall I go, shall he go, interrogatively, asks, for permission or direction. But shall you go, asks for information of another's intention.

4. But after another verb, shall, in the third person, simply foretells. He says that he shall leave town to-morrow. So also in the second person; you say that you shall ride to-morrow.

5. After if, and some verbs which expresscondition or supposition, shall, in all the persons, simply foretells; as,

If I shall say, or we shall say,

Thou shalt say, ye or you shall say,

SUPRE'ME, a. [L. supremus, from supra.]

1. Highest in authority; holding the highest place in government or power. In the United States, the congress is supreme in regulating commerce and in making war and peace. The parliament of Great Britain is supreme in legislation; but the king is supreme in the administration of the government. In the universe, God only is the supreme ruler and judge. His commands are supreme, and binding on all his creatures.

TYR'ANNY, n.

1. Arbitrary or despotic exercise of power; the exercise of power over subjects and others with a rigor not authorized by law or justice, or not requisite for the purposes of government. Hence tyranny is often synonymous with cruelty and oppression.

2. Cruel government or discipline; as the tyranny of a master.

3. Unresisted and cruel power.

4. Absolute monarchy cruelly administered.

5. Severity; rigor; inclemency.

The tyranny o' th' open night.

UNA'LIENABLE, a. Not alienable; that cannot be alienated; that may not be transferred; as unalienable rights.

USURPA'TION, n. [supra.] The act of seizing or occupying and enjoying the property of another, without right; as the usurpation of a throne; the usurpation of the supreme power. Usurpation, in a peculiar sense, denotes the absolute ouster and dispossession of the patron of a church, by presenting a clerk to a vacant benefice, who is thereupon admitted and instituted.

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