Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

CON ( 276 ) COO
without the king’s writ; as was the convention of e-
ftates, whQ, upon the retreat of king James II. came
to a conclufion that he had abdicated the throne, and
that the right of fucceflipn devolved to king William
and queen Mary; whereupon their aflembly expired
as a convention, and was converted into a parliament.
CONVERGING, or Convergent//we/, in geometry,
are fuch as continually approach nearer one another,
or whofe diftances become ftill lefs and lefs. Thefe
are oppofed to divergent lines, the diflances of which
become continually greater: thofe lines which con¬
verge one way, diverge the other.
Converging rays, in optics, thofe rays that, ifluing
from divers points of an objedt, incline towards an¬
other, till, at laft, they meet and crofs, and then be¬
come diverging rays. See Optics.
CONVERSE, in mathematics. One propofition is call¬
ed the converfe of another, when, after a conclufion is
drawn from fomething fuppofed in the converfe propo¬
fition, that conclufion is fuppofed ; and then, that
which in the other was fuppofed, is now drawn as a con-
clufion from it: thus, when two fides of a triangle are
equal, the angles under thefe fides are equal; and, on
the converfe, if thefe angles are equal, the two fides
are equal.
CONVERSION, in a moral fenfe, implies a repentance
for a temper and conduct unworthy our nature, and
unbecoming our obligations to its Author, and a refo-
lution to adt a wifer and a better part for the future.
Conversion, in. war, a military motion whereby the
front of a battalion is turned where the flank was, in
cafe the battalion is attacked in the flank.
Conversion^' equations, in algebra. See Vol.I. p. 104.
CONVEX, an appellation given to the exterior furface
of gibbous or globular bodies, in oppofition to the hol¬
low inner furface of fuch bodies, which is called con¬
cave : thus we fay, a convex frieze, lens, mirror, fu-
perficies, 'be.
CONVEXITY, that configuration or Chape of a body,
on account of which it is denominated convex.
CONVEYANCE, in law, a deed or inflrument that
pafics land, from one perfon to another.
CONVICT, in common law, a perfon that is found
guilty of an offence by the verdidt of a jury.
CONVICTION, in theology, expreffes the firft degree
of repentance, wherein the (inner becomes fenfible of
his guilt, of the evil nature of fin, and of the danger
of his own w^vs.
CONVOCATION, an aflembly of the clergy of Eng¬
land, by their reprefentatives, to confult of ecclefiaftical
matters. It is held during.the feCHon of parliament,
and confifts of an upper and a lower houfe. In the
upper fit the bifhops, and in the lower the inferior
clergy, who are reprefented by their prodtors, confid¬
ing of all the deans, and archdeacons, of one prodtor
for every chapter, and. two for the clergy of every
diocefe, in all one hundred and forty-three divines,
viz. twenty-two deans, fifty-three archdeacons, twen¬
ty-four 'prebendaries, and forty-four prodtors of the
diocefan clergy. The lower houfe chufes its prolocu¬
tor, whofe bufinefs it is to take care that the mem¬
bers attend, to colledt their debates and votes, and to
carry their refolutions to the upper honfe. The con¬
vocation is fummoned by the king’s writ, diredted to
the archbifhop of each province, requiring him to fum-
mon all bifliops, deans, archdeacons, be.
The power of the convocation is limited by a fta-
tute of Henry VIII. They are not to make any canons
or ecclefiaftical laws, without the king’s- licence ; nor,
when permitted to make any, can they put them in ex¬
ecution, but under feveral reftridtions. They have the
examining and cenfuring all heretical and fchifmatical
books and perfons, be. but there lies an appeal to the
king in chancery, or to his delegates. The clergy ia
convocation, and their fervants, have the fame privi¬
leges as members of parliament.
CONVOLUTION, a winding motion, proper to the
trunks of fome plants, as the convolvulus, or bind¬
weed ; the clafpers of vines, bryony, be.
CONVOLVULUS, or Bind-weed, in botany, a genus
of the pentandria monogynia clafs. The corolla is
bell-lb aped, and plaited ; it has two ftigmata; and the
capfule is bilocular, each cell containing two feedat
There are forty-three fpecies, only three of which are
natives of Britain, viz. the arvenfis, or fmall bind¬
weed ; the fepium, or great bind-weed ; and thefolda-
nella, or fea bind-weed.
CONVOY, in marine affairs, one or more Chips of war,
employed to Accompany and protedl merchant Chips,
and prevent their being infulted by pirates, or the e-
nemies of the date in time of war.
Convo y, in military matters, a body of men that guard
any fupply of men, money, ammunition, or provifions,
conveyed by land into a, town,, army, or the like, in
time of war.
CONVULSION, in medicine, a preternatural and vio¬
lent contradtion of the membranous and mufcular parts
of the body. See Medicine.
CONWAY, a market-town of CarnarvonChire in North
Wales, fituated near the mouth of a river of the fame
name, fifteen miles weft of St Afaph: W. long. 3 0 jef',
and-N. kt. 530 20'.
CONYZA, or Flea-bane, in botanyj a genus of the
fyngenefia polygamia fuperflua clafs. The receptacle,
is naked; the pappus is Ample; the calix is roundiCh
and imbricated ; and the rays of the corolla are divi¬
ded into three fegments. There are nineteen fpecies,
only one of which is a native of Britain,, o/z. the
fquarrofa, or plowman’s fpikenard*
CONZA, a town of the kingdom-of Naples in Italy, fi¬
tuated on the farther Principate, on the river Offanto*
fifty miles fouth-eaft of the city of Naples: E. long.
i4°, N. lat. 410. It is the fee of an archbifliop.
COOPER, in geography, the name of a river.in Caro¬
lina in North America.
Cooper, on board a Chip, he that looks to the cades,
and all orjier veifels for. beer, water, or any other li¬
quor. He has a mate under him.
CO-ORDINATE, fomething of equal order, rank, or
degree with another. See Order;
COPAIBA