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bty of parliament, or the states of the realm, held without theking’s writ; as was the convention of estates, who, upon the re-treat of James II. caine to a concliwon that he had abdicated thethrone, and that the right of succession devolved to King Williamand Queen Mary', whereupon their assembly expired as a con-vention, and was converted into a parliament.

CONVENTUS Juridici, in Roman antiquity, courts of jus-tice established in the provinces; with jurisdictions circumscribedwithin certain limits, whither all who were of the resort wete torepair lor justice.

CONVERGE, [corirergo, Lat.] to tend to one point fromdifferent places.

CONVERGING, or CONVERGENT LINES, in geome-try, are such as continually approach nearer one another; or whosedistance becomes still less and less. These are opposed to diver-gent lines, the distance of which become continually greater:those lines which converge one wav diverge the.other.

Converging Hyperbola, is one whose concave legs bend intowards one another, and run both the same way.

Converging Rays, in optics, those rays that, issuing from di-vers points of an object, incline towards one another, till, at last,they meet and cross, and then become diverging rays. SeeOptics.

Converging Series. See Series.

CONVERSA TION, or DISCOURSE, an interlocution be-tween two, or among several persons. 'There is no part, perhaps,of social life which affords more real satisfaction than those hoursw hich one passes in rational and unreserved conversation. Torender conversation at all times agreeable, the following rules havebeen laid down: l.The parlies should meet together with a de-term ned resolution to please, and to be pleased. 2. No oneshook: be eager to interrupt others, or be uneasy at being inter-rupted. 3. All should have leave to speak in turn. 4. Inatten-tion should be carefully avoided. 5. Private concerns should ne-ver be mentioned, unless particularly inquired into, and even thenas briefly as possible, (i. Each person should, as far as proprietywill admit, he afforded an opportunity of discoursing on the sub-ject with which he is best acquainted. He will he pleased, andthe company will be informed. By observing this rule, everyone has it in his power to assist in rendering conversation agree-able; since, though he may not choose, or he qualified, to saymuch himself, he can propose questions to those who are able toansw er them. 7. Stories should be avoided, unless short, pointed,and quite a-propos. lie wdio deals in them, says Swift, musteither have a verj large stock, or a good memory, or must oftenchange his company. 8. Each person should speak often, hutnot long- Haranguing in private'company is insupportable. 9.If die majority of the company he naturally silent, or reserved,the conversation will Hag, unless it be often renewed by one whocan start new subjects. 10. It is improper to laugh at one’s ownwit and humour. 'This should he left to the company. 11. Whenthe conversation is llowing in a serious and useful channel, neverinterrupt it by an ill-timed jest. 12. It is at all limes ex-tremely indelicate to whisper to one’s next neighbour. It is, insome degree, a fraud, conversation being a kiml of common pro-perty. 13. In speaking of absent people, the infallible rule is, tosav no more than we should ay, if they were present. “ l resolve(said Bi-bop Beveridge) never to speak of a man’s virtues to hislace, nor of his faults behind his hack:” A golden rule; the ob-servation of which would at once banish flattery and defamationfrom the world.

CONVERSE, in mathematics. One proposition is called theconverse of another, when, after a conclusion is drawn from some-thing supposed in the converse proposition, that conclusion is sup-posed; and then, that which in the other was supposed, is nowdrawn as a conclusion from it: thus, when two sides of a triangleare equal, the angles opposite to these sides are equal; and, onthe converse, if these angles are equal, the two sides are equal.

CON VERS ERA, an island in the Adriatic sea, on the coast ofIstria.

CONV ERSI, a title formerly given to Jews, who were convert-ed to Christianity in England.

CONVERSION, [conversio, I.at.] change from one state toanotner; transmutation.

Conversion, in a moral sense, implies a repentance for a tem-

per and conduct unworthy our nature, and unbecoming our obli-gations to its author, and a resolution to act a wiser and a betterpart for the future.

Conversion, in a scripture sense is the turning, or total change,of a sinner from sin unto God. P»al. hi. 13, “ And sinners shall

be converted unto thee.” It is equivalent to the new birth, andtherefore essential to salvation.

Conversion, in rhetoric, &c. is understood of arguments whicharc returned, retorted, and shewn on opposite sides, by changingthe subject into the attribute, and the attribute into the subject.See Attribute, See.

Conversion, in war, a military motion whereby the front of abattalion is turned w here the flank was, iu case the battalion is at-tacked in the Rank. As this may often he the case in action, thismotion is accounted a most useful and necessary one.

Conversion of Equations, iu algebra, is when the quantitysought, or any part or degree thereof, being in fractions, the wholeis reduced to one common denomination, and then omitting thedenominators, the equation is continued in the numerators only.an -j- cc

Thus suppose a—b~ -1- h -j- b ; multiply all by d, and it

d

w ill stand thus, da — db = aa -j- cc -j- dli -(- db. See Algebra.

Conversion of Propositions, in logic, the changing of thesubject into tiie place of the predicate, and the predicate into theplace of the subject; and yet always retaining the same quality ofboth propositions: as, every right-lined triangle lias the sum of itsangles equal to two right ones: every right-lined figure, that hasthe sum of its angles equal to two right ones, is a triangle. Con-version is usually defined a due change of the order of the ex-tremes: i. e. under such a habitude and coherence, with respectto each other, that the one is rightly inferred from the other.

CONVERT, a person who lias undergone conversion. SeeConversion. Convert is frequently used iu respect of changesfrom one religion, or religious sect, to another. These, w ith re-gard to the religion they have relinquished, are denominated apo-states, and converts only with relation to the religion turned to.

Convert, in a monastic sense, a lay friar, or brother, admittedfor the service of the house; without orders, and not allowed tosing in the choir. The word was anciently used for persons whoembraced the monkish life at the age of’discrotion.

CONVEX, •[miiwths, I ait.] an appellation given to the ex-terior surface of gibbous or globular bodies, in opposition to thehollow inner surface of such bodies, which is called concave: thuswe say, a convex frieze, lens, mirror, superficies, &c.

Convex Lf.ns, or Convex Mirror. See Convexity, andOptics.

CONVEXITY, in catoptrics and dioptrics; is applied to mir-rors and lenses. A convex mirror represents its images smallerthan the objects; as a concave one represents them larger: a con-vex mirror reflects the rays from it, diverging; and therefore dis-perses and weakens their effect: as a concave one reflects I hemconverging, so as they concur in a point, and have their effect in-creased: and by how much the mirror is a portion of a smallersphere, by so much does it diminish the objects, and disperse therays the more. A convex lens is either convex on both sides,called a convexo-convex; or it is plain on one side and convex onthe other, called a plano-convex; or concave on one side, andconvex on the other, called a convexo-concave, or concavo-con-vex. as the one or the other surface prevails, i. c. as this or that isa portion of a smaller sphere. See Optics.

CONVEYANCE, in law, a deed which passes land from oneto another. The most common conveyances now in use are,deeds of gift, bargain and sale, lease and release, fines and reco-veries, settlements to uses, &e. A conveyance cannot be fraudu-lent in pari, and good as to the rest; for if it lie fraudulent and voidin part, it is void in all, and it cannot be divided. Fraudulentconveyances to deceive creditors, defraud purchasers, See. arcvoid, by stat. 50 Ed. HE c. (i. 13 Eli/., c. 5. 27 Eliz. c. 4.

CONVICT, in common law, a person that is found guilty ofan offence by the verdict of a jury. 'The law implies that theremust he a conviction before punishment for any olTence, (houghit lie not mentioned iu any statute. On a joint indictment, or iiirformation, some of the defendants may be convicted.ami othersacquitted.

CONVJCI