DITTO

DITTO, in books of accounts, usually written D^o, signifies the aforementioned. The word is corrupted from

Dival from the Italian detto, "the said:" as in our law-phrase, "the said premises," meaning the same as were afore-mentioned.

Dival, in heraldry, the herb nightshade, used by such as blazon by flowers and herbs, instead of colours and metals, for sable or black.

Divalia, in antiquity, a feast held among the ancient Romans, on the 21st day of December, in honour of the goddess Angerona; whence it is also called Angeronalia.—On the day of this feast, the pontifices performed sacrifice in the temple of Volutia, or the goddess of joy and pleasure; who, some say, was the same with Angerona, and supposed to drive away all the sorrows and chagrans of life.

Divan, a council-chamber or court of justice among the eastern nations, particularly the Turks.—The word is Arabic, and signifies the same with sofa in the Turkish dialect.

There are two sorts of divans; that of the grand signior, called the council of state, which consists of seven of the principal officers of the empire; and that of the grand vizir, composed of six other vizirs or counsellors of state, the chancellor, and secretaries of state, for the distribution of justice.

The word is also used for a hall in the private houses of the orientals. The custom of China does not allow the receiving of visits in the inner parts of the house, but only at the entry, in a divan contrived on purpose for ceremonies.

Travellers relate wonders of the silence and expedition of the divans of the East.

Divan-Beghi, the superintendent of justice in Persia, whose place is the last of the six ministers of the second rank, who are all under the athenaduler or first minister. To this tribunal of the divan-beghi he appeals from sentences passed by the governors. He has a fixed stipend of 50,000 crowns for administering justice. All the serjeants, ushers, &c. of the court are in his service. He takes cognisance of the criminal causes of the chams, governors, and other great lords of Persia, when accused of any fault. There are divan-beghis not only at court and in the capital, but also in the provinces and other cities of the empire. The alcoran is the sole rule of his administration of justice, which also he interprets at pleasure. He takes no cognisance of civil causes; but all differences arising between the officers of the king's household and between foreign ministers are determined by him.