When Elisha Boone denounced the outbreak of John Brown at Harper's Ferry as more criminal than Aaron Burr's treason, his children made his prepossessions their own; when, three years later, the father proudly eulogized the uprising he had so luridly condemned, his children saw no tergiversation in the swift conversion.

vice versa, controversy, tergiversation, obverse, transverse, reversion, vortex.

Now he lies full length, then half-length, obliquely, transversely, head and feet quite across the bed; and none accuses him of tergiversation.

The king of Denmark, too, formed an alliance with them, after a series of the most strange tergiversations.

transformation, transfiguration; metamorphosis; transmutation; deoxidization [Chem]; transubstantiation; [Genetics], mutagenesis transanimation^, transmigration, metempsychosis^; avatar; alterative. conversion &c (gradual change) 144; revolution &c (sudden or radical change) 146, inversion &c (reversal) 218; displacement &c 185; transference &c 270. changeableness &c 149; tergiversation &c (change of mind) 607.

counter motion, retrograde motion, backward movement, motion in reverse, counter movement, counter march; veering, tergiversation, recidivation^, backsliding, fall; deterioration &c 659; recidivism, recidivity^. reversal, relapse, turning point &c (reversion) 145.

Tergiversation N. change of mind, change of intention, change of purpose; afterthought. tergiversation, recantation; palinode, palinody^; renunciation; abjuration^, abjurement; defection &c (relinquishment) 624; going over &c v.; apostasy; retraction, retractation^; withdrawal; disavowal &c (negation) 536; revocation, revokement^; reversal; repentance &c 950; redintegratio amoris [Lat.].

Tergiversation N. change of mind, change of intention, change of purpose; afterthought. tergiversation, recantation; palinode, palinody^; renunciation; abjuration^, abjurement; defection &c (relinquishment) 624; going over &c v.; apostasy; retraction, retractation^; withdrawal; disavowal &c (negation) 536; revocation, revokement^; reversal; repentance &c 950; redintegratio amoris [Lat.].

abolition, abolishment; dissolution. counter order, countermand; repudiation, retraction, retractation^; recantation &c (tergiversation) 607; abolitionist.

breach of promise, breach of trust, breach of faith; prodition^, disloyalty, treason, high treason; apostasy &c (tergiversation) 607; nonobservance &c 773. shabbiness &c adj.; villainy, villany^; baseness &c adj.

Knave N. knave, rogue; Scapin^, rascal; Lazarillo de Tormes; bad man &c 949; blackguard &c 949; barrater^, barrator^; shyster [U.S.]. traitor, betrayer, archtraitor^, conspirator, Judas, Catiline; reptile, serpent, snake in the grass, wolf in sheep's clothing, sneak, Jerry Sneak, squealer [Slang], tell-tale, mischief-maker; trimmer, fence-sitter, renegade &c (tergiversation) 607; truant, recreant; sycophant &c (servility) 886. 942.

[Sidenote: by Verres.] and by Caius Verres, a late quaestor of Carbo, who had embezzled the public money in that capacity, and thus began by tergiversation and theft a notorious career.

Those who did not act openly did so covertly and indirectly; in short, from their tergiversations and intrigues, they had no claim whatever on the mercy of the conquerors, who treated them with a great deal of clemency.

When the Bill finally passed Lord Salisbury described it as a measure based upon the principles of Bright and dictated by Gladstone; and what many Conservatives thought of Disraeli's conduct is reflected in the speeches of their ally Lowe: "Never, never was tergiversation so complete.

Among all his trials none was so hard to bear as the conduct of F.O.J. Smith, whose strange tergiversations were almost inconceivable.

He is very anxious that his political friends should not desist from urging the questionan act of tergiversation and unconsistency which, he thinks, would ruin them in the estimation of the public.

And in order to gain admission to this "plebeian aristocracy" men otherwise reasonable and honest will spend incredible sums, undergo prodigious exertions, associate themselves with the basest intrigues, and perform the most unblushing tergiversations.

Interesting glimpses are to be caught in the first volume of Bishop Wilberforce's Life, ere yet his tergiversation in the matter of Bishop Hampden had forfeited the Royal favour; and the historian of the future will probably make great use of the Letters of Sarah Lady LytteltonGoverness, to the Queen's childrenwhich, being printed for private circulation, are unluckily withheld from the present generation.

Lincoln would not allow himself to be swerved from the main issue by any tergiversation or personal attacks.

The fanatical legate, Peter de Castelnau, enraged at his tergiversation, instantly excommunicated him; and the pope sent the count a threatening letter, giving him therein to understand that in case of need stronger measures would be adopted against him.

It was only from headstrong pride and to cloak himself in the eyes of his subjects that Philip clung to the condemnation of the memory of Boniface; and, after a long period of mutual tergiversation, it was agreed in the end to let bygones be bygones.

Charles and La Tremoille once more began their course of hesitation, tergiversation, and changes of tactics and residence without doing anything of a public and decisive character.

The patience of even such heroic souls as Lydia Becker and Caroline Biggs was almost exhausted with the tergiversations of Members of the House of Commons.

But as he contradicted himself flatly in trying to restate his discourse, and refused to let us see his sermon, those who heard him were disgusted with his sophistry and tergiversation.

Horace was an upright young fellow, incapable of tergiversation on a matter of honor, going to the point without waste of words, and as ready to pledge his cloak for a friend as to give him his time and his night hours.