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in so unguarded a manner, or to takeup one’s ground so disadvantageously asto stand in continual danger of beingout-flanked.
The French likewise say, figuratively,prefer h jlanc, to put one’s self in thepower of another.
Preter le collet a quelqu’un, Fr. tofight body to body; or at close quarters.
Se Preter an collet, Fr. See To Taketo.
PRETEXT, (pretexte, Fr.) a colour-able excuse, pretence, shew. Personsemployed on secret service should havevarious pretexts at hand.
PRETOR, (preteur , Fr.) among theRomans, the governor of a province,who had served the office of Pretor, orchief minister of justice in ancientRome . The provinces so governed werecalled pretorian.
PRETORI AN, (pretorien, ne, Fr.)appertaining to a Pretor; as Pretorian Band , the general's guard among the an-cient Romans.
PRETORIUM , (pretoire, Fr.) the hallor court wherein the Pretor lived andadministered justice. It also denotedthe tent of a Roman general, in whichcouncils of war were held. The placewhere the Pretorian guards were quar-tered or lodged, was likewise called Pre-tori urn.
PREUX, Fr. brave; courageous.—This word is used both as a substantiveand an adjective, viz. XJn ancien preux.On preux et hardi chevalier.
To PREVARICATE, (prevariquer,Fr.) to shuffle and cut, to play fast andloose, to make a shew of doing a thing,and to act quite contrary.
PREVARICATION , in a generalsense, deceit, double dealing; imposi-tion upon the understanding.
PREVENIR I'ennemi, Fr. to get thestart of an enemy, or to anticipate hismovements.
PREVENTION, Fr. prejudice, pre-possession ; anticipation ; hindrance.
PREVOT, Fr. provost.
Prevot d’une arm'te, Fr. provost-marshal belonging to an army.
Prevot de Vartillerie, Fr. an offi-cer under the old government of France ,who only exercised the duties of hissituation during actual service, and whoalways came in rear of the' baggage —There were some cases in which thepower of life and death was absolutely
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vested in him; and in others, he wasobliged to refer the sentence to the highbailiff belonging to the royal arsenal inParis , as a last resort.
Prevot general de la connetahlie ,gendarmerie, et mar'echauss'ee de France ,camps et armies du roi , Fr. provost-ge-neral belonging to the jurisdiction of thehigh constable of France , &c. Tins placeor commission is of very ancient date,having first taken place during the se-cond race of French kings, and being asold as that of connetable , or constable,of France ; with this only exception, thatthe appellation of mar'echauss'ee was add-ed alter the suppression of the conneta -bite in 1607. The company, which im-mediately was attached to the provost-general, and which was the colonel’s, orla colonelle, took precedence over allothers of the same description. Thissuperior officer was, in his own right,provost-general throughout the king’scamps and armies in war time. An in-dependent company always attended theprovost, in order to execute his instruc-tions, as well as those of the most ancientMarshal of France, who represented theconstable since the suppression of thattitle. There was also a guard at themarshal’s head-quarters, which was con-stantly mounted by a given number ofcavalry, and which was subject to theorders of the provost-general. The pro-vost-general was always present when-ever a council was assembled by theMarshal of France , to settle disputesand differences which might arise be-tween persons of distinction, noblemen,or private gentlemen; and to determinegenerally upon points of honour. Thesentence or opinion of this tribunal wasfinal and decisive.
Prevot general de monnaies, Fr.provost-general, or what we call masterof the mint. Under the old monarchyof France , this person was vested withthe same powers that were annexed tothe title of Prevot des Marechanssees, andhad a seat at the council of the Mar-shals of France.
Prevot general de Vile de France ,Fr. provost-general of the Isle of France ,(so called from an insular spot formedby the Seine in the center of Paris .)—This officer had under his command abody of horse, divided into eight bri-gades, which were distributed about theneighbourhood of Paris , to secure the