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from the dry shore, upon a sand-bank ;on which account it is called Rispan, acorruption of Richepan ; alluding to thegreat expense which unavoidably at-tends the construction of a work of thissort. Fort Rouge, at Calais, is of thisdescription.
RISBERME , Fr. a sort of glacis,which sometimes projects out, and risesby degrees. It is used in jetties madeof fascine work, the sides of which,towards the sea, are constructed or laiddown iu the form of a Risberme , in orderto withstand the violence of the waves.
I'o RISE, to break into commotions;to make insurrections.
To Rise, in a military sense, to makehostile attack; as, the soldiers roseagainst their officers.
To Rise, to obtain promotion.
To Rise from the ranks, to obtainpromotion by degrees, after having beenin the ranks as a private soldier; a cir-cumstance which lias happened to someof the best generals in the world.
Rise, increase of price; as the riseof COitl missions in the army upon theprospect of peace.
RISfLE, Fr. ridicule; laughing-stock.This word often signifies the object oflaughter, or ridicule. Ce Martinet futla risee de toute Varmte; that Martinetwas the laughing-stock of the wholearmy.
RISK, (risque, hasard, Fr.) Everyperson who undertakes a military ope-ration 1 , especially of command and re-sponsibility, ought well to weigh thepowers of his own mind; to calculatethe chances against him; and to knowhow to risk his reputation in them.
Risk is the touch-stone of humancourage; and without resolution to en-counter it, there can be no honour.
RISSALA, or RUSSAULA, Ind. anindependent corps of cavalry.
RISSALDAR, Ind. the commanderof an independent corps of cavalry.
RIVAGE, Fr. shore; bank.
Rivage eleve, Fr. strand; beach.
RIVAL, one who is in quest of thesame thing which another pursues; acompetitor.
Rival powers. Nations are so calledwhen their relative situation and re-sources in men and money, &c. enablethem to oppose each other; as Great Britain and France .
RIVALISER, Fr. to vie with ano-
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ther; to rival him. Fivaliser de cou-ragede celerite , Fr. to vie in courage,in swiftness.
RIVALITE, Fr. See Emulation.
RIVE, Fr. the sea-shore side orcoast, the bank or side of a river.
Rive de Genes, Fr. that line of coastwhich runs along the country of Genoa.
La Rive d’un bois, Fr. the skirt, edge,or side of a wood.
RIVER un clou. Fr. a figurativephrase, signifying to make a reply inpoint; literally to hit the nail upon thehead.
River, (riviere, Fr.) a land currentof water larger than a brook.—Vesselsused upon navigable rivers may be im-pressed in cases of emergency by awarrant from any justice of the peace.See Mutiny-^c*£, Sect. 46.
Fordable River, a rivet* which maybe passed without the assistance of anyfloating machines. In order to sound theford, and to ascertain the state of it,men on horseback are first ordered tocross. By that means it will be knownwhether any obstacles have been thrownin the way by the enemy; for nothingis more easily effected. The passage ofa ford may be rendered impracticableby throwing whole trees in, by tables orplatforms covered with nails, and bystakes. The two latter impedimentsare the most dangerous.—But stakesare not easily fixed, and are conse-quently seldom used. When fords areembarrassed by them, it requires sometime and trouble to clear the river;and it is equally difficult to get rid ofthe inconvenience that arises when wellshave been sunk. Whenever there isreason to apprehend such obstacles, itis always best to reach the ford atdusk.
When the Prince of Conde, in 1567,resolved to cross the river Seine, theroyalists, who were on the oppositeside, endeavoured to prevent his pas-sage by throwing quantities of madriers,or thick planks that were nailed toge-ther, iron hoops and water-cats into theford. The Huguenots or Protestants ,however, were not diverted from theirpurpose. Auhigne, a French writer,says, that on that occasion they placed400 arquebusiers upon the bank to pro-tect the men that raked the ford.
This was certainly a singular methodto clear a ford, nor could it be done
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