SCH

S C I

La Fere , for the exclusive use and ad-vantage of the artillery, was calculatedto receive 80 officers; and those whowent from La Fere had the rank of se-cond lieutenants, with 60 livres, some-thing more than 21. sterling, as monthlysubsistence.

On the 26th of July 1783, an orderappeared, by which the king directed,that the young gentlemen who, by aformer regulation could only be admit-ted into the royal colleges between theages of eight and eleven, should be re-ceived from the age of seven to that often. Orphans alone could be admittedas late as the full completion of twelveyears. The parents of such children ashad been approved of by his Majesty,were, without delay, to send in proofsand certificates of their nobility; infailure whereof, one year after their no-mination, they were deprived of thesituation which had been destined forthem.

No family could solicit a letter of ad-mission. for more than one child at atime; and when it was granted, no ap-plication could be made in favour ofanother child until the first had com-pleted his education, and was providedfor in a regiment, or elsewhere.

The wisdom of this regulation is ma-nifest. It was calculated to preventevery species of partiality and undue in-fluence, and it kept the door open formany a meritorious youth, that mightotherwise be deprived of the advantagesof this useful institution. Like everyother system, however, of that ill-fatedmonarchy, the principles were graduallyperverted; and what was intended as ageneral good, became subservient to theintrigues of Versailles, the secret viewsof inspectors and commissaries, and thevenal pliancy of individuals that actedunder them. This evil was not con-fined to France . It has existed, anddoes still exist, in other nations: let ushope that the judicious arrangements ofthe military school in England, maysave that infant establishment from anearly visitation of its baneful and insi-dious spirit. So strict, indeed, was theregulation in France to prevent any mo-nopoly of interest or patronage, thatparticular instructions were issued tocommissaries to repair into the differentprovinces in which the several colleges

stood, and to see that no students weresent to the general examination atBrienne, who had any brother or bro-thers under the same establishment.

It will naturally strike every observer,from these several establishments, whichwere all supported by government, andwarmly patronized by the different reign-ing monarchs in France , that military-science constituted one of the chief ob-jects of French policy; and it is onlybare justice to say, that their encourage-ment was not fruitlesly bestowed. Theonly public military establishments inthis country, (which may be said to havesound theory and practice for theirgroundworks,) are the Royal Academy at Woolwich, and the infant institutionof High Wycombe . The Turks havea military school, called the School torthe Agemolans, or young men attachedto the corps of Janizaries . This in-stitution was created by Amurat, forthe purpose of enuring a certain num-ber of pa-sons to every possible hard-ship of military service.

Fencing School , (eco!e tfarmes, Fr.JEvery French regiment, when in bar-racks' or otherwise conveniently quar-tered, has a room allotted for the exer-cise of the small sword, the spadroon,&c. Some active clever serjeant or sol-dier is authorised to teach his comrades,and to derive what benefit he can fromgiving lessons abroad. W e need scarcelyadd, "that some internal regulation olthe kind would be highly advantageous

to British officers.

SCIAGE , (Buisde Sciagc, I-r.J saw-ing. Wood that is proper to be salvedin planks, or to be made fit lor any usen carpentry r »

SCIAGRAPHY, (Sciagraph,the profile or section of a bundingshew the inside thereof,

SCIE, Fr. a saw. . f

SCIENCE, any art or species

knowledge; as military science,arc.

SCIENCE of rear, (Science t /Guerre , Fr. ; According to the nut "

of the Nouveau DictiomatrcMMW’

the science of war, or the know e -military tactics upon an ‘ ’

is, perhaps, the most compenuration of ’the human mind, and £mauds the full exercise of all ts p

ers. To be equal to the mul f^

brunches of this unbouwlec