R E T 473 R E T

flection. This is done two ways ; first, by keeping the ideawhich is brought into the mind tor some time in view; this iscalled contemplation. Secondly, by reviving those ideas in ourminds which have disappeared, and have been as it were laid outor sight; this is memory, which is as it were the repository of ourideas. See Memory.

Retention is also used, in medicine, See. for the state of con-traction in the solids or vascular parts of the body, which makesthem hold fast their proper contents. In this sense retention isopposed to evacuation and excretion.

RETIAR1I, in antiquity, a kind of gladiators, thus denomi-nated from a.net which they made use of against their antagonists,who were called secutores, and sometimes mirmillones. SeeGladiator.

RETFORD, a borough of Nottinghamshire , 30 miles N. ofNottingham, and 144 N. by W. of London . Lon. 0. 4S. \V.Lat. 53. 22. N,

done in . sight of an active enemy, who pursues with a superiorforce, is the most important part of the subject; and is, with rea-son, looked upon as the glory of the profession. It is a manoeuvrethe most delicate and the properest to display the prudence, ge-nius, courage, and address, of an officer who commands. Themost famous retreat in ancient history was (hat of Xenophon .

Retreat, is also a beat of the drum, at the firing of the even-ing gun ; at which the drum-major, with all the drums of the bat-talion, except such as are upon duty, beats from the camp-colourson the right to those on the left, on the parade of the encamp-ment: the drums of all the guards beat also ; the trumpets at the.same time sounding at the head of their respective troops. Thisis to warn the soldiers to forbear firing, and the ceolinels to dial*lenge, till the break of day that the reveille is beat. The retreatis likewise called setting the watch.

Retreat, or Relay, in masonry, a little recess or diminu-tion of the thickness of a wall, rampart, &c. in proportion as it is

JiETHJilL, a towi*of France, in the department of (he Ar-dennes , and late province of Champagne: 20 miles N. E. ofRheims, and 108 N. E. of Paris .

RETflEM, a town of Germany , in Lunenburg Zell, outlieAller: 12 miles S. \V. of Verdun, and 32 W. of Zell.

RETICULAR 150DY, KETJCULARE CORPUS, inanatomy, a very line membrane, perforated, in the manner of anet, with a multitude of foramina. It is placed immediatelyunder the cuticle ; and when that is separated from the cutis, whe-ther by art or accident, this adheres firmly to it, and is scarcelypossible to be parted from it, seeming rather to be its inner su-perficies than a distinct substance.

RETIMO , the ancient Rhitymnia of Stephen, the geographer,called by Ptolemy Rhitymna, aline city, lying at one end of arich and fertile plain, on the coast of the island of Candia.

RETICULA, or RETICULE, in astronomy, a contrivancefor the exact measuring the quantity of eclipses. The reticule isa little frame, consisting of thirteen fine silken threads, equidistantfrom each other, and parallel, placed in the focus of object-glassesof telescopes : that is, in the place where the image of tiie lumi-nary is painted in its full extent; of consequence, therefore, thediameter of the sun or moon is hereby seen divided into twelveequal parts or digits ; so that to find the quantity of the eclipse,there is nothing to do but to number the luminous and the darkparts. As a square reticule is only proper for the diameter, notfor the circumference, of the luminary, it is sometimes made cir-cular by drawing six concentric equi-distarit circles, this repre-sents the phases of the eclipse perfectly.

RE TINA, in anatomy, the expansion of the optic nerves overthe bottom of the eye, where the sense of vision is first received.See Anatomy , and Optics.

RETIRADE, in fortification, a kind of retrenchment made ina/body of a bastion, or other work, which is to be disputed, inchby inch, after the defences are dismantled. It usually consists oftwo faces, which make a re-entering angle. When a breach ismade in a bastion, the enemy may also make a retirade or newfortification behind it.

RETORT, \_retortnm, Lat.] in chemistry, an oblong or glo-bular vessel with its neck bent, proper for distillation. See Che-mistry.

RETRACTION, [ rttractio , Lat.] the act of drawing back, orunsaying what a person had said before. Among anatomists, re-traction frequently signifies the contraction or shortening of anypart.

RETRACTS, among horsemen, pricks in a horse’s feel, arisingfrom tire fault of the farrier in driving nails that are weak, or indriving them ill-pointed or otherwise amiss.

RETRAIIKNS, [tmn'culum, Lat.] in anatomy, a muscle ofthe external ear, consisting of a parcel of ileshv fibres, which insome bodies are divided into three distinct nuecles arising fromthe os temperate, and fixed to the hind part of the concha.

RETRAXIT, in law, is where a plainfu'i’conies in person tofile court where his action is brought, and declares he will not pro-ceed in it, in which case the action is barred for ever.

RETREAT, in a military sense. An army or body of menare said to retreat when they turn their backs upon the enemy, orare retiring from the ground tliev occupied : hence everv marchIn withdrawing iron; the enomv is called a retreat. That which is

raised.

RETRENCHMENT, in the art of war, any kind of workraised to cover a post, and fortify it against the enemy, such asfascines loaded with earth, gambiotis, barrels of earth, sand-bags,and generally all tilings that can cover the men and slop theenemy. See Fortification .

RETRIBUTION is a handsome present, gratuity, or acknow-ledgment, given instead of a formal salary or hire, to persons em-ployed in affairs that do not so immediately fall under estimation,nor within the ordinary commerce in money.

RETROCESSION OF THE EQUINOX. See Preces-sion, and Astronomy .

RETXOGRADAT10N, or RETROGRESSION, the act'or el'fi ct of a thing moving backwards. The retrograde motionof the planets is an apparent motion, whereby they seem, to an oil-'server placed on the earth, to move backwards, or contrary to theorder of the signs. See Astronomy.

RETROGRESSION OF CURVES, their bending or turn-ing backwards. See Inflection , and Fluxions.

RETRO MING ENTS, \rctro and niingo, Lat.] in naturalhistory, a class or division of animals, whose characteristic is, thatboth sexes stale backwards.

RE1ROSPECT, \_rdro and specio, Lat.] look thrown upoiithings behind or things past.

RETURN, [ n'iurnu , or rctorna,] in law, is used in diverssenses. 1. Return of writs by sherilts and bailiffs is a certificatemade by them to the court, of what they have done in rela-tion to the execution of the writ directed to them. This is writteni on the back of the w rit by the officer, who thus sends the writback to the court from whence it issued, to be filed. 2. Returnof a commission, a certificate or answer sent to the court fromwhence the commission issues, concerning what lias been done bythe comiiiLsioners. 3. Returns, or days in bank, are certain (lavsin each term, appointed lor the return of writs, &c. fi lms Hilaryterm has four returns, viz. m the king’s bench, on (lie day nextafter the octave, or eighth day after Hilary day : on the day nextafter the fifteenth day from St. Hilary : on the day alter purifica-tion ; and on the next alter the octave of the purification. In thecommon pleas, in eight days of St. Hilary; from the day of St.Hilary, in fifteen days ; on the day after the purification ; in eightdays of the purification. Easier term has live returns, viz. in theking’s bench, on the day next after the fifteenth day from Easter :mi the day next after the three weeks from Easter : on the daynext alter one month from Easter : on the day next alter fiveweeks from Kas’er: and on the day next alter the day followingascension-dav. In the common pleas, in fifteen days from thefeast of Easter: in I Tree weeks from the ieasl ol Easter : in onemonth from Easter day : in five weeks fiom Easter day: on theday alter the ascension-day. Trinity term has tour returns, viz.(in the dav follow ing the second day alter firimty : on the dayi| following the eighth day alter I rinity : on the day next after thefifteenth day tioiii ’Trinity : on the day next alter three weeksfrom Tnnitv. In the common pleas, on the day after Trinity :in eight day's of Trinity : in lillecn days from fi rimty : in threeweeks from Trinity. Michaelmas term has six returns, viz. mij the day next after throe weeks from St. Michael : on (ho day nextafter one month of St. Michael : on the day following the second| day after All-souls: on the day next after the second day alter bt.

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