Part 116

“WHEREAS it has come to our royal notice and observation, that in contempt of all laws, divine and human, it has of late become a custom among the nobility and gentry of this our kingdom, upon slight and trivial, as well as great and urgent provocations, to invite each other into the field, there, by their own hands, and of their own authority, to decide their controversies by combat: we have thought fit to take the said custom into our royal consideration, and find, upon inquiry into the usual causes whereon such fatal decisions have arisen, that by this wicked custom, maugre all the precepts of our holy religion, and the rules of right reason, the greatest act of the human mind, forgiveness of injuries, is become vile and shameful; that the rules of good society and virtuous conversation are hereby inverted; that the loose, the vain, and the impudent, insult the careful, the discreet, and the modest; that all virtue is suppressed, and all vice supported, in the one act of being capable to dare to death. We have also further, with great sorrow of mind, observed that this dreadful action, by long impunity, (our royal attention being employed upon matters of more general concern) is become honorable, and the refusal to engage in it ignominious. In these our royal cares and inquiries, we are yet farther made to understand, that the persons of most eminent worth, of most hopeful abilities, accompanied with the strongest passion for true glory, are such as are most liable to be involved in the dangers arising from this licence. Now, taking the said premises into our serious consideration, and well weighing, that all such emergencies (wherein the mind is incapable of commanding itself, and where the injury is too sudden, or too exquisite to be borne) are particularly provided for by laws heretofore enacted; and that the qualities of less injuries, like those of ingratitude, are too nice and delicate to come under general rules; we do resolve to blot this fashion, or wantonness of anger, out of the minds of our subjects, by our royal resolutions declared in this edict, as follows:--No person who either sends or accepts a challenge, or the posterity of either, though no death ensues thereupon, shall be, after the publication of this our edict, capable of bearing office in these our dominions:--The person who shall prove the sending or receiving a challenge, shall receive to his own use and property, the whole personal estate of both parties; and their real estate shall be immediately vested in the next heir of the offenders, in as ample a manner as if the said offenders were actually deceased:--In cases where the laws (which we have already granted to our subjects) admit of an appeal for blood: when the criminal is condemned by the said appeal, he shall not only suffer death, but his whole estate, real, mixed, and personal, shall, from the hour of his death, be vested in the next heir of the person whose blood he spilt:--That it shall not hereafter be in our royal power, or that of our successors, to pardon the said offences, or restore the offenders to their estates, honor, or blood, for ever. Given at our court, at Blois, the eighth of February, 420, in the second year of our reign.”

DUELLING was authorised before the Normans came into England, but the practice was not so frequent as after the conquest.

DULEDGE, a peg of wood which joins the ends of the felloes, forming the circle of the wheel of a gun carriage; and the joint is strengthened on the outside of the wheel by a strong plate of iron, called the duledge plate.

DUMB-BELLS, weights which were used in drilling the soldier, who held one in each hand, which he swung backwards and forwards, to open his chest, increase muscular strength, throw back his shoulders, and accustom him to that freedom of action in the arms, and to that erect position of body which are so essentially necessary to a soldier.

The following method of exercising recruits with the dumb-bells, is extracted from a work entitled Military Instruction.

The dumb-bells being placed one on each side of the recruit, and himself in an erect, steady posture--on the word,

Raise bells--he will take one in each hand, and by a gentle motion, raise them as high as his arm will suffer him above his head; then gradually sinking them with stretched arm, as much behind him as possible, he will form a circle with them, making the circle complete, by causing the backs of his hands to meet behind his body; this will be repeated according to his strength, 5 or 6 times.

Extend bells.--The bells being raised to the shoulder, they will be forced forwards, keeping the same height, then brought back in the same manner; this will throw the chest forward, and force back the neck and shoulders, this must be frequently repeated.

Swing bells.--The top part of the bells to be made meet together in front, the height of the breast; then forced backwards with an extended arm, and be made to touch behind: in doing this, the palm of the hands must be uppermost, and the elbows well down: this circle must be repeated 14 or 15 times: Time, the circle performed, in 2 seconds.

Ground bells.--The recruit will let fall the bells by his sides, and remain steady and firm.

DUNES, Fr. sand hills, commonly called downs. As les dunes sur la cote de Flandres; the downs, or sand hills along the coast of Flanders.

DUNGEON, DONJON, Fr. in fortification, is commonly a large tower or redoubt of a fortress, whither the garrison may retreat, in case or necessity, and capitulate with greater advantage. Also a dark and secluded place in which prisoners were kept.

DUTY, in a military sense, is the exercise of those functions that belong to a soldier; yet with this nice distinction, that duty is counted the mounting guard, &c. where no enemy is directly to be engaged; for when any body of men marches to meet the enemy, this is strictly called going upon service.

On all duties, whether with or without arms, picquets, or courts martial, the tour of duty begins with the eldest downwards. An officer who is upon duty cannot be ordered for any other before that duty is finished, except he be on the inlying picquet, as then he shall be relieved, and go on the duty ordered.

Military DUTIES may be divided into two general classes, under the heads of Brigade and Regimental duties.

Brigade duties, are those which one regiment does in common with another, collectively or by detachments; and of which the brigade major keeps a regular roster.

Regimental Duties, are those which the several companies of a regiment perform among themselves, and of which the adjutant keeps a regular roster.

The following general regulations are to be observed, respecting duties in general.

When field or other commissioned officers, are given out at head quarters for one duty, they cannot be taken off to be put on any other duty.

No officer is allowed to exchange his duty with another, after he has been put in orders for it, without leave of the commanding officer of his regiment.

Guards, or detachments, which have not marched off from the parade, are not to be reckoned as for a duty done; but, if they should have marched from the parade, it stands for a duty done, though they should be dismissed immediately.

If any officer’s tour of duty for the picquet, general court martial, or duty of fatigue, happen when he is on duty, he shall not make good such duty when he comes off.

No regiment can demand a tour of duty, unless it has marched off the place of parade, and beyond the main guard.

General courts martial that have assembled, and the members sworn in, shall be reckoned for a duty, though they should be dismissed without trying any person.

Whenever the picquets are ordered to march to any parade, it is not to be accounted a duty, unless they march off that parade.

All commands in the regular forces, fall to the eldest officers in the same circumstances, whether of cavalry or infantry, entire, or in parties. In case two commissions, of the same date, interfere, a retrospect is to be had to former commissions, or to lot.

Officers, on all duties under arms, are to have their swords drawn, without waiting for any word of command for that purpose.

EAGLE. Black-EAGLE, an order of military knighthood in Prussia, instituted by the elector of Brandenburg, in 1701, on his being crowned king of Prussia. The knights of this order wear an orange colored riband, from which is suspended a black eagle.