Part 173

La GARDE Irelandoise, Fr. the Irish guards.

Faire monter la GARDE, Fr. to set the guard.

Etre de GARDE, Fr. to be upon guard.

Monter la GARDE, Fr. to mount guard.

Descendre la GARDE, Fr. to come off guard.

Rélever ou changer la GARDE, Fr. to relieve guard.

La GARDE montante, Fr. the guard that mounts, or the new guard.

La GARDE descendante, Fr. the guard that comes off, or the old guard.

GARDE à vous, Fr. A cautionary phrase made use of in the French service. We formerly adopted the term, take care, or have a care--at present we use the word attention, which is usually pronounced ’tention.

GARDENS, in ancient military history, places of resort to practice military exercises.

GARGOUILLIS, Fr. the powder with which cannon is charged.

GARGOUSSE, Fr. a cartouch, a cartridge.

GARGOUSSIERE, Fr. a pouch for cartridges.

GARLAND, a sort of chaplet made of flowers, feathers, and sometimes of precious stones, worn on the head in the manner of a crown. The word is formed of the French guirlande, and that of the barbarous Latin garlanda, or Italian ghirlanda. Both in ancient and modern times it has been customary to present garlands of flowers to warriors who have distinguished themselves. Among the French the practice is still familiar. A beautiful young woman is generally selected for the purpose.

GARNIR d’artillerie, Fr. to line with artillery. Un rampart garni de grosse artillerie, a rampart covered or lined with heavy ordnance.

Se GARNIR, Fr. To seize.

GARNISH-nails. Diamond headed nails, formerly used to ornament artillery carriages.

GARNISON, Fr. See GARRISON.

GARNITURE. See EQUIPAGE, &c.

Garrison des Janissaires, Fr. The elite or flower of the Janissaries of Constantinople is frequently sent into garrison on the frontiers of Turkey, or to places where the loyalty of the inhabitants is doubted. The Janissaries do not indeed assist in the immediate defence of a besieged town or fortress, but they watch the motions of all suspected persons, and are subject to the orders of their officers, who usually command the garrison.

GARRISON, in the art of war, a body of forces, disposed in a fortress or fortified town, to defend it against the enemy, or to keep the inhabitants in subjection; or even to be subsisted during the winter season: hence garrison and winter-quarters are sometimes used indiscriminately for the same thing; while at others they denote different things. In the latter case a garrison is a place wherein forces are maintained to secure it, and where they keep regular guards, as a frontier town, a citadel, castle, tower &c. The garrison should always be stronger than the townsmen.

Winter-quarters signifies a place where a number of forces are laid up in the winter season, without keeping the regular guard. See WINTER-QUARTERS.

GARRISON-town, generally a strong place in which troops are quartered, and do duty, for the security thereof, keeping strong guards at each port, and a main-guard in, or near the market-place.

Order of the GARTER, an English order of knighthood, instituted by Edward III. This order consists of 26 knights companions, whereof the king of England is the sovereign or chief.

This piece of regal mummery is not strictly military, but is inserted here as matter of curiosity.

All these officers, except the prelate, have fees and pensions. The college of the order is in the castle of Windsor, with the chapel of St. George, and the chapter-house, erected by the founder for that purpose. The habit and ensign of the order are, a garter, mantle, cap, George, and collar. The 3 first were assigned the knights companions by the founders; and the George and collar by king Henry VIII. The garter challenges pre-eminence over all other parts of the dress, because from it the noble order is denominated; that it is the first part of the habit presented to foreign princes, and absent knights, who, together with all other knights elect, are therewith first adorned; and it is of such honor and grandeur, that by the bare investiture with this noble ensign, the knights are esteemed companions of the greatest military order in the world. It is worn on the left leg, between the knee and calf, and is enamelled with this motto, Honi soit qui mal y pense: that is, “Evil be to him, who evil thinks.” The meaning of which is, that king Edward having laid claim to the kingdom of France, retorted shame and defiance upon him that should dare to think amiss of the just enterprize he had undertaken, for recovering his claim to that crown; and that the bravery of those knights whom he had elected into this order, was such as would enable him to maintain the quarrel against those that thought ill of it.

The mantle is the chief of those vestments made use of upon all solemn occasions. The color of the mantle is by the statutes appointed to be blue. The length of the train of the mantle, only, distinguishes the sovereign from the knights companions. To the collar of the mantle is fixed a pair of long strings, anciently wove with blue silk only, but now twisted round, and made of Venice gold and silk, of the color of the robe, with buttons and tassels at the end. The left shoulder of the mantle is adorned with a large garter, and device Honi soit, &c. Within this is the cross of the order, which was ordained to be worn at all times by king Charles I. At length the star was introduced, being a sort of cross irradiated with beams of silver.

The collar is composed of pieces of gold in fashion of garters, the ground enamelled blue, and the motto gold.