Part 356

County of ------ ------ of foot, came this day before me, and made oath, that he is no otherwise provided for by any commission or employment, civil or military, in his majesty’s service, than by half pay on the establishment of Ireland, and is on no other establishment of half pay.

Officer’s Name.

Sworn before me this day of

N. B. To be sworn in January, April, July, and October, in every year.

PAY-MASTER, is he who is intrusted with the money, and has the charge of paying the regiment. He has no other commission in the line. His pay is 15s. per day.

District PAY-MASTER, an officer appointed for the better management of the interior concerns of the army, when the corps are detached in garrisons on duty, in several districts.

PAY-Bills. in the British army these bills are distinguished according to the nature of the service for which they are given. Every captain of a troop or company receives a regular weekly account from his Serjeant, of money to be advanced for the effectives of such troop or company; and on the 24th day in each month he makes out a monthly one for the paymaster, who makes out a general abstract for the agent. The paymaster-general’s estimate is likewise called the pay bill.

PAY-Lists. The monthly accounts, which are transmitted by the several regimental and district paymasters to their agents on the 25th of each month, are so termed.

PAY-Rolls, the same as pay-lists.

PAY-Serjeant. See Serjeant.

PAYE, Fr. the pay of the troops.

PAYEN-Ghaut, Ind. the lower mountain Ghaut is the general term for mountain.

PAYS, Fr. This word is variously applied by the French in a figurative sense: Parler, ou juger a vue de Pays. To speak or decide at random.

Gagner PAYS, (vuider le pays, Fr.) To leave a country. To go voluntarily into exile. Gagner pays likewise means to gain ground. Avancer pays may be used in the same sense.

Battre-PAYS, Fr. to speak wide of the subject.

Tirer-PAYS, Fr. a familiar phrase among the French, signifying to escape.

PAYS, Fr. country, locality, ground.

PAYS-conquis, Fr. This term was applied by the French to those countries and tracts of territory which had been ceded to France by treaty; as Lorraine; or had been conquered by force of arms; as Ypres, Tournay, Ghent, Ostend, and several other towns, from the reign of Louis XIII.

PAYS-coupés, Fr. Confined, inclosed, or intersected countries. Marshal Saxe has observed, that it is impossible to lay down any specific rule relative to the management of troops in countries of this description. An intelligent and able officer will be governed by the nature of the ground in which he is to act; and as under these circumstances, the contest will consist chiefly of a war of posts, and of desultory engagements, in which the most obstinate will be generally the most successful, it will be incumbent upon every military man to recollect, that he must never advance, without having previously secured means for a retreat, should that be judged expedient, and being constantly guarded on his flanks to prevent the fatal consequences of surprise and ambuscade. Although the latter precautions are principally attended to by the general of an army, every partisan or officer commanding a detachment, should be more or less alive to the many mischiefs which must ensue from carelessness and inattention. It would be superfluous to point out what troops are best calculated to act in a close or intersected country. Every military man must know, that mountainous and close countries, or intersected lands, are best adapted to light infantry manœuvres, and that cavalry can only act, with safety and effect, in an open country. The solidity of this observation has probably been the cause of so much improvement in light artillery, and in rifle corps. The latter, indeed, by the use which has been made of their particular weapon, and the desultory execution of it on service, have sufficiently shewn, that no army ought to move without them.

PAYSANS. Fr. Peasants.

PEACE, has been represented allegorically as a beautiful female, holding in her hand a wand or rod towards the earth, over a hideous serpent, and keeping her other hand over her face, as unwilling to behold strife or war. By some painters she has been represented holding in one hand an olive branch, and leading a lamb and a wolf yoked by their necks, in the other; others again have delineated her with an olive branch in her right hand, and a cornucopia, or horn of plenty, in her left.

A very celebrated temple was erected for the goddess of peace at Rome, which was furnished with most of the rich vases and curiosities taken out of the temple of the Jews at Jerusalem. In this temple she was represented as a fine lady, endowed with a great deal of sweetness and good-nature, crowned with laurel interwoven, holding a caduceus in one hand, and a nosegay of roses and ears of corn, in the other.

The temple of peace, built by Vespasian, was 300 feet long, and 200 broad. Josephus says, that all the rarities which men travel through the world to see, were deposited in this temple.

PEACE, (Paix, Fr.) rest, silence, quietness; the direct opposite to war; and when the latter prevails, the ultimate object of every contest. This word is frequently prefixed to the term establishment, to signify the reduced number of effective men, in the British army, according to the various formations of corps. Thus one regiment may be 1200 strong in time of war, and only 600 in time of peace. A regiment may also consist of several battalions, the 60th regiment for example has six battalions each of the strength of a regiment; that is from 1000 to 1200 men each. Whence arises the distinction between war and peace establishments. The standing army of Great Britain, according to law, consists of that force only which is kept up in time of peace, and which is confined to a specific number of regiments. Every regiment, beyond the regulated number, during a war is liable to be reduced; and all within it are said to be out of the break.

PEADA, Ind. a footman who carries a staff.

PECHE, Fr. Fishery.

PECTORAL, (Pectoral, Fr.) a breast plate. This word is derived from the Latin, Pectorale. Among the Romans the poorer soldiers, who were rated under a thousand drachms, instead of the lorica or brigantine, (a leathern coat of mail) wore a pectorale, or breast-plate of thin brass, about 12 fingers square. Some modern troops, such as the cuirassiers, &c. wear pectorals for the direct purposes of defence and bodily protection; but in general small ornamental plates with clasps, have been substituted.

PECULAT, Fr. See PECULATION.