Part 427

REVOLT, (révolte, Fr.) Mutiny; insurrection.

REVOLTER. One who rises against lawful authority; a deserter, &c.

REVOLTES, Fr. Rebels.

REVOLUTION, (révolution, Fr.) A change in government, as the throwing off the tyranny of Britain, by the declaration of independence, in 1776, and as the French revolution.

REVOLUTIONNAIRE, Fr. A friend to the revolution.

REVOLUTIONNAIRE, Fr. An adjective of two genders. Anything belonging to the revolution. Hence

Armée RÉVOLUTIONNAIRE. A revolutionary army; such as appeared in France.

REVOLUTIONNER, Fr. To revolutionize. To propagate principles in a country which are subversive of its existing government.

REWARD, (récompense, Fr.) A recompence given for good performed. Twenty shillings are allowed by the mutiny act, as a reward for apprehending deserters.

Military REWARDS, (récompenses militaires, Fr.) The original instances of military rewards are to be found in the Grecian and Roman histories. The ancients did not, however, at first recompence military merit in any other way than by erecting statues to the memory, or presenting them with triumphal crowns. The warriors of that age were more eager to deserve public applause by extraordinary feats of valor, by temperance and moral virtue, than to become rich at the expence of the state. They thirsted after glory; but it was after a species of glory which was not in the least tarnished by the alloy of modern considerations.

The services which individuals rendered were distinguished by the kind of statue that was erected, and its accompanying decorations, or by the materials and particular formation of the crowns that were presented.

In process of time, the state or civil government of a country, felt the propriety and justice of securing to its defenders something more substantial than mere show and unprofitable trophies. It was considered, that men who had exposed their lives, and had been wounded, or were grown infirm through age, &c. ought to be above want, and not only to have those comforts which through their exertions millions were enjoying, but to be placed in an independent and honorable situation. The most celebrated of their warriors were consequently provided for at the public expence, and they had regular claims made over to them, which were answered at the treasury.

Triumphal honors were likewise reckoned among the military rewards which the ancients voted to their best generals. Fabius Maximus, Paul Emilius, Camillus, and the Scipios were satisfied with this recompense for their services. With respect to old infirm soldiers, who were invalided, they were provided for by receiving, each a lot of ground, which they cultivated and improved. Lands, thus appropriated, formed part of the republican or national domains, or were divided amongst them in the conquered countries.

The Roman officer was rewarded for his services, or for particular acts of bravery in three ways: 1st. By marks of honor or distinction, which consisted of two sorts, viz. Of that which was merely ornamental to their own persons, or limited to the investiture for life; and of that which may be called rememorative, such as statues, &c. The latter descended to their posterity, and gave their families a certain rank in the republic. 2dly. By pensions or allowances, and 3dly. By a grant of lands which exceeded the lots given to private soldiers. These lands, the property of the veteran soldier, in process of time became objects of solicitude among the Patricians and rich men; they encroached upon them, and often excited foreign wars, in order to take away the citizens, and in their absence, engross their lands; this rapacity of the senators, was the true cause of the agrarian laws, which has generally been held up as a reproach to the injured and not to the oppressors, and the people in republics have been held forth as turbulent and inimical to personal property, because the people of Rome sought to recover the lands of which they had been despoiled by the avarice of the senate, and by an inordinate spirit of speculation.

The Franks, who got possession of the country which was formerly occupied by the Gauls, had, at first, no other method of recompensing their generals than by giving them a certain proportion of land. This grant did not exceed their natural lives, and sometimes it was limited to the time they remained in the service.

These usages insensibly changed, and by degrees it became customary for the children of such men as had received grants of national territory, to continue to enjoy them; upon condition, however, that the actual possessors of such lands should be liable to military service. Hence the origin of fiefs in France, and the consequent appellation of milice des fieffés, or militia, composed of men who held their lands on condition of bearing arms when called upon. The French armies were for many years constituted in this manner; and the custom of rendering military service in consideration of land tenure, only ceased under Charles the VIIth.

In process of time, those lands which had been originally bestowed upon men of military merit, descended to their children, and were gradually lost in the aggregate mass of inheritable property. Other means were consequently to be resorted to by the state, in order to satisfy the just claims of deserving officers and soldiers. The French, therefore, returned to the ancient custom of the Romans, and rewarded those, who distinguished themselves in war, by honorary marks of distinction.

Under the first race of French kings may be found several instances of men of obscure condition having, by their valor, obtained the rank and title of count, and even those of duke. These dignities, of themselves, entitled the bearers to places of high command in the armies. The title of knight, most especially of knight banneret, gave very high rank during the reign of Philip Augustus: and in the reigns of one or two of his predecessors, it was bestowed upon individuals who behaved in a distinguished manner in the field.

This species of reward did not cost the public any thing. It was bestowed upon the individual by the general of the army, and consisted in nothing more than a salute given by the latter on the field of battle, by which he became knight banneret, and was perfectly satisfied with the honor it conferred.

This mode of rewarding individuals for great actions or long services, continued until men inlisted themselves for money, and the army was regularly paid, according to the several ranks of those who composed it. At this period, however, it became expedient to have recourse to the second method which was adopted by the Romans to compensate individuals for services rendered to the state. The royal treasury was either subjected to the annual claims of individuals, or to the payment of a specific sum, for having eminently distinguished themselves under arms. Notwithstanding this, honorary rewards continued to be given, and the knighthood conferred in the field by the kiss or salute of a general, which the French style accolade, was practised until the 16th century:

It was usual, even during that century, to reward a soldier, who did a brave action, by some mark of distinction, that was given on the spot by a crown made of grass or other verdure, which was placed upon his head by his comrades, or by a gold ring, which his commanding officer put upon his finger in the presence of the whole troop or company to which he belonged. It sometimes happened, as in the reign of Francis the first, that this mark of distinction was given by the general of the army.

Several brave men have been distinguished with titles of nobility and armorial bearings, which were conferred by princes, in consequence of some singular feat or exploit. There have been instances recorded in the French history of extraordinary actions having been rewarded upon the spot by kings who commanded in person. A soldier of merit was peculiarly honored by Louis the XIth, for bravery and good conduct in the field. That monarch took the collar of a military order off his own neck, and placed it round the neck of Launay Morvillier, as a reward for great prowess and intrepidity.

Besides the gramineous crown and gold ring, which were thus given as marks of honor and distinction, the private soldiers were frequently rewarded by small sums of money when they performed any particular feat or act of bravery. They were likewise promoted from the ranks, and made serjeants or corporals.

Honorary rewards and compensations for service were not confined to individual officers and soldiers. Whole corps were frequently distinguished in the same manner. When several corps acted together, and one amongst them gave signal proofs of gallantry and good conduct, that one frequently took precedence of the others in rank, or was selected by the sovereign to be his personal guard. Sometimes, indeed, the king placed himself at the head of such a corps on the day of battle, thereby testifying his approbation of their conduct, and giving a proof of his confidence in their bravery.

It is now usual, in most countries, to confer marks of distinction on those corps, that have formed part of any army that has signalized itself. Thus the kettle drums, under the appellation of nacaires, were given to some regiments, as proofs of their having behaved gallantly on trying occasions.

The military order of St. Louis, which was created by Louis the XIVth in 1693, and that of Maria Theresa. The modern French legion of honor, instituted by Bonaparte, adopts and organizes into a most influential and comprehensive military and political system, all the usages of pre-existing military orders; and fixes degrees of rank under various denominations, those thus decorated are preferred for other trusts and honors. There are many other orders in different countries, were only instituted for the purpose of rewarding military merit. The Greeks and Romans satisfied themselves with honorary rewards, or occasional compensations. The moderns, particularly the French and English, have placed military claims upon a more solid footing. The gratitude of the public keeps pace with the sacrifices of individuals, and permanent provisions are made for those who are wounded or rendered infirm in the service.

The Athenians supported those who had been wounded in battle, and the Romans recompensed those that had served during a given period. The French kings reserved to themselves the privilege of providing for individuals who had been maimed in action, by giving them certain monastic allowances and lodging, &c. in the different convents of royal institution. Philip Augustus, king of France, first formed the design of building a college for soldiers who had been rendered infirm, or were grown old in the service. Louis, surnamed the great, not only adopted the idea, but completed the plan in a grand and magnificent style. Charles the second, on his restoration to the crown of Great Britain, established Chelsea, and James the second added considerable improvements to this institution.

REZ, Fr. A preposition which signifies close to, adjoining, level with. Rez le metal in a right line with the metal, a phrase used in pointing guns, to discriminate between the real and artificial point blank; it means on a level with the tops of the base-ring and swell of the muzzle. As rez pied, rez-terre. Démolir les fortifications, rez-pied, rez-terre. To level the fortifications with the ground.