RECOGNISE. NUMBER signifies to put in the num ber. The idea of esteeming is here common to these terms, which differ less in meaning than in application: reckon is the most familiar; account and number are employed only in the grave style: we reckon it a happiness to enjoy the company of a particular friend; we ought to account it a privilege to be enabled to address our Maker by prayer; we must all expect to be one day numbered with the dead. Reckoning themselves absolved by Mary's attach ment to Bothwell, from the engagements which they had come under when she yielded herself a prisoner, they carried her, next evening, under a strong guard, to the castle of Lochlevin. Robertson. There is no bishop of the Church of England but accounts it his interest, as well as his duty, to comply with this precept of the Apostle Paul to Titus, "These things teach and exhort." South. He whose mind never pauses from the remembrance of his own sufferings, may justly be numbered among the most miserable of human beings. Johnson. RECKONING, D. Account. TO RECLAIM, REFORM. RECLAIM, from clamo to call, signifies to call back to its right place that which has gone astray. REFORM signifies to form anew that which has changed its form: they are allied only in their application to the moral character. RECOGNISE, ACKNOWLEDGE. RECOGNISE, in Latin recognoscere is to take knowledge of, or bring to one's own knowledge. ACKNOWLEDGE, v. To Acknowledge. To recognise is to take cognizance of that which comes again before our notice ; to acknowledge is to admit to one's know RECOVER. ledge whatever comes fresh under our notice we recognise a person whom we have known before; we recognise him either in his former character, or in some newly assumed character; we acknowledge either former favours, or those which have been just received: princes recognise certain principles which have been admitted by previous consent; they acknowledge the justice of claims which are preferred before them. When conscience threatens punishment to secret from whom nothing is hidden. crimes, it manifestly recognises a Supreme Governor Blair. I call it atheism by establishment, when any states as such, shall not acknowledge the existence of God, Burke. as the moral governor of the world. TO RECOIL, v. To rebound. TO RECONCILE, v. To conciliate. RECORD, REGister, archIVE. RECORD is taken for the thing recorded; REGISTER, either for the thing registered, or the place in which it is registered; ARCHIVE, mostly for the place, and sometimes for the thing: records are either historical details, or short notices; registers are but short notices of particular and local circumstances; archives are always connected with the state: every place of antiquity has its records of the different circumstances which have been connected with its rise and progress, and the various changes which it has experienced; in public registers we find accounts of families, and of their various connexions and fluctuations; in archives we find all legal deeds and instruments, which involve the interests of the nation, both in its internal and external economy. TO RECOUNT, v. To relate. TO RECOVER, RETRIEVE, REPAIR, RE- RECOVER is to get again under one's cover or protection. RETRIEVE, from the French trouver to find, is to find again. REPAIR, in French reparer, Latin reparo, from paro to get, signifies likewise to get again, or make a thing good as it was before. RECRUIT, in French recru, from eru, and the Latin cresco to grow, signifies to grow again, or come fresh again. Recover is the most general term, and applies to objects in general; retrieve, repair, and the others, are only partial applications; we recover things either by our own means or by casualties; we retrieve and repair by our own efforts only: we recover RECTITUDE. that which has been taken, or that which has been any way lost: we retrieve that which we have lost; we repair that which has been injured; we recruit that which has been diminished: we recover property from those who wish to deprive us of it; we retrieve our misfortunes, or our lost reputation; we repair the mischief which has been done to our property; we recruit the strength which has been exhausted; we do not seek after that which we think irrecoverable; we give that up which is irre trievable; we lament over that which is irreparable; our power of recruiting depends upon circumstances; he who makes a moderate use of his resources, may in general easily recruit himself when they are gone. The serious and impartial retrospect of our conduct is indisputably necessary to the confirmation or recovery of our virtue. Johnson, Why may not the soul receive Jenyns. Your men shall be receiv'd, your fleet prepar'd. RECOVERY, RESTORATION. RECOVERY is one's own act; RESTORATION is the act of another: we recover the thing we have lost, when it comes again into our possession; but it is restored to us by another: a king recovers his crown by force of arms, from the hands of a usurper; his crown is restored to him by the aid of his people: the recovery of property is good fortune; the restoration of property an act of justice. Both are employed likewise in regard to one's health; but the former simply designates the regaining of the health; the latter refers to the instrument by which it is brought about; the recovery of his health is an object of the first importance to every mau; the restoration of one's health seldomer depends upon the efficacy of medicine, than the benignant operations of nature. Blair. Let us study to improve the assistance which this revelation affords for the restoration of our nature, and the recovery of our felicity. RECREATION, v. Amusement. TO RECRUIT, v. To recover. TO RECTIFY, v. To amend. TO RECTIFY, V. To correct. RECTITUDE, UPRIGHTNESS. RECTITUDE is properly rightness, which is expressed in a stronger manner by UPRIGHTNESS: : we speak of the rectitude of the judgment; but of the uprightness of the mind, or of the moral character, which Inust be something more than straight, for 618 TO REDEEM, RANSOM. REDEEM, in Latin redimo, is compounded of re and emo to buy off, or back to one's self. RANSOM is in all probability a variation of redeem. Redeem is a term of general application ; ransom is employed only on particular occasions: we redeem persons as well as things; we ransom persons only: we may redeem by labour, or any thing which supplies an equivalent to money; we ransom property with money only: we redeem a watch, or whatever has been given in pawn; we ransom a captive: redeem is employed in the improper application; ransom only in the proper sense: we may redeem our character, redeem our life, or redeem our honour; and in this sense our Saviour redeems repentant sinners; but those who are ransomed only recover their bodily liberty. Thus in ber crime her confidence she plac'd, Dryden. A third tax was paid by vassals to the king, to ransom him if he should happen to be taken prisoner. Robertson. REDRESS, RELIEF. REDRESS, like address (v. Accost) in all probability comes from the Latin dirigo, signifying to direct or bring back to the former point. RELIEF, v. To help. Redress is said only with regard to matters of right and justice; relief to those of kindness, and humanity: by power we obtain redress: by active interference we obtain a relief: an injured person looks for redress to the government; an unfortunate person looks for relief to the compassionate and kind; what we suffer through the oppression and wickedness of others can be redressed only by those who have the power of dispensing justice; whenever we suffer, in the order of Providence, we may meet with some relief from those who are more favoured. Redress applies to public as well as private grievances; relief applies only to private distresses: under pretence of seeking redress of grievances, mobs are frequently assembled to the disturbance of the better disposed; under a pretence of soliciting charitable relief, thieves gain adıntance into families. TO REDUCE, LOWER. REDUCE is to bring down, and LOWER to make low or lower, which proves the close connexion of these words in their original meaning, it is, however, only in their improper application that they have any further connexion. Reduce is used in the sense of lessen, when applied to number, quantity, price, &c. ; lower is used in the same sense when applied to price, demands, terms, &c.; the former, however, occurs in cases where circumstances as well as persons are concerned; the latter only in cases where persons act: the price of corn is reduced by means of importation; a person lowers his price or his demand when he finds them too high. As a moral quality, the former is much stronger than the lat ter: a man is said to be reduced to an abject condition; but to be lowered in the estimation of others, to be reduced to a state of slavery, to be lowered in his own eyes. The regular metres then in use may be reduced, I REDUNDANCY, v. Excess. TO REFER, RELATE, RESPECT, REGARD. REFER, from the Latin re and fero, signifies literally to bring back; and RE LATE, from the participle latus of the same verb, signifies brought back: the former is, therefore, transitive, and the latter intransitive. One refers a person to a thing; one thing refers, that is, refers a person, to another thing: one thing relates, that is, is related, to another. To refer is an arbitrary act, it depends upon the will of an individual; we may refer a person to any part of a volume, or to any work we please: to relate is a conditional act, it depends on the nature of things; nothing relates to another without some point of accordance between the two; orthography relates to grammar, that is, by being a part of the grammatical science. Hence it arises that refer, when employed for things, is commonly said of circumstances that carry the memory to events or circumstances; relate is said of things that have a natural connexion: the religious festivals and ceremonies of the Roman Catholics have all a reference to some events that happened in the early periods of Christianity; the notes REFER. and observations at the end of a book re- Refer and relate carry us back to that : Respect is said of objects in general; regard mostly of that which enters into the feeling: laws respect the general welfare of the community; the due administration of the laws regards the happiness of the individual. Our Saviour's words (in his sermon on the mount) all refer to the Pharisees' way of speaking. South. Homer artfully interweaves, in the several succeeding parts of his poem, an account of every thing maAddison. terial which relates to his princes. Religion is a pleasure to the mind as respects prac- tice. What I have said regards only the vain part of Addison, the sex. REFINED, v. Polite. REFORM, REFORMATION. REFORM has a general application; 619 REFUSE. REFORMATION a particular application: whatever undergoes such a change as to give a new form to an object occasions a reform; when such a change is produced in the moral character, it is termed a reformation: the concerns of a state require occasional reform; those of an individual require reformation. When reform and reformation are applied to the moral character, the former has a more extensive signification than the latter: the term reform conveying the idea of a complete amendment; reformation implying only the process of amending or improving. A reform in one's life and conversation will always be accompanied with a corresponding increase of happiness to the individual; when we observe any approaches to reformation, we may cease to despair of the individual who gives the happy indications. He was anxious to keep the distemper of France from the least countenance in England, where he was sure some wicked persons had shown a strong disposition to recommend an imitation of the French spirit of reform. Burke. Examples are pictures, and strike the senses, nay, raise the passions, and call in those, (the strongest and most general of all motives) to the aid of reformation. Pope. REFORMATION, v. Reform. TO REFUSE, v. To deny. TO REFUSE, DECLINE, REJECT, REPEL, RE BUFF. REFUSE (v. To deny) signifies simply to pour back, that is, to send back, which is the common idea of all these terms. DECLINE, in Latin declino, signifies literally to turn aside. REJECT, from jacio to throw, to cast back; REPEL, from pello to drive, to drive back. REBUFF, from buff or puff, to puff one back, or send off with a puff. Refuse is an unqualified action, it is accompanied with no expression of opinion; decline is a gentle and indirect mode of refusal; reject is a direct mode, and conveys a positive sentiment of disapprobation : we refuse what is asked of us, for want of inclination to comply; we decline what is proposed from motives of discretion; we reject what is offered to us, because it does not fall in with our views: we refuse to listen to the suggestions of our friends; we decline an offer of service: we reject the insinuations of the interested and evil-minded. To refuse is said only of that which passes between individuals; to reject is said of that which comes from any quarter: 620 RELATE. requests and petitions are refused by those who are solicited; opinions, propositions, and counsels, are rejected by particular communities: the king refuses to give his assent to a bill; the parliament rejects a bill. To repel is to reject with violence; to rebuff is to refuse with contempt. We refuse and reject that which is either offered, or simply presents itself for acceptance: but we repel and rebuff that which forces itself into our presence, contrary to our inclination: we repel the attack of an enemy, or we repel the advances of one who is not agreeable; we rebuff those who put that in our way that is offensive. Importunate persons must necessarily expect to meet with rebuffs, and are in general less susceptible of them than others; delicate minds feel a refusal as a rebuff. Dryden. Melissa, though she could not boast the apathy of Cato, wanted not the more prudent virtue of Sarpio, and gained the victory by declining the contest. Johnson. TO REFUTE, v. To confule. REGAL, v. Royal. TO REGARD, v. To attend to. REGARD, v. Care. TO REGARD, v. To esteem. TO REGRET, V. To complain. TO REJECT, v. To refuse. TO RELATE, RECOUNT, DESCRIBE. RELATE, in Latin relatus, participle of refero, signifies to bring that to the notice of others which has before been brought to our own notice. RECOUNT, is properly to count again, or count over again. RELATION. DESCRIBE, from the Latin scribo to write, is literally to write down. :: The idea of giving an account of events or circumstances is common to all these terms, which differ in the object and circumstances of the action. Relate is said generally of all events, both of those which concern others as well as ourselves; re. count is said only of those which concern ourselves; those who relate all they hear often relate that which never happened; it is a gratification to an old soldier to recount all the transactions in which he bore a part during the military career of his early youth. We relate events that have happened at any period of time immediate or remote; we recount mostly those things which have long been passed in recounting, the memory reverts to past scenes, and counts over all that has deeply interested the mind. Travellers are pleased to relate to their friends whatever they have seen remarkable in other countries; the recounting of our adventures in distant regions of the globe has a peculiar interest for all who hear them. We may relate either by writing or by word of mouth; we recount only by word of mouth: writers of travels sometimes give themselves a latitude in relating more than they have either heard or seen; he who recounts the exploits of heroism, which he has either witnessed or performed, will always meet with a delighted audience. Relate and recount are said of that only which has passed: describe is said of that which exists we relate the particulars of our journey; and we describe the country we pass through. Personal adventure is always the subject of a relation; the quality and condition of things are those of the description. We relate what happened on meeting a friend; we describe the dress of the parties, or the ceremonies which are usual on particular occasions. O Muse! the causes and the crimes relate, Dryden. To recount Almighty works, What words or tongue of seraph can suffice? Milton. In describing a rough torrent or deluge, the numbers should run easy and flowing. RELATED, v. Connected. Pope. RELATION, RECITAL, NARRATION. RELATION, from the verb relate, denotes the act of relating. RECITAL from recite, denotes the act of reciting. NARRATIVE, from narrate, denotes the Relation is here, as in the thing narrated. former paragraph (v. To relate) the geneReral, and the others particular terms. lation applies to every object which is related whether of a public or private, a national or an individual nature; history is RELAX. the relation of national events; biography is the relation of particular lives: recital is the relation or repetition of actual or existing circumstances; we listen to the recital of misfortunes, distresses, and the like: The relation may concern matters of indifference: the recital is always of something that affects the interests of some individual: the pages of the journalist are filled with the relation of daily occurrences which simply amuse in the reading: but the recital of another's woes often draws tears from the audience to whom it is made. Relation and recital are seldom employed but in connexion with the object related or recited; narrative is mostly used by itself: hence we say the relation of any particular circumstance; the recital of any one's calamities; but an affecting narrative or a simple narrative. Biography is of the various kinds of narrative writing, that which is most eagerly read. Johnson. Those relations are commonly of most value in Johnson. which the writer tells his own story. Old men fall easily into recitals of past transacJohnson. tions. RELATION, RELATIVE, KINSMAN, KINDRED. RELATION is here taken to express the person related; it is, as in the former paragraph, the general term both in sense and application; RELATIVE is employed only as respects the particular individual to whom one is related; KINSMAN designates the particular kind of relation, and kindred is a collective term to comprehend all one's relations or those who are akin to one. In abstract propositions we speak of relations; a man who is without relations feels himself an outcast in society: in designating one's close and intimate connexion with persons we use the term relative; our near and dear relatives are the first objects of our regard: in designating one's relationship and connexion with persons kinsman is preferable; when a man has not any children he frequently adopts one of his kinsmen as his heir: when the ties of relationship are to be specified in the persons of any particular family, they are denominated kindred; a man cannot abstract himself from his kindred while he retains any spark of human feeling. You are not to imagine that I think myself discharged from the duties of gratitude, only becauso my relations do not adjust their looks to my expectaJohnson. tion. Herod put all to death whom he found in Traehonitis of the families and kindred of any of those at Prideaux. Repta. RELATIVE, v. Relation. TO RELAX, REMIT. THE general idea of lessening is that which allies these words to each other; but they differ very widely in their original meaning, and somewhat in their ordinary 621 application; RELAX, from the word lax or |