ACCEPTANCE ACCOMPANIMENT. 



19 



that the short sound is not the long sound con- 

 tracted, but a sound wholly different. In addition 

 to the difficulties arising from an imperfect nomen- 

 clature, as above remarked, there is an intrinsic dif- 

 ficulty in the extreme delicacy of the distinctions of 

 tone, pitch, and inflections in language, and the 

 want of an established notation, corresponding to 

 that which we have in music ; and we may add, in 

 the words of Hermann (De Emendanda Ratione 

 Graec. Gram.), " Quam pauci vero sunt, qui vel ali- 

 qua polleant aurium subtilitate ut vocum discrimina 

 celeriter notare apteque exprimere possint ! " The 

 Chinese are said to have but 330 spoken words ; but 

 these, being multiplied by the different p.ccents or 

 tones which affect the vowels, furnish a language 

 tolerably copious. 



ACCEPTANCE. ( Law.) An acceptance is an engage- 

 ment to pay a bill of exchange according to the tenor 

 of the acceptance, and a general acceptance is an 

 engagement to pay according to the tenor of the 

 bill. What constitutes an acceptance is, in many 

 cases, a nice question of law ; but the general mode 

 is for the acceptor to write his name on some con- 

 spicuous part of the bill, accompanied by the word 

 accepted. In France, Spain, and the other coun- 

 tries of Europe, where oral evidence in matters of 

 contract is not admitted to the same extent as in 

 England, a verbal acceptance of a bill of exchange 

 is not valid. 



ACCESSARY, or ACCESSORY ; a person guilty of an 

 offence by connivance or participation, either before 

 or after the act committed, as by command, advice, 

 or concealment, c. In high treason, all who par- 

 ticipate are regarded as principals. Abettors and 

 accomplices also come, in some measure, under this 

 name, though the former not strictly under the legal 

 definition of accessaries. An abettor is one who 

 procures another to commit an offence, and in many, 

 indeed in almost all cases, is now considered as much 

 a principal as the actual offender. An accomplice 

 Is one of many persons equally concerned in a felony. 

 The name is generally applied to those who are ad- 

 mitted to give evidence against their fellow-crimi- 

 nals, for the furtherance ofjustice. 



ACCLAMATION (acclamatio) ; in Roman antiquity, 

 a shouting of certain words by way of praise or dis- 

 praise. In ages when people were more accustomed 

 to give full utterance to their feelings, acclamations 

 were very common, wherever a mass of people was 

 influenced by one common feeling. We find, there- 

 fore, acclamations in theatres, senates, ecclesiastical 

 meetings, elections, at nuptials, triumphs, &c. The 

 senate of Rome burst into contumelious acclamations 

 after the death of Domitian and Commodus. The 

 theatrical acclamations were connected with music. 

 Nero, who was as fond of music as of blood, ordered 

 5,000 soldiers to chant acclamations when he played 

 in the theatre, and the spectators were obliged to 

 join them. In the corrupt period of the Roman em- 

 pire, the children and favourites of the emperors 

 were received with loud acclamation, as the French 

 emperor was greeted with five V emperetir ! and the 

 French king is with five le roi ! The Turks have a 

 custom somewhat similar, at the sight of their em- 

 peror and grand viziers. The form among the Jews 

 \v;is Hosaiiha ! The Greek emperors were received 

 with Aya^Ti/^ ! (good luck), or other exclamations. 

 Before a regular system of voting is adopted, we 

 find its place supplied, among all nations, by accla- 

 mations. So Tacitus informs us that the Germans 

 showed their approbation of a measure by clashing 

 their shields and swords. The bishops, in the early 

 times of Christianity, were long elected by acclama- 

 tion. In the course of time, acclamations were ad- 

 mitted into the churches, and the people expressed 



their approbation of a favourite preacher by exclaim- 

 ing, Orthodox ! Third apostle ! &e. They seem to 

 have been sometimes used as late as the age of St 

 Bernard. The first German emperors were elected 

 by acclamation at a meeting of the people in the 

 open air; and the Indians, in North America, show 

 their approbation or disapprobation of proposed pub- 

 lic measures by acclamations. 



ACCOLADE, a word derived from barbarous Latin, 

 is composed of ad, to, and colhtm, neck, meaning, 

 originally, an embrace. It signifies an ancient cere- 

 mony used in conferring knighthood. Antiquaries 

 are not agreed wherein the accolade consisted. Some 

 think it signifies the embrace or kiss, given by the 

 person who conferred the honour of knighthood. It 

 is more probable that it consisted in an imitation of 

 a blow on the neck, or on the cheek, signifying that 

 this should be the last blow which the new-made 

 knight should endure. The ceremony of striking 

 the candidate with the naked sword, which after- 

 wards took the place of the blow with the hand, had 

 the same meaning. The Roman master also gave a 

 blow to his slave, at the tune of his emancipation 

 which, therefore, was called manumission ; and in 

 those parts of Germany where the ancient corpora- 

 tion or mechanics still continue, the apprentice re- 

 ceives a blow from the oldest journeyman, when his 

 apprenticeship is at an end. The blow or stroke 

 was in use among all Christian nations of the middle 

 ages in conferring knighthood. (See Chivalry). 



ACCOLTI, Benedict, an Italian lawyer, born at 

 Florence in 1415. He became secretary to the re- 

 public of Florence in 1450, and was much distin- 

 guished by the popes of his day. He wrote a trea- 

 tise " De Prsestantia Virorum sui ./Evi," and also 

 a valuable work on the Crusades, which was ser- 

 viceable to Tasso, in the composition of his Jerusa- 

 lem Delivered. He died in 1549. There were 

 other eminent men connected with the family of 

 Accolti, in particular, Bernard Accolti, a poet, and 

 Francis and Peter Accolti, both lawyers. 



ACCOMMODATION ; properly, the adaptation of one 

 thing to another ; in philosophy the application of 

 one thing by analogy to another. It is also used in 

 theology ; thus, a prophecy of Scripture is said to be 

 fulfilled improperly, or by way of accommodation 

 when an event happens to any place or people 

 similar to that .predicted of another. Some theolo- 

 gians also say that Christ said many things to his 

 disciples by way of accommodation, viz. entering in- 

 to their views, and telling them only what they were 

 capable of understanding. Others think this theory 

 inconsistent with the purity of Christ. A., in law, 

 if used for an amicable agreement or composition 

 between two contending parties. These accommo- 

 dations are frequently effected by means of compro- 

 mise and arbitration. 



ACCOMPANIMENT, in music, (French, accompaciic- 

 ment ; Italian, accompagnamento,) is that part of 

 music which serves for the support of the principal 

 melody (solo or obligate part). This can be executed 

 either by many instruments, by a few, or even by a 

 single one. We have, therefore, pieces of music 

 with an accompaniment for several, or only for n 

 single instrument. The principles on which tint 

 effect of the accompaniment rests are so little settled, 

 that its composition is perhaps more difficult than 

 even that of the melody, or principal part. Fre- 

 quently, the same musical thought, according to the 

 character of the accompaniment, produces a good ou' 

 bad effect, without our being able to give a satisfac- 

 tory reason for the difference. Hitherto, the Italians 

 have been most distinguished for expressive accom- 

 paniments contained in a few notes, but productive 

 of great effect. In this respect, the Italian music 



