378 GLOSSARY. 



Coup de. main, (French term,) a military expression, denoting an in- 

 stantaneous, sudden, unexpected attack upon an enemy. 



Dulce et decorum est pro putria mori. It is delightful and glorious to 

 die for one's country. 



Effigies Seb. Caboti Angli filii Joannis Caboti militis aurati. As 

 will be seen by the text, where this inscription occurs, (p. 121,) 

 there is an ambiguity in the application of the last two words. The 

 other part of the inscription, may be rendered, " the portrait (or 

 likeness) of Sebastian Cabot, of England, son of John Cabot." 

 Miles, or militis, means, literally, a warrior, or soldier, or officer 

 of the army ; and in the English law, sometimes indicates a knight. 

 Auraius, or aurati, means gilt, gilded, or decked with gold. Eques 

 means a horseman, or knight, who was frequently called eques aura- 

 ius, because, anciently, none but knights were allowed to beautify 

 their armor, and other habiliments, with gold. 



E71 masse, in a body, in the mass, altogether. 



Eques, and Eques auratus. See Effigies. 



Fascine, {p\. fascines,) a bundle of fagots, or small branches of trees, 

 or sticks of wood, bound together, for filling ditches, &c. 



Formula, {\A. formulae, ) a prescribed form or order. 



GeodcBllc, relating to the art of measuring surfaces. 



Gramina, grasses. 



Green Mountain Boys, a term applied, during the Revolutionary War, 

 to the inhabitants of Vermont, (Green Mountain,) particularly those 

 who were in the army. 



Gymnotus, the electric eel. 



Habeas Corpus, "you may have the body." A writ, as it has been 

 aptly termed, of personal freedom ; which secures, to any individual, 

 who may be imprisoned, the privilege of having his cause imme- 

 diately removed to the highest court, that the judges may decide 

 whether there is ground for his imprisonment or not. 



Hipparchus, a celebrated mathematician and astronomer of Nicoea, in 

 Bithynia, who died 12.5 years before the Christian era. He was 

 the first after Thales and Sulpicius Gallus, who found out the exact 

 time of eclipses, of which he made a calculation for 600 years. He is 

 supposed to have been the first, who reduced astronomy to a science, 

 and prosecuted the study of it systematically. 



Loyalists, Royalists, Refugees, and Tories. In the times of the Revo- 

 lution, these terms were used as technical or party names, and were 

 sometimes applied indiscriminately. Strictl)"^ speaking, however. 

 Loyalists, were those whose feelings or opinions were in fiivor of 

 the mother country, but who declined taking part in the Revolu- 

 tion ; Royalists, were those who preferred or favored, a kingly gov- 

 ernment ; Refugees, were those who fled from the country and 

 sought the protection of the British ; and Tories, were those, who 

 actually opposed the war, and took part with the enemy, aiding 

 them by ail the means in their power. 



Magnetic Variation, a deviation of the needle in the mariner's com- 

 pass, from an exact North and South direction. 



Master-at-arms, an officer appointed to take charge of the small arms 

 in a ship of war, and to teach the officers and crew the exercise of 



