B R E 



aud wif-: governor only withftamli \\\\>:n ht finds liiinftlf 

 ciiiiblcd to do fo without much rilk of beint^ forced, aKvavs 

 coils a general fomc of the b^ft and bravell foldicrs in his 

 Rriny, and frtqiKiitly deters the rcll from I'ubfoq-jcnt ha- 

 z;»rdou-i alleiiipts, efpecially if the dillnidion from the 

 couiittrinMiei a:id fouga(Fc» has been conlldtrable. When 

 the br.-ach is to be carried fword in hand, it is indilp:.nril)ly 

 iieccfT.iry that all the defences of the work Ihould be ruined ; 

 the biea.-h itftlf very pradicp.ble, a;id that, both before and 

 during the actacic, an inceflant lire of c;innoii, nuifqiietry, 

 a-id aiort:irs llionld be poured i:pon, and into the works sn- 

 fdadiiig that, the immediate obictl of theaflault. The front 

 of the attack Ihould fui pafs and cmbnice the whole extent 

 of the work ; for, under thefe circumllances, the lupcrior 

 depth and number of llie be!ie::er's column of attack, mull 

 neceir.irily, as at Oc/.akow, Bender, Valenciennes, Sec, 

 overbalance tlie inefiicient refillance wliich can be oppofed 

 by a garrifon. It was from a negled of alltliefe preca\itiqp9, 

 that the grand attack of the confederates upon the calUe of 

 Namur in i6(;;; entirely failed. The columns dclHucd to 

 mount the di jerent breaclics began their march from too 

 great a dillance, and, although protetud by a prodigious 

 Jiie of bombs and artillery, the moll forward never pene- 

 trated further than the middle of the breach ; and they re- 

 tired after fullainmga ferious lofs. In facl, it isalmoll im- 

 poUihle to mount a breach by aflault, while any works re- 

 main, v.'hofe hre is either diredted upon, or enfilades the attack. 

 * But, on the other hand, it is equ.illy rafli in a governor to re- 

 fill a (lorm, or hazard the lives of ins garrifon in friiitlcfs at- 

 tempts to maintain polTeflion of the breach, after thtfe works 

 have all been dellroyed, and the breach is reduced to its ou n 

 ilefences. A pl:ice tluis obllinatcly holding out is in danger of 

 bei:ig taken by affuilt, and the garr'lon put to the fword, or 

 obliged to furrcndcr at difcretion. Retrenchment?, indeed, 

 mav lometimes fen'e to protract an unavailing rtfillance ; but 

 tiieir con llruf lion fiioidd not be delayed, as is generally the cafe, 

 till after a breach has been made in the body of the place, with 

 the fole view of obtaining a better capitu:ation. When the 

 liege is once formed, much time is loil in their formation ; 

 and the lofs of men by the bombs thrown into the bullion 

 is very great, belides the confuierable fatigue which the fol- 

 diers experience. In the ravelins, horn-works, crown- 

 works, lunettes, and other detached fortification?, they are 

 of greater fervice, efpecially when the ditches are dry, and 

 the communication with the body of the place eafy ; for, 

 then it becomes impolTible to carry them by the gorge. 

 And when they have revetements, and a fofle, the beliegers 

 will be reduced to the necelTuy of bringirg up artillery upon 

 th'; work to batter ih.eni in breach, or to try the eiFcft of 

 his bombs. If the enemy adopt the method of a blinded 

 fap, he mull be very careful to cover himfelf from the fire of 

 the curtain, and the faces of the bullions ; and in every 

 one of thefe cafes, much time is loll before he can approach 

 the body of the place. 



Tlie breach itfelf may alfo be defended to advantage. 

 When the enemy are ready to mount, a great quantity of 

 all kinds of combuHibles are thrown at the foot of the 

 breach, to b-' llrcd, and conllantly fupplied with fuel. 

 While they are mounting, a great number of grenades mull 

 be thrown among them; fneks, glafs, or earthen bottles 

 filled wit!i powder, and burning matches tvvifUd round 

 th'em ; cr.iw-.feet, harrows, and large timbers, with long 

 iron fpikes failened with chains, fo as not to be removed, 

 as al£j (hells, fo confi:!ed, as not to roll out of the breach. 

 A great quant ity of loofe powder may a fo be feattered 

 about, and fire ftt to it at the approach of the enemy. 

 U'his being well executed, and fire arms, both great and 



B R E 



fmall, well fei-ved, together with the mortars for throwing 

 (hells and ftones, will do them infinite damage, and fenfibly 

 retard the taking of the work. When the defence is ex- 

 haulled, and the enemy at lad are mailers of the breach, the ] 

 mines are fired, to dellroy, ifpoffible, their lodgment, with 

 all the men ellablifhcd in it. Should this fuccced, the be- 

 ficged may return immediately, and clear the breach, fa as 

 to render it imprafticahle. Several^ mines fliould be made 

 under one another, if the ground will allow of it, that the 

 breach may be dellroyed feveral times, which will fometinies 

 di(hearten the enemy's troops, put them out of all patience, 

 and may eventually contribute to make them raife the fiege, 

 as was the cafe at Mallricht, when befieged by the prince 

 of Orange in J(>'/4- 



Muller. Syll. ofMathemat. vol. vi. Feuquieres Memoircs 

 Milit. chap, xcvii. xcviii. and xtix. 



Lreach of cloj'e, in J.aiv. See Clos!'. 



Breach of covemmt, denotes the non-pcifcrmance of any 

 covenant exprefTed or implied in a deed ; or the doing of an 

 ad, wiiich the party covenanted not to do. See Cove- 

 nant. 



Breach of duly, denotes the non-execution of any office, 

 employment, or trull, &c. in a due and leg;d manner. See 

 Assumpsit*. 



Breach of pence. Sec Peace. 



Breach of poumh See Pound. 



\!>ii.i..\CHofprifan. See Prison. 



HjV.?. ACH, to bailer in, batre en breche. See Battering. 



Br e AC H , mourning the. See Mo u N T i N G . 



BREAD ordinarily is made of the flour or meal of fome 

 farinaceous vegetable gro\ind, and kneaded with water and 

 leaven or yeall. 



In defcribing the procefs nf making bread, it is natural, in 

 the firll place, to advert to the fubllance or material of which 

 it principally confifts. This is the flour obtained from fari- 

 naceous vegetables, principally wheat or rye, or a mixture 

 of both thefe, called in many parts of the kingdom bread- 

 corn, converted into meal by trituration, or grinding in a 

 mill, and fcparated from the liulk or bran by lifting or bolt- 

 ing. This is compofcd of a fmall quantity of mucilaginous 

 faccharinc matter, loluble in cold water, and feparable from 

 it bv evaporation, much (larch, which is fcarcely fohible in 

 cold water, but capable of comb-ning with that fluid by 

 heat, and an adhefive grey fubllance, called gluten, in-, 

 foluble in water, ardent fpirit, oil, or ether ; and in many 

 of its properties refembling an animal fubdance. When 

 flour is kneaded with water, it forms a tough palle, contain- 

 ing the conflituent principles of flour, with very little altera- 

 tion, and not eafily digelltd by the (lomach. By heat the 

 gluten, and probably the (larch, undergoes a conliderable 

 change, and the compound is rendered more eafy of madi- 

 cation, as well as of digelliou. When this dough is kept 

 in a warm place, it fwells up, becomes fpongy, and filled 

 with a number of air-bubbles, difengages at length an 

 acidulous and fpirituous fmell, tatles four, and in this date is 

 called " leaven," from the French word " lever," to laife. 

 Whild the dough, or pade, is left to unde-go a fpontaneons 

 decoinpofitlon, in an open ve(rel, tlie various component 

 parts are differtinly afTtCaed ; the faccharine part is con- 

 vertible into an ardent fpirit, the mucilage tends to acidity 

 and mouldinefs, and the gluten probably verges towards a 

 (late of putridity. By tliis inclpiera fermentation, the mafs 

 is rendered more digtdible and light ; that is, it becomes much 

 more porous by the difcngpgenieut of ekiRic fluid, «hieh 

 feparatcs its parts from each other, and"m\ich enlarges its 

 bulk. The operation ot baking puts a (lop to this procefs, 

 by evaporating a great part of the i:vjidure which favours the 



chcmicai 



