R E C 



ivhcre thoy are in any way or by any means reftrided or im- 

 peded in their growths, there is a conftant a[id continual 

 lofs taking place, and the ultimate difadvantage is prodi- 

 gioufly great, as the timber never becomes either fo good 

 or in fuch quantity ; of courie it is of inferior value in both 

 refpedls, which makes a diftercnce of much confcquence to 

 the proprietors as well as to the nation at large. See 

 Wood. 



RECLINATION of a Plane, in Dialling, tlie number 

 of degrees which a dial-plane leans backwards, from an cx- 

 aftly upright or vertical plane, i. e. from the zenith. 



The reclmation is eahly found, by means of a ruler, and 

 a quadrant ; for having drawn an horizontal line on tlie 

 plane by a level or quadrant, and to it another line at right 

 angles, apply a ruler, fo that one end of it may hang over, 

 or reach beyond the plane ; then will a quaurant, applied 

 to the under edge of the ruler, (hew the degrees and minutes 

 of the plane's reclination ; counting from tliat iide of the 

 quadrant that is contiguous to the edge of the ruler. 



RECLINATUM Folium, in Botany, a leaf whofe 

 point is curved downwards, below the level of the bafe. See 

 Leaf. 



RECLINATUS Caulis, a reclined ftem, is bent to- 

 wards the earth, as in many fpecies of Ficus, Salix, Rubus, 

 See. 



RECLINER, or Reclining Dial, is a dial whofe plane 

 reclines from the perpendicular ; i. e. leans from you when 

 you Hand before it. 



When this reclination is equal to the height of the pole, 

 the dial is faid to be equinoftial. See Dial. 



Recliner, Declining, or Declining reclining dial, is a 

 dial which neither ftands perpendicularly, nor oppofite to one 

 of the cardinal points. See Dial. 



RECLUSE, among Religious, a perfon clofe (hut up in 

 a very narrow cell of an hermitage, or other religious houfe ; 

 and cut off, not only from all converfation with the world, 

 but even with the houfe. 



The word is chiefly ufed for fuch as thus imprifon them- 

 felves out of devotion, to do penance. It is fometimes alfo 

 applied t© incontinent wives, whom their hulbands procure 

 to be thus kept in a perpetual prifon in fome convent. 



Reclufes were anciently very numerous ; they were then a 

 kind of folitaries who fliut themfelves up in fome little cell, 

 with a vow never to ftir out of it. 



None were admitted to this oath until they had given fuf- 

 ficient proofs of their abftinence, and had leave from the 

 bifliop, or the abbot of the monaftery where they were fhut 

 up ; for the cells of the reclufes were always to join to fome 

 monaftery. 



The prelate's permiflion being obtained, they were tried 

 for a year in the monaftery ; out of which, during that time, 

 they never ftirred. 



They were then admitted to their vow of ftability in the 

 church before the bilkop ; which being done, and the reclufe 

 having entered his little cell, the bifliop fet his feal on the 

 door. 



The cell was to be very fmall, and very exaftly clofed. 

 The reclufe was to have every thing within it neceftary to 

 life ; and even, if he were a prieft, an oratory confecrated 

 by the bifhop, with a window which looked into the church, 

 through which he might make his offerings at the mafs, hear 

 the finging, fing himfelf with the community, and anfwer 

 thofe who talked to him. But this window was to have 

 curtains before it, both withinfide and without ; fo that the 

 reclufe might neither fee, nor be feen. 



Indeed he was allowed a little garden in his reclufion, to 

 plant a few lierbs, and take frelh air ; adjoining to his cell 



R E C 



was that of his difciplcs, which he was very rarely without; 

 with a window, tiirough which they ferved him with necef- 

 faries, and received his inftruftions. 



When it was judged proper to have two or three reclufes 

 together, tlieir cells were made contiguous to. each other 

 with windows of con>munication ; if any woman would 

 confiilt them, or confefs to them, it was to be in the church 

 and in the face of all the world. ' 



Where there were two or three reclufes together, they 

 were never to hold any conference, but on fpiritual matters, 

 and to confefs to each other ; where there was but one, he 

 was to confefs and examine himfelf. 



If the recliile fell fick, his door was opened for people to 

 come in and affift him ; but he was not allowed to ftir out on 

 any pretence whatever. 



Thefe articles are extrafted from the rule, compiled for 

 the reclufes, by Grimlaic, a prieft in the ninth century. 



There were alfo women reclufes, who led the fame life, in 

 proportion. St. Viborade lived a reclufe at St. Gall, and 

 was there martyred by the Hungarians in 825. 



RECLUSION, the ftate of a reclufe ; or the cell and 

 other appurtenances of it. 



F. Helyot gives a particular account of the ceremonies 

 praclifed in the reclufion of a woman, in that of mother de 

 Cambray, inftitutrix of the order of the reprefentation of 

 Notre Dame. A cell being built for her in 1625, adjoining 

 to the church of St. Andrew, in Tournay, the biftiop waited 

 for her early in the morning at the church-door. Upon her 

 arrival, proftrating herfelf at the feet of that prelate, he 

 gave her his benediftion ; condufted her to the grand altar ; 

 and there bleffing a mantle, veil, and fcapular, he put them 

 on her, and gave her a new name. 



Having here made her vow, and the bifhop having ha- 

 rangued the people in praife of the new reclufe, he con- 

 duced her proceflionally to her reclufion ; the clergy all the 

 way finging Veni, fponfa Chrijli, Sec. 



Here the bilhop, blefling her afrefti, confecrated the re- 

 clufion, and (liut her up in perpetual confinement. 



RECOGNISANCE. See Recognizance. 



RECOGNITION, Recognitio, denotes an acknow- 

 ledgment. The word is particularly ufed in our law-books, 

 for the title of the firft chapter of the ftat. i Jac. I. by 

 which the parliament acknowledged the crown of England, 

 after the death of queen Elizabeth, to have rightfully 

 defcended to king James. 



Recognitions of Clement, in Eccleftajlical Hijlory, a fup- 

 pofititious or apocryphal book, afcribed to St. Clement, but 

 really compofed by fome learned and eloquent man in the 

 fecond century. Rufinus, who tranflated the ten books of 

 Recognitions out of Greek into Latin, in whofe tranflation 

 only we now have them, plainly fuppofes them to have been 

 written by Clement of Rome ; but th.nt the copies, in his 

 time, had been corrupted in fome places. The firft eccle- 

 fiaftical writer who has mentioned this work is Origen, by 

 whom it is cited twice ; but he does not feem to have held 

 it in high eftimation. Eufebius, who is fuppofed to mention 

 the Recognitions under the title of " The Afts of Peter," 

 which made a part of them, rejefts thefe, and owns no 

 work for St. Clement, but his epiftle to the Corinthians. 

 Epiphanius mentions " The Travels of Peter" as written 

 by Clement, but corrupted by the Ebionites, fo that httle 

 was left that is genuine. St, Jerome's opinion of the works 

 of Clement coincides with that of Eufebius. This book is, 

 for a large part of it at leaft, fays the learned Dr. Lardner, 

 a fiftion or romance, in which divers things concerning the 

 Chriftian religion are reprefented in a pliilofophical manner, 

 in order to render them more agreeable to the Greeks. It 

 3X2 is 



