RET 



which the colour of the (kin refides. This part is much 

 thicker in the dark coloured than in the light races of man, 

 and is black in the Negro. See INTEGUMENTS. 



Rete Te/lit, a part of the excretory apparatus of the 

 tefticle. See the defcription of that gland in the article 

 Generation. 



Rete Peny, in Ancient Records, a cuftomary due ot one 

 penny for ( very perfon to the parifh priell. 



RETEH, or ARRATAMA, in Geography, a diftrid of 

 Africa, in the country of Sugulmefla. 



RETEINER, or Retainer. See Retainer. 



RETENEGI, in the Materia Medica, a name ufed by 

 Avicenna, and others, to exprefs the common refin of the 

 pine, or fir-tree, and fometimes common black pitch. The 

 lexicographers have given usjlorax as the explanation of re- 

 tenegi, but this is not warranted by any paffage in the 

 authors who ufe the word. It is certain, indeed, that the 

 generality of authors have confounded the feveral forts of 

 relin and pitch-making trees together, and among them 

 the pine, fir, cedar, and turpentine trees, are called by the 

 fame name, but the ftorax-tree is never included among the 

 number. Thefe were only confounded together, becaufe 

 of the fimilitude of the things they produced ; but the itorax 

 was t |p different from all thefe, and too precious a gum not 

 to Hr diitinguifhed. 



RETENTA, a word ufed by the medical writers to ex- 

 prefs things retained in the body, or which are not to be re- 

 tained in a date of good health. 



RETENTIO, R.ETINENTIA, in our law-books, is fome- 

 times ufed to Ggnify retinue. 



RETENTION, Retentio, a faculty of the human 

 mind, by which, in order to a farther progrefs in know- 

 ledge, it keeps or retains thofe limple ideas, which it before 

 received by fenfation or reflection. 



This is done two ways. Firll, by keeping the idea which 

 is brought into the mind for fome time actually in view. 

 This is called contemplation. 



Secondly, by reviving thofe ideas in our minds, which 

 have difappearcd, and have been, as it were, laid out of 

 fight. This is memory, which is, as it were, the repoiitory 

 of our ideas. 



Retention- is alfo ufed, in Medicine, &C. for the ftate 

 of contraction in the folids, or vafcular parts of the body, 

 . hich makes them hold fall their proper contents. 



In this fenfe, retention Hands oppofed to evacuation and 

 excretion. 



Retention and excretion make two of the non-naturals. 



RETENTION is alfo frequently .coniidercd as a diforder, 

 and defined the ad of retaining the excrements, humours, 

 &c. fo as they cannot be voided out of the body. See 

 Infant. 



It is the retention of peccant humours which caufes fuch 



a difeale. 



Retention of Urine. See Urine, Retention of. 



RETFORD, East, in Geography, a market and bo- 

 rough-tow^ in North Clay divilion of the wapenta] 

 Baffetlaw, county of Nottingham, England, is fitual don 



>,, bank of the river Idle, at the diftance ot 29 mil 

 N.N.E. from Nottingham, and 145 miles N. by W. from 

 London. Retford conlius of two diltind parts, or dif- 

 trict , refpedively named, from their pofition to the river, 

 Ealt and Weft Retford; the. former of which is ftrictl) the 

 market- town, and the latter a ieparate parifh, or fuburb. 

 E ard II. granted to the burgefl'es the right ot choofirtg 

 bailiff r th rei 11 ent of the town ; and Henrj Mi. 

 hem a fair. By a charter from Henry VI., the 

 bailiff was empowered to hold a court of record, and to 



11 E T 



execute the office of efcheator and clerk of the market, 

 Thefe immunities have fince been confirmed, and others 

 added by James I. ; under whofe charter, Retford is now 

 governed by two bailiffs, a Reward, twelve aldermen, two 

 chamberlains, a town-clerk, and two ferjeants at mice. 

 The bailiffs and fteward for the time being are jullices of 

 the peace, and of the quorum, within the borough. Ret- 

 ford fends two members to the national fenate, and thefe 

 are chofen by about 150 voters, compofed of the bailiffs, 

 aldermen, and freemen. Like mofl other fmall boroughs, 

 it has oceafionally been the fcene of warm election contents. 

 This place firlt exercifed the right of reprefentation in the 

 early part of the reign of Edward II. ; but it feems to have 

 allowed this privilege to remain dormant from the ninth year 

 of that king till the thirteenth year of queen Elizabeth, 

 when the fame was refumed, and has continued to be regu- 

 larly exercifed ever fince. Formerly the county affixes were 

 held here ; but of late years all criminal trials have taken 

 place at Nottingham, the county town. 



Retford market-day is Saturday, weekly ; and there are, 

 befide?, two annual fairs for horfes and black cattle, held 

 on the 23d of March and the 2d of October. At the 

 commencement of the laft century, a confiderable malting 

 bulinefs was carried on here ; but Workfop has occafioned 

 its decline. At prefent, Retford is fupported principally by 

 its hat and fail-cloth manufactories. Major Cartwright 

 fome years ago eftablifhed a worfted mill in the immediate 

 vicinity ; but the project, having proved unfuccefsful, has 

 been abandoned. An agricultural fociety was eftablifhed 

 here in 1799, u "der the aufpices of the duke of Portland, 

 vifcount Newark, colonel Eyre, and others. 



The public buildings in Retford are the town-hall, Slof- 

 wick hofpital, a free-fchool endowed by Edward VI., an 

 alms-houfe for twelve poor women, and the parifh church. 

 The lull, called the corporation church, is a fmall, but 

 neat, edifice, in the Enghfh ftyle of architecture, though 

 much modernized, particularly in the interior. The living 

 is a vicarage, in the patronage of the duke of Devon- 

 fhire. 



On the welternbank of the Idle, and connected with the 

 borough by a handfome modern bridge, is tin- village ot 

 Weft Retford, which, however, is altogether diftind from 

 Eaft Retford, both as to civil and ecdefiaftical jurifdidion. 

 Here is an hofpital, which was founded in 1666 by John 

 Dorrel, M.D., for fixteen poor perfons, who are allowed 

 annually 10/. each, beiides clothing, coals, &c. Much in- 

 was done to this village by a heavy flood, which oc- 

 ! in 1 7.95 : but it is nevertheli fs a very thri 

 irellas Eaft Retford, and derives confiderable advai 

 from its proximity 1 i thi < hi I - Id canal. Weil Retford 

 Hall, a feat of the Emerfon family, is the mofl i 01 fpicuoue 

 ornamental objed in the immedial St. 



Join.' v '. a mineral fpring about a mile from Retf 



has been long famed for its medicinal qualitii ■ 



of Retford is Grove-Hall, the feat of Anthony Hardolph 



Eyre, efq., M.P. for the county. The h il 



aa eminence in a tin- ly wooded park. '' 



of Notl hire, folio, [663. republifhi d with I 



1 hn Throfby, 3 vol-. 41.% vol. i I luties 



ndWal 'n. bj Mr. Laird. 



RETHEL, a town of I ram e, and pi I ' :ofa 



,, in the di 1- 1: the \xdi ■ '<> 



volution, the capital of a fmall country, called the " Ret - 



bis." The place conl ' the 1 anton 1 8,473 



I an! . on a tei 

 in 23 con i N. lat. 40 long. 4 27'. 



RETI1EM, atewn of Weftphalia, in the principality 



of 



