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an Auguftus, was probably intended for a rebus, to ex- 

 prefs the fenfe of that emperor's motto, feftina lente. In- 

 flruments of religion were fymbols of the pontiiex maxi- 

 mus, and fignified the piety of the prince, on whofe coin 

 they appear ; as the lituus, the fimpulum, the afperforium, 

 and the capula, on the reverfe of a Nerva. Two hands 

 joined, holding two ear* of corn, and a caduceus betwixt 

 them, on the reverfe of a Titus, import the good harmony 

 and union fubfifting betwixt the prince and the public, the 

 peace ariiing from fuch an union, and the plenty, which 

 is the fruit of fuch a peace. Pinkerton on Medals, 2 vols. 

 Addifon's Three Series of Medals, in his Works, vol. i. 

 p. 522, &c. See Medals. 



Reverse, in Fencing, a back-ftroke. 



REVERSED, in Heraldry, a thing turned backwards, 

 or upfide down. 



Reversed Arms, in Military Language, denote thofe 

 whofe butts are flung or held upwards. 



Reversed Talon, in ArchiteBure. See Talon*. 



REVERSING, or Renversing, in Mufic, the invert- 

 ing of the order of the parts ; that is, placing the higher part, 

 or treble, in the room of the lower part or bafs. 



Reverfing is frequently pradlifed in figurative counter- 

 point, where the bafs ferves as treble, and the treble at the 

 fame time as bafs ; and all this in fuch manner, as that the 

 harmony, though very different, is yet as correct as before 

 the reverfing, when the parts were in their natural order. 



A reverfed fugue, or counter-fugue, called by the Italians 

 per confront movementi, is when the guida falls, and the 

 other, inftead of imitating by falling, imitates by rifing ; 

 or, it is a figure per arftn et the/in. See Ren VERSE. 



REVERSION, Reveusio, in Law, is denned by 

 Coke, a returning of lands, &c. into the poffefTion of the 

 donor or his heirs, after the expiration of the term for 

 which they were given or granted to another. Or, an 

 eflate in reverfion, is the refidue of an eftate left in the 

 grantor, to commence in poffeflion after the determination 

 of fome particular eftate granted out by him. 



The word has a double acceptation. The firft \s,jut re- 

 vertendi, cum flatus pojefjionis defecerit ; which is no more 

 than an intereft in the land, when the occupation or pol- 

 fefiion of it (hall fall. 



The fecond is, when the pofTeflion and eftate, which was 

 parted with for a time, ceafeth, and is determined in the 

 perfon of the alienees, affignees, grantees, or their heirs, 

 or effectually returns to the donor, his heirs or afligns, 

 whence it was derived. 



This is the molt proper fignification of the word, which 

 is derived from revertor : " Et apte dici non poteft reverfio, 

 antequam revertatur in facto." Littlet. 



The difference between a reverfion and a remainder con- 

 fifts in this, that a remainder is general, and may remain or 

 belong to any man but him that granteth or conveyeth the 

 land, &c. 



Whereas a reverfion is to himfelf, from whom the con- 

 veyance of the land, &c. proceeded, and is commonly 

 perpetual as to his heirs alfo. And yet fometimes reverfion 

 is confounded with remainder. 



A reverfion is never created by deed or writing, but arifes 

 from conftruction of law ; a remainder can never be limited, 

 unlefs by either deed or devife. But both are equally trans- 

 ferable, when actually vefted, being both eftates in preefenti, 

 though taking effect in future The uf'ual incidents to re- 

 verfions, the doctrine of which is derived from the feudal 

 conflitution, are faid to be fealty and rent. When no 

 rent is referved on the particular eftate, fealty however 

 refults of courfe,. as an incident quite infeparable, and 

 may be demanded as a badge of tenure, or acknowledg- 



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ment of fuperiority, being frequently the only evidence 

 that the lands are holden at all. Where rent is referved, 

 it is alfo incident, though not infeparably fo, to the rever- 

 fion. (Co. Litt. 143.) The rent may be granted away, 

 referving the reverfion ; and the reverfion may be granted 

 away, reverfing the rent, by fpecial words ; but by a general 

 grant of the reverfion, the rent will pafs with it, as in- 

 cident to it ; though by the grant of the rent generally, 

 the reverfion will not pafs. The incident pafles by the 

 grant of the principal, but not e converfo ; for the maxim 

 of law is, accefforium non ducit, fed fequitur, fuum principale. 

 Co. Litt. 151, 152. 



The law has carefully diitinguifhed remainders from re- 

 verfions. Thus, if one feized of a paternal eflate in fee 

 makes a leafe for life, with remainder to himfelf and his 

 heirs, this is properly a mere reverfion (Cro. Eliz. 321.), 

 to which rent and fealty fhall be incident ; and which fliall 

 only defcend to the heirs of his father's blood, and not to 

 his heirs general, as a remainder limited to him by a third 

 perfon would have done (3 Lev. 407.) ; for it is the old 

 eftate, which was originally in him, and never yet was out 

 of him. And fo, likewife, if a man grants a leafe for life 

 to A, referving rent with reverfion to B and his heirs, B 

 hath a remainder defcendible to his heirs general, and not a 

 reverfion to which the rent is incident ; but the grantor 

 (hall be entitled to the rent during the continuance of A's 

 eftate. I And. 23. 



For' the afliftance of thofe who have an eftate in re- 

 mainder, reverfion, or expectancy, after the death of others, 

 againft fraudulent concealments of their deaths, it is enacted 

 by 6 Ann. c. 18. that all perfons, on whofe lives any lands 

 or tenements are holden, fhall (upon application to the court 

 of chancery and order made thereupon) once in every year, 

 if required, be produced to the court or its commiflioners ; 

 or, upon neglect or refufal, they fhall be taken to be ac- 

 tually dead, and the perfon entitled to fuch expectant 

 eftate may enter upon and hold the lands and tenements, 

 till the party fhall appear to be living. 



It may further be obferved, that whenever a greater 

 eftate and a lefs coincide and meet in one and the fame 

 perfon, without any intermediate eftate, the lefs is im- 

 mediately annihilated ; or, in the law phrafe, is faid to be 

 merged, that is, funk or drowned in the greater. Thus, if 

 there be tenant for years, and the reverfion in fee-fimple 

 defends to or is purchafed by him, the term of years is 

 merged in the inheritance, and fliall never exift any more. 

 But they muft come to one and the fame perfon in one and 

 the fame right ; elfe, if the freehold be in his own right, 

 and he has a term in right of another (en auter droit), there 

 is no merger. Therefore, if tenant for years dies, and 

 makes him who hath the reverfion in fee his executor, 

 whereby the term of years veils alfe in him, the term fhall 

 not merge ; for he hath the fee in his own right, and the 

 term of years in the right of the teftator, and fubjedt to 

 his debts and legacies. So alfo, if he who hatli the re- 

 verfion in fee marries the tenant for years, there is no 

 merger ; for he hath the inheritance in his own right, the 

 leafe in the right of his wife. An eftate-tail is an exception 

 to this rule : for a man may have in his own right both an 

 eftate-tail and a reverfion in the tee ; and the eftate-tail, 

 though a lefs eftate, fhall not merge in the fee. For 

 eftates-tail are protected and preferved from merger by the 

 operation and conltruction, though not by the exprefs 

 words, of the ftatute de donis : winch operation and con- 

 ftruction have probably arifen upon this confideration ; that, 

 in the common cafes of merger of eftates for life or years 

 by uniting with the inheritance, the particular tenant hath 

 the fole intereft in them, and hath full power at any tunc 



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