11 1 E 



R I F 



harpfichord confined his (Indies chiefly to that inftrument 

 for a confiderable time ; but after having acquired a diitin- 

 guiflu-d reputation for his execution, he attended feliolars, 

 and applied to compofition. Befides many quartets, con- 

 certos, fonatas, duos, &c. lie compofed fymphonies a grand 

 orcheltra, which had confiderable fuccefs at the concert of 

 amateurs. He gained reputation by a French oratorio, 

 " The Flight from Egypt," the firft work of that kind 

 that was executed at the Concert Spirituel, where it was 

 well received for four fucceflive years. A fecond oratorio, 

 " The Taking of Jericho," had like wife merited applaufe. 



His comic opera, " The Cobler and Financier," was at 

 firft reprefented at court, but afterwards well received in the 

 capital, at the Italian theatre, though not performed by the 

 bed adtors. 



What characterizes his compofitions is the great purity 

 of his harmony. His effe&s arc ingenious : in his capital 

 pieces of fymphomc compofition, there is always a natural 

 and regular melody. This compofer, pafiionate for his art, 

 enjoyed, free from envy, the talents of others. An enemy 

 to cabal, he was exclufively attached to no kind of flyle ; 

 but enjoying whatever was good in all ftyles, (French, 

 Italian, German,) he was one of the few foreigners who did 

 the moll honour to the profeffion in France. Laborde. 



RIEHEN, in Geography, a town of Switzerland, in 

 the bifhopric of Bale, and principal place of a bailiwic ; 

 3 miles E. of Bale. 



RIELVES, a town of Spain, in New Caftile : I I mites 

 N.W. of Toledo. 



RIEMLING, in Ichthyology, a name given by feveral 

 to the fmall frefh-water fifli, called by the Latins poxinus, 

 and vulgarly the pink. 



RIENECK, in Geography, a town and citadel of Ger- 

 many, and capital of a county of the fame name, on the 

 Sinn ; 36 miles E. of Frankfort on the Maine. N. lat. 

 50 11'. E. long. 9 47'. 



RIENS Akrear, in Laiu, a kind of plea ufed to an 

 aftion of debt upon arrearages of accounts; by which the 

 ndant alleges, that there is nothing in arrear. 



Rll'.N's pjjfe par le fait, nothing pajfes by the deed, is the 

 form oi an exception taken in (nine cafes to an a&ion. 



Rircxs par defcent, nothing l><; defcent, is tin- pica of an 

 heir, when fued for his anceftor's debt, though he had no 

 landi from it by defcent, nor lias all'ets in hand. 



RIF.NTZ, in Geography, a river of the county of Ty- 

 rol, which joins the Eyfach, at Brixen. 



RIENZI, in Biography, See Gabrini. 



RIER, or Reer-COUHTY, Retro-comitaUtt, in Laiu, is 

 ufed in the ftatute of Weftm. 2. c. 39. 2 Edw. III. cap. 5. 

 and in our law bunk., in oppofition to open county. 



This appear-, to be fome public place, which the fhcrift 

 appoints for the receipt of the king's money, after the end 

 of the county-court. Fleta fays it is diei crajlinus pojl comi- 

 talum. 



RIERSDORFF, in Geography, a town of Auftria ; 

 3 miles W. of Mauttern. 



RIESENBURG, a town of Pruffia, in the province of 

 Oberland ; 18 miles S.W. of Konigfberg. N. lat. 53 43'. 

 E. long. 1 9 24'. 



RIESENKOPPE, or Schnee, a mountain of Silefia, 

 and one of the moll elevated in Europe, in the principality 

 of Jauer. 



R1ESSA, a town of Saxony, in the margravfete of 

 Meillcn, 011 the Elbe ; 12 miles N.W. of Mcillen. N. lat. 

 51 iS'. E. long. 1 3 15'. 



RIETBERG, a town of Germany, and capital of a 

 county of the fame name, on the Embs, which county is 



about 18 miles long and 6 broad; 12 miles W.N-W. ot 

 Paderborn. N. lat. 51 55'. E. long. 18 3 32'. 



RIETI, a town of Italy, in the duchy of Spoleto, the 

 fee of a bifhop ; containing, befides the cathedral, three 

 collegiate and fix parifh churches, and 12 convents. In the 

 year 1785, it was much damaged by an earthquake; 25 

 miles E.S.E. of Spoleto. N. lat. 42 44'. E. long. 12" 

 56'. 



RIEV Volodimerov, a town of Ruffia, in the govern- 

 ment of Tver ; 64 miles S.W. of Tver. N. lat. 56 5'. 

 E. long. 34 44'. 



RIEUMS, a town of France, in the department of the 

 Upper Garonne, and duel place of a canton, in the diftricl 

 •f Murat ; 9 miles S.W. of Murat. The place contains 

 1425, and the canton 6316 inhabitants, on a territory of 

 200 kiliometres, in 15 communes. 



R1EUPEIROUX, a town oi France, in the depart 

 ment of the Aveiron, and chief place of a canton, in the 

 diflrici of Villefranche ; 15 miles W. of Rodes. The place 

 contains 1752, and the canton 6299 inhabitants, on a ter- 

 ritory of 182^ kiliometres, in 13 communes. 



RIEUX, a town of France, and principal place of a dif- 

 trici, in the department of the Upper Garonne ; and before 

 the revolution, the fee of a bifhop ; 24 miles S. of Tou- 



loufe. N. lat. 43 15'. E. long. i° 17' Alfo, a town of 



France, in the department of the Morbihan ; 10 miles S.E. 

 of Rochefort. — Alfo, a town in the department of the Ille 

 and Vilaine, on the Vilaine ; 6 miles S. of Redon. — Alfo, 

 a town in the department of the Aube ; 10 miles E. of Car 

 caflonne. 



RIEZ, an old, populous town of France, formerh 

 Civitas Reienfium, a bifhop's fee, and the feat of a council 

 in 439, lituated on a plain between the Afle and Verdun, in 

 the department of the Lower Alps, and chief place of a 

 canton, in the dirtrift of Digne ; 18 miles S. of Digne. 

 The place contains 2784, and the canton 9963 inhabitants, 

 on a territory of 330 kiliometres, in 14 comn.'unes. Its 

 environs abound in wine and fruits. 



RIEZE, a river of Fiance, which runs into the Ga- 

 ronne, near Saverdun. 



RIF, one of the largeft provinces of the empire of Mo- 

 rocco, lituate in that chain of mountains which forms a 

 part of the Leffer Atlas. This province, the foil of which 

 is flony, is bounded by that of Garet to the eaft, the Medi- 

 terranean to the north, 011 the coaft of which is the ancient 

 city of Gomera, and alfo Melilla and Veles de Pegnon, be- 

 longing to Spain ; by the province of Garb to the weft, and 

 to the fouth by thofe of Sliaus or Chaus, and Fez. 

 RlK. See Baiiika. 



R1F-DYKE, one of the fmaller Orkney iflands, eaft 01 

 North Ronaldfha. N. lat. 59° 13'. W. long. 2° 17'. 



RIFENBACH, a river of Germany, which runt into 

 the Inn, 2 miles N. of Kuftftain. 



RIFFREDO, a town of Etruria ; 20 miles N.N.E. oi 

 Florence. 



RIFLE GUNS, in the Military Art, are thofe whofe 

 barrels, inftead ot being fmooth on the infide, like our 

 common pieces, are formed with a number of fpiral channels, 

 refeinbhng female fcrews ; except only that the threads or 

 rifles are lefs deflected, making only one turn, or a little 

 mure, in the whole length ol the' piece. Thisconftru&i 

 of the barrel is employed foi correcting 'lie irregularity in 

 the flight of balls from fmooth barrels, of which we have 

 mentioned feveral inftane d« our article:- Gdnner-V 



and PROJECTILES. It has, lor inflame, been found, from 

 the experiments of Mr, Robins, that notwithflanding the 

 piece was firmly fixed, and fired with the lame weight of 

 K. k 2 powder. 



