LINE. 



tween which all mufic, I'mce the invention of counterpoint, 

 has been written. 



The llafF in canto fermo, or plain fong, confided only of 

 a finale line, drawn through or between the points or dots 

 of different elevation, to aid tlie priells in chanting : then 

 two, three, and, finally, four, lines compofed the Itaff for 

 Gr-e^orian notes in the miffals and mafs books, in Roman 

 Catholic churclies ; and thefe liave never been incrcafed. 

 Secular mufic for the virginil, fpinnet, harpfichord, and or- 

 gan, from tile time of queen Elizabeth to the cud of the 

 feventeenlh century, was written on a ftaff of fix lines, both 

 in the treble and the bafe. At the beginning of the lall 

 century, all mufic, except the tablature for the lute and 

 o-uitar, began to be conltantly written on and between five 

 fines, called fpaccs, with the occafional ufc of fhort addi- 

 tional lines, for notes that go higher or lower than the re- 

 gular ftaff. The lines and fpaces in all mufic are counted 

 from the bottom, fo that the lowed is the firft, the highelt 

 in canto fermo the fourth, and in figurative mufic the lifih. 

 See Stave, Staff, Portee, and Righe. 

 ■ Line, in Inland Namgatkn, is often ufed to cxprefs the 

 principal part of a canal, and thus to diftinguifli it from its 

 branches. 



Lines of Deviation, denote lines on the parliamentary - 

 plans of fome canals, fliewiiig the diftances within a hill it 

 is intended that the cutting of the canal fhould be con- 

 tinued. 



Line, Geometrical, in Perfpedive, is a right line drawn in 

 any manner on the geometrical plane. 



Like, Horizontal. Sec Horizontai.. 



Line, Terrcjlrial, or Fundamental Line, is a right fine, 

 wherein the geometrical plane, and that of the picture, or 

 draught, inter-tdt one anotlier. 



Such is the line NI {Plate I. PerfpeSive, jig. 3.) formed 

 by tlie iiiter!e£tion of the geometrical plane L M, and the 

 perfpeftive plane H L. 



Line of the Front, is any right line' parallel to the ter- 

 reftiuil line. 

 . Line, Vertical, is the common fedlion of the vertical, 

 and of the draught. 



Line, Vifual, is the line, or ray, imagined to pafs from 

 the objedl to the eye. 



Line of Station, according to fome writers, is the com- 

 mon fection of the vertical and geometfical planes. Others 

 mean by it, the perpendicular height of the eye above the 

 geometrical p'aue ; others, a line drawn on that plane, 

 and perpendicular to the line expreffing the height of the eye. 



Line, OijeSive, is any line drawn on the geometrical 

 plane, whofe reprefeiitation is fought for in the draught or 

 pifture. 



L,inB of Dijlan<e. See Distance. 



Lines on the plain Scale, in Trigonometry, are the line of 

 chords, fine of fines, line of tangents, line of fecants, 

 line of fcmi-tangentB, line of leagues. The conftruftion 

 and application of thcfe lines, fee under Scale, Sailing, 

 &c. 



Lines on Gunter's Scale, are the line of numbers, line of 

 artificial fines, line of artificial tangents, line of artificial 

 verfed fines, line of artificial fines of rhumbs, line of arti- 

 ficial tangents of the meridian line, and line of equal parts. 

 The conllrudlion and application of thefe hues, fee under 

 Gunter's Scale. 



Lines of the Sector, are the line of equal parts, or line of 

 lines ; fine of chord';, Uiie of fines, hne of tangents, line of 

 fecants, hne of polygons, line of numbers, line of hours, 

 ^ line of latitudes, Kne of meridians, line of metals, hne of 

 folids, line of planes ; the conftruftion and ufe of thefe, fee 

 Sector. 



Line, in the yfrt of War, is underftood of the difpolition 

 of an army, ranged in order of battle ; with the front ex- 

 tended as far as may be, that the feveral corps of cavalry and 

 infantry which compofe it, may not be cut off or flanked 

 by the enemy. 



An army ufually confirts of three lines; x\\e JirJ} is the 

 front, van, or advance-guard ; the main body torms the 

 fecond, in which is the general's port ; the third is a referved 

 body, or rear-guard. The term line, as expreffing a mili- 

 tary arrangement for battle, was not known till the 16th 

 century. Before that period, wiien armies were ranged in 

 order of battle upon three lines, thefe feveral hnes were 

 denominated in the manner above ftated : but tlie terms 

 advance-guard, main body, and rear-guard, are never ufed 

 in modern times, except when an army is on its march : 

 when drawn up for aclion, or in the fiild for review, they 

 are denominated lines. 



The fecond hue fiiould be about three huiulrcd paces 

 behind the firft, and the referve at about five or fix hundred 

 paces behind the fecond. 



The artillery is likevvife diftributed along the front of 

 the firft line. The front line fiiould be llronger than the 

 fccond, that its fliock may be more violent, and that, by 

 having a greater front, it may more eafily clofc on the 

 enemy's flanks. 



Each line is fo drawn up, that the vvinga or extremitie* 

 always confid of fome fqiiadrons of horfe, whofe inter- 

 vals are fupported by infantry platoons. The battalions 

 are potted in the centre of each line ; fometimes they are 

 intermixed with fquadrons of horfe, when a confiderable 

 body of cavalry is attached to the army. The fpace of 

 ground wiiich in each line feparates the different corps 

 from one another, is always equal in extent to the front 

 that is occupied by them. Thefe intervals are left in order 

 to facilitate their feveral movements, and to enable them to 

 charge the enemy without confufion. It is a general rule, 

 that the intervals or fpaces which are between each battalion 

 and fquadron belonging to the fecond hne Ihould invariably 

 correfpond with the ground that is occupied by the batta- 

 lions and fqu;idroni which conftitute ihc Jirfl line ; in order 

 that the Jirjl line, on being forced to fall back, may find 

 fufficient Ipace to rally, and not endanger the difpofition of 

 the y^coW line, by precipitately thronging and preffing upon 

 it. Each line is divided into right and left wings ; each 

 wing is compofed of one or more divifions : each divifion is 

 compofed of one or more brigades ; and each brigade is 

 formed of two, three, or four battalions. Battalions are 

 formed in line at a diftance of twelve paces from each other, 

 and this interval is occupied by two cannon, which are 

 attached to each battalion. For the difference between the 

 Pruffian and French mode of arrangement, and other par- 

 ticulars, fee Army, Battle, Column, Engagement, 

 and Tactics. 



The Line is a term frequently ufed to diftinguifh the re- 

 gular army of Great Britain from other cftabllfliments of a 

 lefs military nature. All numbered, or marching regiments, 

 are called the line. The guards are an exception to this 

 rule. Tfie marines, fencible, militia, volunteer, and yeo- 

 manry corps, together with the life-guards, are not compre- 

 hended under this denomination. The term line, however, 

 has not been applied with fufficient precifion and difcrimina- 

 tiou. Striftly fpeaking, line, in m;htary matters, denotes 

 that folid part of an army which is called the main body, 

 and has a regular formation from right to left. Upon 

 the whole, it may be obfcr\ed, that the term is generally 

 mifapphed, and that it cannot, with ftrift propriety, be 

 ufed to diftinguifli any particular ellablifhment from an- 

 other. 



Line, 



