An essay towards a real character, and a philosophical language by John Wilkins ...

MILITARY RELATION.

THis Head of MILITARY RELATION, is intended to contain such Notions as concern the various respects and capacities belonging to a state of War.* 1.1 The using of the united Force and Arms of many against others, is styled WAR-fare, martial, polemical, Militia, Chivalry.

And the being without mutual opposition is called Peace.

The Notions appertaining to this Head, do relate either to Military

• ACTIONS. I.
• EVENTS. II.
• ...Persons.
  • SEGREGATE. III.
  • AGGREGATE. IV.
• Instruments necessary to War, AMMUNITION. V.
• PLACES. VI.

* 1.2I. Military ACTIONS may be distinguished according to the

• General name; denoting the endeavour of ‖ doing hurt: or preserving from hurt.
  1.
  • OFFENDING, Offence-ive, Annoy-ance.
  • ...DEFENDING protect, guard, shelter▪ shrowd ward▪ preserve, keep, maintain, make good, tutelary.
• Particular kinds or degrees; whether such as are
  • ...Opposite and in several.
    • Declaring enmity on the ‖ offensive: or defensive side.
      2.
      • PROVOKING, challenge, irritate, invite, bait, stir up, dare, vy.
      • DEFYING, dare
    • Beginning of actual ‖ offence: or defence.
      3.
      • ASSAULTING, assail, attaque, invade, encounter, Onset, set upon, charge, Inrode, Rencounter, Incursion▪ fall on, run upon.
      • ...RESISTING, withstand, stand against, bear up against, turn head, strug∣gle with, Antiperistatis.
    • Endeavouring ‖ to dispossess one of his place: or to frustrate such endeavours; either by ‖
      • Keeping from necessaries: or supplying with necessaries.
        4.
        • BESIEGING, Siege, beleaguer, beset, block up, hem in, lay siege.
        • ...RELIEVING, succour, supply, help, recruit, reinforce, subsidiary, Ayd.
      • Vnderdigging the Sepiment; either ‖ to make a breach in it: or to hinder the making of such a breach.
        5.
        • MINING, undermine, Sapping.
        • COUNTERMINING.
      • Entring forcibly to assault the besieged: or going out to assault the besiegers.
        6.
        • STORMING, assaulting, boarding, attaque, scaling, on-slaught.
        • SALLYING, issue out
  • Reciprocal and in common; whether by wayes of
    • Force; viz. the mutual endeavours of corporeal mischief to one another; according to the ‖
      • General name: or that which is betwixt two.
        7.
        • FIGHTING, Combat, Conflict, encounter, cope, bicker, Fray, impugn, scuffle, List.
        • DUELLING, Single combat, Champion, List.
      • Special kinds, betwixt numerous parties, according to set order and ap∣pointment; either of ‖ some part of the Army: or the whole
        8.
        • SKIRMISHING, Fray, Velitation▪ pickeer.
        • BATTELLING, Set fight, Set battel, joyn battel, Shock.
    • Skill, or some secret art to deceive an Enemy; according to the ‖ general name: or by concealing Souldiers for the sudden surprisal of others.
      9.
      • STRATAGEM, ensnare, Device, Trick, Train, surprize.
      • AMBUSH, Ambuscado, insidiate, lay wait, lurk, way lay, surprize.

* 1.3II. Military EVENTS may be distinguished into such as are either

• Of Importance; when ‖ one keeps as before: or gains from the other: or loses his own; relating to the
  • Condition usually befalling such as are ‖ equal: or stronger: or weaker.
    1.
    • COMING OFF UPON EQUAL TERMS.
      • ...VICTOR, overcome, defeat, discomfit, beat, win, vanquish, get the day, -the better, -the upper hand, quell, predominant, prevail, subdue, suppress, over-bear, -master.
      • ...OVERTHROWN, subdued, foiled, suppressed, routed, worsted, beaten, defeated, discomfited, brought under.
  • ...Place of fighting.
    2.
    • STAND HIS GROUND.
      • ...ADVANCE, get ground.
      • ...RETIRE, retreat, give back, shrink, recede, recoyle.
  • ...Country of fighting.
    3.
    • KEEP THE FIELD.
      • ...PVRSVE, chas, course, follow, pros••cute, Hue and Cry.
      • ...FLY, run away rout, fugitive, take ones heels, put to flight.
  • ...

• ...
  • ...Town assaulted.
    4.
    • HOLD OUT, make good, maintain, stand out, hold tack.
      • ...TAKE, win.
      • ...LOSE, yield, surrender, Rendition.
  • ...Goods of those that fight.
    5.
    • SAVE ONE'S OWN.
      • ...BOOTIES, Forage, Plunder, Pillage, Quarry, Prey, Prize, Free-booter, Letters of Mart, Letters of Reprize.
      • ...SPOILS, harras, havock, ravage, rifle, sack, ransack, Wreck, Devastation, Ruin, Wast, depopulate.
  • ...Persons concerned.
    6.
    • ESCAPE, evade, scape eschew, get rid, get quit off, get off, shift away, get clear.
      • ...CAPTIVATE, take prisoner.
      • ...YIELD, give up, render, surrender, resign, deliver.
  • ...Final issue of the War.
    7.
    • SAVE.
      • ...CONQUER, bring under, master, mate, quel, vanquish, repress, suppress, tame subdue, win.
      • ...SVBMIT, give up, humble, yield, surrender, come in.
• Of Shew on the Victor's side, (for the conquered makes none;) either by some ‖ solemn Actions to be publicly performed: or Things and Structures to remain in memory of the Victory.
  8.
  • TRIUMPH, exult, crow, exultation, Bonfire.
  • TROPHEE.

III. Military PERSONS (Souldier, Warrier, Reformado, serve, press,* 1.4) se∣gregate, may be distinguished by those several imployments for which they are designed; being either for

• Fighting; ‖ on foot: or on horse-back
  1
  • FOOTMAN, Infantry, Lance-knight.
  • HORSMAN, Cavalry, Light-horse, Curasier, Dragoons, Trooper, Reister, Rider
• Signs to the Army; belonging either to ‖ Foot: or Horse.
  • ...Visible.
    2.
    • ENSIGN, Ancient, Colours, Standard, Pennon, Banner.
    • CORNET, Banner, Colours.
  • ...Audible.
    3.
    • DRUMMER, Drum, Tabor, Tabret.
    • TRUMPETER, Trumpet.
• Distributing Orders; ‖ ordinary, belonging to each aggregate part: or extraor∣dinary, belonging to the Army.
  4.
  • SERJEANT.
  • ADJUTANT.
• Discovery; either ‖ of the Country in general: or amongst the Enemies.
  5.
  • SCOUT, crusing, descry.
  • SPY, Emissary, Setter, Intelligence.
• Prevention of danger that might happen either to ‖ Persons: or Places.
  6.
  • GUARD, Convoy, custody, keep, ward, keep guard, relieve the guard, Corps du guard
  • WATCH, Ward, Corporal.
• Both Discovery and Prevention; denoting such a one as ‖ stands and examines: or lies on the ground to listen and observe
  7.
  • SENTINEL, Sentry.
  • PERDUE.
• Digging: or other servil works; denoting such Servants of the Army as fol∣low the Baggage.
  8.
  • PIONER.
  • CALO, Pedec, Black guard.

* 1.5IV. Military PERSONS AGGREGATE (Party of Souldiers, Forces, disband) may be distributed according to such different names as do denote either the

• Whole; being an armed Multitude fit to assault or resist, consisting of many subordinate divisions.
  1
  • ARMY, Host, Forces, Battalia.
• Parts; according to
  • The first: or the second greatest subdivisions.
    2.
    • BRIGADE, Battalion, Terce.
    • REGIMENT, Legion, Tribune, Colonel.
  • The third: or fourth subdivision, belonging both to Horse and Foot.
    3.
    • COMPANY, Troop, Band, Captain, Centurion.
    • SQUADRON.
• Order and Situation; whether with ‖ the side of every one towards the side of the next: or the face of every one towards the back of the next,
  4.
  • RANK.
  • FILE, Roe.
• Vses and Services for which such persons are designed; whether
  • To march before the Army, for clearing of the way: or to follow after, for help and supply in case of necessity.
    5.
    • VANCURRIER.
    • RESERVE.
  • To begin the Fight: or to ingage in the most difficult services, being usually a selected Company.
    6.
    • FORLORN HOPE.
    • COMMANDED PARTY.
  • To take care of and defend the Baggage.
    7.
    • TRAIN.

* 1.6V. The Provisions necessary for Offence and Defence are styled by the general name of AMMUNITION, Magazin, charge, discharge, Arcenal.

To which may be adjoyned the word BAGGAGE, Impediments, Lug∣gage, Lumber.

They are distinguishable according to their Shapes, and those several Uses for which they are designed, into such as are more

• General; denoting the common names belonging to things of this nature; whe∣ther such as are ‖ offensive: or defensive.
  1.
  • WEAPON, Arms offensive.
  • ARMOUR, defensive Arms, Mail, Headpiece, Helmet, Scull, Gorget, Gaunt∣l••t, Habergeon, &c. Armorer, Armory.
• ...Special; for
  • ...Offence.
    • Comminus, near hand; being either for
      • Striking chiefly; whether ‖ bruising: or cutting.
        2.
        • CLUB, Bat, Batoon, Battle-ax, Mace, Pole-ax, Cudgel.
        • SWORD, Scimitar, Hanger, Rapier, Tuck, Ponyard, Stilletto, Dag∣ger, Fauchion, Glave, Cutler.
      • Thrusting chiefly; of which the latter is sometimes used for striking.
        3.
        • PIKE, Spear, Launce, Iavelin, run at tilt.
        • HALBERT, Partizan, Trident.
    • Eminus, at a distance; whether
      • Ancient and less artificial; denoting either the
        • Instrument giving the force, being of a curved figure and elastical power; to be held in the hand, either ‖ immediately: or by the stock to which it is fixed.
          4.
          • BOW, shoot, Archer, Fletcher.
          • CROSS-BOW, shoot.
        • Instrument or Weapon projected; whether ‖ immediately out of the hand: or mediately from something else.
          5.
          • DART, Iavelin, Harping-iron.
          • ARROW, Shaft, Bolt.
      • Modern and more artificial, (i.) fire-Arms; denoting either the
        • Vessels giving the force; according to the name of ‖ the whole kind: or of the bigger kind.

• ...
  • ...
    • ...
      • ...
        • ...
          6.
          • GUN, shoot, Snaphance, Fire-lock, Musket, Carbine, Blunderbuss, Piece, Arquebus, Petronel, Pistol, Dagg, Potgun, play upon.
          • ORDNANCE, Cannon, Artillery, Saker, Minion, Basilisk, Drake, &c. shoot.
        • Vtensils; signifying the thing ‖ enkindling: or enkindled.
          7.
          • MATCH, Tinder, Touchwood, Spunk.
          • POWDER, Gunpowder.
        • Things discharged; either ‖ so••••d: or hollow.
          8.
          • BULLET, Ball, Pellet, Shot.
          • GRANADO, Petard.
  • ...Defence:
    9.
    • BUCKLER, Shield, Target.

VI. Such kind of Places, together with such kind of Contrivances belong∣ing to them, as relate to a state of War,* 1.7 may be styled MILITARY PLACES or Works, (Munitions, Fortifications, fenced, Hold, dismantle.)

To which may be adjoyned for its affinity the common notion of such things as are used for the fencing of Places; SEPIMENT, Wall, Pale, Fence, Enclosure, Fold, Mound.

These may be distinguished into such as are

• ...More principal;
  • ...Comprehending the Area contained within them.
    • Greater; in ‖ Country: or Town.
      1.
      • CAMP, encamp, quarter.
      • GARRISON.
    • Less; more ‖ independent: or dependent.
      2.
      • SCONCE, Fortress, Platform, Fort.
      • BLOCK-HOUSE, Fort, Bastion, Strong-hold.
  • ...Not comprehending the Area contained within them.
    • General; denoting a Sepiment ‖ Ridge-like of Earth: or Furrow-like in the Earth.
      3.
      • RAMPIER, Wall, Bulwark, Line, Counterscarf, Mound, Out-work.
      • DITCH, Dike, Foss, Trench, Mote.
    • Special; signifying the ‖ outward: or inward Wall.
      4.
      • VAUMURE.
      • LINING.
• Less principal; whether
  • ...Parts.
    • G••eater; either of ‖ a round: or many-angled figure.
      5.
      • HALF-MOON.
      • HORN-WORK.
    • Lesser; either ‖ angular to defend the sides of a place: or the straight sides to be so defended.
      6.
      • REDOUBT.
      • FLANKER.
  • Accessions; belonging to the
    • Out-parts▪ being a series of ‖ great Pins erected: or Holes dug in the earth.
      7.
      • PALLISADO.
      • FURNACE-HOLE.
    • Entrance; Military Doors ‖ to shut transverse: or to let down direct.
      8.
      • TURNPIKE.
      • PORTCULLIS.
    • Walls; signifying an erect crenated Margo upon the Walls; ‖ either built upon them: or made by setting on Baskets filled with earth.
      9.
      • PARAPET.
      • GABION.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. III.
• * 1.2

  I. MILI∣TARY ACTI∣ONS.
• * 1.3

  II. MILI∣TARY EVENTS.
• * 1.4

  III. Mili∣tary PER∣SONS SE∣GRE∣GATE.
• * 1.5

  IV. Milita∣ry PER∣SONS AGGRE∣GATE.
• * 1.6

  V. AM∣M••NITI∣ON.
• * 1.7

  VI. MILI∣TARY PLACES.