in which the composer or performer, rejecting the rigorous rules of time, imitates the inflexions, accent, and emphasis, of natural speech.

RECITATIVE, SO called because its true province lies in narration and recital, was first introduced at Rome, in the year 1660, by Signor Emilia del Cavaliere, and was so powerfully recommended by its effect as to be speedily adopted in other parts of Italy, and, by degrees, through the rest of Europe. The beauty of this species of composition depends greatly on the character of the language in which it is used; as that is more or less accented and melodious, so the more or less natural and striking will be the effect of the re

RECK. To estimate as to value; number; count; esteem; assign in reckoning; to compute; calculate; charge to, or in account; taking on, upon, and with a reckoner is a computer or calculator: reckoning, computation; account taken; esteem; estimate.

The priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, and it shall be abated. Leviticus xxvii. 18. There was no reckoning made with them of the money delivered into their hand. 2 Kings. To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. Romans iv. 4.

Canst thou their reck'nings keep? the time com. pute

When their swoln bellies shall enlarge their fruit! Sandys.

Where we cannot be persuaded that the will of God is, we should so far reject the authority of men, as to reckon it nothing. Hooker.

Numb'ring of his virtues praise, Death lost the reckoning of his days. For him I reckon not in high estate; But thee, whose strength, while virtue was her mate, Milton's Agonistes. Might have subdued the earth.

God suffers the most grievous sins of particular persons to go unpunished in this world, because his Justice will have another opportunity to meet and

reckon with them.

Tillotson.

I reckoned above two hundred and fifty on the outside of the church, though I only told three sides of it. Addison.

A multitude of cities are reckoned up by the geographers, particularly by Ptolemy. Arbuthnot. RECKONING, or a SHIP'S RECKONING, in navigation, is that account whereby at any time it may be known where the ship is, and on what course or courses she is to steer in order to gain her port; and that account taken from the logboard is called the dead reckoning. See NAVI

GATION.

RECLAIM', v. a. Lat. reclamo. To reRECLAIMER, n. s. form; correct; adjust; bring to a desired standard; tame: reclaimer is a contradicter.

He spared not the heads of any mischievous practices, but shewed sharp judgment on them for ensample sake, that all the meaner sort, which were infected with that evil, might, by terror thereof, be reclaimed and saved. Spenser.

This errour whosoever is able to reclaim, he shall save more in one summer, than Themison destroyed Browne. in any autumn. Reclaim your wife from strolling up and down To all assizes. Dryden's Juvenal. The head-strong horses hurried Octavius, the trembling charioteer, along, and were deaf to his reclaiming them. Dryden.

Upon his fist he bore

An eagle well reclaimed. Id. Knight's Tale. Are not hawks brought to the hand, and lions, tygers, and bears reclaimed by good usage?

L'Estrange.

men from their errors.

The penal laws in being against papists have been found ineffectual, and rather confirm than reclaim Swift. RECLAIMING, in ancient English customs, was a lord's pursuing, prosecuting, and recalling his vassal, who had gone to live in another place without his permission.

RECLAIMING is also used for the demanding of a person or thing, to be delivered up to the prince or state to which it properly belongs; when, by any irregular means, it is come into another's possession.

RECLAIMING, in falconry, is taming a hawk, &c., and making her gentle and familiar. A partridge is said to reclaim, when she calls her young ones together, upon their scattering too much from her.

RECLINE', v. a., v. n. & adj. Fr. recliner; Lat. reclino. To lean back, or sidewise; rest; repose in a resting posture.

A RECLUSE, among the Roman Catholics, is a person shut up in a small cell of a hermitage or monastery, and cut off, not only from all conversation with the world, but even with the house. This is a kind of voluntary imprisonment, from a motive either of devotion or penance. The word is also applied to incontinent wives, whom their husbands procure to be thus kept in perpetual imprisonment in some religious house. Recluses were anciently very numerous. They took an oath never to stir out of their retreat; and, having entered it, the bishop set his seal upon the door; and the recluse had every thing necessary for the support of life conveyed through a window. If he was a priest, he was allowed a small oratory with a window, which looked into the church, through

which he might make his offerings at the mass, hear the singing, and answer those who spoke to him; but this window had curtains before it, so that he could not be seen. He was allowed a little garden, adjoining to his cell, in which he might plant a few herbs, and breathe a little fresh air. If he had disciples, their cells were contiguous to his, with only a window of communication, through which they conveyed necessaries to him, and received his instructions. If a recluse fell sick, his door might be opened for persons to come in and assist him, but he himself was not to stir out. Re and coagu

RECOAGULATION, n. s. lation. Second coagulation.

This salt, dissolved in a convenient quantity of water, does upon its recoagulation dispose of the aqueous particles among its own saline ones, and shoot into crystals.

RECOGNIZE, v. a. RECOGNISANCE, n. s. RECOGNISEE', RECOGNISOR',

RECOGNITION,

Boyle.

Lat. recognosco. To acknowledge; recover or avow knowledge; review: recognisance is, acknowledgment;

badge; a legal bond described below: the recognisee is he in whose favor it is drawn; the recognisor, he who gives it: recognition is, acknowledgment; review.

Apparent it is, that all men are either christians or not; if by external profession they be christians, then are they of the visible church of Christ, and christians by external profession they are all whose mark of recognizance hath in it those things mentioned, yet although they be impious idolaters and wicked hereticks. Hooker.

She did gratify his amorous works
With that recognisance and pledge of love,
Which I first gave her; an handkerchief.

Shakspeare. The English should not marry with any Irish, unless bound by recognisance with sureties, to continue loyal. Davies.

The Israelites in Moses' days were redeemed out of Egypt; in memory and recognition whereof they were commanded to observe the weekly sabbath.

White.

He brought several of them, even under their own hands, to recognize their sense of their undue procedure used by them unto him. Fell.

The British cannon formidably roars, While starting from his oozy bed, The asserted ocean rears his reverend head, To view and recognize his ancient lord. Dryden. Every species of fancy hath three modes: recegnition of a thing, as present; memory of it, as past; and foresight of it, as to come.

Christ will recognize them at a greater.

Grew. South.

RECOGNITION is a term used in the English law books for the first chapter of the statute 1 Jac. I., by which the parliament acknowledged that, after the death of queen Elizabeth, the crown had rightfully descended to king James.

RECOGNIZANCE, in law, is an obligation of record, which a man enters into before some court of record or magistrate duly authorised, with condition to do some particular act; as to appear at the assizes, to keep the peace, to pay a debt, or the like. It is in most respects like another bond; the difference being chiefly this, that the bond is the creation of a fresh debt or obligation de novo, the recognizance is an acknowledgment of a former debt upon record;

the form whereof is, that A B doth acknowledge to owe to our lord the king, to the plaintiff, or to CD, or the like, the sum of £10,' with condition to be void on performance of the thing stipulated; in which case, the king, the plaintiff, CD, &c., is called the cognizee, is cui cognoscitur; as he that enters into the recognizance is called the cognizor, is cui cognoscit. This being certified to, or taken by, the officer of some court, is witnessed only by the record of that court, and not by the party's seal; so that it is not in strict propriety a deed, though the effects of it are greater than a common obligation; being allowed a priority in point of payment, and binding the lands of the cognizor from the time of enrolment on record.

RECOIL', v. n. & n. s. Fr. reculer. To rush or fall back; fail; shrink: a falling back. Ye both forewearied be; therefore a while I read you rest, and to your bowers recoil. Spenser. The very thought of my revenges that way Recoil upon me; in himself too mighty.

Shakspeare.

Milton.

Revenge, at first though sweet, Bitter ere long, back on itself recoils. My hand's so soft, his heart so hard, The blow recoils, and hurts me while I strike. Dryden. REcort, in gunnery, is the retrograde motion made by any piece of fire arms on being discharged. Cannon are always subject to a recoil, according to the sizes and the charge they contain, &c. Guns, whose vents are a little forward in the chase, recoil most. To lessen the recoil of a gun, the platforms are generally made sloping towards the embrasures of the battery. See PROJECTILES. The following is

A TABLE of the recoil of field guns on travelling carriages, on elm planks.

Among the Romans, to preserve great events upon their coins, when any particular piece of money grew very scarce, it was often recoined by a succeeding emperor. Addison. RECOLLECT′, v. a. Į Lat. recollectus. To RECOLLECTION, n. s. remember; recover to memory or reason; gather again; the noun substantive corresponding.

It did relieve my passion much;
More than light airs and recollected terms
Of these most brisk and giddy paced times.

Shakspeare.

Let us take care that we sleep not without such a recollection of the actions of the day as may represent any thing that is remarkable, as matter of sorrow or thanksgiving. Taylor. Finding the recollection of his thoughts disturb his sleep, he remitted the particular care of the compoFell. The Tyrian queen Admired his fortunes, more admired the man; Then recollected stood. Druden's Eneis. Recollection is when an idea is sought after by the mind, and with pain and endeavour found, and brought again in view.

sition.

Locke.

Recollect every day the things seen, heard, or read, which made any addition to your understanding. Watts's Logick.

RECOMFORT, v. a. comfort or console again.

Re and comfort. Το

Sidney.

What place is there left, we may hope our woes
to recomfort?
Ne'er through an arch so hurried the blown tides,
As the recomforted through the gates. Shakspeare.
As one from sad dismay

Recomforted, and after thoughts disturbed,
Submitting to what seemed remediless.

Milton.

Fr. recommender. Re and commend. To praise earnestly; make acceptable: recommendable is,

RECOMMEND', v. a. RECOMMENDABLE, adj. RECOMMENDATION, n. s. RECOMMENDATORY, adj. RECOMMEND ́ER, N.S. worthy of praise; the act or mode of praising: that which secures preference; qualification: recommendatory, that which commaends: recommender, he who commends.

They had been recommended to the grace of God. Acts xiv.

Macenas recommended Virgil and Horace to Augustus, whose praises helped to make him popular while alive, and after his death have made him precions to posterity. Dryden.

Poplicola's doors were opened on the outside, to save the people even the common civility of asking entrance; where misfortune was a powerful recommendation; and where want itself was a powerful mediator.

Id.

A decent boldness ever meets with friends, Succeeds, and even a stranger r.commer ús. Pope.