Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/710

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ESC

ESCHEAT, in Law, fignifies any Lands, or other Pro- fits, that fall to a Landlord within his Mannor, by way of Forfeiture, or the Death of his Tenant dying without Heir general or fpecial, or leaving his Heir within Age, and unmarried.

The Civilians call fuch Forfcitutes 'Bona Caduca ; and in the fame Senfe as we fay the Fee is Efcheated, they fay faidnm aperitur.

The Word Efcheata fometimes aifo fignifies a lawful Inheritance defeending on the Heir. But then, it is ufually dillinguiihed by the Addition of Relta, as Retla Efche- ata.

Escheat, is alfo ufed for the Place or Circuit within which the King, or ether Lord, hath Efcheats of his Tenants.

And fometimes for a Writ, lying where the Tenant having Eftate of Fee Simple, in any Lands or Tenements holden of a fuperiour Lord, dies feiz'd, without Heir ge- neral, or fpecial: In which Cafe, the Lord brings this Writ againft him that poffeffes the Lands, after the Death of his Tenant; and thereby recovers the fame in lieu of his Services.

ESCHEATOR, an Officer, who anciently took Care of the King's Efcheats in the County, and certified them into the Exchequer, or Chancery. See Escheat.

He was appointed by the Lord Treasurer ; held his Office only for one Year; nor cou'd any Perfon be Efche- ator above once in three Years. But this Office having its chief Dependance on the Court of Wards, is now out of Date.

ESCHEQUER. See Exchequer.

ESCHEV1N, or ECHEVIN, in the French and "Dutch Polity ; a Magiftrate, elecfed by the Inhabitants of a City, to take Care of their common Concerns, the good Order, Conveniency, and Decoration of the City.

A-t "Paris, there is a Prevot, and four Efchevins ; in moft other Cities, a Main, or Mayor, and Efchevins.

In Languedoc, "Province, and Dauphine, they are call'd Coujuls : At Toulmfe, Cejiiiouls : And Jurats at "Bourdeaux.

Anciently, the Efchevins were Affefiors, and Counfellors, of the Comites, or Judges of Cities: On which Account they were call'd in fome Places, "Pairs, Pares: They even took Cognifance of petty Caufes thcmfelves.

tDu Cange obferves, that the Judges, and their Affeffors, who were chofe by the Inhabitants, were call'd Scabini, Echevins, and their College, Scabinagium, or Efchevinage. He adds, that fome Authors call 'em Paciurii, by reafon their Office and Jurifdicfion extended to the fecuring Peace in their City and 'Banlieue, call'd Pax VilU.

The Efchevins are alfo frequently what the Ediles were at Rome, the Sheriffs at London, and the Magiftrate call'd Potefias, in the petty Cities of Italy. The 'Greeks call him aTo^ys//©-, &c.

In Holland, the Efchevins judges of all Civil Affairs at firft Hand. They alfo take Cognizance of criminal Affairs, and if the Criminal confefs himfelf guilty, they can fee their Sentence executed without Appeal. They can even give the Torture.

The Number is not the fame in all Cities : At Am- fterdam there are Nine, at Rotterdam Seven, &c.

ESCHRAKITES, or ESRAKITES, a Sccf of Philofo- phers among the Mahometans, who adhere to the Doctrines and Opinions of "Plato.

The Efchrakites, or Mahometan "Platonifts, place their higheft Good and Happinefs in the Contemplation of the Divine Majefty; defpifing the grofs Imaginations of the Alcoran touching Paradife.

They are very careful in avoiding Vice, preferve an equal and eafy Temper, love Mufic, and divert themfelvcs with compofing little Poems, or fpiritual Songs.

The Scheies, or Priefts, and rhe chief among the Preach- ers of the Imperial Mofqucs, are Efchrakites.

The Word is derived from the Arabic P1& Scharaka, which in the Fourth Conjugation P11SN Afchraka, figni- fies to Jhine, glitter like the Sim : So that Efchrakite fecms to import Illumined.

ESCHYNOMENOUS Plants, are the fenfitive Plants; that Is, fuch as upon approaching 'em flirink back, and contract their Leaves. See Sensitive Plant.

ESCLAIRCISSEMENT, a French Term, which we fee retain'd tn fome late Englifi Writers.

The Word properly fignifies the Aft, or Eftefr of clear- ing a "thing, or rendering it more bright and tranffa- rent; being forrn'd from rhe Verb Efclaircir, to clear, &c.

But it is chiefly ufed in a figurative Senfe, for an Explication of an Obfcurity, or Difficulty. EfclairciJJi- ■ment of the Dialogues of the Gods: The Efclairciffe- ment of difficult Palfages in the Bible, is only had from fimilar PafTages, or Paflages of the like Kind occurring in other Places.

ESCLATTE', in Heraldry, is applied to a Thing vio- lently broke.

Thus a Bend, or other Partition, Efclatte, is rcprefented torn, or broke off like a Piece of a ruin'd Wall ; or rather a Shield broke and ftiatter'd with the Stroke of a Battle Ax, S5>c.

ESCORT, a French Term, fometimes ufed in Engljm Authors.

An Efcort is a Convoy, or Company of armed Men attending fome Perfon or Thing, in a Journey or Voyiae to defend or fecure it from Infults. See Convoy.

A Supply was fent to the Camp before Arras, with an Efcort of 1200 Men. In Times of War, Merchant Vef- fels feldom ftir much abroad without an Efcort of Men of War. People that travel in Turky, generally take Janiffaries to Efcort them.

After the Vict ory, the General fent the Prifoners under a ftrong Efcort into the neighbouring Towns. See Convoy. Some derive the Word from the Latin Cohors. ESCOUADE, is ufually the third Part of a Company of Foot. See Company.

It is divided fo for mounting of Guards, and for the more convenient relieving one another : It is equivalent to a Brigade of a Troop of Horfe. See Brigade. ESCRITOIRE. See Scritoire.

ESCROL, or Scroll, in Heraldry, a long Slip, as it were, of Parchment, or Paper, whereon a Morto is placed; Sec Motto.

Leigh obferves, that no Perfon, under the Degree of a Knight, might, long after King Henry V, place his Creit on a Wreath, as is now ufually done, but only on an Efcrol.

ESCU, or ECU, the French Crown, of 60 Sols, or 2 Livres. See Crown, Livre, c?c. See alfo Coin.

The Efcu was thus called by Reafon the Efcutcheon, or Arms of France, which they call Efcu, was ftruck thereon* See Shield, Helmet, Escutcheon.

ESCUAGE, or Scutage, an antient Kind of Knight's Service, call'd alfo Service of the Shield ; the Tenant holding by which, was obliged to follow his Lord to the Scjttifo, or Welfb Wars, at his own Expence. See Capite. He who held a whole Knight's Fee, was bound to ferve with Horfe and Arms for 40 Days : And he who held half a Knight's Fee, 20 Days. See Service.

The fame Term Efcuage, is alfo ufed for a Sum of Mony, paid by fuch as held by this Tenure, when they neither attended the Wars, nor provided another in their Room.

Esctjage, was alfo a rcafonable Aid, demanded by the Lord of his Tenants, who heid of him in Knight's Service. Concefferunt "Domino Regi ad Maritandam filiam fiiara de omnibus qui tenent de Domino Rege in Capite de fmglis Scutis "20 folidos folvendos, Matth. Paris, Anno 1242.

ESCULENTS, are Plants for Food, as Artichokes, Carrots, Turnips, Parfnips, Cabbages, Colliflowers, tfc. See Plant, Salade, ££c.

ESCURIAL, by the Spaniards wrote Escorial, a Term that occurs pretty frequently in our Gazettes, and Journals of News.

Efcurial, is originally a little Village in Spain, fituate in the Kingdom of "Toledo, feven Leagues to the Weft of Madrid, and nine to the Eaft of Avita ; on the Side of a Chain of Mountains, call'd by fome the Carpentain, or Carpentanian Mountains, and by others the 'Pyreneans ; as being a Branch of the pyranean Ridge.

Here, King Philip II. built a ftately Monaftery of the Order of St.ferom, held by the Spaniards for one of the Wonders of the World ; and call'd the Efcurial.

Fa. Francifco de los "Padros, in a Defcription thereof entituled, Defcription breve del Monafteria de S. Lorenzo el real del Efcorial, &c. affures us it was built by that Prince in Memory of the Battle of S. ghtintin, gain'd on the Day of S. Lawrence, Lorenzo, a famous Spauip Saint, and at his Interceffion.

The King and Queen have their Appartments therein ; the reft being poffefs'd by the Monks. Whence, many of the great Tranfact ions of that Court, are dated from the Efcurial.

It has a very fine Church, to which Philip IV. built a beautiful Chappel, call'd the "Pantheon, wherein the Kings and Queens of Spain, who leave any Poflerity, are Enterr'd. The reft being laid in another Vault of the fame Church, together with the Infanta's and other Princes. See Pantheon.

ESCUTCHEON, or Scutcheon, in Heraldry, the Shield, Coat, or Field, whereon the Bearing, or Arms of any Perfon is reprefented. See Shield, Coat of Arms, Sic. The Word Efcutcheon is form'd of the French Ejiujfon, ar.d that from the Latin Scutum, Shield ; which was what Arms were originally bore on, e're ever they came

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