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rit directed to the sheriff, commanding him to take sureties, called mainpernors, for the prisoner's appearance, and to let him go at large. This writ is now obsolete. Wharton.

The court or seat of a marshal; hence, the prison in Southwark, belonging to the marshal of the king's household. [Eng.] Court of Marshalsea, a court formerly held before the steward and marshal of the king's house to administer justice between the king's domestic servants. Blackstone.

es, ornament, increment; fragment, piece broken, segment; abridgment, act of abridging, imprisonment, movement, adjournment; amazement, state of being amazed, astonishment.

superintend the education of girls, and protect decent women out of employment, to visit prisoners and the sick, and to attend persons condemned to death. -- To be at the mercy of, to be wholly in the power of.

A precept or warrant granted by a justice for committing to prison a party charged with crime; a warrant of commitment to prison. Burrill.

r condition of being a neighbor; the state of being or dwelling near; proximity. Then the prison and the palace were in awful neighborhood. Ld. Lytton.

of the day (Mil.), the officer who, on a given day, has charge for that day of the quard, prisoners, and police of the post or camp. -- Officer of the deck, or Officer of the watch (Naut.), the officer temporarily in charge on the deck of a vessel, esp. a war vessel.

] "Be not jealous on me." Shak. Or have we eaten on the insane root That takes the reason prisoner Shak.

nd in some old castles and other strongholds, into which persons condemned to perpetual imprisonment, or to perish secretly, were thrust, or lured to fall. Sudden in the sun An oubliette winks. Where is he Gone. Mrs. Browning.

A prison so contructed that the inspector can see each of the prisoners at all times, without being seen.

fically, to confer orally with an enemy; to treat with him by words, as on an exchange of prisoners, an armistice, or terms of peace. They are at hand, To parley or to fight; therefore prepare. Shak.

To set at liberty on parole; as, to parole prisoners.

ohibited certain acts, and imposing penalties for committing them. -- Penal servitude, imprisonment with hard labor, in a prison, in lieu of transportation. [Great Brit.] -- Penal suit, Penal action (Law), a suit for penalties.

A tedious and wearisome time. In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage. Shak.

[Obs.] Chaucer. Shak. That people that pyned him to death. Piers Plowman. One is pined in prison, another tortured on the rack. Bp. Hall.

, law, grant, or the like; as, the contract was impaired by its proviso. He doth deny his prisoners, But with proviso and exception. Shak.

The keeper of a prison. [Obs.] Shak.

A quadrangle; hence, a prison. [Cant or Slang]

fourth of the crew) on a man-of- war. -- To give, or show, quarter (Mil.), to accept as prisoner, on submission in battle; to forbear to kill, as a vanquished enemy. -- To keep quarter. See Quarter, n., 3.

was in question for the robbery. Shak. The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question. Macaulay.