He established himself again as a merchant; but as he wished to retrench his expences, and begin the world again on a plan of strict economy, he sent me to this school to finish my education.

It was almost impossible for an ordinary planter to make two ends meet, no matter how many acres he cultivated and how many slaves he possessed; for he had inherited expensive tastes, a liking for big houses and costly furniture and blooded horses, and he knew not where to retrench.

V. subduct, subtract; deduct, deduce; bate, retrench; remove, withdraw, take from, take away; detract. garble, mutilate, amputate, detruncate^; cut off, cut away, cut out; abscind^, excise; pare, thin, prune, decimate; abrade, scrape, file; geld, castrate; eliminate. diminish &c 36; curtail &c (shorten) 201; deprive of &c (take) 789; weaken.

572. abridger, epitomist^, epitomizer^. V. be short &c adj.; render short &c adj.; shorten, curtail, abridge, abbreviate, take in, reduce; compress &c (contract) 195; epitomize &c 596. retrench, cut short, obtruncate^; scrimp, cut, chop up, hack, hew; cut down, pare down; clip, dock, lop, prune, shear, shave, mow, reap, crop; snub; truncate, pollard, stunt, nip, check the growth of; foreshorten (in drawing).

Johnson now found it necessary to retrench his expenses.

"In order to retrench my expenses I have taken a painting-room out of the house, at about half of the expense of my former room.

" "Yes it has, and if you read the papers you would find that it has even affected the revenue of the state and you will have to retrench somewhere.

" "Well, I'll retrench somewhere.

I'll retrench, John Anderson, but I want you to remember that I did not marry you empty handed.

I am forced to retrench myself behind that dispatch.

Retrench, is it?

How can one retrench here?

Yes, yes, retrench!

Retrench, you say.

I've got a note comin' due tomorrow an' no money to pay it with.' "'Renew it an' then retrench,' I says. 'Cut down your expenses an' your prices.'

So big you look, though claret you retrench, That, arm'd with bottled ale, you huff the French.

"Retrench as much as possible without obscuring the sense.

Others, it is said, are proceeding abroad to retrench.

But though kept back, efforts are being made to retrench, and, it is said, old mansions that have never been let before can now be hired for the season.

Great care has likewise been taken by Mr. Cooke, to retrench such pieces as he was sure were not genuine.

It remained only to clear the ground, and to plant as it were fresh flowers in the room of those which were grown into weeds or were faded by time; to retouch and vary the characters; enliven the painting, retrench the superfluous; and animate the action, where it appeared the young author seemed to aim at more than he had strength to perform.' The same year also his Tragedy, intitled Heroic Love, was acted at the Theatre.

Conversation, like the Romish Religion, was so encumbered with Show and Ceremony, that it stood in need of a Reformation to retrench its Superfluities, and restore it to its natural good Sense and Beauty.

To retrench one Dish at my Table, till I have fetched it up again.

Think of the old Duke who was told he must retrench, and that he need not have six still-room maids in his establishment, and said, after a brief period of reflection, 'Dn it, a man must have a biscuit!'

While every effort has been and will continue to be made to retrench all superfluities and lop off all excrescences which from time to time may have grown up, yet it