SECT. IX. Of FABLE.

No method of inftruction is more ancient, more univerfal, or perhaps more effectual, than by APOLOGUE or FABLE. (See thefe articles.) As to the actors in this little drama, the fabulift may prefs into his fervice every kind of exiftence under Heaven not only beafts, birds, infects, and all the animal creation, but flowers, fhrubs, trees, and vegetables of all kinds. Even mountains, minerals, foffils, and the inanimate works of nature, difcourfe at his command, and act the part he affigns them. The virtues, vices, and properties of beings are alfo perfonified. In fhort, he may beftow life, fpeech, and action, on whatever he pleafes. Fontaine's Fables are the beft examples of the genteel familiar, the proper ftyle for this fpecies, and Sir Roger L'Etrange affords the groffeft of the indelicate and low. Gay publifhed an elegant little collection of Fables in English

Heroics.

SECT. X. Of SATIRE.

THIS fpecies of poetry is very ancient. HoRACE fays, it was introduced by way of interlude in the Greek tragedies, by way of relief from too deep scenes. The perfons were Satyrs, Fauns, rural deities, peasants, and other ruftics.

The fatire we now have is of Roman invention. It was first introduced without the decorations of scenes and action; but written in verfes of different measures by ENNIUS, and afterwards moulded into the form we now have it by LUCILIUS, whom Horace efteemed and imitated. It is divided into two fpecies; the jocofe, or that which ridicules vice and folly; and the ferious, or that which is fevere and acrimonious. HoRACE is a perfect mafter of the first species; and JUVENAL is much admired for the fecond. The foibles of mankind are the objects of the former; their deteftable crimes are fatirized by the latter. From a due consideration of the writings of these two eminent poets, we may define Satire, a free, and often jocofe, witty and biting poem, wherein the follies and vices of men are ridiculed and lafhed, with a view to their reformation. Its fubjects are every thing that merits contempt or abhorrence, that is abfurd or ridiculous, or fcandalous and repugnant to virtue and religion;-though fometimes, by a ftrange perverfion of talents, religion and virtue are profanely made its objects.

In writing fatire, care fhould be taken, that it be true and general; levelled at abufes in which numbers are concerned; for when fatire becomes perfonal, it degenerates into scandal. A fatirist ought to be a man of humour, addrefs, fagacity, eloquence, and good nature. It is this laft qua lity which renders this kind of writing agreeable. It produces that difdain of all bafenefs, vice and folly, which prompts the poet to exprefs himfelf with true wit and fmartnefs against the faults of men, but without bitterness to their perfons. The poct should, alfo, while endeavouring to correct the guilty, avoid ufing fuch expreffions as might tend to corrupt the innocent. Horace and Juve

Among our modern fatirifts, SWIFT and Your are the chief. Swift's Verfes on his own d and Young's Love of Fame, are equal to any thi in antiquity. The latter abounds with moral and good fenfe; the characters are well felected the ridicule is high, and the fatire well pointe BURLESQUE Poetry is a fpecies of fatire, of whi we have an excellent example in Philips's Sp Shilling, wherein the author handles a low fuject in a lofty and fublime ftile.

There is another fpecies of verfe and ftyle, the fatirical kind, often ufed in treating any ful ject ludicrously, called HUDIBBASTIC; from BUTLER'S inimitable poem entitled Hudibr written in ridicule of the follies of the 17th ce tury. It is a kind of burlefque epic poem, whic for the oddity of the rhymes, the quaintnc the fimilies, the novelty of the thoughts, and th fine raillery which runs through the whole poen is unparalleled.

SECT. XI. Of the EPIGRAM.

1

THE EPIGRAM is a fhort poem, treating of on thing only, whofe diftinguishing characters ar brevity, beauty, and point.

The word epigram, zygapua, fignifies inferit tion; being firft ufed for fhort infcriptions place by the ancients on their ftatues, pillars, temple triumphal arches, &c. which at firft were in prof but afterwards in verfe, and gradually lengthen ed. The ufual limits of an epigram are from tw to 20 verfes, though fometimes 50; but the for ter the better, and the more perfect. The beauty of an epigram confifts in its harmony, agreeme in all its parts, fimplicity, and polite language The point is a fharp, lively, unexpected turn o wit, with which an epigram ought to be conclu ded. Some critics deny this, and CATULLUS, indeed, diffufes the thought through the whole poem; but the point is most agreeable to the general tafte, and MARTIAL makes it the chist characteristic of his epigrams. This fpecies of poetry admits of all fubjects, provided beauty, brevity, and point are preferved; but it is gene rally employed either in panegyric or fatire.

The beft epigrams are, comprifed in two or 4 verfes; but both ancients and moderns have made them confiderably longer. We fhall give a few short ones by way of fpecimen :

I. Written by Mr POPE on a pane of glass, al Lord CHESTERFIELD's pencil:

Accept a miracle inftead of wit;

See two dull lines by Stanhope's pencil writ. 2. On a COMPANY of BAD DANCERS to GOOD

The poet's fate is here in emblem fhown,
He ak'd for bread, and he receiv'd a stone.

SECT. XII. Of the EPITAPH. ETAPHS generally contain fome eulogium on the virtues of a perfon deceased; and have a turn anoufneis adapted to the fubject. Their eleance confifts in a nervous and expreffive brevity, ed fometimes they end with an epigrammatic poat. In there no mere epithet should be admitlet, as illafration would impair the ftrength, and trader the fentiment diffuse and languid.

Though the general characteristic of the epitip is gravity, yet it is fometimes made the veicle of humour and fatire. They are written in various forms, metre, rhyme, blank verfe, or out any certain measure; the beauty of this at coufifting in antithefis. A very few specimens may luffice..

1 EPITAPH by BEN JONSON, on MARY, CounDowager of PEMBROKE, fifter of Sir PHILIP

Underneath this marble hearse Lies the fubject of all verse;

Sydney's fifter, Pembroke's mother: Death, ere thou haft kill'd another, Fair, and learn'd, and good as the, Time fhall throw a dart at thee.

POG

POEUS, a part of mount Pindus.

POFIG, a town of Bohemia, in Boleslaw. FO-GAN, a town of China, in Koei-tcheou. POGAR, a town of Ruffia, in Novogorod Sieverkai; 20 miles N. of Novogorod. Lon. 51. 0. E. Ferro. Lat. 52. 18. N.

POGATOVA, a town of Ruffia, in Archangel; miles SE. of Oneg.

(1.) POGEN, a river of Lower Bavaria, which runs into the Danube, below POGEN.

(2) POGEN, a town of Lower Bavaria, on the barks of the above river; 6 miles E. of Straubing, and 11 NW. of Deckendorf.

POGGE, in ichthyology. See COTTUS, N° 1. (1.) POGGIO, a town of Etruria, where the king has a palace, hence called alfo Villa Imperiale, Sales SE. of Florence.

2,3.) POGGIO,two towns of Italy; the one 7 W. the other 15 SW. of Genoa.

(+) POGGIO BONZI, a town of Etruria, 21 miles S. of Florence.

POGGIO BRACCIOLINI, or a man of great, POGGIUS BRACCIOLINUS, parts and learn. ing, who contributed much to the revival of knowledge in Europe, was born at Terra Nuova,. o Florence, in 1380. He Audied Latin and Greck under John of Ravenna, and Emanuel ChryfoloTas. He was first writer of the apoftolic letters, which he held 10 years, and was then made apoftolic fecretary, which he held 40 years, under ? popes. In 1453, when he was 72 years of age, be accepted the employment of fecretary to the republic of Florence, to which place he removed, and died in 1459, aged 79. He vifited feveral Countries, and fearched many monafteries, to recover ancient authors, numbers of which he brought to light. He fold a MS. copy of Livy, VOL. XVIII. PART I.

written with his own hand, for fo large a fum, that he purchased an estate with it near Florence. His own works confift of moral pieces, orations, letters, and A History of Florence from 1350 to 1455, which is his chief work.

POGINSK, a town of Ruflia, in Píkov.

POGNY, a town of France, in the dep. of the Marne; 9 miles SSE. of Chalons.

POGO, is a name by which the inhabitants of, the Philippine iflands diftinguifh their quail, which, though fmaller than ours, is in every other refpect very like it. See PERDIX, N° 2.

POGOIANA, a town of European Turkey, in Macedonia; 9 miles N. of Saloniki.

POGON, a harbour of Peloponnefus, on the coaft of Troezene. Strab. Mela.

POGORE, a town of Germany, in Goritz. POHLEN, a town of Upper Saxony, in Vogt. land; 4 miles NNE. of Plauen.

POICTIERS, an ancient, large, and confiderable town of France, capital of the department of Vjenne, as it formerly was of the prov. of Poitou. It was a bishop's fee, and contained four abbeys, a mint, an univerfity famous for law, 22 parishes, 9 convents for men, and 12 nunneries. There are feveral Roman antiquities, particularly an amphi theatre, partly demolished, and hid by houfes There is alfo a triumphal arch, which ferves as a gate to the great ftreet. Near this town, Edward the Black Prince gained a decifive victory over the French, taking King John and his fon Philip prifoners, in 1356, whom he afterwards brought, over into England. See FRANCE, $ 30, 31. It, is feated on a hill on the Clain, 52 miles SW, of; Tours, and 120 N. by W. of Bourdeaux. Lon. o, 25. E. Lat. 46. 35. N.

(1.) POICTOU,, a ci devant prov. of France, Η bounded

On one fmall point of land,
Weary'd, uncertain, and amaz'd, we stand.

Prior. & Punctilio; nicety.-Such as are not much converfant with riety of authors, may have fome leading helps to their ftudies of points of precedence. Selden.

Shalt thou difpute

With God the points of liberty?

Milton. 9. Part required of time or space; critical moment; exact place.

How oft, when men are at the point of death, Have they been merry? Shak. -Efau faid, behold I am at the point to die. Gen. IX. 31.-Democritus, fpent with age, and just at the point of death, called for loaves of new bread, and with the steam under his nofe, prolonged his life till a feaft was paft. Temple.They follow nature in their defires, carrying them no farther than the directs, and leaving off at the paint at which excefs would grow troublesome. Atterbury. 10. Degree; fate.-The highest paint outward things can bring one into, is conteatment of mind. Sidney. In a commonwealth, the wealth of the country is so distributed, that not of the community are at their ease, though les are placed in extraordinary points of fplendor. Alifan. 11. Note of distinction in writing; a top

Commas and points they set exactly right. Pope. 1. A spot; a part of a furface divided by fpots; the ace or fice point. 13. One of the degrees into which the circumference of the horizon, and the mariner's compafs is divided.

Carve out dials point by point,
Thereby to fee the minutes how they run.

Shakespeare. -There arofe ftrong winds from the fouth, with point eaft, which carried us up. Bacon.-A feaman, coming before the judges of the admiralty for admittance into an office of a fhip, was by one of the judges much flighted; the judge telling him, that he believed he could not fay the points his compaís. Baron

Vapours fired fhew the mariner
From what point of his compass to beware
Impetuous winds.

Milton.

If you tempt her, the wind of fortune May come about, and take another point, Aad blaft your glories.

vance.

Denham. At certain periods stars refume their place, From the fame points of heav'n their courfe adDryden. 14 Particular place to which any thing is directed-East and Weft are but refpective and mutable points, according unto different longitudes or diant parts of babitation. Brown.-Let the whole be feen by one point of fight. Dryden. The poet intended to let the character of Arete in a fair point of light. Broome. 15. Particular; particular mode.

A figure like your father, Arm'd at all points exactly cap-a-pee, Appears before them.

Who fetteth out prepared

At all points like a prince.

Shak

Drayton

-A war upon the Turks is more worthy than upon any other Gentiles, in point of religion, and in point of honour. Bacon.

He had a moment's right in point of time.

Dryden. -With the hiftory of Mofes, no book in the world in point of antiquity can contend. Fillotfon. -Men would often fee, what a small pittance of reafon is mixed with thofe huffing opinions they are fwelled with, with which they are fo armed at all points. Locke.-I have extracted out of that pamphlet a few of thofe notorious falsehoods, in point of fact and reasoning. Saift. 16. An aim; the act of aiming or ftriking.What a point your falcon made! Shak. 17. The particular thing required, the aim the thing points at.

You gain your point, if your industrious art Can make unusual words easy. Rofcommon. -There is no creature fo contemptible, but, by refolution, may gain his point. L'Estrange. 18. Particular; inftance; example.

Point by point the treasons of his master He fhall again relate.

Exactly do

Shak.

Another vows the same;

A third t'a point more near the matter draws.

Strange point and new!

Daniel Milton.

-The company did not meddle at all with the ftate point, as to the oaths, but kept themselves entirely to the church point of her independency. Lefy.--Stanilaus endeavours to eftablish the duodecuple proportion, by comparing fcripture together with Jofephus: but they will hardly prove his point. Arbuthnot.-There is no point wherein I have fo much laboured, as that of improving and polishing all parts of converfation between perfons of quality. Swift.-The glofs produceth inftances that are neither pertinent, nor prove the point. Baker. 20. A note; a tune.

Turning your tongue divine

To a loud trumpet, and a point of war. Shak. 21. POINTBLANK; directly: as, an arrow is fhot to the pointblank, or white mark.-This boy will carry a letter twenty mile, as eafy as a cannon will thoot pointblank twelve fcore. Shak.-The other level pointblank at the inventing of eaufes and axioms. Bacon.

Unless it be the cannon ball,

That shot i' th' air pointblank upright. Hudibras. H2 -The

their defigns on the copper, wood, ftone, &c. See ENGRAVING, &c.

(10.) POINT, in the manufactories, is a general term, ufed for all kinds of laces wrought with the needle; fuch are the point de Venice, point de France, point de Genoa, &c. which are diftinguifhed by the particular economy and arrange ment of their points.-Point is fometimes used for lace woven with bobbins; as English point, point de Malines, point d'Havre, &c..

The faculties that were given us for the glory of our mafter, are turned pointblank against the intention of them. L'Eftrange--Eftius declares, that although all the fchoolmen were for Latria to be given to the crofs, yet that it is pointblank against the definition of the council of Nice. Stiiling fleet. 22. Point de vije; exact or exactly in the point of view.-You are rather point de vife in your accoutrements, as loving yourself, than the lover of another. Shak.-I will baffle Sir Toby, I will wash off grofs acquaintance, I will be point de vife the very man. Shak.-Men's behaviour fhould be like their apparel, not too ftrait or paint de vife, but free for exercife. Bacon.

(2.) POINT, in aftronomy, a term applied to certain points or places marked in the heavens, and diftinguished by proper epithets: thus,

i. POINTS, CARDINAL, 4 grand points or divifions of the horizon, viz. the eaft, weft, north, and fouth.

ii. POINTS, EQUINOCTIAL, the points wherein the equator and ecliptic interfect; particularly, that whence the fun ascends towards the N. pole, is called the vernal point; and that by which he defcends to the S. pole, the autumnal point.

iii. POINTS, SOLSTITIAL, the points of the ecliptic, where the fun's ascent above the equator, and defcent below it, terminate. The former is called particularly the effival or fummer point; the latter, the brumal or winter point.

iv. POINTS, VERTICAL, the ZENITH and NADIR: the points wherein the orbits of the planets cut the plane of the ecliptic are called the nodes.

(3.) POINT, in geography, is used for a cape or headland jutting out into the fea: thus feamen fay, two points of land are in one another, when they are fo in a right line against each other, as that the innermoft is hindered from being feen by the outermoft.

(4.) POINT, in geometry, according to Euclid, is that which hath neither parts nor magnitude. (5.) POINT, in grammar, (§ 1. def. 11.) a character ufed to mark the divifions of difcourfe. See COLON, COMMA, &c.) A point proper is a full flop or period. See PUNCTUATION.

(6.) POINT, in mufic, a mark or note anciently ufed to diftinguish the tones or founds: hence we till call it fimple counter-point, when a note of the lower part aniwers exactly to that of an upper; and figurative counter-point, when any note is fyncopated, and one of the parts make feveral notes or inflexions of the voice, while the other holds on one. See COMPOSITION, § 6; and CoUNTER POINT. We fill ufe a point, to raife the value of a note, and prolong its time by an half, e. g. a point added to a femibreve inftead of two miniums, makes it equal to three; and fo of the other notes..

47) POINT, in perfpective, is used for various poles or places, with regard to the perfpective plane. See PERSPECTIVE.

(8) POINT, in poetry, a lively brisk turn or conceit, at the clofe of an epigram. See POETRY, Part II. S. XI.

(9.) POINT, in feveral arts, an iron or steel in. Arument, ufed with fome variety. Engravers, etches, cutters in wood, c. ufe points to trace

(II.) POINTS, in electricity, are thofe acute terminations of bodies which facilitate the paffage of the electrical fluid from or to fuch bodies. See ELECTRICITY, Index.

(12.) POINTS, in heraldry, are the feveral different parts of an efcutcheon, denoting the local pofitions of any figure. See HERALDRY.

(13.) POINTS, or VOWEL POINTS, in the Hebrew language. See PHILOLOGY, Se&. II.

(1.) * To POINT. v. a. [from the noun.] 1. To fharpen; to forge or grind to a point. Now that fear is fharpened and pointed by the Spaniards late enterprizes upon the Palatinate. Bacon.

Part new grind the blunted ax, and point the dart. Dryden. What help will all my heav'nly friends afford,

When to my breaft I lift the pointed word.

Dryden. -The two pinnæ ftand upon either fide, like the wings in the petafus of a Mercury, but rife much higher, and are more pointed. Addifon.Some on pointed wood Transfix'd the fragments.

Pope.

2. To direct towards an object, by way of forcing it on the notice.

A fixed figure, for the hand of fcorn To point his flow unmeaning finger at. Shak. Mount Hermon, yonder sea, each place be hold

As 1 point.

Milton.

3. To direct the eye or notice.-Whofoever hould be guided through his battles by Minerva, and pointed to every fcene of them, would fee no. thing but fubjects of furprize. Pope. 4. To show as by directing the finger.-You shall point out for you mount Hor. Numb. xxxiv. 7.-Follow the direction of nature, where it feems to point us out the way. Locke.-1 fhall do juftice to thofe who have diftinguished themfelves in learning, and paint cut their beauties. Addifon.

Is not the, eider

By nature pointed out for preference? Rea 5. [Pointer, Fr.] To direct towards a place: as the cannon were pointed against the fort. 6. To diftinguilh by ftops or points.

(2.) To POINT. v. n. 1. To note with the finger, to force upon the notice, by directing the finger towards it. With at commonly, fometimes to before the thing indigitated.

Now muft the world point at poor Catherine, And fay, lo! there is mad Petruchio's wife. Sbok. Sometimes we use one finger only, as in pointing at any thing. Ray

Who fortune's fault upon the poor can throw, Point at the tatter'd coat and ragged thoe.

Dryden, Route