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PIPHYLLOSPERMOUS PLANTS, the fame with the capillary ones. See the

article CAPILLARY.

it is difficult to be cured, and often de- EPIPLASMA, the fame with cataplasm. generates into a fiftula lachrymalis. See See the article CATAPLASM. the article FISTULA LACHRYMALIS. EPIPLOCELE, in medicine, is a kind of Pitcairn calls an epiphora a fort of ca- hernia, or rupture, in which the omentarrh in the glands of the eye. See the tum fubfides into the fcrotum. The cure article CATARRH. confifts principally in a reduction of the tumour, by returning the omentum again into the abdomen, and in fecuring the parts from a relapfe by a trufs or bandage. See HERNIA and ENTEROCELE. EPIPLOIS, in anatomy, a term applied to the arteries and veins distributed thro the fubftance of the epiploon or caul: thus, the dextra epiplois is a branch of the right fide of the coeliac artery, and the finiftra epiplois and gaftro-epiplois are terms by which anatomifts call branches from the left fide of the coeliac artery. See the articles COELIAC and ARTERY. EPIPLOOMPHALON, "ınλcoupadov, in medicine, an hernia umbilicalis, proceeding from the omentum falling into the region of the umbilicus or navel. See the article EXOMPHALUS. EPIPLOON, the fame with what is otherwife called omentum. See OMENTUM. EPIPLOSARCOMPHALUS, in furgery, a kind of exomphalus. See the article EXOMPHALUS.

PIPHYSIS, in anatomy, a bony fubftance, or as it were a leffer bone, affixed to a larger or principal bone, by the intervention of a cartilage. In young fubjects thefe epiphyfes are not continuous to the principal bonk, but are only connected by the intermediate cartilage, and hence they are called appendages to the bones. It is to be obferved of epiphyses, 1. That they are all cartilaginous in infants; and though they afterwards grow hard, yet they never arrive at the true denfity of a bone. 2. That most of them degenerate into apophyfes in adults. 3. That they do not grow along the plain furface of the bone, but unequally, or by a mutual ingrefs with the body of it.

The ufe of the epiphyfes is very different in adults and in infants: in adults they feem in the first place to ferve the bones which contain large quantities of marrow, by way of operculum, that this soft matter may not run out. 2. They are of fervice to the articulations, rendering the motions more easy, as well as more determinate. 3. They make the whole bone lighter than it would be, if their place were fupplied by abfolute bony matter. 4. They increafe the power of the mufcles about the tendons, by means of their prominences. 5. They add to the fize of the places deltined for receiving the infertions of the mufcles. 6. They give a firmer cohesion to the ligaments which ferve in the articulations, and allow an entrance to the blood-veffels. The uses of the epiphyfes in infants are, 1. That by means of their yielding foftnels, they may give way to the compreffion in the uterus, and fuffer the whole bulk to be more folded together than otherwise it could, fo that it may lie in a fmaller compafs. 2. That they may give way to the elongation and growth of the bones. 3. That they may prevent the frequent fractures, which would otherwife unquestionably happen to children from their falls, and the other accidents they are liable to,

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EPISCOPACY, the quality of epifcopal government, or that form of church difcipline, wherein diocefan bishops are established diftinct from and fuperior to priests or prefbyters. See the article BISHOP. EPISCOPALIANS, in church-history, an appellation given to those who prefer the epifcopal government and discipline to alf others.

By the test act, none but epifcopalians, or members of the church of England, are qualified to enjoy any office civil or military. See the article TEST ACT. EPISODE, Entoday, in poetry, a separate incident, ftory, or action, which a poet invents, and connects with his principal action, that his work may abound with a greater diverfity of events: though, in a more limited sense, all the particular incidents whereof the action or narration is compounded, are called epifodes. See the articles EPIC and TRAGEDY.

The epifode, in its original, was only fomething rehearfed between the parts of the chorus, or antient tragedy, for the diverfion of the audience. Episodes ferve to promote the action, to illuftrate, embellish, and adorn it, and carry it to its proper period. Epifodes are either abfolutely neceffary, or very requifite, All

epifades

epifodes are incidents, tho' all incidents are not episodes; because fome incidents are not adventitious to the action, but make up the very form and series of it. Examples will clear up this distinction: the ftorm in the first neid of Virgil,

driving the fleet on the coaft of Carthage, is an incident, not an episode, because the hero himself and the whole body of his forces are concerned in it; and fo it is a direct and not a collateral part of the main action. The adventures of Nifus and Euryalus, in the ninth neid, are epifodes, not incidents, i, e. not direct parts of the main action.

It is particularly by the art of episodes that the great variety of matter which adorns a poem is brought into the principal action but though the epifodes are a kind of digreffion from the fubject, yet they ought to have a natural relation to the principal action, never be far-fetched, and must be handled with judgment, to avoid confufion and burdening the fubject with too much action. Without this reftri&tion the epifode is no longer probable, and there appears an air of affectation which becomes ridiculous. Aristotle calls all thofe fables epifodic, which abound in epifodes not neceffarily nor properly connected with each other.

The most natural epifodes are the propereft to circumftantiate the principal actions, namely, the caufes, the effects, the beginnings, and the confequences of it. Homer and Virgil have fhewn their principal art in this particular: the action of the Iliad and that of the Eneid were in themselves exceeding short, but are fo beautifully lengthened and diverfified by the intervention of epifodes, that they make up an agreeable ftory, fufficient to employ the memory without overcharging it. See the article EPIC.

Our noble poet Milton has excelled in this art; he has no other episodes than what naturally arife from the fubject, and yet his poem of Paradife Loft is filled with a multitude of aftonishing incidents. Those great actions, the battle of the angels, and the creation of the world, are by way of epifode to this noble poem. With the like art, and in the fame manner, in that part of it which regards the fall of man, he has related the fall of thefe angels who are his profeffed enemies; befides the many other beauties of fuch an epifode, its running parallel with the great action of the poem, hinders it from breaking unity fo much as another

episode would have done, that had not fo great an affinity with the principal subjeâ. EPISODIC, an epithet given epic poems fwelled too much with epifodes. See the preceding article.

EPISPASTIC, in medicine, a topical remedy, which being applied to the exter nal parts of the body, attracts the homours to that part. See VESICATORY. EPISTATES, in the athenian govern ment, was the prefident of the proedr. The conftitution was this: the ten tribes of Athens elected every year by lot each of them fifty fenators, which made a fe nate of five hundred; every tribe had the precedence in its turn, and furrendered again fucceffively to another, the fiy fenators in office were called prytanes. During the term or duration of their of fice, which was thirty-five days, ten of the fifty prytanes prefided weekly unde: the name of proedri; and of thefe proedri there was one to prefide each day of the week, under the title of epiftates.

To the custody of this officer was com mitted the public feal, and the keys ci the citadel and the public exchequer this therefore was an office of fo gre truft and power, that no man was peimitted by the laws to continue in it above one day, nor to be elected into it a fecord time. The epiftates were elected by lit out of the prytanes.

Epiftates was also the prefident of the af fembly, chofen by lot out of the proedn, the chief part of whofe office feems to have confifted in granting the people liberty to give their voices, which they were t permitted to do till he had given the fig nal. If the people were remifs in comig to the affemblies, the magiftrates wed their utmost endeavours to compel them, for they fhut up all the gates, that only excepted through which they were to pai to the affembly, and took care that al vendibles fhould be taken out of the ma ket, that there might be nothing to divert them from appearing. EPISTEMONARCH, in the antient gre church, an officer of great dignity, wh had the care of every thing relating faith, in the quality of cenfor. His c anfwered pretty nearly to that of ma of the facred palace at Rome. EPISTLE, icon, denotes the fame with a miffive letter; but is now chiefly in fpeaking of antient writings, as the epiftles of St. Paul, epiftles of Cicer epiftles of Pliny, &c.

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The epiftles of St. Paul, which are for

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teen in number, make part of the canon of the New Teftament; befides which there is one general epiftle of St. James, two of St. Peter, three of St. John, and one of St. Jude.

Dedicatory EPISTLE, in matters of litera-
ture. See DEDICATION.

EPISTOLARY, fomething belonging to
an epiftle. See the article EPISTLE.
The art of epiftolary writing is acknow-
ledged to be very entertaining and in-
ftructive, The Romans ranked it in the
number of liberal and polite accomplish-
ments. And, indeed, it enters fo much
into all the occafions of life, that no
gentleman can avoid fhewing himself in
this kind of compofition; the chief ex-
cellence of which confifts in expreffing or-
dinary occurrences, in an elegant and
uncommon manner. However, it is
proper to observe, that fuch is the nature
of epiftolary writings, in general, as un-
avoidably renders them obfcure, fince the
writer paffes by many things, as being
well known to him to whom the letter is
addreffed, which must be laid open to a
ftranger, before he can fully comprehend
what is faid. Hence it is, that the epistles
of the antients, whether facred or pro-
phane, are fo difficult to be understood.
EPISTROPHE, in rhetoric, a figure,
wherein that which is supposed of one
thing, is ftrongly affirmed of another :
thus, Are they Hebrews? fo am I. Are
they Ifraelites? fo am I. Are they of the
feed of Abraham? fo am I, &c.
EPISTYLE, in the antient architecture,
a term used by the Greeks for what we
call architrave, viz. a maffive piece of
ftone, or wood, laid immediately over the
capital of a column. See ARCHITRAVE
and COLUMN.

EPITAPH, a monumental infcription in
honour or memory of a perfon defunct,
or an infcription engraven or cut on a
tomb, to mark the time of a perfon's de-
cease, his name, family; and, usually,
fome eulogium of his virtues, or good
qualities.

The elegance of an epitaph, as well as an elegy, chiefly confifts in an expressive brevity. The French have a proverb, He lies like an epitaph, by reason they fometimes give characters abfolutely faife. At Lacedæmon epitaphs were only allowed to thofe who died in battle. The reft of the Greeks allowed of epitaphs, the form of which was generally as follows:

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ΝΙΚΩΝ ΖΗΝΩΝΟΣ

ΧΡΗΣΤΕ ΧΑΙΡΕ.

Nicon, fon of Zenon,
Good man, happiness to you.

ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΣ

ΧΡΗΣΤΗ

ХАІРЕ.

Olympia,
Good woman,
Happiness to you.

The Romans, in their epitaphs, introduced their dead fpeaking, as in the following, wherein the dead wife thus bespeaks her surviving husband :

Immatura peri: fed tu, felicior, annos Vive tuos, conjux optime, vive meos. Sometimes the roman epitaphs were full of moral expreffions, and adorned with fine carved work, &c. At the top they always had the words DIIS MANIBUS. It has been much difputed by learned men whether or no epitaphs were in use among the antient Hebrews: however this be, it is certain the Jews have, of a very antient date, received this custom, of which Buxtorf produces feveral inftances.

EPITASIS, in antient poetry, the fecond part or divifion of a dramatic poem, wherein the plot, entered upon in the first part, or protafis, was carried on, heightened, and worked up, till arrived at its ftate, or height, called cataftafis. See the articles PROTASIS, CATASTASIS, DRAMA, &c.

In the epitafis, accidents, as they are called by the moderns, arife; all things are in confufion, and involved in doubts and difficulties. Voffius fays, the epitafis is contained in the fecond; fometimes in the third and fourth, but very rarely any part of it in the fifth act but Dr. Trap fays, that there is no act to which the epitafis is not fuitable; nay, that fome of it ought always to be in the fifth act.

It is the epitafis that fupports the weight and burden of the poem; upon it the cri fis of the action chiefly turns. This divifion of tragedy is laid afide in the mo dern drama, instead whereof plays are di vided into acts. See the article ACT.

EPITASIS, in medicine, the increase of a

difeafe, or beginning of a paroxyfm, parEPITHALAMIUM, in poetry, a nuptial ticularly in a fever. See FEVER. fong, or compofition, in praife of the

bride

bride and bridegroom, praying for their profperity, for a happy offspring, &c. Among the Greeks, the married couple were no fooner bedded, than the young men and maids gathered round the door, dancing and finging the epithalamium, fhouting and ftamping with their feet, with intention to drown the maid's cries. When they returned again in the morning, to falute the married couple, they fung the επιθαλαμια ετερλικα, το named from the defign of them, which was to wake and arife the bridegroom and bride; as thofe fung the night before were defigned to dispose them to fleep, and on that account, were termed επιθαλαμια κοιμήθικα. EPITHEM, in pharmacy, a kind of fomentation, or remedy of a fpirituous or aromatic kind, applied externally to the regions of the heart, liver, &c. to ftrengthen and comfort the fame, or to correct fome intemperature thereof. See the article FOMENTATION.

There are principally three kinds of these external applications, the liquid, the folid, and the foft or poultice-kind. The liquid epithems are fometimes confiderably thick; but when they are intended to penetrate deep, they are much better if very thin and fluid. As to the part to which the epithem is immediately applied, it is not what it is always intended to act upon, as this frequently lies deep within the epithems, therefore, intended for this purpose, fhould confift of the molt penetrating ingredients, for which reafon aftringents and infpiffating remedies can be of no ufe; but in this form hot wine alone is fometimes used as an epithem, and often fuch medicines as are not to be fafely taken inwardly, fuch as highly rectified fpirits, preparations cf lead, henbane, mandiake, and other poisonous plants, and the like: but we are carefully to remember in regard to thefe, that the pores are capable of abforbing them, and ought therefore to know the effects they are capable of producing, when thus abforbed in the body. As to the vehicles of the liquid epithems, they are various, as linen or woollen-cloth, filk, ftupes, toasted bread, &c. They are in fome cafes to be applied hot, in others, cold: when the intention is to refolve, penetrate, and attract, then the hot are to be preferred; but thefe are injurious to parts conftricted by intense cold.

The dry epithems are medicated powders, ufually fewed up in a cloth, and applied to different parts of the body;

for which purpose the powders multic coarfe. Sometimes the liquid epithers are added to the dry, to reduce the whoe to a confiftence, fuch as may be spread upon cloth, and applied. Volatile EPITHEM, is a form of medicine prefcribed in the London Difpenfator, ordered to be made up of equal weg's of common turpentine and spirit of fil armoniac, by stirring them together in 2

mortar.

EPITHET, in poetry and rhetoric, an adjective expreffing fome quality of a t ftantive to which it is joined; or fuck a adjective as is annexed to fubftantives ht way of ornament and illuftration, netto make up an effential part of the defcrip tion. Nothing, fays Ariftotle, tires the reader more than too great a redundancy of epithets, or epithets placed improper ly; and yet nothing is fo effential in p try as a proper ufe of them. The wri ings of the beft poets are full of them, especially Virgil."

We may diftinguish two kinds of epitle's viz. 1. Thofe which add a new ca quite diftinct from the general nature ca fubftantive. Thus Virgil in his Georgie, Inter cunctantes cecedit moribunda m• niftros.

And, 2. Thofe that bring with them fome light and ornament, but not new ideas Thus the fame poet,

Timidi dama, cervique fugaces. The firft kind of epithets entertain the mind with a more agreeable variety, bu thofe of the fecond require, perhaps, more care and judgment in the proper choice of them. For instance, becaufe Virgil has faid, the fearful deer and fung fags, it by no means follows that the epithets are applicable whenever t and deer fhall happen to be mentione They are proper in the place where be ufes them, but may not be fo always. EPITOME, in literary hiftory, an abridg ment or fummary of any book, partic larly of a history. See ABRIDGMEST. It is pretended that the epitomizing authors, frequently occafions the les the originals. Thus the loss of Po peius Trogus, is infcribed to his epitors fer Juftin; and the lofs of a great of Livy, to Lucius Annæus Florus, EPITRITUS, in profody, a foot conting of three long fyllables and one fhort. C thefe, grammarians reckon four kinds the first confifting of an iambus and p dee, as falutantes: the fecond, of a tro cheus and fpondee, as concitāti: me

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iremque

Cum genere exfinxem, memet fuper ipsa dediffem.

EPITROPE, in rhetoric, a greek term for the fame figure which the Latins call conceffio. See the article CONCESSION. EPITROPUS, among the modern Greeks, a kind of arbitrator chofen by the greek chriftians under the dominion of the Turks, to terminate their differences, and avoid carrying them before the turkih magiftrates, See ARBITRATOR. EPIZEUXIS, in rhetoric, a figure which repeats the fame word, without any other intervening fuch is that of Virgil, nunc, nunc, infurgite remis.

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EPLOYE', in heraldry, the fame with dif played. See the article DISPLAYED. EPOCHA, in chronology, a term or fixed point of time, whence the fucceeding years are numbered or accounted. See the article ÆRA.

The most remarkable epochas are those
that follow.

EPOCHA of the creation of the world. Ac.
cording to the vulgate, archbishop Usher
places this event 4004 years before the
birth of Chrift; Scaliger makes it 3959;
Petavius, 3984; and Ricciolus, 4184
years before Chrift. According to the
feptuagint, Eufebius places the creation
5200 years before the nativity of our
Lord; the alphonfine tables, 6934; and
Ricciolus, 634. The creation, there.
fore, as we follow the archbishop, happen.
ed in the year 710 of the julian period.
See the article JULIAN PERIOD.
Sir Ifaac Newton, again, makes the cre-
ation of the world later by 500 years than
all other chronologifts; and the proofs
by which this illuftrious philofopher fup.
ports his opinion, are of two different
kinds. The Egyptians counted 341 ge-
nerations from Menes to Setho, allowing
an hundred years for three generations;
and the antient Greeks computed one ge..
neration at about forty years. Now, fays
VOL, H.

Sir Ifaac, it is true, three ordinary gea nerations may be computed at about 120 years; but generations are longer than the reigns of kings, because it is evident that mankind in general live longer than kings. The duration of a reign, therefore, taking one with another, is, according to him, about twenty years; whence he concludes, that the antients have erred in their calculation in allowing forty years for every generation. The fecond kind of proof is taken from the preceffion of the equinoxes. See the article PRECESSION, &c.

According to Clemens Alexandrinus, Chiron, who was in the expedition of the argonauts, fixed the vernal equinox at the fifteenth degree of aries, and confequently the fummer folftice at the fifteenth degree of cancer. Meto fixed the fummer folftice at the eighth degree of cancer, a year before the peloponelian

war.

Now fince one degree anfwers to the retrograde motion of the equinoctial points in 72 years, there are feven times 72 years from the expedition of the argonauts to the beginning of the peloponefian war; that is 404 years, and not 507 years, as the Greeks affirm. By combining these two different proofs, Sir Ifaac concludes, that the expedition of the argonauts ought to be placed 909 years before Jefus Chrift, and not 1400, as is generally believed; and therefore that the creation of the world ought to be placed about 500 years later than chronologifts generally place it.

EPOCHA of the deluge. According to the hebrew text, there are 1656 years from the creation to the deluge; 1307, according to the Samaritan; 2242, according to Eufebius and the feptuagint; 2256, according to Jofephus and the Septuagint, and 2262, according to Julius Africanus, Petavius, and the Septuagint. In following the hebrew text, this epocha begins in the year 2366 of the julian period,

This

EPOCHA of the olympiads, ufed principally
by the Greeks, had its origin from the
olympic games, which were celebrated at
the beginning of every fifth year.
epocha begins 776 years before the in-
carnation, or in the 3938 of the julian
period.

Varronian EPOCHA of the building of Rome,
is fixed 753 years before our Saviour's
birth, and in the 5961 of the julian
period.
EPOCHA of Nabonafar king of Babylon,
7 C

made

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