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PONTAGE, a Contribution towards the Maintenance Repairing, and Rebuilding of Bridges. See Bridge.
This was, antiently, one of three general National Charges, whence no Perfon of any Degree whatever was exempted.
The three Things call'd Trinoda Necejfitas, whence, In- gdfus tells us, Nulli poffimt laxari, were, the Expedition to- the Wars, the Building of Caftles, and the Building and Repairing of Bridges. See Trinoda.
Mr. Selden, in his Notes on Eadmerus, obferves, that ne
quidem Epifcopi, Abbates, & Monacbt- immunes erant. And
Mat. Paris adds, Armts 1244, tnat in a " Grants of Privileges to the Monasteries, thofe three Things were always except- ed, for the Publick Good, and that the People might be better able to refill an Enemy.
Pontage is alfo a Due anciently belonging to the Lord- of the Fee, for Perfons or Merchandizes, that pafs over Ri- vers, Bridges, &c. call'd in the later Latin Pontagium, or Pontonagium, Pontage.
PON TIB US reparandis, a Writ direaed to the She- riff, willing him to charge one or more to repair a Bridge, to whom it belongs.
PONTIFICAL, Pontificals, a Book of the Rites and Ceremonies belonging to Pontiffs, Bifhops, Popes, &e. See Ritual and Ceremonial.
P O N T I F I C A L I A, the Robes and Ornaments, where- in a Bifhop performs Divine Service. See Episcopal. PONTIFICAT, the State or Dignity of a Pontiff. Ctfar reform'd the Calendar in the Time of his Pontifi- cate. See Calendar.
The Concordat was pafs'd in the Pontificate of Leo X. See Concordat. There was a Pontificate that only lafted twenty four -Hours. PONTIFEX, Pontiff, High-Priefl ; a Perfon who has the Intendence and Direction of divine Worfhip, as the offering Sacrifices and other Religious Solemnities. See Priest, Sacrifice, &c.
The Romans had a College of Pontiff, and over thofe a Soveraign Pontiff, or Pontifex Maximus, inftituted by Nu- ma; whofe Function it was to prefcribe the Ceremonies each God was to be worlhipped withal, compofe the Ri- tuals, direct the VeStals, and for a good while to preform the Bufinefs of Augury, till on fome fuperftitious Occafion he was prohibited Intermeddling therewith. See Augur. He confecrated the Statues of the Gods, e're they were put up in -Temples; blefs'd the Figures of fome of Jove's Thunderbolts, topreferve the People from Harms ; and com- piled their Statutes. See Annals.
The Jews too had their Pontiff or High-PrieSt ', and among the Romanics the Pope is dill ftiled the Soveraign Pontiff. See Pope.
Authors differ about the Etymology of this Word : Some derive it from poffe facere, that is, from the Authority the Pontiffs had to Sacrifice; others, as Varro, from Pons, becaufe they built, the Sublicial Bridge, that they might go and offer Sacrifice on the other fide of the Tiber.
PONTON, or Pontoon in War, a little floating Bridge, made of Boats and Planks. See Bridge.
The Ponton is a Machine confiSting of two VefTels, at a little Diftance, join'd by Beams ; with Planks laid crofs for the PafTage of the Cavalry, the Canon, Infantry, &c. over a River, an Arm of the Sea, &c.
The late invented Pont on is of Latten, furnifh'd with an
Anchor, &c. to fix it To make a Bridge Several of thefe
are difpofed two Yards afunder, with Beams a-crofs them, ttrd over thofe, Boards.
They are alio link'd to each other, and Saften'd on each SUe the RiveV, by a Rope rung thro' a Ring in each of their Heads, and fix'd to a Tree or Stake on either Shore.
The whole makes c*?.e firm, uniform Bridge, over which
a Train of Artillery may psS-
Cafar and Aulus Gellius both mention Pontons', but theirs were no more than a Kind of fquare flat'v'erT^ls, proper for the carrying oyer of Horfe, &c. Ours howevet.'<als,e their Names from them ; thofe Authors call them Pontones, of Ponto.
PON T-folant, q. d. Flying Bridge ; a Kind of Bridge ufed in Sieges; made of two fmall Bridges laid one over another, and fo contrived by means of Cords and PulJies placed along the Sides of the under Bridge, that the upper may be pufh'd forwards, till it joins the Place where it is fix'd: the whole Length of both however not to be above five Fathom long, leaft they mould break with the Weight of the Men. See Bridge.
POOL, is properly a Refervoir of Water, fupply'd with Springs, arid difcharging the Overplus by Sluices, Defenders, Wears, and other Caufe-ways. See Sluice, c>c.
MHI-Pool is a Stock of Water, by whofe Force, &c. the Motion of a Mill is effected. See Mill.
POOP, Puppis, the Stern or uppermoft Part of a Ship's Hull. See Pcfppis and Stern.
POPE, Papa, the Chief or Head of the Roman Ca- tholick Church. See Papa. Father ie Crime in his Annals obferves, from St. Jerow,
St. Cypriam St. Gregory, St. Auguflin, and Sidonius Apollina- ris ; that the Title Pope was anciently given to all Bifhops. See Bishop.
They were alfo addrefs'd*under the Term Holinefs, ani j Beatitude; and their Churches call'd Apojlolical Sees. s ee Holiness, Apostolical, &c. '
. He adds, that 'twas only in the Eleventh Century, that Gregory VII. firft appointed, in a Synod held at Rome, that the Title Pope fhould be reftrain'd to the Bifhop of Rome, as a particular Distinction and Prerogative.
In the Council of the Lateran,held under Innocent III. the Pope was declared Ordinary of Ordinaries. See Osd inarv. The Pope is chofe by the Cardinals, out of their own Body. See Election, Cardinal, &c.
His See is at Rome, whence he iffues out his Orders, call'd Briefs and Bulls, throughout the Catholic World. See Bull, &c,
Hiltory mentions a Popefs, Joan -The Reality hereof
has been oppofed and defended by many learned Men 1
The Tradition might poffibly take its Rife from the Weak- nefs of Pope John VIII. in reftoring Pbotius to his Commu- nion, and owning him as true Patriarch : For he hence got the Appellation of Woman ; as that Prince call'd King Ma- ry did, by leaving himfelf to be govern'd by Q Mary his Wife. See King and Queeny
M. Spanbcim, ProfefTor of Theology at Leiden, has lately wrote very amply on the Subject; and fhews it to be a Queftion de fatto, fcarce determinable at this Time of Day] Pope, Papa, among the Romans, was the Name of cer- tain Inferior Officers, or Minifters of Sacrifice. See Sa- crifice.
The Bufinefs of the Paps was to whet the Sacrificing Knife, to bind the Victim, prepare the Water, and other Necefiaries, to fmite the Victim, &c.
They did their Office naked to the Girdle, and crowned with Laurel.
POPLES in Anatomy, that Part where the Thigh is joined to the Tibia. See Thigh and Tibia.
P P L I C A N I, Populicani, or Publicans, a Name gi- ven in the Weft to the Manickees ; or to a particular Branch thereof, called in the Eaft Paulicians. See Paulician.
P P L I T E A, in Anatomy, is the third Vein of the Leg. See Vein.
It arifes from the Heel, where it is form'd out of feveral Branches, 'coming both from the Heel and Ankle:
It- lyes pretty deep in the Flefh ; and afcending up to the Ham, terminates in the Crural Vein. " See' Crural} &i.
POPLlT.ffi.US, or SaWoi'LiTEus, a Mufcle, which arifes from the external and inferior Protuberance of the Thigh : Bone, and palling over the Joint obliquely, is inferred into the Superior and internal Part of the Tibia,~It aififts in bending of the Leg, u a-nd turns it inwards. See Leg.
POPPY, Papaver, a medicinal Plant, famed for its Nar- cotic Quality. See Narcotic.
There are divers Kinds ; fome wild; fome cultivated, white, purple,fcarlet ;&c. But thofe mod ufed are the white, Papaver Hortenfe femine albo;^ni black, Papaver Hortenfe femine nigro. The Heads of thefe Plants are of lingular Virtue to pro- mote Sleep, affwage Pain, &c. they Stop Diarrhea's, He- morrhages, &c.
Of the Juice of thefe is prepared the Meconium fold in the Shops. See Meconium.
The Opium brought from Turhy is an Extract of the Juice of Turky Poppies. See Opium.
POPULAR, Popularis, Something relating to the People.
The Roman Nobility was diftinguiSh'd into two Factions; the Optimates, who adhered Strenuoufly to the Miniftry,the Senate, &c. in opposition to the People.
And the Populares, who favour'd the Rights and Preten- tions of the People, in oppofition to the NMeffe.
Popular Dtfeafes, are fuch as become common, and run thro' the Body of the People, call'd alfo Epidemic Dif- eafes. See Epidemic.
Hippocrates has wrote expreSsly de Morbis Popularibm. See Disease.
Popular Errors, are Such as People imbibe from one another, by Cuftom, Education, and Tradition, without having confider'd the Realbns or Foundations thereoS. -See Error.
POPULEUM, or Populneum, in Pharmacy, an Un- guent prepared of the Buds of black Poplar, Violet Leaves, Navel-wort, and Lard, bruis'd and macerated ; to which are added Bramble-tops, Leaves of black Poppies, Mandragora, Henbane, Nightlhade, Lettice, and Burdock, boil'd in Rofe- water, and ftrain'd.
It is much ufed as a Cooler, in Burns, Scalds, and all Sorts of Inflammations; and to affuage arthritic Pains." . P R R A C E Q U S, in Medicine, a Term applied to the Bile, when its Colour is green, approaching that of a Leek. See Bile.
The Word is form'd from the Latin, Porrum, Leak. „ %. u , POR-
