PRI
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PRI
Gift, above or under fuch a Value, upon this or that Clerk- Sec Benefice.
PRIMOGENITURE, Birthright 5 the Right of the Firft-born, or eldeit Child. See Birthright.
The Right of 'Primogeniture feems to be an unjuft Pre- rogative, and contrary to natural Right : For fince 'tis Birth alone gives Children a Title to the paternal Succef- fion, the Chance of 'Primogeniture fhould not throw an In- equality among them.
Accordingly, the Right of primogeniture, which calls the Elder-born to the Crown, preferably to the other, was not introduced into France till very late : 'Twas unknown to the firtl Race of Kings; and even to the fecond.
The four Sons of Clovis fhared the Kingdom equally a- mong themfelves 5 and Louis le 2)ebonnaire did the fame : 'Twas not till the Race of Hugh Capet, that the Preroga- tive of Succeffion to the Crown was affecled to the •Firfl-born.
By the antient Cuftom of Gavelkind, ftill preferv'd in fome parts of our Hland, 'Primogeniture is of no ac- count; the paternal Ettate being equally fhared by all the Sons. See Gavelkind.
PRIMUM Mobile, in the Ptolemaic Aftronomy, the ninth or higheft Sphere of the Heavens, whofe Centre is that of the World, and in comparifun of which, the Earth is but a Point. This they will have to contain all the other Spheres within it, and to give motion to them, turning it felf, and all them, quite round in twenty-four hours. See Mobile.
PRINCE, Princeps, in Politicks, a Perfon invefied with the fupreme Command of a State or Country; in- dependent of any Superior. S^e Monarch. See alfo King.
Prince is alfo ufed for a Perfon who is Sovereign in his own Territory; yet holds of fome other, as his Supe- rior, or Lord, and pays Homage or Tribute to him.
Thus all the Princes of Germany are Feudataries of the Emperor; they are all as abfolute in their refpeflive Prin- cipalities, as the Emperor himfelf; yet are all bound in certain Services to him. See Emperor. See alfo Elec- tor, and College.
In many antient Titles, the Word 'Prince fignifies no more thanZor^; liuCange gives a great many Inilances of it. See Lord.
In effefl, the Word Princeps in Latin, whence Prince in Englip, originally fignifies the Chief, or Firft; it is compounded of the Latin primus* and Caput; and is pro- perly a Word of Dignity and Office, not of Property and Sovereignty.
Thus, in the Charter of King Off a, after the Bifhops had fubferibed their Names, we read, Bordanus Patritius,2?in nanus Princeps 5 and afterwards the Dukes fubferibed their Names.
And in a Charter of King Edgar, in Mon. Angl. torn. 3. p. 301. Ego Edgarus Rex rogatus ab Epifcopo raeo 2)eor' Kolfe, £2 Principe mo Aldredo, &c. And in Mat. Paris, ^.155. Ego Halden Princeps Regis pro viribus affenfum prcebeo, £5 ego 'Turketillus ZJux concede.
Among the antient Romans, it was the Cuflom for the Emperor in his Life-time to nominate him whom he would have fucceed in the Empire, under the Title of Princeps Juventutis, & Ceefar. See Caesar.
In the Ludus Tro'^amis, the Youth who was chofe Cap- tain, was alfo call'd Princeps Juventutis. See Tro-
J ANUS.
Prince is alfo a Title given to the Iffue of Princes, or thofe of the Royal Family; in which fenfe, they are cal- led, particularly in France, Princes of the Shod; as par- taking of the Blood to which the Sovereignty is affected : and not by any Hereditary Right, but as a Patrimony fub- ftituted to all the Royal Race. See Blood.
In England, the King's Children are call'd Sons and ^Daughters of England: The Eldeft is created Prince of Wales. See Prince of Wales.
The Cadets, or Younger, are created Dukes, or Earls, with what Title the King plcafes. See Cadet.
They have no Appannages, as in France; but only what the good pleafure of the King beflows on them.
The Sons are all by Birth Counfellors of State : The Daughters are ftiled Princeffes; to violate the Eldeft of which, unmarried, is at this day HighTreafon.
To all the King's Children belongs the Title of Royal Highnefs: All Subjects are to kneel, when admitted to kifs their Hand i and at Table, out of the King's prefence, they are ferv'd on the Knee.
The firll Prince of the Blood in France, is call'd abfo- lutely, Monfieur le Prince. The Quality of Prince of the Blood, gives a Rank and Precedency, but does not include any Jurifdicrion; they are Princes by Order, not by Office.
Wicquefort obferves, that 'tis not fifty Years fince the 'princes of the Bloud of France gave place to all Embaf-
fudors, even thofe of Republics; and it was at the King*/ requeft, that they were iince allow 'd the Precedency.
The moment the Pope is elected, all his Relations b- come Princes.
Prince of Wales', the eldeft Son of England. He « born Duke ot Cornwall; and immediately entitled tu M the Rights, Revenues, &c. belonging thereto; as beinu deemed, in Law, at full Age on his Birth-day. °
He is afterwards created Pn 'nee of Wales, rhe InvefK ture whereof is perform 'd by Impohtion of a Cap of Si are and a Coroner, a Verge of Gold, and a Ring. He hoUk the Principality by Patent, granted him and his HeiiR Kings of England.
The Title and Principality were firft given by Kin* j?/. ivard the firft to his eldeit Son : Till that time, the ddett Son of England was call'd Lord Prince. While Normandy remained to the King of England, the eldeft Son was ai- ways fliled Tiuke of Normandy : Since the Uniun, his Title is Magnte Britannite Princeps.
He is reputed, in Law, the fame Perfon with the Kino - To imagine his Death, or to violate his Wife, is High-'iVea- fon. His Revenues, as Duke of Cornwall, ai*2 computed at 1 4000 /. per Annum. The Revenues of the Principality were eftimated 300 Years ago at ^6§ol. per Ann.
PRINCIPAL, the chief, moil confiderable, or neceffitry part of a thing.
Thus we fay, the Mayor is the prweipal Magiftrate of a City or Town : A Council of War conlilts of the principal Officers. In a Peroration, the principal Points infii^d on are to be briefly fumm'd up. i he Principal of a College or Hall, is the Mailer thereof. See College, and Hall. PRINCIPAL, in Commerce, is the Capital of a Sum due or lent; in which lenfe the Word is uled in oppofition to Intereji. See Interest.
Principal is alfo ufed for the firft Fund or Sum put by Partners into common Stock; by which it is diftinguifti'd from the Calls or Acceffions fometimes required, when the former proves inefficient.
Principal Point, in Perfpective, is a Point in the per- fpective Plane; upon which a Line drawn from the Eve, perpendicular to the Plane, fallf. See Poin t.
This Point is in the Inter feci ion of the horizontal and ver- tical Plane, and is alfo call'd the Point of Si^ht, and Point of the Eye. See Sight, &c.
Principal Ray, in Perfpe&ive, is that which prifles perpendicularly from the Spectator's Eye to the perfpcclive Plane. See Ray.
Whence, the Point, where the Ray falls on the Plane, is called the principal Point, which fome Writers call tfa Centre of the Picture, and the Point of Concurrence.
Princip al, Principal'wm, in old Law-Writers, is fome- times ufed for a Heirlome-^ which fee: and fometimes
for a Mortuary, or Corfe prefent. — Item lego equnm
?neum vocatum le Bay Gelding, ut offeratur ante Corpus meum in diefepulturtemea?, nomine Principal^" T'eft, Joh.de Macclesfield, q Hen. 5. In U,chei?jield Com. Hereford, cer- tain Principals; as the bell Beaft, belt Bed, heft Table, £i?c. pafs to the eldeft Child, and are not fubject to Par- tition.
PRINCIPLE, Principium, a Term frequently ufed for the Caufe, Source, or Origin of any thing; in which fenfe we fay, the Principle of Thinking, of Willing, &c.
In Phyfics, we muft ever have recourfe to a firft Prin- ciple; which is God. See Cause.
The Manichees admit of two Principles, the one of Good, the other of Evil; which they cUabliffi in quality of two contrary Deities, conftantly oppofing each other. See Manichee. See alfo Good and Evil.
According to the Doctrine of Pelagms, our Wills are the Principles of our good Actions, and we omfelves the Prin- ciples of our good Wills. See Pelagians.
Principle is defined, among the School Philofophers, to be that from which any thing is, is done, or known : Unde aliquid e]l,fit, aut cognefcitur; which is a very ex- tenfive Signification, and agrees to all kinds of Principles.
Thus, the Premifcs are Principles, in refpect of the Con- clufion; and thus Fire, and every other Agent, are the Principles of Things which they produce.
The P'homifls define Principle to the like effect 5 id & quo aliquod procedit aliquo modo.
The Philofophers ufually dillinguifh Principles, Pr'inci- pia, into thofe of 'Being, F.ffend'i; and thofe of Kno-ifivg, Cognofcendi; Or Principia Rei and Cognitionis.
Of the firjt they make two Kinds; viz-, of Origination, which are thofe from which fomcthing prcceeds really the fame with the Principle; as in the Proceffion of the Son and Spirit from the Father in the Trinity : And of ^De- pendency; in which fenfe, any Caufe is a Principle, in re- fpect of the Thing caufed; or a Subject, in refpect of the Accidents inherent in it.
The
