P O w 
V R E 
4f)3 
P R zft 
vessel upon; and another larger wooden 
wiieel, all of a piece, three inches thick, and 
two or three feet broad, fastened to the same 
bwun at tire bottom, and parallel to the ho- 
rizon. The beam or axis turns by a pivot at 
the bottom in an iron stand. Tire workman 
gives Tar 1 motion to the lathe with Iris feet, by 
pushing the great wheel alternately with each 
foot, still giving it a greater or lesser degree 
of motion as his work requires, They work 
with the lathe with the same instruments, and 
after the same manner as with the wheel. 
The mouldings are formed by holding a piece 
of wood or iron, cut in the form of the mould- 
ing to the vessel, while the wheel is turning 
round ; but the feet and handles are made by 
themselves, and set on with the hand; and it 
there is any sculpture in the work, it is 
usually done in wooden moulds, and stuck on 
piece by piece on the outside of the vessel. 
For the glazing of the work, see Glazing, 
Vo!. 1, page 853. 
POUNCE, gum sandarach pounded and 
sifted very line, to rub on paper, in order to 
preserve it from sinking, and to make it more 
lit. to write upon. Pounce is also a little heap 
of charcoal dust, inclosed in a piece of muslin 
or some other open stuff, to be passed over 
holes pricked in a work, in order to mark the 
lines or designs on paper, silk, &c. placed 
underneath; which are- to be afterwards 
finished with a pen and ink, a needle, or the 
like. This kind of pounce is much used by 
embroiderers, to transfer their patterns upon 
stuffs; by lace-makers, and sometimes also 
by engravers. 
POUND, a standard-weight, for the pro- 
portion and subdivisions of which, see 
Weight. 
Pound also denotes a money of account ; 
so called because the antient pound of silver 
weighed a pound troy. See Money. 
POURSUIVANT, or Pursuivant, in 
heraldry, the lowest order of officers at arms. 
The poursuivants are properly attendants on 
the heralds, when they marshal public cere- 
monies. Of these, in England, there were 
formerly many, but at present there are only 
four, viz. blue-mantle, rouge-cross, rouge- 
dragon, and portcullice. In Scotland, there 
is only one king at arms, who is stiled lion, 
and has no less than six heralds, and as many 
poursuivants, and a great many messengers 
arms under him. 
POWER, in mechanics, denotes any force, 
whether of a man, ahorse, a spring, the wind, 
water, &c. which being applied to a machine, 
tends to produce motion. 
POWERS, in arithmetic and algebra, are no- 
thing but the products arising from the con- 
tinual multiplication of a number, or quantity, 
into itself: thus, 2,' 4, 8, 16, 32, &c. are the 
powers of the number 2 ; and a, a , a , a , &c. 
the powers of the quantity a ; which operation 
is called involution. * 
Powers of the same quantity are multiplied 
by only adding their exponents, and making 
their sum the exponent of the product : thus, 
e * X T = a = "’• Again, the rule for di- 
•iiding powers of the same quantity, is to sub- 
tract the exponents, and make the difference the 
a!' 6 — 4 
exponent of the quotient : thus, — . a 
= a 2 . 
Negative powers, as well as positive, are mul- 
tiplied by adding, and divided by subtracting 
iheir exponents, as above. And, in general, any 
positive power of a, multiplied by a negative 
power of a, of an equal exponent, gives unit for 
the product ; for the positive and negative de- 
stroy each other, and the product is which is 
. , . a — s — ’ -j- 
equal to unit. Likewise, — — 2 — a — 
a ~ 
1 _ 2 2 » 5 
3 1 , a — T _3 _ 
a - 1 — —r ; and —a — a — 
a 6 a ~~ 
— . And, in general, any quantity placed in 
the denominator of a fraction, may be trans- 
posed to the numerator, if the sign of its expo- 
nent be changed : thus, — = a ~ 3 , and — _ 3 
The quantity a expresses any power of a, in 
general ; the exponent m being undetermined : 
771 1 
and a expresses - — , or a negative power 
m 
a 
m — m 
of of an equal exponent : and a X * 
— J 71 ~ m = a° = 1. Again, a ” expresses any 
m n m -j- n 
other power of a ; and a X « -- - a ’ 
m 
a m • — n 
and — a 
n 
a 
To raise any simple quantity to its second, 
third, or fourth power, is to add its exponent 
twice, thrice, or four times to. itself; so that the 
second power of any quantity is had by doubling 
its exponent ; and the third, by tripling its ex- 
ponent ; and, in general, the power expressed 
by »z, of any quantity, is had by multiplying 
the exponent by m : thus the second power, or 
2 y- 1 
square of a, is a — a 2 ; its third power, 
3 v 1 m X 1 
a ^ — a 2 ; and the mth. power of a, is « 
— a . Also the square of a 4 , is a = T ; 
3 w 4 
the cube of a 4 , is a — a 12 ; and the mth 
power of a 4 , is a ^ The square of air, is 
a 2 b 2 c 2 ; its cube TTV; and the «th power, 
m ,m m „ . 
a b c . See Algebra. 
Power, in law, is an authority which one 
man gives to another to act for him ; and it 
is sometimes a reservation which a person 
makes in a conveyance for himself to do 
some acts, as to make leases or the like. 
2 Lil. Abr. 339. Thus power of attorney, an 
instrument or deed whereby a person is au- 
thorized to act for another, either generally, 
or in a specific transaction. See Agent, 
Broker, Deed. 
Power of the county, contains the aid 
and attendance of all ^mights, gentlemen, 
yeomen, labourers, servants, apprentices, and 
all others above the age of fifteen years within 
the county. This the'" sheriff at any time may 
raise to assist him in the execution of a pre- 
cept of restitution. The power of the county 
is also called the posse comitatus. 
POX, or Small-pox. See Medicine. 
PRACTICE, or rules of practice, are 
certain compendious ways of working the 
rule of proportion, or golden rule. See 
Arithmetic, 
PR TCI PE, a writ commanding the de- 
fendant to do the thing required, or to shew 
cause why lie hath not done it. 
PRTMUNIRE. This punishment is in- 
dieted upon him who denies tire king’s su- 
premacy the second time ; upon him who at- 
linns the authority of the pope, or refuses to 
take the oath of supremacy ; upon such as 
are seditious talkers of the inheritance'of the 
crown ; and upon such as affirm that there is 
any obligation by any'oath, covenant, or en- 
gagement whatsoever, to endeavour a change 
of government either in church or state ; or 
that both or either house or parliament have 
or has a legislative power without the king, 
&c. 
The judgment in praemunire at the suit of 
the king, against the defendant being in prison, 
is, that he shall be out of the king’s pro- 
tection; that his lands and tenements, goods 
and chatties, shall be forfeited to the king; 
and that his body shall remain in prison at 
the king’s pleasure ; but if the defendant is 
condemned upon his default of not appear- 
ing, whether at the suit of the king or party, 
the same judgment shall be given as to the 
being out of the king’s protection and the for- 
feiture ; but instead of the clause that the 
body shall remain in prison, there shall bean 
award of a capiatur. Co. Lit. 129- Upon an 
indictment of a praemunire, a peer of the realm 
shall not be tried by his peers. 12 Co. 92. 
PRAGMATIC sanction, in the civil 
law, is defined to be a rescript, or answer of 
the sovereign, delivered by advice of his 
council, to some college, order, or body of 
people, upon consulting him on some case of 
their community;. The like answer given to 
any particular person, is called simply re- 
script. 
The term pragmatic sanction, is chiefly ap- 
plied to a settlement of Charles VI. emperor 
of Germany, who, in the year 1722, having 
no sons, settled his hereditary dominions on 
his eldest daughter, the archduchess Maria 
T heresa, which was confirmed by the diet of 
the empire, and guaranteed by Great Britain, 
France, the States-General, and most of the 
powers in Europe. 
PRASE, in mineralogy. See Quartz. 
PRASiUM, in botany, a genus of the 
gymnospermia order, in the ditlynamia class 
of plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 42d order verticillatse. There are 
four monospermous berries. There are two 
species. 
PREBENDARY, an ecclesiastic who en- 
joys a prebend. The difference between a 
prebendary and a canon is, that the former 
receives his prebend in consideration of his 
officiating in the church; but the latter 
merely by his being received into the cathe- 
dral or college. 
PRECEDENCE, or Precedency, a 
place of honour to which a person is entitled : 
this is either of courtesy or of right. The 
former is that which is due to age, estate, & c. 
which is regulated by custom and civility: the 
latter is settled by authority, and when broken 
in upon gives an action at law. T he follow- 
ing fable" will exhibit the older of precedency : 
A table of precedency of men and women. 
The king. 
Prince of Wales. 
King’s sons. 
King’s brothers. 
King’s uncles. 
King’s grandsons. 
King’s brothers or sisters sons.. 
