SOS 
E M P 
down again. Brown. —With emphafis.-—This introduced 
pretty generally the right of difpofing one’s property by 
teftament, according to the p.leafure of the deceafed ; 
which we therefore emphatically (file his will. Blackfiphe. 
EMPHEREPY'RA, f. in mineralogy, a genus of iron 
ftone. 
EMPHERO'MENUS, f [from Gr. to bear.] 
A term with phyficians.for urine which has feaiment. 
EMPHRA,C'TlCS,yfi [ emphraBica , Lat. from e/^^arla), 
Gr. to obflruft.] Medicines which applied to the lkin 
■fitiit up the pores. 
EMPHRA'GMA, or Emphraxis, f. An obftruftion 
or impediment. 
EMPHYSE'MA, /. [from eypvcracj, Gr. to inflate.] 
A tumour arifing from air admitted into tire cellular 
.membrane. 
EMPHYSE'MATOUS, adj. [from cjj.tppar^xci, Gr.] 
Bloated ; puffed up; fwollen.—The (igns of a gangrene 
ai*e thefe: the inflammation lofes its rednefs, and becomes 
.du fid (h and livid ; the tenfenefs of the (Ivin goes .off, and 
feels, to the touch flabby or emphyjeviatous ■, and vefica- 
tions, filled with ichor of different colours., fpread all 
over it. Sharp. 
EMPHYSO'DES,/. With phyficians, an extreme heat 
-in fevers which occafions puftules and inflammations in 
the mouth. 
EMPHYTEU'SIS, f. [from sn, in, and < p'vruvu, Gr. 
to plant.] The aft of planting; the aft of clearing lands 
-for plantation; the tenure of lands on condition of plant¬ 
ing; the alienation of lands on condition of planting, and 
paying a fmall annual .rent to the original proprietor. 
EMPHYTEU'TA, or Emphyteutes, f. The tenant 
that rents land on condition of planting it. 
EMPHYTEU'TIC, adj. Belonging to emphyteufis ; 
let out to farm ; let. on condition of planting. Scott. 
To EMPIER'CE, v. a. To pierce into; to enter into 
by violent appulfe : 
The weapon bright, 
Taking advantage of his open jaw, 
Ran through’his mouth with fo importune might, 
That deep cmfiierc'd his darkfome hollow maw. Spcnfer. 
EMPI'GHT, pifeterite and part, from to pight, or pitch. 
See Pitch. Set; fixed; fattened : 
But he was wary, and ere it empight 
In the meant mark, advanc’d his Ihield atw.een. Spcnfer. 
EM'PIRE,./. [empire, Fr. imperium, Lat.] Imperial 
power ; fupreme dominion ; fovereign command : 
Affert, ye fair ones, who in judgment fit, 
Your ancient empire over love and yvit. Rowe. 
The region over which dominion is extended. Command 
over any thing.—A nation extended over vaft trafts of 
land, and numbers of people, arrives in time at the an¬ 
cient name of kingdom, or modern of empire. Tattle. 
Sextus Pompeius 
Hath given the dare to Caefar, and commands 
The empire of the fea. Shakefpeare. 
EM'PIRES, Duration of. —No precife duration can be 
fixed to the Eaftern empires, owing to the inaccuracy of 
hiftorical accounts ; the follojving ftatement of the prin¬ 
cipal of them feems the beft authenticated and neared 
the truth. The Affyrian empire,, over a great part of 
Afia, from Ninus .to Sapdanapalus, laded, according to 
Judin, 1300 years; Eufebius fays *240; Georgius Mo- 
nachus, 1340. The empire of Ada was transferred from 
the Affyrians to the Medes in the 317th year before Chrid: 
their reign, according to Eufebius, was about 260 years, 
although Diodorus and Georgius Monachus differ from 
him, and alfo one another, in the names of the kings, and 
dates of their reigns. From the foundation of the Perfian 
empire by Cyrus, to its dedruftion by Alexander, about 
232 years elapfed. The Macedonian empire, from its 
foundation by Philip, to the nth year of king Perfeus, 
E M P 
when it was reduced to a Roman province by Papins 
Aimilius, laded, according to Judin, 192 years. Tire 
Roman e'mpire, from the foundation of the city of Rome, 
753 years before Chrid, to the final dedruftion of the 
wedern empire by Odoacer, in the 476th year of the 
Chlifiian era, laded 1229 years. 
All thefe empires owed their origin and increafe to 
conqued, and an union of didonant parts; they therefore 
fell to pieces fo foon as luxury and effeminacy had under¬ 
mined them, and the bravery of the ancient founders had 
become extintl in their poderity. Enterprifing people 
vyere foon found ready to take advantage of their degene¬ 
racy. The Alfyrian and Roman empires were the flowed 
in growth, and the longed in decay. The Chinefe is the 
mod remarkable empire, as well for its durability, as for 
the .invariable continuation of the fame laws and manners 
for a long (ucceffion of ages. Its hidory, .however, is 
very little known by Europeans, and what the Chinefe 
themfe.lves pretend to give of it, is too fophidicated by 
fable to be believed. It is neverthelefs certain, that after 
being conquered by the Tartars, they dill preferved the 
fame laws, religion, and language ; and as the conquerors 
became lod in the immenfe numbers of the conquered, 
.and by degrees affumed their manners, the dominions of 
the Tartars might be faid to be added to the Chinefe 
empire. 
The Britifh empire refembles the Affyrian and Roman 
in the (lownefs of its growth, and the Chinefe in the fate 
of its invaders. The Saxons, Danes, Romans, and Nor¬ 
mans, after their fucceflive irruptions, remained modly 
in England, and formed, in prOcefs of time, one nation, 
governed by one law, and acknowledging fubjeftion to 
one prince. England, by its fubjeftion and union with 
Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, laid the foundation of the 
Britifh empire ; and by its conquefts and colonies in every 
part of the globe, and more particularly by its commerce 
and manufaftures, raifed it to that pitch of grandeur as 
to be fecond to none. Befides having given birth to the 
United States of North America, a nation nearly as po¬ 
pulous as itfelf, it is now forming fettlements in New 
South Wales, with the fame unremitting watchfulnefs, 
toil, and labour, as attended the foundation of the Uni¬ 
ted States. 
The foundation of the American republic affords a 
fplendid fpeftacle to the eye of the univerfe. Its in- 
creating ffrength may place it in the foremoft rank of 
nations ; and, if the Americans continue united, and know 
where to place a proper bound to their loye of dominion, 
there is a great probability that it will be as durable as 
any empire the world lias witneifed ; but, if they difunite, 
or diminifh their internal ffrength by too great an exten- 
fion of their pofleflions, they will become petty dates; 
perpetually ftruggling with each other, and a prey to 
faftious-defigiiing men. All the advantages attending the 
monarchies or republics of tlie old world, center in the 
new, as well as others which they never poffelfed. The 
Affyrian, Perffan, Macedonian, and Roman, empires, the 
dominions of Charlemagne, and the Saracens, \arofe from 
conqueft, and the uniting of kingdoms different in arts, 
manners, languages, and religions. The American em¬ 
pire is formed by commerce, and the arts of peace ; by 
people arifing from the fame ftock; emigrating from the 
fame country; poffefling the fame language, religion, 
laws, manners, and purfuits ; for the fmall variation in 
fome diffrifts, owing to the intermixture of Germans, 
forms only a very flight exception, which will be entirely 
done away in the courfe of a very few generations. By 
this intimate conneftion of men and morals, the caufe, 
which accelerated and finally proved the overthrow of 
the Eaftern empires, is totally done away in the Weffern. 
The extent of the United States is connnenfurate with 
any probable increafe of population for ages to come ; 
and it poffeffes all the folid advantages of the Chinefe 
empire, without the fatal neighbourhood of the Tartars. 
By the ceflion of Louitiana, the Americans have gained a 
vail 
