PAL 
296 PAL 
1798, while performing in the play of the Stranger, at the 
Liverpool theatre, after uttering the line, “ There is ano¬ 
ther and a better world !” he fell on his back, heaved a 
eonvnllive figh, and immediately expired. Thofe words 
are engraved on his tomb. Jones's Biographical Did. 
PAL'MER TOWN, a town of New York, thirty-two 
miles fouth-well of Ticonderoga. 
PAL'MER-WOR M, f. A worm covered with hair. 
—A flefli-fly, and one of thofe hairy worms that refemble 
caterpillars, and are called palmer worms, being conveyed 
into one of ourfmall receivers, the bee and the fly lay with 
their bellies upward, and the worm feemed fuddenly ftruck 
dead. Boyle. 
PAL'MERIN, a town of Africa, in Baol. Here 3 s a 
mart for hides and teeth. Lat. 13. 50. N. Ion. 16. 21. W. 
PAL'MERSTON’s I'SLAND, an ifland in the South 
Pacific Ocean, difcovered by captain Cook in June 1774- 
In the “ Millionary Voyage,” it is defcribed as a group of 
fmall illets, eight or nine in number, connedled together 
by a reef of coral rocks, and lying in a diredtion nearly 
circular. Captain Wilfon and fome of his companions 
landed upon one of thefe ilies, which is not a mile in cir¬ 
cuit, and which, at high - water, is not more than four or five 
feet above the level of the fea. The foil is coral land, with 
an upper ftratum of blackifh mould, produced from rotten 
vegetables. The inner area of the illet is covered with co¬ 
coa-nut trees, which, decaying and falling, form a thick 
underwood. They law a number of men-of-war birds, 
tropic-birds, and boobies. Among the trees there was 
plenty of red crabs, dragging after them a Ihell in form of 
a periwinkle, but larger, being in diameter about two or 
three inches. When they ran along the ground, they only 
put their claws out; but, being touched, they withdrew 
themfelves wholly into their Ihell. Here was feen the fub- 
roarine grotto defcribed in Cook’s Third Voyage. At one 
part of the reef, which bounds thelakes within, almoft even 
with the furface, there is a large bed of coral, which affords 
a moft enchanting profpedl. Its bafe, which is fixed to the 
fliore, extends fo far that it cannot be feen, fo that it ap¬ 
pears to be fufpended in the water. The refulgence of the 
fun, when the fea is unruffled, expofed to view the various 
forts of coral in the molt beautiful order ; fome parts luxu¬ 
riantly branching into the water, others appearing in avail 
variety of figures, and the whole heightened by fpangles of 
the richeft colours, glowing from a number of large clams 
interfperfed in every part. This fcene was much improved 
by the multitude of filhes that gently glided along, feem- 
ingly with the moll perfect fecurity : their colours were the 
moll beautiful that can be imagined, blue, yellow, black, 
red, &c. far excelling any thing that can be produced by 
art. Our navigators obferve, that no traces appear of this 
ifiand’s ever having been inhabited. Lat. 18. 4.. S. Ion. 163. 
10. W. 
PALMET'TO, f. A fpecies of palm. It grow's in the 
Well Indies to be a very large tree: with the leaves the 
inhabitants thatch their houfies ; and thefe leaves, before 
they are expanded, are cut and brought into England to 
make women’s plaited hats; and the berries of this tree 
were formerly much ufed for buttons. See Chamarops. 
Broad o’er my head the verdant cedars wave, 
And high palmettos lift their graceful lhade. Thomjon. 
PALMET'TO, a town of the ifland of St. Chriftopher, 
fituateden a bay to which it gives name: three miles well 
of Bafie Terre. 
PALMET'TO POI'NT, a cape on the north coall of Ja¬ 
maica. Lat. 1 8.18. N. Ion. 76. 20. W.—A cape on the fouth 
coall of Jamaica. Lat. 18. 7. N. Ion. 77. 57. W. 
PALMIE'RI (Matted), an Italian man of letters, born 
at Florence about 1405, was defeended from an ancient 
and illuftrious family, and educated in the fciences and 
learned languages under the ableft mailers. He was feveral 
times entrulled by his fellow-citizens with offices of raa- 
gillracy, and rofe to the fupreme dignity of gonfalonier of 
jullice. He was likewife appointed to various important 
embalfies to the popes, the emperor Frederic III. Alphonf^ 
king of Naples, the republic of Sienna, and other Hates- 
He died in 1475, at the age of 70. As a literary man, his 
mod confiderable work was a “ Chronicle,” from the crea¬ 
tion down to his own times. He alfo wrote “ The Life of 
Niccolo Acciajuoli,” which has been publifhed by Mura- 
tori; as likewife has his book “ De Captivitate Piforum ;” 
and a work in form of a dialogue, “ Della Vita Civile,” 
feveral times, printed, and tranflated into French. He was 
moreover a poet; and, in imitation of Dante, compofed in 
terza-rima three books, entitled “Citta di Vita,” never 
printed, but extant in manufeript in feveral libraries. This 
poem obtained great applaufe, but was expofed to theolo¬ 
gical cenfure, on account of fome errors in divinity, parti¬ 
cularly that of reprefenting human fouls as having been 
in a former Hate thofe angels who, in the grand rebellion 
in heaven, Hood neuter. Thefe notions, regarded as liere- 
fies, caufed the book to be folemnly condemned to the 
flames ; a fate which fome writers have alfo attributed to 
the author, but erroneoufly. 
The Chronicle of Matteo was continued to the year 1482 
by a native of Pifa, very nearly his namefake, viz. Mattea. 
Palmieri. This writer, who was apoftolic fecretary, and 
died in 1483, alfo tranflated from the Greek the fabulous 
narration of Arifteas concerningthe tranflators ofthe Sep- 
tuagint, and fome other works of antiquity. Gen. Biog. 
PALMIF'EROUS. adj. [palmi and fero, Lat.] Bearing 
palms. 
PALMIFOTIA,/ in botany. See Zamia. 
PALMINO'POS, a town of Spain, in New Caftile: 
twenty-five miles north-north-weft of Cuenpa. 
PAL'MIPEDE, or Palmip'edous, adj. [ palma and 
pes, Lat.] Webfooted; having the toes joined by a mem¬ 
brane.—Water-fowl, which are palmipede, are whole-footed, 
have very long necks, and yet but fhort legs ; as fwans. May. 
PAL'MIPES, f. [Lat.] an ancient long meafure, con¬ 
taining a foot and a palm, or five palms; and was lefs than 
the cubit by one palm. 
PALMI'RAS. See Mayapara, vol. xiv. 
PAL'MIS AFFI'NIS. See Grias. 
PAL'MISTER, /'. [from palm.~\ One who deals in 
palmiftry.-—If we curioufly advife with the palmijters, we 
ihal! find the mind written in the hand ! Aujiin's Hac Homo. 
—Some vain palmejlers have gone fo far as to take upon 
them, by the fight of the hand, to judge of fortunes. Bp. 
Hall. 
PAL'MISTRY, f. [patina , Lat.] The cheat of fore¬ 
telling fortune by the lines of the palm : it is prohibited 
by i and 2 Ph. and Mary, c. 4.—We fhall not query what 
truth is in palmiftry, or divination, from lines of our hands, 
of high denomination. Brown's Vufg. Err. 
With the fond maids in palmiftry he deals ; 
They tell the fecret firfl which he reveals. Prior. 
Addifon ufes it humoroufly for the adlion of the hand.— 
Going to relieve a common beggar, he found his pocket 
was picked ; that being a kind of palmiftry at which this 
vermin are very dexterous. Sped. N° 130. 
PALMJUN'CUS, f. in botany See Calamus and 
Flagellaria. 
PALMODE'CIA,/. in botany. See Convolvulus. 
PALMO'LI, a town of Naples, in Abruzzo Citra : thir¬ 
teen miles ealt-north-eall of Civita Borella. 
PA'LMS, (Ifland of), a narrow ifland on the coafl of 
Africa, at the entrance of the river Senegal, about fix miles 
in length. 
PAL'MUS,/ [from the Greek TcuXka, to vibrate.] The 
fhivering or quick vibration of the heart. A medical term. 
PAL'MY, adj. Bearing palms.—She, flying, left the 
palmy plains behind. Dryden. 
Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks 
Grazing the tender herb, were interpos’d, 
Or palmy hillock. Milton's P. L. 
Flourishing; vidlorious.—In the high and palmy Hate of 
the 
