587 
P L A 
beguil'd you in a plain accent, was a plain knave, which, 
for ray part, I will not be. ShakeJ'peare’s K. Lear. 
Some have at firft for wits, then poets paft, 
Turn’d critics next, and prov’d plain fools at laft. Pope. 
Evident 5 clear; djfcernible; not obfcure.—They won¬ 
dered there Ihould appear any difficulty in expreffions 
which to them feemed very clear and plain. Clarendon. — 
'Tis plain in the hillory, that Efau was never f'ubjeCt to 
Jacob. Locke. 
Exprefs thyfelf in plain, not doubtful, words, 
That ground for quarrels or difputes affords. Denham. 
To fpeak one thing, mix’d dialeCts they join. 
Divide the fimple, and the plain define. Prior. 
Not varied by much art; fimple.—His diet was of the 
plainefi meats, and commonly not only his dillies, but the 
parts of them, were fuch as moft others would refufe. 
Fell. 
A plaining fcrng plain- finging voice requires, 
For warbling notes from inward cheering flow. Sidney. 
PLAIN, adv. Not obfcurely. DiftinCtly; articulately. 
—The firing of his tongue was ioofed, and he fpake 
plain. St. Mark, vii. 35.—Simply; with rough fincerity. 
PLAIN, f. [plaine, Fr.] Level ground ; open field; 
flat expanfe; often, a field of battle.—In a. plain in the 
land of Shinar they dwelt. Gen. xi. 2.—The Scots took 
the Engiifn for foolifh birds falling into their net, 
forfook their hill, and march’d into the plain directly 
towards them. Hayward. 
While here the ocean gains. 
In other parts it leaves wide fandy plains. Pope. 
The impetuous courier pants in every vein, 
And pawing feems to beat the diflant plain. Pope. 
To PLAIN, or Plane, v. a. To level; to make even. — 
Upon one wing, the artillery was drawn, every piece 
having his guard of pioners to plain the ways. Hayward. 
—To make plain or clear.—What’s dumb in fhow, I’ll 
plain with fpeech. Shakejpeare's Pericles. 
To PLAIN, v. 71. [ plaindre , Fr.] To lament; to wail. 
Little vjed. —He to lumfelf thus plain’d. Milton's P, L. 
Long Alice my voice is hoarfe, and throat is fore, 
With cries to fkies, and curfes to the ground ; 
But more I plain, I feel my woes the more. Sidney. 
To PLAIN, v. a. To lament. Mr. Pegge fays it is a 
Derbyfhire expreffion. 
The fox, that firft this caufe of grief did find, 
Gan firft thus plain his cafe with words unkind. Spenfer. 
Who can give tears enough to plain 
The lofs and lack we have. Harrington s View of the Church. 
PLAIN CHAR'T, a fea-chart wherein the meridians 
and parallels are reprefented by parallel flraight lines; 
and where, of confequence, the degrees of longitude~are 
the fame in all the parallels of latitude. See Navigation. 
PLAIN-DE* ALING, adj. Honefl; open ; acting with¬ 
out art.—Though I cannot be laid to be a flattering 
honefl man ; it muft not be denied, but I ain a plain¬ 
dealing villain. Shakefpeare . 
PLAIN-DE'ALING, f. Management void of art ; 
fincerity.—I am no politician; and was ever thought to 
have too little wit, and too much plain-dealing for a 
flatefman. Denham. 
It looks as fate with nature’s law may flrive 
To fhow plain-dealing once an age would thrive. Dryden. 
PLAIN-HEAR'TED, adj. Having a fincere honefl 
heart.—Freefpoken and plain-hearted men, that are the 
eyes of their country. Milton's Anim. Hem. Dtfence.— 
Some are captious, others fincere and plain-hearted,. 
Goodman’s Wiut. Ev. Coif. 
PLAIN-HEAR'TEDNESS, f. Sincerity. — Let it be 
every man’s care to avoid all fraud and ditlimulation in 
P L A 
his words and aCtions. For nothing is more unbecoming 
a man, much more undecent and odious is it in a 
Chriflian, who profeffes a religion that owns the greatefl 
fimplicity, and opennefs, and freedom, and plain-hearted - 
nefs, in the world. Hallywcli’s Mor. Difc. 1692. 
PLAIN du NO'RD, a town on the north coaft of 
Hifpaniola : thirteen miles eafl-fouth-eall Port de Paix. 
PLAIN SAPLING, the art of working the feveral 
cafes and varieties in a fhip’s motion on a plain chart.— 
Plain Sailing is founded on the fuppofition of the earth 
being a plane or flat; which, though notorioufly falfe, 
yet, places being laid down accordingly, and a long 
voyage broken into many fliort ones, the voyage may be 
tolerably performed by it, near the fame meridian. 
Chambers. —See the article Navigation, vol. xvi. p. 622. 
PLAIN SCA'LE, a thin ruler either of wood or brafs, 
whereon are graduated the lines of chords, fines ar.d 
tangents, leagues, rhombs, See. and is extremely ufeful in 
1110ft parts of mathematics. See Scale. 
PLA'IN-SONG, f The plain unvaried ecclefiaflical 
chant; the planus cantus of the Romifh church ; fo called 
in contradiftinClion to prick-Jong, or variegated mulic 
lung by note.— Plain-fong is much fenior to any running 
of divifion. Fuller’s Holy War. —He had imparted the 
king’s words to many in a better tune, and a higher kind 
of defcant, than his book of plain-four/ diddireCt. Proceed, 
againft Garnet, 1606. 
An honefl country lord, as I am, beaten 
A long time out of play, may bring his plain-fong, 
And have an hour of hearing. Shakejpeare’s Hen. VIII. 
PLAIN-SPO'KEN, adj. Speaking with rough fincerity. 
—Goodman Fail is allowed by every body to be a plaiu- 
Jpoken perfon, and a man of very few words; tropes and 
figures are his averfion. Addifon’s Count Tariff. 
PLAIN TA'BLE, an inftrument ufed in the furveying 
of land; whereby the draught, or plan, is taken on the 
fpot, without any future protraction, or plotting. See the 
article Surveying. 
PLA'IN-WORK, f. Needlework, as diflinguilhed 
from embroidery ; fewing or making linen garments.— 
She went to plain-work, and to purling brooks. Pope. 
PLAI'NANT,/. Plaintiff.—The plainant is eldeft hand, 
ar.d has not only that advantage, but is underflood to be 
the better friend to the court. Butler's Charaflers. 
PLAINE, a town of France, in the department of the 
Maine and Loire : fifteen miles fouth-weft of Montreul 
Bellay. 
PLAI'NFIELD, a town of North America, formerly 
called St. Andrew's, in Caledonia-county, Vermont, ioo : 
miles north-eafl from Bennington ; containing 543 in¬ 
habitants.—A town of Hampfliire-county, Maffachufetts, 
incorporated in 1785, and containing 977 inhabitants; 
122 miles weft of Bofton.—A town in Northampton- 
county, Pennfylvania, containing 1439 inhabitants.—A 
town in the north-weft corner of Chefhire-county, New 
Hampfhire, on the eaft bank of ConneClicut-river, which 
feparates it from Hartland in Vermont; incorporated in 
1761, and containing 1463 inhabitants.—A poll-town in 
the fouth-eafl part of Windham-county, Connecticut, on 
the eafl fide of Quinabaug river, which divides it from 
Brooklyn and Canterbury. The foil is generally rich, 
and weil cultivated, and well watered by the Quinabaug 
and Moofup rivers, together with many brooks and 
rivulets. It has two congregational meeting-houfes, and 
an academy, with three handforne buildings appropriated 
to its ufe. The fam,e was fettled in 1689, and contains 
1738 inhabitants : fourteen miles north-eafl from Nor¬ 
wich. 
PLAI'NING, f. Complaint. 
The inceffant weepings of my wife. 
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes, 
Forc’d me to feek delays. Shahejpeare. 
PLAI'NLY, adv. Levelly ; flatly. — Not fubtilly ; not 
fpecioufly. 
