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636 
norance, there were feveral purgations and cleanfings 
neceffary to be paffed through both here and hereafter, 
in order to refine and purify them. AddiJ'on's Tatler .— 
The Platonijls and the Papifts having been a little more 
rational in ordering their fancies, placing their imaginary 
purgatory in their way to heaven, not at the journey’s 
end. Hammond. —Philo the Jew, who was a great plato- 
nizer, calls the ftars divine images, and incorruptible 
anil immortal fouls. Young on Idolatrous Corrupt. 
To PLA'TONIZE, v. n. To adopt the opinions or 
aflertions of Plato.—Hitherto Philo ; wherein, after his 
ufual wont, he platonizes ; the fame being in effeft to be 
found in Plato’s Timseus. Hakewill on Providence. 
PLATONOP'OLIS, in ancient geography, a city 
which Plotinus requefted the emperor Galienus to build 
in Campania. This city had been formerly razed ; and 
Plotinus ufed his interelt with the emperor, not only to 
have it rebuilt, but to obtain a grant of the neighbouring 
territory, that it might be inhabited by a body of phi- 
lefophers, and governed by the laws of Plato. He pro- 
mifed, at the fame time, that he and his friends would 
lay the foundation of this philofophical colony. The 
emperor was difluaded by his friends from acceding to 
this propofal. 
PLATOO'N,/. [a corruption of peloton, Fr.] Formerly 
a fmall body of men, in a "battalion of foot, See. that 
fired alternately. A battalion was then generally divided 
into 16 platoons, exclufive of the grenadiers, which 
formed 2 or 4 platoons, more or lefs as occafion required. 
At prefent the battalion is generally divided into wings, 
grand diviiions, divifions (or companies), fubdivifions, 
and feftions ; and the word platoon is feldom ufed, 
except to denote a number (from 10 to 20) of recruits 
afiembled for the purpofe of inftruftion ; in which cafe 
it may be confidered fynonymous with company. James’s 
Military Dictionary. 
In comely wounds (hall bleeding worthies (land, 
Webb’s firm platoon, and Lumly’s faithful band. Tickcll. 
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PLAT'TI, a fmall ifland in the Indian fea. Lat. 5. 55. 
S. Ion. 55. 20. E. 
PLATT'SBURG, a village of the United States, and 
capital of - Clinton county, New York, fituated on the 
weft fide of Lake Champlain, at the mouth of theSarannac. 
It is handfomely laid out, and contains a court-houfe, a 
gaol, a prefbyterian church, &c. and is a place of confider- 
able trade. 
PLATYCO'RIA, or Platycori'asis,/. [Greek.] A 
dilatation of the pupil of the eye. 
PLA'J YLO'BIUM, f. [fo named by Dr. Smith, from 
the Gr. vj, broad, and AojSo?, a pod or legume; 
becaufe of the breadth of that part, which is further 
augmented by a dilatation or wing, running along the 
back. Sm. Tr. of Linn. Soc. ii. 350. ix. 302. Bot. New. 
Hull. 17.] In botany, a genus of the clafs diadelphia, 
order decandria, natural order of papilionaceae, Linn. 
(leguminofa;, Juj].) Generic charafters — Calyx ; 
Perianthium inferior, of one leaf, bell-fhaped, two-lipped ; 
the upper lip rounded, very large, divided half-way 
down into two obovate fegments; the under much 
fmaller, in three equal, awl-lhaped, ftraight fegments. 
Coroila : papilionaceous ; ftandard heart-fhaped, large, 
afeending, twice as long as the upper lip of the calyx, 
with a (hortiffi, linear, convex claw; wings half the 
length of the ftandard, obovate, each with a plait, and 
prominent tooth, at the bafe on its lower fide, and a 
narrow claw; keel the length of the wings, of two ob¬ 
ovate, concave, converging petals, each with a tooth on 
its upper edge at the bafe. Stamina: filaments ten, 
united into one fet for about half their length, feparate 
only at the tipper edge, afeending ; antherse fimple, 
roundifh. Piftillum : germen on a (hort ftalk, oblong, 
comprefled ; ftyle recurved ; ftigma fimple. Pericarpium : 
legume (talked, oblong, comprefled, almoft flat, of one' 
cell, its upper edge dilated into a flat longitudinal wing, 
the valves membranaceous. Seeds feveral, oval, com- 
prefled, each on a curved white ftalk, with a tumid 
appendage.— Efj'ential Character. Calyx two lipped ; the 
upper lip cloven, rounded, very large; ftamens all con¬ 
nected ; legume ltalked, comprefled, flat, membranaceous, 
winged at the back, of one cell, with many feeds. 
There are three fpecies. 
1. Platyiobium formofum, or orange flat-pea: leaves 
ovate, fomewhat heart-(haped; germen all over hairy ; 
ftaik of the legume (horter than the calyx; braftes filky. 
Native of New South Wales, from whence fpecimens, 
drawings, and feeds, were early lent by Dr. White and 
others. It is rather difficult to raife and to preferve, 
but when in perfection proves a great ornament to the 
greenhoufe from June to Augult. The (tern is ereft, 
but very (lender, and rather weak, bufhy, with numerous, 
oppofite, fpreading branches, all of reddifh-brown, hairy 
and round. Leaves oppofite, on (hort (talks, acute, 
entire, convex, rigid, fmooth, about an inch long; 
glaucous beneath. Stipules in pairs, lanceolate, mem¬ 
branous, browni(h. Flowers numerous, inodorous, large, 
on ffiortifli Ample axillary crowded (talks, with a pair of 
braftes under the calyx, which like them is filky. 
Standard and wings of an orange yellow, the former 
crimfon at the back, as well as at the centre in front ; 
wings pale, tipped with crimlon. Legume an inch and 
a half long, and half as broad, obtufe, with a little (harp 
point, fomewhat hairy all over. This is reprelented on 
the preceding Engraving at fig. 2. the legume feparately 
at b. 
2. Platyiobium parviflorum, or fmall-flowered flat-pea: 
leaves lanceolate-ovate ; germen nearly fmooth ; ftalk of 
the legume longer than the calyx; braftes fmooth. 
From the fame country. Sent to Kew, by Sir J. Banks 
in 1792. It blooms in the fummer, amongft other green¬ 
houfe flftrubs. Cui-tis’s Mag. t. 1520. 
3. Platyiobium triangulare, or triangular-leaved flat-pea 1 
leaves fomewhat triangular or haftate, with fpinous 
angles. Flower-ftalks brafteated at the bafe and (ummit, 
naked in the middle. Legume feveral times longer than 
the 
PLATTE, or Little River, a fmall river of 
Louifiana, which falls into the Miflouri 349 miles from 
the Mifliffippi. It is about 60 yards wide at its mouth. 
The lands on both banks are good ; and there are feveral 
waterfalls well calculated for mills. 
PLATTE, (La), or Shoal River, a large river of 
Louifiana. It rifes in that ridge of mountains which 
feparates the dreams which flow into the Pacific from 
thofe that flow into the Atlantic ocean ; and, after a 
courfe of about 1600 miles, falls into the Miflouri 600 
miles from the Mifliffippi. Captains Lewis and Clark, 
who afeended the river in a boat, found the current very 
rapid, rolling over fand, and divided into a number of 
channels, none of them deeper than five or fix feet. There 
are many fmall iflands fcattered through it; and, from 
its rapidity and the quantity of fand, it cannot be na¬ 
vigated by boats, though the Indians pafs it in fmall fiat 
canoes made of hides. 
PLATTE (La), a river of the United States, in 
Vermont, which runs into Lake Champlain at Shelburn. 
PLAT'TEKILL, a townfliip of the United States 
in Ulfter county, New York. Population 1936. 
PLAT'TEN, a town of Bohemia, fituated among the 
Erzebirge mountains : 12 miles north-north eaft of 
Carlfbad : Population 1350. 
PLAT'TENHARD, a village of Germany, in Wirtern- 
berg, near Stutgard ; with 1100 inhabitants. 
PL,AT / TER f. [from plate.'] A large di(h, generally 
of earth.—Their coltly tables, their huge platters. Hake- 
will on Prov. 
The fervants waffi the platter , fcour the plate, 
Then blow the fire. Drydens Juv. 
[From To plat.] One who plats or weaves. 
PLAT'TER-FACE, /. [in low language.] A broad 
face. 
PLAT'TER-FACED, adj. Having a broad face. 
