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P L A 
P L A 
prefled, for lie compofed three of his comedies in this 
toilfome fituation. Cicero informs us that he died in the 
confulate of Claudius Pulcher and L. Porcius Licinius, 
B.C. 184. A great number of comedies were anciently 
current under the popular name of Plautus; but of thefe 
the chief part were only retouched by him, and the beft 
Roman critics admitted only twenty-five or twenty-fix 
as of his genuine compofition. Twenty of thefe are 
ftill extant, but fome in a mutilated ftate. Of the cha¬ 
racter they bore among his countrymen we have different 
judgments from high authority. Varro was accuftomed 
to fay, that, if the Mufes were to fpeak Latin, they 
would ufe no other ftyle than that of Plautus ; and Cicero 
calls the wit of Plautus elegant, refined, ingenious, and 
facetious. In the Auguftan age, however, when the 
Roman language became more pure and refined, the 
comedies of Plautus did not appear free from inaccuracy. 
The poet, when compared to the more elegant expreflions 
of a Terence, was cenfured for his negligence in verfifica- 
tion, his low wit, execrable puns, and difgufting obfceni- 
ties. Yet, however cenfured as to language or fentiments, 
Plautus continued to be a favourite on the ftage. If his 
expreflions were not choice or delicate, it was univerfally 
admitted that he was more happy than other comic wri¬ 
ters in his pictures, the incidents of his plays were more 
varied, the aCts more interefting, the characters more 
truly difplayed, and the cataftrophe more natural. In 
the reign of the emperor Diocletian, his comedies were 
ftill aCted on the public theatres, and no greater compli¬ 
ment can be paid to his abilities as a comic writer, nor 
any greater cenfure pafled upon his fucceffors in dramatic 
compofition, than to obferve, that for 500 years, with all 
the difadvantage of obfolete language and diCtion, in 
fpite of the change of manners and the revolutions of 
government, he commanded, and received, that applaufe 
which no other W'riter dared to difpute with him. Many 
of his pieces, like thofe of the other Roman dratnatifts, 
are profefled tranflations from the Greek; and it is pro¬ 
bable that all his plots are borrowed from’the Grecian the¬ 
atre. Of the numerous editions of Plautus, fome of the 
moft valuable are the Variorum by Gronovius, Lugd. B. 
2 vols. 8vo. 1664, 69, 84; the Delphin, by Operarius, 
Paris, 2 vols. 4to. 1679; Caperonier’s, 3 vols. i2mo. 
1759 ; and Ernefti’s, 2 vols. 8vo. Lipf. 1760. Bipont. 1788. 
PLAX'TOL, a populous village in Kent, about four 
miles fouth-weft of.Wrotham, and about the fame dif- 
tance north of the Haftings road that runs through Tun¬ 
bridge. It has a neat and convenient chapel of eafe to 
the parifh of Wrotham. The ilream, that pafies at a 
fmail diftance of the ftreet, rifes about two miles from the 
fame, and within four miles from the fpring-head turns 
three corn-mills and four paper-mills. Here is a fair on 
the 6th of Auguft. The loil in this neighbourhood 
feems peculiarly adapted to the produce of hops. 
In a park, that extends almoft to Plaxtol chapel, ftands 
a capital manfion, once the feat of fir Harry Vane, (well 
known in hiftory,) who fuffered death in the reign of 
Charles II. for the part he took againft Charles I. The 
manfion, and large trafls of land round and contiguous 
to the fame, comprehending nearly the whole of Ship- 
bourne parifli, by the death, will, and extinction of tile 
title, of vifcount Vane, in 1789, became the foie property 
of David Papillion, efq. at that time fiift commiflioner of 
excife. The manfion, park, and lands adjoining, were 
by him let on leafe to Henry Lyall, efq. whofe fon-in-law, 
the late earl Delawar, occafionally refided here. This feat 
is much efteemed for its conveniences, falubrity of its 
air, pleafant and extenfive profpefts over a great part of 
Kent and Suflex.—Clofe adjoining to Plaxtol, is the feat 
of lieutenant-colonel Dalifon, lineally defcended from the 
duke d’AIengon, who fought againft Henry V. at the bat¬ 
tle of Agincourt. The other principal inhabitants are 
refpeftable farmers and hop-planters, perfons of large 
property, and who may, with great propriety, be ftyled 
y eomen of Kent. 
PLAU'ZAT, a town of France, in the department of 
the Puy deDome: ten miles fouth of Clermont Ferrand. 
To PLAY, v. n. [pieman, Sax.] To fport; to frolic ; 
to do fomething not as a talk, but for a pleafure.—The 
people fat down to eat and to drink, and rofe up to play. 
Exod. xxxii. 6. 
Boys and girls come out to play , 
The moon doth Ihine as bright as day. Old Sony. 
To toy ; to aft with levity',: 
Enormous monfters, rolling o’er the deep, 
Gambol around him in the watry wa'y, 
And heavy whales in awkward meafures play. Pope. 
To be difmifled from wmrk.—I’ll bring my young man to 
fchool; look where his mafter comes ; ’tis a playing day I 
fee. Shake)peace's M. W. of Windfor. —To trifle; to aft 
wantonly and thoughtlefsly.—Men are apt to play with 
their healths and their lives as they do with their 
cloaths. Temple. —To do fomething fanciful.—How every 
fool can play upon the word ! Shahefpeare. —To praftife 
farcaftic merriment.—I would make'ufe of it rather to 
play upon thofe I defpifed, than to trifle with thofe I 
loved. Pope. —To mock; to praftife illufion : 
I faw him dead ; art thou alive, 
Or is it fancy plays upon our eye-fight Shahefpeare. 
To game ; to contend at fome game.—The clergyman 
played at whift and fwobbers. Swift. 
Charles, I will play no more to-night; 
My mind’s not on’t, you are too hard for me. Shakefp. 
To do any thing trickilh or deceitful.—Life is not Jong 
enough for a coquette to play all her tricks in. Addifon's 
Spectator. 
Cawdor, Glamis, all 
The wizzard women promis’d; and, I fear, 
Thou play’d’Jl moft foully for’t. Shakefp ease's Macleth. 
To touch a mufical inftrument.—Wherein doth our prac¬ 
tice of finging and playing with inftruments in our ca¬ 
thedral churches differ from the praftice of David. Pea~ 
chain of Mafic. 
Clad like a country fwain, he pip’d, he fung, 
And playiny drove his jolly troop along. Dryden. 
Take thy harp, and melt thy maid ; 
Play, my friend ! and charm the charmer. Granville. 
To operate ; to aft. Ufed of any thing in motion.—By 
conftant laws, the food is concofted, the heart beats, the 
blood circulates, the lungs play. Cheyne. 
John hath feiz’d Arthur, and it cannot be, 
That whilft warm Ufe plays in that infant’s veins, 
The mifplac’d John fhould entertain 
One quiet breath of reft. Shahefpeare's K. John. 
To wanton; to move irregularly.—Ev’n as the waving 
fedges play with wind. Shahefpeare. 
The fetting fun 
Plays on their fhining arms and burnifli’d helmets. 
And covers all the field with gleams of fire. Addifon. 
To perfonate a drama : 
A lord will hear you play to night; 
But I am doubtful of your modefties, 
Left, over-eying of his odd behaviour, 
(For yet his honour never heard a play,) 
You break into fome merry paffion. Shahefpeare. 
Ev’11 kings but play; and, when their part is done. 
Some other, worfe or better, mount the throne. Dryden, 
To reprefent a ftanding charafter: 
Courts are theatres, where fome men play 
Princes, fome flaves, and all end in one day. Donne. 
To aft in any certain charafter.—A man has no pleafure 
in 
