P L U 
P L U 
was ufed as a garden ; but the cattle now range over this 
fpot, as well as the fite of the offices 5 and the ruinous 
north wall of the church, of which the doftor drew a 
(ketch, is much more dilapidated: but the boundaries of 
almoft the whole precinft may (till be traced. This 
abbey was fuppreffed before the general dillolution of the 
tnonafteries, by the authority of a papal bull, which 
Wolfey had obtained for the appropriating of its revenues 
towards endowing the new college he had founded at 
Oxford. William Tifeherfte, the laft abbot, figned the 
inftrumentof refignation April i, 1525, and in Oftober 
following was inftituted to the reftory of Horfmonden, 
in the diocefe of Rochefter. The manor of Lefnes, with 
the appurtenances, was, about the middle of the laft cen¬ 
tury, fettled by a Mr. Hawes on the hofpital of St. Bar¬ 
tholomew, London ; and that charitable corporation is 
now pofleffed of the eftate. 
Juft above Erith, (lands Belvidere. The firft manfion 
was built here by Geo. Hayley, efq. who, after refidingin 
it for fome time, pafled it away by fale to Frederic Cal¬ 
vert, lord Baltimore, of Ireland. This nobleman died 
here the 24th of April, 1751 ; and foon after the 
eftate was fold by his devifee to Sampfon Gideon, (lock- 
broker, in London, whofe Con, lord Eardley, erefted a 
very large houfe; and the only apartment left of any 
former manfion is an elegant drawing-room, built by his 
father. The colleftion of pictures here, though not nu¬ 
merous, is valuable, containing none but original pieces 
by the greateft mafters, and fome of them capital ones. 
Wilkes’s Bviiijh Directory, vol. iii. and v. 
PLU'MY, adj. Feathered; covered with feathers.— 
Sometimes they are like a quill, with the plumy part only 
upon one fide. Grew’s CoJ'mol. 
A fiery globe 
Of angels on full fail of wing flew nigh, 
Who on their plumy vans received him foft 
From his uneafy ftation, and upbore 
As on a floating couch through the blithe air. Milton'sP.R. 
To PLUN'DER, v.a. [phtndern , German; plonderen, 
Teut. Fuller confiders our word as introduced into the 
language about 1642.] To pillage; to rob in an hoftile 
way.—Nebuchadnezzar plunders the temple of God, and 
we find the fatal doom that afterwards befel hint. South's 
Serm. —To take by pillage.— Being driven away, and his 
books plundered , one of his neighbours bought them in 
his behalf, and preferved them for him till the end of the 
war. Fell. 
Ships the fruits of their exaftion brought, 
Which made in peace a treafure richer far 
Than what is plunder'd in the rage of war. Dryden. 
To rob as a thief: 
Their country’s wealth our mightier mifers drain, 
Or crofs, to plunder provinces, the main. Pope. 
PLUN'DER,/. Pillage; fpoils gotten in war: 
Let loofe the murmuring army on their mafters, 
To pay themfeives with plunder. Otway. 
An American word for luggage, or baggage. Matthews 
at Home. 
PLUN'DERER, /. Hoftile pillager ; fpoiler. A thief; 
a robber.— It was a famous laying of William Rufus, 
Whofoever fpares perjured men, robbers, plunderers, and 
traitors, deprives all good men of their peace and quiet- 
nefs. Addifon. 
We cannot future violence o’ercome, 
Nor give the miferable province eafe, 
Since what one plund’rcr left, the next will feize. Dryden. 
To PLUNGE, v. a. [plonker, Fr.plunfa, Swedifli ; plwn- 
gcio, Welffi, to plunge in water.] To put fuddenly under 
water, or under any thing fuppofed liquid,— Plunge us in 
the flames. Milton. 
Headlong from hence to plunge herfelf (lie fprings, 
But (hoots along fupported on her wings. Dryden. 
To put into any (late fuddenly : 
I mean to plunge the boy in pleafing deep, 
And ravifh’d in Idalian bowers to keep. Dryden. 
To hurry into any diftrefs.—Without a prudent determi¬ 
nation in matters before us, we (hall be plunyed into per¬ 
petual errors. Watts. 
O confcience ! into what abyfs of fears 
And horrours haft thou driven me ? out of which 
I find no way ; from deep to deeper pluny’d. Milton. 
To force in fuddenly. This word, to what aftion foever 
it be applied, commonly exprefles either violence and 
luddennefs in the agent, or diltrefs in the patient.—Let 
them not be too hafty to plunge their enquiries at once 
into the depths of knowledge. Watts. 
At this advanc’d, and fudden as the word, 
In proud Plexippus’ bofoni plung'd the fword. Dryden. 
To PLUNGE, v.n. To fink fuddenly into water; to 
dive.—When tortoiles have been a long time upon the 
water, their (hell being dried in the fun, they are ealily 
taken; by reafon they cannot plunye into the water 
nimbly enough. Ray. 
His courfer plung’d. 
And threw him off; the waves whelm’d over him, 
And helplefsin his heavy arms he drown’d. Dryden. 
When thou, thy (hip o’erwhelm’d with waves, (halt be 
Forc’d to plunge naked in the raging fea. Dryden. 
To fall or ruffi into any hazard or diftrefs.—He could 
find no other way to conceal his adultery, but to plunge 
into the guilt of a murther. TillotJ’on. 
Bid me for honour plunge into a war, 
Then (halt thou fee that Marcus is not flow. Addifon. 
Then impotent of mind and uncontroul’d, 
He plung’d into the gulph w’hich heav’n foretold. Pope. 
To fly into violent and irregular motions.—Neither fares 
it otherwife than with fome wild colt, which, at the firft 
takingup, flings and plunges, and will (land no ground. 
Bp. Hall's Select Thoughts. 
PLUNGE, / Aft of putting or finking under water. 
Difficulty; ftrait; diftrefs.—She was weary of life, fince 
(lie was brought to that plunye ; to conceal her hufband’s 
murder, or accufe her fon. Sidney. —People, when put to 
a plunge, cry out to heaven for help, without helping 
themfeives. L'Eftrange. —He mud be a good man; a qua¬ 
lity which Cicero and Quintilian are much at a. plunge in 
afierting to the Greek and Roman orators. Baker on 
Learning. 
Wilt thou behold me (inking in my woes ? 
And wilt thou not reach out a friendly arm, 
To raife me from amidll this plunge of farrows ? Addifon. 
PLUN'GEQN, / [ plongeon, Fr.] A fea bird; theCo- 
LYMBUS. 
PLUN'GER,/ One that plunges ; a diver. The forcer 
of a pump. 
PLUN'GING,/ The aft of putting under water. The 
aft of rufhing fuddenly into any diftrefs or hazard. The 
aftion of an unruly horfe endeavouring to throw the 
rider. 
PLUN'GY, adj. [from plunge.'] Wet. Notinufe. —The 
ftarres (liinen more agreeably, when the winde Notus let- 
teth his plungy blalls. Chaucer’s Boethius. 
PLUN'KET,/ A kind of blue colour. Ainfworth. 
PLU'NOS, in ancient geography, a port of Lybia, at 
the extremity of the country of the Adymachides ; men¬ 
tioned by Lycophron and Herodotus. 
PLU'QUET (Francis Andrew), a French abbe of fome 
celebrity, was born at Bayeux, in Normandy, in 1716. He 
was educated for the church, and obtained fome prefer¬ 
ment in it; after this he was nominated to fill the chair 
of profeffor of hiftory in the univerlity of Paris. By his 
leftures he acquired a confiderable (hare of reputation, the 
claim to which he ably fupported by feveral ufeful and 
7 well- 
