The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary being a curious miscellany of sacred and prophane history : containing, in short, the lives and most remarkable actions of the patriarchs, judges, ... heresiarchs, ... emperors, ... and all those who have recommended themselves to the world ... together with the establishment and progress both of religious and military orders ... ; [with] The genealogy of several illustrious families in Europe ; The fabulous history of the heathen gods and heroes ; The description of empires, kingdoms ... / collected from the best historians, chronologers, and lexicographers ... but more especially out of Lewis Morery ... his sixth edition corrected and enlarged by Monsieur Le Clark ... now done into English ; to which are added by way of supplement ... the lives ... and writings of the illustrious families of our English, Scotch and Irish nobility ... clergy ; as also an exact description of these kingdoms ... by several learned men ; wherein are inserted the last five years historical and geographical collections of Edmond Bohun ... never extant till in this work.

• Pygmalion, King of Tyre was the Son of Matgenus or Methres, whom he succeeded, and lived 56 years, whereof he reigned 47. Dido, his Sister, was to have governed with him, but it was pre∣tended, the Subjects thought it not convenient; she married Si∣chaeus who was the King's Uncle, and very rich, wherefore he put him to death, and Dido soon after departed the Kingdom. This was in the year of the World 3147. Poets say, Pygmalion was punished for the hatred he bore to Women with the love he had to a Statue. Dius cited by Jos. l. 1. Cont. Appion.
• Pygmies; the Prophet Ezekiel in the 27th Chapter of his Prophecy says, That the Pygmies who were upon the Towers hung their Quivers round the Walls; whereupon Nicholas de Lira, following the most common Opinion, says, That Pyg∣mies were placed upon the Walls of Tyre, not for the defence of the place, but to inform the Enemy by the sight of 'em, that the Town by its proper situation was of strength enough to defend it self. This bears some relation with what the Je∣buseens did, who made use of none but Lame and Blind Men to defend their Fortress of Sion against David, to shew the rash∣ness of so bold an Enterprise. Aristotle not only held that there were Pygmies, but said, They lived near the Nile, and were continually in War with the Storks; that they dwelt in Caverns under ground, and were therefore called Troglodites by the Greeks. St. Augustin seems to be of the same Opinion. Homer was the first that made mention of 'em, yet most Au∣thors pretend, That this Race is altogether Chimerical, and P. Prade in his learned Commentary upon Ezekiel, explaining this passage of the Pygmies, says, That the Walls of Tyre were so high that ordinary Men on the top of 'em seem'd Pygmies to those that beheld them from below. Tho' this Interpretation seems reasonable, yet there are some who pretend, that in Eze∣kiel's time there were real Pygmies. The Samoides, People of Moscovy, towards the Streights of Waigats may be put in this number. Ezek. Arist. S. August.
• * Pygmies-Island, one of the Scotch Western Islands which hath a Chappel, wherein the neighbouring People believe, That the Pygmies were anciently buried, because, diging deep into the Earth, they find little round Heads and the small Bones of other parts of Humane Bodies, nothing derogating from the ancient Reports concerning the Pygmies. Buchanan.
• Pylades, the Son of King Strophius, and faithfull friend to Orestes, whom his Father had saved and brought up in his Coun∣try. He was willing to die for his Friend, but Iphigenia com∣ing to know her Brother Orestes saved him. Ovid and other Poets often mention him.
• Pylades, a famous Mimick born in Cilicia appear'd at Rome in the time of Augustus. He invented new Dances and Ge∣stures in acting of Plays. Bathyllus and he profess'd the same Art, but the last was only excellent in Comical and Satyrical Subjects. Plutarch Sympos. c. 7. Lucian, &c. Vid. Pantomimi.
• Pylander (George) a German Physician, born in Misnia, and li∣ved in the Sixteenth Age in 1541. He lived long in Italy, and died at Milan. His name was Thornian, but he changed it for Py∣lander, which is the Greek of it. He translated Hippocrates out of Greek into Latin while he was at Rome, and composed some other things. Pet. Albinus in Chron. Misn. Melch. Adam in vit. Germ. Med.
• Pylemenes, the name of an ancient King of Paphlagonia in Asia minor, towards the Euxine Sea, which hath been com∣mon to the Kings that succeeded him. Homer in the second Book of his Iliads makes mention of one Pylemenes, who was Captain of the Paphlagonians during the Siege of Troy, and in the fifth Book says, he was kill'd by Menelaus. Justin speaking of the Alliance treated of between Mithridates and Nicomedes for the Conquest of Paphlagonia, saith, That Nicomedes gave the name of Pylemenes to his Son, that he might retain the King∣dom under that feigned name, and for that reason it was, says Pliny, that Paphlagonia was called Pylemenia. It's certain, that before the Romans entred into Asia there had been several Pyle∣menes's Kings of Paphlagonia; Orosius is the first that mentions them, when he speaks of the Wars of the Romans against Aristonicus the Brother of Attalus in the year of Rome 672. Some time after the King Pylemenes, a friend to the Romans, be∣ing dispossess'd of his Kingdom by Mithridates, was re-settled upon his Throne by the Romans, and after his death Paphlagonia was reduced to a Province. But Authors do not yet agree touching the re-establishment of Pylemenes, and the end of the Kingdom of Paphlagonia, Spon. Recherches Curieuses de Antiquite.
• Pylus, a City of Aelis near the River Peneus, now called Pi∣los. There was another Town of this name in the Province of Belvedere, now named Navarino. The Ancients speak of some other Cities and Mountains of this name.

• The Pyramids of Egypt are very stately Buildings within three Leagues of Caire, reckoned by the Ancients to be one of the seven Wonders of the World; whereof there are three prin∣cipal ones, differing both in height and thickness; the two first are shut up, and the third, which is the greatest is open; this Pyramid is 520 foot high, and 682 foot square; at one of the Angles is a little square room, where one may rest and re∣fresh himself; when you arrive at the top, there is a very fine Platform, which consists of twelve great fair Stones that are almost seventeen foot square; it's observ'd, that the strongest Man cannot from the Platform throw a Stone beyond the Py∣ramid, but 'tis not true that an Arrow cannot be shot beyond it. There are sixteen steps before you come at the Door of the Pyramid; the entrance is square and always even, and that Walk leads to two more, at the end of one of which stands an Hall, where may be seen an empty Tomb, made of one Stone only, which is like Porphyry; some say that that Sepulchre had been made for Pharaoh. At the end of the other Ally or Walk, there is a hole, which seems to have been made for to let down the Bodies into the Caverns that are underneath the Pyramid. The other Pyramids that are lock'd, are almost of the same Structure. Many are amazed whence they could get such great Stones, and so great a quantity of them, since there is nothing all about there but Sand; but 'tis like there might be a Rock underneath; besides, there are several Moun∣tains not very far off: Some say they were brought from Said along the Nile. Before each of the three Pyramids, appeared some remains of old square Buildings, which seemed to have been Temples. At some steps of the open Pyramid is an Idol called by the Arabs Abon-el-haoun, that is, the chief Column; and by Pliny Sphinx: 'Tis a Bust cut out of a live Rock, and seems to be made of five Stones joined together, but being nar∣rowly observed it's found they are but Joints or the Veins of the Rock. It represents a Woman's Face, but is of a prodigi∣ous bigness, being six and twenty foot high, and fifteen foot from its Ear to its Chin; the top of its Head is open, and the hole through which a Man may easily pass, reacheth down to the Breast, and there ends. The Heathens adored this Idol; the ancient Egyptians believed that the Body of King Amasis was shut up within it; others say, that a King of Egypt made this Figure in memory of one Rhodope whom he loved. Pliny speaking of these Pyramids, says, That the biggest was built by order of the King of Egypt, who imploy'd 370000 Men for 20 years about it. Some call this King Copthus, others Cheos∣pes, and some Chemnis, and say, That he did not reap the fruit of his Expence, because, that having oppress'd his Subjects by that tedious Work, they threatned they would burn his Body after his death, which made him order it should be buried in a secret place. M. Thevenot Voyage du Levant.
• Pyreus, a Port of Athens called now Port de Setine or Porto Leone, because of a Marble Lyon that stands upon the Sea-shoar. Ancient Authors often mention this famous Port, which Themistocles caused to be joined to the City by great Walls built by him in the 276 year of Rome, and which was afterwards ruin'd in 350, upon the taking of Athens.
• Pyrrho, chief of the Sceptick Philosophers, was at first, as Apollodorus saith, a Painter, then became a hearer of Driso, and at last, the Disciple of Anaxarchus, whom he followed into India for to see the Gymnosophists. He pretended that Men did nothing but by Custom, and that there was neither Honesty nor Dishonesty, Justice or Unjustice, Good or Evil; he was very solitary, lived to be 90 years old; was highly esteem'd in his Country, and created Chief Priest. The Athenians made him a Freeman of their City, which was a great favour. He lived in the time of Epicurus and Theophrastus, about the 120th Olympiad; his followers were called Pyrrhonians, besides which, they named them Ephecticks, Aphoreticks, but more generally Scep∣ticks. This Sect made their Sovereign Good to consist in a sedate∣ness of Mind exempt from all Passion in regulating their Opini∣ons, and moderating their Passions, which they called Ataxia and Metriopathia, and in suspending their Judgment in regard of Good or Evil, Truth or Falshood, which they called E∣poche.
• Pyrrhus, the Son of Achilles, was at the Siege of Troy, where he revenged his Father's death when that City was ta∣ken, and then retired to Epirus, where he fix'd his Kingdom. Justin lib. 17. Ovid, &c.
• Pyrrhus, King of Epirus, the Son of Aeacides, King of the Illyrians, was left by his Father very young, but taken care of by Glaucus, who secured him from those that would have kill'd him; he re-established himself in spight of his Enemies, and defeated Neoptolemus his Competitor to the Crown; he was an ambitious Man, made great Conquests, but always richer in Hope than in Possession. He began to give proofs of his Bra∣very at the Battle of Ipsus in the year 453 of Rome, and was victorious over Antigonus and Demetrius; this last being after∣wards expell'd by his Subjects from Macedonia; Pyrrhus de∣feated him again, and made himself Master of his Country a∣bout the 122d Olympiad; but about seven Months after he was driven out by the Macedonians. Some time after Pyrrhus made War upon the Romans, against whom he fought three great Battles; the first in 474, near Heraclea in Great Greece upon the River Siris; he won the day but lost abundance of Men, which made him say, He would be ruined if he should gain another Bat∣tle that cost him so dear. C. Fabricius was sent to him about the releasement of the Prisoners, which he did without Ransom. In the mean time, the Romans sent back his Chancellor Cyneas, who demanded a Peace, refusing very considerable Presents that were offered him. These reciprocal Civilities were followed with the Battle of Ascoli in the Povilla in the 475 year of Rome, the Victory was doubtfull, Pyrrhus lost many Men, and was himself wounded. Some time after he pass'd into Sicily, beat the Carthaginians in two Battles, took Erix and some other places, but he quitted the Siege of Lilybaeum, repassed into Italy to succour the Tarentines, and fought a third Battle with the Romans in 479, wherein he was entirely defeated by the Con∣sul Curius Dentatus, so that the year following he went over to Epirus with 7000 Foot and 5000 Horse. He raised a new Ar∣my, attack'd Antigonus Gonatas King of Macedonia, defeated him, and became Master of his Kingdom; he afterwards en∣ter'd into Peloponnesus, ravaged the Country of the Lacedaemoni∣ans, but was obliged to raise the Siege of Sparta; thence pas∣sing by Argos, he was kill'd with a Tile thrown upon his Head by a Woman whose Son he would have put to death in the 127th Olympiad, and 481 of Rome. Aelian speaks of a Scriech-Owl that flew at the Javelin of this Prince the Night before he was killed. Aelian l. 10. c. 7. Hist. Anim. Justin l. 17, 24, 25. Plutarch. Livy. Polybius. Florus. Orosius, &c.
• Pyrrhus, a Monothelite Monk, was made Patriarch of Con∣stantinople after Sergius in 638. He was accused of having been concerned in the murther of the Emperor Constantine the Son of Heraclius, for which he fled into Africa, where coming to be acquainted with Maximus, a learned and holy Man, he in∣structed him in the true Faith; thence came to Rome, pre∣sented the Pope with his Confession of Faith, and was admit∣ted into Communion, but no sooner departed but he spread his Errors at Ravenna, and so was deprived of his Sacerdotal Order. He was afterwards re-established in the See of Constan∣tinople, but he held it but four Months, and four Days. Theo∣phanes in Annal. Nicephorus in Chron. Baronius A. C. 639, 642, &c.
• Pythagoras, a Philosopher and Author of the Italian Sect, was of Samos, and lived in the year of Rome 220. He, that he might increase his knowledge, travelled into Egypt, Phoenicia and Chaldea, where 'tis likely he learned many things con∣cerning the Jewish Religion, as Josephus saith. After his return to Samos, being not able to endure the Tyranny of Polycrates, and Siloso his Brother that succeeded him, he retired to that part of Italy called Magna Graecia. His ordinary residence was at Crotona, Metapont, Tarentum, &c.. He rejected the name of Sophos, and took that of Philosophus; he understood many Sci∣ences, especially the Mathematicks; he invented new Rules of Arithmetick, and perfected Geometry. Authors vaunt much of his abstinence, and confess, he was the first Philosopher that maintained the immortality of the Soul; and as to the trans∣migration of Souls, which was the principal point of his Phi∣losophy, wherewith some have charged him, he meant no more than the Sensitive Soul or Vital Principle of the Animal. It's said he was never seen to laugh or weep. Authors accuse him of Magick, but without just grounds. There are few that can agree touching the various adventures of his Life; some saying he was assassinated, others, that he died suddenly, &c. There are those who would have him to have lived in the time of Numa Pompilius, but Eusebius makes his death to be in the fourth year of the 70th Olympiad, and 257 or 58 of Rome, and 80 or 90 of his Life. There are four ancient Authors that writ his Life, to wit, Diogenes Laertius, Malchus Porphyrius, Jamblichus and Anonymus. Diodorus Siculus. Plutarch. Clem. Alex. Aulus Gel∣lius. Eusebius, &c.
• Pytheus, a certain rich Man of Caria in Asia minor, in the time of Xerxes; he had so greedy a desire of heaping up Gold, that a search after that Metal took up all his Mind; being re∣turned one time from a Journey, and having given orders for his Supper, his Wife put upon the Table several sorts of Meats all of Massy Gold; the Splendor of these extraordinary Victu∣als pleased him immediately, but he quickly complained of the hardness of it, and that it could not allay his hunger, from whence his Wife took occasion to let him understand his blind∣ness, and the misfortune he exposed himself to by seeking after nothing but Gold. Plut. Pliny l. 33. c. 10.
• Pytho, the name of certain Diviners, believed by the Pa∣gans to have been inspired by Apollo, surnamed Pythius. Others say this name was given to all those that pronounced Oracles, and that it comes from the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifies to Consult or Ask. Plutarch de Defectu Oraculor.
• Python, a Serpent of a prodigious bigness, produced by the Earth after the Deluge of Deucalion; the Fable saith, Juno made use of this monstrous Serpent to hinder the lying-in of Latona beloved by Jupiter, and that she was obliged to fly to the Isle of Asteria, which was afterwards call'd Delos, where she brought forth Apollo and Diana to the World; but Apollo growing up kill'd this Serpent with his Arrows, and in memory of that action instituted the Pythian Games. Strabo thinks, that by this Serpent might be meant a very wicked Man called Dra∣gon, that Apollo killed; but Naturalists say, That Python is a Greek word, deduced from the word Putrefaction; and that it signified the Vapours and Exhalations that ascended up from the Earth after the Deluge, and which the Sun dissipated with

• its Rays. Macrobius Saturn. l. 1. c. 17. Vid. Pythian Games.
• Pythonissa or Pythienna, the Priestess of Apollo, which pro∣nounced Oracles at Delphos in a Temple consecrated to that God, surnamed Pythius. Vid. Delphos. This name has been also given to all those Women that pretended to Prediction, and boasted they were inspired by this God.