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EPI
EP1PL0CE, [oriTX«x>i,] a figure of rhetoric, by which one ag-gravation, or striking circumstance, is added in due gradation toanother ; as, he not only spared his enemies, but continued themin employment; not only continued, but advanced them.
EPJPLOCELE, in medicine, a kind of hernia or rupture, inwhich the omentum subsides into the scrotum.
EP1PLOOMPHALON, an hernia umbilicalis, ^proceedingfrom the omentum falling into the region of the navel.
EPIRUS, a district of ancient Greece , bounded on the E. byEtolia , on tlie W. by the Adriatic, on the N. by Thessaiy and Ma-cedon, and on the S', by the Ionian sea. It was anciently govern-ed by its own princes, in which state it made a considerable figure.According to Josephus , it was first peopled by Dod.miin the souof Javan, and grandson of Juphet.
EPISCOPACY is that form of church government, in whichdiocesan bishops are established as distinct from and superior topriests or presbyters. The ministers of religion have long beendistinguished into different orders; but it has been much contro-verted whether the distinction be of divine or human right. Thiscontroversy commenced soon utter the Retormation; and liasbeen agitated with great warmth between the Episcopalians on theone side, and the Presbyterians and Independents on the other.
EPISCOPALIANS^ in church history, an appellation givento those who prefer the episcopal government and discipline to allothers. By the test act, none but Episcopalians, or members ofthe church of England , are qualified to enjoy any office civil ormilitary: an act which every liberal-minded person must allow tobe a disgrace to the laws ot England, as long as it remains unte-nealed. The inconvenience arising from it, even to the conscien-tious part of the English clergy themselves, has been unanswerablyset forth by Mr. Beautort in the House of Commons , in 1787.
EP1SCOPIUS, Simon, one of the most learned men of the 17thcentury, and the chief supporter of the Arminian sect, was bornat Amsterdam in 1A83. In 1612, he was chosen professor of divi-nity at Leyden, in the room of Gomarus, who resigned ; and thefunctions of his office, with his private studies, were Jjglit burdensto him, compared with the dilficulties he sustained on account ofthe Arminian controversy : which, though it began in theuniversities, soon flew to the pulpits, from whence it spread andinflamed the people. The states of Holland having invited Epis-copius to take his place at the synod of Dort, he went thither ac-companied by some remonstrant ministers; hut the synod wouldnot allow them to sit asjudges, nor to appear in any other capacitythan as persons summoned before them : they submitted, were de-posed, and banished. They then retired to Antwerp , but the timesgrowing more favourable, Lpiscopius returned to Holland in 1626,•md was made minister of the church of Remonstrants at Rotter-dam . In 1634, he was chosen rector of the college founded byhis sect at Amsterdam , where he spent the remainder of his days,lie died in 1643, of a retention of urine. Ilis works make two•volumes in folio, of which the 2d consists of posthumous publica-tions.
EPISODE, [firivwi'>!,3 an incidental narrative, or digression ina poem, separable from the main subject, yet rising naturallyfrom it. All the particular incidents whereof the action or narra-tion is compounded, are called episodes. See Poetry.
EPISPAS TICS, [i~* and o-tuw,] in medicine, arc topieal re-medies, which being applied to the external parts of the body,attract the humours to them.
EPISTATE, in the Athenian republic, the president of theProedri.
EP1STEMONARCI1, in the ancient Greek church, an of-ficer of great dignity, w ho had the care of every thing relating tofaith, in the quality of censor.
EPISTLE, a letter . This word is now chiefly used
Id speaking of ancient writings, as the epistles of St. Paul, epistlesof Cicero, epistles of Pliny , &c.
Epistles and Gospels, in the liturgy of the church of Eng-land , are select portions of scripture, taken out of the writings ofthe evangelists and apostles, and appointed to be read, in thecommunion service, on Sundays and holidays. They are thoughtto have been selected by St. Jesom, and by him put in the lec-tionary. It is certain, they were very anciently appropriated to{lie days whereon they are now reat], as they are commented upon
in the homilies of several ancient fathers, preached upon thoseday s, to w hich these portions of scripture are now affixed.
EPISTROPI1E, in rhetoric, a figure, wherein that which issupposed of one thing, is strongly affirmed of another: thus, Arethey Hebrews? so am 1. Are they Israelites ? so am 1. Arethey of the seed of Abraham ? so am I, &c.
EPISTYLE, [from ml, over, and s-uxo;, a column,] in the an-cient architecture, is a mass of stone, or a piece of timber laidupon the capital of a column. It is now called architrave. SeeArchitecture.
EPITAPH, [mi, upon, and a sepulchre,] an inscriptionupon a tomb. It has been disputed whether the ancient Jews in-scribed epitaphs on the monuments of the dead ; hut it is certain,some of very ancient date are found amongst tnem. The Athe-nians put only the name of the'dead, with the epithet good,
or > 1 * 11 .-, hero, and the word signify mg their good wishes.
The name of the deceased's father and his tribe were frequentlyadded. The Lacedemonians allowed epitaphs to none but thosewho had died in battle. The Romans inscribed their epitaphs tothe manes, dies manibii - ; and frequently introduced the dead, byway of prosopopoeia, speaking to the living ; of which we have afine instance, worthy the Augustan age, wherein the dead wifethus bespeaks her surviving husband :
Immalura peri ; sed tu, felicior, annosVive tuos, conjux optime, vive meos.
The epitaphs of the present age are too often filled with fulsomecompliments which were n-ver merited, characters which humannature in its best state could scarce lay claim to, and expressionsof respec t which were never paid in the life-time of the deceased.Ilence the proverb, “ He lies like an epitaph.”
Epitaph is also applied to certain elogies, either in prose orverse, composed without any intent to be engraven on tombs ; as.That of Alexander,
Sulficit huic tumulus, cui non sufficeret orbis «and that of Newton,
Isaacum New tonQuern immortalemTestamur Tempus, Natura, Cct-lum,
Morlaleni hoc marmorFatetur.
EPITASIS, in ancient poetry, the second part of a dramaticpoem, wherein tiie plot, entered upon in the protasis, or first part,was carried on, heightened, and worked tip, till it arrived at itsstale or height, called cataslasis.
Kpitasis, in medicine, the increase of a disease or beginning ofa paroxysm, particularly in a fever.
EPITHALAMIUM, [i.ti t>aXa(w3',] a nuptial song; a com-pliment upon marriage.
The Epithalamium among the Jews , was sung at the door ofthe bride, by her friends and companions, the evening before themarriage. The xlvth Psalm is an epithalamium. Among theGreeks it was sung as soon as the married couple were going tobed, and attended with shouts and stamping of the feet. They re-turned in the morning, and with the same song, a little altered,,saluted them again. 'Hie evening songs were called (7r.SaX«(j.i<»xoijuiilixi; the morning salutes mtJaXa.uia ty 'Phis was thepractice amongst the Romans also, but their epithalamia were of-ten obscene.
EPP111AURO. See Epiijaurus..
EPITHEM, [tjriftijfxi*,] in pharmacy, a remedy of a spirituousor aromatic kind, applied externally to the regions of the heart,liver, Sec. to strengthen and comfort, or correct some intempera-ture ot the part.
EPI 1 11 L'l , [criAf-ov,] in poetry and rhetoric, an adjective ex-pressing some quality ol a substantive to which it is joined ; orsuch an adjective as is annexed to substantivts by way of orna-ment and illustration, not to make up an essential part of the de-scription. Nothing, says Aristotle , tires the reader more than toogreat a redundancy of epithets, or epithets placed impropi rly ;and yet nothing is so essential in poetry as a proper use of them.The writings of the best poets are full of them.
EPITOME, [uriToyoi,] abridgment; abbreviature; compen-dious abstract; compendium. Sec Abridgment.
6 FIAT RITES,