greatest courage, all the efforts and operations of the enemy. This spirited defence was of short duration. Archelaus retreated into Boeotia, where Sylla soon followed him. The two hostile armies drew up in a line of battle near Chæronea, and the Romans obtained the victory, and, of the almost innumerable forces of the Asiatics, no more than 10,000 escaped.

Another battle in Thessaly, near Orchomenos proved equally fatal to the king of Pontus. Dorylaus, one of his generals, was defeated and he soon after sued for peace. Sylla listened to the terms of accommodation, as his presence at Rome was now become necessary to quell the commotions and cabals which his enemies had raised against him. He pledged himself to the king of Pontus to confirm him in the possession of his dominions, and to procure him the title of friend and ally of Rome; and Mithridates consented to relinquish Asia and Paphlagonia, to deliver Cappadocia to Ariobarzanes, and Bithynia to Nicomedes, and to pay to the Romans 2000 talents to defray the expenses of the war, and to deliver into their hands seventy galleys with all their rigging. Though Mithridates seemed to have re-established peace in his dominions, yet Fimbria, whose sentiments were contrary to those of Sylla, and who made himself master of the army of Asia by intrigue and oppression, kept him under continual alarms, and rendered the existence of his power precarious. Sylla, who had returned from Greece to ratify the treaty which had been made with Mithridates, rid the world of the tyrannical Fimbria; and the king of Pontus, awed by the resolution and determined firmness of his adversary, agreed to the conditions, though with reluctance. The hostile preparations of Mithridates, which continued in the tine of peace, became suspected by the Romans, and Muræna, who was left as governor of Asia in Sylla's absence, and who wished to make himself known by some conspicuous action, began hostilities by taking Comana and plundering the temple of Bellona. Mithridates did not oppose him, but he complained of this breach of peace before the Roman senate. Muræna was publicly reprimanded; but, as he did not cease from hostilities, it was easily understood that he acted by the private directions of the Roman people. The king upon this marched against him, and a battle was fought, in which both the adversaries claimed the victory. This was the last blow which the king of Pontus received in this war, which is called the second Mithridatic war, and which continued for about three years. Sylla, at that time, was made perpetual dictator at Rome, and he commanded Muræna to retire from the kingdom of Mithridates. The death of Sylla changed the face of affairs; the treaty of peace between the king of Pontus and the Romans, which had never been committed to writing, demanded frequent explanations, and Mithridates at last threw off the mask of friendship, and declared war. Nicomedes, at his death, left his kingdom to the Romans, but Mithridates disputed their right to the possessions of the deceased monarch, and entered the field with 120,000 men, besides a fleet of 400 ships in his ports, 16,000 horsemen to follow him, and 100

chariots armed with scythes. Lucullus was appointed over Asia, and entrusted with the care of the Mithridatic war. His valor and prudesce showed his merit; and Mithridates, in his vain attempts to take Cyzicum, lost no less than 300,000 men. Success continually attended the Roman arms. The king of Pontus was defeated in several bloody engagements, and with diff culty saved his life, and retired to his son-in-law Tigranes, king of Armenia. Lucullus pursued him, and, when his applications for the person of the fugitive monarch had been despised by Tgranes, he marched to the capital of Armenia, and terrified, by his sudden approach, the numerous forces of the enemy. A battle ensued. The Romans obtained an easy victory, and no less than 100,000 foot of the Armenians perished, and only five men of the Romans were killed. Tigranocerta, the rich capital of the country, fell into the conqueror's hands. After such signal victories, Lucullus had the mortification to see his own troops mutiny, and to be dispossessed of the command by the arrival of Pompey. The new general showed himself worthy to succeed Lucullus. He defeated Mithridates, and rendered his affairs so desperate that the monarch ded for safety into the country of the Scythians, where, for a while, he meditated the ruin of the Roman empire, and, with more wildness than prudence, secretly resolved to invade Italy by land, and march an army across the northern wilds of Asia and Europe to the Appennines. Not only the kingdom of Mithridates had fallen into the enemy's hands, but also all the neighbouring kings and princes were subdued, and Pompey saw prostrate at his feet Tigranes himself, that king of kings, who had lately treated the Romans with such contempt. Meantime, the wild projects of Mithridates terrified his subjects; and they, fearful to accompany him in a march of above 2000 miles across a barren and uncul tivated country, revolted and made his son king.

The monarch, forsaken in his old age, even by his own children, put an end to his life (see MITHRIDATES VII.), and gave the Romans cause to rejoice, as the third Mithridatic war was ended in his fall, B. C. 63. Such were the unsuc cessful struggles of Mithridates against the power of Rome. He was always full of resources, and the Romans had never a greater or more dangerous war to sustain. The duration of the Mithridatic war is not precisely known. According to Justin, Orosius, Florus, and Europius, it lasted for forty years; but the opinion of others, who fix its duration to thirty years, is far more credible; and, indeed, by proper calculation, there elapsed no more than twenty-six years from the time that Mithridates first entered the field against the Romans, till the time of his death.

Pompey, who was then engaged in a war with the Jews, received the first notice of the death of Mithridates as he was on his march to Jerusa lem, and was so impatient to impart it to the soldiery that he could not even wait till they had raised him a mount of turf from whence to speak to the army, according to the custom of the camp; but ordered those who were by him to form a kind of mount with their saddles, and

mans should in the mean time strengthen themselves in Asia, whither he was in haste to march, in hopes of meeting there with the same success as his father had done. But, before he reached that province, he was informed that Asander had revolted, and obtained of the Romans the kingdom of Bosphorus for himself. At the same time, he received intelligence that Cæsar, having at last reduced Alexandria, and settled the affairs of Egypt and Syria, was marching into Armenia. Alarmed at this news, he despatched ambassadors to sue for peace. Cæsar courteously entertained the ambassadors, and appeared very desirous of entering into a treaty. But, in the mean time, he pursued his march; and, arriving on the confines of Pontus, ordered all the troops that were quartered in the neighbouring province to join him; for he had brought from Alexandria only the sixth legion, consisting of 1000 men only. With these forces he advanced against Pharnaces; who being greatly frightened at his approach, from his success in all his expeditions, again despatched ambassadors, with a crown of gold, offering his daughter in marriage, and promising to do whatever he should require. The ambassadors took care to let him know that their master, though highly obliged to Pompey, yet had never been prevailed upon to send him any supplies during the civil war, which Dejotarus, king of Armenia Minor, whom he had honored with his friendship, had done. Cæsar answered that he was willing to conclude a peace with Pharnaces, provided he retired from Pontus, returned all the captives and hostages, whether Roman or their allies, and restored the goods of the Roman citizens. He added that, as to his not sending supplies to Pompey, they ought rather to have concealed such an ungrateful proceeding of their master, than alleged it as any merit. Pharnaces, upon the return of his ambassadors, acquainted Casar that he agreed to the conditions; but, finding that Cæsar's affairs called him into Italy, he required a longer time for the performance of what was stipulated, starting daily new difficulties, in hopes that Cæsar would be obliged to depart, and leave the affairs of Pontus in the same posture he had found them. Cæsar at length could no longer brook the king's deceitful behaviour; and, marching out in the night, rushed at break of day into the king's camp, exclaiming, Shall this treacherous parricide go unpunished? The king's chariots, which were armed with scythes, caused some disorder among Casar's horse; but, the rest of his army coming up, he put the enemy to flight. and obtained a complete victory. This battle was fought near the place where Mithridates had routed, with great slaughter, the Roman army under Triarius; and the victory was gained so rapidly that Cæsar, in a letter to his friend Anitius, at Rome, expressed it in three words, veni, vidi, vici. Pharnaces himself had the good luck to escape while the Romans were plundering the camp. Cæsar afterwards used to call Pompey a fortunate rather than a great conmander, since he had gained his chief glory in the Mithridatic war, fighting with so cowardly an enemy. The monument of Mithridates' victory over Triarus, as it was consecrated to the gods,

he did not think lawful to pull down, but set up another over against it to transmit to posterity his victory over Pharnaces, and after this victory, having recovered and restored to the alies e Rome all the places which Pharnaces had takea during the war, he declared Amisus a free cry, and appointed Mithridates Pergamenus king d Bosphorus in the room of Pharnaces.

Domitius Calvinus was desired to pursue the war against Pharnaces, if he should appearagon in the field; for the latter had retired after the battle to Sinope, with 1000 horse. Here he was quickly besieged by Domitius, to whom he sur rendered the town, upon no other condition than that he should be suffered to retire into Bosphora with the small body that attended him. Tas Domitius granted, but, as he had asked a se conduct only for his horsemen, caused all the king's horses to be killed. With these, and a band of Scythians and Sarmatians, Pharnaces a tempted to recover the kingdom of Bosphores but being met between Theodocia and Panto peum, both which cities he had reduced, i Asander, who was still in possession of the kingdom, a sharp engagement ensued, the king's me, not being used to fight on foot, were put t flight, and Pharnaces himself who remained alm in the field was surrounded by the enemy, and cut in pieces.

Pontus was now again reduced to the form of a province, and so continued to the triumvirate of Marc Antony, who after the battle at Palpi conferred it upon Darius the son of Pharmacs He continued faithful to the Romans; but ad nothing during his reign worth mentioning; ak was succeeded in the kingdom by Polemion, ise wise preferred to that honor by Marc Ant He was the son of Zeno, a famous orator of Las dicea, and after him that part of Pontus wict borders on Cappadocia was named Poleinot za He attended Anthony in his expedition agaə the Parthians; and, being taken prisoner in the unsuccessful battle fought by Statianus, wawez by the king of the Medes, an ally of the Far thians, to conclude a peace with the Romans In this embassy he acquitted himself so we Antony added the kingdom of Armenia kis former dominions. In the war between Ascy and Augustus, although he joined the forze, after the battle of Actium he was received in favor by the latter; and being sent by Apa against Scribonius, who, upon the den d Asander, had usurped the kingdom of Bepe rus, he reduced that state and the kingdom di Colchis, which was bestowed upon is ly Agrippa, who likewise honored him wishe title of friend and ally of the people of Ries He afterwards wazed war with the neighbouring barbarians who refused to live in subjecting & the Remans; but was overcome and put to de by the Aspungitani, a people bordering, accors ing to Strabo, on the Paius Marotis.

Upon his death, his son. Polemon II. was ly the emperor Caligula ra sed to the throre Bosphorus and Pontus. But he oozed na 2 exchange the former for part of Nero, with his consent, reduced Loat part w Pontus which he enjoyed to the form of a pr vince. He fell in love with Bercaice, daudi

of Aprippa king of Judea: and to marry her embraced the Jewish religion. But as she soon became tired of his riotous way of living, and returned to her father, he renounced his new religion. Polemon dying without issue, the ancient kingdom of Pontus was parcelled out into several parts, and added to the provinces of Bithynia, Galatia, and Cappadocia; only that part of it which was called Pontus Polemoniacus retaining the dignity of a distinct and separate province.

owes its existence to the mineral treasures which lie in the surrounding country. Immense quantities of iron ore, coal, and limestone, are found here. The church is an ancient stone building, and here is a canal, lately cut, from Newport.

During the civil discords between Vespasian and Vitellius, one Anicetus, first a slave, afterwards freedman, to king Polemon II., and then commander of the royal navy, took up arms with a design to rescue the kingdom from the Roman yoke. Being joined by great multitudes, drawn together with the prospect of spoil, he over-ran the country, and possessed himself of Trapesund, a city founded by the Grecians on the utmost confines of Pontus. Here he cut in pieces a cohort made up of the inhabitants, but which had been formerly presented with the privilege of Roman citizens: he likewise burnt the fleet, and scoured the neighbouring sea, Mucianus having called to Byzantium most of the Roman galleys. On this Vespasian, who was then in Syria, sent Verdius Gemnius into Pontus with a choice body of auxiliaries from the legions, who, assailing the enemy while they were in disorder, drove them into their vessels; then with some galleys he chased Anicetus into the mouth of the Chobus, where he thought himself safe under the protection of Sedochus king of the Lazians. Sedochus at first refused to deliver him up; but was soon prevailed upon, partly by threats, partly by presents, to surrender him and all the other fugitives who had taken sanctuary here. Thus ended that servile war; and the kingdom of Pontus continued to be a province of the empire till the time of David and Alexis Comneni, who being driven to Constantinople by the French and Venetians, A. D. 1204, under the command of Baldwin, earl of Flanders, settled, the one at Heraclea, the other at Trebisond. The troubles that arose among the Latins gave Alexis Comnenus an opportunity of erecting a new empire, which comprehended great part of Pontus, and was known by the name of the empire of Trebisond. The Comneni held it about 250 years, till the time of Mohammed II., who carried David Comnenus, the last emperor of Trebisond, prisoner to Constantinople, A. D. 1462, with all his family, and subjected his empire to that of Constantinople; under which Trebisond and all Pontus have continued ever since.

PONTUS EUXINUS, a sea at the west end of Colchis, between Asia and Europe, north of Asia; now called the Black Sea. See EUXINE. PONTYPOOL, a market-town in Trevethan parish, Abergavenny hundred, Monmouth, Wales, nine miles north from Newport, and 150 west by north from London. This place has long been noted for its manufacture of japanned ware, to which it gives name, and consists of two principal streets. It is placed on the edge of a steep cliff, overhanging the Avon Lwyd, and on the slope of a declivity under impending hills. The town, which has risen in the course of the last century,

PO'NY, n.s. Corrupted from puny, as Dr. Johnson suggests: but qu. Wel poun, little? A small horse.

You must know that one day last week, as Lady Betty Curricle was taking the dust in Hyde Park, in a sort of duodecimo phaeton, she desired me to write some verses on her ponies. Sheridan.

PONZA, or PONTIA, a small island of the Tuscan Sea, to which many illustrious Romans were anciently banished.

POOL, n. s. Sax. pul; Belg. poel; Swed. pol. A lake or collection of standing water: a small collection of any liquid.

There is at Jerusalem, by the sheep-market, a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

John v. 2.

Moss, as it cometh of moisture, so the water must Bacon.

but slide, and not stand in a pool.

Sea he had searched, and land, From Eden over Pontus, and the pool Mæotis.

Milton's Paradise Lost. The circling streams, once thought the pools of blood,

From dark oblivion Harvey's name shall save.

Dryden.

After the deluge, we suppose the vallies and lower grounds, where the descent and derivation of the water was not so easy, to have been full of lakes and pools. Burnet.

POOLE (Matthew), a very learned writer in the seventeenth century, born at York in 1624. He was educated at Emanuel College, Cambridge, and afterwards incorporated in the university of Oxford. He succeeded Dr. Anthony Tuckney in the rectory of St. Michael de Quern, in London, about 1648. In 1658 he set on foot a project for maintaining youths of great parts at the two universities, and had the approbation of the heads of houses in both of them. He pursued the affair with so much vigor, that in a short time £900 per annum was procured for that purpose; but this design was laid aside at the Restoration. In 1662 he was ejected from his living for nonconformity. He was ten years employed in composing his Synopsis Criticorum, &c. Besides this great work, he published several other pieces. When Dr. Oates's depositions concerning the popish plot were printed, our author found his name in the list of those who were to be cut off, on account (as was supposed) of what he had written against the papists in his Nullity of the Romish Faith; so that he was obliged to retire into Holland, where he died in 1679, and left behind him the character of a very able critic and casuist.

POOLE, a borough, market, and sea-port town of Dorsetshire, is supposed to have taken its name from a bay or pool of water, called Lanford, which surrounds it on all sides but the north. The site of the town is thus a peninsula, joined to the parish of Lanford by a narrow neck of land.

It was a fort in the time of the Romans, and a military way may be traced from hence to Wimborne: the church of St. James was for