Page images
PDF
EPUB

to that solitary and sedentary life as sing ing, and that in their songs they took occasion to celebrate their own felicity. From hence a poem was invented, and afterwards improved to a perfect image of that happy time; which, by giving us an esteem for the virtues of a former age, might recommend them to the present. And since the life of shepherds was attended with more tranquillity than any other rural employment, the poets chose to introduce their persons from whom it received the name of pastoral. A pastoral is an imitation of the action of a shepherd, or one considered under that character. The form of this imitation is dramatic, or narrative, or mixed with both; the fable simple; the manners not too polite nor too rustic; the thoughts are plain, yet admit a little quickness and passion, but that short and flowing; the expression humble, yet as pure as the language will afford; neat, but not florid; easy, and yet lively. In short, the fable, manners, thoughts, and expressions are full of the greatest simplicity in nature. The complete character of this poem consists in simplicity, brevity, and delicacy; the two first of which render an eclogue natural, and the last delightful.

PASTURE, is generally any place where cattle may feed, and in law is mostly ap. plied to a common of pasture, or right of feeding cattle on certain waste lands. See COMMON.

PATE, in fortification, a kind of platform, resembling what is called an horseshoe; not always regular, but generally oval, encompassed only with a parapet, and having nothing to flank it. It is usually raised on marshy grounds, to cover the gate of a place. PATEE, or PATTEE, in heraldry, a cross, small in the centre, and widening to the extremes, which are very broad.

PATELLA, in anatomy, a bone which covers the fore-part of the joint of the knee, called also rotula, and popularly the kneepan. PATELLA, in natural history, limpet, a genus of the Vermes Testacea: animal a limax: shell univalve, subconic, shaped like a bason; without a spine. This is a very numerous genus, containing between two and three hundred species, divided into sections. A. Furnished with an internal lip; shell entire. B. With the margin angular, or irregularly toothed. C.With a pointed, recurved tip or crown. D. Very entire, and not pointed at the tip or crown. E.With the crown or tip perforated. The most worthy of notice are the following. P. vul

gata, with rough prominent striæ, and sharply crenated edges; vertex pretty near the centre; the edges often in old subjects' are almost smooth. P. pellucida, with a transparent shell, marked longitudinally with rows of rich blue spots; the vertex placed near one edge; inhabits the sea rocks of Cornwall. P. græca, with an oblong shell, perforated vertex, striated roughly to the edges. It inhabits the west of England. This genus was well known to the ancient Greeks, from whom we learn that it was used for the table, and that it was found adhering to the rocks.

PATENT, something that stands open or expanded: thus a leaf is said to be patent when it stands nearly at right angles with the stalk.

PATENT, or Letters Patent, are writings sealed with the great seal of England, by which a man is authorized to do, or to enjoy, any thing which of himself he could not. They are so called on account of their form, being open, with their seal affixed, ready to be exhibited for the confirmation of the authority delegated by them. Letters patent for new inventions are obtained by petition to the crown: they go through many offices, and are liable to opposition, on account of the want of novelty, &c. and if obtained, and it can be proved that the invention was not new, or had been made public previously to the granting the patent, they may be set aside. A patent at the lowest cost, and when no opposition is given to it, will, for fees of office, specification, &c. cost for the three branches of the United Kingdom about three hundred pounds.

PATRIOT, '' a sincere and unbiassed friend to his country; an advocate for general civilization, uniting in his conduct through life moral rectitude with political integrity. Such a character is seldom found in any country; but the specious appearance of it is to be seen every where, most especially in Europe. It is difficult to say how far the term can be used in a military sense, although it is not uncommon to read of a citizen soldier,' and a 'patriot soldier.' Individually considered, the term may be just, but it is hardly to be understood collectively. A celebrated English writer has left a treatise, intituled, "The Patriot King;" by which he means the first magistrate of a country who acts up to the genuine principles of its constitution. It is devoutly to be wished, (human nature being so constituted as to require coercion) that

the application of military force could always be in the hands of a patriot king, who is the first soldier in the land, and would of course be entitled to the appellation of a patriot soldier. The convulsed state of Europe is such, that po country can do without soldiers. When they are employed to defend, or protect their native land, they are patriot soldiers." See James's Military Dictionary.

PATROL, in war, a round or march made by the guards, or watch, in the nighttime, to observe what passes in the streets, and to secure the peace and tranquillity of a city or camp. The patrol generally consists of a body of five or six men, detached from a body on guard, and commanded by a serjeant. Patrols are formed out of the infantry, as well as the cavalry. When a weak place is besieged, and there is reason to apprehend an assault, strong patrols are ordered to do duty; those on foot keep a good look out from the ramparts, and those that are mounted take care of the out works.

PATRON, both in the cannon and common law, signifies him that hath the gift of a benefice or parsonage.

PATRONYMIC, among grammarians, is applied to such names of men and women as are derived from those of parents or ancestors. Patronymics are derived, 1. From the father, as Pelides, i. e. Achilles, the son of Peleus. 2. From the mother, as Philyrides, i. e. Chiron, the son of Philyra. 3. From the grandfather on the father's side, as acides, i. e. Achilles, the grandson of Eacus. 4. From the grandfather by the mother's side, as Atlantiades, i. e. Mercury, the grandson of Atlas: and, 5. From kings and founders of nations, as Romulidæ, i. e. the Romans, from their founder, King Ro

mulus.

PAVEMENT, a layer of stone, or other matter, serving to cover and strengthen the ground of divers places for the more commodious walking on. In London the pavement for coach-ways is chiefly a kind of granite from Scotland: and on the footpath Yorkshire paving is used; courts, stables, kitchens, halls, churches, &c. are paved usually with tiles, bricks, flags, or fire-stones; and sometimes with a kind of free-stone and rag-stone. In France, the public roads, streets, courts, &c. are paved with gres, a kind of free-stone. In Venice, the streets, &c. are paved with brick; churches some times with marble, and sometimes with Mosaic work. In Amsterdam, and the chief

cities of Holland, they call their brick pave ment the burgomaster's pavement, to distinguish it from the stone or flint pavement, which is usually in the middle of the street, serving for the passage of their horses, carts, coaches, and other carriages; the brick borders being designed for the passage of people on foot. Pavements of free-stone, flints, and flags, in streets, &c. are laid dry, that is, are retained in a bed of sand; those of courts, stables, ground-rooms, &c. are laid in mortar of lime and sand, or in lime and cement, especially if there be vaults or cellars underneath. Some masons, after laying a floor dry, especially of brick, spread a thin mortar over it, sweeping it backwards and forwards, to fill up the joints. Thirty-two statute bricks laid flat, pave a yard square; sixty-four edgewise. The square tiles used in paving, called paving bricks, are of various sizes, from six to twelve inches square. Pavements of churches, &c. frequently consist of stones of different colours, chiefly black and white, and of several forms, but chiefly square and lozenges, artfully disposed.

PAVEMENT of terrace, is that which serves for the covering of a platform, whether it be over a vault, or on a wooden floor. Those over vaults are usually stones squared, and bedded in lead. Those on wood are either stones with beds, for bridges; tiles, for ceilings in rooms; or lays of mortar, made of cement and lime, with flints or bricks laid flat, as is still practised by people in the east and south, on the tops of their houses.

PAVETTA, in botany, a genus of the Tetrandria Monogynia class and order. Natural order of Stellatæ. Rubiacea, Jussieu. Essential character: corolla one-petalled, funnel-form, superior; stigma curved; berry two-seeded. There are seven species.

PAVILION is sometimes applied to flags, colours, ensigns, standards, banners, &c. See FLAG, &c.

PAVILION, in heraldry, denotes a covering in form of a tent, which invests or wraps up the armories of divers kings and sovereigns, depending only on God and their sword. The pavilion consists of two parts; the top, which is the chapeau, or coronet; and the curtin, which makes the mantle. None but sovereign monarchs, according to the French heralds, may bear the pavilion entire, and in all its parts. Those who are elective, or have any dependance, say the heralds, must take off the head, and retain nothing but the curtains.

PAULLINIA, in botany, a genus of the Octandria Trigynia class and order. Natural order of Trihilatæ. Sapindi, Jussieu. Essential character: calyx five-leaved; petals four; nectary four-leaved, unequal; capsules three, compressed, membrana ceous, connate. There are seventeen species, all natives of warm climates.

PAVO, the peacock, in natural history, a genus of birds of the order Gallina. Generic character: bill convex and strong; head covered with turned-back feathers; nostrils large, feathers of the tail long, broad, expansile, and adorned with rich eye-like spots. There are four species. The P. cristatus, or crested peacock, was originally brought from India, where it is found in its wild state, and exhibits all its maturity of growth, and glow of colouring. It was an article of importation from that country to Palestine, in the reign of Solomon, in those fleets which conveyed once in three years to the court of that magnificent monarch, invaluable treasures of art and nature. In this country, peacocks do not attain their full and brilliant plumage till their third year. The female lays five eggs, and is par. ticularly solicitous to conceal them from the male, which not unfrequently destroys them. These birds feed almost solely on in sects and grain. They prefer elevated situations for roosting, choosing the tops of houses and the highest trees for this purpose. They were considered as luxuries for the table by the Romans, and the young ones are now regarded as a delicacy. Their voice is harsh and dissonant, and in perfect contrast to that beauty exhibited by their plumage, which, in the language of Buffon, seems to combine all that delights the eye in the soft and delicate tints of the finest flowers, all that dazzles in the sparkling lustre of the gem, and all that astonishes in the grand display of the rainbow." See Aves, Plate XI. fig. 2.

PAUSE, a stop or cessation of speaking, singing, playing, or the like. The use of pointing, in grammar, is to make proper panses in certain places. There is a pause in the middle of each verse; in an hemistich it is called a rest or repose.

PAUSE, in music, a character of silence, or rest, called also by some a mute figure, because it shews that some part or person is to be silent, while the rest continue the song. Pauses are used either for the sake of some fugue, or imitation, or to give a breathing time; or to give room for another voice, &c. to answer what this part sung,

as in dialogues, echoes, &c. In military affairs it is essentially necessary for all officers to accustom themselves to a most minute observance of the several pauses which are prescribed during the firings. According to the regulations, the pause between each of the firing words, " make ready, present, fire," is the same as the ordinary time, viz. the seventy-fifth part of a minute, and no other pause is to be made between the words. In firing by companies, by wings, each wing carries on its fire independently, without regard to the other wing, whether it fires from the centre to the flanks, or from the flanks to the centre. If there are five companies in the wing, two pauses will be made between the fire of each, and the make ready of the succeeding one. If there are four companies in the wing, three pauses will be made betwixt the fire of each, and the make ready of the succeed. ing one. This will allow sufficient time for the first company to have again loaded, and shouldered at the time the last company fires, and will establish proper intervals be tween each. In firing by grand divisions, three pauses will be made between the fire of each division, and the make ready of the succeeding one. In firing by wings, one wing will make ready the instant the other is

shouldering. The commanding officer of the battalion fires the wings. In firing companies by files, each company fires independently. When the right file presents, the next makes ready, and so on. After the first fire, each man as he loads comes to the recover, and the file again fires without waiting for any other; the rear rank men are to have their eyes on their front rank men, and be guided by, and present with them.

PAUSUS, in natural history, a genus of insects of the order Coleoptera. Antennæ two-jointed, the upper joint very large, inflected, hooked, pedicillate; head pointing forwards, with a convex, jugular triangle; thorax narrow, unequal, scutellate; shells flexile, deflected, truncate; four feet placed at the fore part of the breast, thighs with minute appendages; tarsi four-jointed. There are five species; two of which are fully described in the "Linnæan Transactions," vol. 4. P. microcephalus: head onarmed; club an oblong sphere; shells as long as the body, not punctured; shanks linear. It inhabits the Banana islands. P. sphærocerus: head horned; club globular; shells shorter than the abdomen, punctured; shanks dilated at the tip. It is found at

Sierra Leone; wanders about in the night time, during the months of January and February, and becomes blind or benumbed on the approach of light; the globes of the antennæ give a kind of phosphoric light in the dark; the body is polished, and of ches nnt colour, a little narrower than the last; horn between the eyes straight, conic, tipped with a tuft of cartilaginous hairs; eyes larger; thorax the same breadth as the head; wings shining and violet.

PAW, patte, in heraldry, the fore foot of a beast, cut off short. If the leg be cut off, it is called gambe. Lions paws are much used in armory.

PAWLE, in a ship, a small piece of iron bolted to one end of the beams of the deck close to the capstan; but yet so easily, as that it can turn about. Its use is to stop the capstan from turning back, by being made to catch hold of the whelps; they therefore say, heave a pawle; that is, heave a little more, for the pawle to get hold of the whelps: and this they call pawling the capstan.

PAWN, among miners, a pledge put into the bar-master's hand, at the time when the plaintiff causes the bar master to arrest the mine.

PAWNBROKER. See BROKER. PAY, in the sea-language. The seamen say, pay more cable, when they mean to let out more cable.

PAYING, among seamen. When the seams of a ship are laid over with a coat of hot pitch, it is called paying her; and when this is done with canvass, parcelling; also when, after she is graved, and the soil burned off, a new coat of tallow and soap, or one of train oil, rosin, and brimstone boiled together, is put on her, that is also called paying of a ship.

PAYMENT, in law, is the consideration or purchase-money for goods, and may be made by the buyer giving to the seller the price agreed upon, either by bill or note, or by money. Where a day certain is appointed for payment, the party bound shall be allowed till the last moment of the day to pay it in, if it be an inland bill. Payment of money before the day, is, in law, payment at the day; for it cannot, in presumption of law, be any prejudice to him to whom the payment is made, to have his money before the time; and it appears by the party's receipt of it, that it is for his own advantage to receive it then.

PEACE has been represented allegorically as a beautiful female, holding in her VOL. V.

hand a wand or rod towards the earth, over a hideous serpent, and keeping her other hand over her face, as unwilling to behold strife or war. By some painters she has been represented holding in one hand an olive branch, and leading a lamb and a wolf yoked by their necks in the other; others again have delineated her with an olive branch in her right hand, and a cornucopia, or horn of plenty, in her left. At Rome a celebrated temple was erected for the goddess of peace, which was furnished with most of the rich vases and curiosities taken out of the Temple at Jerusalem. The Temple of Peace, built by Vespasian, was three hundred feet long, and two hundred feet broad. Josephus says, that all the rarities which men are accustomed to travel to see, were deposited in this temple.

Peace, in law, signifies a quiet and harmless behaviour towards the King and his people. The King, by his office and dig. nity royal, is the principal conservator of the peace within all his dominions; and may give authority to any other to see the peace kept, and to punish such as break it; hence it is usually called the King's peace. All the great officers of state are generally conservators of the peace, throughout the kingdom, and may commit all breakers of it, or bind them in recognizance to keep it. Also the sheriff, coroner, constables, and tithingmen, are conservators of the peace within their own jurisdiction, and may apprehend all breakers of the peace, and commit them till they find sureties to keep the peace.

PEACH, in botany. See AMYGDALUS.
PEACOCK. See PAVO.

PEARL, a concretion formed in several species of shells, as in some species of the oyster and the (muscle. It has been regarded by some persons as a morbid concretion, owing to an excess of shelly matter, and by others it is supposed to have originated in a wound of the shell containing the animal. Pearls are of a silvery or blueish-white colour, and very brilliant. As they consist of concentric layers of carbonate of lime and membrane, alternately arranged, the refraction of light is ascribed to the lamellated structure. See SHELL.

PEARL, mother of, is the shell not of the pearl oyster, but of another sea-fish of the oyster kind. This shell on the inside is extremely smooth, and of the whiteness and water of pearl itself; and it has the same lustre on the outside, after the first laminæ or scales have been cleared off with

L

aquafortis and the lapidaries mill. Mother of pearl is used in inlaid works, and in sevetal toys, as snuff boxes, &c.

PEARL, in heraldry, in blazoning with precious stones, is the same with argent, or white.

PEARL ash, an alkali used in various manufacturing processes: it is potash mixed with different heterogeneous substances. See POTASH.

PEARL fishery. The most important fishery to England at present is that at Ceylon. The origin of this method of procuring a valuable ornament for the person must have arisen from accidentally discovering the pearl within oysters taken for food is evident; but it is impossible to ascertain when the search became systematical, though it is extremely probable it has been so for very many ages.

The pearl oysters of the coast of Ceylon are all of one species, and possess the same regularity of form; but they assume different qualities, and have different denominations, suited to the nature of the ground where they are situated, and from the appearance of zoophytes adhering to the external surface of their shells. They resemble a cockle in shape, which is an imperfect oval, and their circumference is generally about nine inches and a half, having a segment as it were cut off where the joint of the two shells occurs. The interior of those is far more brilliant and beautiful than the pearl they enclose, and the outside is smooth, except when injured by the usurpations of sponges, corals, and other marine productions. The flesh of the animal is white, and of a glutinous consistency.

Perhaps no class of animated nature undergoes more unmerited persecution and destruction than the pearl-oyster; when situated in their native regions, they afford a foundation for the habitations of other animals, and millions of them are dragged from their banks, and thrown away, for what they are vainly supposed to contain, and that an intruder or a disease. One of the banks at Ceylon furnishes oysters to which zoophytes are attached, apparently belonging to the class of sponges, and those generally resemble a funnel or cup, and grows to a size that completely overshadows the oyster; others of different banks have a substance adhering to them tinged with red. The above are found to contain the finest pearls: some escape free from incumbrance, and thousands are compelled to bear trees of coral on them of five times their own weight.

The oyster is fastened to the rocks at the bottom of the sea by quantities of hairy fibres. By this means they are not readily swept from their original station, and yet possess the advantage of being conveyed to some distance from it by the motion of the water; besides they are connected to each other in the same manner. It frequently happens that an old oyster,*surrounded by young ones, is brought up by the divers, and the latter have been ascertained to possess, even when little larger than a grain of sand, the power of moving themselves by the extension and contraction of what is termed the beard. The violence of the waves at the time of the monsoons occasions great changes in the state of the banks, when incredible numbers of them are buried by the shifting of sand, and that is sometimes removed by the same power acting in a contrary direction.

It is supposed, from many concurring circumstances, that the pearl-oyster arrives at maturity at the close of seven years: after this period it is imagined that it dies, when the body decaying is washed away by the sea: a bed was discovered a few years since composed almost wholly of empty shells. The precious substance, which invites the exertions of man to obtain it, has been generally supposed to be a disease peculiar to the animal; but were this the fact, it is extremely prevalent amongst this description of oysters, as every individual of the species is found to be accompanied by a certain proportion of minute particles, which are evidently the pearl in the first stages of formation; hence it may be fairly supposed, that they are in some essential degree useful, rather than prejudicial to the inhabitant of the shells, of the nature of which it decidedly partakes, and is composed of a number of layers, moveable by a skilful person to the improvement of the pearl, as it sometimes happens the exterior coat only may be discoloured or injured. When the pearl is in a state of perfection they are of a brilliant white, some have been found of a beautiful tint of pink, of the colour of gold, and a few entirely black. These variations are, however, very uncommon.

The pearls are discovered near the angles of the shell, and close to the hinge, where the animal is most thick and fleshy; they are generally numerous, and in some instances 150 have been taken from one oyster; on the other hand, an hundred oysters have been opened whence a pearl could not be extraeted fit for any purpose whatever.

« PreviousContinue »