440 



PKOMISK 



PROOF 



bend liis mind. He takes from man tin- rvil gift 

 of foreseeing tin' future, tint gives liim the two 

 infinitely superior gifts of IIOJH* and of fire ; nml he 

 is the inventor of architecture, astronomy, writing, 

 figures, medicine, navigation, tin- mystery of pro- 

 phecy, the arts of metal-working, and all other 

 arts which emlx-Uisli and adorn life. For these 

 boons conferred on the human race lie is by Zeus's 

 order chained to a rock in Scythia by Heph;estus. 

 who fnllils this task reluctantly. Here lie is visited 

 b\ the Oceanides, by hi, and liy Hermes, who en- 

 deavours to find out that which I'roinetheus alone 

 knows, \vlio will ! the son of Zeus and bis suc- 

 cessor. Kefusing to divulge this secret, he is 

 struck by Zeus's lightning and hurled into Tar 

 tarns, whence he only re issues after a time to 

 undergo new sufferings. He is now fastened to 

 Mount Caucasus, and the eagle, an offspring of 

 Karth and Tartarus, comes to torment him daily. 

 Cheiron the Centaur at last otters himself to supply 

 the place of Prometheus in Hades for on no otlier 

 condition wits he to be lilierated than that some 

 other immortal should otl'er himself in his stead. 

 Cheiron, incurably wounded by Hercules, is ac- 

 cepted by Zeus. Other legends give a varying 

 aeeount, "and make Prometheus the creator of 

 man out of earth and water. Many have lieen the 

 explanations of this myth, as that it represents the 

 human mind in the consciousness of its own power, 

 refusing to obey implicitly the will of Zens. There 

 can be no doubt that Prometheus is a culture-hero, 

 analogous to the Maori Mani, and the Finnish 

 Wainamointn. The possession of lire to early 

 man was a matter of enormous Importance, and 

 the legend of its lieing originally stolen from heaven 

 by a primeval hero is very widely spread over the 

 world. The (Jreek name means 'fore-sight;' 

 Kpi met lii-iis ('after-thought') is obviously its 

 opposite ; and the beautifully ingenious identifica- 

 tion of the solar mythologies with the Sanskrit 

 Pramantha, the fire-stick of the Hindus, may be 

 disregarded in the face of the existence of the myth 

 far beyond the possible range of Aryan influence. 



See the article FIRE, p. fi:) ; E. B. Tyler's Rtstarcht* 

 into tht Early Hutory of Mankind (1865), and Kulm, 

 Die Herabkunft da Feuen (2d ed 1886); older books on 

 the myth by Weiske ( 1842 1 and I-asaulx ( 1843 ), and iimnu- 

 graphs by HoUe(BerL 1879)and Milchlmfer ( bVrl. 1882). 



Promise. See CONTRACT, MARRIAGE. 



Promissory-IlOte, a written promise by one 

 person (the maker) to pay another (the payee) 

 or bearer a sum of money either on demand or on a 

 future day. It is in the following form : 



100. LONDON, lit January 189-. 



Three months after date I promise to pay to Mr 

 William Smith or order One Hundred Pounds for valne 

 received. JOHN HKOWN. 



With certain necessary exceptions, such as the 

 mles regarding acceptance, the law of a Kill of 

 Kvchange (<].v.) applies equally to notes. 



Promotion in the commissioned ranks of the 

 I'.iilish army, since the abolition of the purchase 

 system in 1H70, is obtained by seniority to (ill a 

 vacancy, by select inn or by brevet for distinguished 

 services. I'iist ap|K>iiitments are as a rule obtained 

 from the militia or through the Military Colleges 

 (ee MILITARY SCHOOLS). Ifnt three commissions. 

 one in the Royal Artillery, one in the Royal Kn- 

 gini-crs, and one in the Cavalry, an- given each year 

 to cadets of tin- Royal Canadian Military Coi 

 and aliout ten second- lieutenant*' commissions in 

 the cavalry and line to sergeants who are specially 

 recommended and hold first-class certificate- of 

 ediiratinn. liesides these last all the officers of 

 the Coast Krigade Uoyal Artillery (about 48), ami 

 of the Coast Battalion I loyal Knginrera( 12), as well 

 \t all the i|iiartcrmaster (about 315) and riding- 



masters (about 45) in the service, are co is-ioned 



as lieutenants from the ranks. Quartermasters ., ,.,| 

 riding masters receive bonoran commissions, and 

 are promoted honorary captains and majoi> tor 

 length of service or distinguished conduct in the 

 field. Other otlicers are usually promoted, in their 

 regiments, when senior of their rank, on a vacainv 

 occurring, provided that they are well reported on 

 and have passed the necessary examinations ; but 

 to equalise promotion a steii is sometimes given 



out of the ri-gi nt. The highest rank of regi- 



mental officer is that of lieutenant -colom-l. The 

 succeeding stc[>s of colonel, major genmal. lieu 

 tenant general, and general are given to nfficei 



sj ially selected to (ill some appointment canving 



tliose ranks. The seniors have the prcferei, 

 otherwise eligible and not al>ove the age limits, 

 which are fifty-live, sixty two. and sixty se\ en 

 years respectively. Field-marshals, not exceeding 

 six. are specially selected from amongst the most 

 distinguished generals. The brevet nml; of major, 

 lieutenant-colonel, or colonel may 1 given to any 

 officer alnne the rank of lieutenant, and a lieu- 

 tenant may lie given a captaincy in another n 

 nient for distinguished services. By this means a 

 young and promising officer may be brought for- 

 ward and placed in an important command. Thus, 

 a major and brevet colonel is eligible for pro- 

 motion to major general, thereby passing over 

 many who are senior to him in length of service ; 

 but while serving with his regiment he does duty 

 as a major only. Such an officer must, however, 

 have leen exceptionally fortunate to have obtained 

 at least two brevets viz. lieutenant-colonel and 

 colonel, for only one step is given at a time. The 

 rules governing promotion are constantly altered 

 by royal warrant. The above rules were dated 

 1889. Non-commissioned officers are promoted by 

 selection the seniors, if otherwise qualified, hav- 

 ing the preference or for distinguished service. 

 See also COMMISSIONS (ARMV), RANK. 



Promotion in the navy is governed partly by 

 seniority and partly by selection. On a midship- 

 man passing all his examinations for the rank of 

 lieutenant, he receives his commission as sub- 

 lieutenant, and is then advanced to lieutenant, 

 except in a few special case-, by seniority. Those 

 specially selected for promotion have either obtained 

 a first-class in all subjects of examination, or else 

 have distinguished themselves on active or other 

 special service. Advancement from the lieutenants' 

 to the commanders' list may 1* said to be by pure 

 selection. As there are supposed to be 1000 lieu- 

 tenants on the active list and only 250 commanders, 

 it is inevitable that this should be the case. Except, 

 however, for very distinguished service, lieutenants 

 are not promoted before having served ten \<-.-ns in 

 that rank, and the promotions are generally to lie 

 found among officers who have ten to fifteen years' 

 seniority as lieutenants with a pro|M>rlionate 

 amount of good service. Promotion from the 

 commanders' list to the captains' is also by selec- 

 tion : but there is this difference, that as the 

 number of commanders is only some 70 in excess 

 of the captains, any commander who puts in the 

 requisite amount of sea -.TV ire can count, with a 

 fair amount of certainty, on attaining his step. 

 Captains and admirals an- promoted on their respec- 

 tive list- by pure seniority: the three admirals of 

 the fleet are selected for good service from admirals 

 who bav e command of a squadron either as rear- or 

 vice admiial. 



Proiii|itoriiiin Parviiloriim. an Knglish- 



1. at in dictionary, compiled r. ll-ln by I ieoffrcy tin- 

 grammarian, a friar preacher at Lynn in Norfolk. 



Prong-horn. See ANTI i i-i -. 

 Proof. See EVIDKXCK ; also I'.NCKAVING. 



