TAG 



As a numeral, P. signifies the same as 

 G. viz. 400 ; and with a dash over it, thus 

 P, 400,000. 



Among physicians, P. denotes pugil, or 

 the eighth part of an handful ; P. jE. 

 partes xquales, or equal parts of the in- 

 gredients ; P. P. signifies pulvis patrum, 

 i. e. the Jesuits-powder ; and ppt. prxpa- 

 ratus, prepared. 



PACE, a measure taken from the space 

 between the two feet of a man, in walk- 

 ing ; usually reckoned two feet and an 

 half, and in some men a yard or three 

 feet. See MEASURE. 



The geometrical pace is five feet ; and 

 60,000 such paces make one degree of 

 the equator. 



PACKERS, persons whose employment 

 it is to pack up all goods intended for 

 exportation ; which they do for the great 

 trading companies and merchants of 

 London, and are answerable if the goods 

 receive any damage through bad pack- 

 age. 



PACO, a species of the Camelus, found 

 in Peru. 



PJEDERIA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Pentandria Monogynia class and order. 

 Natural order of Contorts. Rubiaceae, 

 Jussieu. Essential character : contorted ; 

 berry void, brittle, two-seeded ; style bi- 

 fid. There are two species, viz. i'. fceti- 

 da, and P. fragrans, the former is a native 

 of the East Indies, and the latter of the 

 island of Mauritius. 



PJEDEROTA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Diandria Monogynia class and order. 

 Natural order of Personatse. Scrophula- 

 ri<e, Jussieu. Essential character : corol- 

 la four-cleft ; calyx five-parted ; capsule 

 two-celled. There are three species. 



PJEONIA, in botany, peony, a genus of 

 the Poly and ria Digynia class and order. 

 Natural order of MuKisiliquae. Ranun- 

 culaces, Jussieu. Essential character : 

 calyx five-leaved ; petals five ; styles 

 none; capsule Inany-seeded. There are 

 five species, of which P. albiflora, white- 

 flowered peony, has the root composed 

 of a few cylindrical or fusiform tubers, 

 united at top ; stem, from a radical leaf- 

 less sheath, two feet in height, slender, 

 round ; leaves alternate on long petioles ; 

 leaflets three-parted ; the whole plant is 

 very smooth and shining ; the calyx is 

 raised above the floral leaf on a short 

 thick peduncle ; petals eight, very large, 

 milk white, oval, concave, stamens about 

 one hundred and fifty, with the filaments 

 as well as anthers yellow; within the 

 stamens is a fungose, subcontinuous, lob- 



ed crown, more slender than in its conge- 

 ners ; the germs are smooth, conical, 

 purple at the tip ; stigma compressed into 

 a comb or crest, suborbicular, hooked; 

 seeds, when ripe, of a yellowish testace- 

 ous colour. It is a native of Siberia ; it is 

 well known among the Daurians and 

 Mongols on account of the root, which 

 they boil in their broth ; the seeds they 

 grind to put into their tea. 



PAGANISM, the religion of the Hea- 

 then nations, in which the Deity is repre- 

 sented under various forms, and by all 

 kinds of images or idols ; it is therefore 

 called idolatry, or image worship. The 

 theology of the Pagans was of three sorts, 

 viz. fabulous, natural, and political or 

 civil. The first treats of the genealogy, 

 worship, and attributes of their deities ; 

 who were, for the most part, the offspring 

 of the imagination of poets, painters, and 

 statuaries. To their gods were given 

 different names, and opposite attributes, 

 ascribing to them every species of vice, 

 as well as to some of them every virtue. 

 There is, however, in the delightful fic- 

 tions of Homer and Hesiod, much that is 

 entertaining, curious, and even useful. 

 The flowers of the garden and the field, 

 whose beauties we so much admire, were 

 once thought to be produced by the tears 

 of Aurora, the goddess of the morning, 

 whose rose-coloured fingers open the 

 gates of the east, pour the dew upon the 

 earth, and make the flowers grow. When 

 the leaves were agitated, or the long 

 grass of the meadows performed its grace- 

 ful undulations, all was put in motion by 

 the breath of Zephyrus, the god of the 

 west-wind. The murmurs of the waters 

 were the sighs of the Naiades, little deities 

 who presided over rivers, springs, wells, 

 and fountains. A god impels the wind ; 

 a god pours out the rivers ; grapes are 

 the gift of Bacchus ; Ceres presides over 

 the harvest; orchards are the care of 

 Pomona. Does a shepherd sound his reed 

 on the summit of a mountain, it is Pan, 

 who, with his pastoral pipe, returns the 

 amorous lay. When the sportsman's horn 

 rouses the attentive ear, it is Diana, arm- 

 ed with her bow and quiver, and more 

 nimble than the stag that she pursues, who 

 takes the diversion of the chace. The 

 sun is a god, riding on a car of fire, dif- 

 fusing his light through the world ; the 

 stars are so many divinities, who mea- 

 sure with their beams the regular pro- 

 gjess of fire ; the moon presides over the 

 silence of the night, and consoles the 

 world for the absence of her brother. 

 Neptune reigns in the sea, surrounded 



