nallyfhe crystals are smooth and shining ; 

 internally they have a glistening pearly 

 lustre. It is harder than glass, easily 

 frangible: specinc gravity 2.6 to 2-9. 

 Before the blow-pipe it foams, and melt 

 into a brownish enamel. This mineral 

 has been compared with the zeolite, to 

 which it bears some resemblance ; but il 

 does not, like that, become gelatinous 

 with acids. According to Klaproth it 

 consists of 



Silica 43.83 



Alumina 



Lime 



Oxide of iron 



Water 



Loss 



99.98 

 2 



100.00 



It occurs in Dauphiny, and in many parts 

 of Scotland 



PRELIMINARY, in general, denotes 

 something to be examined and determin- 

 ed before an affair can be treated of to 

 the purpose. The preliminaries of peace 

 consist chiefly in settling the powers of 

 ambassadors," and certain points in dis- 

 pute, which must be determined previ- 

 ously to the treaty itself. 



PRELUDE, prxludium, in music, is 

 usually a flourish or irregular air, which 

 a musician plays off-hand, to try if his 

 instrument be in tune, and so lead him 

 into the piece to be played. A ery often 

 the whole band in the orchestra run a few 

 divisions, to give the tune. 



PREMISES, in logic, an appellation 

 eiven to the two first propositions of a 

 syllogism, as going before, or preceding 

 the conclusion. Premises are the foun- 

 dation or principles of our reasoning; 

 which being either self evident or de- 

 monstrative propositions, the truth ot the 

 conclusion is equally evident. 



PREMISES, in law, from the Latin, pre- 

 7nwa(the foregoing), is applied to that 

 part in the beginning of a deed which 

 expresses the names of the grantor and 

 grantee, and the land or thing granted; 

 but it is chiefly used to signify the thing 

 granted only. 



PREMIUM, or PB.EMIUX, properly 

 signiiies a reward or recompense ; but it 

 is chiefly used in a mercantile sense for 

 the sum of money given to an insurer, 

 whether of ships, houses, lives, &c. See 



PRE 



IN-SUHAXCE. The term premium is a!?* 

 applied to what is given for a thing above 

 par, or prime cost ; thus if lottery tickets 

 sell for 20s. more than prime cost, or the 

 price at which the government issued 

 them, this 20s. is called a premium. 



PREMNA, in botany, a genus ot tl 

 Ditynamia Angiospermia class and ov- 

 der. Natural order of Personatae. Vitices, 

 Jussieu. Essential character : calyx two- 

 lobed; corolla four-cleft; berry four- 

 celled; seeds solitary. There are two 

 species ; viz. P. integrefolia, and P ser- 

 ratifolia ; both natives of the East In- 

 dies. 



PRENANTHES, in botany, a genus of 

 the Syngenesia Polygamia ^Equahs class 

 and order. Natural order of Composite 

 Semiflosculosx. Cichoracex,Jussieu. Es- 

 sential character: calyx calycled; florets 

 in a single row ; pappus simple, subses- 

 sile ; receptacle naked. There are nine, 

 teen species. 



PREPOSITION, in grammar, one oi 

 the parts of speech, being an indeclina- 

 ble particle, which yet serves to govern 

 the nouns that follow it. See GRAMMAR 

 PREPUCE. See ANATOMY. 

 PREROGATIVE, in law, means all t 



f iVJLJiVV^XJ **.--* -- , 



rights and privileges which by law the 

 King hath, as chief of the commonwealth, 

 and as intrusted with the execution of the 

 laws and this can be only according to 

 Magna Charta. We shall here briefly 

 set down those articles which are enu- 

 merated by Lord Chief Baron Comyns, 

 in his '* Digest," as belonging to the 

 King's prerogative, premising only, that 

 many things are laid down in our law- 

 books from ancient authorities, which do 

 not thoroughly accord with the spirit of the 

 constitution^* improved at the revolution; 

 and that every thing, which is contrary to 

 that glorious spirit, may be well question- 

 ed to be law at the present day. Those 

 who were formerly called prerogative 

 lawyers were little better than the will- 

 ing slaves of absolute monarchy. 



As to his domestic concerns, the care 

 of the marriages in the royal family be- 

 longs to the King, and is now regulated 

 by statute 12 George III., c. 11. 



As to foreign nations, he has the sove- 

 reignty of the seas surrounding England, 

 and may make treaties and alliances, and 

 send ambassadors and envoys to foreign 

 states ; and a league is said to be broken 

 by a prohibition of all the commodities 

 of a kingdom in amity. He may, in vir- 

 tue of the same right, grant reprisals, by- 

 taking the goods of foreign subjects, here 



