424 
PAR PAR 
was appointed tutor in polite literature, and competed 
.many pieces in prole and verfe, diftinguifhed by delicacy 
of thought and elegance of ftyle, when he had fcarcely 
arrived at the age of manhood. His genius, however, 
chiefly inclined him to philofophical and mathematical 
ftudies, to which he devoted himfelf with the greateft 
ardour, reading the molt valuable authors in thofe fei- 
ences, ancient and modern 5 fo that in a thort time he 
made himfelf matter of the Peripatetic and Cartefian phi- 
lofophy, and taught them both with great reputation. 
After having difplayed his tkill in the fpeculative fciences, 
with great reputation, in different provinces, lie was 
called to Paris, to be profefl'or of rhetoric in the college 
of Louis the Great. Here he alfo taught the mathematics, 
•and acquired fo much fame by his lediures and publica¬ 
tions, that his acquaintance was fought for by all the 
learned men of the metropolis, and the higheft expedta- 
tions were formed from his future labours. Unhappily, 
the fanguine hopes of his friends were blafted by his 
premature death in 1673, when he was only thirty-feven 
years of age. This event is attributed to a malignant 
diforder which lie caught, while zealoutly difeharging the 
duties of preacher and coiifetfor at the Bicetre during the 
fetlival of Eafter. He wrote with neatnefs and concife- 
nefs, and in a ftyle fufticiently pure, if we except a few 
provincial expreftions. His principal productions are, 
1. Horologium thaumaticum duplex, 1662, 4to. 2. Dif- 
lertatio de Motu et Natura Cometarum, 1665, 8vo. 3. 
A Difcourfe on local Movement, 1670, 121110. 4. Ele¬ 
ments of Geometry, 1670, 12010. which have been tranf- 
■lated into feveral languages, and into Englifh by Dr. Har¬ 
ris. 5. A Difcourfe concerning the Knowledge of Beafts, 
1672, 1 zmo. 6. Statiftics, or the Science of moving 
Forces, 1673, nmo. 7. Defcription and Explanation of 
two Machines for facilitating the Cotiftruftion of Sun- 
Dials, 1673, i2mo. 8. Obfervations on the Movement of 
Light. 9. Globi Cteleftis in Tabula plana redadti De- 
feriptio ; publifiied after the author’s death, in 1675, folio, 
See. The greateft part of his works was printed in a col¬ 
lected form at the Hague, in 1691, 121110. and again at 
Lyons, in 1725. The author alfo had a difpute with fir 
Ifaac Newton, concerning his New Theory of Light and 
Colours, in 1672 ; and his letters are inferted in the Phi¬ 
lofophical Tran factions for that year. Hutton's Math. 
jDiStiotiary. 
PAR'DO, a river of Paraguay, which runs into the 
Parana. 
PAR'DO (El), a town of Spain, in New Caftile, where 
the king has a palace : feven miles north of Madrid. 
PAR'DO, or Pardao, f. A fllver coin, and money of 
account, at Goa. 
To PAR'DON, v. a. [pardonner , Fr.] To excufe an 
offender: 
When I beheld you in Cilicia, 
An enemy to Rome, I.pardon'd you. Dryden. 
To forgive a crime.—I will pardon all their iniquities. 
Jer. xxxiii. 8. 
Forgivenefs to the injur’d does belong, 
But they ne’er pardon who commit the wrong. Dryden. 
To remit a penalty : 
That thou may’ft fee the difference of our fpirit, 
I pardon thee thy life before thou afk it. Shakefpeare. 
Pardon me, is a word of civil denial or flight apology.— 
Sir, pardon me ; it is a letter from my brother. Shakefp. 
PAR'DON, f. [French.] Forgivenefs of an offender.— 
Forgivenefs of a crime,—He.that pleafeth great men fliall 
get pardon for iniquity. EccluJ. xx. 27. 
What better can we do than proftrate fall 
Before him reverent, and there confefs 
Humbly our faults, and pardon beg with tears 
Watering the ground ? Milton's P, L. 
Remiflion of penalty.!—Forgivenefs received.-*-A man 
may be fafe as to his condition, but, in the mean time, 
dark and doubtful as to his apprehenlions; fecure in his 
pardon, but miferable*’in the ignorance of it; and fo, pafling 
all his days in the dilconlolate uneafy viciflitudes of 
hopes and fears, at length go out of the world, not know¬ 
ing whither he goes. South's Sermons. —Warrant of for¬ 
givenefs, or exemption from punifhment: 
The battle done, and they-within our power, 
Shall never fee his pardon. Shahefpeare's K. L. 
“Law (fays Beccaria) cannot be framed on principles 
of compaflion to guilt; yet juftice, by the conftitution of 
England, is bound to be administered in mercy: this is 
promifed by the king in his coronation-oath ; and it is 
that aft of his government which is the moft perfonal, and 
moft entirely his own.” 
There are three fwords carried before the king at his 
coronation, belides the fword of ftate ; the JirjLot which, 
named curtuna, belonged to Edward the Confeffor, and 
has been ufed at the public inaugurations of our princes 
ever fince. The length of the blade is now 32 inches; 
originally it was much longer ; but it lias been broken 
oft’ at the point, to betoken mercy, juftly reckoned the 
brighteft prerogative of the fovbreign. Edward III. when 
he was crowned, on the ift of February, 1327, was the 
firft of our kings who, in the exertion of that prerogative, 
proclaimed a general pardon, which has been fince 
pradtifed by fucceeding monarchs. 
This power of pardoning offences is infeparably inci¬ 
dent to, and is the moft amiable prerogative of, the crown. 
Anciently the right of pardoning oft’ences, within certain 
diftridts, was claimed by lords, who had jura regalia by 
ancient grants from the crown, or by preibription. But 
by ftat. 27 Hen. VIII. c. 24. it was enadted, “ that no per- 
fon fliall have power to pardon any treafons or felonies, 
nor any acceft’ories, nor outlawries; but that the king 
fliall have the authority thereof, united to the crown of 
this realm, as of right it appertained!.” 
Judge Blackftone obferves, that this is one of the great 
advantages of monarchy in general, above any other form 
of government; that there is a magiftrate, who has it in 
his power to extend mercy, whatever he thinks it is de- 
ferved ; holding a court of equity in his own bread, to 
foften the rigour of the general laws, in fuch criminal 
cafes as merit exemption from punifhment. Some theorifts, 
however, maintain, that pardons fhould be excluded in a 
perfedl legiflation, where puniftiments are mild, but cer¬ 
tain 5 becaufe the clemency of the prince feems to be a 
tacit difapprobation of the laws. But the exclufion of 
pardons muft neceflarily introduce a very dangerous 
power in the judge or jury, that of conftruing the cri¬ 
minal law by the fpirit inftead of the letter; (fee Beccaria, 
ch. 4. and 46.) orelfe it muft be holden, what no man will 
ferioufly avow, that the lituation and circumftances of the 
offender, though they alter not the effence of the crime, 
ought to make no diftindtion in the punifhment. I11 de¬ 
mocracies, however, this power of pardon can never 
fubfift; for there nothing higher is acknowledged than 
the magiftrate who adrninifters the laws ; and it would be 
impolitic for the power of judging and of pardoning to 
centre in one and the fame perfon. This, as Montefquieu 
obferves, (Sp. of Laws, book vi. c. 5.) would oblige him 
very often to contradidi himfelf, to make and unmake his 
decifions: it would tend to confound all ideas of right 
among the mafs of the people; as they would find it 
difficult to tell, whether a prifoner were difeharged by 
his innocence, or obtained a pardon through favour. I11 
monarchies, the king adts in a fuperior fphere; and, 
though lie regulates the whole government as the firft 
mover, yet he does not appear in any of the difagreeable 
or invidious parts of it. Whenever the nation lees him 
perfonally engaged, it is only in works of legiflature, 
magnificence, or compaflion. To him, therefore, the 
4 people 
