522 
P I S 
As connefted with this fubjedl, we muft not omit to 
mention, that Mr. Henry Walker, of Thurmafton, 
Leicefterfhire, took out a patent, in the year 1796, for the 
invention of a “ method by which houfes and other build¬ 
ings, of any defcription or dimenlions, might be eredled 
in one entire mafs or body, at a much ealier expenle, 
efpecially in the articles of timber, lime, and workman- 
fhip, and which would be equally as durable in themfelves, 
and lefs liable to accidents by fire, than buildings eredted 
upon the common conftruflion.” His method was to 
pound and ram brick-earth with a wooden mallet and a 
(mall quantity of water; he then built up his walls by 
the means of fhifting moulds, in the mannerof pife-work; 
but the peculiarity of his invention was, that he intro¬ 
duced pipes, or flues, fo as to bake his earth as he went 
on, thus forming his walls, floors, &c. &c. of one folid 
brick, or mafs of bricks. We do not know' whether this 
invention has been added upon. See Hep. of Arts, vol. vi. 
PI'SEK, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of Pracha- 
titz, on the Watawa: twenty miles north of Prachatitz, 
and forty fix fouth of Prague. Lat. 4-9. 22. N. Ion. 14. 
36. E. 
PI'SENBERG, a town of Auftria: one mile eaft of 
Korn-Neuburg. 
PIS'GAH, a mountain on the other fide Jordan, 
joined to Abarim and Nebo, and running fouth to the 
mouth of the Arnon, from which Mofes had a view of 
the promifed land, and where he died, having before ap¬ 
pointed Jofliua his fucceffor. Wells takes Pifgah and 
Nebo to be different names of one and the fame moun¬ 
tain, a part or branch of the mountains Abarim ; (com¬ 
pare Dent, xxxii. 49. with xxxiv. 1.) or that the top of 
Nebo was peculiarly called Pifgah ; or forne other part of 
it cut out in ffeps, as the primitive word denotes ■. and 
thus it is rendered by Aquila, by a Greek word, fignify- 
ing “ cut out." There was alfo a city of this name; and 
the adjoining country was in like manner called Pifgah. 
There were fprings of water at the bottom of this moun¬ 
tain. (Deut. xxxiv. 49.) 
PISH, interj. A contemptuous exclamation. This 
is fometimes fpoken and written pjhaw. I know not 
their etymology, and imagine them formed by chance. 
Dr. Johnfon .— “ Pjjh and pjhaw are the Sax. ptec, paeca, 
(from pascan, to deceive,) pronounced ptjh, pejha, a 
broad; and are equivalent to the ejaculation trumpery! 
i. e. tromperie, Fr. from tromper, to deceive.” Tooke’s 
Div. of Purl. ii„ 370. Todd. — She frowned and cried pijh, 
when I laid a thing that I Hole. Spe&ator. 
There was never yet philofopher 
That could endure the tooth-ach patiently ; 
However they have writ the ftyle of gods, 
And made a pijh at chance or fufferance. Shakefpeare. 
To PISH, v. 71. To exprefs contempt.—How long fliall 
the Lord bear with fuel) as defpife ail the riches of his 
goodnefs, and huff and pijh at mercies too good for their 
betters ! B. Jenlis’s Serin. 5 Nov. 1689.—Our very (miles 
are fubjed to conllrudions ; nay, fir, we cannot pijh, but 
it is a favour for fome fool or other ! Beaum. and FI. Wit 
without Money. 
PISH, /'. An expreffion of contempt.—With pijhcs and 
pfliaws. Spectator. 
PISH'AMIN,/. in botany. See Diospyros. 
PISID'IA, in ancient geography, a province of Afia 
Minor, at the weft end of Mount Taurus, and on the 
fouth-weft of Lycaonia, north of Pamphylia, and eaft of 
Caria and Ionia. It was anciently a populous country. 
Ptolemy mentions eighteen cities in it; viz. Antioch, 
Seleucia, Telmeffus, &c. Here Paul and Barnabas, 
amidft no fmall perfecution, planted a Chriftian church, 
which, we are told, increafed till they had twenty epifeo- 
pal fees. This continued for feven or eight centuries. 
Now the country is in a molt wretched condition; and 
any remains of Chriftians, fo called, are opprefled by 
P I s 
their Turkifli mafters. See A6ls xiii. xiv. Brown's DiCL 
Bible. 
PISID'ICE, the daughter of a king of Methymna in 
Lelbos. She became enamoured of Achilles when he in¬ 
vaded her father’s kingdom, and promifed to deliver the 
city into his hands if he would marry her. Achilles 
agreed to the propofal; but, when he became mafter of 
Methymna, he ordered Pifidice to be (toned to death. 
PI'SIG, a fmall ifland in the Eaftern Indian Sea. Laf„ 
2. 20. N. Ion. 125.1. E. 
PISIGNA'NO, a town of Naples, in the province of 
Otranto : four miles fouth-eaft of Lecce. 
PISI'LIS, in ancient geography, a town of Afia Minor, 
in Caria, between the river Calbis and the town of Cau- 
nus,according to Strabo. 
PI'SIN, a town of Iftria: four miles north of Pedena. 
PISIN'DA, in ancient geography, a town of Africa 
Propria, placed by Ptolemy among thofe which lay be¬ 
tween the two Syrtes.—Alfo, a town of Afia, in Pam¬ 
phylia, placed by Ptolemy in that part of this country 
which was called Carbalia. 
PISINGA'RA, a town of Afia, in the Lelfer Armenia, 
placed by Ptolemy at a diftance from the Euphrates to¬ 
wards the mountains. 
PISISTRA'TI IN'SULyE, three iflands on thecoaftof 
Ionia, nearEphefus, called by Pliny Anthinae, Myonne- 
fos, and Diarrheufa. 
PISIS'FR ATUS, tyrant of Athens. See the article. 
Attica, vol. i. and Greece, vol. viii. 
PIS'KOI,a town of Ruflia, in the government of Arch¬ 
angel, on the river Mezen : 188 miles eaft of Archangel.. 
PIS'MIREjji [rnypia, Sax. pifmiere, Dutch.] An ant 3. 
an emmet. See Formica. —Prejudicial to fruit are pij- 
mires, caterpillars, or mice. Mortimer. 
His cloaths, as atoms might prevail, 
Might fit a pijmire or a whale. Prior. 
PI'SO, a celebrated family at Rome, which was a 
branch of the Calpurnians, defeended from Calpus, the 
fon of Numa. Before the death of Auguftus, eleven of 
this family had obtained the confulfhip, and many had 
been honoured with triumphs, on account of their victo¬ 
ries, in the different provinces of the Roman empire. See 
the article Rome. 
PI'SO (L. Calpurnius), furnamed Frugi, a Roman of a 
diftinguifhed patrician family. When con(ul in the year 
183 B.C. he went into Sicily in order to fupprefs a mutiny, 
among the (laves, and after the bufinefs was effected, be¬ 
llowing commendations from the tribunal on thofe who 
had chiefly contributed to the fuccefs, he awarded to his 
own fon the prize of a golden crown of three pounds 
weight, faying, at the fame time, that he meant to leave 
him the gold as a legacy, fo that he (hould receive the 
honour from his generals, and the reward from his father. 
For this inftance of frugality of the public money, the 
appellation of Frugi was bellowed upon him. In proof 
of the exaCfnefs of the principles of juftice by which he 
was governed, we have the following anecdote. He had 
always oppofed the law for the gratuitous diftribution of 
corn; bur, when it had been carried by C. Gracchus, he 
came to demand his portion. Gracchus, perceiving him 
(landing in the crowd, a(ked him how he could be fo in- 
confillent as to receive corn by virtue of the law which he 
had oppofed. To this he replied, “It was againft my 
will that you (hould have the diftribution of my property ; 
but, if it muft be fo, I will claim my lhare of it.” Pifo 
was afterwards cenfor with Metellus Balearicus. He 
pleaded caufes, and was a promoter or oppofer of feveral 
laws. He left behind him various orations, and was the 
author of “ Hiftorical Annals,” which, though written in 
the meagre fimplicity of the times, were reckoned of good 
authority. 
PI'SO (William), a phyfician and naturalift of the 17 th 
century, born or educated at Leyden, accompanied 
Count 
