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THE EARLIEST GRECIAN PANTHEIST OF WHOM WE READ WAS ORPHEUS, WHO CALLED THE WORLD THE BODY OF GOD, AND ITS SEVERAL PARTS HIS MEMBERS.

THE CHIEF MODERN SUPPORTERS OF PANTHEISM WERE BRUNO AND SPINOZA.

PAN]

A New Dictionary of the Belles Lettres.

PAM'PEROS, violent winds so called, which come from the west or south-west, and, sweeping over those vast plains, or pumpas, in the southern parts of Buenos Ayres, often do much injury on the coasts.

PANA'DA, or PANA'DÓ, a diet consisting of bread boiled in water to the consist

ence of pulp and sweetened

PANATHENE'A, in Grecian antiquity, an ancient Athenian festival, in honour of Minerva, who was the protectress of Athens, and called Athena. There were two solem

nities of this name, one of which was called the greater panathenæa, and celebrated once in five years. These were distinguished from the less (which were celebrated every third year) not only by their greater splendour and longer continuance, but particularly by the solemn procession, in which the peplus, a sacred garment, consecrated by young virgins, and made of white wool, embroidered with gold, was carried from the Acropolis into the temple of the goddess, whose ivory statue was covered with it. This festival was so holy, that criminals were released from the prisons on the occasion of its celebration, and men of distinguished merit were rewarded with gold

crowns.

PANCRA TIUM, among the ancients, a kind of exercise, which consisted of wrestling and boxing. In these contests it was customary for the weaker party, when he found himself pressed by his adversary, to fall down, and fight rolling on the ground. PAN'CREAS, in anatomy, a flat glandular viscus of the abdomen; in animals called the sweetbread. It secretes a kind of saliva, and pours it into the duodenum.

PAN'DECTS, the name of a volume of the civil law, digested by order of the em peror Justinian.

PAN'DIT, or PUN'DIT, a learned Brahmin; or one versed in the Sanscrit language, and in the sciences, laws, and religion of the country.

PAN'EL, in law, a schedule or roll of parchment on which are written the names of the jurors returned by the sheriff. Impanelling a jury, is returning their names in such schedule.-Panel, in joinery, a square of thin wood, framed or grooved in a large piece between two upright pieces and two cross pieces, as the panel of a door. PANIC, an ill-grounded terror inspired by the misapprehension of danger. The origin of the word is said to be derived from Pan, one of the captains of Bacchus, who with a few men routed a numerous army, by a noise which his soldiers raised in a rocky valley favoured with a great number of echoes. Hence all ill-grounded fears have been called panic fears.

PAN'ICLE, in botany, a sort of inflorescence, in which the flowers and fruits are scattered on peduncles variously subdivided, as in oats, and some of the grasses.

PANICUM, in botany, a genus of plants, class 3 Triandria, or 2 Digynia. The species are annuals, and consist of various kinds of panic-grass. PAN'NAGE, in law, the feeding of swine

[PAN

upon mast in woods; also the money paid
for the license of having pannage.
PANNIC'ULUS CARNO'SUS, in com-
parative anatomy, a robust fleshy unic, situ-
ated in beasts between the tunic and the
fat; by means of which they can move their
skin in whole or part: it is altogether want-
ing in the human frame.
PANORAMA, a circular picture on a
very large scale, fixed around a room parti-
cularly constructed for the purpose, so that
from the centre a spectator may have a com-
plete view of the objects represented. This
very ingenious and beautiful contrivance
was invented, in 1787, by Mr. Robert Bar-
ker, an Englishman, and may be considered
as the triumph of perspective. The artist,
from a high point, must take an accurate
plan of the whole surrounding country, as
far as the eye can reach. Truth of repre-
sentation and closeness of imitation are the
great objects to be aimed at in panoramas,
and the delusion must be promoted by the
manner in which the light is admitted.
The diorama was invented in France, and
differs from the panorama chiefly in being
flat instead of circular, and therefore pre-
senting only a particular view, like any other
painting, in front of you, and not all around.
[See DIORAMA.]
PANTALOON', a species of close long
trowsers extending to the heels, said to
have been introduced by the Venetians. It
has been remarked that the Irish very an-
ciently wore trowsers of this description;
and that Louis XIII. is the first who ap-
pears with what we now call breeches.A
buffoon in pantomimes.

PANTHE'A, in antiquity, statues composed of the figures or symbols of several divinities.

PANTHEISM, a philosophical species of idolatry which maintains that the universe is the supreme God.-Some persons, however, have also applied the word pantheism to that doctrine of theology according to which God's spirit not only pervades every thing, but every thing lives through him and in him, and there is nothing without him (Acts xvii. 27 et seq.; Ephes. iv. 6). PANTHEON, in Roman antiquity, a temple of a circular form, dedicated to all the heathen deities. It was built on the Campus Martius, by Agrippa, son-in-law to Augustus; but is now converted into a church and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and all the martyrs. It is, however, called the rotunda, on account of its form, and is one of the finest edifices in Rome. The well-preserved portico seems to be of a later period than the temple itself; it consists of sixteen columns of oriental granite, each of which is 15 feet in circumference. The interior was formerly adorned with the most beautiful statues of the various deities, but they were removed by Constantine to Constantinople; at present there are in the eight niches, eight fiue columns, placed there by the emperor Adrian. What is very remarkable, and shows the alteration which has taken place at Rome, is, that the entrance is now twelve steps below, though

THE RELIGIONS OF HEATHEN ANTIQUITY WERE IN A MEASURE PANTHEISTIC.

RUINS OF A MAGNIFICENT PANTHEON, WHICH ADRIAN CAUSED TO BE BUILT AT ATHENS, ARE STILL EXTANT: IT WAS SUPPORTED BY 120 COLUMNS.

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THE COMBINATION OF FLEXIBLE FIBRES BY WHICH PAPER IS PRODUCED, DEPENDS ON THE SUBDIVISION OF THE FIBRES, AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT COHESION.

A THIN SOLUTION OF GLUE IS USED FOR "SIZING" OR HARDENING PAPER.

PAP]

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heretofore it was twelve steps above the
surface of the ground.
PANTHER (felis pardus), in zoology, a
fierce, ferocious quadruped, of the size of a
large dog, with short hair, of a yellowish
colour, diversified with roundish black spots.
It is a native of Africa, and has the general
habits of the leopard.

PANTOGRAPH, a mathematical instrument so formed as to copy any sort of drawing or design.

PANTOMETER, an instrument used to take all sorts of angles, distances, and elevations.

PANTOMIME, in the modern drama, a mimic representation by gestures, actions, and various kinds of tricks performed by Harlequin and Columbine as the hero and heroine, assisted by Pantaloon and his clown. Pantomimes, among the ancients, were persons who could imitate all kinds of actions and characters by signs and gestures. Scaliger supposes they were first introduced upon the stage to succeed the chorus and comedies, and divert the audience with apish postures and antic dances. In after times their interludes became distinct entertainments, and were separately exhibited.

PAPAW' (carica papaya), a tree growing in warm climates to the height of 18 or 20 feet, with a soft herbaceous stem, naked nearly to the top, where the leaves issue on every side on long foot-stalks. Between the leaves grow the flower and the fruit, which is of the size of a melon. The juice is acrid and milky, but the fruit when boiled is eaten with meat, like other vegetables; yet, when cultivated in our green-houses, the fruit is entirely worthless.

PAPER, a substance formed into thin sheets, on which letters and figures are written or printed. It received its name from the papyrus, the leaves of which plant originally served the Egyptians and certain other nations for writing on. Chinese paper is of various kinds, as of the rinds or barks of trees, especially of the mulberry, the elm, the bamboo, and the cottontree. Cotton is also used by us to an immense extent in the manufacture of paper; but that which is made from linen is by far the best and most durable. Paper is distinguished as to its use into writing paper, drawing paper, cartridge paper, copy, chan cery, &c.; as to its size into foolscap, post, crown, demy, medium, royal, imperial, &c. Paper is made either by hand or by machinery; and perhaps none of the useful arts have received more attention in order to bring them to perfection than the paper manufacture. In respect to whiteness, fineness, and firmness, the paper made in England excels all other; though the French manufacture some of a very fine quality, while the Italians and Germans are noted more for the durability of their paper, than for its fineness.- -Improved method of making Paper by the aid of machinery: "Nothing," says Dr. Ure, "places in a more striking light the vast improvement which has taken place in all the mechanical arts of England since the era of Arkwright, than

[PAP

the condition of our paper-machine facto-
ries now, compared with those on the con-
tinent. Almost every good automatic paper
mechanism at present mounted in France,
Germany, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Sweden,
and the United States, has either been made
in Great Britain, and exported to these
countries, or has been constructed in them
closely upon the English models." It is not
a part of the plan of this work to enter into
the minutiae of detail in machinery or ma-
nufactures. Generally speaking, as in this
case, they would occupy infinitely too great
a portion of our space; but it would be
remiss in us not to allude to some of the
remarkable features which the inimitable
paper-making machinery of this country
presents, as well as to state its origin. In
1799, Louis Robert, then employed in the
paper works of Essonne in France, con-
trived a machine to make paper of great
size, by a continuous motion, and obtained
for it a patent for 15 years, with a sum of
8000 francs from the French government,
as a reward for his ingenuity. This inven-
tion was purchased by M. Didot, who came
over with it to England, where he entered
into several contracts for constructing and
working it; and it eventually came into
the possession of the Messrs. Fourdrinier,
extensive paper makers and stationers, who,
with the assistance of Mr. Donkin, a young
and zealous mechanist, made wonderful
improvements on the French invention,
and in 1803 produced a self-acting cylin-
drical machine, with rotatory motion, for
making an endless web of paper! Many
and various have been the improvements
introduced, since that period, by the aid of
most ingenious and complicated machinery,
resulting chiefly from the skill and enter-
prise of Mr. John Dickinson; till at length
the art has so completely triumphed over
every difficulty, that a continuous stream
of fluid pulp is now passed round the cy-
linders with unerring precision, and not
only made into paper, but actually dried,
pressed smooth, and every separate sheet
cut round the edges, in the brief space of
five minutes.

PAPER-MONEY, or PA'PER-CUR'.
RENCY, bank notes or bills issued by the
credit of government, and circulated as the
representative of coin. In a more exten-
sive sense, these terms may denote all kinds
of notes and bills of exchange.

PA'PIER LINGE (French), a kind of
pa-
per made to resemble damask and other
linen so cleverly, that it is impossible, with-
out examination, to detect the difference;
and even to the touch, the articles made
from the papier linge are very much like
linen, and can be used for every purpose to
which linen is applicable, with the excep
tion, of course, of those in which strength
and durability are required.
PA'PIER MACHE' (French), the com-
position of which superior tea-trays, snuff-
boxes, and many other light and elegant
articles, as well as a variety of toys, &c. are
manufactured. They are made of cuttings
of white or brown paper, boiled in water,

TOO MUCH BLEACHING GREATLY INJURES THE TEXTURE OF PAPER.

IN PAPER-MAKING, A QUANTITY OF CHLORIDE OF LIME 18 MIXED WITH THE RAGS, THE EFFECT OF WHICH IS TO BLEACH AND PURIFY THEM.

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THE DISPLAY OF A PAPILIO 18 SOMETIMES CHECKED BY DROUGHT, IN WHICH CASE THE INSECT IS DEPRIVED OF THE FACULTY OF FLYING.

PAP]

ALL LEGUMINOUS PLANTS ARE PAPILIONACEOUS, OR LIKE A BUTTERFLY.

A New Dictionary of the Belles Lettres.

[PAR

tomy, the extremities of the olfactory nerves, which convey the slimy humours by the fibres that pass through the os cribriforme. PAPILLARY, or PAP'ILLOUS, pertain

and beaten in a mortar till they are reduced
to a kind of paste, and then boiled with a
solution of gum arabic, or of size, to give
consistency to the paste, which is after-
wards formed into different shapes, by pressing
ing it into oiled moulds. When dry, it is

coated with a mixture of size and lamp-
black, and afterwards varnished.

PAPILIO, in entomology, the name of a subdivision of the insect class, when in their imago, or third state; that is, when they have wings. Every fly is an imago; but a moth is called phalana, and a butterfly papilio. The most natural and approved distinguishing names for the several species of insects (which are called the trivial names), are taken from the vegetables on which they feed: but in the multitude of butterflies the proportion that belong to extra-European parts of the world is so great, and their several foods so little known, that Linnæus was obliged to adopt a different scheme of nomenclature; and he accordingly divided them into sections by the names equites, heliconii, danai, nymphales, and plebii. The individuals of the section of equites have their names from the Trojan history; those of that of the heliconii from the Muses; the danai from the children of Danaus; the nymphales from the nymphs of antiquity; and the plebii from the celebrated ancients. In describing the papilio it will be necessary to confine ourselves to the first division of the Linnæan genus, viz. the equites. One of the most remarkable and interesting circumstances connected with this beautiful class is their series of transformations before reaching a perfect state. The female butterfly lays a great quantity of eggs, which produce caterpillars: these, after a short life, assume a new form, and become chrysalides-"the tomb of the caterpillar and the cradle of the butterfly." These chrysalides, or insect prisons, are attached in various ways, and are of different forms; but within the cell or covering, of whatever it may be composed, the disgusting caterpillar becomes the brilliant butterfly. A single female insect, in its perfect state, produces several hundred eggs, but their over increase is checked by a host of enemies. A single pair of sparrows, it is calculated, will destroy upwards of 3000 caterpillars in a week; and great numbers are also killed by a species of fly, which deposits its eggs in the caterpillar, where they hatch, and the larvæ feed on the body that protected them.

PAPILLÆ, the nipple of the breast, and terminations of the nerves in that form which constitutes the sense of feeling in the true skin, and of taste.

PAPILIONA CEAE, the 32d Linnæan natural order of plants, with flowers resembling the butterfly's wings, as the pea, &c. PAPILIONA CEOUS, in botany, an epithet for the corolla of plants which have the shape of a butterfly, such as that of the pea. The papilionaceous corolla is usually four-petaled, having an upper spreading petal, called the banner, two side petals called wings, and a lower petal called the keel. PAPILLA'RUM PROCES'SUS, in ana

to or resembling a nipple. -Papillose, in botany, covered with fleshy dots or points, or with soft tubercles, as the ice-plant. PA'PIST, one that adheres to the doctrines and ceremonies of the church of Rome; a Roman catholic. Hence papistry, papistical, &c. PAPPOOS', the name given to a young child by the natives of New England. PAR VA'GUM, in anatomy, the eighth pair of nerves.

PAP'PUS, in botany, thistle-down, a sort of feathery or hairy crown with which many seeds are furnished for the purpose of dissemination. A seed surmounted by a pappus resembles a shuttle-cock, so that it is naturally formed for flying, and for being transported by the wind to a very considerable distance from its parent plant. By this contrivance of nature the dandelion, groundsel, &c. are disseminated and selfsown in places where they would otherwise have never existed.

PAPULÆ, in medicine, little blisters, pimples, or eruptions on the skin. PAPULOSE, in botany, an epithet for a leaf, &c. covered with vesicular points or with little blisters. PAPYROGʻRAPHY, a lately-invented art, which consists of taking impressions from a kind of pasteboard covered with a calcareous substance (called lithographic paper), in the same manner as stones are used in the process of lithography.

PAPYRUS (cyperus papyrus of Linnæus), an Egyptian sedge-like plant, or reed grass, which has acquired an immortal fame in consequence of its leaves having furnished the ancients with paper. It grows in the marshes of Egypt or in the stagnant places of the Nile. Its roots are tortuous, and in thickness about four or five inches; its stem, which is triangular and tapering, rises to the height of ten feet, and is terminated by a compound, wide spreading, and beautiful umbel, which is surrounded with an involucre composed of eight large swordshaped leaves. The uses of the papyrus were, however, by no means confined to the making of paper. The inhabitants of the countries where it grows, even to this day, manufacture it into sail-cloth, cordage, and sometimes wearing apparel. Boats are made by weaving the stems compactly together, and covering them externally with a resinous substance to prevent the admission of

water.

PAR (Latin, equal), in commerce, is said of any two things equal in value; and in money-affairs, the equality of one kind of money or property with another: thus, when 1007. stock is worth exactly 1007. specie, the stock is said to be at par; that is, the purchaser is required to give neither more nor less of the commodity with which he parts, than he receives of that which he acquires: thus, too, the par of exchange is the equal value of money in one country and another.

THE ROOTS OF THE PAPYRUS ARE FOUND VERY SERVICEABLE AS FUEL.

A SPECIES OF PAPYRUS GROWS WILD IN SICILY, AND LATE TRAVELLERS HAVE DISCOVERED IT IN SOME OF THE WESTERN RIVERS OF AFRICA.

[3 1

542

THE PARABOLA ENABLES US TO CALCULATE MATHEMATICALLY THE PATH OF A PROJECTILE, FROM THE PROPORTIONATE MAGNITUDE OF THE TWO FORCES.

PAR]

A PARABLE DIFFERS FROM AN ALLEGORY BY BEING LESS SYMBOLICAL.

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In the exchange of money with foreign coun tries, the person to whom a bill is payable is supposed to receive the same value as was paid to the drawer by the remitter; but this is not always the case with respect to the intrinsic value of the coins of different countries, which is owing to the fluctuation in the prices of exchange among the several countries and great trading cities. In fine, bills of exchange, stocks, &c. are at par when they sell for their nominal value; above par when they sell for more; and be low par when they sell for less.

PA'RA, a Turkish coin, very small and thin, of copper and silver, the fortieth part of a Turkish piaster. PARABLE, a fable or allegorical representation of something real or apparent in life or nature, from which a moral is drawn for instruction. Parables are certainly a most delicate way of impressing disagree able truths on the mind, and in many cases have the advantage of a more open reproof, and even of formal lessons of morality: thus Nathan made David sensible of his guilt by a parable; and thus our Saviour, in compliance with the customs of the Jews, who had a kind of natural genius for this sort of instruction, spoke frequently in parables, most beautifully constructed, and calculated to convince them of their errors and prejudices.

PARAB'OLA, in conic sections, a curve produced by cutting a cone parallel to one of its sides, and having at such section certain fixed proportions; when the same proportions govern bodies in motion, they are said to describe a parabola, and this is theoretically the case with projectiles from the earth.Parabolic Asymptote, a parabolic line approaching to a curve, so that they never meet; yet, by producing both indefinitely, their distance from each other becomes less than any given line.Paraboliform, having the form of a parabola.

PARAB'OLE, in oratory, similitude; comparison. Hence, parabolical instruction or description.

PARABOLISM, in algebra, the division of the terms of an equation by a known quantity that is involved or multiplied in the first term. PARAB'OLOID, in geometry, a paraboliform curve whose ordinates are supposed to be in the subtriplicate, subquadruplicate, &c. ratio of their respective abscissæ. Another species is when the parameter, multiplied into the square of the abscissæ, is equal to the cube of the ordinate: the curve is then called a semi-cubical paraboloid. PARACEL'SIAN, a name given to a phy. sician who follows the practice of Paracelsus, a celebrated Swiss physician and alchymist who lived at the close of the 15th century, and who performed many extraordinary cures by means totally unknown to the generality of medical practitioners of his time. PARACENTRIC MOTION, in astronomy, denotes so much as a revolving planet approaches nearer to, or recedes from, the sun or centre of attraction.

[PAR

PARACH'RONISM, an error in chronology, by which an event is related as having happened later than its true date. PARACHUTE, in aerostation, a machine or instrument in the form of a large umbrella, calculated to break the fall of a person in descending from an air-balloon. PAR'ACLETE, the Comforter, a term applied in the sacred volume to the Holy Spirit. PARADIGM, in grammar, an example of a verb conjugated in the several moods, tenses, and persons. PARADISE, a region of supreme felicity; generally meaning the garden of Eden, in which Adam and Eve were placed immediately after their creation. The locality of this happy spot has been assigned, by dif ferent writers, to places the most opposite. In truth, there is scarcely any part of the world where Paradise has not been sought for. The most probable opinion is, that it was situated between the confluence of Euphrates and Tigris, and their separation; Pison being a branch arising from one of them after their separation,-and Gihon, another branch arising from the other on the western side. Arabia Deserta was the Ethiopia mentioned by Moses as washed by these rivers; and Chusistan, in Persia, answers to the land of Havilah, where there was gold, bdellium, the onyx-stone, &c.— When Christians use the word, they mean that celestial paradise, or place of pure and refined delight in which the souls of the blessed enjoy everlasting happiness. this sense it is frequently used in the New Testament: our Saviour tells the penitent thief on the cross, "This day shalt thou be with me in paradise;" and St. Paul, speaking of himself in the third person, says, "I knew a man who was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

In

PARADIS EA, or BIRDS OF PARADISE, in ornithology, a genus of birds belonging to the order Pica. The beak is covered with a belt or collar of downy feathers at the base, and the feathers on the sides are very long; their whole plumage being singular and splendid. They occur in China, Japan, Persia, and various parts of India, but are supposed to be originally natives of New Guinea. The tail consists of ten feathers; the two middle ones, and sometimes more in several of the species, are very long, and webbed only at the base and tips. The legs and feet are very large and strong; they have three toes forward, one backward, and the middle connected to the outer one as far as the first joint. The whole of this genus have, till lately, been very imperfectly known; few cabinets possessing more than one species, viz. the greater or common bird of Paradise; nor has any set of birds given rise to more fables, the various tales concerning which are to be found in every author; such as, their never touching the ground from their birth to death; living wholly on the dew; being produced without legs; and a number of other stories too ridiculous to mention.

BLANCHARD MADE THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL PARACHUTE DESCENT, IN 1795.

"THE EARTH SHALL ALL BE PARADISE, PAR HAPPIER PLACE THAN THIS OF EDEN, AND FAR HAPPAER DAYS."-MILTON'S PARADISE LOST.

THE MORE ELEVATED AN OBJECT IS ABOVE THE HORIZON, THE LESS IS THE PARALLAX, ITS DISTANCE FROM THE EARTH'S CENTRE CONTINUING THE SAME.

PAR]

NO SCIENCE ABOUNDS MORE WITH PARADOXES THAN GEOMETRY.

A New Dictionary of the Belles Lettres.

There are several species; one of which, viz. the great bird of Paradise, is thus described:-It is of a cinnamon hue; crown luteous; throat golden green or yellow; side feathers very long and floating; length, from the end of the bill to the end of the real tail, about twelve inches; but to the end of the long hypochondroid feathers, nearly two feet. This species is found in the Molucca islands, and those round New Guinea. They move in flights of thirty or forty, with a leader above the rest, and preserve their light and voluminous plumage in order, by always flying against the wind. The peculiar length and structure of their feathers hinders them from settling in high winds on trees; and when they are thrown on the ground by these winds they cannot rise again.

PARADOX, in philosophy, a tenet or proposition seemingly absurd, or contrary to received opinion, yet true in fact.

PAR'AGOGE (pron. paragojy), a figure in grammar by which the addition of a letter or syllable is made to the end of a word. Paragoge, in anatomy, a term sig. nifying that fitness of the bones to one another which is discernible in their arti. culation.

PARAGON, a model by way of distincItion implying superior excellence or perfection; as, a paragon of beauty or eloquence.

PAR'AGRAM, a play upon words. Hence paragrammatist, an appellation for a pun

ster.

PARAGRAPH, any section or portion of a writing which relates to a particular point, whether consisting of one sentence or many sentences. Paragraphs are generally dis tinguished by a break in the lines; or, when a great quantity of print is intended to be compressed in a small space, they may be separated by a dash, thus A paragraph is also sometimes marked thus T.

[PAR numbers) 62,700,000,000,000 miles. The details of this important discovery have been communicated by him to Sir John Herschel, bart., in a letter dated Oct. 23, 1838, which was read to the Astronomical Society on Nov. 9."-Parallax, in levelling, denotes the angle contained between the line of the true level and that of the apparent level.

PARALLEL, in geometry, an appellation given to lines, surfaces, and bodies everywhere equidistant from each other.-Parallel planes, are such planes as have all the perpendiculars drawn betwixt them equal to each other.-Parallel rays, in optics, are those which keep at an equal distance from the visible object to the eye, which is supposed to be infinitely remote from the object.-Parallel Circles, or circles of lati tude, are lesser circles of the sphere conceived to be drawn from west to east, through all the points of the meridian, commencing from the equator to which they are parallel, and terminating with the poles. They are called parallels of latitude, because all places lying under the same parallel have the same latitude.-Parallel sphere, in astronomy, the situation of the sphere when the equator coincides with the horizon, and the poles with the zenith and nadir.-Parallel sailing, in navigation, the sailing on or under a parallel of latitude, or parallel to the equator.-Parallel ruler, a mathematical instrument consisting of two equal rulers, so connected together with cross bars, that with movable joints parallel lines may thereby be drawn to any extent when they are opened.Parallel lines, in sieges, are those trenches which generally run parallel with the outlines of the fortress. They serve as places for concentrating the forces to be directed against the fortress, and are usually three feet deep, from nine to twelve feet wide, and of a length adapted to the circumstances of the case.-The word parallel is also often used metaphorically, to denote the continued comparison of two ob

PARALEPSIS, or PAR'A LEPSY, a figure in rhetoric by which the speakerjects, pretends to pass by what at the same time he really mentions.

PARALIPOM'ENA, in matters of literature, denotes a supplement of things omitted in a preceding work.

particularly in history. Thus we speak of drawing an historical parallel between ages, countries, or men.-Parallel passages, are such passages in a book as agree in import; as, for instance, the parallel passages in the bible.

PARALLELISM of the Earth's axis, in astronomy, that situation of the earth's axis, in its progress through its orbit, whereby it is still directed towards the pole-star; so that if a line be drawn parallel to its axis, while in any one position, the axis, in all other positions, will be always parallel to the same line. This parallelism is the result of the earth's double motion, viz. round the sun and round its own axis; or its annual and diurnal motion; and to it we owe the vicissitudes of seasons, and the inequality of day and night. PARALLEL'OGRAM, in geometry, a

PARALLAX, in astronomy, the difference between the places of any celestial objects as seen from the surface, and from the centre of the earth at the same instant.-Annual Parallax, a change in the apparent place of a heavenly body, caused by its being viewed from the earth in different parts of its orbit round the sun. The annual parallax of the planets is considerable, but that of the fixed stars has till very recently been considered as altogether imperceptible. The following information is gathered from the Philosophical Magazine: " Parallax of the Fixed Stars-A magnificent conquest has been achieved by Professor Bessel, of Ko-plane figure bounded by four right lines, nigsburg, in a series of observations of the of which the opposite are parallel and equal double star, No. 61, in the constellation to one another.-In common use, this Cygnus, whose distance he has ascertained word is applied to quadrilateral figures of to be 660,000 times (in round numbers) the more length than breadth. radius of the earth's orbit, or (also in round PARALLELOPIP'ED, in geometry, a

HONOUR SHOULD RUN PARALLEL WITH THE LAWS OF GOD AND OUR COUNTRY.

THE APPARENT LONGITUDE IS GREATER THAN THE TRUE LONGITUDE, WHEN THE OBJECT IS EAST OF THE NONAGESIMAL, OTHERWISE LESS.

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