pnugues/EB7 huggingface dataset:
PERSICUS Sinus, in Ancient Geography·, a part of the sea which the Romans called Mare Rubrum, and the Greeks Mare Erythraeum. On the east it is bounded by Arabia Felix, between which and Caramania it runs into the land, and washes Persia on the south.
PERSON, an individua! of a rational and intelligent nature. Thus we say, an ambassador represents the person of his prince; and that, in law, the father and son are reputed the same person.

Person, in Grammar, a term applied to such nouns or pronouns as, being either prefixed or understood, are the nominatives in all inflections of a verb. See Grammar.
PERSONAL, any thing that concerns, or is restricted to, the person.

Personal Action, in Law, is an action levied directly and solely against the person, in opposition to a real or a mixed action.

Personal Verb, in Grammar, a verb conjugated in all the three persons, and so called in opposition to an impersonal verb, or that which has the third person only.
PERSONALITY, in the schools, is that which constitutes an individual a distinct person.
PERSONIFYING, the assigning to an inanimate object the sentiments and language of a living being.
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PERSPECTIVE, Aerial, is sometimes employed as a general denomination for that which in a more restricted sense is called aerial perspective, or the art of giving a due diminution or degradation to the strength of light, shade, and colour, accordingto the different distances of objects, the quantity of∙light which falls upon them, and the medium through which they are seen; the chiaro oscuro, which consists in expressing the different degrees of light, shade, and colour of bodies, arising from their own shape, and the position of their parts with respect to the eye and neighbouring objects, by which their light or colours are affected; and keeping, which is the observance of a due proportion in the general light and colouring of the whole picture, so that no light or colour in one part may be too bright or too strong for another. A painter who would succeed in aerial perspective ought carefully to study the effects which distance, or different degrees or colours of light, have on each particular original colour, to know how its hue or strength, is changed in the several circumstances which occur, and to represent it accordingly. As all objects in a picture take their measures in proportion to those which are placed in the front, so, in aerial perspective, the strength of light, and the brightness of the colours of objects close to the picture, must serve as a measure, with respect to which all the same colours at several distances must have a proportional degradation in like circumstances.

Bird’s eye view in Perspective, is that which supposes the eye to be placed above any building, or other object, as in the air at a considerable distance from it. This is applied in drawing the representations of fortifications, when it is necessary not only to exhibit one view as seen from the ground, but also so much of the several buildings as the eye can possibly take in at one time from any situation. In order to this, we must suppose the eye to be removed to a considerable height above the ground, and to be placed, as it were, in the air, so as to look down into the building like a bird when flying. In representations of this kind, the higher the horizontal line is placed, the more of the fortification will be seen, and vice versa.
PERTUIS, a city of France, in the department of Vaucluse, and arrondissement of Apt. It is situated on the river Air, about three miles from its junction with the Durance, and contains about 540 houses, with 4280 inhabitants, who are chiefly employed in spinning and weaving silk, and in the distillation of brandy. Long. 5. 30. E. Lat. 43. 44. N.
PERUGIA, a delegation or province of the States of the Church, in Italy, and a part of the ancient Umbria. It is 1793 square miles in extent, and contains seven cities, nineteen market-towns, with numerous villages, and 181,540 inhabitants. It includes a large portion of the Apennines, and is therefore very hilly; but that part through which the Tiber passes is a succession of beautiful and fertile valleys, producing abundance of corn, pulse, fruit, cattle, silk, oil, and wine, besides much honey and wax. The capital is a city of the same name, situated in a rich valley between the Tiber and Lago Perugia, and surrounded by walls and ditches, but not deemed capable of being defended. It is the see of an archbishop, and, besides the cathedral, adorned with the pencil of Peter Perugiano and of Raffacle, contains forty-five parish churches, twenty-four monasteries, twenty-five nunneries, and several charitable institutions; besides a university, which has of late years greatly declined. There are several learned societies, a fine theatre, and some pleasing promenades. In Perugia, though an ancient city, few remains of antiquity are to be seen. The most remarkable of those that remain are the gate of the Grimana Palace, called the arch of Augustus, and the temple of Mars, at the gate of St Angelo. The population is doubtful, some authors stating it at 68,000, whilst Balbi, the latest authority, estimates it only at 30,000. A considerable trade in the raw productions of the fertile soil which surrounds the city centres here; and there are manufactures of silks and velvets, of woollen goods, hats, leather, tartaric acid, brandy, and li- 4 queurs. Many of the private houses are adorned with và-luable paintings of the ancient masters. Long. 12. 16. 53. E. Lat. 48. 6. 46. N.
PERUVIANA, a general name sometimes applied to the vast peninsula of South America, extending from the Isthmus of Panama to Cape Horn.
PERUWELS, a market-town of Belgium, in the province of West Flanders, and circle of Toumay. It is situated on the frontier towards France, and contains 5650 inhabitants, employed in making linen, in breweries, and distilleries.
PERWUTTUN, a village on the southern shore of the river Krishna, in a wild tract of almost uninhabited country. Here is a remarkable pagoda, wherein there is an idol, which is shown by the reflected light of a brass speculum, and can only be seen as the flashes fall on it. The pagodas, chouttries, and courts, are enclosed by a wall which is covered with a great variety of sculpture. It is 118 miles south from Hyderabad. Long. 78. 40. E. Lat. 15. 57. N.
PESANO, a city of the province of Saluzzo, in the kingdom of Sardinia, in Italy. It is situated on the river Po, and contains 720 houses, with 4600 inhabitants.
PESARO, a city of the pontifical dominions, in Italy, in the delegation of Urbino cum Pesaro. It stands on the river Foglia, at its embouchure, and is surrounded with walls. It is the see of a bishop, and has a cathedral and seven parish churches, with eight monasteries and four nunneries, which have also churches, some of them decorated with paintings from the hands of the best masters. The houses are good, the streets broad; and there is a remarkably fine market-place, with a marble fountain, and a statue of Urban VIII. It contains 13,580 inhabitants, who are occupied in various branches of the silk trade, and in commerce in the raw productions of the vicinity, which are shipped from its small but secure harbour. Long. 12.48.16. E. Lat. 45.51. 1. N.
PESCIA, a city of the duchy of Tuscany, in Italy, the capital of a district, in the province of Florence, of its own name. It is situated on the river Pescia, is the see of a bishop, and has a cathedral and two other churches, with [7:17:309]4200 inhabitants, who subsist chiefly by spinning and weaving silk, and making paper and pottery wares.
PESCINA, a city of Italy, in the province of Principato Ulteriore II. of the kingdom of Naples. It stands on the north-eastern side of the Lake of Cellano, is the see of a bishop, has a cathedral, with several other churches and monasteries, and contains 4500 inhabitants.
PESHAWUR, or Peishare, a district and very ancient city of Afghanistan, in the province of Caubul, intersected by the Caubul River, and surrounded on all sides by a mountainous range, by which it is sheltered from the cold winds, and rendered very hot during summer. It is well watered by innumerable streams flowing down the mountains, which are always covered with verdure, produces all sorts of garden-fruits, especially melons, and, with the exception of Cashmere, is considered as the finest province within Afghanistan. It is extremely populous, containing, within a circumference of thirty-five miles, 300,000 inhabitants. The city of Peshawur is large, being upwards of five miles in circumference. The houses are generally built of unburnt bricks in wooden frames, and are mostly three stories in height. The town is intersected by two or three brooks, which run into the Caubul River, and are crossed by bridges. The streets are narrow, but paved, and have a kennel in the middle. The Caubul passes to the north of the city; and the town is adorned with numerous mosques and other edifices, which scarcely merit any particular notice, if we except a caravanserai, and the citadel, which stands on a hill north of the town. This citadel, which is not a place of strength, contains some fine halls, and commands an extensive prospect of the surrounding country, and is adorned with spacious gardens. Few of the houses of the nobility are of any note, but there are some splendid palaces belonging to the king. The inhabitants of this city consist of tribes from all quarters of the East; but the common languages are the Pashtoo and the Hindustance. The Ha-zarees, descended from a tribe of Tartars, are the most conspicuous tribe in this city, and still exhibit in their broad faces all the marks of the Tartar physiognomy. Peshawur is an ancient city, and is often mentioned in the histories of the tenth century. In the sixteenth century the city was much improved by Akbar, who, seeing the aversion of the Afghans to commerce and industry, encouraged a number of settlers from the Punjab; and it became a great commercial mart for the trade carried on between Persia, Tartary, and India. It is the residence of many wealthy merchants, especially shawl-dealers; and the markets are abundantly supplied with provisions. This city was visited in 1809 by the Honourable Mountstuart Elphinstone, who was sent as ambassador by the East India Company, and had an audience of Shah Sujah, the Afghan king, who was shortly afterwards defeated by his brother Shah Mahmoud, and obliged to fly. The country has ever since continued the scene of civil war. Long. 70. 37. E. Lat. 33. 32. N.
PEST, or Pesth, a city of the Austrian kingdom of Hungary, the capital of a circle, extending over 4202 square miles, and which comprehends two cities, twenty markettowns, and 319 villages, with 380,000 inhabitants. The city is situated on the left bank of the Danube, opposite to Buda, with which it is connected by a bridge of boats. The town has no walls nor gates, and is defended by a citadel. It is the trading portion of the Hungarian metropolis, and abounds in manufactures of various kinds, though mostly on a small scale. It has a university and several other institutions for education. It contains 3400 houses, and about 60,000 inhabitants. The vicinity is fertile, and produces much good wine. In the early part of 1838, Pest suffered severely from an inundation of the Danube, by which many houses were destroyed, and a great number of individuals lost their lives. Judging from the accounts which have been published, the desolation occasioned by this sudden and resist less outburst of the river must have been truly terrific, and many years will probably elapse before the injury done by the flood can be fully repaired. Long. 25. 57. 12. E. Lat. 47. 31. 40. N.
PETALISM, a mode of deciding on the guilt of citizens, similar to the Athenian ostracism. It was introduced into Syracuse about the year before Christ 460, to restrain the tyranny of the richer citizens, who about that time aimed at the supreme power. To prevent the evils daily arising from this source, and to bring down the aspiring minds of the wealthy citizens, the Syracusans passed a law not unlike that of the Athenian ostracism; for as at Athens every citizen was required to write on a shell the name of the person whom he conceived to be the most likely, on account of his wealth and adherents, to aspire to the crown, so at Syracuse the people were entitled to write on a leaf the names of such as they apprehended powerful enough to usurp the sovereignty. When the leaves were counted, he who had the most suffrages against him was, without any further inquiry, banished for five years. This new method of impairing the consequence and weakening the interest of the overgrown citizens was called petalism i from the Greek word vεrαKον i which signifies a leaf. But the law in question was attended with many evils; for those who were most capable of governing the commonwealth were banished, and the administration of public affairs was committed to the meanest of the people. Nay, many of the chief citizens, who were able to render their country great service, apprehensive of falling under the penalties of this law, withdrew from the city, and lived privately in the country, not concerning themselves with public affairs; so that all the employments being filled by men of no meritor experience, the republic was reduced to the brink of ruin, and ready to fall into a state of anarchy and confusion. The law of petalism was therefore, on more mature deliberation, repealed soon after it had been first enacted; and the reins of government were again committed to the hands of men who knew how to manage them.
PETALNAIG, a town of Southern Hindustan, in the province of Tinnevelly, a hundred miles north-east from Cape Comorin. Long. 78. 15. E. Lat. 9. 13. N.
PETAREE, a large village of Hindustan, in the province of Malwah, forty-eight miles north-east from Bilsah.
PETAU, Denis, or Dionysius Petavius, a French Jesuit of great erudition, was born at Orleans in the year 1583. His father, who was a man of learning, observing in his son strong parts and an excellent genius for letters, took every means in his power to improve them. He used to tell his son, that he ought to qualify himself so as to be able to attack and confound the giant of the Allophylae ; meaning Joseph Scaliger, whose abilities and learning were allowed to have done much service to the Reformed. Young Petavius seems to have entered readily into his father’s views; for he studied most intensely, and afterwards levelled much of his erudition against Scaliger. To the study of the belles lettres he joined that of the mathematics; and afterwards applied himself to a course of philosophy, which he commenced in the college of Orleans, and finished at Paris. He subsequently maintained theses in Greek, which was as familiar to him as Latin; and the Latin, it is said, he understood better than he did his vernacular language. When he was pretty well advanced in his studies, he had free access to the king’s library, which he often visited on account of the Latin and Greek manuscripts. Amongst other advantages which attended his literary pursuits, may be reckoned the friendship of Isaac Casaubon, whom Henry IV. called to Paris in 1600. It was at Casaubon’s instigation that Petavius, though then very young, undertook an edition of the works of Synesius, in which he corrected the Greek from the manuscripts, translated what yet remained to be translated into Latin, and wrote notes upon the whole.
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He was only nineteen years of age when he was made professor of philosophy in the university of Bourges; and he spent the two following years in studying the ancient philosophers and mathematicians. In 1604, when Morel, professor of Greek at Paris, published the works of St Chrysostom, some part of Petavius’s labours on Synesius were added to them; and from the title we learn, that he then took the name of Paetus, which he afterwards changed into Petavius. His own edition of the works of Synesius did not appear till the year 1612.

He entered into the society of the Jesuits in 1605, and did great credit to it by his extensive and profound erudition. He became a zealous advocate of the Church of Rome; and there was no way of serving it more agreeable to him than that of criticising and assailing its adversaries. He was very bitter against Scaliger; nor did he even spare his friend Casaubon whenever the latter came in his way. Petavius excelled particularly in chronology; the learned world in general being indebted to him for some exact and nice disquisitions on this subject. His principal work, which is entitled Rationarium Temporum, is an abridgment of universal history, from the earliest times till the year 1632, arranged in chronological order, with references to proper authorities; and it was improved by Perizonius and others, who made several additions to it after his death. This eminent father, after a very laborious life, died at Paris about the close of the year 1652, aged sixty-nine.
PETCHELEE, a considerable and extensive province of China, in which Peking, the capital, is situated. Being one of the northerly provinces of China, its climate is cold, and the winter is severe, all the rivers being frozen during four months in the year, from November to March. It is in general of a sandy soil; a great part of it is a dead flat, and the sea-coast is bordered with extensive marshes. To the north the country is elevated, and rises into that range of lofty mountains along which the great wall is conducted. The country is not favourable for the production of rice; but it is well fitted for wheat, barley, and the other grains of the temperate climates. The principal river is the Peiho, which rises within the Tartar frontier, and, after passing Peking, discharges itself into the Yellow Sea, or Gulf of Petchelee. By means of this sea a considerable trade is carried on with Corea and Japan. But this province is chiefly indebted for its prosperity to the communications established between its rivers and the Imperial Canal, which affords a navigable communication across the whole empire. The population is estimated at 38,000,000.
PETERSFIELD, a borough and market-town of the county of Hants, in the parish of Buriton, and hundred of Fincbdean. It was erected into a borough by Queen Elizabeth, and is governed by a mayor and common council. It returned two members to parliament before 1832, but since that year it has elected but one. The market is held on Saturday. It is a place of little trade, except what it derives from being on the road to Portsmouth. The population amounted in 1801 to 1406, in 1811 to 1525, in 1821 to 1752, and in 1831 to 1803.
PETERS le Port, a market-town of England, in the island of Guernsey. It is situated on the south-eastern part of the island, and consists of one long, narrow street. It is defended by two ports, one of which, called Castle Cornet, stands on a rock, separated by an arm of the sea from the land, and which commands both the town and the harbour. A pier of vast stones affords protection to the harbour, where there is good anchorage, and whence ships may depart in all states of the weather; and it also forms a pleasant and extended walk. There is some trade with Newfoundland; and formerly there was much smuggling carried on, but that has been stopped by the introduction of a custom-house. The population has much increased of late years, and in 1831 amounted to 5966 males and 7924 females.
PETERSWALDAU, a city of the Prussian government of Reichenbach, in Silesia. It is finely situated, and has a large establishment of the United Brethren. It belongs to the family of Stolberg Wernigerode, and contains 510 houses, with 3080 inhabitants, who carry on extensive cloth manufactories.
PETERWARDEIN, a city of the Hungarian province of the Sclavonic military frontier. It is the capital of the limits of that regiment or circle, extending over 1244 square miles, comprehending four cities and towns, and sixty-one villages, with 91,618 inhabitants. The city is situated on the river Danube, is strongly fortified, and is the head-quarters of the military staff of the district. It contains, including its suburb Bucovetz, 680 houses and 4*80 inhabitants. Long. 19.47. 11. E. Lat. 45. 15. 30. N.
PETHERTON, North, a town of the county of Somerset, in the hundred of the same name, 137 miles from London and three from Bridgewater. It consists of one long street, tolerably built; but the parish is very extensive, comprehending seventeen villages. The population amounted in 1801 to 2346, in 1811 to 2615, in 1821 to 3091, and in 1831 to 3566.

Petherton, South, a market-town of the county of Somerset, in the hundred of the same name, 137 miles from London. It is situated on the river Parret, which is navigable for barges nearly to the town. There is a small market on Thursday; and there are manufactories of linen. The population amounted in 1801 to 1674, in 1811 to 1867, in 1821 to 2090, and in 1831 to 2294.
PETITIO Principii, in Logic, is the assuming a thing [7:17:324]as true, and drawing conclusions from it on this assumption, when it is either really false, or at least requires to be proved before any inference can be drawn from it.
PETIVER, James, a celebrated English botanist, contemporary with Plukenet. Of the precise time of his birth no notice has been preserved. He was by profession an apothecary, having served an apprenticeship under Mr Feltham, apothecary to St Bartholomew’s Hospital. He settled in Aldersgate Street, where he commenced business on his own account, which he continued during the whole of his life. His business was extensive, and he afterwards became apothecary to the Charter-house. Excepting Sir Hans Sloane and Mr Courten, he was the only person after the Tradescants who made any important collections in natural history, previously to those of the present day. He employed the captains and surgeons of different ships to bring him home specimens; and by means of printed directions he enabled them to select proper objects. In this manner his collection soon became so valuable, that, some time previously to his decease, he was offered L.4000 for it by Sir Hans Sloane, by whom it was purchased some time after Petiver’s death. Both at home and abroad his fame was extended by his valuable museum. He was chosen a fellow of the Royal Society; and having become acquainted with Ray, he assisted him in arranging the second volume of his History of Plants. He died on the 20th of April 1718; and his funeral was honoured by the attendance of Sir Hans Sloane, and other eminent men, as pall-bearers.

He published several works on different subjects of natural history, particularly, 1. Musci Petiveriani Centuriae decern, 1692-1703, 8vo; 2. Gazophylacii Naturae et Artis, Decades decern, 1702, folio, with a hundred plates; 3. A Catalogue of Mr Ray’s English Herbal, illustrated with figures, 1713, and continued in 1715, folio; 4. Many small publications, which may be found enumerated in Dr Pult-ney’s book; 5. Many papers in the Philosophical Transactions, and a valuable article in the third volume of Ray’s work, entitled Plantae Rariores Chinenses, Madras-patanae et Africanae, a Jacobo Petivero ad opus consummandum collatae. Many of his small tracts having become scarce, his works were collected and published, exclusively of his papers in the Transactions, 1764, in two vols. folio.
PETLAD, a town of Hindustan, in the province of Gujerat, and district of Broach. It is sixteen miles north-east from Cambay. The inhabitants are here subjected to the servitude of acting as guides to travellers, from which only a certain caste, the Dhers, are exempted. Long. 73. E. Lat. 22. 27. N.
PETLAHWAD, a town of Hindustan, belonging to the Mahrattas, in the province of Malwah. It is seventy miles west by north from Ooiain. Long. 74. 50. E. Lat. 23. 22. N.
PETREL Island, a small island in Dusky Bay, near the coast of New Zealand, a little to the north of the harbour in Anchor Island. It is also the name of a bay on the south coast of New Holland. Long. 133. 15. 30. E. Lat. 32. 33. 30. S.