Pache, Jean, Swiss adventurer, who became Mayor of Paris, and even
Minister of War during the French Revolution, “the sleek Tartuffe that he
was,” is credited with the authorship of the famous revolutionary motto, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, or Death (1746-1823).
Pachomius, St., an Egyptian hermit, the founder of conventual
monachism, who established the first institution of the kind at Tabenna, an island in the Nile; he also established the first nunnery under his sister (292-348). Festival, May 14.
Pachydermata, hoofed animals with thick skins and non-ruminant, such
as the elephant and the hog.
Pacific Ocean, the largest sheet of water on the globe, occupies a
third of its whole surface, as much as all the land put together. It is a
wide oval in shape, lying between Australia and Asia on the W., and North
and South America on the E. Except from Asia it receives no large
rivers. On its American shores the Gulf of California is the only
considerable indentation; the Okhotsk, Japanese, Yellow, and Chinese
Seas, on the Asiatic coast, are rather wide bays shut in by islands than
inland seas. Its innumerable islands are the chief feature of the Pacific
Ocean. The continental islands include the Aleutian, Kurile, Japan, and
Philippine Islands, and the archipelago between the Malay Peninsula and
Australia; the Oceanic Islands include countless groups, volcanic and
coral, chiefly in the southern hemisphere, between the Sandwich Islands
and New Zealand. Commerce on the Pacific Ocean is only beginning, but
will increase vastly with the extension of the United States westward, the colonisation of Australia, and the opening of Chinese and Japanese ports. San Francisco and Valparaiso on the E., Hong-Kong and Sydney on the W., are just now the chief centres of trade.
Packhard, distinguished American entymologist and naturalist, born
in Maine; his classification of insects is accepted; b. 1839.
Pactolus, a small river of Lydia, famous for the gold contained in
its sand, due, it was alleged, to Midas washing the gold off him in its
waters, and the alleged source of the wealth of Croesus; its modern name
is Sarabat. See Midas.
Pacuvius, an old Latin dramatist, nephew of Ennius (q. v.); wrote dramas after the Greek models (220-130 B.C.).
Padang (15), a town and free port on the W. coast of Sumatra, the
largest town on the island, and the Dutch official capital.
Paderewski, Ignace Jan, a celebrated pianist, born at Podolia, in
Russian Poland; master of his art by incessant practice from early
childhood, made his début in 1887 with instant success; his first
appearance created quite a furore in Paris and London; has twice
visited the United States; is a brilliant composer as well as performer, and has composed numerous pieces both for the voice and the piano; b. 1860.
Padilla, Juan Lopez de, a celebrated Castilian noble, who headed a
rebellion against Charles V., which he heroically maintained till his
defeat at Villalos in 1521, and which his wife, Donna Maria, no less
heroically maintained against a strong besieging force after his capture
and execution.
Padishah, from two Persian words meaning “protector prince,” is a
title given to the Shah of Persia and the Sultan of Turkey, and at one
time applied, among others, to the Emperors of Austria and Russia.
Padua (79), a walled city of Venetia, 23 m. by rail W. of Venice, has some manufactures of leather and musical-instrument strings, but is chiefly interesting for its artistic treasures; these include the municipal buildings, cathedral, and nearly fifty churches, innumerable pictures and frescoes, and Donatello's famous equestrian statue of Gattamelata; there is also a renowned university, library, museum, and the oldest botanical garden in Europe; after very varied fortunes it was held by Venice 1405-1797, then by Austria till its incorporation in Italy 1866. Livy was a native, as also Andrea Mantegna.
Pæstum, an ancient Greek city of Lucania, in South Italy, with
remains of Greek architecture second only to those of Athens.
Pagan, Isabel, Scotch poetess, authoress of the plaintive song “Ca'
the Yowes to the Knowes” (1740-1821).
Paganini, Nicolo, a celebrated Italian violinist, born at Genoa of
humble origin; widely famous for his astonishing feats on a
single-stringed instrument; was a composer of musical pieces for both
violin and guitar; died rich (1784-1840).