treatise on " Maritime Law," including the law of shipping, the law of marine insurance, and the law and practice of admiralty (2 vols., 1859) ; " Notes and Bills of Exchange " (2 vols., 1862) ; '• Shipping and Admiralty "(2 vols., 1869); and "The Politi- cal, Personal, and Property Rights of a Citizen of the United States " (1875).
PARSONS, Thomas William, author, b. in
Boston, Mass., 18 Aug., 1819; d. in Scituate, Mass.,
3 Sept., 1892. He was educated in Boston, and in
1836 went to Italy, where he studied Italian litera-
ture, and translated the first ten cantos of Dante's
"Inferno" (Boston, 1843). He then returned to
his native city, studied and practised dentistry,
and subsequently resided for several years in Eng-
land. After 1872 he engaged in literary pursuits
in Boston. Harvard gave him the honorary de-
gree of M. A. in 1853. He issued a volume of
poems entitled " Ghetto di Roma " (Boston, 1854) ;
his completed translation of the " Inferno," which
appeared with illustrations (1867); "The Mag-
nolia," a poem (printed privatelv, 1867) ; " The Old
House at Sudburv " (1870) : and " The Shadow of
the Obelisk " (London, 1872).
PARSONS, Usher, surgeon, b. in Alfred, Me.,
8 Aug., 1788 ; d. in Providence, R. I., 19 Dec, 1868.
After receiving an academic education, he studied
medicine under Dr. John Warren in Boston, entered
the U. S. navy in 1812 as surgeon's mate on the
frigate " John Adams," and with the other officers
and the crew of that vessel volunteered for service
on the lakes in June, 1813. He was acting surgeon
on the flag-ship " Lawrence " at the battle of Lake
Erie, and, in consequence of the illness of both of
the other surgeons, was in sole charge of the wound-
ed of the squadron. For his conduct on this occa-
sion he was honorably mentioned in the report of
Com. Oliver H. Perry, and promoted full surgeon.
He served the next year on the upper lakes, was at
the attack on Mackinaw, and two years on the
frigate " Java," under Perry. After ten years'
duty in the navy he resigned and settled in the
practice of his profession in Providence, R. I. He
was professor of anatomy in Dartmouth in 1820-'2,
and of anatomy and surgery in Brown in 1823-'8,
president of the Rhode Island medical society in
1837-'9, and the first vice-president of the Ameri-
can medical association in 1853. He received
honorary medical degrees from Harvard, Dart-
mouth, and Brown. His publications include
" The Art of making Anatomic Preparations "
(Philadelphia, 1831) ; " Prize Dissertations " (Provi-
dence, R. I., 1843) ; " Sailor's Physician " (1851) ;
" History of the Battle of Lake Erie " (1852) ; and
" Life of Sir William Pepperell " (Cambridge, Mass.,
1855). — His son, Charles William, physician, b.
in Providence, R. I., 6 Sept., 1823, was graduated
at Harvard in 1840, and at the medical depart-
ment there in 1845. He then settled in practice in
Providence, was professor of physiology in Brown
in 1874-'82, and is the author of two Piske fund
prize dissertations (Providence, 1848-'54), and many
medical and historical papers.
PARSONS, William, surveyor, b. in England ;
d. in Easton, Pa., in Decetnber, 1757. Prior to
1722 he was residing in Philadelphia, a shoemaker
by trade and a member of Franklin's junta club,
in which he passed for " a man having a profound
knowledge of mathematics." In 1743 he was ap-
pointed surveyor-general of Pennsylvania, resign-
ing in June, 1748. On the erection of Northamp-
ton county he was appointed to an office there.
PARTON, Arthur, artist, b. in Hudson, N. Y.,
26 March, 1842. He studied under William T.
Richards in 1859-'61, and also at the Pennsylvania
academy of fine arts in Philadelphia. His first
pictures were shown in Philadelphia in 1862, and
he came to New York three years later, and since
that time has exhibited regularly at the Academy
of design, of which he was elected an associate in
1871, and academician in 1884. During 1870-'71
he visited Europe, studying in Paris for some time.
He is a member of the American water-color so-
ciety, and the Artists' fund society. In 1886 he re-
ceived a gold medal at the prize exhibition at the
American art association for his " Evening after
the Rain." His pictures include " November "
(1867) ; " On the Road to Mt. Marcy " (1873) ; " A
Mountain Brook " (1874) ; " Sycamores of Old
Shokam," in the Amherst college collection (1876);
" Delaware River, near Milford" (1879); "Night-
fall " (1880) ; " The Morning Ride " (1884) ; " Win-
ter on the Hudson " (1885) ; and " Evening, Har-
lem River" (1887. — His brother, Ernest, b. in
Hudson, N. Y., 17 March, 1845, showed a love for
art at an early age, but never studied under any
master. When he was twenty years old he began
to devote himself entirely to painting, taking a
studio in New York, where he remained until
1873. In that year he went abroad, and, after
visiting Scotland and Wales, opened a studio in
London, where his success decided him to remain.
In 1876 he made sketching tours in Switzerland
and Italy, and he visited New York in 1884-'6.
He has exhibited at the Royal academy, the Gros-
venor gallery, the Academy of design. New York,
and the Boston art institute, where he received a
medal in 1883, and he is a member of the Royal
institute of painters, London, and the Artists' fund
society, New York. Among his paintings are
" Morning Mist " (1873) ; " Papa's Luncheon "
(1875) ; " Placid Stream " (1876); " Sunny Septem-
ber" and "High Hall Garden " (1877) ;"" The Si-
lent Pool," " Reflections," and " Au Bord de I'Eau "
(1878) ; " Waning of the Year," in South Kensing-
ton museum, and "Mid-Day" (1879) ; " Silver and
Gold" (1882); "Old River-Side Tree," "Falling
Leaves and Fading Trees," and " Banks of the
Slugwy " (1883) ; " Where Memory Dwells " and
"Vale of Light" (1884); " Streatley-on-Thames "
(1885) ; and " Last of October " (1886). — Another
brother, Henry Woodbridge, b. in Hudson. N. Y.,
28 Nov.. 1858, has also devoted himself to painting.
Like his brother, Ernest, he has had no regular
art-instruction, but began to exhibit in the Acade-
my of design in 1878. He went to Europe in 1883,
and again in 1886, studying in Paris during the
winter of 1886-'7. He exhibited in the Royal
academy, London, in the spring of 1884.
PARTON, James, author, b. in Canterbury, England. 9 Feb.. 1822; d. in Newburyport, Mass., 17 Oct., 1891. He was brought to this country and educated in the schools of New York city and at White Plains, N. Y. After teaching in Philadelphia and New York city, he became a contributor to the " Home Journal," with which he was connected for three years. He spent his life after that time in literary labors, contributing many articles to periodicals, and publishing books on biographical subjects. While he was employed on the " Home Journal " he remarked one day to a New York publisher that an interesting story could be made out of the life of Horace Greeley. When asked wJiy he did not do it, he said that it would require an expensive journey and a year of labor. The publisher offered to advance the means, and he collected materials from the lips of Greeley's former neighbors in Vermont and New Hampshire, and produced " The Life of Horace Greeley " (New York, 1855 ; new and completed ed., Boston, 1885),
