PAR
Feafls, $& They had even the Intendance over Sacrifices, and took care they were duly performed.
At Athens there wasaKind of College of twelve tParapes; each People of JIttzca {urnifhing one; who was always chofen out of the beft Families.
'Polybius adds, that "parafite was alfo an honourable Name among the antientG^//j j and was given to their Poets.
PARASIT£S,or Parasitaical Plants,in Botany,aKind of diminutive Plants, growing on Trees, and fo called from their Manner of living and feeding, which is altogether on others. See Plant.
Such is Mofs, which was antiently fuppofed the EfFeft of a Derangement of the Texture of the Bark; or a Kind of Rufl; or, at molt, little Filaments arifing from the Bark : But from many Obfervations of the Moderns, it appears, that Moffcs are realPlants, whofeSeed is exceedingly fine, and inclofed in very little C.1f\V.l<e 5 which burfting of themfelves, the Seed is dri- ven by the Wind, and, at length, detained in the Inequalities of the Barks of Trees 5 where it takes Root and is fed at the Expence thereof. See Moss.
Of thefe Mofles M. Vaillant reckons no lefs than 1 37 Species, all in the Neighbourhood o( 'Paris; which, with the Lichens and Miileto's, make the Genus of the Parajite Plants. See Muleto, £S?c.
The moft pernicious of thefe Parafites, to the Trees that fupport 'em, are the Lichens 5 which appear on the Barks of Trees, in Form of a Cruft, mix'd with Yellow and a dirty White. See Disease ofPlams.
M. de Rejfons gives us a Remedy for this Difeafe, in the French Memoirs of the Acad. Roy. It confifts in making an Incifion thro* the Bark to the very Wood, from the firit Branches to the Earth ; the Bark clofes again in a little Time j and al- ways preferves itfelf clean and free from MolTes for the fu- ture.
This Aperture renders the Courfe of the Sap more free, and prevents the Forming ofrhofc Inequalities fo favourable to the Production of MolTes. The Incifion, he adds, is to be made from Marcfoto the End of April; andonthatSide turn'dmoft from the Sun.
PARASOL, a little Moveable, in manner of a Canopy, bore in the Hand to fcreen the Head from the Sun, Rain, ££?c. more ufually called Umbrella.
'Tis made of Leather, TafFety, Oil-Cloth, $6. mounted on a Stick, andopen'd or ffiut at Pleafure, by Means of Pieces of Whale-bone that fuftain it.
The Eaft Indians never ftir out without a 'Parafol.
The Word is French : that ufed againft Rains is:fometimes called <Parafktie.
PARASTATA, in the antient Architecture, an Import, or Kind of Anta or Pilaitcr, built for the Support of an Arch. See Anta.
Mr. Evelyn makes the "paraftata exprefly the fame with Pilaifer. See Pilaster. 1)avikr % the fame with Impoft. See Impost.
PARASTAT^E, or Epididymitis in Anatomy, are two tu- berous, varicofe Bodies, lying upon, and adhering to, the up- per Part of the TefHcles ; whereof they properly appear to be a Part 5 tho 1 different from the reft, in Form and Confiflence. See Testicle.
The Paraftatce confiif, like the Tefticles,of a Convolution of feminal Tubulin mix'd with Blood- Veffels j the Difference be- tween 'em lying only in this, that, in the Paraftate, the 1u- billi are united into one ; the various Convolutions of which, being more firmly bound together by a frrong Membrane, ari- fing from the Tunica Albuguiea, it feels more compact than the Teftkles. See Seep, Spermatic, &c.
The yparaftatce and Tefticles are faid to be enclofed in three proper Membranes ; the'fifcft Majculous, derived from the Cre- maticr Mufcle 5 the fecond, called the Vaginalis ■ the third, the Albuginea. See each under its proper Article.
PARASYNANCHE, in Medicine, a Kind of Angina or Squinancy, wherein the exterior Mufcles of the Throat are inflamed. See Sq^uinancy.
The Word comes from tdo,^, Vw £fnw to fuffocate.
PARATHESIS, in the Greek Church, the Prayer which the Bifhop rehearfes over the Catechumens, ftretching his Hands over 'em to give 'em Benediction 5 which they receive, bowing the Head under his Hands.
Parathesis, in Grammar, a Figure whereby two ormore Subftantives are put in the fame Cafe. SeeFiGURE.
PARATILMUS, in the antient Greek Jurifprudence, a Name given to the Punifhment impofed on Adulterers who were poor and unable to ftand the common Penalty.
It confifted either in making 'em run a Horfe-Radifh upthe Anus;wh\ch they called rW£a?«wJW(;orin tearing up the by Roots, the Hair about the Fundament, £#&" which they called <!raf?.Tihfito< of rtftLWTiYhdLY, to tear, pluck up.
PARATITLES, PARATITLA, in Jurifprudence, fhort Notes, or Summaries of the, Titles of the Digeft, and Code j which have been made by feveral Lawyers, in order to com- pare, and examine the Connection of the feveral Parts with one another.
( 35 1 ) PAR
h "o V nd %^2S*li*JSS£& c w«
iJ^mT^A^™* Tenant, or he that i,
on the 'Paratitks of Cujas. w, the loweft Tenant ; o ' to the Land. See Tenant.
He is called Tenant Taravail; becaufe it is prefumed he hath Profit and Availby the Land
PARAZONIUM or Scifw, among Medallifls, a Scepter, rounded at the two Ends in Manner of a Truncheon or Com- mander s Staff ; or a Kind of Poniard or fhort Sword ; repre- fented as wore at the Girdle, on feveral anrient Medals
Antiquaries are much divided on the Explication of the Taraaamum; as, indeed, the Form and Manner of bearing it are very different. It is fometimes thrown a-crofs the Should- ers in Manner of a Quiver.
PARBOILING, in Pharmacy, efc. a, Term applied to Fruits, Herbs, i$c. which are boiled a little while, to draw out the firfi Juices, to be afterwards inf'piffated or thickened. See Boiling.
PAROE, Definies, Goddeffes, who, according to the an- tient 'Pagan Theology, prefide over the Lives of Men.
Thefe the Antiems frequently confounded with the Fates, or 'Depntes; and, in effect, she 2>*rc<f, according to 'Plato, ■ were the Daughters of NeceJ/ity, and Detliny. See Fate and Destiny.
The 'Pare? were three, ClothoJ.achefu, and Arops ; be- caufe, forfooth, all Things have their Beginning, Progrefs, and End.
Hence the Poets tell us, the Parcx fpun Men's Lives ; that Clotho held the Diftaff, and fp.un the Thread ; Laclxfis turned the Wheel; and Apropos cut it.
The Antients reptefent the Deftinies divers Ways: Ltlcian, in the Shape of three poor-old Women, having large Locks of Wool, mix'd with Daffodils on theit Heads; one of which holds a DiffafF, the other a Wheel, and the thitd a Pair of Sciffars, wherewith to cut oft' the Thread of Lite. Others reprefent themotherwife; Clotho appearing in a long Robe of divers Colours, wearing a Crown upon her Head, adorned with feven Stars, and holding a Diflaft in her Hand ; Laclxfis in a Robe full of Stars, with feveral Spindles in her Hands; and Jtropes clad in black, cutting the Thread with large Sciffars.
The Antients imagined that the Pares ufed white Wool for a long and happy Life ; and black, for a fhort and unfortunate one.
PARCEL-MAKERS, two Officers intheExchequer, that make the Parcels of the Efcheator's Accounts, wherein, they charge them with every Thing they have levied for the King's Ufe, within the Time of their Office, and deliver the fame to one of their Auditors of the Court to make an Accompt with the Efcheator thereof. See Escheatob..
PARCENERS, quafParcellers. See Co-Pskcbneks.
PARCHMENT, in Commerce, S?r. Sheep's or Goat's Skin prepared aftera peculiar Manner, which renders it proper for feveral Ufes; particularly for writing on and covering of Books, £=?c. b
The Word comes from the Latin Pergamenmn, the antient Title of this Manufacture ; which 'tis faid to have took from the City Tergamos, to one of the Kings whereof its Invention is afcribed.
Parchment is begun by the Skinner, and ended by the <Parch- we»r-Maker. It makes a very confutable Arjicle in the French Commerce : 'Tis made in moft of thcirCities ; and, be- fides the Confumption at Home, they fend vait Quantities a- broad ; particularly to England, Flanders, Holland, Spain, and 'Portugal.
That call'd Virgin Parchment, and which fuperffitious People believe to be made of a Kind of Caui, wherein fome Children are inclofed in the Womb ; is nothing but a fome- what thinner and finer Sort than the reft, proper for certain Purpofes, as Fans, (go. and made of the Skin of an abortive Lamb, or Kid.
Manufacture of Parchment.
The Skin having been ftripp'd of its Wool, and pafs'd the Lime-Pit ; 'after the Manner defcribed tinder the Article Cha- mois.) The Skinner ftretches it on a Kind of Frame, confin- ing of four Pieces of Wood, mortais'd into each other at the four Angles, and perforated lengthways from Diftance to Diftance, with Holes, furnifhed with wooden Pins that may be turned at Pleafute, like thofe of a Violin.
To ftretch the Skin on thisFramc, they make little Holesall around it, and thro' every two Holes draw a little Skewer ; to this Skewer they tie a Piece of fmall Packthread, and tie that over the Pins; fo that coming to turn the Pins equally, the Skin is flrained tight every Way, likethatof a Drum.
The Skin being thus fufficiently ffretch'd on the Frame; the Flcfh is par'd off with a fharp Inftrument for the Purpofe ; this done, 'tis moiftened with a Rag, and a Kind of white Stone or Chalk, reduced to a fine Duff, ffrew'd over it; then with a large Pumice-Stone, flatatBotiom, much afterthe Man- ner of a Mullet for grinding Colours, they rub over the Skin as if about to grind the Chalk ; and thus fcower off the Remains of the Flefh. They then go over it again with the iron In- ftrument ; again moiffen it as before, and a^ain rub it with
the
