PAESTUM, 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).

PAGANISM, HEATHENISM (q. v.), so called as lingering among the “pagani” or country people, after Christianity had taken root in the large towns.

PAGODA, an Indian or Chinese temple, associated chiefly with Buddhism, of a more or less pyramidal form and of several storeys, the most imposing being the Greek Pagoda of Tanjore; the name is applied also to a gold coin worth 7s. 6d. stamped with a pagoda.

PAHLEVI, name given to a translation of the ZENDAVESTA (q. v.) in the Zend dialect for the use of the priesthood.

PAINE, THOMAS, a notorious free-thinker and democrat, born in Thetford; emigrated to America, contributed, as he boasted, by his pamphlet “Common Sense,” to “free America,” by rousing it to emancipate itself from the mother-country; wrote the “Rights of Man” against Burke’s “Reflections”; had to emigrate to France; took part in the Revolution to aid in its emancipation also, offended Robespierre, and was put in prison, where he wrote the first part of his “Age of Reason,” a book which offended the Christian world and procured him ignominy and even execration in many quarters; died in New York, but his bones were conveyed to England by Cobbett in 1819 (1737-1809).

PAINTER, WILLIAM, author of “Palace of Pleasure,” a collection of tales chiefly from Italian sources, which proved suggestive in furnishing the dramatists with interesting subjects for representation (1540-1594).

PAISIELLO, GIOVANNI, an Italian composer, born at Taranto; his great work, the opera “Il Barbiere di Seviglia”; composed besides other operas, cantatas, requiems, &c.

PAISLEY (66), a Renfrewshire town, 7 m.  W. of Glasgow, on the White Cart.  It is the chief centre of manufacture of cotton thread in the world, and its other industries include dyeing, bleaching, woollen goods, and engineering.  There are several fine buildings, a Baptist Church is said to be the finest modern ecclesiastical building in Scotland.  The ornithologist Wilson, Professor Wilson ( Christopher North), and Tannahill were born here.

PALACKY, FRANCIS, distinguished Bohemian historian and politician, born in Moravia, author of a “History of Bohemia,” in 5 vols., his chief work and a notable (1798-1876).

PALADIN, the name given to the peers of Charlemagne, such as Roland, and also to knights-errant generally.

PALAEOGRAPHY, the name given to the study and the deciphering of ancient manuscripts.