Peterson

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Petrarch

ing took place here in the Civil War; p. 30,631.

Peterson, Frederick (1859-1938), Amer-
ican neurologist, was born in Faribault, Minn.
He was graduated in medicine from the Uni-
versity of Buffalo in 1887. In 1888-9 he was
professor, University of Vermont; in 1890-
95 at the Woman's Medical College of the
New York Infirmary; and in 1892-1902 pres-
ident of the board of managers of Craig Col-
ony for Epileptics. In 1887 Dr. Peterson
became instructor in Neurology in Columbia
University, in 1901 was made clinical lecturer
on psychiatry; and from 1903 to 1916 was
clinical professor of psychiatry there. He
was president of the New York State Com-
mission in Lunacy (1901-06). Was joint
author, with Dr. Church, of Nervous and
Mental Diseases (1899; 9th ed. 1919). He
wrote American Text-Book of Legal Medi-
cine and Toxicology (1903; and ed. 1923);
.4 Song of the Latter Day (1904); Chinese
Lvrics (1916).

Peterson, Sir William (1856-1921), Ca-
nadian educator, was born in Edinburgh,
Scotland. From 1879 to 1882 he was Assis-
tant Professor of Humanity in the University
of Edinburgh, and in 1882 was appointed
Principal of University College, Dundee,
which position he resigned in 1895 <>n being
invited to become Principal of McGill Uni-
versity, Montreal.

Peter's Pence, a papal tax, which seems
to have originated in Saxon England. Each
family possessed of property worth thirty
pence a year was to contribute one silver
penny toward the support of the papal court.
The practice was discontinued by Henry vm.
Voluntary contributions of the nature of
Peter's pence have been revived by modern
Roman Catholics.

Peter the Hermit (c. 1050-1115), monk
and preacher of the first crusade, was born in
Amiens. He is said by tradition to have been
inspired by a vision in the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre to undertake the mission of
exhortation on which he traveled through
Europe, urging upon all the rescue of Jeru-
salem from the Saracens. A great and dis-
orderly company, whom he led toward the
Holy Land, was destroyed in a battle at
Nicaea (1096), after which Peter attached
himself to the army of Godfrey of Bouillon.
After his return from the crusade he found-
ed an Augustinian monastery at Huy, near
Liege.

Petigru, James Louis (1789-1863), Am-
erican jurist, was born in Abbeville District,
S. C, In 1819 he settled in Charleston, In 1822

he became attorney-general of the State. He
opposed the movement which took the State
out of the Union and brought on the Civil
War. His last important work was the codi-
fication of the State laws.

Petiole, the stalk of a leaf. When developed
in a leaf-like manner, so as practically to take
the place of the leaf, it is called a phyllodium.
Sometimes petioles are changed into tendrils,

Petion, Alexandra Sabes (1770-1818),
Haitian president, was born in Port - au -
Prince. He fought with the French against
Toussaint 1'Ouverture, but in 1802 went over
to the patriot party. In 1807 he was chosen
president of the s. and w. of the island of
Santo Domingo, and successfully defended
his dominions against President Cristophe. In
1815 he was again chosen president, this time
for life. He assisted Bolivar in his expedition
to free Venezuela from Spain.

Petition, a request, or a remonstrance in
the form of a request, formally presented to
an authority. The right of petition is re-
garded as a fundamental part of every con-
stitutional government. In the United States
the right of petitioning the government is
guaranteed to the citizens by the Constitu-
tion.

Petition of Right, in English history an
act in the form of a petition from both
Houses of Parliament, which received the
assent of King Charles I. (1628).

Petofi, Sandor (Alexander) (1822-49),
the greatest of Hungarian poets. He was two
years in the army, made several attempts as
an actor, and eventually received a hearing
from Vorosmarty, then the leading poet of
Hungary, under whose patronage he soon be-
came known as a writer of lyrics of un-
rivalled beauty. He identified himself with
the Hungarian revolutionists, and by his
patriotic verse aroused great enthusiasm for
the cause. He fell at the Battle of Schassburg.
Petofi's work marked an epoch in Hungar-
ian literature, as the assertion of the more
simple and romantic type of poetry against
the old stereotyped and classical form. An
English translation of his best verse was
made by Sir John Bowring (1866).

Petra, ancient town, Arabia Petraea, capi-
tal first of the Idumaeans and afterward of
the Nabataeans. It stood in a narrow gorge
midway between the Dead Sea and the
northeastern extremity of the Red Sea; its
importance was due to its position on this
important trade route.

Petrarch, or Petrarca, Francesco (1304-
74), Italian poet and humanist, was born in