Preceptory

3819

Premium

Preceptory, a religious hou^e belonging to
the order of the Knights Templars. The three
principal provincial preceptories were those
of Jerusalem, Tripoli, and Antioch.

Precession, a slow retrograde movement of
the equinoctial points of the ecliptic, by which
the interval between successive equinoxes is
shortened by 20 minutes. The annual amount
of the shift, called the 'constant of preces-
sion,' is 50.25", giving 25,868 years as the
period of one complete revolution of the
vernal equinox. The phenomenon was dis-
covered about 130 B.C. by Hipparchus,
through its effects in changing the apparent
places of the stars.

Precipitation, a chemical action in which
a solid is caused to separate from a solu-
tion or sometimes from a gas. The process is
utilized to purify solutions, and is also em-
ployed in analysis.

Predestination, a term meaning the decree
of God by which all things are foreordained,
and by which, in particular, some men are
predetermined (elected) to salvation and
others to perdition — the preordination to
death being often called reprobation.

Predicables, the name given to a certain
logical classification of the kinds of predicates
that may be affirmed of the subject of a
proposition. By Aristotle four such predica-
bles were recognized—vis. the definition, the
genus (under which the differentia was in-
cluded) , the proprium, and the accident. The
predicate must either be convertible with—
i.e, have the same application as—the subject
or not, and if convertible, it must either ex-
press the essence of the subject (definition)
or not (proprium = attribute peculiar to the
subject, and therefore convertible); and if
not convertible, it must either be part of the
essence (genus) or not (accident = an attri-
bute neither essential nor peculiar).

Pre-emption. In the United States, under
the Pre-emption Act of 1841, an actual set-
tler on the public lands enjoys the right, in
preference to any one else, of purchasing at
a fixed price the land on which he has settled,
to the extent of not more than 160 acres. In
the case of 'offered' lands the settler must
file his 'declaratory statement' within thirty
days after entry, and within a year proof
must be made of settlement and cultivation,
and the land thereupon paid for, at $1.25 per
acre if outside the limits of a railroad grant,
or $2.50 if within such limits.

Pre-existence, the doctrine of the soul's
existence before union with the body, is one
of the world's common stock of ideas. It ex-

! isted in India, where the Brahmans justified
; and explained the caste system by proclaim-
i ing man's position in the world to be the
j consequence of his merits or demerits in a
previous state. It was found in Greece, where
the Pythagoreans added the Egyptian con-
ception of transmigration. Pre - existence.
taught by Philo of Alexandria, was adopted
by Origen, but combated by Augustine, and
rejected by the Council of Constantinople,
Traducianism and Creationism being adop-
ted subsequently as alternative beliefs. Direct
intellectual interest in the doctrine of pre-
existence has nearly died out in modern times,
yet the dream has again and again haunted
individual thinkers.

Prefect, a name applicable to various
Roman functionaries. The most important
was the Project us urbi, or warden of the
city, whose office existed at an early period
of Roman history, but was revived under
Augustus, with new and greatly altered and
extended authority, including the whole
powers necessary for the maintenance of peace
and order in the city, and an extensive juris-
diction civil and criminal.

Preferential Voting. See Elections.

Preferred Stock. See Stock.

Pregnancy, the condition following fertil-
ization of the female ovum, and lasting until
delivery.

Prehnite, a hydrated calcium and alumin-
um silicate, which is a frequent secondary
mineral in igneous rocks, and is derived from
the decomposition of feldspar.

Prelate (Latin prcelatus, 'one set over'), a
holder of those dignities in the church, to
which, of their own right, is attached a prop-
er jurisdiction. In this sense the name com-
prises not only bishops, but also the heads
of religious orders, abbots or priors, and
other similar dignitaries. In the papal house-
hold many not possessing episcopal jurisdic-
tion have the insignia and title of prelate; and
these honors are frequently bestowed on
clergy whose duties keep them far from
Rome.

Prelude, in music, is used to designate a
preliminary section of an introductory na-
ture. Fugues frequently contain this feature,
and the first movement of a suite is usually
styled a prelude. Chopin and others have
used the name as the title of a species of
composition.

Premium (Latin pr&mium, 'profit/ 're-
ward') is a term used in several connections
in the world of commerce. In currency, it is
the difference of value between gold and