3856

Psaln

tunning, i-awmiiling and dklillinji. sugar
manufacture, iron and steel works. Educa-
tion is free and compulsory for children be-
tween six and fourteen. On November 13,
1918, Prussia \\as proclaimed a republic.
Besides the Die! there was a Slate Council
(Staatsrat) elected by the Provincial As-
semblies, whose function was to advise and
control the Diet. The Diet elected a premier.
Prussia so functioned as a State of Federal
Germany until the abrogation of Slates'
rights by Hitler's totalitarian regime, 193.*.

The population of Prussia is 41,762,000.
The principal cities are Berlin, 4,^3 2,000;
Cologne, 769,000; Essen, 660,000; Hreslau,
6r^,ooo; Frankfort, 547,000; The early his-
tory of the kingdom of Prussia is closely
connected with that of the mark of Brand-
enburg, received as a fief in 11^4 by Albert
the Bear (a Saxon); the duchy of Prussia,
united to Brandenburg in 1618; and the
house of Ilohenzollern, the reign of Frederick-
William (1640-88) of this family being so
effective as to raise Prussia to the rank of a
leading European nation. Since 1871, when
FCing William of Prussia was proclaimed
German Kmperor, Prussia has been a part of
Germany. Under the Peace Treaty of Ver-
sailles in 1918, Prussia lost the province of
Poscn, most of West Prussia, and parts of
East Prussia, Silesia, Schleswig-Holstcin, and
the Rhine province, with nearly 4,600,000 in-
habitants, Nazi Germany seized and an-
nexed these territories in 19^9. See GKKMANY;
PRUSSIA, EAST ; PRUSSIA, WKST.

Prussia, East, province, Prussia, in the
extreme n.c.; belongs to the North German
plain, and includes part of the Baltic ridge,
with numerous lakes. It is primarily agricul-
tural and is especially famous for the breed-
ing of horses. Other industries include iron
works, shipbuilding, sugar factories, brew-
eries, distilleries, sawmills, and paper and
glass works. Amber is obtained on the coast
n.w. of Konigsberg, the capital. The original
inhabitants, the Pruzzi (whence Prussians),
were a Lithuanian tribe, who were subdued
in the *3th century by the Teutonic Knights.
From the beginning of the t5th century
until 1660 the province was subject to Po-
land. In 1656 the duke—the Elector of
Brandenburg—-secured the independence of
his duchy, and in 7701 proclaimed himself
king of Prussia. Certain districts in East
Prussia, subject to plebiscite by the Treaty
of Versailles, have been retained by Prussia.

Prtusia, Weal, province of former king-
of Prussia, held mostly bv Poland* 1910-

30- It lies in the basin of the lower Vistula,
and in the n, touches the Baltic, It belongs
to the North German plain, but is diversified
by the Baltic ridge, and is essentially an
agricultural region. Much attention is given
to the breeding (if horses. Iron works, saw-
mills, breweries and distilleries, sugar fac-
tories, shipbuilding, and glass works repre-
sent the other principal industries. West
Prussia remained in the power of Poland
down to 1772, when it passed to Prussia. At
the conclusion of the Great War, the greater
part was allotted to Poland. It was seized
by Germany, ir^g, one of the first steps in
the European War, TQ^CJ.

Prussian Blue, a dark blue solid of cop-
pery lustre, and possessing a variable com-
position depending upon the method of its
preparation. Prussian blue is insoluble i:i
water and stable to dilute acids, but is de-
composed by alkalis; and though formerly
much used for laundry purposes, paper-
staining, and the preparation of blue ink, it
has been largely superseded by aniline prod-
ucts. Its present largest u^e is in the manu-
facture of paints and printing inks.

Prynne, William (1600-69), Puritan
pamphleteer, was born in Swanswick, Somer-
set. He became involved in ecclesiastical con-
troversy as the champion of the Puritan
party. lie was fined, expelled from the bar,
sentenced to the loss of both ears and im-
prisonment for life; was released, fined again
and branded on the face. He was elected
MJ>. for Newport, Cornwall (1648); but was
again imprisoned for three years by Crom-
well. After the Restoration he was appointed
keeper of the records in the Tower. His only
works of any value are A Brief Register of
. , , . Parliamentary Writs (r, 1662) and
An Exact Abnd^mnt of the Records in the
Tower of London (1656-7).

Przemysl, city, Poland, seized by Russia
10,31); is a Roman Catholic: bishopric (since
1375) and Greek bishopric 02rH)> and has
two cathedrals. It has a good trade in wood,
leather, corn, and linen; p. 47,948,

P.S. Ipestscriptwn), postscript,

Psalms, Book of, one of the books of the
Old Testament, the fir.*t of the third division
nr Kethubkim of the Hebrew Bible, nnd the
second in the Septuagint and other versions.
The English version contains 150 lyrics, as
do the Hebrew and the Septuagint. Probably
the most important questions regarding the
psalms are those of authorship. Though the
collection is called the 'Psalms of David/ it
haft never been maintained trwt Pavkl wrote