the middle ages of the church, drew, where, as tradition informs us, was deposited a leg of the holy apostle. In Ireland they have been continued even down to modern times; for from the beginning of May till the middle of August every

but they were most in vogue after the end of the eleventh century, when every one was for visiting places of devotion, not excepting kings and provinces; and even bishops made no difficulty of be-year, crowds of popish penitents ing absent from their churches on from all parts of that country rethe same account. The places sort to an island near the centre of most visited were Jerusalem, Rome, Lough Fin, or White Lake, in Tours, and Compostella. As to the county of Donegal, to the the latter place, we find that in amount of 3000 or 4000. These the year 1428, under the reign of are mostly of the poorer sort, and Henry VI, abundance of licenses many of them are proxies for were granted for the crown of those who are richer: some of England to captains of English whom, however, together with ships, for carrying numbers of de- some of the priests and bishops on vout persons thither to the shrine occasion, make their appearance of St. James; provided, however, there. When the pilgrim comes that those pilgrims should first take within sight of the holy lake, he an oath not to take any thing pre-must uncover his hands and feet, judicial to England, nor to reveal any of its secrets, nor to carry out with them any more gold or silver than what would be sufficient for their reasonable expences. In this year there went thither from England on the said pilgrimage the following number of persons: from London 280, Bristol 200, Weymouth 122, Dartmouth 90, Yarmouth 60, Jersey 60, Plymouth 40, Exeter 30, Poole 24, Ipswich 20; in all, 926 persons. Of oatmeal, sometimes made into late years the greatest numbers have resorted to Loretto, in order to visit the chamber of the Blessed Virgin, in which she was born, and brought up her son Jesus till he was twelve years of age.

and thus walk to the water side, and is taken to the island for sixpence. Here there are two chapels, and fifteen other houses; to which are added confessionals, so contrived, that the priest cannot see the person confessing. The penance varies according to the circumstances of the penitent; during the continuance of which (which is sometimes three, six, or nine days) he subsists on

bread. He traverses sharp stones on his bare knees or feet, and goes through a variety of other forms, paying sixpence at every different confession. When all is over, the priest bores a gimblet In almost every country where hole through the top of the pilpopery has been established, pil-grim's staff, in which he fastens a grimages have been common. In England, the shrine of St. Thomasa-Becket was the chief resort of the pious; and in Scotland, St. An

cross peg; gives him as many holy pebbles out of the lake as he cares to carry away, for amulets to be presented to his friends, and

ship for all true believers. The Mussulmans pay so great a veneration to it, that they believe a single sight of its sacred walls, with

so dismisses him an object of veneration to all other Papists not thus initiated; who no sooner see the pilgrim's cross in his hands, than they kneel down to get his bless-out any particular act of devotion,

ing.

is as meritorious in the sight of God as the most careful discharge of one's duty, for the space of a whole

There are, however, it is said, other parts of Ireland sacred to extraordinary worship and pilgri-year, in any other temple. mage; and the number of holy wells, and miraculous cures, &c. produced by them, are very great. That such things should exist in this enlightened age, and in a protestant country, is indeed strange; but our wonder ceases when we reflect it is among the lowest, and perhaps the worst of the people. Pilgrimage, however, is not peculiar to Roman catholic countries. The Mahometans place a great part of their religion in it. Mecca is the grand place to which they go; and this pilgrimage is so necessary a point of practice, that, according to a tradition of Mahomet, he who dies without performing it may as well die a Jew or a Christian; and the same is expressly commanded in the Ko

To this temple every Mahometan who has health and means sufficient ought at once, at least, in his life to go on pilgrimage; nor are women excused from the performance of this duty. The pilgrims meet at different places near Mecca, according to the different parts from whence they come, during the months of Shawal and Dhu'lkaada, being obliged to be there by the beginning of Dhu'lhajja; which month, as its name imports, is peculiarly set apart for the celebration of this solemnity.

ran.

one

The men put on the Ibram, or sacred habit, which consists only of two woollen wrappers, wrapped about the middle, and the other thrown over their shoulders, having their heads bare, and a kind of slippers which cover What is principally reverenced neither the heel nor the instep, in this place, and gives sanctity to and so enter the sacred territory the whole, is a square stone build-in their way to Mecca. While ing, called the Caaba. Before the they have this habit on, they must time of Mahomet this temple was neither hunt nor fowl (though they a place of worship for the idola-are allowed to fish; which precept trous Arabs, and is said to have is so punctually observed, contained no less than three hun- they will not kill vermin if they dred and sixty different images, find them on their bodies: there equalling in number the days of are some noxious animals, howthe Arabian year. They were ever, which they have permission all destroyed by Mahomet, who to kill during the pilgrimage; as sanctified the Caaba, and appoint- kites, ravens, scorpions, mice, and ed it to be the chief place of wor-dogs given to bite. During the

that

pilgrimage, it behoves a man to | between two pillars; and there have a constant guard over his they run, and afterwards walk

words and actions; to avoid all quarrelling or ill language, all converse with women, and all obscene discourse; and to apply his whole attention to the good work he is engaged in.

again, sometimes looking back, and sometimes stopping, like one who had lost something, to represent Hagar seeking water for her son; for the ceremony is said to be as ancient as her time.

to

The pilgrims being arrived at On the ninth of Dhu'lhajja, Mecca, immediately visit the tem- after morning prayer, the pilple, and then enter on the per- grims leave the valley of Miformance of the prescribed cere- na, whither they come the day monies, which consist chiefly in before, and proceed in a tumulgoing in procession round the Caa-tuous and rushing manner ba, in running between the mounts mount Arafat, where they stay to Safa and Meriva, in making the perform their devotions till sunstation on mount Arafat, and set; then they go to Mozdalifa, slaying the victims and shaving an oratory between Arafat and their heads in the valley of Mina, and there spend the night Mina. in prayer and reading the Koran. The next morning by day-break they visit Al Masher al Karam, or the sacred monument; and, departing thence before sun-rise, haste by Batn Mohasser to the valley of Mina, where they throw seven stones at three marks or pillars, in imitation of Abraham, who, meeting the devil in that place, and being by him disturbed in his devotions, or tempted to disobedience when he was going to sacrifice his son, was commanded by God to drive him away by throwing stones at him; though others pretend this rite to be as old as Adam, who also put the devil to flight in the same place, and by the same means.

In compassing the Caaba, which they do seven times, beginning at the corner where the black stone is fixed, they use a short quick pace the three first times they go round it, and a grave ordinary pace the four last; which it is said is ordered by Mahomet, that his followers might shew themselves strong and active, to cut off the hopes of the infidels, who gave out + the immoderate heats of Mena had rendered them weak. But the aforesaid quick pace they are not obliged to use every time they perform this piece of devotion, but only at some particular times. So often as they pass by the black stone, they either kiss it, or touch it with their hand, and kiss that.

The running between Safa and Meriva is also performed seven times, partly with a slow pace, and partly running; for they walk gravely till they come to a place

The ceremony being over, on the same day, the tenth of Dhu'lhajja, the pilgrims slay their victims in the said valley of Mina, of which they and their friends eat part, and the rest is given to the poor. These victims must be

either sheep, goats, kine, or ca- | will, perhaps, find himself mismels; males, if of either of the taken; yet he may go thither

two former kinds, and females if of either of the latter, and of a fit age. The sacrifices being over, they shave their heads and cut their nails, burying them in the same place; after which the pilgrimage is looked on as completed, though they again visit the Caaba, to take their leave of that sacred building.

without folly: he who thinks they will be more freely pardoned, dishonours at once his reason and his religion." Johnson's Rasselas ; Enc. Brit.; Hume's Hist. of England. See CRUsade.

PIOUS FRAUDS are those artifices and falsehoods made use of in propagating the truth, and endeavouring to promote the spiritual interests of mankind. These have been more particularly practised in the church of Rome, and con. sidered not only as innocent, but commendable. Neither the term

Poor Pilgrims, an order that started up in the year 1500. They came out of Italy into Germany bare footed, and bare headed, Dr. Johnson gives us some ob-feeding all the week, except on servations on pilgrimage, which Sundays, upon herbs and roots are so much to the purpose, that sprinkled with salt. They stayed we shall lay them before the not above twenty-four hours in a reader. 66 Pilgrimage, like many place. They went by couples begother acts of piety, may be reason-ging from door to door. This peable or superstitious according to nance they undertook voluntarily, the principles upon which it is per- some for three, others for five or formed. Long journeys in search seven years, as they pleased, and of truth are not commanded: then returned home to their callings. truth, such as is necessary to the regulation of life, is always found where it is honestly sought: change of place is no natural cause of the increase of piety, for it inevitably produces dissipation of mind. Yet, since men go every day to view the fields where great actions have been performed, and return with stronger impressions of the event, curiosity of the same kind may naturally dispose us to view that country whence our religion had its beginning. That the Supreme Being may be more easily propitiated in one place than in another, is the dream of idle superstition; but that some places may operate upon our own minds in an uncommon manner, is an opinion which hourly experience will justify. He who supposes God is said to pity them that that his vices may be more suc- fear him, as a father pitieth cessfully combated in Palestine his children. The Father, says

nor the thing signified, however, can be justified. The term pious and fraud form a solecism ; and the practice of doing evil that good may come, is directly opposite to the injunction of the sacred scriptures, Rom. iii, 8.

PITY is generally defined to be the uneasiness we feel at the unhappiness of another, prompting us to compassionate them, with a desire of their relief.

Mr. Henry, pities his children that || 149, 172; More's Immor. of the are weak in knowledge, and instructs Soul, 1. iii, c. 12; Ray's Wis 'om them; pities them when they are of God, p. 51, 52; Lord Monbodforward, and bears with them; pi-do's Ancient Metaphysics; Young's ties them when they are sick, and Essay on the Powers and Mechanism comforts them, Isa. lxvi, 13; when of Nature. they are fallen, and helps them up again; when they have offended, and forgives them; when they are wronged, and rights them. Thus the Lord pitieth them that fear him, Ps. ciii, 13. See COMPASSION OF GOD.

PLATONICS NEW. See NEW PLATONICS.

PLEASURE, the delight which arises in the mind from contemplation or enjoyment of something agreeable. See HAPPINESS.

PLENARY INSPIRATION. See INSPIRATION.

PLURALIST, one that holds more than one ecclesiastical benefice with cure of souls.

PNEUMATOLOGY, the doctrine of spiritual existence. See

POLYGAMY, the state of hav

PLASTIC NATURE, an absurd doctrine, which some have thus described. "It is an incorporeal created substance endued with a vegetative life, but not with sensation or thought; penetrating the whole created universe, being SOUL co-extended with it; and, under God, moving matter, so as to pro-ing more wives than one at once. duce the phænomena which cannot be solved by mechanical laws: active for ends unknown to itself, not being expressly conscious of its actions, and yet having an obscure idea of the action to be entered upon." To this it has been answered, that, as the idea itself is most obscure, and, indeed, inconsistent, so the foundation of it is evidently weak. It is intended by this to avoid the inconveniency of subjecting God to the trouble of some changes in the created world and the meanness of others. But it appears, that, even upon this hypothesis, he would still be the author of them; besides, that to Omnipotence nothing is trou-men, four or more men must be blesome, nor those things mean, when considered as part of a system, which alone might appear to be so. Doddridge's Lec., lec. 37; Cudworth's Intellectual Syst., p.

Though this article, like some others we have inserted, be not theological, yet, as it is a subject of importance to society, we shall here consider it. The circumstances of the patriarchs living in polygamy, and their not being reproved for it, has given occasion to some modern writers to suppose that it is not unlawful; but it is answered that the equality in the number of males and females born into the world intimates the intention of God that one woman should be assigned to one man; for (says Mr. Paley) if to one man be allowed an exclusive right to five or more wo

deprived of the exclusive possession of any which could never be the order intended. This equality, indeed, is not quite exact. The number of male infants exceeds