studied botany at Madrid under Ortega, and in 1777 he accompanied Ruiz in the memorable botanical expedition despatched to Peru by the Spanish government. During a residence of ten years they visited the most interesting districts in Peru and Chili, and returned to Europe in 1788 with large collections of plants, and an extensive series of botanical drawings. These, along with contributions subsequently sent from South America, constituted the basis of their splendid, although still incomplete work, entitled "Flora Peruviana et Chilensis." A large portion of the collections of Ruiz and Pavon was purchased by M. Lambert, and a part of them is now in the British museum.—J. H. B.
PAXTON, George, D.D., a Scottish Secession minister and professor of theology, was born on the 2nd of April, 1762, in the parish of Bolton, East Lothian. After the ordinary curriculum at the university of Edinburgh, and a course of theological study under Professor Moncrieff at Alloa in connection with the General Associate or Antiburgher synod, he was licensed to preach in 1788, was speedily called, and ordained at Kilmaurs on the 12th of August in the following year. His ministry was a successful one, though often interrupted by ill health. On the 30th of April, 1807, he was chosen professor of theology, resigned his rural pastorate, and removed to Edinburgh. As a teacher of theology he was highly esteemed by his successive classes of students. At the union of Burghers and Antiburghers in 1820 Professor Paxton refused to acquiesce in its basis, and formed with other non-contents a small protesting party. He died on the 9th of April, 1837. Professor Paxton was a fluent preacher, and often animated even to vehemence. His principal work is his "Illustrations of Scripture," and it is evidently based on prelections prepared for his students. The geography, zoology, and manners of Scripture are well handled, and carefully and successfully illustrated. Great reading and research, with no little learning and critical skill, are manifest; and although on several points more recent travel has gathered more perfect information, yet his popular volumes, with their graceful and lucid style, are well worth perusal. The third edition is enriched with notes by the Rev. Dr. Jamieson of Glasgow. The university of St. Andrews bestowed on Paxton the degree of D.D.—J. E.
PAXTON, Sir Joseph, M.P., an eminent horticulturist and architect, was born at Milton-Bryant, near Woburn, Bedfordshire, in 1803. He received the elements of education at Woburn free school, and afterwards directed his attention to gardening. He was employed at Chiswick gardens by the duke of Devonshire, and conducted himself in such a way as to secure the favour of his employer, who transferred him to his gardens at Chatsworth. There he continued for many years to conduct the establishment. His abilities were such as to induce the duke to make him not only director of the gardens at Chatsworth, but manager of his Derbyshire estates. The mode in which the gardens and houses at Chatsworth were laid out attracted general attention, and placed Mr. Paxton in the highest place as a cultivator, landscape gardener, and horticultural architect. The erection of the grand conservatory at Chatsworth, three hundred feet long and one hundred and forty-five wide, and covering an acre of ground, showed Mr. Paxton's skill and talent as an engineer and designer. This famed conservatory was the forerunner of the Crystal palace, in the construction of which Mr. Paxton took the most conspicuous part. His design for the building was with very slight modifications carried out, and he superintended the operations. His merits were recognized in his receiving the honour of knighthood. On the establishment of the Crystal Palace Company Paxton furnished the plan for the building at Sydenham, which now stands as a monument of his artistic skill and his powers of execution. Paxton was subsequently connected with the architectural arrangement of many buildings, as well as with various railway improvements. During the Crimean war the Army Works Corps, formed out of the navvies who had been employed in the erection of the Sydenham palace, and which contributed so materially to securing the healthy and efficient condition of our troops, was sent out by government at his suggestion. A liberal in politics, he was, in 1854, elected M.P. for Coventry, which he represented till his death, 8th June, 1865. He was chosen a fellow of the Horticultural Society in 1826, and a fellow of the Linnæan Society in 1833. The emperor of Russia made him a knight of the order of St. Vladimir. He published various works relating to horticulture and botany.—J. H. B.
PAYER, Jean Baptiste, a French botanist, was born in the department of Ardennes, on 3rd February, 1818, and died at Paris on 5th September, 1860. He was early distinguished for his oratory. He studied law and the sciences, and was made doctor in 1840. In the same year he became professor of mineralogy and geology to the Faculty of Science at Rennes. The following year he returned to Paris to teach botany at the normal school, and to supply Mirbel's place at the Faculty of Sciences. In 1843 he passed as doctor of medicine and pharmacy at Strasburg. In 1848 he was appointed minister of foreign affairs, and also a representative of the democratic party in the assembly. In 1852 he occupied the chair of vegetable organography at the Faculty of Sciences in Paris, in room of Auguste St. Hilaire. This chair was on the death of Adrién de Jussieu united to that of vegetable anatomy and physiology. He has published some important works in the latter department, especially his "Traité d'organogenie vegetale comparée." He also published a work on cryptogamic botany, and edited Adanson's Cours Elementaire d'Histoire Naturelle. By his treatise on organography he became the leader of a new school. He died from the effects of an operation for fistula.—J. H. B.
PAYNE, John, the earliest Englishman who distinguished himself as an engraver, was born near the beginning of the seventeenth century, and learned engraving of Simon de Passe. He engraved a large number of book plates of all descriptions; but he was most successful in his portraits, some of which are very excellent. Among the best known of these are his "Shakspeare;" "Withers;" "Henry VII." and "Henry VIII.;" "Dr. Alabaster," after Jansen; and "Sir Benjamin Rudyard," after Mytens. A very noted print is that of the Royal Sovereign man-of-war, which was engraved on two plates, making when joined a print three feet long by two feet two inches high. He is said to have been indolent and dissipated, and to have died in poverty about 1648.—J. T—e.
PAYNE, John Howard, dramatist and miscellaneous writer, was born at New York in 1792, the son of a successful teacher. An editor at thirteen, in his sixteenth year he went upon the stage. In 1813 he visited England, and was for some time an actor, a playwright, and even a theatre manager in London. He sold to Charles Kemble, then manager of Covent Garden, his drama of "Clari," which contains the popular ballad of "Home, sweet home," at once successful as sung by Miss M. Tree. One of his American biographers admiringly calculates that of this song "a hundred thousand copies had been sold in 1832 by the original publishers." Payne died in 1852 at Tunis, where he was consul for the United S ates.—F. E.
PEACHAM, Henry, the author of the "Compleat Gentleman," was born at North Mimms in Hertfordshire, about 1576. He became a member of Trinity college, Cambridge; but though he wrote himself master of arts, he complains in one of his works of being "rawlie torne" from his alma mater. He became for a short time master of a free school at Wymondham in Norfolk. The occupation was utterly distasteful to him, and it appears from his epigrams that he amused himself with limning portraits, landscapes, flowers, and insects. Proofs of his foreign travel occur in other epigrams, where he gives the inscriptions over inn-doors at Antwerp, Arnheim, and other places. For some time he resided in Italy, where he studied music under Orazio Vecchi; and he mentions in one place "a set of airs in four and five parts which he has ready for the presse." Malone surmises that he was in holy orders, and held a living in Lincolnshire. He was tutor to Lord Arundel's children, whom he accompanied to the Low Countries. He translated King James' Basilicon Doron into Latin verse, and presented it, "with emblems limned in lively colours," to Prince Henry. He died about the year 1650. A list of the numerous works in prose and verse of this accomplished gentleman will be found in Lowndes' Manual. His epigrams and emblems exhibit an elegant turn of mind and much delicacy of expression. His "Compleat Gentleman" was long a favourite book.— (Notes and Queries, xl., 217.)—R. H.
PEACOCK, George, Dean of Ely, an eminent scholar and mathematician, was born in 1791 at Thornton hall, Denton, where his father, the Rev. Thomas Peacock, kept a school. His application to serious study did not commence till he went, in his seventeenth year, to Mr. Tate's school at Richmond. He became a sound scholar in Greek and Latin, and when he went to Cambridge in 1809 showed himself the first
