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 passing the La Plata without recognizing it, and turning back about the mouth of the Rio Negro, but this is probably an exaggeration. After 1523 all traces of Vicente are lost.

PIO DI SAVOIA, an ancient noble Italian family, first mentioned by good authorities in the 14th century. From the house of (q.v.) they received the lordship of Carpi, and later they acquired the fiefs of Meldola, Sassuolo, &c. Many members of the family were distinguished as condottieri, diplomats and ecclesiastics. Alberto Pio obtained from the house of Savoy in 1450 the privilege of adding “di Savoia” to his name as a reward for his military services. Another Alberto Pio (1475–1551), who was French ambassador in Rome, won fame as a man of learning, and Cardinal Rodolfo Pio (1516–1564) was a trusted adviser to Pius III. and helped to establish the Inquisition at Milan Ascanio Pio (d. 1649) was a dramatic poet of some merit. Spain conferred the title of prince on the family, and one branch of it is to this day established in Spain.

PIOMBINO, a seaport of Tuscany, Italy, in the province of Pisa, 8 m. by rail W.S.W. of Campiglia Marittima (which is 53 m. S.S.E. of Pisa), 62 ft. above sea-level, at the southern extremity of the peninsula of the Monte Massoncello. Pop. (1901), 5979 (town), 7703 (commune). It is surrounded by old walls, and contains some interesting Renaissance works by a master of about 1458 under the influence of Alberti. It is the port of embarkation for Elba, the nearest point of which is about 6 m. to the south-west, and originally belonged to Pisa. It gives the title of prince to the Buoncompagni Ludovisi family, who, however, no longer own it.

 PIONEER, properly a foot-soldier (Med. Lat. pedo, pedonis, through O. Fr. peonnier, pionnier, cf. “pawn”) who with spade, axe and other implements, precedes an army or smaller military body, and clears or makes a road, digs entrenchments, prepares a camping ground, &c. The word is thus applied to all who, actually or figuratively, are first in exploring or working an undiscovered or undeveloped country or field of inquiry.

PIOTRKOW (Ger. Petrikau), a government of Russian Poland, bounded by the government of Warsaw on the N, Radom and Kielce on the E., Kalisz on the W. and Prussian Silesia on the S. Area, 4729 sq m.; pop. (1906, estimate), 1,615,200. Geologically it represents a continuation of Upper Silesia, and is built up of Upper Carboniferous deposits, containing near Bendzin a bed of coal 265 sq. m. in extent. Permian and Jurassic deposits, containing zinc ores, as also lignite and limonite iron ores, overlie the Carboniferous. The surface consists of a series of heights, 1000 to 1600 ft. above sea-level, intersected by ravines, and stretching from south-west to north-east. The government is drained by the Warta and the Pilica, and was formerly covered with thick forests. It was colonized by Mazurs and Poles (Velilo Polyans and Malo-Polyans). The government, which is the most densely peopled in the Russian Empire, is divided into eight districts, of which the chief towns are Piotrkow, Bendzin, Brzeziny, Czenstochowa, Lask, Lodz, Nowo-Radom and Rawa. Agriculture and cattle-breeding are extensively carried on; and coal and iron are mined. Textile industries developed with extraordinary rapidity during the closing years of the 19th and the opening years of the 20th centuries, the towns of Lodz, Pabianice, Zgerz and Bendzin all being important centres. Other branches of productive industry are distilleries, breweries, flour-mills, brickyards, sugar, cement, glass and candle factories Granica and Sosnowice, in this government, are two of the most important custom houses in Russia, and the annual trade is estimated at £12,000,000.

PIOTRKOW, a town of Russian Poland, capital of the government of the same name, and formerly the seat of the high court of Poland, on the railway from Warsaw to Vienna, 90 m. south-west of the former and 5 in. west of the river Pilica. Pop. (1900), 32,173. It is a well-kept town, with numerous gardens, and has flour-mills, saw-mills, tanneries, agricultural machinery works, and breweries. One of the oldest towns in Poland, Piotrkow was in the 15th and 16th centuries the place of meeting of the diets, and here the kings were elected. In the 14th century Casimir the Great built here a castle (now a military church) and surrounded the town with walls. Here in 1769 the Russians defeated the (Polish) forces of the Bar Confederation.

PIOZZI, HESTER LYNCH (1741–1821), English writer, well known as the friend (Mrs Thrale) of (q.v.), was born on the 16th of January 1741, her father being John Salusbury of Bobbel, Carnarvonsh1re. Her maternal uncle, Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton, contemplated providing for his niece, but he died without having carried out his intention. She and her mother lived in London, and amongst her childish recollections were meetings with James Quin and David Garrick She received a solid education, for she was acquainted with Latin as well as with French, Italian and Spanish. In 1763 she was married to Henry Thrale, a rich Southwark brewer, whose house was at Streatham on the south-east corner of Tooting Bec Common. There was very little sympathy between the lively girl and Thrale, who was thirteen years her senior, but gradually she drew round her a distinguished circle of friends. She was introduced to Samuel Johnson in 1765 by Arthur Murphy, who was an old friend of her husband's. In 1766 Johnson paid a long visit to Streathan1, and from that time was more or less domesticated With the Thrales. In time it became his custom to spend the middle of the week at Streatham, devoting the remaining days to his own heterogeneous “family.” He was genuinely attached to his hostess, and thoroughly appreciated the luxury in which the Thrales lived. They were able to soften some of his eccentricities, and they certainly made him happy. He travelled with them in Wales in 1774, and in France in 1775. Dr Burney gave lessons to one of the Miss Thrales, and in 1778 he brought his daughter Fanny to Streatham. She became a warm friend of Mrs Thrale, and has left an account of the Streatham household in her diary. This friendship was by no means always unclouded. Fanny Burney was very sensitive, and sometimes thought that Mrs Thrale gave herself airs of patronage. Meanwhile, in 1772, Thrale's business was seriously injured, and he was threatened with bankruptcy. The situation was saved by his wife's effoits, and in the next year Thrale travelled, leaving her in charge of his affairs. He was twice returned for the borough of Southwark, chiefly through her efforts. In 1781 Mr Thrale died, and Dr Johnson helped the widow with her business arrangements, advising her to keep on the brewery, until she “cured his honest heart of its incipient passion for trade, by letting him into some, and only some, of its mysteries.” The brewery was finally sold for £155,000. Mrs Thrale had met Gabriele Piozai. an Italian musician, in 1780. Johnson was now in failing health, and soon bega11 to feel himself slighted. His suspicions w ere definitely aroused when she laid aside her mourning for Thrale in 1782, and the Streatham house was sold. In 1783 her engagement to Piozzi was announced. The objections of her daughters and her friends induced her to break it off for a time, but it was soon resumed, and in 1784 they were married. Johnson told Miss Burney that he drove the memory of Mrs Thrale from his mind, burning every letter of hers on which he could lay his hand. The Piozzis presently left England to travel in Italy. At Florence they fcll in with Robert Merry and the other “Della Cruscan” writers ridiculed by William Gifford in his Maeviad and Baviad, and she contributed some verses to their Florence Miscellany in 1785. In 1786 she published Anecdotes of the late Samuel Johnson, during the last twenty years of his life, which was severely criticized by Boswell. She was ridiculed by “Peter Pindar” in Bozzy and