Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/636

* PUQXriNA. 554 PUECHAS. PUQiriNA, pSo-kC-'iiu. A people of very low j-rade oi culu.re and intelligence forme, y living Snon certain island, in Lake Tilicaca and the ad- Xnt shores in Southern Peru. Their language SiUe" a distinct stock, and is .said to have been at one time one of the three general Ian- miages of Peru. PURACE, poTJ'ra-sa'. A volcano rising from the Central Cordillera in Colombia, 220 imles southwest of Bogota and immediately east of the town of Popayan (Map: Colombia B 3). Its present height is about 15,500 feet, but previous to 1849. when its top was blown off by an explo- sion it was considerably higher. The crater is still active, emitting continuously large quantities of hot vapor. PURANA, pun-ril'na (Skt., ancient lore). The name 'of a class of late poetic Hindu works of mixed cosmogonic. epic, and didactic character. The word purami occurs frequently i" tl'e Prose texts of the Veda as a designation of the Veda s own cosmogonic and legendary lore ; the name is also given "to the great epic, the Mahuhharata (q V ) . But in its most distinctive sense the word refers to a class of writings which certainly do not date before the sixth century a.d., and some of which mav be as late as a.d. 1500 The exist- inn- Puranas' seem to be sectarian religious man- uals for the people, written in the interest of either the worshipers of Vishnu (q.v.) or Siva (qv) Though the fundamental Hindu triad, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, is recognized the Vishnuite Kurma-Purana does not hesit^ate to sav "Vishnu is the divinity of the gods, biva ot the 'devils;" to Brahma all alike refer only in a perfunctorv fashion. According to ancient tradi- tion the ideal Purana is divided into five parts: (l)'Primarv creation, or cosmogony; (2) second- ary creation, or the destruction and rebuilding of 'worlds; (3) genealogy of gods and patriarchs; (4) Manvantarns.U-^e periods of reigns of Manus; (5) the history of the dynasties of kings. Though no extant Purana is so divided, yet the subject matter roughly follows that order. The entire type of composition is of secondary importance: it borrows its themes very largely from the epic literature, and represents religion, prac- tices, and legends in an exaggerated, fantastic, often distorted fashion. The actual light which the Puranas shed upon the antiquity they pro- fess to illumine is very small. The number of Puranas is said to be eighteen, in the fol- lowing order: Brahma, Padma, Vishnu, Siva, Bhao-avata, Naradiva, Markandeya, Agni, Bha- vishva, Brahmavaivarta, Linga, Varaha. Skanda, Vamana, I'iurma, Matsya, Garuda. Brahmanda. Some lists omit the Agni and replace it by t'le Vavu-Purana. Of these the second, third, fifth, sixth tenth seventeenth, and probably the first are Puranas of the Vishnu sect; the fourth, eighth thirteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth belong to'^the'Siva sect. The others are not so well de- fined A great many of the Puranas have been edited and published, or are in course of publica- tion ospeoiallv in the collection of texts puldished in Calcutta uiider the nrfme of BihUofhera Inihca. Of translations there are few; the most accessible specimen in English is the translation in five volumes of the Vishnu-Purana by Wilson edited by Fitzedward Hall (London, 1804-70). The first n'ine books of the Bhagqivata-Purana were trans- lated into French by Burnouf (Paris, 1840-44). PTJR'BECK BEDS. The name given in Eng- land to a group of strata forming the upper mem- ber of the Oolite group of the Upper Jurassic, well developed in the Isle of Purbeck, south of Poole estuary, in Dorsetshire. PUR'CELL, Henry (c.1U58-95). One of the most eminent of English musicians. He was born at Westminster, and was the son of Henry Purcell, one of the gentlemen of the chapel royal appointed at the Restoration. He lost his father at the age of six, and was indebted for his musical training to Cook, Humphreys, and the famous English church organist and composer, Dr. Blow. His compositions at a very early age showed evidence of talent. In 1680 he was chosen to succeed Dr. Christopher Gibbons as organist of Westminster Abbey, and in 1081 he was made organist of the chapel royal. He wrote numer- ous anthems and other compositions for the Church, which were eagerly sought after for the use of the various cathedrals, most of which have retained their place and popularity to the pres- ent day, Purcell's dramatic and chamber com- positions are even more remarkable. Among the former may be mentioned his music to The Tem- pest his songs in Dryden's 7viJi<7 Arthur, his mu- sic to Howard's and Dryden's hidian Queen, to Urfey's Don Quixote, and his Fairy Queen, the manuscript of which, long lost, was found in 1901 A great many of his cantatas, odes, glees, catches, and rounds are yet in demand through- out England, In 1G83 be composed 12 sonatas for two violins and a bass. Purcell studied the Italian masters deeply, and often made reference to his obligations to them. In originality and vinor as well as harmony and variety of expres- sion 'be far surpassed both his predecessors and his contemporaries. His church music was col- lected and edited from the original manuscript by Vincent Novello, in a folio work which ap- peared in 182G-30, with a portrait and essay on his life and works. He was regarded as the father of what has since come to be recognized as En<Tlish melody. He died of consumption in London, and was" buried in Westminster Abbey. PUBCELIi, John Baptist (1800-83). A Roman Catholic clergyman. He was born at Mallow, Ireland, and came to the United States at the at^e of eighteen. He studied at Asbury Col- le<Te "Baltimore, at Mount Baint Marys Col- lege, Emmitsburg, ild., at Paris and Issy, and was ordained at Paris in 182G. Returning to the United States, he became professor of moral philosophy at Mount Saint Mary's College, and eventually was elevated to the pvesidency. In 1833 he "became Bishop of Cincinnati in ISiV assistant at the Pontifical throne, and in 1850 Archbishop of Cincinnati. During his long pre- lacy he extended the effectiveness of the Chureli in his diocese and gained great personal popular- ity both within and without his own thurcU. INIisfortunes overtook his later years through un- fortunate investments or the inadequate business management of funds intrusted to the keeping ot his brother, the Rev. Edward Purcell The Arch- bishop assumed responsibility for the failure, making an assignment of his personal and dio- cesan property for the benefit of the creditors. PTJR'CHAS, Samuel (c.l57!5-1626) . An English clergyman and author. He was born at Thaxted, in'Essex. Taking orders after his graduation from Saint John's College, Cambridge,