Ancient Egyptians playing at draughts and mora (guessing number.-)
PLAYFAIR
290
PLEIADES
Grecian gam* - ol streugtfa and Bkill so often alluded to by Paul, see G vmi s. C p. S
Playfair, James, D.D., a Scotch divine of some note, was born about L740, and was educated al the University of St. Andrew's. He then became minister of I. ill' and Benvie livings, which he held until his son succeeded him in the work of the ministry, to Boon ex- I owever, these fii Ids of labor for the scientific work in which he became so greatly celebrated. l>r. James Playfair was also principal of the United College oi St Salvador and St. Leonard, iii the University of St. Andrew's. He died in 1819. He published A System of Chronology, and other works. See London Gentle- [agazine, 1819, pt ii. p. 179.
Playfair, John, an eminent scientist, was born, in 1749, al Dundee; was educated at StAndrew's; resigned a living, and became mathematical professor at Edin- burgh, where he died July 20, 1819. Playfair was cele- brated as a geologist, and a strenuous defender of the Huttonian Bystem. Among his works are, Elements of Geometry: Outlines of Philosophy: Illustrations of tht Huttonian Theory: and I System of Geography.
Playfere, John. See Plaifere.
Plays, Religious. See Mysteries.
Pleasure is the delight which arises in the mind from the contemplation or enjoyment, of something agreeable, and is synonymous in expression with hap- jihtt ss (q. v. i.
Pledge (usually some form of ?2!T chabdl, to bind as by a chattel mortgage; occasionally Conns of U2", abdt, to exchange, and "". ardb, to owe security; Tal- mud, "I'l""). in a legal sense, an assurance given as security by a debtor to his creditor, which is alluded to in the Mosaic books in several instances. Thus —
1. The creditor was nyl permitted to go to the house of his debtor to take Ids pledge, but must receive it be- fore the door (Deut xxiv. 10 sq.). The reason of this requirement and its merciful object are obvious,
•_'. The articles which were forbidden to be taken in pledge "ere, (a) the raiment or outer garment I Exod. wii. 26 sq.; I hut. xxiv, 10 sq., but see below), because this served the poor also as a covering by night lor the bed; (6) the Itandmill (q. v. ; xxiv, 6. Comp. Mishna, Baba Met. i\, 13). But notwithstanding these merci- ful provisions of the law, hard-hearted creditors were found among the Israelites w ho oppressed their debtors by taking pledges! Prov.xx, Id; xxvii, 13; Ezek. xviii, 12; xxxiii, 15; Habak.ii,6; comp. Job xxii, 6 ; xxiv,
3). See Delil/scll. ml foe, and especially M 1 . 1 1 : i . Ii - .
Mos. Recht, iii, 61 sip The custom of giving pledges prevailed extensively in the ages succeeding the exile, from the fact chat by the decisions of the scribes all .lews were prohibited from making any payments on the Sabbath; hence he who would make a purchase on thai day left some pledge with the seller (see Mish- na, Shab. xxiii, 1 >. as Ids outer garment, to be redeemed by payment the next day. The taking of pledges is still further restricted by the Talmud (Baba Afez. ix, pledging of land, mortgaging, appears first in the Talmud (Mishna, Shebiitk, ■-.. 6). However, the legal transfer of land under the Mosaic economy was properly but a pledging; for it could al any time be re- deemed, and in the year of Jubilee ii returned without
r,T'lv I to the original owner. Pawning of pi rsonal
property for debt, however, was a very ancient custom (Gen. ww iii. I, Bq.). Personal guarantees of faith, pledges, or hostages, are mentioned (2 Kings xiv, 11, I :'- 133 - i < i] abhorn nee of the usurer.
and of his taking pledges, among the ^rabs of the pres- ent day, is often mentioned b) travellers. Mohammed entirely forbids all lending on interest, and th< M< aic precepts (comp. Exod. xxii, 25 Uy bo un-
derstood in the East. Kel nothing is more common
there than exorbitant usury, and the taking of pledges (Thomson, Jjond and Book, i, 199 sq.). See Loan.
PLEDGE is something given in hand as a securi- ty for t In- fulfilment ofa contract or the performance of a promise. When a man of veracity pledges his word, Iii-- affirmation becomes an assurance that he will fulfil
what he has pr ised. Bat as the word of every man
is not equally valid in matters ol importance, it becomes necessary that a valuable article of some kind should be deposited as a bond for fulfilment on his part. In the Protestant Episcopal Church Catechism a sacrament is defined as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us; ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof:" in which the pledge i- the token that we receive the grace. Staunton, / tical Dictionary, p. 536.
Plegmund, a noted prelate of the early English Church, flourished near the close of the 9th century. He was the friend and fellow -student of Alfred, and was in 890 elevated to the archbishopric ol bury. We know next to nothing about his personal history, but we are aware of the influence he exerted on ecclesiastical affairs through Alfred. See Churton, Early English Church, p. 210, 221 ; Wright, Biogr. Brit. (see Index).