an ancient tax of a penny on each house, paid to the pope.

It was called peter-pence because collected on the day of St. Peter ad vincula, and sent to Rome; whence it was also called Rome-scoot and Rome-penny.

PIERSBURG, the capital city of Russia, and one of the largest and most populous cities in the world, situated on both sides the river Neva, in the provinces of Karelia and Ingria, between the gulph of Finland and the lake of Ladoga; E. long. 31°, N. lat. 60°. There were no less than sixty-five thousand houses built within three or four years after the foundation was laid, which was in the year 1703.