in ecclesiastical law. See PATRONAGE.

PRESENTATION of the Virgin, is a feast of the Rom-

Vol. XVII. Part I. Presentation of our Lady also gives the title to three orders of nuns. The first, projected in 1618, by a named Joan of Cambrai. The habit of the nuns, according to the vision she pretended to have, was to be a grey gown of natural wool, &c.; but this project was never accomplished. The second was established in France, about the year 1627, by Nicholas Sanguin, bishop of Senlis; it was approved by Urban VIII. This order never made any great progress. The third was established in 1664, when Frederic Borromeo, being apostolic visitor in the Valletta, was instructed by some devout maidens at Morbegno to allow them live in community in a retired place; which he granted, and erected them into a congregation, under the title of congregation of our Lady. They live under the rule of St. Augustine.

Preseniment, in Law. See Prosecution.

A preseniment, generally taken, is a very comprehensive term; including not only prelaminents properly so called, but also inquisitions of office, and indictments by a grand jury. A preseniment, properly speaking, is the notice taken by a grand jury of any offence from their own knowledge or observation, without any bill of indictment laid before them at the suit of the king: As the preseniment of a nuisance, a libel, and the like; upon which the officer of the court must afterwards frame an indictment, before the party pretended can be put to answer it. An inquisition of office is the act of a jury, summoned by the proper officer to inquire of matters relating to the crown, upon evidence laid before them. Some of these are in themselves convictions, and cannot afterwards be traversed or denied; and therefore the inquest, or jury, ought to hear all that can be alleged on both sides. Of this nature are all inquisitions of fato de se; of flight in persons accused of felony; of deadlands, and the like; and preseniments of petty offences in the sheriff's town or court-leet, whereupon the presiding officer may set a fine. Other inquisitions may be afterwards traversed and examined; as particularly the coroner's inquisition of the death of a man, when it finds any one guilty of homicide; for in such cases the offender so presented must be arraigned upon this inquisition, and may dispute the truth of it; which brings it to a kind of indictment, the most usual and effectual means of prosecution. See Indictment.