in the ancient Christian church, Penitentiary, at the court of Rome, is an office in which are examined and delivered out the secret bulls, graces, or dilpenations relating to cases of confidence, confessions, &c.

Penitentiary, is also an officer, in some cathedrals, vested with power from the bishop to absolve, in cases referred to him. The pope has at present his grand penitentiary, who is a cardinal, and the chief of the other penitentiary priests established in the church of Rome, who consult him in all difficult cases. He presides in the penitentiary, dispatches dispensations, absolutions, &c., and has under him a regent and 24 procurors, or advocates of the sacred penitentiary.

Penman-Mawr, a mountain in Caernarvonshire, 1,400 feet high. It hangs perpendicularly over the sea, so vast a height, that few spectators are able to look down the dreadful steep. On the side which is next the sea, there is a road cut out of the side of the rock, about six or seven feet wide, which winds up a steep ascent, and used to be defended on one side only by a flight wall, in some parts about a yard high, and in others by only a bank, that scarce rose a foot above the road. The sea was seen dashing its waves 40 fathoms below, with the mountain rising as much above the traveller's head. This dangerous road was a few years ago secured by a wall breast-high, to the building of which the city of Dublin largely contributed, it being in the high road to Holyhead.