See ARUNDELIAN MARBLES, and Parian Chronicle.

Under the article Parian Chronicle, we have been as full as the subject seemed to require, or as the nature of our work would admit. It is unnecessary, therefore, to refute it in this place. Such of our readers, however, as wish for further information on this subject (which is equally interesting to the scholar and to the antiquarian) we must refer to Robertson's attack upon their authenticity, and to Gough's learned and judicious vindication of the authenticity, published in Archologia for 1789. The extent of his learning, and the solidity of his arguments, appear upon the whole to outweigh the objections of his sensible and plausible opponent. Hewlett's book upon the same side of the question may command some degree of attention. It is ingenious. See SANDWICH Marble.

PARIAN Marble, among the ancients, the white marble used by them, and to this day, for carving statues, &c. and called by us at this time statuary marble.

Too many of the later writers have confounded all the white marbles under the name of the Parian; and among the workmen, this and all the other white marbles have the common name of alabasters; so that it is in general forgotten among them, that there is such a thing as alabaster different from marble; which, however, is truly the case. Almost all the world also have confounded the Carrara marble with this, though they are really very different; the Carrara kind being of a finer texture and clearer white than the Paian; but less bright and splendid, harder to cut, and not capable of glittering a polish.

The true Parian marble has usually somewhat of a faint bluish tinge among the white, and often has blue veins in different parts of it. It is supposed by some to have had its name from the island Paros †, one of the Cyclades in the Aegean sea, where it was first found; yet, but others will have it to have been so called from Agoracritus Parius, a famous flautist, who ennobled it by cutting a statue of Venus in it.

ARIAS, or PERREAS, a tribe of Hindus, so peculiarly distinguished from all others, that they live by themselves in the outskirts of towns; and, in the country, build their houses apart from the villages, or rather have villages of their own, furnished with wells; for Mod. Univ. they dare not so much as fetch water from those which other families make use of; and, lest these latter should inadvertently go to one of theirs, they are obliged to scatter the bones of dead cattle about their wells, that they may be known. They dare not in cities pass through through the streets where the Bramins live; nor set foot in the villages where they dwell.—They are likewise forbidden to enter a temple, either of their god Wittnow or Efwara; because they are held impure. They get their bread by fowing, digging, and building the walls of mud houses; most of those inhabited by the common people being raised by these Parias; who also do such kinds of dirty work as other people do not care to meddle with. Nor is their diet much more cleanly; for they do not scruple to eat cows, horses, fowl, or other carrion, which die of themselves, and are even putrid. One would scarce imagine, that contentions for precedence should ever enter into the thoughts of a people who have renounced all cleanliness, and, like swine, wallow in filth; and yet pride has divided the Parias into two classes: the first are simply called Parias, the other Seriperes. The employment of these latter is to go about felling leather, which they dress; also to make bridles, and such kind of things: some of them likewise serve for soldiers. The Parias, who reckon themselves the better family, will not eat in the house of the Seriperes; but the Seriperes will readily eat with the Parias. For this reason they are obliged to pay them respect, by lifting their hands aloft, and standing upright before them. These Seriperes, when they marry, cannot set up a pandal, a kind of garland, before their doors, made with more than three flakes or trees; should they exceed that number, the whole city would be in motion. The Seriperes are likewise subject to some sort of slavery; for when any person of credit or authority dies in the families of the Komitis, Sittis, Palis, farriers, or goldsmiths, and the friends have a mind to be at the expence of some clothes to give the Seriperes, these latter must suffer their beards to be shaven; and when the corpse is carried out of town to be burned or interred, they must do that office; for which each receives a fannum, or one piece and a half of silver, worth three sous and a half. These are the same sort of people who are called at Surat Halachor; that is, in the Persian language, "eat-alls, or eaters at large." Nothing can offend an Hindoo more than to be called a Halachor: yet these poor people are not offended, cringe and bow to all they pass, and go through their drudgery without noise or concern.

The Parias are very vicious, stupid, and ignorant, occasioned by their wretched way of life: The Bramins and nobility shun them as if they had the plague, and look on the meeting a Parias as the greatest misfortune. To come near one of them is a sin, to touch them a sacrilege. If a Parias were dying, it is infamy to visit him, or to give him the least assistance, in the utmost danger or distress. A Bramin who unavoidably should touch a Parias, immediately washes himself from the impurity. Even their shadow and breath being reckoned contagious, they are obliged to live on the east side of their towns, that the westerly winds which prevail in this country may keep back their breath. And it is lawful for a Bramin to kill one of these unhappy creatures, if he does not avoid it by getting out of his way: In short, they think them reprobated by God, and believe the souls of the damned enter into the Parias, to be punished for their crimes.—Yet the mission have found among these dregs of the people very active zealous catechists, who by their labours have very much contributed to the conversion of their countrymen, particularly one Rajanaiken a Paria soldier, who, of all the inferior missionaries, has distinguished himself most by his labours and sufferings.

PARIETALIA ossa. See Anatomy Index.

PARIETARIA, PELLitory of the WALL. A genus of plants belonging to the polygamia class; and in the natural method ranking under the 53d order, Scrophulariae. See Botany Index.