Chapter Peace of Antalcidas to Pedlar's Acre of P by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Peculium My own peculium. Private and individual property or possession. The Roman slaves were allowed to acquire property, over which their masters had no right or control; this was called their peculium.

Pecuniary From pecus, cattle, especially sheep. Varo says that sheep were the ancient medium of barter and standard of value. Ancient coin was marked with the image of an ox or sheep. We have the Gold Sheep (mouton d'or) and Gold Lamb (agneau d'or) of ancient France, so called from the figure struck on them, and worth about a shilling. (Latin, pecuniarius, pecunia.)

Pedagogue (3 syl.) means a boy-leader. It was a slave whose duty it was to attend the boy whenever he left home. A schoolmaster “leads” his boys, morally and otherwise. (Greek, pais agogeus.)

Pedlar is not a tramp who goes on his feet, as if from the Latin pedes (feet), but a man who carries a ped or hamper without a lid, in which are stored fish or other articles to hawk about the streets. In Norwich there is a place called the Ped-market, where women expose eggs, butter, cheese, etc., in open hampers.

Pedlar's Acre (Lambeth). According to tradition, a pedlar of this parish left a sum of money, on condition that his picture, with a dog, should be preserved for ever in glass in one of the church-windows. In the south window of the middle aisle, sure enough, such a picture exists; but probably it is a rebus on Chapman, the name of some benefactor. In Swaffham church there is a portrait of one John Chapman, a great benefactor, who is represented as a pedlar with his pack; and in that town a similar tradition exists.