E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Begging the Question.
Assuming a proposition which, in reality, involves the conclusion. Thus, to say that parallel lines will never meet because they are parallel, is simply to assume as a fact the very thing you profess to prove. The phrase is a translation of the Latin term, petitio princip’ii, and was first used by Aristotle.
