证明:$(1) $∵$ $四边形$ ABCD $是矩形,
∴$ ∠A = ∠ADC = ∠B = ∠C = 90°,$$AB = CD。$
由折叠得$ PD = AB,$$∠P = ∠A = 90°,$$∠PDF = ∠B = 90°。$
∴$ PD = CD,$$∠P = ∠C = 90°,$$∠PDF = ∠ADC。$
∴$ ∠PDE = ∠CDF。$
在$ △ PDE $和$ △ CDF $中,
$\begin {cases}∠P = ∠C, \\PD = CD, \\∠PDE = ∠CDF,\end {cases}$
∴$ △ PDE ≌ △ CDF(\mathrm {ASA})$
$ (2) $过点$ E $作$ EG⊥BC $于点$ G。$
∴$ ∠EGF = 90°。$
∴$ DE = CG,$$EG = CD = 4。$
在$ Rt△ EGF $中,由勾股定理得$FG = \sqrt {5^2 - 4^2} = 3。$
设$ CF = x,$则$ PE = AE = BG = x。$
∵$ AD // BC,$
∴$ ∠DEF = ∠BFE。$
由折叠得$ ∠BFE = ∠DFE。$
∴$ ∠DEF = ∠DFE。$
∴$ DE = DF = CG = x + 3。$
在$ Rt△ CDF $中,由勾股定理得$DF^2 = CF^2 + CD^2,$
即$ (x + 3)^2 = x^2 + 4^2,$解得$ x = \frac {7}{6}。$
∴$ BC = 2x + 3 = \frac {7}{3} + 3 = \frac {16}{3}$