Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama Part 61

=Paracelsus= is said to have kept a small devil prisoner in the pommel of his sword. He favored metallic substances for medicines, while Galen preferred herbs. His full name was Philippus Aure'olus Theophrastus Paracelsus, but his family name was Bombastus (1493-1541).

_Paracelsus_, at the age of 20, thinks _knowledge_ the _summum bonum_, and, at the advice of his two friends, Festus and Michal, retires to a seat of learning in quest thereof. Eight years later, being dissatisfied, he falls in with Aprile, an Italian poet, and resolves to seek the _summum bonum_ in love. Again he fails, and finally determines "to know and to enjoy."--R. Browning, _Paracelsus_.

=Par'adine= (3 _syl._), son of Astolpho, and brother of Dargonet, both rivals for the love of Laura. In the combat provoked by Prince Oswald against Gondibert, which was decided by four combatants on each side, Hugo "the Little" slew both the brothers.--Sir. Wm. Davenant, _Gondibert_, i. (died 1668).

=Paradisa'ica= ("_the fruit of paradise_"). So the banana is called. The Mohammedans aver that the "forbidden fruit" was the banana or Indian fig, and cite in confirmation of this opinion that our first parents used fig leaves for their covering after their fall.

=Paradise=, in thirty-three cantos, by Dante (1311). Paradise is separated from Purgatory by the river Lethe; and Dante was conducted through nine of the spheres by Beatrice, who left him in the sphere of "unbodied light," under the charge of St. Bernard (canto x.x.xi.). The entire region is divided into ten spheres, each of which is appropriated to its proper order. The first seven spheres are the seven planets, viz. (1) the Moon, for angels, (2) Mercury, for archangels, (3) Venus, for virtues, (4) the Sun, for powers, (5) Mars, for princ.i.p.alities, (6) Jupiter, for dominions, (7) Saturn, for thrones. The eighth sphere is that of the fixed stars for the cherubim; the ninth is the _primum mobile_ for the seraphim; and the tenth is the empyre'an for the Virgin Mary and the triune deity. Beatrice, with Rachel, Sarah, Judith, Rebecca and Ruth, St. Augustin, St. Francis, St. Benedict, and others, were enthroned in Venus, the sphere of the virtues. The empyrean, he says, is a sphere of "unbodied light," "bright effluence of bright essence, uncreate." This is what the Jews called "the heaven of the heavens."

_Paradise_ was placed in the legendary maps of the Middle Ages, in Ceylon; but Mahomet placed it "in the seventh heaven." The Arabs have a tradition that when our first parents were cast out of the garden, Adam fell in the isle of Ceylon, and Eve in Joddah (the port of Mecca).--_Al Koran_, ii.

=Paradise and the Pe'ri.= A peri was told she would be admitted into heaven if she would bring thither the gift most acceptable to the Almighty. She first brought a drop of a young patriot's blood, shed on his country's behalf; but the gates would not open for such an offering.

She next took thither the last sigh of a damsel who had died nursing her betrothed, who had been stricken by the plague; but the gates would not open for such an offering. She then carried up the repentant tear of an old man converted by the prayers of a little child. All heaven rejoiced, the gates were flung open, and the peri was received with a joyous welcome.--T. Moore, _Lalla Rookh_ ("Second Tale," 1817).

=Paradise Lost.= Satan and his crew, still suffering from their violent expulsion out of heaven, are roused by Satan's telling them about a "new creation;" and he calls a general council to deliberate upon their future operations (bk. i.). The council meet in the Pandemonium hall, and it is resolved that Satan shall go on a voyage of discovery to this "new world" (bk. ii.). The Almighty sees Satan, and confers with His Son about man. He foretells the Fall, and arranges the scheme of man's redemption. Meantime, Satan enters the orb of the sun, and there learns the route to the "new world" (bk. iii.). On entering Paradise, he overhears Adam and Eve talking of the one prohibition (bk. iv.). Raphael is now sent down to warn Adam of his danger, and he tells him who Satan is (bk. v.); describes the war in heaven, and expulsion of the rebel angels (bk. vi.). The angel visitant goes on to tell Adam why and how this world was made (bk. vii.); and Adam tells Raphael his own experience (bk. viii.) After the departure of Raphael, Satan enters into a serpent, and, seeing Eve alone, speaks to her. Eve is astonished to hear the serpent talk, but is informed that it had tasted of "the tree of knowledge," and had become instantly endowed with both speech and wisdom. Curiosity induces Eve to taste the same fruit, and she persuades Adam to taste it also (bk. ix.). Satan now returns to h.e.l.l, to tell of his success (bk. x.). Michael is sent to expel Adam and Eve from the garden (bk. xi.); and the poem concludes with the expulsion, and Eve's lamentation (bk. xii.).--Milton (1665).

_Paradise Lost_ was first published by Matthias Walker, of St.

Dunstan's. He gave for it 5 down; on the sale of 1300 copies, he gave another 5. On the next two impressions, he gave other like sums. For the four editions, he therefore paid 20. The agreement between Walker and Milton is preserved in the British Museum.

It must be remembered that the wages of an ordinary workman was at that time about 3_d._ a day, and now we give 3_s._; so that the price given was equal to about 250, according to the present value of money.

Goldsmith tells us that the clergyman of his "deserted village" was "pa.s.sing rich" with 40 a year = 500 present value of money.

=Paradise Regained=, in four books. The subject is the Temptation. Eve, being tempted, _lost_ paradise; Christ, being tempted, _regained_ it.

Book I. Satan presents himself as an old peasant, and, entering into conversation with Jesus, advises Him to satisfy His hunger by miraculously converting stones into bread. Jesus gives the tempter to know that He recognizes him, and refuses to follow his suggestion.

II. Satan reports progress to his ministers, and asks advice. He returns to the wilderness, and offers Jesus wealth, as the means of acquiring power; but the suggestion is again rejected.

III. Satan shows Jesus several of the kingdoms of Asia, and points out to Him their military power. He advises Him to seek alliance with the Parthians, and promises his aid. He says by such alliance He might shake off the Roman yoke, and raise the kingdom of David to first-cla.s.s power.

Jesus rejects the counsel, and tells the tempter that the Jews were for the present under a cloud for their sins, but that the time would come when G.o.d would put forth His hand on their behalf.

IV. Satan shows Jesus Rome, with all its greatness, and says, "I can easily dethrone Tiberius, and seat Thee on the imperial throne." He then shows Him Athens, and says, "I will make Thee master of their wisdom and high state of civilization, if Thou wilt fall down and wors.h.i.+p me." "Get thee behind Me, Satan!" was the indignant answer; and Satan, finding all his endeavors useless, tells Jesus of the sufferings prepared for Him, takes Him back to the wilderness, and leaves Him there; but angels come and minister unto Him.--Milton (1671).

=Paraguay= (_A Tale of_), by Southey, in four cantos (1814). The small-pox, having broken out amongst the Guaranis, carried off the whole tribe except Quiara and his wife, Monnema, who then migrated from the fatal spot to the Mondai woods. Here a son (Yeruti) and afterwards a daughter (Mooma) were born; but before the birth of the latter, the father was eaten by a jaguar. When the children were of a youthful age, a Jesuit priest induced the three to come and live at St. Joachin (3 _syl._); so they left the wild woods for a city life. Here, in a few months, the mother flagged and died. The daughter next drooped, and soon followed her mother to the grave. The son, now the only remaining one of the entire race, begged to be baptized, received the rite, cried, "Ye are come for me! I am ready;" and died also.

=Par'cinus=, a young prince, in love with his cousin, Irolit'a, but beloved by Az'ira. The fairy Danamo was Azira's mother, and resolved to make Irolita marry the fairy Brutus; but Parcinus, aided by the fairy Favorable, surmounted all obstacles, married Irolita, and made Brutus marry Azira.

Parcinus had a n.o.ble air, a delicate shape, a fine head of hair admirably white.... He did everything well, danced and sang to perfection, and gained all the prizes at tournaments, whenever he contended for them.--Comtesse D'Aunoy, _Fairy Tales_ ("Perfect Love," 1682).

=Par'dalo=, the demon-steed given to Iniguez Guerra, by his gobelin mother, that he might ride to Toledo and liberate his father, Don Diego Lopez, lord of Biscay, who had fallen into the hands of the Moors.--_Spanish Story._

=Par'diggle= (_Mrs._) a formidable lady, who conveyed to one the idea "of wanting a great deal more room." Like Mrs. Jellyby, she devoted herself to the concerns of Africa, and made her family of small boys contribute all their pocket money to the cause of the Borrioboola Gha mission.--C.

d.i.c.kens, _Bleak House_ (1853).

=Pardoner's Tale= (_The_), in Chaucer's _Canterbury Tales_, is "Death and the Rioters." Three rioters agree to hunt down Death, and kill him. An old man directs them to a tree in a lane, where, as he said, he had just left him. On reaching the spot, they find a rich treasure, and cast lots to decide who is to go and buy food. The lot falls on the youngest; and the other two, during his absence, agree to kill him on his return. The rascal sent to buy food poisons the wine, in order to secure to himself the whole treasure. Now comes the catastrophe: The two set on the third and slay him, but die soon after of the poisoned wine; so the three rioters _find death_ under the tree, as the old man said, paltering in a double sense (1388).

=Parian Verse=, ill-natured satire; so called from Archil'ochus, a native of Paros.

=Pari-Ba'nou=, a fairy who gave Prince Ahmed a tent, which would fold into so small a compa.s.s that a lady might carry it about as a toy, but, when spread, it would cover a whole army.--_Arabian Nights_ ("Prince Ahmed and Pari-Banu").

=Paridel= is a name employed in the _Dunciad_ for an idle libertine--rich, young, and at leisure. The model is Sir Paridel, in the _Faery Queen_.

Thee, too, my Paridel, she marked thee there, Stretched on the rack of a too-easy chair, And heard thy everlasting yawn confess The pains and penalties of idleness.

Pope, _The Dunciad_, iv. 341 (1742).

_Paridel_ (_Sir_), descendant of Paris, whose son was Parius, who settled in Paros, and left his kingdom to his son, Par'idas, from whom Paridel descended. Having gained the hospitality of Malbecco, Sir Paridel eloped with his wife, Dame Hel'inore (3 _syl._), but soon quitted her, leaving her to go whither she would. "So had he served many another one" (bk. iii. 10). In bk. iv. 1 Sir Paridel is discomfited by Sir Scudamore.--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, iii. 10; iv. 1 (1590, 1596).

? "Sir Paridel" is meant for Charles Nevil, sixth and last of the Nevils, earls of Westmoreland. He joined the Northumberland rebellion of 1569 for the restoration of Mary queen of Scots; and when the plot failed, made his escape to the Continent, where he lived in poverty and obscurity. The earl was quite a Lothario, whose delight was to win the love of women, and then to abandon them.

=Paris=, a son of Priam and Hecuba, noted for his beauty. He married none, daughter of Cebren, the river-G.o.d. Subsequently, during a visit to Menelaus, king of Sparta, he eloped with Queen Helen, and this brought about the Trojan war. Being wounded by an arrow from the bow of Philoctetes, he sent for his wife, who hastened to him with remedies; but it was too late--he died of his wound, and none hung herself.--Homer, _Iliad_.

_Paris_ was appointed to decide which of the three G.o.ddesses (Juno, Pallas or Minerva) was the fairest fair, and to which should be awarded the golden apple thrown "to the most beautiful." The three G.o.ddesses tried by bribes to obtain the verdict: Juno promised him dominion if he would decide in her favor; Minerva promised him wisdom; but Venus said she would find him the most beautiful of women for wife if he allotted to her the apple. Paris handed the apple to Venus.

Not Cytherea from a fairer swain Received her apple on the Trojan plain.

Falconer, _The s.h.i.+pwreck_, i. 3 (1756).

_Paris_, a young n.o.bleman, kinsman of Prince Es'calus of Verona, and the unsuccessful suitor of his cousin, Juliet.--Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet_ (1598).

_Paris_ (_Notre Dame de_), by Victor Hugo (1831). (See ESMERALDA and QUASIMODO.)

=Parisina=, wife of Azo, chief of Ferrara. She had been betrothed before her marriage to Hugo, a natural son of Azo, and after Azo took her for his bride, the attachment of Parisina and Hugo continued and had freer scope for indulgence. One night Azo heard Parisina in sleep confess her love for Hugo, whereupon he had his son beheaded, and, though he spared the life of Parisina, no one ever knew what became of her.--Byron, _Parisina_ (1816).

Such is Byron's version; but history says Niccolo III. of Ferrara (Byron's "Azo") had for his second wife Parisina Malatesta, who showed great aversion to Ugo, a natural son of Niccolo, whom he greatly loved.

One day, with the hope of lessening this strong aversion, he sent Ugo to escort her on a journey, and the two fell in love with each other. After their return the affection of Parisina and Ugo continued unabated, and a servant, named Zoe'se (3 _syl._), having told the marquis of their criminal intimacy, he had the two guilty ones brought to open trial.

They were both condemned to death; Ugo was beheaded first, then Parisina. Some time after, Niccolo married a third wife, and had several children.--Frizzi, _History of Ferrara_.

=Parisme'nos=, the hero of the second part of _Parismus_ (_q.v._). This part contains the adventurous travels of Parismenos, his deeds of chivalry, and love for the Princess Angelica, "the Lady of the Golden Tower."--Emanuel Foord, _Parismenos_ (1598).