Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama Part 62

=Paris'mus=, a valiant and renowned prince of Bohemia, the hero of a romance so called. This "history" contains an account of his battles against the Persians, his love for Laurana, daughter of the king of Thessaly, and his strange adventures in the Desolate Island. The second part contains the exploits and love affairs of Parisme'nos.--Emanuel Foord, _Parismus_ (1598).

=Pariza'de= (4 _syl._), daughter of Khrosrou-schah, sultan of Persia, and sister of Bahman and Perviz. These three, in infancy, were sent adrift, each at the time of birth, through the jealousy of their two maternal aunts, who went to nurse the sultana in her confinement; but they were drawn out of the ca.n.a.l by the superintendent of the sultan's gardens, who brought them up. Parizade rivalled her brothers in horsemans.h.i.+p, archery, running and literature. One day, a devotee who had been kindly entreated by Parizade, told her the house she lived in wanted three things to make it perfect: (1) _the talking bird_, (2) _the singing tree_, and (3) _the golden-colored water_. Her two brothers went to obtain these treasures, but failed. Parizade then went, and succeeded.

The sultan paid them a visit, and the talking bird revealed to him the story of their birth and bringing up. When the sultan heard the infamous tale, he commanded the two sisters to be put to death, and Parizade, with her two brothers, were then proclaimed the lawful children of the sultan.--_Arabian Nights_ ("The Two Sisters," the last story).

? The story of _Cherry and Fairstar_, by the Comtesse D'Aunoy, is an imitation of this tale; and introduces the "green bird," the "singing apple," and the "dancing water."

=Parkes= (_Mr._). A clergyman "of simplicity and sincerity, fully in earnest to do the Lord's work and do it with all his might." He suggests to his congregation when the Week of Prayer comes around that they "make a Week of Practice instead." The result is told in _The Deacon's Week_.--Rose Terry Cooke (1886).

=Parley= (_Peter_), Samuel Griswold Goodrich, an American. Above seven millions of his books were in circulation in 1859 (1793-1860).

? Several piracies of this popular name have appeared. Thus, S. Kettell, of America, pirated the name in order to sell under false colors; Darton and Co,[TN-63] issued a Peter Parley's _Annual_ (1841-1855); Simkins, a Peter Parley's _Life of Paul_ (1845); Bogue, a Peter Parley's _Visit to London_, etc. (1844); Tegg, several works under the same name; Hodson, a Peter Parley's _Bible Geography_ (1839); Clements, a Peter Parley's _Child's First Step_ (1839). None of which works were by Goodrich, the real "Peter Parley."

William Martin was the writer of Darton's "Peter Parley series." George Mogridge wrote several tales under the name of Peter Parley. How far such "false pretences" are justifiable, public opinion, must decide.

=Parliament= (_The Black_), a parliament held by Henry VIII. in Bridewell.

(For Addled parliament, Barebone's parliament, the Devil's parliament, the Drunken parliament, the Good parliament, the Long parliament, the Mad parliament, the Pensioner parliament, the Rump parliament, the Running parliament, the Unmerciful parliament, the Useless parliament, the Wonder-making parliament, the parliament of Dunces, see _Dictionary of Phrase and Fable_, 657.)

=Parnelle= (_Mde._), the mother of M. Orgon, and an ultra-admirer of Tartuffe, whom she looks on as a saint. In the adaptation of Moliere's comedy by Isaac Bickerstaff, Mde. Parnelle is called "old Lady Lambert;"

her son, "Sir John Lambert;" and Tartuffe, "Dr. Cantwell."--Moliere, _Tartuffe_ (1664); Bickerstaff, _The Hypocrite_ (1768).

? _The Nonjuror_, by Cibber (1706), was the quarry of Bickerstaff's play.

=Parody= (_Father of_), Hippo'nax of Ephesus (sixth century B.C.).

=Parol'les= (3 _syl._), a boastful, cowardly follower of Bertram, count of Rousillon. His utterances are racy enough, but our contempt for the man smothers our mirth, and we cannot laugh. In one scene the bully is taken blindfolded among his old acquaintances, whom he is led to suppose are his enemies, and he villifies[TN-64] their characters to their faces in most admired foolery.--Shakespeare, _All's Well that Ends Well_ (1598).

He [_Dr. Parr_] was a mere Parolles in a pedagogue's wig.--_Noctes Ambrosianae._

(For similar tongue-doughty heroes, see BASILISCO, BESSUS, BLUFF, BOBADIL, BOROUGHCLIFF, BRAZEN, FLASH, PISTOL, PYRGO, POLINICES,[TN-65]

SCARAMOUCH, THRASO, VINCENT DE LA ROSA, etc.)

=Parpaillons= (_King of the_), the father of Gargamelle, "a jolly pug and well-mouthed wench," who married Grangousier "in the vigor of his age,"

and became the mother of Gargantua.--Rabelais, _Gargantua_, i. 3 (1533).

=Parr= (_Old_). Thomas Parr, we are told, lived in the reign of ten sovereigns. He married his second wife when he was 120 years old, and had a child by her. He was a husbandman, born at Salop, in 1483, and died 1635, aged 152.

=Parricide= (_The Beautiful_), Beatrice Cenci, who is said to have murdered her father for the incestuous brutality with which he had treated her (died 1599).

Sh.e.l.ley has a tragedy on the subject, called _The Cenci_ (1819).

=Parsley Peel=, the first Sir Robert Peel. So called from the great quant.i.ty of printed calico with the parsley-leaf pattern manufactured by him (1750-1830).

=Parson Adams=, a simple-minded country clergyman of the eighteenth century. At the age of 50 he was provided with a handsome income of 23 a year (nearly 300 of our money).--Fielding, _Joseph Andrews_ (1742).

Timothy Burrell, Esq., in 1715, bequeathed to his nephew Timothy, the sum of 20 a year, to be paid during his residence at the university, and to be continued to him till he obtained some preferment worth at least 30 a year.--_Suss.e.x Archaeological Collections_, iii. 172.

=Parson Bate=, a stalwart choleric, sporting parson, editor of the _Morning Post_ in the latter half of the eighteenth century. He was afterwards Sir Henry Bate Dudley, Bart.

When Sir Henry Bate Dudley was appointed an Irish dean, a young lady of Dublin said, "Och! how I long to see our dane! They say ...

he fights like an angel."--_Ca.s.sell's Magazine_ ("London Legends,"

iii.)

=Parson Collins=, shrewd backwoodsman, ready for fight or prayer. He suffers at the hands of desperadoes, but is dauntless, and always gets the better of his partner in a trade. His white mule Ma'y Jane, is the only creature that outwits him, and that only at fence-corners.--Octave Thanet, _Expiation_ (1890).

=Parson Runo= (_A_), a simple-minded clergyman, wholly unacquainted with the world; a Dr. Primrose, in fact. It is a Russian household phrase, having its origin in the singular simplicity of the Lutheran clergy of the Isle of Runo.

=Parson Trulliber=, a fat clergyman, slothful, ignorant, and intensely bigoted.--Fielding, _Joseph Andrews_ (1742).

=Parsons= (_Walter_), the giant porter of King James I. (died 1622).--Fuller, _Worthies_ (1662).

=Parsons' Kaiser= (_The_), Karl IV., of Germany, who was set up by Pope Clement VI., while Ludwig IV. was still on the throne. The Germans called the pope's _protege_ "_pfaffen kaiser_."

=Parthe'nia=, the mistress of Argalus.--Sir Philip Sidney, _Arcadia_ (1580).

_Parthenia_, Maidenly Chast.i.ty personified. Parthenia is sister of Agnei'a (3 _syl._), or wifely chast.i.ty, the spouse of Encra'tes, or temperance. Her attendant is Er'ythre, or modesty. (Greek, _parthenia_, "maidenhood.")--Phineas Fletcher, _The Purple Island_, x. (1633).

=Parthen'ope= (4 _syl._), one of the three syrens. She was buried at Naples. Naples itself was anciently called Parthenope, which name was changed to _Neap'olis_ ("the new city") by a colony of c.u.maeans.

By dead Parthenope's dear tomb.

Milton, _Comus_, 879 (1634).

Loitering by the sea That laves the pa.s.sionate sh.o.r.es of soft Parthenope.

Lord Lytton, _Ode_, iii. 2 (1839).

(The three syrens were Parthenope, Ligea, and Leucos'ia, not _Leucoth'ea_, _q.v._)