Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama Part 68

? To "break Priscian's head," is to write ungrammatically. Priscian was a great grammarian of the fifth century.

=Pegg= (_Catharine_), one of the mistresses of Charles II. She was the daughter of Thomas Pegg, Esq., of Yeldersay, in Derbys.h.i.+re.

=Peggot'ty= (_Clara_), servant of Mrs. Copperfield, and the faithful old nurse of David Copperfield. Her name "Clara" was tabooed, because it was the name of Mrs. Copperfield. Clara Peggotty married Barkis, the carrier.

Being very plump, whenever she made any little exertion after she was dressed, some of the b.u.t.tons on the back of her gown flew off.--Ch. ii.

_Dan'el Peggotty_, brother of David Copperfield's nurse. Dan'el was a Yarmouth fisherman. His nephew, Ham Peggotty, and his brother-in-law's child, "little Em'ly," lived with him. Dan'el himself was a bachelor, and Mrs. Gummidge (widow of his late partner) kept house for him. Dan'el Peggotty was most tender-hearted, and loved little Em'ly with all his heart.

_Ham Peggotty_, nephew of Dan'el Peggotty, of Yarmouth, and son of Joe, Dan'el's brother. Ham was in love with little Em'ly, daughter of Tom (Dan's brother-in-law), but Steerforth stepped in between them, and stole Em'ly away. Ham Peggotty is represented as the very beau-ideal of an uneducated, simple-minded, honest, and warm-hearted fisherman. He was drowned in his attempt to rescue Steerforth from the sea.

_Em'ly Peggotty_, daughter of Dan's brother-in-law, Tom. She was engaged to Ham Peggotty; but being fascinated with Steerforth, ran off with him.

She was afterwards reclaimed, and emigrated to Australia with Dan'el and Mrs. Gummidge.--C. d.i.c.kens, _David Copperfield_ (1849).

=Peggy=, grandchild of the old widow Maclure, a covenanter.--Sir W. Scott, _Old Mortality_ (time, Charles II.).

_Peggy_, the laundry-maid of Colonel Mannering, at Woodburne.--Sir W.

Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time, George II.).

_Peggy_ (_s.h.i.+ppen_). A love-letter from Benedict Arnold to this young lady is extant in which after telling her that he has presumed to write to her papa and has requested his sanction to his addresses, Arnold goes on to protest.

"May I perish if I would give you one moment's inquietude, to purchase the greatest possible felicity to myself. Whatever my fate may be, my most ardent wish is for your happiness, and my latest breath will be to implore the blessing of heaven on the idol and only wish of my soul." September 26, 1778.

=Peggy= [=Thrift=),[TN-77] the orphan daughter of Sir Thomas Thrift, of Hamps.h.i.+re, and the ward of Moody, who brings her up in seclusion in the country. When Moody is 50, and Peggy 19, the guardian tries to marry her, but "the country girl" outwits him, and marries Belville, a young man of more suitable age. Peggy calls her guardian "Bud." She is very simple but sharp, ingenuous but crafty, lively and girlish.--_The Country Girl_ (Garrick altered from Wycherly's _Country Wife_, 1675).

=Peggy.= Dream-wife about whom cl.u.s.ter the imaginations of the bachelor over the fire of green wood.

"Smoke always goes before blaze, and doubt before decision."--Ik. Marvel (Donald G. Mitch.e.l.l), _Reveries of a Bachelor_ (1850).

=Pegler= (_Mrs._), mother of Josiah Boundderby,[TN-78] Esq., banker and mill-owner, called "The Bully of Humility." The son allows the old woman 30 a year to keep out of sight.--C. d.i.c.kens. _Hard Times_ (1854).

=Peg Woffington=, celebrated English actress, _intriguante_, but kind of heart. Sir Charles Vane is one of her lovers, but after the appearance of his simple-hearted wife upon the scene, the actress dismisses her admirer, and induces him to return to domestic life.--Charles Reade, _Peg Woffington_.

=Pek'uah=, the attendant of Princess Nekayah, of the "happy valley." She accompanied the princess in her wanderings, but refused to enter the great pyramid, and, while the princess was exploring the chambers, was carried off by some Arabs. She was afterwards ransomed for 200 ounces of gold.--Dr. Johnson, _Ra.s.selas_ (1759).

=Pelay'o= (_Prince_), son of Favil'a, founder of the Spanish monarchy after the overthrow of Roderick, last of the Gothic kings. He united, in his own person, the royal lines of Spain and of the Goths.

In him the old Iberian blood, Of royal and remotest ancestry From undisputed source, flowed undefiled ...

He, too, of Chindasuintho's regal line Sole remnant now, drew after him the love Of all true Goths.

Southey, _Roderick, etc._, viii. (1814).

=Pelham=, the hero of a novel by Lord Lytton, ent.i.tled _Pelham_, or _The Adventures of a Gentleman_ (1828).

_Pelham_ (_M._), one of the many _aliases_ of Sir R. Phillips, under which he published _The Parent's and Tutor's First Catechism_. In the preface he calls the writer _auth.o.r.ess_. Some of his other names are Rev. David Blair, Rev. C. C. Clarke, Rev. J. Goldsmith.

=Pel'ian Spear= (_The_), the lance of Achilles which wounded and cured Te'lephos. So called from Peleus, the father of Achilles.

Such was the cure the Arcadian hero found-- The Pelian spear that wounded, made him sound.

Ovid, _Remedy of Love_.

=Peli'des= (3 _syl._), Achilles, son of Peleus (2 _syl._), chief of the Greek warriors at the siege of Troy.--Homer, _Iliad_.

When, like Pelides, bold beyond control, Homer raised high to heaven the loud impetuous song.

Beattie, _The Minstrel_ (1773-4).

=Pe'lion= ("_mud-sprung_"), one of the frog chieftains.

A spear at Pelion, Troglodytes cast The missive spear within the bosom past Death's sable shades the fainting frog surround, And life's red tide runs ebbing from the wound.

Parnell, _Battle of the Frogs and Mice_, iii. (about 1712).

=Pell= (_Solomon_), an attorney in the Insolvent Debtors' court. He has the very highest opinions of his own merits, and by his aid Tony Weller contrives to get his son Sam sent to the Fleet for debt, that he may be near Mr. Pickwick to protect and wait upon him.--C. d.i.c.kens, _The Pickwick Papers_ (1836).

=Pelleas= (_Sir_), lord of many isles, and noted for his great muscular strength. He fell in love with Lady Ettard, but the lady did not return his love. Sir Gaw'ain promised to advocate his cause with the lady, but played him false. Sir Pelleas caught them in unseemly dalliance with each other, but forbore to kill them. By the power of enchantment, the lady was made to dote on Sir Pelleas; but the knight would have nothing to say to her, so she pined and died. After the Lady Ettard played him false, the Damsel of the Lake "rejoiced him, and they loved together during their whole lives."--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_, i. 79-82 (1470).

? Sir Pelleas must not be confounded with Sir Pelles (_q.v._).

=Pellegrin=, the pseudonym of de la Motte Fouque (1777-1843).

=Pelles= (_Sir_), of Corbin Castle, "king of the foragn land and nigh cousin of Joseph of Arimathy." He was father of Sir Eliazar, and of the Lady Elaine, who fell in love with Sir Launcelot, by whom she became the mother of Sir Galahad, "who achieved the quest of the Holy Graal." This Elaine was not the "lily maid of Astolat."

While Sir Launcelot was visiting King Pelles, a glimpse of the Holy Graal was vouchsafed them:

For when they went into the castle to take their repast ... there came a dove to the window, and in her bill was a little censer of gold, and there withall was such a savour as though all the spicery of the world had been there ... and a damsel, pa.s.sing fair, bare a vessel of gold between her hands, and thereto the king kneeled devoutly and said his prayers.... "Oh, mercy!" said Sir Launcelot, "what may this mean?" ... "This," said the king, "is the Holy Sancgreall which ye have seen."--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_, iii. 2 (1470).

=Pellinore= (_Sir_), king of the isles and knight of the Round Table (pt.

i. 57). He was a good man of power, was called "The Knight with the Stranger Beast," and slew King Lot of Orkney, but was himself slain ten years afterwards by Sir Gawain, one of Lot's sons (pt. i. 35). Sir Pellinore (3 _syl._) had, by the wife of Aries, the cowherd, a son named Sir Tor, who was the first knight of the Round Table created by King Arthur (pt. i. 47, 48); one daughter, Elein, by the Lady of Rule (pt.

iii. 10); and three sons in lawful wedlock; Sir Aglouale (sometimes called Aglavale, probably a clerical error), Sir Lamorake Dornar (also called Sir Lamorake de Galis), and Sir Percivale de Gralis (pt. ii.