Chapter Passelyon to Patrick of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

wide valley roars,
A troubled sea, before the rolling storm.

Southey: Madoc (1805).

Patch, the clever, intriguing waiting-woman of Isabinda daughter of sir Jealous Traffick. As she was handing a love-letter in cipher to her mistress, she let it fall, and sir Jealous picked it up. He could not read it, but insisted on knowing what it meant. “Oh,” cried the ready wit, “it is a charm for the toothache!” and the suspicion of sir Jealous was diverted (act iv. 2).—Mrs. Centlivre: The Busy Body (1709).

Patch (Clause), king of the beggars. He died in 1730, and was succeeded by Bampfylde Moore Carew.

Patche , cardinal Wolsey’s jester. When the cardinal felt his favour giving way, he sent Patche as a gift to the king, and Henry VIII. considered the gift a most acceptable one.

We call one Patche or Cowlson, whom we see to do a thing foolishly, because these two in their time were notable fools.—Wilson: Art of Rhetorique (1553).

Patched-up Peace (The), a treaty of peace between the duc d’Orléans and John of Burgundy (1409).

Sometimes the treaty between Charles IX. and the huguenots, concluded at Longjumeau in 1568, is so called (La Paix Fourrée).

Patelin , the hero of an ancient French comedy. He contrives to obtain on credit six ells of cloth from William Josseaume, by artfully praising the tradesman’s father. Any subtle, crafty fellow, who entices by flattery and insinuating arts, is called a Patelin.—Blanchet: L’Avocat Patelin (1459–1519).

On lui attribue, mais á tort, la farce de L’Avocat Patelin, qui est plus ancienne que lui.—Bouillet: Dictionary Universel d Histoire, etc. (article “Blanchet”).

Consider, sir, I pray you, how the noble Patelin, having a mind to extol to the third heavens the father of William Josseaume, said no more than this: he did lend his goods freely to those who were desirous of them.—Rabelais: Pantag’ruel, iii. 4 (1545).

(D. A. de Brueys reproduced this comedy in 1706.)

Pater Patrum. St. Gregory of Nyssa is so called by the council of Nice (332-395).

Paterson (Pate), serving-boy to Bryce Snailsfoot the pedlar.—Sir W. Scott: The Pirate (time, William III.).

Pathfinder (The), Natty Bumppo; also called “The Deerslayer,” “The Hawk-eye,” and “The Trapper.”—Fenimore Cooper (five novels called The Pathfinder, The Pioneers, The Dcerslayer, The Last of the Mohicans, and The Prairie).

Pathfinder of the Rocky Mountains (The), major-general John Charles Fremont, who conducted four exploring expeditions across the Rocky Mountains in 1842.

Patient Griselda or Grisildis, the wife of Wautier marquis of Salucês. Boccaccio says she was a poor country lass, who became the wife of Gualtiere marquis of Saluzzo. She was robbed of her children by her husband, reduced to abject poverty, divorced, and commanded to assist in the marriage of her husband with another woman; but she bore every affront patiently, and without complaint.—Chaucer: Canterbury Tales (“The Clerk’s Tale,” 1388); Boccaccio: Decameron, x. 10 (1352).

(The tale is allegorical of that text, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord,” Job i. 21.)

N.B.—A comedy called Patient Grizzell was written by Chettle and Dekker in 1603.