Chapter Perker to Pétaud of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Perker to Pétaud

Perker (Mr.), the lawyer employed for the defence in the famous suit of “Bardell v. Pickwick” for breach of promise.—Dickens: The Pickwick Papers (1836).

Perkin Warbeck, an historic play or “chronicle history,” by John Ford (1635).

Perkins’s Ball (Mrs.), a Christmas story by Thackeray (1847).

Pernelle (Madame), mother of Orgon; a regular vixen, who interrupts every one, without waiting to hear what was to have been said to her.—Molière: Tartuffe (1664).

Peronella, a pretty country lass, who changes places with an old decrepit queen. Peronella rejoices for a time in the idolatry paid to her rank, but gladly resumes her beauty, youth, and rags.—A Fairy Tale.

Perrette and Her Milk-Pail. Perrette, carrying her milk-pail well poised upon her head, began to speculate on its value. She would sell the milk and buy eggs; she would set the eggs and rear chickens; the chickens she would sell and buy a pig; this she would fatten and change for a cow and calf, and would it not be delightful to see the little calf skip and play? So saying, she gave a skip, let the milk-pail fall, and all the milk ran to waste. “Le lait tombe. Adieu, veau, veche, cochon, couvée,” and poor Perrette “va s’excuser à son mari, en grand danger d’etre batue.”

Quel esprit ne bat la campagne?
Qui ne fait château en Espagne?
Picrochole [q.v.], Pyrrhus, la laitlère, enfin tous,
Autant les sages que les fous.
Quelque accident fait-il que je rentre en moi-même;
Je suis Gros- Jean comme devant.

Lafontaine: Fables (“La Laitière et le Pot au Lait.” 1668).

Dodsley has this fable, and makes his milkmaid speculate on the gown she would buy with her money. It should be green, and all the young fellows would ask her to dance, but she would toss her head at them all—but ah! in tossing her head she tossed over her milk-pail.

Echephron, an old soldier, related this fable to the advisers of king Picrochole, when they persuaded the king to go to war: A shoemaker bought a ha’p’orth of milk; this he intended to make into butter, and with the money thus obtained he would buy a cow. The cow in due time would have a calf, the calf was to be sold, and the man when he became a nabob would marry a princess; only the jug fell, the milk was spilt, and the dreamer went supperless to bed.—Rabelais: Gargantua, i. 33 (1533).

In a similar day-dream, Alnaschar invested all his money in a basket of glassware, which he intended to sell, and buy other wares, till by barter he became a princely merchant, when he should marry the vizier’s daughter. Being offended with his wife, he became so excited that he kicked out his foot, smashed all his wares, and became penniless.—Arabian Nights (“The Barber’s Fifth Brother”).

Perrin, a peasant, the son of Thibaut.—Molière: Le Médecin Malgré Lui (1666).

Persaunt of India (Sir), the Blue Knight, called by Tennyson “Morning Star” or “Phosphôrus.” One of the four brothers who kept the passages to Castle Perilous. Overthrown by sir Gareth.—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur, i. 131 (1470); Tennyson: Idylls (“Gareth and Lynette”).

It is manifestly a blunder to call the Blue Knight “Morning Star” and the Green Knight “Evening Star.” The old romance makes the combat with the “Green Knight” at dawn, and with the “Blue Knight” at sunset. The error arose from not bearing in mind that our forefathers began the day with the preceding eve, and ended it at sunset.

Perseus [Per-suce], a famous Argive hero, whose exploits resemble those of Herculês, and hence he was called “The Argive Herculès.”

The best work of Benvenuto Cellini is a bronze statue of Perseus, in the Loggia del Lanzi, of Florence.