Chapter Pizarro to Platonic Bodies of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Pizarro to Platonic Bodies

Pizarro, a Spanish adventurer, who made war on Ataliba inca of Peru. Elvira, mistress of Pizarro, vainly endeavoured to soften his cruel heart. Before the battle, Alonzo the husband of Cora confided his wife and child to Rolla, the beloved friend of the inca. The Peruvians were on the point of being routed, when Rolla came to the rescue, and redeemed the day; but Alonzo was made a prisoner of war. Rolla, thinking Alonzo to be dead, proposed to Cora; but she declined his suit, and having heard that her husband had fallen into the hands of the Spaniards, she implored Rolla to set him free. Accordingly, he entered the prison where Alonzo was confined, and changed clothes with him, but Elvira liberated him on condition that he would kill Pizarro. Rolla found his enemy sleeping in his tent, spared his life, and made him his friend. The infant child of Cora being lost, Rolla recovered it, and was so severely wounded in this heroic act that he died. Pizarro was slain in combat by Alonzo; Elvira retired to a convent; and the play ends with a grand funeral march, in which the dead body of Rolla is borne to the tomb.—Sheridan : Pizarro (1814).

The sentiments of loyalty uttered by “Rolla” had so good an effect, that when the duke of Queensberry asked why the stocks had fallen, a stock-jobber replied, “Because they have left off playingPizarro at Drury Lane.”—Sheridan’s Memoirs.

(Sheridan’s drama of Pizarro is taken from that of Kotzebue, but there are several alterations: Thus Sheridan makes Pizarro killed by Alonzo, which is a departure from both Kotzebue and also historic truth. Pizarro lived to conquer Peru, and was assassinated in his palace at Lima by the son of his friend Almagro.)

Pizarro, “the ready tool of fell Velasquezcrimes.”—Fephson : Braganza (1775).

Pizarro, the governor of the State prison in which Fernando Florestan was confined. Fernando’s young wife, in boy’s attire, and under the name of Fidelio, became the servant of Pizarro, who, resolving to murder Fernando, sent Fidelio and Rocco (the jailer) to dig his grave. Pizarro was just about to deal the fatal blow, when the minister of state arrived, and commanded the prisoner to be set free—Beethoven : Fidelio (1791).

Place (Lord), noted for his corrupt briberies. His fellow-candidate is colonel Promise. Their opponents are Harry Foxchase and squire Tankard.—Fielding: Pasquin (1736).

Placebo, one of the brothers of January the old baron of Lombardy. When January held a family conclave to know whether he should marry, Placebo told him “to please himself, and do as he like.”—Chaucer : Canterbury Tales (“The Merchant’s Tale,”1388).

Placid (Mr.), a hen-pecked husband, who is roused at last to be somewhat more manly, but could never be better than “a boiled rabbit without oyster sauce.” (See Pliant, p. 854.)

Mrs. Placid, the lady paramount of the house, who looked quite aghast if her husband expressed a wish of his own, or attempted to do an independent act.—Inchbald : Every One has His Fault (1794).

Placidas, the exact fac-simile of his friend Amias. Having heard of his friend’s captivity, he went to release him, and being detected in the garden, was mistaken by Corflambo’s dwarf for Amias. The dwarf we nt and told Pæana (the daughter of Corflambo, “fair as ever yet saw living eye, but too loose of life and eke of love too light”). Placidas was seized and brought before the lady, who loved Amias, but her love was not requited. When Placidas stood before her, she thought he was Amias, and great was her delight to find her love returned. She married Placidas, reformed her ways, “and all men much admired the change, and spake her praise.”—Spenser : Faërie Queene, iv. 8, 9 (1596).

Plagiary (Sir Fretful), a playwright, whose dramas were mere plagiarisms from “the refuse of obscure volumes.” He pretended to be rather pleased with criticism, but was sorely irritated thereby.

(Richard Cumberland (1732–1811), noted for his vanity and irritability, was the model of this character.—Sheridan : The Critic, i. 1779.)