Chapter Ponce de Léon to Popes of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

’Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst [been], thou hadst been poor John.—Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, act i. sc. 1 (1597).

Poor Relations, a humourous essay by C. Lamb (Essays of Elia, 1823).

Poor Richard, the pseudonym of Benjamin Franklin, under which he issued a series of almanacs, which he made the medium of teaching thrift, temperance, order, cleanliness, chastity, forgiveness, and so on. The maxims or precepts of these almanacs generally end with the words, “as poor Richard says” (begun in 1732).

Poor Robin, the pseudonym of Robert Herrick the poet, under which he issued a series of almanacs (begun in 1661).

Poor as Lazarus, that is, the beggar Lazarus, in the parable of Divês and Lazarus (Luke xvi. 19-31).

Pope (To drink like a). Benedict XII. was an enormous eater, and such a huge wine-drinker that he gave rise to the Bacchanalian expression, Bibamus papaliter.

Pope Changing His Name. Peter Hogsmouth, or, as he is sometimes called, Peter di Porca, was the first pope to change his name. He called himself Sergius II. (844-847). Some say he thought it arrogant to be called Peter II.

Pope-Fig-lands, protestant countries. The Gaillardets, being shown the pope’s image, said, “A fig for the pope!” whereupon their whole island was put to the sword, and the name changed to Pope-fig-land, the people being called “Pope-figs.”—Rabelais: Pantagruel, iv. 45 (1545).

(The allusion is to the kingdom of Navarre, once protestant; but in 1512 it was subjected to Ferdinand the Catholic.)

Pope-Figs, protestants. The name was given to the Gaillardets, for saying, “A fig for the pope!”

They were made tributaries and slaves to the Papimans for saying. “A fig for the pope’s image!” and never after did the poor wretches prosper, but every year the devil was at their doors, and they were plagued with hail, storms, famine, and all manner of woes in punishment of this sin of their forefathers.—Rabelais: Pantagruel, iv. 45 (1545).

Pope Joan, between Leo IV. and Benedict III., and called John [VIII.]. The subject of this scandalous story was an English girl, educated at Cologne, who left her home in man’s disguise with her lover (the monk Folda), and went to Athens, where she studied law. She afterwards went to Rome and studied theology, in which she gained so high a reputation that, at the death of Leo IV., she was chosen his successor. Her sex was discovered by the birth of a child while she was going to the Lateran Basilica, between the Coliseum and the church of St. Clement. Pope Joan died, and was buried, without honours, after a pontificate of two years and five months (853-855).—Marianus Scotus (who died 1086).

The story is given most fully by Martinus Polonus, confessor to Gregory X., and the tale was generally believed till the Reformation. There is a German miracle-play on the subject, called The Canonization of Pope Joan (1480). David Blondel, a Calvinist divine, has written a book to confute the tale.

The following note contains the chief points of interest:-

(1) Argument in proof of the allegation—

Anastasius the librarian is the first to mention such a pope, A. D. 886, or thirty years after the death of Joan.