Chapter Pre-Adamite Kings to Prester John of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Preciosa, a gipsy girl, the heroine of Longfellow’s Spanish Student (1843). She is threatened with the vengeance of the Inquisition.

Precocious Genius.

(1) Johann Philip Baratier, a German, at the age of five years, knew Greek, Latin, and French, besides his native German. At nine he knew Hebrew and Chaldaic, and could translate German into Latin. At thirteen he could translate Hebrew into French, or French into Hebrew (1721–1740).

The life of this boy was written by Formey. His name is enrolled in all biographical dictionaries.

(2) Christian Henry Heinecken, at one year old, knew the chief events of the Pentateuch!! at thirteen months he knew the history of the Old Testament!! at fourteen months he knew the history of the New Testament!! at two and a half years he could answer any ordinary question of history or geography; and at three years old knew French and Latin as well as his native German (1721–1725).

The life of this boy was written by Schœneich, his teacher. His name is duly noticed in biographical dictionaries.

(3) Jean Louis Elizabeth De Montchalm knew his letters when a child in arms; when thirty months old he knew both small letters and capitals; at three years of age he could read fluently Latin and French, either in print or manuscript; at four he could translate Latin; at five he could translate the most difficult Latin authors; at six he could read Greek and Hebrew, was good at arithmetic, history, geography, and metallurgy. In four weeks he learnt to write correctly and fluently. At the age of seven he had read all the chief poets, orators, historians, philosophers, grammarians, etc.; but the poor fellow died before he was eight.—Dictionnaire dé Education (1819).

(4) Ennius Viscont read Greek and Latin, as well as Italian (his own language), before he was four years old. He lived to the age of 67, and died in 1818.

Pressæus [“eater of garlic”], the youngest of the frog chieftains.

Then pious ardour young Pressæus brings,
Betwixt the fortunes of contending kings;
Lank, harmless frog! with forces hardly grown,
He darts the reed in combats not his own,
Which, faintly tinkling on Troxartas’ shield,
Hangs at the point, and drops upon the field.

Parnell: Battle of the Frogs and Mice, iii. (about 1712).

Prest, a nickname given by Swift to the duchess of Shrewsbury, who was a foreigner.

Prester John, a corruption of Belul Gian, meaning “precious stone.” Gian (pronounced zjon) has been corrupted into John, and Belul translated into “precious;” in Latin Johannes preciosus (“precious John”), corrupted into “Presbyter Joannes.” The kings of Ethiopia or Abyssinia, from a gemmed ring given to queen Saba, whose son by Solomon was king of Ethiopia, and was called Melech with the “precious stone,” or Melech Gian Belul.

Æthiopes regem suum, quem nos vulgo “Prete Gianni” corrupte dicimus, quatuor appellant nominibus, quorum primum est “Belul Gian,” hoc est lapis preciosus. Ductum est autem hoc nomen ab annulo Salomonis, quem ille filio ex regina Saba, ut putant genito, dono dedisse, quove omnes postea reges usos fuisse describitur.… Cum vero eum coronant, appellant “Neghuz.” Postremo cum vertice capitis in coronæ modum abraso, ungitur a patriarcha, vocant “Masih,” hoc est unctum. Hæc autem regiæ dignitatis nomina omnibus communia sunt.—Quoted by Selden, from a little annal of the Ethiopian kings (1552), in his Titles of Honour, v. 65 (1614).

As this title was like the Egyptian Pharaoh, and belonged to whole lines of kings, it will explain the enormous diversity of time allotted by different writers to “Prester John.”