Chapter Preston to Prince of Life of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Preston to Prince of Life

Preston (Christopher), established the bear-garden at Hockley-in-the-Hole, in the time of Charles II. He was killed in 1709, by one of his own bears.

Where I’d as good oppose
Myself to Preston and his mastiffs loose.

Oldham: The Third Satire of Juvenal (1653–1684).

Pretender (The Young), prince Charles Edward Stuart, son of James Francis Edward Stuart (called “The Old Pretender”). James Francis was the son of James II., and Charles Edward was that king’s grandson.—Sir W. Scott: Waverley (time, George II.).

Charles Edward was defeated at Culloden in 1746, and escaped to the Continent.

God bless the king—I mean the “Faith’s Defender;”
God bless—no harm in blessing—the Pretender.
Who that Pretender is, and who is king,
God bless us all! that’s quite another thing.

Ascribed by sir W. Scott to John Byrom (in Redgauntlet).

(The mistress of Charles Edward Stuart was Miss Walkingshaw.)

Prettyman (Prince), in love with Cloris. He is sometimes a fisherman and sometimes a prince.—Duke of Buckingham: The Rehearsal (1671).

(“Prince Prettyman” is said to be a parody on “Leonidas” in Dryden’s Marriage à-la Mode.)

Priamus (Sir), a knight of the Round Table. He possessed a phial, full of four waters that came from paradise. These waters instantly healed any wounds which were touched by them.

“My father,” says sir Priamus, “is lineally descended of Alexander and of Hector by right line. Duke Josuè and Machabæus were of our lineage. I am right inheritor of Alexandria, and Affrike, of all the out isles.”

And Priamus took from his page a phial, full of four waters that came out of paradise; and with certain balm ’nointed he their wounds, and washed them with that water, and within an hour after, they were both as whole as ever they were.—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur, i. 97 (1470).

Price (Matilda), a miller’s daughter; a pretty, coquettish young woman, who marries John Browdie, a hearty Yorkshire corn-factor.—Dickens: Nicholas Nickleby (1838).

Pride. “Fly pride, says the peacock,” proverbial for pride.—Shakespeare: Comedy of Errors, act iv. sc. 3 (1593).

Pride (Sir), first a drayman, then a colonel in the parliamentary army.—S. Butler: Hudibras (1663-78).

Pride and Prejudice, a novel of domestic life by Jane Austin (1812).

Pride of Humility. Anti sthenês, the Cynic, affected a very ragged coat; but Socratês said to him, “Antisthenes, I can see your vanity peering through the holes of your coat.”

Pride’s Purge, a violent invasion of parliamentary rights by colonel Pride, in 1649. At the head of two regiments of soldiers he surrounded the House of Commons, seized forty-one of the members, and shut out 160 others. None were allowed into the House but those most friendly to Cromwell. This fagend went by the name of “the Rump.”

Pridwin or Priwen, prince Arthur’s shield.

Arthur placed a golden helmet upon his head, on which was engraven the figure of a dragon; and on his shoulders his shield called Priwen, upon which the picture of the blessed Mary, mother of God, was