Chapter Pro and Con to Proof Prints of P by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

be considered correct. Prodigal is pro-ago or prod-igo (to drive forth), and persons who had spent all their patrimony were “driven forth” to be sold as slaves to their creditors.
   Prodigal (The). Albert VI., Duke of Austria. (1418-1463.)

Prodigy The prodigy of France. Guillaume Budé; so called by Erasmus. (1467-1540.)
   The prodigy of learning. Samuel Hahnemann, the German, was so called by J. Paul Richter. (1755-1843.)

Profane means literally before the temple (Latin, pro fanum). Those persons who came to the temple and were not initiated were called profane by the Romans.

Profile (2 syl.) means shown by a thread. (Italian, profilo; Latin, filum, a thread.) A profile is an outline. In sculpture or painting it means to give the contour or side-face.

Profound (The). Richard Middleton, theologian. ( - 1304.)
   The Profound Doctor. Thomas Bradwarden, a schoolman. (Fourteenth century.)
   Most Profound Doctor. Ægidius de Columna, a Sicilian schoolman. (Died 1316.)

Prog Food (connected with prod, and perhaps prov [ender]). Burke says, “You are the lion, and I have been endeavouring to prog [procure food] for you.”

“So saying, with a smile she left the rogue
To weave more lines of death, and plan for prog.”
Dr. Wolcot: Spider and Fly.

Progn'e or Prokne. The swallow.
   (See Nightingale.)

“As Progne or as Philomela mourns ...
That finds the nest by cruel hands dispoiled; ...
So Bradamant laments her absent knight.”
Orlando Furioso, book xxiii.

Progress To report progress, in parliamentary language, is to conclude for the night the business of a bill, and defer the consideration of all subsequent items thereof till the day nominated by the chief Minister of the Crown.

Projection Powder of projection, or the “Philosopher's Stone.” A powder supposed to have the virtue of changing baser metals into gold or silver. A little of this powder, being cast into molten metal of the baser sort, was to project from it pure gold or silver. Education may be called the true “powder of projection.”

Proletaire (3 syl.). One of the rabble. Prolétaires in French means the lowest and poorest class in the community. Proletarian, mean or vulgar. The sixth class of Servius Tullius consisted of proletarii and the capite censi- i.e. breeders and human heads. The proletaries could not enter the army, but were useful as breeders of the race (proles). The capite censi were not enrolled in the census by the value of their estates, but simply by their polls.

Proletariat Commonalty. (See Proletaire .)

“Italy has a clerical aristocracy, rich, idle, and corrupt; and a clerical proletariat, needy and grossly ignorant.”- The Times.

Prometheus (3 syl.) made men of clay, and stole fire from heaven to animate them. For this he was chained by Zeus to Mount Caucasus, where an eagle preyed on his liver daily. The word means Forethought, and one of his brothers was Epimetheus or Afterthought.

“Faster bound to Aaron's charming eyes
Than is Prometheus tied to Caucasus.”
Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus, ii. 1.

Promethean Capable of producing fire; pertaining to Prometheus (q.v.).

Promethean Fire The vital principle; the fire with which Prometheus quickened into life his clay images. (See Prometheus .)

“I know not where is that Promethean heat
That can thy life relume.”
Shakespeare: Othello, v. 2.

Promethean Unguent (The). Made from a herb on which some of the blood of Prometheus (3syl.) had fallen. Medea gave Jason some of this unguent, which rendered his body proof against fire and warlike instruments.