Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama Part 86

_Father of English Poetry_, Geoffrey Chaucer (1328-1400).

_Father of Epic Poetry_, Homer.

He compares Richardson to Homer, and predicts for his memory the same honors which are rendered to the Father of Epic Poetry.--Sir W. Scott.

=Poetry--Prose.= Pope advised Wycherly "to convert his poetry into prose."

=Poganuc=, small Puritan town in New England as it was 100 years ago.--Harriet Beecher Stowe, _Poganuc People_ (1876).

=Po'gram= (_Elijah_), one of the "master minds" of America, and a member of Congress. He was possessed with the idea that there was a settled opposition in the British mind against the inst.i.tutions of his "free and enlightened country."--C. d.i.c.kens, _Martin Chuzzlewit_ (1844).

=Poinder= (_George_), a city officer.--Sir W. Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, George II.).

=Poins=, a companion of Sir John Falstaff.--Shakespeare, 1 and 2 _Henry IV._ (1597, 1598).

The chronicles of that day contain accounts of many a mad prank which [_Lord Warwick, Addison's step-son_] played ... [_like_] the lawless freaks of the madcap prince and Poins.--Thackeray.

=Poison.= It is said that Mithridates VI., surnamed "the Great," had so fortified his const.i.tution that poisons had no baneful effect on him (B.C. 131, 120-63).

=Poison of Khabar.= By this is meant the poison put into a leg of mutton by Zanab, a Jewess, to kill Mahomet while he was in the citadel of Kha'bar. Mahomet partook of the mutton, and suffered from the poison all through life.

=Poisoners= (_Secret_).

1. _Of Ancient Rome_: Locusta, employed by Agrippi'na to poison her husband, the Emperor Claudius. Nero employed the same woman to poison Britannicus and others.

2. _Of English History_: the countess of Somerset, who poisoned Sir Thomas Overbury in the Tower of London. She also poisoned others.

Villiers, duke of Buckingham, it is said poisoned King James I.

3. _Of France_: Lavoisin and Lavigoreux, French midwives and fortune-tellers.

Catherine de Medicis is said to have poisoned the mother of Henri IV.

with a pair of wedding-gloves, and several others with poisoned fans.

The marquise de Brinvilliers, a young profligate Frenchwoman, was taught the art of secret poisoning by Sainte-Croix, who learnt it in Italy.--_World of Wonders_, vii. 203.

4. _Of Italy_: Pope Alexander VI. and his children, Caesar and Lucrezia [Borgia] were noted poisoners; so were Hieronyma Spara and Tofa'na.

=Polexan'dre=, an heroic romance by Gomberville (1632).

=Policy= (_Mrs._), housekeeper at Holyrood Palace. She appears in the introduction.--Sir W. Scott, _Fair Maid of Perth_ (time, Henry IV.).

=Pol'idore= (3 _syl._), father of Valere.--Moliere, _Le Depit Amoureux_ (1654).

=Polinesso=, duke of Albany, who falsely accused Geneura of incontinency, and was slain in single combat by Ariodantes.--Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_ (1516).

=Polish Jew= (_The_), also called THE BELLS, a melodrama by J. R. Ware, brought prominently into note by the acting of Henry Irving at the Lyceum. Mathis, a miller in a small German town, is visited on Christmas Eve by a Polish Jew, who comes through the snow in a sledge. After rest and refreshment he leaves for Nantzig, "four leagues off." Mathis follows him, kills him with an axe, and burns the body in a lime-kiln.

He then pays his debts, becomes a prosperous and respected man, and is made burgomaster. On the wedding night of his only child, Annette, he dies of apoplexy, of which he had ample warning by the constant sound of sledge-bells in his ears. In his dream he supposes himself put into a mesmeric sleep in open court, when he confesses everything and is executed (1874).

=Polixene=, the name a.s.sumed by Madelon Gorgibus, a shopkeeper's daughter, as far more romantic and genteel than her baptismal name. Her cousin, Cathos, called herself Aminte (2 _syl._).

=Polix'enes= (4 _syl._), king of Bohemia, schoolfellow and old companion of Leontes, king of Sicily. While on a visit to the Sicilian king, Leontes grew jealous of him, and commanded Camillo to poison him; but Camillo only warned him of his danger, and fled with him to Bohemia.

Polixenes's son, Flor'izel, fell in love with Perdita, the supposed daughter of a shepherd; but the king threatened Perdita and the shepherd with death unless this foolish suit were given up. Florizel and Perdita now fled to Sicily, where they were introduced to King Leontes, and it was soon discovered that Perdita was his lost daughter. Polixenes, having tracked the fugitives to Sicily, learned that Perdita was the king's daughter, and joyfully consented to the union he had before forbidden.--Shakespeare, _The Winter's Tale_ (1604).

=Poll Pineapple=, the b.u.mboat woman, once sailed in seaman's clothes with Lieutenant Belaye (2 _syl._), in the _Hot Cross-Bun_. Jack tars generally greet each other with "Messmate, ho! what cheer?" but the greeting on the _Hot Cross-Bun_ was always, "How do you do, my dear?"

and never was any oath more naughty than "Dear me!" One day, Lieutenant Belaye came on board and said to his crew, "Here, messmates, is my wife, for I have just come from church." Whereupon they all fainted; and it was found the crew consisted of young women only, who had dressed like sailors to follow the fate of Lieutenant Belaye.--S. Gilbert, _The Bab Ballads_ ("The b.u.mboat Woman's Story").

=Pollente= (3 _syl._), a Saracen, lord of the Perilous Bridge. When his groom, Guizor, demands the "pa.s.sage-penny" of Sir Artegal, the knight gives him a "stunning blow," saying, "Lo! knave, there's my hire;" and the groom falls down dead. Pollente then comes rus.h.i.+ng up at full speed, and both he and Sir Artegal fall into the river, fighting most desperately. At length Sir Artegal prevails, and the dead body of the Saracen is carried down "the blood-stained stream."--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, v. 2 (1596).

Upton conjectures that "Pollente" is intended for Charles IX. of France, and his groom, "Guizor" (he says), means the duke of Guise, noted for the part he took in the St. Bartholomew Ma.s.sacre.

=Polly=, daughter of Peachum. A pretty girl, who really loved Captain Macheath, married him, and remained faithful even when he disclaimed her. When the reprieve arrived, "the captain" confessed his marriage, and vowed to abide by Polly for the rest of his life.--J. Gay, _The Beggar's Opera_ (1727).

_Polly_ (_Cousin_), "a small, bright-eyed lady of indefatigable activity in sacrificing herself for the good of others.... In her trig person she embodied the several functions of housekeeper, nurse, confidante, missionary, parish-clerk, queen of the poultry-yard, and genealogist."--Constance Cary Harrison, _Flower de Hundred_ (1890).

_Polly_, the idolized pet of "the Colonel," her grandfather. He will not let "Bob" marry her, but when the two elope together and present themselves as man and wife, on Christmas Day, and Polly's face "like a dew-bathed flower" is pressed to his, he yields and takes both to his big heart.--Thomas Nelson Page, _In Ole Virginia_ (1887).

=Polo'nius=, a garralous[TN-97] old chamberlain, of Denmark, and father of Laer'tes and Ophelia; conceited, politic, and a courtier. Polonius conceals himself, to overhear what Hamlet says to his mother, and, making some unavoidable noise, startles the prince, who, thinking it is the king concealed, rushes blindly on the intruder, and kills him; but finds too late he has killed the chamberlain, and not Claudius, as he hoped and expected.--Shakespeare, _Hamlet_ (1596).

Polonius is a man bred in courts, exercised in business, stored with observations, confident of his knowledge, proud of his eloquence, and declining to dotage.--Dr. Johnson.

It was the great part of William Mynitt (1710-1763).

Soon after Munden retired from the stage, an admirer met him in Covent Garden. It was a wet day, and each carried an umbrella. The gentleman's was an expensive silk one, and Joe's an old gingham.

"So you have left the stage, ... and 'Polonius,' 'Jemmy Jumps,'

'Old Dornton,' and a dozen others have left the world with you? I wish you'd give me some trifle by way of memorial, Munden!"

"Trifle, sir? I' faith, sir, I've got nothing. But, hold, yes, egad, suppose we exchange umbrellas."--_Theatrical Anecdotes._

=Polwarth= (_Alick_), a servant of Waverley's.--Sir W. Scott, _Waverley_ (time, George II.).