Part 91 (1/2)

=Prate'fast= (_Peter_), who ”in all his life spake no word in waste.”

His wife was Maude, and his eldest son, Sym Sadle Gander, who married Betres (daughter of Davy Dronken Nole, of Kent, and his wife, Al'yson).--Stephen Hawes, _The Pa.s.se-tyme of Plesure_, xxix. (1515).

=Prattle= (_Mr._), medical pract.i.tioner, a voluble gossip, who retails all the news and scandal of the neighborhood. He knows everybody, everybody's affairs, and everybody's intentions.--G. Colman, Sr, _The Deuce is in Him_ (1762).

=Pre-Adamite Kings=, Soliman Raad, Soliman Daki, and Soliman de Gian ben Gian. The last named, having chained up the dives (1 _syl._) in the dark caverns of Paf, became so presumptuous as to dispute the Supreme Power.

All these kings maintained great state [before the existence of that contemptible being denominated by us ”The Father of Mankind”]; but none can be compared with the eminence of Soliman ben Daoud.

=Pre-Adamite Throne= (_The_). It was Vathek's ambition to gain the pre-Adamite throne. After long search, he was shown it at last in the abyss of Eblis; but being there, return was impossible, and he remained a prisoner without hope forever.

They reached at length the hall [_Argenk_] of great extent, and covered with a lofty dome.... A funereal gloom prevailed over it.

Here, upon two beds of incorruptible cedar, lay rec.u.mbent the fleshless forms of the pre-Adamite kings, who had once been monarchs of the whole earth.... At their feet were inscribed the events of their several reigns, their power, their pride, and their crimes. [_This was the pre-Adamite throne, the ambition of the Caliph Vathek._]--W. Beckford, _Vathek_ (1784).

=Preacher= (_The_) Solomon, the son of David, author of _The Preacher_ (i.

e. _Ecclesiastes_).

Thus saith the Preacher, ”Nought beneath the sun Is new;” yet still from change to change we run.

Byron.

_Preacher_ (_The Glorious_), St. Chrys'ostom (347-407). The name means ”Golden mouth.”

_Preacher_ (_The Little_), Samuel de Marets, Protestant controversialist (1599-1663).

_Preacher_ (_The Unfair_). Dr. Isaac Barrow was so called by Charles II., because his sermons were so exhaustive that they left nothing more to be said on the subject, which was ”unfair” to those that came after him.

=Preachers= (_The King of_), Louis Bourdaloue (1632-1704).

=Precieuses Ridicules= (_Les_), a comedy by Moliere, in ridicule of the ”_precieuses_,” as they were styled, forming the coterie of the Hotel de Rambouillet in the seventeenth century. The _soirees_ held in this hotel were a great improvement on the licentious a.s.semblies of the period; but many imitators made the thing ridiculous, because they wanted the same presiding talent and good taste.

The two girls of Moliere's comedy are Madelon and Cathos, the daughter and niece of Gorgibus, a bourgeois. They change their names to Polixene and Aminte, which they think more genteel, and look on the affectations of two flunkies as far more _distingue_ than the simple, gentlemanly manners of their masters. However, they are cured of their folly, and no harm comes of it (1659).

=Preciosa=, the heroine of Longfellow's _Spanish Student_, in love with Victorian, the student.

=Precocious Genius.=

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.

CHRISTIAN HENRY HEINECKEN, at one year old, knew the chief events of the Pentatauch!! 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 Schneich, his teacher. His name is duly noticed in biographical dictionaries.

=Pressaeus= (”_eater of garlic_”), the youngest of the frog chieftains.