Chapter Palamedes to Palmyra of the Deccan of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Palamedes to Palmyra of the Deccan

Palamedes , son of Nauplios, was, according to Suidas, the inventor of dice. (See Alea, p. 22.)

Tabula nomen ludi; hanc Palamedês ad Græci exercitus delectationem magna eruditione atque ingenio invenit. Tabula enim est mundus terrestris, duodenarius numerus est Zodiacus, ipsa vero area et septem in ea grana sunt septem stellæ planetarum. Turris est altitudo cœli, ex qua omnibus bona et mala rependuntur.—Suidas (Wolf’s trans.).

Palamedes (Sir) or sir Palamede , a Saracen, who adored Isolde the wife of king Mark of Cornwall. Sir Tristrem also loved the same lady, who was his aunt. The two “lovers” fought, and sir Palamedês, being overcome, was compelled to turn Christian. He was baptized, and sir Tristrem stood his sponsor at the font.—Thomas of Erceldoune called “The Rhymer”): Sir Tristrem (thirteenth century).

Palamedes of Lombardy, one of the allies of the Christian army in the first crusade. He was shot by Corinda with an arrow (bk. xi.).—Tasso: Jerusalem Delivered (1575).

Palamon and Arcite , two young Theban knights, who fell into the hands of duke Theseus , and were by him confined in a dungeon at Athens. Here they saw the duke’s sister-in-law Emily, with whom both fell in love. When released from captivity, the two knights told the duke their tale of love; and the duke promised that whichever proved the victor in single combat should have Emily for his prize. Arcite prayed to Mars “for victory,” and Palamon to Venus that he might “obtain the lady,” and both their prayers were granted. Arcite won the victory, according to his prayer, but, being thrown from his horse, died; so Palamon, after all, “won the lady,” though he did not win the battle.—Chaucer: Canterbury Tales (“The Knight’s Tale,” 1388).

This tale is taken from the Le Teseide of Boccaccio.

The Black Horse, a drama by John Fletcher, is the same tale.

(Richard Edwards, in 1566, produced a comedy called Palamon and Arcyte. Dryden has modernized Chaucer’s tale.)

Pale (The) or The English Pale, a part of Ireland, including Dublin, Meath, Carlow, Kilkenny, and Louth.

Pale Faces. So the American Indians call the European settlers.

Palemon, son of a rich merchant. He fell in love with Anna, daughter of Albert master of one of his father’s ships. The purse-proud merchant, indignant at this, tried every means to induce his son to abandon such a “mean connection,” but without avail; so at last he sent him in the Britannia (Alb ert’s ship) “in charge of the merchandise.” The ship was wrecked near cape Colonna, in Attica; and although Palemon escaped, his ribs were so broken that he died almost as soon as he reached the shore.

A gallant youth, Palemon was his name,
Charged with the commerce hither also came;
A father’s stern resentment doomed to prove,
He came, the victim of unhappy love.

Falconer: The Shipwreck, i. 2 (1756).

Palemon and Lavinia, a poetic version of Boaz and Ruth. “The lovely young Lavinia” went to glean in the fields of young Palemon “the pride of swains;” and Palemon, falling in love with the beautiful gleaner, both wooed and won her.—Thomson: The Seasons (“Autumn,” 1730).

Pales , god of shepherds and their flocks.—Roman Mythology.

Pomona loves the orchard;
And Liber loves the vine;
And Palês loves the straw-built shed,
Warm with the breath of kine.

Macaulay: Lays of Ancient Rome (“Prophecy of Capys,” 1842).