Chapter Paris Garden to Parson Adams of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Several piracies of this popular name have appeared. Thus, S. Kettell of America pirated the name in order to sell under false colours; Darton and Co. issued a Peter Parley’s Annual (1841–1855); Simpkins, a Peter Parley’s Life of Paul (1845) Bogue, a Peter Parley’s Visit to London etc. (1844); Tegg, several works under the same name; Hodson, a Peter Parley Bible Geography (1839); Clements, a Peter Parley’s Child’s First Step (1839). None of which works were by Goodrich, the real “Peter Parley.”

(William Martin was the writer of Darton’s “Peter Parley series.” George Mogridge wrote several tales under the name of Peter Parley. How far such “false pretences” are justifiable, public opinion must decide.)

Parleyings with Certain People of Importance in their Way. A series of poems by Robert Browning (1887). The “people” are Bernard de Mandeville, Daniel Bartoli, Christopher Smart, George Bubb Dodington, Francis Furini, Gerard de Lairesse, and Charles Avison. The poems are introduced by a prologue, “Apollo and the Fates,” and concluded by “A Dialogue between John Fust and his Friends.”

Parliament (The Black), a parliament held by Henry VIII. in Bridewell.

(For Addled parliament, Barebone’s parliament, the Devil’s parliament, the Drunken parliament, the Good parliament, the Long parliament, the Mad parliament, the Pensioner parliament, the Rump parliament, the Running parliament, the Unmerciful parliament, the Useless parliament, the Wonder-making parliament, the parliament of Dunces, etc., see Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, p. 943.)

Parliament of Bees (The), an allegorical masque in rhyme. The characters are all bees with suitable names.—John Day (1640).

Parnassus (in Greek Parnassos), the highest part of a range of mountains north of Delphi, in Greece, chief seat of Apollo and the Muses. Called by poets “double-headed,” from its two highest summits, Tithorea and Lycorea. On Lycorea was the Corycian cave, and hence the Muses are called the Corycian nymphs.

Conquer the severe ascent
Of high Parnassus.

Akenside: Pleasures of Imagination, i. (1744).

The Parnassus of Japan, Fusiyama (“rich scholar’s peak”).—Gibson: Gallery of Geography, 921 (1872).

Parnelle (Mme.), the mother of Mon. Orgon, and an ultra-admirer of Tartuffe, whom she looks on as a saint. In the adaptation of Molière’s comedy by Isaac Bickerstaff, Mme. Parnelle is called “old lady Lambert;” her son, “sir John Lambert;” and Tartuffe, “Dr. Cantwell.”—Molière: Tariuffe (1664); Bickerstaff, The Hypocrite (1768).

(The Nonjuror, by Cibber (1706), was the quarry of Bickerstaff’s play.)

Parody (Father of), Hipponax of Ephesus (sixth century B.C.).

Parolles , a boastful, cowardly follower of Bertram count of Rousillon. His utterances are racy enough, but our contempt for the man smothers our mirth, and we cannot laugh. In one scene the bully is taken blindfold among his old acquaintances, who he is led to suppose are his enemies, and he vilifies their characters to their faces in most admired foolery.—Shakespeare: All’s Well that Ends Well (1598).

He [Dr. Parr] was a mere Parolles in a pedagogue’s wig.—Noctes Ambrosianæ.

For similar tongue-doughty heroes, see Basilisco, Bessus, Bluff, Bobadil, Boroughcliff, Brazen, Flash, Pistol, Pyrgo Polinices, Scaramouch, Thraso, Vincent de la Rosa, etc.