Part 58 (2/2)

_Of Ceylon_, the delada or tooth of Buddha, preserved in the Malegawa temple at Kandy. Natives guard it with great jealousy, from a belief that whoever possesses it acquires the right to govern Ceylon. When, in 1815, the English obtained possession of the tooth, the Ceylonese submitted to them without resistance.

_Of Eden Hall_, a drinking-gla.s.s, in the possession of Sir Christopher Musgrave, Bart., of Edenhall, c.u.mberland.

_Of Jerusalem._ Aladine, king of Jerusalem, stole an image of the Virgin, and set it up in a mosque, that she might no longer protect the Christians, but become the palladium of Jerusalem. The image was rescued by Sophronia, and the city taken by the crusaders.

_Of Meg'ara_, a golden hair of King Nisus. Scylla promised to deliver the city into the hands of Minos, and cut off the talismanic lock of her father's head while he was asleep.

_Of Rome_, the ancile or sacred buckler which Numa said fell from heaven, and was guarded by priests called Salii.

_Of Scotland_, the great stone of Scone, near Perth, which was removed by Edward I. to Westminster, and is still there, preserved in the coronation chair.

_Of Troy_, a colossal wooden statue of Pallas Minerva, which ”fell from heaven.” It was carried off by the Greeks, by whom the city was taken, and burned to the ground.

=Pallet=, a painter, in Smollett's novel of _Peregrine Pickle_ (1751).

The absurdities of Pallet are painted an inch thick, and by no human possibility could such an acc.u.mulation of comic disasters have befallen the characters of the tale.

=Pal'merin of England=, the hero and t.i.tle of a romance in chivalry. There is also an inferior one ent.i.tled _Palmerin d'Oliva._

The next two books were _Palmerin d'Ol'iva_ and _Palmerin of England_. ”The former,” said the cure, ”shall be torn in pieces and burnt to the last ember; but _Palmerin of England_ shall be preserved as a relique of antiquity, and placed in such a chest as Alexander found amongst the spoils of Darius, and in which he kept the writings of Homer. This same book is valuable for two things: first, for its own especial excellency, and next because it is the production of a Portuguese monarch, famous for his literary talents. The adventures of the castle of Miraguarda therein, are finely imagined, the style of composition is natural and elegant, and the utmost decorum is preserved throughout.”--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. i. 6 (1605).

=Palmi'ra=, daughter of Alcanor, chief of Mecca. She and her brother, Zaphna, were taken captives in infancy, and brought up by Mahomet. As they grew in years they fell in love with each other, not knowing their relations.h.i.+p; but when Mahomet laid siege to Mecca, Zaphna was appointed to a.s.sa.s.sinate Alcanor, and was himself afterwards killed by poison.

Mahomet then proposed marriage to Palmira, but to prevent such an alliance, she killed herself.--James Miller, _Mahomet, the Impostor_ (1740).

=Pal'myrene= (_The_), Zen.o.bia, queen of Palmyra, who claimed the t.i.tle of ”Queen of the East.” She was defeated by Aurelian, and taken prisoner (A.D. 273). Longinus lived at her court, and was put to death on the capture of Zen.o.bia.

The Palmyrene that fought Aurelian.

Tennyson, _The Princess_, ii. (1847).

=Pal'omides= (_Sir_), son and heir of Sir Astlabor. His brothers were Sir Safire and Sir Segwar'ides. He is always called the Saracen, meaning ”unchristened.” Next to the three great knights (Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, and Sir Lamorake), he was the strongest and bravest of the fellows.h.i.+p of the Round Table. Like Sir Tristram, he was in love with La Belle Isond, wife of King Mark, of Cornwall; but the lady favored the love of Sir Tristram, and only despised that of the Saracen knight.

After his combat with Sir Tristram, Sir Palomides consented to be baptized by the bishop of Carlisle (pt. iii. 28).

He was well made, cleanly and bigly, and neither too young nor too old. And though he was not christened, yet he believed in the best manners, and was faithful and true of his promise, and also well conditioned. He made a vow that he would never be christened unto the time that he achieved the beast Glatisaint.... And also he avowed never to take full christendom unto the time that he had done seven battles within the lists.--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_, ii. 149 (1470).

=Pam=, Henry John Temple, viscount Palmerston (1784-1865).

=Pam'ela.= Lady Edward Fitzgerald is so called (*-1831).

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