Fat Boy (Jo.). Obese page, or foot-boy of Mr. Wardell in Pickwick Papers.—Charles Dickens.
Fates. The three Fatal Sisters were Clo´tho, Lachesis [Lak´.e.sis].[[Lak´.e.sis].] and At´ropos. They dwelt in the deep abyss of Demogorgon, “with unwearied fingers drawing out the threads of life.” Clotho held the spindle or distaff; Lachesis drew out the thread; and Atropos cut it off.
Sad Clotho held the rock, the whiles the thread
By grisly Lachesis was spun with pain,
That cruel Atropos eftsoon undid,
With cursëd knife cutting the twist in twain.
Spenser, Faëry Queen, iv. 2. (1595).
Father—Son. It is a common observation that a father above the common rate of men has usually a son below it. Witness King John son of Henry II.; Edward II. son of Edward I.; Richard II. son of the Black Prince; Henry VI. son of Henry V.; Lord Chesterfield’s son, etc. So in French history: Louis VIII. was the son of Philippe Auguste; Charles the Idiot was the son of Charles le Sage; Henri II. of François I. Again, in German history: Heinrich VI. was the son of Barbarossa; Albrecht I. of Rudolf; and so on, in all directions. Heroum filii noxæ is a Latin proverb.
My trust,
Like a good parent, did beget of him