Thee, too, my Paridel, she marked thee there,
Stretched on the rack of a too-easy chair,
And heard thy everlasting yawn confess
The pains and penalties of idleness.
Pope, The Dunciad, iv. 341 (1742).
Paridel (Sir), descendant of Paris, whose son was Parius, who settled in Paros, and left his kingdom to his son, Par´idas, from whom Paridel descended. Having gained the hospitality of Malbecco, Sir Paridel eloped with his wife, Dame Hel´inore (3 syl.), but soon quitted her, leaving her to go whither she would. “So had he served many another one” (bk. iii. 10). In bk. iv. 1 Sir Paridel is discomfited by Sir Scudamore.—Spenser, Faëry Queen, iii. 10; iv. 1 (1590, 1596).
*** “Sir Paridel” is meant for Charles Nevil, sixth and last of the Nevils, earls of Westmoreland. He joined the Northumberland rebellion of 1569 for the restoration of Mary queen of Scots; and when the plot failed, made his escape to the Continent, where he lived in poverty and obscurity. The earl was quite a Lothario, whose delight was to win the love of women, and then to abandon them.
Paris, a son of Priam and Hecŭba, noted for his beauty. He married Œnōnê, daughter of Cebren, the river-god. Subsequently, during a visit to Menelāus, king of Sparta, he eloped with Queen Helen, and this brought about the Trojan war. Being wounded by an arrow from the bow of Philoctētês, he sent for his wife, who hastened to him with remedies; but it was too late—he died of his wound, and Œnonê hung herself.—Homer, Iliad.
Paris was appointed to decide which of the three goddesses (Juno, Pallas or Minerva) was the fairest fair, and to which should be awarded the golden apple thrown “to the most beautiful.” The three goddesses tried by bribes to obtain the verdict: Juno promised him dominion if he would decide in her favor; Minerva promised him wisdom; but Venus said she would find him the most beautiful of women for wife if he allotted to her the apple. Paris handed the apple to Venus.
Not Cytherea from a fairer swain
Received her apple on the Trojan plain.
Falconer, The Shipwreck, i. 3 (1756).
Paris, a young nobleman, kinsman of Prince Es´calus of Verona, and the unsuccessful suitor of his cousin, Juliet.—Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (1598).
Paris (Notre Dame de), by Victor Hugo (1831). (See Esmeralda and [Quasimodo].)
Parisina, wife of Azo, chief of Ferrara. She had been betrothed before her marriage to Hugo, a natural son of Azo, and after Azo took her for his bride, the attachment of Parisina and Hugo continued and had freer scope for indulgence. One night Azo heard Parisina in sleep confess her love for Hugo, whereupon he had his son beheaded, and, though he spared the life of Parisina, no one ever knew what became of her.—Byron, Parisina (1816).