Por´sena, a legendary king of Etruria, who made war on Rome to restore Tarquin to the throne.
Lord Macaulay has made this the subject of one of his Lays of Ancient Rome (1842).
Port´amour, Cupid’s sheriff’s officer, who summoned offending lovers to “Love’s Judgment Hall.”—Spenser, Faëry Queen, vi. 7 (1596).
Porteous (Captain John), an officer of the city guard. He is hanged by the mob (1736).
Mrs. Porteous, wife of the captain.—Sir W. Scott, The Heart of Midlothian (time, George II.)
Porter (Sir Joseph), K. C. B. The admiral who “stuck close to his desk, and never went to sea.” His reward was the appointment as “ruler of the Queen’s navee.”—W. S. Gilbert, Pinafore.
Portia, the wife of Pontius Pilate, in Klopstock’s Messiah.
Portia, wife of Marcus Brutus. Valerius Maximus says: “She, being determined to kill herself, took hot burning coals into her mouth, and kept her lips closed till she was suffocated by the smoke.”
With this she fell distract,
And, her attendants absent, swallowed fire.
Shakespeare, Julius Cæsar, act iv. sc. 3 (1607).
Portia, a rich heiress, in love with Bassa´nio; but her choice of a husband was restricted by her father’s will to the following condition: Her suitors were to select from three caskets, one of gold, one of silver, and one of lead, and he who selected the casket which contained Portia’s picture, was to claim her as his wife. Bassanio chose the lead, and being successful, became the espoused husband. It so happened that Bassanio had borrowed 3,000 ducats, and Antonio, a Venetian merchant, was his security. The money was borrowed of Shylock, a Jew, on these conditions: If the loan was repaid within three months, only the principal would be required; if not, the Jew should be at liberty to claim a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. The loan was not repaid, and the Jew demanded the forfeiture. Portia, in the dress of a law doctor, conducted the defence, and saved Antonio by reminding the Jew that a pound of flesh gave him no drop of blood, and that he must cut neither more nor less than an exact pound, otherwise his life would be forfeited. As it would be plainly impossible to fulfill these conditions, the Jew gave up his claim, and Antonio was saved.—Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice (1598).