=Perch=, messenger in the house of Mr. Dombey, merchant, whom he adored, and plainly showed by his manner to the great man: “You are the light of my eyes,” “You are the breath of my soul.”--C. Dickens, _Dombey and Son_ (1846). =Perche Notary= (_A_), a lawyer who sets people together by the ears, one who makes more quarrels than contracts. The French proverb is, _Notaire du Perche, qui passe plus d’échalliers que de contrat_. Le Perche, qui se trouve partagé entre les départements de l’Orne et d’Eure-et-Loir, est un contrée fort boisée, dans laquelle la plupart des champs sont entourés de haies dans lesquelles sont ménagées certaines ouvertures propres à donner passage aux piétons seulement, et que l’on nomme _échalliers_.--_Hilaire le Gai._ =Percinet=, a fairy prince, in love with Graciosa. The prince succeeds in thwarting the malicious designs of Grognon, the step-mother of the lovely princess.--_Percinet and Graciosa_ (a fairy tale). =Percival= (_Sir_), the third son of Sir Pellinore, king of Wales. His brothers were Sir Aglavale and Sir Lamorake Dornar, usually called Sir Lamorake de Galis (_Wales_). Sir Tor was his half-brother. Sir Percival caught a sight of the Holy Graal after his combat with Sir Ector de Maris (brother of Sir Launcelot), and both were miraculously healed by it. Crétien de Troyes wrote the _Roman de Perceval_ (before 1200), and Menessier produced the same story in a metrical form. (See PARZIVAL.) Sir Percivale had a glimmering of the Sancgreall and of the maiden that bare it, for he was perfect and clean. And forthwith they were both as whole of limb and hide as ever they were in their life days. “O, mercy!” said Sir Percival, “what may this mean?” ... “I wot well,” said Sir Ector ... “it is the holy vessel, wherein is a part of the holy blood of our blessed Saviour; but it may not be seen but by a perfect man.”--Pt. iii. 14. Sir Percival was with Sir Bors and Sir Galahad, when the visible Saviour went into the consecrated wafer which was given to them by the bishop. This is called the achievement of the quest of the Holy Graal (pt. iii. 101, 102.[TN-82]--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_ (1470). =Percival Glyde= (_Sir_). Rascally husband of _Laura Fairlie_. To possess himself of her fortune, he incarcerates her in an insane asylum, gives out that she is dead, and uses the corpse of her half-sister to confirm the rumor.--Wilkie Collins, _The Woman in White_.