=Pother= (_Doctor_), an apothecary, “city register, and walking story-book.” He had a story _à propos_ of every remark made and of every incident; but as he mixed two or three together, his stories were pointless and quite unintelligible. “I know a monstrous good story on that point He! he! he” “I tell you a famous good story about that, you must know. He! he! he!...” “I could have told a capital story, but there was no one to listen to it. He! he! he!” This is the style of his chattering ... “speaking professionally--for anatomy, chemistry, pharmacy, phlebotomy, oxygen, hydrogen, caloric, carbonic, atmospheric, galvanic. Ha! ha! ha! Can tell you a prodigiously laughable story on the subject. Went last summer to a watering-place--lady of fashion--feel pulse--not lady, but lap-dog--talk Latin--prescribed galvanism--out jumped Pompey plump into a batter pudding, and lay like a toad in a hole. Ha! ha! ha!”--Dibdin, _The Farmer’s Wife_ (1780). ⁂ Colman’s “Ollapod” (1802) was evidently copied from Dibdin’s “Doctor Pother.” =Potiphar= (_Mr._), freshly-made man intensely uncomfortable in his plated harness. His ideas of art are grounded upon a dim picture in his wife’s drawing-room, called by him “Giddo’s Shay Doover.” _Mrs. Potiphar_, shoddy of shoddys. Purse-proud, affected, pretentious and ambitious, and even less fit for her position than her husband for his.--George William Curtis, _Potiphar Papers_ (1853). =Potiphar’s Wife=, Zoleikha or Zuleika; but some call her Raïl.--Sale, _Al Korân_, xii. note. =Pott= (_Mr._), the librarian at the Spa. _Mrs. Pott_, the librarian’s wife.--Sir W. Scott, _St. Roman’s Well_ (time, George III.). =Potteries= (_Father of the_), Josiah Wedgewood (1730-1795). =Pounce= (_Mr. Peter_), in _The Adventures of Joseph Andrews_, by Fielding (1742). =Poundtext= (_Peter_), an “indulged pastor” in the covenanters’ army.--Sir W. Scott, _Old Mortality_ (time, Charles II.). =Pourceaugnac= [_Poor-sone-yak_], the hero of a comedy so called. He is a pompous country gentleman, who comes to Paris to marry Julie, daughter of Oronte (2 _syl._); but Julie loves Eraste (2 _syl._), and this young man plays off so many tricks, and devises so many mystifications upon M. de Pourceaugnac, that he is fain to give up his suit.--Molière, _M. de Pourceaugnac_ (1669). =Poussin= (_The British_), Richard Cooper (*-1806). _Poussin_ (_Gaspar_). So Gaspar Dughet, the French painter, is called (1613-1675). =Powell= (_Mary_), the first wife of John Milton. =Powheid= (_Lazarus_), the old sexton in Douglas.--Sir W. Scott, _Castle Dangerous_ (time, Henry I.). =Poyning’s Law=, a statute to establish the English jurisdiction in Ireland. The parliament that passed it was summoned in the reign of Henry VII. by Sir Edward Poynings, governor of Ireland (1495). =Poyser= (_Mrs._), shrewd, capable and ready-tongued wife of a British yeoman, and aunt of Hetty Sorrel.--George Eliot, _Adam Bede_.