Papist a Roman Catholic; the Puritans thought them to be heretics.
parable a short, simple story from which a moral or religious lesson may be drawn.
Paracelsus (1493-1541) The most famous medieval alchemist; he was Swiss.
pathos the emotion of compassion.
pearl of great price see the story in Matthew 13:45-46, about a merchant who sold all his goods for one pearl of great worth, which represents the kingdom of heaven. Wilson is saying here that Pearl may find salvation.
Pentecost a Christian festival on the seventh Sunday after Easter; it celebrates the Holy Spirit descending on the Apostles.
Pequot war raids on Indian villages by Massachusetts settlers in 1637.
petticoat and farthingale underskirts and hoops beneath them.
phantasmagoric dreamlike; fantastic.
pharmacopoeia a stock of drugs.
physic [Archaic] medicine.
physiognomies facial features and expression, esp. as supposedly indicative of character
pigweed any of several coarse weeds with dense, bristly clusters of small green flowers. Also called lamb’s quarters.
pillory stocks where petty offenders were formerly locked and exposed to public scorn.
plaintiveness melancholy, suffering.
plebeian order the commoners.
plebian inhabitants commoners.
portal here, the prison door.
portent an omen.
precocity matured or developed beyond chronological age.
pristine original or characteristic of an earlier period.
probity uprightness in one’s dealings; integrity; honesty.
recluse a solitary person; shut away from the world.
rheumatic flannel material worn to keep warm, especially to ease the pain of rheumatism in the joints.
rich, voluptuous, Oriental characteristic the gorgeous, exquisite, exotically beautiful.
