acristan handed the holy
relic to Pithyrian, who kissed it, and then restored it to the
sacristan; but the servitor did not observe that a thumb was missing.
Off ran Pithyrian with the thumb, and joined his daughter. On came the
dragon, with tail erect, wings extended, and mouth wide open, when
Pithyrian threw into the gaping jaws the "sacred thumb." Down fell the
tail, the wings drooped, the jaws were locked, and up rose the dragon
into the air to the height of three miles, when it blew up into a myriad
pieces. So the lady was rescued, Antioch delivered; and the relic,
minus a thumb, testifies the fact of this wonderful miracle.--Southey,
_The Young Dragon_ (Spanish legend).

=Pitt Diamond= (_The_), the sixth largest cut diamond in the world. It
weighed 410 carats uncut, and 136-3/4 carats cut. It once belonged to
Mr. Pitt, grandfather of the famous earl of Chatham. The duke of
Orleans, regent of France, bought it for [pounds]135,000, whence it is
often called "The Regent." The French republic sold it to Treskon, a
merchant of Berlin. Napoleon I. bought it to ornament his sword. It now
belongs to the king of Prussia. (See DIAMONDS.)

=Pizarro=, a Spanish adventurer, who made war on Atali'ba, inca of Peru.
Elvi'ra, mistress of Pizarro, vainly endeavored to soften his cruel
heart. Before the battle, Alonzo, the husband of Cora, confided his wife
and child to Rolla, the beloved friend of the inca. The Peruvians were
on the point of being routed, when Rolla came to the rescue, and
redeemed the day; but Alonzo was made a prisoner of war. Rolla, thinking
Alonzo to be dead, proposed to Cora; but she declined his suit, and
having heard that her husband had fallen into the hands of the
Spaniards, she implored Rolla to set him free. Accordingly, he entered
the prison where Alonzo was confined, and changed clothes with him, but
Elvira liberated him on condition that he would kill Pizarro. Rolla
found his enemy sleeping in his tent, spared his life, and made him his
friend. The infant child of Cora being lost, Rolla recovered it, and was
so severely wounded in this heroic act that he died. Pizarro was slain
in combat by Alonzo; Elvira retired to a convent; and the play ends with
a grand funeral march, in which the dead body of Rolla is borne to the
tomb.--Sheridan, _Pizarro_ (1814).

(Sheridan's drama of _Pizarro_ is taken from that of Kotzebue, but there
are several alterations: Thus, Sheridan makes Pizarro killed by Alonzo