with _Life_
by Courthope (10 vols., 1871-89).

PORDAGE, SAMUEL (1633-1691?).--Poet, _s._ of a clergyman in Berks, _ed._
at Merchant Taylor's School, studied law at Lincoln's Inn, and made
various translations, wrote some poems, two tragedies, _Herod and
Mariamne_ (1673), and _The Siege of Babylon_ (1678), and a romance,
_Eliana_. He is best known by his _Azaria and Hushai_ (1682), in reply to
Dryden's _Absalom and Achitophel_, distinguished from the other replies
by its moderation and freedom from scurrility.

PORSON, RICHARD (1759-1808).--Scholar, _s._ of the parish clerk of E.
Ruston, Norfolk, was distinguished from childhood by a marvellous
tenacity of memory which attracted the attention of the curate of the
parish, who _ed._ him, after which he was sent by a gentleman to Eton.
Subsequently a fund was collected for the purpose of maintaining him at
Camb., where he had a brilliant career, and became a Fellow of Trinity
Coll. This position he lost by refusing to take orders. In 1792 he was
appointed Prof. of Greek in the Univ., but resided for the most part in
London, where he was much courted by literary men, but unfortunately fell
into extremely intemperate habits. P. was one of the very greatest of
Greek scholars and critics; but he has left little permanent work of his
own. He ed. four plays of Euripides, viz., _Hecuba_, _Orestes_,
_Phoenissae_, and _Medea_. His most widely read work was his _Letters_
to Archdeacon Travis on the disputed passage, 1 John v. 7, which is
considered a masterpiece of acute reasoning. He is buried in the chapel
of Trinity Coll.

PORTER, ANNA MARIA (1780-1832), PORTER, JANE (1776-1850).--Novelists,
were the _dau._ of an Irish army surgeon, and sisters of Sir Robert Ker
P., the painter and traveller. After the death of the _f._ the family
settled in Edin., where they enjoyed the friendship of Scott. ANNA at the
age of 12 _pub._ _Artless Tales_, the precursor of a series of tales and
novels numbering about 50, the best being _Don Sebastian_ (1809). JANE,
though the elder by four years, did not _pub._ until 1803, when her first
novel, _Thaddeus of Warsaw_, appeared. _The Scottish Chiefs_ followed in
1810. Both of these works, especially the latter, had remarkable
popularity, the _Chiefs_ being translated into German and Russian. She
had greater talent than her sister, but like her, while possessed of
considerable animation and imagination, failed in grasping character, and
imparti