(ἀποβία, literally a song sung beside,—i.e., sung with certain changes, especially with the design of burlesquing the original) is a species of poetical pleasantry, produced by turning into ridicule what was intended for a serious composition. This humorous design is accomplished by preserving the form but changing the matter of the piece. This change of matter may be effected either directly or indirectly: directly, by the alteration of a letter, a word, or words, of the original, or by re-casting the whole piece, and at the same time preserving the peculiar style and form of the original; indirectly, by applying the original in its entirety, and without modification, to some subject quite foreign to the intention of the author. Parody is generally used in the same sense as travesty. The Greeks, from whom the word is borrowed, have the credit of originating this species of composition. Scholars assign the merit of the invention to Archilochus, but wrongly, if we are to regard the Batrachomyomachia, ascribed to Homer, as a species of parody. Perhaps the most successful Eng- lish parodies of modern times are to be found in the well-known Rejected Addresses of the brothers Smith. Punch also occasionally furnishes a good parody.

PAROL is the Norman-French "word," and is employed in English law to denote oral as distinguished from written proceedings. Thus a parol contract is an agreement by word of mouth; parol evidence is the oral testimony of witnesses. In the strict acceptation of the term, however, everything is parol, even in writing, which is not under seal.