their shoes and socks with toys when they go to bed on Twelfth Night.
Some one enters the bedroom for the purpose, and the wakeful youngters
cry out, "_Ecco la Befana!_" According to legend, Befana was too busy
with house affairs to take heed of the Magi when they went to offer
their gifts, and said she would stop for their return; but they
returned by another way, and Befana every Twelfth Night watches to see
them. The name is a corruption of _Epiphania_.
BEG (_Callum_), page to Fergus M'Ivor, in _Waverley_, a novel by sir
W. Scott (time, George II.).
_Beg (Toshach)_, MacGillie Chattanach's second at the combat.--Sir W.
Scott, _Fair Maid of Perth_ (time, Henry IV.).
BEGGAR OF BETHNAL GREEN (_The_), a drama by S. Knowles (recast and
produced, 1834). Bess, daughter of Albert, "the blind beggar of
Bethnal Green," was intensely loved by Wilford, who first saw her
in the streets of London, and subsequently, after diligent search,
discovered her in the Queen's Arms inn at Romford. It turned out that
her father Albert was brother to lord Woodville, and Wilford was his
truant son, so that Bess was his cousin Queen Elizabeth sanctioned
their nuptials, and took them under her own conduct. (See BLIND.)
BEGGARS (_King of the_), Bampfylde Moore Carew. He succeeded Clause
Patch (1693, 1730-1770).
BEGGAR'S DAUGHTER (_The_), "Bessee the beggar's daughter of Bethnal
Green," was very beautiful, and was courted by four suitors at
once--a knight, a country squire, a rich merchant, and the son of an
inn-keeper at Romford. She told them all they must first obtain the
consent of her poor blind father, the beggar of Bethnal Green, and all
slunk off except the knight, who went and asked leave to marry "the
pretty Bessee." The beggar gave her for a "dot," £3000, and £100 for
her trousseau, and informed the knight that he (the beggar) was Henry,
son and heir of sir Simon de Montfort, and that he had disguised
himself as a beggar to escape the vigilance of spies, who were in
quest of all those engaged on the baron's side in the battle of
Evesham.--Percy's _Reliques_, II. ii 10.
The value of money was about twelve times more than its present
purchase value, so that the "dot" given was equal to £36,000.
BEGGAR'S OPERA (_The_), by Gay (1727). The beggar is captain Macheath.
(For plot, see MACHEATH.)
BEGGAR'S PETITION (_The_), a poem by the Rev. Thomas Moss, minister
of Brierly Hill and Trentham, in Staffordshire. It was given to Mr.
Smart, the printer, of Wolverhampton.--_Gentleman's Magazine_, lxx.
41. BEGUINES [_Beg-wins_], the earliest of all lay societies of women
united for religious purposes. Brabant says the order received its
name from St. Begga, daughter of Pepin, who founded it at Namur',
in 696; but it is more likely to be derived from _le Bègue_ ("the
Stammerer"); and if so, it was founded at Liège, in 1180.
BEH'RAM, captain of the ship which was to convey prince Assad to the
"mountain of fire," where he was to be offered up in sacrifice. The
ship being driven on the shores of queen Margia'na's kingdom, Assad
became her slave, but was recaptured by Behram's crew, and carried
back to the ship. The queen next day gave the ship chase. Assad was
thrown overboard, and swam to the city whence he started. Behram also
was drifted to the same place. Here the captain fell in with the
prince, and reconducted him to the original dungeon. Bosta'na, a
daughter of the old fire-worshipper, taking pity on the prince,
released him; and, at the end, Assad married queen Margiana, Bostana
married prince Amgiad (half-brother of Assad), and Behram, renouncing
his religion, became a mussulman, and entered the service of Amgiad,
who became king of the city.--_Arabian Nights_ ("Amgiad and Assad").
BELA'RIUS, a nobleman and soldier in the army of Cym'beline (3 _syl._)
king of Britain. Two villains having sworn to the king that he was
"confederate with the Romans," he was banished, and for twenty years
lived in a cave; but he stole away the two infant sons of the king out
of revenge. Their names were Guide'rius and Arvir'agus. When these two
princes were grown to manhood, a battle was fought between the Romans
and Britons, in which Cymbeline was made prisoner, but Belarius coming
to the rescue, the king was liberated and the Roman general in turn
was made captive. Belarius was now reconciled to Cymbeline, and
presenting to him the two young men, told their story; whereupon they
were publicly acknowledged to be the sons of Cymbeline and princes of
the realm.--Shakespeare, _Cymbeline_ (1605).
BEL BREE, wide-awake country girl in _The Other Girls_, by A.D.T.
Whitney. Dissatisfied with rustic life, she accompanies aunt Blin, a
dressmaker, to Boston, works hard, is exposed to the temptations that
beset a pretty girl in a city, but resists them. She is thrown out
of work by the Boston fire, and "enters service" with satisfactory
consequences to all concerned.
BELCH (_Sir Toby_), uncle of Olivia the rich countess of Illyria. He
is a reckless roysterer of the old school, and a friend of sir Andrew
Ague-cheek.--Shakespeare, _Twelfth Night_ (1614).
BELCOUR, a foundling adopted by Mr. Belcour, a rich Jamaica merchant,
who at death left him all his property. He was in truth the son of Mr.
Stockwell, the clerk of Belcour, senior, who clandestinely married his
master's daughter, and afterwards became a wealthy merchant. On the
death of old Belcour, the young man came to England as the guest of
his unknown father, fell in love with Miss Dudley, and married her.
He was hot-blooded, impulsive, high-spirited, and generous, his very
faults serving as a foil to his noble qualities; ever erring and
repenting, offending and atoning for his offences.--Cumberland, _The
West Indian_ (1771).
BE'LED, one of the six Wise Men of the East, led by the guiding star
to Jesus. He was a king, who gave to his enemy who sought to
dethrone him half of his kingdom, and thus turned a foe into a fast
friend.--Klopstock, _The Messiah_, v. (1747).
BELERMA, the lady whom Durandarte served for seven years as a
knight-errant and peer of France. When, at length, he died at
Roncesvalles, he prayed his cousin Montesi'nos to carry his heart to
Belerma.
I saw a procession of beautiful damsels in mourning, with white
turbans on their heads. In the rear came a lady with a veil so long
that it reached the ground: her turban was twice as large as the
largest of the others; her eyebrows were joined, her nose was rather
flat, her mouth wide, but her lips of a vermilion color. Her teeth
were thin-set and irregular, though very white; and she carried in her
hand a fine linen cloth, containing a heart. Montesinos informed me
that this lady was Belerma.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, II. ii. 6
(1615).
BELE'SES (3 _syl_.), a Chaldaean soothsayer and Assyrian satrap, who
told Arba'ces (3 _syl_.) governor of Me'dia, that he would one day
sit on the throne of Nineveh and Assyria. His prophecy came true,
and Beleses was rewarded with the government of Babylon.--Byron,
_Sardanapalus_ (1819).
BEL'FIELD _(Brothers)._ The elder brother is a squire in Cornwall,
betrothed to Sophia (daughter of sir Benjamin Dove), who loves his
younger brother Bob. The younger brother is driven to sea by the
cruelty of the squire, but on his return renews his acquaintance
with Sophia. He is informed of her unwilling betrothal to the elder
brother, who is already married to Violetta, but parted from her.
Violetta returns home in the same ship as Bob Belfield, becomes
reconciled to her husband, and the younger brother marries
Sophia.--Rich. Cumberland, _The Brothers_ (1769).
BEL'FORD, a friend of Lovelace (2 _syl_.). They made a covenant
to pardon every sort of liberty which they took with each
other.--Richardson, _Clarissa Harlowe_ (1749).
_Belford (Major)_, the friend of colonel Tamper, and the plighted
hnsband of Mdlle. Florival.--G. Colman, sen., _The Deuce is in Him_
(1762).
BELGE (2 _syl_.), the mother of seventeen sons. She applied to queen
Mercilla for aid against Geryon'eo, who had deprived her of all her
offspring except five.--Spenser, _Faëry Queen_, v. 10 (1596).
[Illustration] "Beige" is Holland, the "seventeen sons" are the
seventeen provinces which once belonged to her; "Geryoneo" is Philip
II. of Spain; and "Mercilla" is queen Elizabeth.
BELIAL, sons of, in the Bible _passim_ means the lewd and profligate.
Milton has created the personality of Belial:
Belial came last; than whom a spirit more lewd
Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love
Vice for itself. To him no temple stood
Or altar smoked; yet who more oft than he
In temples, and at altars, when the priest
Tarns atheist, as did Eli's sons, who filled
With lust and violence the house of God?
In courts and palaces he also reigns,
And in luxurious cities, where the noise
Of riot ascends above their loftiest towers
And injury and outrage; and when night
Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons
Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.
Milton, _Paradise Lost_, i. 490
On the other side up rose
Belial, in act more graceful and humane;
A fairer person lost not Heaven; he seemed
For dignity composed, and high exploit.
But all was false and hollow; though his tongue.
Dropt manna, and could make the worse appear
The better reason, to perplex and dash
Maturest counsels; for his thoughts were low
To vice industrious, but to nobler deeds
Timorous and slothful.
Milton, _Paradise Lost_, ii. 108.
BELIA'NIS OF GREECE _(Don)_, the hero of an old romance of chivalry
on the model of _Am'adis de Gaul_. It was one of the books in don
Quixote's library, but was not one of those burnt by the cure as
pernicious and worthless.
"Don Belianis," said the curé, "with its two, three, and four parts,
hath need of a dose of rhubarb to purge off that mass of bile with
which he is inflamed. His Castle of Fame and other impertinences
should be totally obliterated. This done, we would show him lenity in
proportion as we found him capable of reform. Take don Belianis
home with you, and keep him in close confinement."--Cervantes, _Don
Quixote_, I. i. 6 (1605).
BELINDA, niece and companion of lady John Brute. Young, pretty, full
of fun, and possessed of £10,000. Heartfree marries her.--Vanbrugh,
_The Provoked Wife_ (1697).
_Belin'da_, the heroine of Pope's _Rape of the Lock_. This mock heroic
is founded on the following incident:--Lord Petre cut a lock of hair
from the head of Miss Arabella Fermor, and the young lady resented the
liberty as an unpardonable affront. The poet says Belinda wore on her
neck two curls, one of which the baron cut off with a pair of scissors
borrowed of Clarissa, and when Belinda angrily demanded that it should
be delivered up, it had flown to the skies and become a meteor there.
(See BERENICE.)
_Belinda_, daughter of Mr. Blandford, in love with Beverley the
brother of Clarissa. Her father promised sir William Bellmont that
she should marry his son George, but George was already engaged
to Clarissa. Belinda was very handsome, very independent, most
irreproachable, and devotedly attached to Beverley. When he hinted
suspicions of infidelity, she was too proud to deny their truth, but
her pure and ardent love instantly rebuked her for giving her lover
causeless pain.--A. Murphy, _All in the Wrong_ (1761).
_Belin'da_, the heroine of Miss Edgeworth's novel of the same name.
The object of the tale is to make the reader _feel_ what is good, and
pursue it (1803).
_Belin'da_, a lodging-house servant-girl, very poor, very dirty,
very kind-hearted, and shrewd in observation. She married, and Mr.
Middlewick the butter-man set her husband up in business in the butter
line.--H. J. Byron, _Our Boys_ (1875).
BELINE (2 _syl_.), second wife of Argan the _malade imaginaire_, and
step-mother of Angelique, whom she hates. Beline pretends to love
Argan devotedly, humors him in all his whims, calls him "mon fils,"
and makes him believe that if he were to die it would be the death of
her. Toinette induces Argan to put these specious protestations to the
test by pretending to be dead. He does so, and when Beline enters the
room, instead of deploring her loss, she cries in ecstasy:
"Le ciel en soit loué! Me voilà délivrée d'un pesant fardeau!... de
quoi servait-il sur la terre? Un homme incommode à tout le monde,
malpropre, dégoûtant ... mouchant, toussant, crachant toujours, sans
esprit, ennuyeux, de manvaise humeur, fatiguant sans cesse les gens,
et grondant jour et nuit servantes et valets."--(iii. 18).
She then proceeds to ransack the room for bonds, leases, and money;
but Argan starts up and tells her she has taught him one useful lesson
for life at any rate.--Molière, _Le Malade Imaginaire_ (1673).
BELISA'RIUS, the greatest of Justinian's generals. Being accused of
treason, he was deprived of all his property, and his eyes were put
out. In this state he retired to Constantinople, where he lived by
begging. The story says he fastened a label to his hat, containing
these words, "_Give an obolus to poor old Belisarius_." Marmontel has
written a tale called _Belisaire_, which has helped to perpetuate
these fables, originally invented by Tzetzês or Caesios, a Greek poet,
born at Constantinople in 1120.
BÉLISE (2 _syl_.), sister of Philaminte (3 _syl_.), and, like her,
a _femme savante_. She imagines that every one is in love with
her.--Molière, _Les Femmes Savantes_ (1672).
BELL (_Adam_), a wild, north-country outlaw, noted, like Robin Hood,
for his skill in archery. His place of residence was Englewood Forest,
near Carlisle; and his two comrades were Clym of the Clough [_Clement
of the Cliff_] and William of Cloudesly (3 _syl_.). William was
married, but the other two were not. When William was captured at
Carlisle, and was led to execution, Adam and Clym rescued him, and
all three went to London to crave pardon of the king, which, at the
queen's intercession, was granted them. They then showed the king
specimens of their skill in archery, and the king was so well pleased
that he made William a "gentleman of fe," and the two others yeomen of
the bedchamber.--Percy, _Reliques_ ("Adam Bell," etc.), I. ii. I.
_Bell_. Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Bronté assumed the _noms de plume_
of Acton, Currer, and Ellis Bell (first half of the nineteenth
century). Currer Bell or Bronté married the Rev. Arthur Bell Nicholls.
She was the author of _Jane Eyre_.
It will be observed that the initial letter of both names is in every
case preserved throughout--_Acton_ (Anne), _Currer_ (Charlotte),
_Ellis_ (Emily), and _Bell_ (Bronté).
_Bell_ (_Bessy_). Bessy Bell and Mary Gray were the daughters of two
country gentlemen near Perth. When the plague broke out in 1666 they
built for themselves a bower in a very romantic spot called Burn
Braes, to which they retired, and were supplied with food, etc., by a
young man who was in love with both of them. The young man caught
the plague, communicated it to the two young ladies, and all three
died.--Allan Eamsay, _Bessy Bell and Mary Gray_ (a ballad).
_Bell (Peter)_, the subject of a "tale in verse" by Wordsworth.
Shelley wrote a burlesque upon it, entitled _Peter Bell the Third._
_Bell (The Old Chapel_) J. G. Saxe's poem under this title is founded
upon a legend of a boy, who, wandering in a churchyard, hears a
musical articulate murmur from a disused bell hidden by matted grass.
Its very name and date concealed
Beneath a cankering crust. (1859.)
BELL-THE-CAT, sobriquet of Archibald Douglas, great-earl of Angus, who
died in 1514.
The mice, being much annoyed by the persecutions of a cat, resolved
that a bell should be hung about her neck to give notice of her
approach. The measure was agreed to in full council, but one of the
sager mice inquired, "Who would undertake to bell the cat?" When
Lauder told this fable to a council of Scotch nobles, met to declaim
against one Cochran, Archibald Douglas started up and exclaimed in
thunder, "I will;" and hence the sobriquet referred to.--Sir W. Scott,
_Tales of a Grandfather_, xxii.
BELLA, sweet girl-cousin, the first love and life-long friend of the
hero of _Dream-Life_, by Ik Marvel. Re-visiting his native place after
years of foreign travel, he learns that Bella is dead, and goes to her
grave, where dry leaves are entangled in the long grass, "giving it a
ragged, terrible look" (1851).
BELLA WILFER, a lovely, wilful, lively spoilt darling. She married
John Rokesmith (i.e., John Harmon).--C. Dickens, _Our Mutual Friend_
(1864).
BELLAMY, a steady young man, looking out for a wife "capable of
friendship, love, and tenderness, with good sense enough to be easy,
and good nature enough to like him." He found his beau-ideal in
Jacintha, who had besides a fortune of £30,000.--Dr. Hoadly, _The
Suspicious Husband_ (1761).
BELLA'RIO, the assumed name of Euphrasia, when she put on boy's
apparel that she might enter the service of prince Philaster, whom
she greatly loved.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _Philaster, or Love Lies
A-Bleeding_ (1622).
BELLASTON (_Lady_), a profligate, from whom Tom Jones accepts support.
Her conduct and conversation may be considered a fair photograph of
the "beauties" of the court of George II.--Fielding, _History of Tom
Jones, a Foundling_ (1750).
The character of Jones, otherwise a model of
generosity, openness, and manly spirit, mingled
with thoughtless dissipation, is unnecessarily degraded
by the nature of his intercourse with lady
Bellaston.--_Encyc. Brit._ Art. "Fielding."
BELLE CORDIERE (_La_), Louise Labé, who married Ennemond Perrin, a
wealthy rope-maker (1526-1566).
BELLE CORISANDE (_La_), Diane comtesse de Gruiche et de Grammont
(1554-1620).
BELLEFONTAINE _(Benedict)_, the wealthy farmer of Grande Pré [_Nova
Scotia_] and father of Evangeline. When the inhabitants of his village
were driven into exile, Benedict died of a broken heart as he was
about to embark, and was buried on the sea-shore.--Longfellow,
_Evangeline_ (1849).
BEL'LENDEN (_Lady Margaret_), an old Tory lady, mistress of the Tower
of Tillietudlem.
_Old major Miles Bellenden_, brother of lady Margaret.
_Miss Edith Bellenden_, granddaughter of lady Margaret, betrothed to
lord Evendale, of the king's army, but in love with Morton (a leader
of the covenanters and the hero of the novel). After the death of
lord Evendale, who is shot by Balfour, Edith marries Morton, and this
terminates the tale.--Sir W. Scott, _Old Mortality_ (time, Charles
II.).
BELLERO'PHON was falsely accused by Antea, wife of Proetos, King of
Argos, and the enraged husband sent him to Lycia, to King Iobates, the
father of Antea, with sealed tablets, asking that the bearer might be
put to death. Iobates sent the youth on dangerous errands, but he came
off unharmed from all. Among other exploits he killed the Chimæra and
slew the Amazons. Later, he tried to mount to Olympus on the winged
horse Pegasus, but he fell and wandered about in melancholy madness
on the Aleian field until he died. This peculiar form of madness is
called _morbus Bellerophonteus_. Homer tells the story of Bellerophon
in the Iliad, Book VI. Milton alludes to him, _Paradise Lost_, VII.
15-20. Hawthorne has told the story of the Chimæra in _A Wonder Book._
BELLE'RUS is the name of a personage invented by Milton as the
supposed guardian of Land's End in Cornwall, the Bellerium of the
Romans. In questioning as to where the body of the drowned Lycidas
q.v. has been carried by the waves, he asks:
Or whether thou to our moist vows denied
Sleep'st by the fable of Bellerus old.
_Lycidas_, 159-60.
BELLE'S STRATAGEM (_The_). The "belle" is Letitia Hardy, and her
stratagem was for the sake of winning the love of Doricourt, to whom
she had been betrothed. The very fact of being betrothed to Letitia
sets Doricourt against her, so she goes unknown to him to a
masquerade, where Doricourt falls in love with "the beautiful
stranger." In order to accomplish the marriage of his daughter, Mr.
Hardy pretends to be "sick unto death," and beseeches Doricourt to wed
Letitia before he dies. Letitia meets her betrothed in her masquerade
dress, and unbounded is the joy of the young man to find that "the
beautiful stranger" is the lady to whom he has been betrothed.--Mrs.
Cowley, _The Belle's Stratagem_ (1780).
BELLE THE GIANT. It is said that the giant Belle mounted on his sorrel
horse at a place since called mount Sorrel. He leaped one mile, and
the spot on which he lighted was called Wanlip (one-leap); thence he
leaped a second mile, but in so doing "burst all" his girths, whence
the spot was called Burst-all; in the third leap he was killed, and
the spot received the name of Bellegrave.
BELLEUR', companion of Pinac and Mirabel ("the wild goose"), of
stout blunt temper; in love with Rosalu'ra, a daughter of
Nantolet.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Wild Goose Chase_ (1652).
BELL HAMLYN, young American girl, engaged to one man and in love with
another, in _Kismet_, by George Fleming (Julia C. Fletcher, 1877).
BELLICENT, daughter of Gorloïs lord of Tintag'il and his wife Ygernê
or Igerna. As the widow married Uther the pen-dragon, and was then the
mother of king Arthur, it follows that Bellicent was half-sister of
Arthur. Tennyson in _Gareth and Lynette_ says that Bellicent was the
wife of Lot king of Orkney, and mother of Gaw'ain and Mordred, but
this is not in accordance either with the chronicle or the history,
for Geoffrey in his _Chronicle_ says that Lot's wife was Anne, the
sister (not half-sister) of Arthur (viii. 20, 21), and sir T. Malory,
in his _History of Prince Arthur_ says:
King Lot of Lothan and Orkney wedded Margawse;
Nentres, of the land of Carlot, wedded
Elain; and that Morgan le Fay was [_Arthurs_]
third sister.--Pt. i. 2, 35, 36.
BEL'LIN, the ram, in the beast-epic of _Reynard the Fox_. The word
means "gentleness" (1498).
BELLINGHAM, a man about town.--D. Boucicault, _After Dark_.
BEL'LISANT, sister of king Pepin of France, and wife of Alexander
emperor of Constantinople. Being accused of infidelity, the emperor
banished her, and she took refuge in a vast forest, where she became
the mother of Valentine and Orson.--_Valentine and Orson_.
BELLMONT (_Sir William_), father of George Bellmont; tyrannical,
positive, and headstrong. He imagines it is the duty of a son to
submit to his father's will, even in the matter of matrimony.
_George Bellmont_, son of sir William, in love with Clarissa, his
friend Beverley's sister; but his father demands of him to marry
Belinda Blandford, the troth-plight wife of Beverley. Ultimately all
comes right.--A. Murphy, _All in the Wrong_ (1761).
BELLO'NA'S HANDMAIDS, Blood, Fire, and Famine.
The goddesse of warre, called Bellona, had these thre handmaids ever
attendynge on her: BLOOD, FIRE, and FAMINE, which thre damosels be
of that force and strength that every one of them alone is able and
sufficient to torment and afflict a proud prince; and they all joyned
together are of puissance to destroy the most populous country and
most richest region of the world.--Hall, _Chronicle_ (1530).
BELLUM (_Master_), war.
A difference [_is_] 'twixt broyles and bloudie warres,--
Yet have I shot at Maister Bellum's butte,
And thrown his ball, although I toucht no tutte [_benefit_].
G. Gascoigne, _The Fruites of Warre_, 94 (died 1577).
BELMONT (_Sir Robert_), a proud, testy, mercenary country gentleman;
friend of his neighbor, sir Charles Raymond.
_Charles Belmont_, son of sir Robert, a young rake. He rescued
Fidelia, at the age of twelve, from the hands of Villard, a villain
who wanted to abuse her, and taking her to his own home, fell in
love with her, and in due time married her. She turns out to be the
daughter of sir Charles Raymond.
_Rosetta Belmont_, daughter of sir Robert, high-spirited, witty, and
affectionate. She is in love with colonel Raymond, whom she delights
in tormenting.--Ed. Moore, _The Foundling_ (1748).
_Belmont_ (_Andrew_), the elder of two brothers, who married Violetta
(an English lady born in Lisbon), and deserted her. He then promised
marriage to Lucy Waters, the daughter of one of his tenants, but had
no intention of making her his wife. At the same time he engaged
himself to Sophia, the daughter of sir Benjamin Dove. The day of
the wedding arrived, and it was then discovered that he was married
already, and that Violetta his wife was actually present.