highwaymen. This sleek, jolly publican is fond of the cant phrase, "as
the saying is." Thus, "Does your master stay in town, as the saying
is?" "So well, as the saying is, I could wish we had more of them."
"I'm old Will Boniface; pretty well known upon this road, as the
saying is." He had lived at Lichfield "man and boy above eight and
fifty years, and not consumed eight and fifty ounces of meat." He
says:
"I have fed purely upon ale. I have eat my
ale, drank my ale, and I always sleep upon my
ale."--George Farquhar, _The Beaux' Stratagem_,
i. I (1707).
BONNE REINE, Claude de France, daughter of Louis XII. and wife of
François I. (1499-1524).
BONNET ROUGE, a red republican, so called from the red cap of liberty
which he wore.
BONNIBEL, southern beauty in Constance Cary Harrison's tale, _Flower
de Hundred._
The perfection of blonde prettiness, with a
mouth like Cupid's bow, a tiny tip-tilted nose,
eyes gold-brown to match her hair, a color like
crushed roses in her cheeks (1891).
BONNIVARD (_François de_), the prisoner of Chillon. In Byron's poem he
was one of six brothers, five of whom died violent deaths. The father
and two sons died on the battle-field; one was burnt at the stake;
three were imprisoned in the dungeon of Chillon, near the lake of
Geneva. Two of the three died, and François was set at liberty by
Henri the Bearnais. They were incarcerated by the duke-bishop of Savoy
for republican principles (1496-1570).
BONSTET'TIN (_Nicholas_), the old deputy of Schwitz, and one of the
deputies of the Swiss confederacy to Charles duke of Burgundy.--Sir W.
Scott, _Anne of Geierstein_ (time, Edward IV.).
BON'TEMPS (_Roger_), the personification of that buoyant spirit
which is always "inclined to hope rather than fear," and in the very
midnight of distress is ready to exclaim, "There's a good time coming,
wait a little longer." The character is the creation of Béranger.
Vous, pauvres pleins d'envie,
Vous, riches désireux;
Vous, dont le char dévie
Aprés un cours heureux;
Vous, qui perdrez peut-être
Des titres éclatans,
Eh gai! prenez pour maître
Le gros Roger Bontemps.
Béranger (1814).
BON'THORN (_Anthony_), one of Ramorny's followers; employed to murder
Smith, the lover of Catherine Glover ("the fair maid of Perth"), but
he murdered Oliver instead, by mistake. When charged with the crime,
he demanded a trial by combat, and being defeated by Smith, confessed
his guilt and was hanged. He was restored to life, but being again
apprehended was executed.--Sir W. Scott, _Fair Maid of Perth_ (time,
Henry IV.).
BON TON, a farce by Garrick. Its design is to show the evil effects of
the introduction of foreign morals and foreign manners. Lord Minikin
neglects his wife, and flirts with Miss Tittup. Lady Minikin hates her
husband, and flirts with colonel Tivy. Miss Tittup is engaged to the
colonel. Sir John Trotley, who does not understand _bon ton_, thinks
this sort of flirtation very objectionable. "You'll excuse me, for
such old-fashioned notions, I am sure" (1760).
BOO'BY (_Lady_), a vulgar upstart, who tries to seduce her footman,
Joseph Andrews. Parson Adams reproves her for laughing in church. Lady
Booby is a caricature of Richardson's "Pamela."--Fielding, _Joseph
Andrews_ (1742).
BOON ISLAND. In Celia Thaxter's poem, _The Watch of Boon Island_, is
told the story of two wedded lovers who tended the lighthouse on Boon
Island until the husband died, when the wife
Bowed her head and let the light die out,
For the wide sea lay calm as her dead love,
When evening fell from the far land, in doubt,
Vainly to find that faithful star men strove.
(1874.)
BOONE (1 _syl._), colonel [afterwards "general"] Daniel Boone, in the
United States' service, was one of the earliest settlers in Kentucky,
where he signalized himself by many daring exploits against the Red
Indians (1735-1820).
Of all men, saving Sylla the man-slayer...
The general Boone, the back-woodsman of Kentucky,
Was happiest among mortals anywhere, etc.
Byron, _Don Juan_, viii. 61-65 (1821).
BOOSHAL'LOCH (_Neil_), cowherd to Ian Eachin M'Ian, chief of the clan
Quhele.--Sir W. Scott, _The Fair Maid of Perth_ (time, Henry IV.).
BOO'TES (3 _syl_.), Arcas son of Jupiter and Calisto. One day his
mother, in the semblance of a bear, met him, and Arcas was on the
point of killing it, when Jupiter, to prevent the murder, converted
him into a constellation, either _Boötês_ or _Ursa Major_.--Pausanias,
_Itinerary of Greece_, viii. 4.
Doth not Orion worthily deserve
A higher place ...
Than frail Boötês, who was placed above
Only because the gods did else foresee
He should the murderer of his mother be?
Lord Brooke, _Of Nobility_.
BOOTH, husband of Amelia. Said to be a drawing of the author's own
character and experiences. He has all the vices of Tom Jones, with an
additional share of meanness.--Fielding, _Amelia_ (1751).
BORACH'IO, a follower of don John of Aragon. He is a great villain,
engaged to Margaret, the waiting-woman of Hero.--Shakespeare, _Much
Ado about Nothing_ (1600).
_Borach'io_, a drunkard. (Spanish, _borracho_, "drunk;" _borrachuélo_,
"a tippler.")
"Why, you stink of wine! D'ye think my
niece will ever endure such a borachio? You're
an absolute Borachio."--W. Congreve, _The Way
of the World_ (1700).
_Borachio (Joseph)_, landlord of the Eagle Hotel, in
Salamanca.--Jephson, _Two Strings to your Bow_ (1792).
BOR'AK (_Al_), the animal brought by Gabriel to convey Mahomet to the
seventh heaven. The word means "lightning." Al Borak had the face of
a man, but the cheeks of a horse; its eyes were like jacinths, but
brilliant as the stars; it had eagle's wings, glistened all over with
radiant light, and it spoke with a human voice. This was one of the
ten animals (not of the race of man) received into paradise.
Borak was a fine-limbed, high-standing horse, strong in frame, and
with a coat as glossy as marble. His color was saffron, with one hair
of gold for every three of tawny; his ears were restless and pointed
like a reed; his eyes large and full of fire; his nostrils wide and
steaming; he had a white star on his forehead, a neck gracefully
arched, a mane soft and silky, and a thick tail that swept the
ground.--_Groquemitaine_. ii. 9.
BORDER MINSTREL (_The_), sir Walter Scott (1771-1832).
My steps the Border Minstrel led.
W. Wordsworth, _Yarrow Revisited_.
BO'REAS, the north wind. He lived in a cave on mount Hæmus, in Thrace.
Cease, rude Boreas, blustering railer.
G. A. Stephens, _The Shipivreck_.
BOR'GIA _(Lucrezia di)_, duchess of Ferra'ra, wife of don Alfonso. Her
natural son Genna'ro was brought up by a fisherman in Naples, but
when he grew to manhood a stranger gave him a paper from his mother,
announcing to him that he was of noble blood, but concealing his name
and family. He saved the life of Orsi'ni in the battle of Rin'ini, and
they became sworn friends. In Venice he was introduced to a party of
nobles, all of whom had some tale to tell against Lucrezia: Orsini
told him she had murdered her brother; Vitelli, that she had caused
his uncle to be slain; Liverotto, that she had poisoned his uncle
Appia'no; Gazella, that she had caused one of his relatives to be
drowned in the Tiber. Indignant at these acts of wickedness, Gennaro
struck off the B from the escutcheon of the duke's palace at Ferrara,
changing the name Borgia into Orgia. Lucrezia prayed the duke to put
to death the man who had thus insulted their noble house, and Gennaro
was condemned to death by poison. Lucrezia, to save him, gave him an
antidote, and let him out of prison by a secret door. Soon after his
liberation the princess Negroni, a friend of the Borgias, gave a grand
supper, to which Gennaro and his companions were invited. At the close
of the banquet they were all arrested by Lucrezia after having drunk
poisoned wine. Gennaro was told he was the son of Lucrezia, and
died. Lucrezia no sooner saw him die than she died also.--Donizetti,
_Lucrezia di Borgia_ (an opera, 1835).
BOROS'KIE (3 _syl_.), a malicious counsellor of the great-duke of
Moscovia.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Loyal Subject_ (1618).
BOR'OUGHCLIFF (_Captain_), a vulgar Yankee, boastful, conceited, and
slangy. "I guess," "I reckon," "I calculate," are used indifferently
by him, and he perpetually appeals to sergeant Drill to confirm his
boastful assertions: as, "I'm a pretty considerable favorite with the
ladies; arn't I, sergeant Drill?" "My character for valor is pretty
well known; isn't it, sergeant Drill?" "If you once saw me in battle,
you'd never forget it; would he, sergeant Drill?" "I'm a sort of a
kind of a nonentity; arn't I, sergeant Drill?" etc. He is made the
butt of Long Tom Coffin. Colonel Howard wishes him to marry his niece
Katharine, but the young lady has given her heart to lieutenant
Barnstable, who turns out to be the colonel's son, and succeeds at
last in marrying the lady of his affection.--E. Fitzball, _The Pilot_.
BORRE (1 _syl_.), natural son of king Arthur, and one of the knights
of the Round Table. His mother was Lyonors, an earl's daughter, who
came to do homage to the young king.--Sir T. Malory, _History of
Prince Arthur_, i. 15 (1470).
[Illustration] Sir Bors de Granis is quite another person, and so is
king Bors of Gaul.
BORRO'MEO (_Charles_), cardinal and archbishop of Milan. Immortalized
by his self-devotion in ministering at Mil'an to the plague-stricken
(1538-1584).
St. Roche, who died 1327, devoted himself in a similar manner to those
stricken with the plague at Piacenza; and Mompesson to the people of
Eyam. In 1720-22 H. Francis Xavier de Belsunce was indefatigable in
ministering to the plague-stricken of Marseilles.
BORS (_King_) of Gaul, brother of king Ban of Benwicke [Brittany?].
They went to the aid of prince Arthur when he was first established on
the British throne, and Arthur promised in return to aid them against
king Claudas, "a mighty man of men," who warred against them.--Sir T.
Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_ (1470).
There are two brethren beyond the sea, and they kings both ... the one
hight king Ban of Benwieke, and the other hight king Bors of Gaul,
that is, France.--Pt. i. 8.
(Sir Bors was of Ganis, that is, Wales, and was a knight of the Round
Table. So also was Borre (natural son of prince Arthur), also called
sir Bors sometimes.)
_Bors_ (_Sir_), called sir Bors de Ganis, brother of sir Lionell and
nephew of sir Launcelot. "For all women he was a virgin, save for
one, the daughter of king Brandeg'oris, on whom he had a child, hight
Elaine; save for her, sir Bors was a clean maid" (ch. iv.). When he
went to Corbin, and saw Galahad the son of sir Launcelot and Elaine
(daughter of king Pelles), he prayed that the child might prove as
good a knight as his father, and instantly a vision of the holy greal
was vouchsafed him; for--
There came a white dove, bearing a little censer
of gold in her bill ... and a maiden that
bear the Sancgreall, and she said, "Wit ye well,
sir Bors, that this child ... shall achieve the
Sancgreall" ... then they kneeled down ... and
there was such a savor as all the spicery in the
world had been there. And when the dove took
her flight, the maiden vanished away with the
Sancgreall.--Pt. iii. 4.
Sir Bors was with sir Galahad and sir
Percival when the consecrated wafer assumed the visible and bodily
appearance of the Saviour. And this is what is meant by achieving the
holy greal; for when they partook of the wafer their eyes saw the
Saviour enter it.--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_, iii.
101, 102 (1470).
N.B.--This sir Bors must not be confounded with sir Borre, a natural
son of king Arthur and Lyonors (daughter of the earl Sanam, pt. i.
15), nor yet with king Bors of Gaul, _i.e._, France (pt. i. 8).
BORTELL, the bull, in the beast-epic called _Reynard the Fox_ (1498).
BOS'CAN-[ALMOGA'VÀ], a Spanish poet of Barcelona (1500-1543). His
poems are generally bound up with those of Garcilasso. They introduced
the Italian style into Castilian poetry.
Sometimes he turned to gaze upon his book,
Boscan, or Garcilasso.
Byron, _Don Juan_, i. 95 (1819).
BOSCOSEL, mysterious being, who brings about a reunion on earth of
friends who have long ago departed for the spirit-world.--Francis
Howard Williams, _Boscosel_ (1888).
BOSMI'NA, daughter of Fingal king of Morven (north-west coast of
Scotland).--Ossian.
BOS'N HILL. In _Poems_ by John Albee (1883) we find a legend of a dead
Bos'n (boatswain) whose whistle calls up the dead on stormy nights
when
The wind blows wild on Bos'n Hill,
But sailors know when next they sail
Beyond the hilltop's view,
There's one amongst them shall not fail
To join the Bos'n's crew.
BOSSU (_Réné le_), French scholar and critic (1631-1680).
And for the epic poem your lordship bade
me look at, upon taking the length, breadth,
height, and depth of it, and trying them at
home upon an exact scale of Bossu's, 'tis out, my
lord, in every one of its dimensions.--Sterne
(1768).
BOSSUT (_Abbé Charles_), a celebrated mathematician (1730-1814).
(Sir Richard Phillips assumed a host of popular names, among others
that of _M. l'Abbé Bossut_ in several educational works in French.)
BOSTA'NA, one of the two daughters of the old man who entrapped prince
Assad in order to offer him in sacrifice on "the fiery mountain."
His other daughter was named Cava'ma. The old man enjoined these two
daughters to scourge the prince daily with the bastinado and feed him
with bread and water till the day of sacrifice arrived. After a time,
the heart of Bostana softened towards her captive, and she released
him. Whereupon his brother Amgiad, out of gratitude, made her his
wife, and became in time king of the city in which he was already
vizier.--_Arabian Nights_ ("Amgiad and Assad").
BOSTOCK, a coxcomb, cracked on the point of aristocracy and family
birth. His one and only inquiry is "How many quarterings has a person
got?" Descent from the nobility with him covers a multitude of sins,
and a man is no one, whatever his personal merit, who "is not a sprig
of the nobility."--James Shirley, _The Ball_ (1642).
BOT'ANY (_Father of English_), W. Turner, M.D. (1520-1568).
J.P. de Tournefort is called _The Father of Botany_ (1656-1708).
[Illustration] Antoine de Jussieu lived 1686-1758, and his brother
Bernard 1699-1777.
BOTHWELL (_Sergeant_), _alias_ Francis Stewart, in the royal
army.--Sir W. Scott, _Old Mortality_ (time, Charles II.).
_Bothwell (Lady)_, sister of lady Forester.
_Sir Geoffrey Bothwell_, the husband of lady Bothwell.
_Mrs. Margaret Bothwell_, in the introduction of the story. Aunt
Margaret proposed to use Mrs. Margaret's tombstone for her own.--Sir
W. Scott, _Aunt Margaret's Mirror_ (time, William III.).
BOTTLED BEER, Alexander Nowell, author of a celebrated Latin catechism
which first appeared in 1570, under the title of _Christianæ pietatis
prima Institutio, ad usum Scholarum Latine Scripta_. In 1560 he was
promoted to the deanery of St. Paul's (1507-1602).--Fuller, _Worthies
of England_ ("Lancashire").
BOTTOM (_Nick_), an Athenian weaver, a compound of profound ignorance
and unbounded conceit, not without good-nature and a fair dash of
mother-wit. When the play of _Pyramus and Thisbe_ is cast, Bottom
covets every part; the lion, Thisbê, Pyramus, all have charms for him.
In order to punish Titan'ia, the fairy-king made her dote on Bottom,
on whom Puck had placed an ass's head.--Shakespeare, _Midsummer
Night's Dream_.
Bottom. An' I may hide my face; let me play
Thisby, too: I'll speak in a monstrous little voice.
* * * * *
Let me play the lion, too; I will roar that I will
do any man's heart good to hear me.
_Midsummer Night's Dream_, i. 2.
BOUBEKIR' MUEZ'IN, of Bag dad, "a vain, proud, and envious iman, who
hated the rich because he himself was poor." When prince Zeyn Alasnam
came to the city, he told the people to beware of him, for probably he
was "some thief who had made himself rich by plunder." The prince's
attendant called on him, put into his hand a purse of gold, and
requested the honor of his acquaintance. Next day, after morning
prayers, the iman said to the people, "I find, my brethren, that the
stranger who is come to Bag dad is a young prince possessed of a
thousand virtues, and worthy the love of all men. Let us protect him,
and rejoice that he has come among us."--_Arabian Nights_ ("Prince
Zeyn Alasnam").
BOUCHARD (_Sir_), a knight of Flanders, of most honorable descent. He
married Constance, daughter of Bertulphe provost of Bruges. In 1127
Charles "the Good," earl of Flanders, made a law that a serf was
always a serf till manumitted, and whoever married a serf became a
serf. Now, Bertulphe's father was Thancmar's serf, and Bertulphe, who
had raised himself to wealth and great honor, was reduced to serfdom
because his father was not manumitted. By the same law Bouchard,
although a knight of royal blood became Thancmar's serf because he
married Constance, the daughter of Bertulphe (provost of Bruges). The
result of this absurd law was that Bertulphe slew the earl and then
himself, Constance went mad and died, Bouchard and Thancmar slew each
other in fight, and all Bruges was thrown into confusion.--S. Knowles,
_The Provost of Bruges_ (1836).
BOU'ILLON (_Godfrey duke of_), a crusader (1058-1100), introduced in
_Count Robert of Paris_, a novel by Sir W. Scott (time, Rufus).
BOUNCE (_Mr. T_.), a nickname given in 1837 to T. Barnes, editor of
the _Times_ (or the _Turnabout_, as it was called).
BOUND'ERBY (_Josiah_), of Coketown, banker and mill-owner, the "Bully
of Humility," a big, loud man, with an iron stare and metallic laugh.
Mr. Bounderby is the son of Mrs. Pegler, an old woman, to whom he pays
£30 a year to keep out of sight, and in a boasting way he pretends
that "he was dragged up from the gutter to become a millionaire." Mr.
Bounderby marries Louisa, daughter of his neighbor and friend, Thomas
Gradgrind, Esq., M.P.--C. Dickens, _Hard Times_ (1854).
BOUNTIFUL (_Lady_), widow of sir Charles Bountiful. Her delight was
curing the parish sick and relieving the indigent.
"My lady Bountiful is one of the best of women.
Her late husband, sir Charles Bountiful, left her
with £1000 a year; and I believe she lays out
one-half on't in charitable uses for the good of
her neighbors. In short, she has cured more
people in and about Lichfield within ten years
than the doctors have killed in twenty; and that's
a bold word."--George Farquhar, _The Beaux'
Stratagem_, i. 1 (1705).
BOUNTY (_Mutiny of the_), in 1790, headed by Fletcher Christian. The
mutineers finally settled in Pitcairn Island (Polynesian Archipelago).
In 1808 all the mutineers were dead except one (Alexander Smith), who
had changed his name to John Adams, and became a model patriarch
of the colony, which was taken under the protection of the British
Government in 1839. Lord Byron, in _The Island_, has made the "mutiny
of the _Bounty_" the basis of his tale, but the facts are greatly
distorted.
BOUS'TRAPA, a nickname given to Napoleon III. It is compounded of the
first syllables of _Bou_ [logne], _Stra_ [sbourg], _Pa_[ris], and
alludes to his escapades in 1836, 1840, 1851 (_coup d'état_).
No man ever lived who was distinguished by more nicknames than Louis
Napoleon. Besides the one above mentioned, he was called _Badinguet,
Man of December, Man of Sedan, Ratipol, Verhuel_, etc.; and after his
escape from the fortress of Ham he went by the pseudonym of _count
Arenenberg_.
BOWER OF BLISS, a garden belonging to the enchantress Armi'da. It
abounded in everything that could contribute to earthly pleasure.
Here Rinal'do spent some time in love-passages with Armi'da, but he
ultimately broke from the enchantress and rejoined the war.--Tasso,
_Jerusalem Delivered_ (1575).
_Bower of Bliss_, the residence of the witch Acras'ia, a beautiful and
most fascinating woman. This lovely garden was situated on a floating
island filled with everything which could conduce to enchant the
senses, and "wrap the spirit in forgetfulness."--Spenser, _Faëry
Queen_, ii. 12 (1590).
BOWKIT, in _The Son-in-Law._
In the scene where Cranky declines to accept Bowkit as son-in-law on
account of his ugliness, John Edwin, who was playing "Bowkit" at the
Haymarket, uttered in a tone of surprise, "_Ugly?_" and then advancing
to the lamps, said with infinite impertinence, "I submit to the
decision of the British public which is the ugliest fellow of us
three: I, old Cranky, or that gentleman there in the front row of the
balcony box?"--_Cornhill Magazine_ (1867).
BOWLEY (_Sir Joseph_), M.P., who facetiously calls himself "the poor
man's friend." His secretary is Fish.--C. Dickens, _The Chimes_
(1844).
BOWLING (_Lieutenant Tom_), an admirable naval character in Smollett's
_Roderick Random._ Dibdin wrote a naval song _in memoriam_ of Tom
Bowling, beginning thus:
Here a sheer hulk lies poor Tom Bowling,
The darling of the crew ...
BOWYER (_Master_), usher of the black rod in the court of queen
Elizabeth.--Sir W. Scott, _Kenilworth_ (time, Elizabeth).
BOWZYBE'US (4 _syl._), the drunkard, rioted for his songs in Gray's
pastorals, called _The Shepherd's Week_. He sang of "Nature's Laws,"
of "Fairs and Shows," "The Children in the Wood," "Chevy Chase,"
"Taffey Welsh," "Rosamond's Bower," "Lilly-bullero," etc. The 6th
pastoral is in imitation of Virgil's 6th _Ecl_., and Bowzybëus is a
vulgarized Silenus.
That Bowzybeus, who with jocund tongue,
Ballads, and roundelays, and catches sung.
Gay, _Pastoral_, vi. (1714).
BOX AND COX, a dramatic romance, by J. M. Morton, the principal
characters of which are Box and Cox.
BOY BACHELOR _(The)_, William Wotton, D.D., admitted at St.
Catherine's Hall, Cambridge, before he was ten, and to his degree of
B.A. when he was twelve and a half (1666-1726).
BOY BISHOP _(The)_, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of boys (fourth
century).
(There was also an ancient custom of choosing a boy from the cathedral
choir on St. Nicholas' Day (December 6) as a mock bishop. This boy
possessed certain privileges, and if he died during the year was
buried _in pontificalibus_. The custom was abolished by Henry VIII. In
Salisbury Cathedral visitors are shown a small sarcophagus, which the
verger says was made for a boy bishop.)
BOY BLUE _(Little)_ is the subject of a poem in Eugene Field's _Little
Book of Western Verse_.
The little toy-dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and staunch he stands;
And the little toy-soldier is red with rust,
And his musket moulds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy-dog was new,
And the soldier was passing fair,
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.
Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place,
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
The smile of a little face. (1889.)
BOY CRUCIFIED. It is said that some time during the dark ages, a boy
named Werner was impiously crucified at Bacharach, on the Rhine, by
the Jews. A little chapel erected to the memory of this boy stands on
the walls of the town, close to the river. Hugh of Lincoln and William
of Norwich are instances of a similar story.
See how its currents gleam and shine ...
As if the grapes were stained with the blood
Of the innocent boy who, some years back,
Was taken and crucified by the Jews
In that ancient town of Bacharach.
Longfellow, _The Golden Legend_.
BOYET', one of the lords attending on the princess of
France.--Shakespeare, _Love's Labor's Lost_ (1594).
BOYTHORN (_Laurence_), a robust gentleman with the voice of a
Stentor; a friend of Mr. Jarndyce. He would utter the most ferocious
sentiments, while at the same time he fondled a pet canary on his
finger. Once on a time he had been in love with Miss Barbary, lady
Dedlock's sister. But "the good old times--all times when old are
good--were gone."--C. Dickens, _Bleak House_ (1853).
("Laurence Boythorn" is a caricature of W. S. Landor; as "Harold
Skimpole," in the same story, is drawn from Leigh Hunt.)
BOZ, Charles Dickens. It was the nickname of a pet brother dubbed
_Moses_, in honor of "Moses Primrose" in the _Vicar of Wakefield_.
Children called the name _Bozes_, which got shortened into _Boz_
(1812-1870).
BOZZY, James Boswell, the gossipy biographer of Dr. Johnson
(1740-1795).
BRABAN'TIO, a senator of Venice, father of Desdemo'na; most proud,
arrogant, and overbearing. He thought the "insolence" of Othello in
marrying his daughter unpardonable, and that Desdemona must have
been drugged with love-potions so to demean herself.--Shakespeare,
_Othello_ (1611).