£10 for a funeral sermon, in which nothing ill should be said of her.
The Duke of Buckinham wrote the sermon, which was as follows:--"All
I shall say of her is this: she was born _well_, she married _well_,
lived _well_, and died _well_; for she was born at Shad-well, married
Cress-well, lived at Clerken-well, and died in Bride-well."
CRESSY MCKINSTRY. Belle of Tuolumne County, California; pretty, saucy
and illiterate. She conceives the idea of getting an education, and
attends the district school, breaking an engagement of marriage to do
this; bewitches the master, a college graduate, and confesses her love
for him, but will not be "engaged:"
"I don't know enough to be a wife to you just now and you know it. I
couldn't keep a house fit for you and you couldn't keep me without
it.... You're only a dandy boy, you know, and they don't get married
to backwood Southern girls."
After many scrapes involving perils, shared together, and much
love-making, he is stunned one morning to learn that Cressy is married
to another man, whom she had feigned not to like.--Bret Harte,
_Cressy_ (1889).
CRETE (_Hound of_), a blood-hound.--See _Midsummer Night's Dream_, act
iii. sec. 2.
Coupe le gorge, that's the word; I thee defy again,
O hound of Crete!
Shakespeare, _Henry V_. act ii. sc. 1 (1599).
_Crete (The Infamy of)_, the Minotaur.
[_There_] lay stretched
The infamy of Crete, detested brood
Of the feigned heifer.
Dante, _Hell_, xii. (1300, Cary's translation).
CRÈVECOUR (2 _syl_.). The count Philip de Crèvecour is the envoy sent
by Charles "the Bold," duke of Burgundy, with a defiance to Louis XI.,
king of France.
_The Countess of Crèvecour_, wife of the count.--Sir W. Scott,
_Quentin Durward_ (time, Edward IV.).
CRIB (_Tom_), Thomas Moore, author of _Tom Crib's Memorial to
Congress_ (1819).
CRILLON. The following story is told of this brave but simple-minded
officer. Henry IV., after the battle of Arques, wrote to him thus:
Prends-toi, brave Crillon, nous avons vaincu à Arques, et tu n'y étais
pas.
The first and last part of this letter have become proverbial in
France.
When Crillon heard the story of the Crucifixion read at Church, he
grew so excited that he cried out in an audible voice, _Où étais
tu, Crillon_? ("What were you about, Crillon, to permit of such
atrocity!")
[Illustration: symbol] When Clovis was told of the Crucifixion, he
exclaimed, "Had I and my Franks been by, we would have avenged the
wrong, I warrant."
CRIMO'RA AND CONNAL. Crimora, daughter of Rinval, was in love with
Connal of the race of Fingal, who was defied by Dargo. He begs his
"sweeting" to lend him her father's shield, but she says it is
ill-fated, for her father fell by the spear of Gormar. Connal went
against his foe, and Crimora, disguised in armor, went also, but
unknown to him. She saw her lover in fight with Dargo, and discharged
an arrow at the foe, but it missed its aim and shot Connal. She ran in
agony to his succor. It was too late. He died, Crimora died also, and
both were buried in one grave. Ossian, _Carric-Thura._
CRINGLE (_Tom_), Hero of sea-story by Michael Scott, _Tom Cringle's
Log_.
CRISPIN (_St._). Crispinos and Crispianus were two brothers, born at
Rome, from which place they traveled to Soissons, in France (about
A.D. 303), to propagate the gospel, and worked as shoe-makers, that
they might not be chargeable to any one. The governor of the town
ordered them to be beheaded the very year of their arrival, and they
were made the tutelary saints of the "gentle craft." St. Crispin's Day
is October 25.
This day is called the feast of Crispian..
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered.
Shakespeare, _Henry V_. act iv. sc. 3 (1599).
CRITIC (_A Bossu_), one who criticizes the "getting up" of a book more
than its literary worth; a captious, carping critic. Réne le Bossu was
a French critic (1631-1680).
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. Admirable connoisseur!
--Sterne.
(Probably the scale referred to was that of Bossut the mathematician,
and that either Bossu and Bossut have been confounded, or else that a
pun is intended).
_Critic (The)_, by R. B. Sheridan, suggested by _The Rehearsal_
(1779).
[Illustration] _The Rehearsal_ is by the Duke of Buckingham (1671).
CRITICS (_The Prince of_), Aristarchos of Byzantium, who compiled, in
the second century B.C., the rhapsodies of Homer.
CROAKER, guardian to Miss Richland. Never so happy as when he imagines
himself a martyr. He loves a funeral better than a festival, and
delights to think that the world is going to rack and ruin. His
favorite phrase is "May be not."
A poor, fretful soul, that has a new distress
for every hour of the four and twenty.--Act i. 1.
_Mrs. Croaker_, the very reverse of her grumbling, atrabilious
husband. She is mirthful, light-hearted, and cheerful as a lark.
The very reverse of each other. She all laugh
and no joke, he always complaining and never
sorrowful.--Act i. 1.
_Leontine Croaker_, son of Mr. Croaker. Being sent to Paris to fetch
his sister, he falls in love with Olivia Woodville, whom he brings
home instead, introduces her to Croaker as his daughter, and
ultimately marries her.--Goldsmith, _The Good Natured Man_ (1768).
CROCODILE (_King_). The people of Isna, in Upper Egypt, affirm that
there is a king crocodile as there is a queen bee. The king crocodile
has ears but no tail, and has no power of doing harm. Southey says
that though the king crocodile has no tail, he has teeth to devour his
people with.--Browne, _Travels_.
_Crocodile (Lady Kitty)_, meant for the Duchess of Kingston.--Sam.
Foote, _A Trip to Calais_.
CROCUS, a young man enamoured of the nymph Smilax, who did not return
his love. The gods changed him into the crocus flower, to signify
_unrequited love_.
CROESUS, king of Lydia, deceived by an oracle, was conquered by Cyrus,
king of Persia. Cyrus commanded a huge funeral pile to be erected upon
which Croesus and fourteen Lydian youths were to be chained and burnt
alive. When this was done, the discrowned king called on the name of
Solon, and Cyrus asked why he did so. "Because he told me to call no
one happy till death." Cyrus, struck with the remark, ordered the fire
of the pile to be put out, but this could not be done. Croesus then
called on Apollo, who sent a shower which extinguished the flames, and
he with his Lydians came from the pile unharmed.
[Illustration] The resemblance of this legend to the Bible account
of the Jewish youths condemned by Nebuchadnezzar to be cast into the
fiery furnace, from which they came forth uninjured, will recur to the
reader.--_Daniel_, iii. _Croesus's Dream_. Croesus dreamt that his
son, Atys, would be slain by an iron instrument, and used every
precaution to prevent it, but to no purpose; for one day Atys went to
chase the wild boar, and Adrastus, his friend, threw a dart at the
boar to rescue Atys from danger; the dart, however, struck the prince
and killed him. The tale is told by William Morris in his _Earthly
Paradise_ ("July").
CROFTANGRY (_Mr. Chrystal_), a gentleman fallen to decay, cousin of
Mrs. Martha Bethune Baliol, to whom at death, he left the MS. of two
novels, one _The Highland Widow_, and the other _The Fair Maid of
Perth_, called the _First_ and _Second Series_ of the "Chronicles of
Canongate" (_q. v._). The history of Mr. Chrystal Croftangry is given
in the introductory chapters of _The Highland Widow_, and continued in
the introduction of the _The Fair Maid of Perth_.
Lockhart tells us that Mr. Croftangry is meant for Sir Walter Scott's
father and that "the fretful patient at the death-bed" is a living
picture.
CROFTS _(Master)_, the person killed in a duel by Sir Geofrey Hudson,
the famous dwarf.--Sir W. Scott, _Peveril of the Peak_ (time, Charles
II.).
CROKER'S MARE. In the proverb _As coy as Croker's Mare_. This means
"as chary as a mare that carries crockery."
She was to them as koy as a croker's Mare.
J. Heywood, _Dialogue_ ii. 1 (1566).
CROKERS. Potatoes are so called because they were first planted
in Croker's field, at Youghal, in Ireland.--J. R. Planche,
_Recollections, etc_. ii. 119.
CROM'WELL _(Oliver)_, introduced by Sir W. Scott in _Woodstock_.
_Cromwell's daughter Elizabeth_, who married John Claypole. Seeing her
father greatly agitated by a portrait of Charles I., she gently and
lovingly led him away out of the room.--Sir W. Scott, _Woodstock_
(time, Commonwealth).
_Cromwell_ is called by the Preacher Burroughs "the archangel who did
battle with the devil."
_Cromwell's Lucky Day_. The 3rd September was considered by Oliver
Cromwell to be his red-letter day. On the 3rd September, 1650, he won
the battle of Dunbar; on 3rd September, 1651, he won the battle of
Worcester; and on 3rd September, 1658, he died. It is not, however,
true that he was born on 3rd September, as many affirm, for his
birthday was 25th April, 1599.
_Cromwell's Dead Body Insulted_. Cromwell's dead body was, by the
sanction, if not by the express order of Charles II., taken from its
grave, exposed on a gibbet, and finally buried under the gallows.
[Illustration] Similarly, the tomb of Am'asis, king of Egypt, was
broken open by Camby'ses; the body was then scourged and insulted in
various ways, and finally burnt, which was abhorrent to the Egyptians,
who used every possible method to preserve dead bodies in their
integrity.
The dead body of Admiral Coligny [_Co.leen.ye_] was similarly insulted
by Charles IX., Catherine de Medicis, and all the court of France, who
spattered blood and dirt on the half-burnt blackened mass. The king
had the bad taste to say over it:
Fragrance sweeter than a rose
Rises from our slaughtered foes.
It will be remembered that Coligny was the guest of Charles, his only
crime being that he was a Huguenot.
CROOK-FINGERED JACK, one of Macheath's gang of thieves. In eighteen
months' service he brought to the general stock four fine gold watches
and seven silver ones, sixteen snuff-boxes (five of which were gold),
six dozen handkerchiefs, four silver-hilted swords, six shirts, three
periwigs, and a "piece" of broadcloth. Pea'chum calls him "a mighty
cleanhanded fellow," and adds:
"Considering these are only the fruits of his leisure hours, I don't
know a prettier fellow, for no man alive hath a more engaging presence
of mind upon the road."--Gay, _The Beggar's Opera_. I. 1 (1727).
CROP _(George)_, an honest, hearty farmer, who has married a second
wife, named Dorothy, between whom there are endless quarrels. Two
especially are noteworthy. Crop tells his wife he hopes that better
times are coming, and when the law-suit is over "we will have roast
pork for dinner every Sunday." The wife replies, "It shall be lamb."
"But I say it shall be pork." "I hate pork, I'll have lamb." "Pork, I
tell you." "I say lamb." "It shan't be lamb, I will have pork." The
other quarrel arises from Crop's having left the door open, which he
asks his wife civilly to shut. She refuses, he commands; she turns
obstinate, he turns angry; at length they agree that the person who
first speaks shall shut the door. Dorothy speaks first, and Crop gains
the victory.--P. Hoare, _No Song, no Supper_ (1754-1834).
CROPLAND (_Sir Charles_), an extravagant, heartless libertine and man
of fashion, who hates the country except for hunting, and looks on
his estates and tenants only as the means of supplying money for his
personal indulgence. Knowing that Emily Worthington is the daughter
of a "poor gentleman," he offers her "a house in town, the run of his
estate in the country, a chariot, two footmen, and £600 a year;" but
the lieutenant's daughter rejects with scorn such "splendid infamy."
At the end Sir Charles is made to see his own baseness, and offers the
most ample apologies to all whom he has offended.--G. Colman, _The
Poor Gentleman_ (1802).
CROQUEMITAINE [_Croak.mit.tain_], the bogie raised by fear. Somewhere
near Saragossa was a terrible castle called Fear Fortress, which
appeared quite impregnable; but as the bold approached it, the
difficulties of access gradually gave way and even the fortress itself
vanished into thin air.
_Croquemitaine_ is a romance in three parts; the first part is a
tournament between the knights of Marsillus, a Moorish king, and the
paladins of Charlemagne; the second part is the siege of Saragossa
by Charlemagne; and the third part is the allegory of Fear Fortress.
Mitaine is the godchild of Charlemagne, who goes in search of Fear
Fortress.
CROQUIS (_Alfred_), Daniel Maclise, R.A. This pseudonym was attached
to a series of character-portraits in _Frazer's Magazine_ between the
years 1830 and 1838. Maclise was born 1811, and died 1870.
CROS'BIE (_William_), provost of Dumfries, a friend of Mr. Fairford
the lawyer.
_Mrs. Crosbie_, wife of the provost, and a cousin of Eedgauntlet.--Sir
W. Scott. _Redgauntlet_, (time, George III.).
CROSBITE (2 _syl_.), a barrister.--Sir W. Scott, _Redgauntlet_ (time
George III.).
CROSS PURPOSES, a farce by O'Brien. There are three brothers named
Bevil--Francis, an M.P., Harry, a lawyer, and George, in the Guards.
They all, unknown to each other, wish to marry Emily Grub, the
handsome daughter of a rich stockbroker. Francis pays court to the
father, and obtains his consent; Harry to the mother, and obtains her
consent; and George to the daughter, whose consent he obtains, and the
two elder brothers retire from the field. The fun of the farce is the
contention of the Grubs about a suitable husband, their joy at finding
they have all selected Mr. Bevil, and their amazement at discovering
that there are three of the same name.
CROSS'MYLOOF, a lawyer.--Sir W. Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time,
George II.).
CROTHAR, "Lord of Atha," in Connaught (then called Alnec'ma). He was
the first and most powerful chief of the Fir-bolg ("bowmen") or Belgæ
from Britain who colonized the _southern_ parts of Ireland. Crothar
carried off Conla'ma, daughter of Cathmin, a chief of the Cael or
Caledonians, who had colonized the _northern_ parts of Ireland and
held their court in Ulster. As Conlama was betrothed to Turloch,
a Cael, he made an irruption into Connaught, slew Cormul, but was
himself slain by Crothar, Cormul's brother. The feud now became
general, "Blood poured on blood, and Erin's clouds were hung with
ghosts." The Cael being reduced to the last extremity, Trathel (the
grandfather of Fingal) sent Conar (son of Trenmor) to their relief.
Conar, on his arrival in Ulster, was chosen king, and the Fir-bolg
being subdued, he called himself "the King of Ireland."--Ossian,
_Temora_, ii.
_Crothar_, vassal king of Croma (in Ireland), held under Artho,
over-lord of all Ireland. Crothar, being blind with age, was attacked
by Rothmar, chief of Tromlo, who resolved to annex Croma to his own
dominion. Crotha sent to Fingal for aid, and Fingal sent his son
Ossian with an army; but before he could arrive Fovar-Gormo, a son of
Crothar, attacked the invader, but was defeated and slain. When Ossian
reached Ulster, he attacked the victorious Rothmar and both routed the
army and slew the chief.--Ossian, _Croma_.
CROTO'NA'S SAGE, Pythagoras, so called because his first and chief
school of philosophy was established at Crotna (fl. B.C. 540.)
CROWDE'RO, one of the rabble leaders encountered by Hudibras at a
bear-baiting. The academy figure of this character was Jackson or
Jephson, a milliner in the New Exchange, Strand, London. He lost a leg
in the service of the roundheads, and was reduced to the necessity of
earning a living by playing on the _crowd_ or _crouth_ from ale-house
to ale-house.--S. Butler, _Hudibras_, i. 2 (1664).
(The _crouth_ was a long box-shaped instrument, with six or more
strings, supported by a bridge. It was played with a bow. The last
noted performer on this instrument was John Morgan, a Welshman, who
died 1720).
CROWE _(Captain)_, the attendant of Sir Launcelot Greaves (1 _syl_.),
in his peregrinations to reform society. Sir Launcelot is a modern Don
Quixote, and Captain Crowe is his Sancho Panza.
CROWFIELD _(Christopher)_, a pseudonym of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe
(1814-).
CROWN. Godfrey, when made the overlord of Jerusalem, or "Baron of the
Holy Sepulchre," refused to wear a crown of gold where his Saviour had
only worn a crown of thorns.
Canute, after the rebuke he gave to his flatterers, refused to wear
thenceforth any symbol of royalty at all.
Canute (truth worthy to be known)
From that time forth did for his brows disown
The ostentatious symbol of a crown,
Esteeming earthly royalty
Presumptuous and vain.
CROWNED AFTER DEATH. Inez de Castro was exhumed six years after her
assassination, and crowned queen of Portugal by her husband, Don
Pedro. (See INEZ DE CASTRO.)
CROWQUILL _(Alfred)_, Alfred Henry Forrester, author of _Leaves from
my Memorandum-Book_ (1859), one of the artists of _Punch_ (1805-1872).
CROYE _(Isabelle, countess of)_, a ward of Charles "the Bold," duke of
Burgundy. She first appears at the turret window in Plessis lés
Tours, disguised as Jacqueline; and her marriage with Quentin Durward
concludes the novel.
_The Countess Hameline of Croye_, aunt to Countess Isabelle. First
disguised as Dame Perotte (2 _syl_.) at Plessis lés Tours; afterwards
married to William de la Marck.--Sir W. Scott, _Quentin Durward_
(time, Edward IV).
_Croye (Monseigneur de la_), an officer of Charles "the Bold," duke of
Burgundy.--Sir W. Scott, _Anne of Geierstein_ (time, Edward IV.).
CROYSA'DO _The Great_, General Lord Fairfax (1611-1671).--S. Butler,
_Hudibras_.
CRUDOR _(Sir)_, the knight who told Bria'na he would not marry her
till she brought him enough hair, consisting of ladies' locks and the
beards of knights to purfle his cloak with. In order to obtain this
love-gift, the lady established a toll, by which every lady who passed
her castle had to give the hair of her head, and every knight his
beard, as "passing pay," or else fight for their lives. Sir Crudor
being overthrown by Sir Calidore, Briana was compelled to abolish this
toll.--Spencer, _Faëry Queen_, v. 1. (1596).
CRUEL _(The)_, Pedro, king of Castle (1334, 1350-1369).
CRUIK'SHANKS _(Ebenezer)_, landlord of the Golden Candlestick inn. Sir
W. Scott, _Waverley_ (time, George II.).
CRUM'MLES _(Mr. Vincent_), the eccentric but kind-hearted manager of
the Portsmouth Theatre.
It was necessary that the writer should, like
Mr. Crummles, dramatist, construct his piece in
the interest of "the pump and washing-tubs."--
P. Fitzgerald.
_Mrs. Crummles_, wife of Mr. Vincent Crummles, a stout, ponderous,
tragedy-queen sort of a lady. She walks or rather stalks like Lady
Macbeth, and always speaks theatrically. Like her husband, she is full
of kindness, and always willing to help the needy.
_Miss Ninetta Crummles_, daughter of the manager, and called in the
play-bills "the infant phenomenon."--C Dickens, _Nicholas Nickleby_
(1838).
CRUNCHER (_Jerry_), an odd-job man in Tellson's bank. His wife was
continually saying her prayers, which Jerry termed "flopping." He was
a "resurrection man."--C. Dickens, _A Tale of Two Cities_ (1859).
CRUPP _(Mrs.)_, a typical humbug, who let chambers in Buckingham
Street for young gentlemen. David Copperfield lodged with her.--C.
Dickens, _David Copperfield_ (1849).
CRUSHED BY ORNAMENTS. Tarpeia, daughter of the governer of the Roman
citadel on the Saturnian Hill, was tempted by the gold on the Sabine
bracelets and collars to open a gate of the fortress to the besiegers
on condition that they would give her the ornaments which they wore on
their arms. Tarpeia opened the gate, and the Sabines as they passed
threw on her their shields, saying, "These are the ornaments worn by
the Sabines on their arms," and the maid was crushed to death. G.
Gilfillan, alluding to Longfellow, has this erroneous allusion:
His ornaments, unlike those of the Sabine
_[sic]_ maid, have not crushed him.--_Introductory
Essay to Longfellow_.
CRUSOE _(Robinson)_, the hero and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe.
Robinson Crusoe is a shipwrecked sailor, who leads a solitary life
for many years on a desert island, and relieves the tedium of life by
ingenious contrivances (1719).
(The story is based on the adventures of Alexander Selkirk, a Scotch
sailor, who in 1704 was left by Captain Stradding on the uninhabited
island of Juan Fernandez. Here he remained for four years and four
months, when he was rescued by Captain Woods Rogers and brought to
England.)
Was there ever anything written by mere
man that the reader wished longer except _Robinson
Crusoe, Don Quixote_ and _The Pilgrim's Progress!_--Dr.
Johnson.
CRUTH-LODA, the war-god of the ancient Gaels.
On thy top, U-thormo, dwells the misty Loda:
the house of the spirits of men. In the end of
his cloudy hall bends forward Cruth-Loda of
swords. His form is dimly seen amid the wavy
mists, his right hand is on his shield.--Ossian,
_Cath-Loda._
CUCKOLD KING _(The)_, Sir Mark of Cornwell, whose wife Ysolde [_E.
seld_] intrigued with Sir Tristram (his nephew), one of the knights of
the Round Table.
CUD'DIE or CUTHBERT HEADRIGG, a ploughman, in the service of Lady
Bellenden of the Tower of Tillietudlem.--Sir W. Scott, _Old Mortality_
(time, Charles II.).
CUDDY, a herdsman, in Spenser's _Shephearde's Calendar._
_Cuddy_, a shepherd, who boasts that the charms of his Buxo'ma far
exceed those of Blouzelinda. Lobbin, who is Blouzelinda's swain,
repels the boast, and the two shepherds agree to sing the praises of
their respective shepherdesses, and to make Clod'dipole arbiter of
their contention. Cloddipole listens to their alternate verses,
pronounces that "both merit an oaken staff," but, says he, "the herds
are weary of the songs, and so am I."--Gay, _Pastoral_, i. (1714).
(This eclogue is in imitation of Virgil's _Ecl_. iii.)
CULDEES _(i.e. sequestered persons_), the primitive clergy
of presbyterian character, established in Io'na or Icolmkill
_[I-columb-kill]_ by St. Columb and twelve of his followers in 563.
They also founded similar church establishments at Abernethy, Dunkeld,
Kirkcaldy _[Kirk-Culdee]_, etc., and at Lindesfarne, in England. Some
say as many as 300 churches were founded by them. Augustine, a bishop
of Waterford, began against them in 1176 a war of extermination, when
those who could escape sought refuge in Iona, the original cradle of
the sect, and were not driven thence till 1203.
Peace to their shades! the pure Culdees
Were Albyn's _[Scotland's]_ earliest priests of God,
Ere yet an island of her seas
By foot of Saxon monk was trod.
Campbell, _Reullura_.
CULLOCH _(Sawney)_ a pedlar.--Sir W. Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time,
George III.).
CULPRIT FAY, a sprite condemned for loving a mortal maiden to catch
the spray-gem from the sturgeon's "silver bow," and light his torch
with a falling star.--Joseph Rodman Drake, _The Culprit Fay_ (1847).
CUMBERLAND (_John of_). "The devil and John of Cumberland" is a
blunder for "The devil and John-a-Cumber." John-a-Cumber was a famous
Scotch magician.
He poste to Scotland for brave John-a-Cumber,
The only man renowned for magick skill.
Oft have I heard he once beguylde the devill.
A. Munday, _John-a-Kent and John-a-Cumber_
(1595).
_Cumberland (William Augustus, duke of_), commander-in-chief of
the army of George II., whose son he was. The duke was especially
celebrated for his victory of Cullo'den (1746); but he was called "The
Butcher" from the great severity with which he stamped out the clan
system of the Scottish Highlanders. He was wounded in the leg at
the battle of Dettingen (1743). Sir W. Scott has introduced him in
_Waverley_ (time, George II.).
Proud Cumberland prances, insulting the slain,
And their hoof-beaten bosoms are trod to the plan.
Campbell, _Lochiel's Warning_.
CUMBERLAND POET (_The_), William
Wordsworth, born at Cockermouth (1770-1850).