conscience, who is beguiled into marrying a country lawyer because
she thinks he is dying for love of her. Having left out of sight the
possibility that a loveless union leaves room for the entrance of a
real passion, she is appalled at finding that she has slipped into an
attachment to _A Perfect Adonis_, who has principle enough to leave
her when he discovers the state of his own affections. Finding her a
widow on his return to America, he presses his suit, and finds a rival
in her only child, a spoiled baby of five or six years. Overcoming
this obstacle, he weds the mother.--Miriam Coles Harris, _A Perfect
Adonis_ (1875).
D'ORME'O, prime minister of Victor, Amade'us (4 _syl_), and also of
his son and successor Charles Emmanuel, king of Sardinia. He took his
color from the king he served; hence under the tortuous, deceitful
Victor, his policy was marked with crude rascality and duplicity;
but under the truthful, single-minded Charles Emmanuel, he became
straightforward and honest.--R. Browning, _King Victor and King
Charles, etc_.
DORMER _(Captain)_, benevolent, truthful, and courageous, candid and
warmhearted. He was engaged to Louisa Travers; but the lady was told
that he was false and had married another, so she gave her hand to
Lord Davenant.
_Marianne Dormer_, sister of the captain. She married Lord Davenant,
who called himself Mr. Brooke; but he forsook her in three months,
giving out that he was dead. Marianne, supposing herself to be a
widow, married his lordship's son.--Cumberland, _The Mysterious
Husband_ (1783).
_Dormer (Caroline)_, the orphan daughter of a London merchant, who was
once very wealthy, but became bankrupt and died, leaving his daughter
£200 a year. This annuity, however, she loses through the knavery of
her man of business. When reduced to penury, her old lover, Henry
Morland (supposed to have perished at sea), makes his appearance and
marries her, by which she becomes the Lady Duberly.--G. Coleman, _The
Heir-at-Law_ (1797).
DORNTON _(Mr.)_, a great banker, who adores his son Harry. He tries
to be stern with him when he sees him going the road to ruin, but is
melted by a kind word.
Joseph Mnnden [1758-1832] was the original representative of "Old
Dornton" and a host of other characters.--_Memoir_ (1832.)
_Harry Dornton_, son of the above. A noble-hearted fellow, spoilt by
over-indulgence. He becomes a regular rake, loses money at Newmarket,
and goes post-speed the road to ruin, led on by Jack Milford. So great
is his extravagance, that his father becomes a bankrupt; but Sulky
(his partner in the bank) comes to the rescue. Harry marries Sophia
Freelove, and both father and son are saved from ruin.--Holcroft, _The
Road to Euin_ (1792).
DOROTHE'A, of Andalusi'a, daughter of Cleonardo (an opulent vassal of
the Duke Ricardo). She was married to Don Fernando, the duke's
younger son, who deserted her for Lucinda (the daughter of an opulent
gentlemen), engaged to Cardenio, her equal in rank and fortune. When
the wedding day arrived, Lucinda fell into a swoon, a letter informed
the bridegroom that she was already married to Cardenio, and next day
she took refuge in a convent. Dorothea also left her home, dressed in
boy's clothes, and concealed herself in the Sierra Morena or Brown
Mountain. Now, it so happened that Dorothea, Cardenio, and Don
Quixote's party happened to be staying at the Crescent inn, and Don
Fernando, who had abducted Lucinda from the convent, halted at the
same place. Here he found his wife Dorothea, and Lucinda her husband
Cardenio. All these misfortunes thus came to an end, and the parties
mated with their respective spouses.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. iv.
(1605).
_Dorothe'a_, sister of Mons. Thomas.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _Mons.
Thomas_ (1619).
_Dorothe'a_, the "virgin martyr," attended by Angelo, an angel in the
semblance of a page, first presented to Dorothea as a beggar-boy, to
whom she gave alms.--Philip Massinger, _The Virgin Martyr_ (1622).
_Dorothe'a_, the heroine of Goethe's poem entitled _Hermann and
Dorothea_ (1797).
DOR'OTHEUS (3 _syl_.), the man who spent all his life in endeavoring
to elucidate the meaning of one single word in Homer.
DOR'OTHY _(Old)_, the housekeeper of Simon Glover and his daughter
"the fair maid of Perth."--Sir. W. Scott, _Fair Maid of Perth_ (time,
Henry IV.).
_Dor'othy_, charwoman of Old Trapbois the miser and his daughter
Martha.--Sir W. Scott, _Fortunes of Nigel_ (time, James I.).
DOROTHY PEARSON. The childless wife of a Puritan settler in New
England. Her husband brings her home a boy whom he found crouching
under the gallows of his Quaker father, and she adopts him at once,
despite the opposition of "the congregation." A fortnight after he
entered the family, his own mother invades the pulpit of the Orthodox
meeting house, and delivers an anathema against her sect. Her boy
presses forward to meet her, but, after a conflict of emotions she
returns him to Dorothy. He submits, but pines for his mother through
the months that pass before her return with the news of religious
toleration. Dorothy's loving offices have smoothed the child's pathway
to the grave, and she hangs above him with tears of maternal grief as
he breathes his last in his mother's arms.--Nathaniel Hawthorne, _The
Gentle Boy_ (1851.)
_Dorothy Q_. Oliver Wendell Holmes's "grandmother's mother." Her
portrait taken at the age of "thirteen summers, or less," is the
subject of his lines, "_Dorothy Q._ A Family Portrait."
"O, Damsel Dorothy! Dorothy Q!
Strange is the gift that I owe to you;
Such a gift as never a king
Save to daughter or son might bring,--
All my tenure of heart and hand
All my title to house and land,
Mother and sister and child and wife
And joy and sorrow, and death and life!"
DORRILLON _(Sir William_), a rich Indian merchant and a widower. He
had one daughter, placed under the care of Mr. and Miss Norberry. When
this daughter (Maria) was grown to womanhood, Sir William returned
to England, and wishing to learn the character of Maria, presented
himself under the assumed name of Mr. Mandred. He found his daughter
a fashionable young lady, fond of pleasure, dress, and play, but
affectionate and good-hearted. He was enabled to extricate her from
some money difficulties, won her heart, revealed himself as her
father, and reclaimed her.
_Miss [Maria] Dorrillon_, daughter of Sir William; gay, fashionable,
light-hearted, accomplished, and very beautiful. "Brought up without
a mother's care or father's caution," she had some excuse for her
waywardness and frivolity. Sir George Evelyn was her admirer, whom for
a time she teased to the very top of her bent; then she married, loved
and reformed.--Mrs. Inchbald, _Wives as they Were and Maids as they
Are_ (1797).
D'OSBORN _(Count)_, governor of the Giant's Mount Fortress. The
countess Marie consented to marry him, because he promised to obtain
the acquittal of Ernest de Fridberg, ("the State prisoner"); but he
never kept his promise.
It was by this man's treachery that Ernest was a prisoner, for he kept
back the evidence of General Bavois, declaring him innocent. He next
employed persons to strangle him, but his attempt was thwarted.
His villainy being brought to light, he was ordered by the king to
execution.--E. Stirling, _The State Prisoner_ (1847).
DO'SON, a promise-maker and promise-breaker. Antig'onos, grandson of
Demetrios _(the besieger)_ was so called.
DOT. (See PERRYBINGLE.)
DOTHEBOYS HALL, a Yorkshire school, where boys were taken-in and
done-for by Mr. Squeers, an arrogant, conceited, puffing, overbearing
and ignorant schoolmaster, who fleeced, beat, and starved the boys,
but taught them nothing.--C. Dickens, _Nicholas Nickleby_ (1838).
The original of Dotheboys Hall is still in existence at Bowes, some
five miles from Barnard Castle. The King's Head inn at Barnard Castle
is spoken of in _Nicholas Nickleby_, by Newman Noggs.--_Notes and
Queries_, April 2, 1875.
DOTO, NYSÊ, and NERI'NÊ, the three nereids who guarded the fleet of
Vasco da Gama. When the treacherous pilot had run the ship in which
Vasco was sailing on a sunken rock, these sea nymphs lifted up the
prow and turned it round,--Camoens, _Lusiad_, ii. (1569).
DOUBAN, the physician, cured a Greek king of leprosy by some drug
concealed in a racket handle. The king gave Douban such great rewards
that the envy of his nobles was excited, and his vizier suggested that
a man like Douban was very dangerous to be near the throne. The fears
of the weak king being aroused, he ordered Douban to be put to death.
When the physician saw there was no remedy, he gave the king a book,
saying, "On the sixth leaf the king will find something affecting his
life." The king finding the leaves stick, moistened his finger with
his mouth, and by so doing poisoned himself. "Tyrant!" exclaimed
Douban, "those who abuse their power merit death."--_Arabian Nights_
("The Greek King and the Physician").
_Douban_, physician of the emperor Alexius.--Sir W. Scott, _Count
Robert of Paris_ (time Rufus).
DOUBLE DEALER, _(The)_ "The double dealer" is Maskwell, who pretends
love to lady Touchwood and friendship to Mellefont (2. _syl_.), in
order to betray them both. The other characters of the comedy also
deal doubly: Thus Lady Froth pretends to love her husband, but coquets
with Mr. Brisk; and Lady Pliant pretends to be chaste as Diana, but
has a liaison with Careless. On the other hand Brisk pretends to
entertain friendship for Lord Froth but makes love to his wife; and
Ned Careless pretends to respect and honor Lord Pliant, but bamboozles
him in a similar way.--W. Congreve (1700).
DOUBLEFEE _(Old Jacob_), a money-lender who accommodates the Duke of
Buckingham with loans.--Sir W. Scott, _Peveril of the Peak_ (time,
Charles II).
DOUBTING CASTLE, the castle of giant Despair, into which Christian and
Hopeful were thrust, but from which they escaped by means of the key
called "Promise."--Bunyan, _Pilgrim's Progress_, i. (1678).
DOUGAL, turnkey at Glasgow, Tolbooth. He is an adherent of Rob
Roy.--Sir W. Scott, _Rob Roy_ (time, George I.).
DOUGLAS, divided into _The Black Douglases_ and _The Red Douglases_.
I. THE BLACK DOUGLASES (or senior branch). Each of these is called
"The Black Douglas."
_The Hardy_, William de Douglas, defender of Berwick (died 1302).
_The Good Sir James_, eldest son of "The Hardy." Friend of Bruce.
Killed by the Moors in Spain (1330).
_England's Scourge and Scotland's Bulwark_, William Douglas, knight
of Liddesdale. Taken at Neville's Cross, and killed by William, first
earl of Douglas, in 1353.
_The Flower of Chivalry_, William de Douglas, natural son of "The Good
Sir James" (died 1384).
James second earl of Douglas overthrew Hotspur. Died at Otterburn,
1388. This is the Douglas of the old ballad of _Chevy Chase._
_Archibald the Grim_, Archibald Douglas, natural son of "The Good Sir
James."
_The Black Douglas_, William, lord of Nithsdale (murdered by the earl
of Clifford, 1390).
_Tineman_ (the loser), Archibald, fourth earl, who lost the battles of
Homildon, Shrewsbury, and Verneuil, in the last of which he was killed
(1424).
William Douglas, eighth earl, stabbed by James II., and then
despatched with a battle-axe by Sir Patrick Gray, at Stirling,
February 13, 1452. Sir Walter Scott alludes to this in _The Lady of
the Lake_.
James Douglas, ninth and last earl (died 1488). With him the senior
branch closes.
II. THE RED DOUGLASES, a collateral branch.
_Bell-the-Cat_, the great earl of Angus. He is introduced by Scott in
_Marmion_. His two sons fell in the battle of Flodden Field. He died
in a monastery, 1514.
Archibald Douglas, sixth earl of Angus, and grandson of
"Bell-the-Cat." James Bothwell, one of the family, forms the most
interesting part of Scott's _Lady of the Lake_. He was the grandfather
of Darnley, husband of Mary Queen of Scots. He died 1560.
James Douglas, earl of Morton, younger-brother of the seventh earl of
Angus. He took part in the murder of Rizzio, and was executed by the
instrument called "the maiden" (1530-1581).
The "Black Douglas," introduced by Sir W. Scott in _Castle Dangerous_,
is "The Gud schyr James." This was also the Douglas which was such a
terror to the English that the women used to frighten their unruly
children by saying they would "make the Black Douglas take them."
He first appears in _Castle Dangerous_ as "Knight of the tomb." The
following nursery rhyme refers to him:--
Hush ye, hush, ye, little pet ye;
Hush ye, hush ye, do not fret ye;
The Black Douglas shall not get thee.
Sir W. Scott, _Tales of a Grandfather_, i. 6.
_Douglas_, a tragedy by J. Home (1757). Young Norval, having saved
the life of Lord Randolph, is given a commission in the army. Lady
Randolph hears of the exploit, and discovers that the youth is her own
son by her first husband, Lord Douglas. Glenalvon, who hates the new
favorite, persuades Lord Randolph that his wife is too intimate with
the young upstart, and the two surprise them in familiar intercourse
in a wood. The youth, being attacked, slays Glenalvon, but is in turn
slain by Lord Randolph, who then learns that the young man was Lady
Randolph's son. Lady Randolph, in distraction, rushes up a precipice
and throws herself down headlong, and Lord Randolph goes to the war
then raging between Scotland and Denmark.
_Douglas (Archibald earl of_), father-in-law of Prince Robert, eldest
son of Robert III. of Scotland.
_Margery of Douglas_, the earl's daughter, and wife of Prince Robert
duke of Rothsay. The duke was betrothed to Elizabeth, daughter of the
earl of March, but the engagement was broken off by intrigue.--Sir W.
Scott, _Fair Maid of Perth_ (time, Henry IV.).
_Douglas (George)_, nephew of the regent Murray of Scotland, and
grandson of the lady of Lochleven. George Douglas was devoted to Mary
Queen of Scots.--Sir W. Scott, _The Abbot_ (time, Elizabeth).
DOUGLAS AND THE BLOODY HEART. The heart of Bruce was entrusted to
Douglas to carry to Jerusalem. Landing in Spain, he stopped to aid
the Castilians against the Moors, and in the heat of battle cast the
"heart," enshrined in a golden coffer, into the very thickest of the
foe, saying, "The heart or death!" On he dashed, fearless of danger,
to regain the coffer, but perished in the attempt. The family
thenceforth adopted the "bloody heart" as their armorial device.
DOUGLAS LARDER (_The_). When the "Good Sir James" Douglas, in 1306,
took his castle by _coup de main_ from the English, he caused all
the barrels containing flour, meal, wheat, and malt to be knocked in
pieces and their contents to be thrown on the floor; he then staved in
all the hogsheads of wine and ale upon this mass. To this he flung
the dead bodies slain and some dead horses. The English called this
disgusting mass "The Douglas Larder." He then set fire to the castle
and took refuge in the hills, for he said "he loved far better to hear
the lark sing than the mouse cheep."
[Illustration] _Wallace's Larder_ is a similar phrase. It is the
dungeon of Ardrossan, in Ayrshire, where Wallace had the dead bodies
of the garrison thrown, surprised by him in the reign of Edward I.
Douloureuse Garde (_La_), a castle in Berwick-upon-Tweed, won by Sir
Launcelot du Lac, in one of the most terrific adventures related in
romance. In memory of this event, the name of the castle was changed
into _La Joyeuse Garde_ or _La Garde Joyeuse_.
Dousterswivel (_Herman_), a German schemer, who obtains money under
the promise of finding hidden wealth by a divining rod.--Sir W. Scott,
_The Antiquary_ (time, George III.).
The incident of looking for treasure in the church is copied from one
which Lily mentions, who went with David Kamsay to search for hidden
treasure in Westminster Abbey.--See _Old and New London_, i. 129.
DOVE (_Dr._), the hero of Southey's novel called _The Doctor_ (1834).
_Dove_ (_Sir Benjamin_), of Cropley Castle, Cornwall. A little,
peaking, puling creature, desperately hen-pecked by a second wife;
but madam overshot the mark, and the knight was roused to assert and
maintain the mastery.
That very clever actor Cherry (1769-1812), appeared in "Sir Benjamin
Dove," and showed himself a master of his profession.--Boaden.
_Lady Dove_, twice married, first to Mr. Searcher, king's messenger,
and next to Sir Benjamin Dove. She had a _tendresse_ for Mr. Paterson.
Lady Dove was a terrible termagant, and when scolding failed used to
lament for "poor dear dead Searcher, who--, etc., etc." She pulled her
bow somewhat too tight, and Sir Benjamin asserted his independence.
_Sophia Dove_, daughter of Sir Benjamin. She loved Robert Belfield,
but was engaged to marry the elder brother Andrew. When, however, the
wedding day arrived, Andrew was found to be a married man, and the
younger brother became the bridegroom.--R. Cumberland, _The Brothers_
(1769).
DOWLAS (_Daniel_), a chandler of Gosport, who trades in "coals, cloth,
herrings, linen, candles, eggs, sugar, treacle, tea, and brickdust."
This vulgar and illiterate petty shopkeeper is raised to the peerage
under the title of "The Right Hon. Daniel Dowlas, Baron Duberly."
But scarcely has he entered on his honors, when the "heir-at-law,"
supposed to have been lost at sea, makes his appearance in the person
of Henry Morland. The "heir" settles on Daniel Dowlas an annuity.
_Deborah Dowlas_, wife of Daniel, and for a short time Lady Duberly.
She assumes quite the airs and _ton_ of gentility, and tells her
husband "as he is a pear, he ought to behave as sich."
_Dick Dowlas_, the son, apprenticed to an attorney at Castleton. A
wild young scamp, who can "shoot wild ducks, fling a bar, play at
cricket, make punch, catch gudgeons, and dance." His mother says "he
is the sweetest-tempered youth when he has everything his own way."
Dick Dowlas falls in love with Cicely Homespun, and marries her.--G.
Colman, _Heir-at-law_ (1797).
Miss Pope asked me about the dress. I answered. "It should be black
bombazeen ..." I proved to her that not only "Deborah Dowlas," but all
the rest of the _dramatis personæ_ ought to be in mourning ... The
three "Dowlases" as relatives of the deceased Lord Duberly; "Henry
Morland" as the heir-at-law; "Dr. Pangloss" as a clergyman, "Caroline
Dormer" for the loss of her father, and "Kenrick" as a servant of the
Dormer family.--James Smith.
_Dowlas (Old Dame_), housekeeper to the Duke of Buckingham.--Sir W.
Scott, _Peveril of the Peak_ (time, Charles II.).
DOWLING-_(Captain)_, a great drunkard, who dies in his cups.--Crabbe,
_Borough_, xvi. (1810).
DOWNER (_Billy_), an occasional porter and shoeblack, a diffuser of
knowledge, a philosopher, a citizen of the world, and an "unfinished
gentleman."--C. Selby, _The Unfinished Gentleman_.
DOWNING, PROFESSOR, in the University of Cambridge. So called from Sir
George Downing, bart., who founded the law professorship in 1800.
DOWSABEL, daughter of Cassemen (3 _syl_.), a knight of Arden; a ballad
by M. Drayton (1593).
Old Chaucer doth of Topaz tell,
Mad Rabelais of Pantagruel,
A later third of Dowsabel.
M. Drayton, _Nymphida_.
DRAC, a sort of fairy in human form, whose abode is the caverns of
rivers. Sometimes these dracs will float like golden cups along a
stream to entice bathers, but when the bather attempts to catch at
them, the drac draws him under water.--_South of France Mythology_.
DRA'CHENFELS ("_Dragon rocks_"), so called from the dragon killed
there by Siegfried, the hero of the _Niebelungen Lied_.
DRAGON (_A_), the device on the royal banner of the old British kings.
The leader was called the _pendragon_. Geoffrey of Monmouth says:
"When Aurelius was king, there appeared a star at Winchester, of
wonderful magnitude and brightness, darting forth a ray at the end of
which was a flame in the form of a dragon." Uther ordered two golden
dragons to be made, one of which he presented to Winchester, and the
other he carried with him as a royal standard. Tennyson says that
Arthur's helmet had for crest a golden dragon.
... they saw
The dragon of the great pendragonship.
That crowned the state pavilion of the king.
Tennyson, _Guinevere_.
_Dragon (The)_, one of the masques at Kennaquhair Abbey.--Sir W.
Scott, _The Abbot_ (time, Elizabeth).
_Dragon (The Red_) the personification of "the devil," as the enemy of
man.--Phineas Fletcher, _The Purple Island_, ix. (1633).
DRAGON OF WANTLEY _(i. e_. Warncliff, in Yorkshire), a skit on the old
metrical romances, especially on the old rhyming legend of Sir Bevis.
The ballad describes the dragon, its outrages, the flight of the
inhabitants, the knight choosing his armor, the damsel, the fight and
the victory. The hero is called "More, of More Hall" (_q. v_.)--Percy,
_Reliques_, III. iii. 13.
(H. Carey, has a burlesque called _The Dragon of Wantley_, and calls
the hero "Moore, of Moore Hall," 1697-1743).
DRAGON'S HILL (Berkshire). The legend isays it is here that St. George
killed the dragon; but the place assigned for this achievement in the
ballad given in Percy's _Reliques_ is "Sylene, in Libya." Another
legend gives Berytus _(Beyrut)_ as the place of this encounter.
(In regard to Dragon Hill, according to Saxon annals, it was here that
Cedric (founder of the West Saxons) slew Naud the pendragon, with
5,000 men.)
DRAGON'S TEETH. The tale of Jason and Æêtês is a repetition of that of
Cadmus.
In the tale of CADMUS, we are told the fountain of Arei'a (3 _syl_.)
was guarded by a fierce dragon. Cadmus killed the dragon, and sowed
its teeth in the earth. From these teeth sprang up armed men called
"Sparti," among whom he flung stones, and the armed men fell foul of
each other, till all were slain excepting five.
In the tale of JASON, we are told that having slain the dragon, which
kept watch over the golden fleece, he sowed its teeth in the ground,
and armed men sprang up. Jason cast a stone into the midst of them,
whereupon the men attacked each other, and were all slain.
DRAGONS.
AHBIMAN, the dragon slain by Mithra.--_Persian Mythology_.
DAHAK, the three-headed dragon slain by Thraetana-Yaçna.--_Persian_.
FAFNIB, the dragon slain by Sigurd.
GRENDEL, the dragon slain by Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon hero.
LA GAGOUILLE, the dragon which ravaged the Seine, slain by St. Romain
of Rouen.
PYTHON, the dragon slain by Apollo.--_Greek Mythology_.
TAKASQUE (2 _syl_.), the dragon slain at Aix-la-Chapelle by St.
Martha.
ZOHAK, the dragon slain by Feridun (_Shahndmeh_).
[Illustration] Numerous dragons have no special name. Many are denoted
Red, White, Black, Great, etc..
DRAKE (Joseph Rodman), author of _The Culprit Fay_ and _The American
Flag_, died at the early age of twenty-five. His elegy was written
by Fitz-Green Halleck and is known as far as the English tongue is
spoken.
"Green be the turf above thee,
Friend of my better days!
None knew thee but to love thee,
None named thee but to praise."
(1820).
DRAMA. The earliest European drama since the fall of the Western
empire appeared in the middle of the fifteenth century. It is called
_La Celestina_, and is divided into twenty-one acts. The first act,
which runs through fifty pages, was composed by Rodridgo Cota; the
other twenty are ascribed to Ferdinando de Rojas. The whole was
published in 1510.
The earliest English drama is entitled _Ralph Roister Doister_, a
comedy by Nicholas Udal (before 1551, because mentioned by T. Wilson,
in his _Rule of Reason_, which appeared in 1551).
The second English drama was _Gammer Gurton's Needle_, by Mr. S.
Master of Arts. Warton, in his _History of English Poetry_ (iv. 32),
gives 1551 as the date of this comedy; and Wright, in his _Historia
Histrionica_, says it appeared in the reign of Edward VI., who died
1553. It is generally ascribed to Bishop Still, but he was only eight
years old in 1551.
_Drama (Father of the French)_, Etienne, Jodell (1532-1573).
_Father of the Greek Drama_, Thespis (B.C. sixth century).
_Father of the Spanish Drama_, Lopêz de Vega (1562-1635).
DRAP, one of Queen Mab's maids of honor.--Drayton, _Nymphidia_.
DRA´PIER'S LETTERS, a series of letters written by Dean Swift, and
signed "M.D. Drapier," advising the Irish not to take the copper money
coined by William Wood, to whom George I. had given a patent. These
letters (1724) stamped out this infamous job and caused the patent
to be cancelled. The patent was obtained by the Duchess of Kendall
(mistress of the king), who was to share the profits.
Can we the Drapier then forget?
Is not our nation in his debt?
'Twas he that writ the "Drapier's Letters."
Dean Swift, _Verses on his own death_.