_Oliver’s Horse_, Ferrant d’Espagne.
_Oliver’s Sword_, Haute-claire.
=Oliver le Dain= or _Oliver le Diable_, court barber, and favorite
minister of Louis XI. Introduced by Sir W. Scott in _Quentin Durward_
and _Anne of Geierstein_ (time, Edward IV.).
=Oliver Floyd=, a dashing lawyer, with iron-gray hair, and separated from
his wife. His guardianly attention to Carol Lester set village and town
gossip to talking.--Charlotte Dunning, _Upon a Cast_ (1885).
=Oliv´ia=, a rich countess, whose love was sought by Orsino, duke of
Illyria; but having lost her brother, Olivia lived for a time in entire
seclusion, and in no wise reciprocated the duke’s love; in consequence
of which Viola nicknamed her “Fair Cruelty.” Strange as it may seem,
Olivia fell desperately in love with Viola, who was dressed as the
duke’s page, and sent her a ring. Mistaking Sebastian (Viola’s brother)
for Viola, she married him out of hand.--Shakespeare, _Twelfth Night_
(1614).
Never were Shakespeare’s words more finely given than by Miss M.
Tree [1802-1862] in the speech to “Olivia,” beginning, “Make me a
willow cabin at thy gate.”--Talfourd (1821).
_Olivia_, a female Tartuffe (2 _syl._), and consummate hypocrite of most
unblushing effrontery.--Wycherly, _The Plain Dealer_ (1677).
The duc de Montausier was the prototype of Wycherly’s “Mr. Manly,” the
“plain dealer,” and of Molière’s “Misanthrope.”
_Olivia_, daughter of Sir James Woodville, left in charge of a mercenary
wretch, who, to secure to himself her fortune, shut her up in a convent
in Paris. She was rescued by Leontine Croaker, brought to England, and
became his bride.--Goldsmith, _The Good-natured Man_ (1768).
_Olivia_, the tool of Ludovĭco. She loved Vicentio, but Vicentio was
plighted to Evadne, sister of Colonna. Ludovico induced Evadne to
substitute the king’s miniature for that of Vicentio, which she was
accustomed to wear. When Vicentio returned, and found Evadne with the
king’s miniature, he believed what Ludovico had told him that she was
the king’s wanton, and he cast her off. Olivia repented of her
duplicity, and explained it all to Vicentio, whereby a reconciliation
took place, and Vicentio married his troth-plighted lady, “more sinned
against than sinning.”--Shiel, _Evadne_ or _The Statue_ (1820).
_Olivia_, “the rose of Aragon,” was the daughter of Ruphi´no, a peasant,
and bride of Prince Alonzo of Aragon. The king refused to recognize the
marriage, and, sending his son to the army, compelled the cortez to pass
an act of divorce. This brought to a head a general revolt. The king was
dethroned, and Almagro made regent. Almagro tried to make Olivia marry
him; ordered her father to the rack, and her brother to death. Meanwhile
the prince returned at the head of his army, made himself master of the
city, put down the revolt, and had his marriage duly recognized. Almagro
took poison and died.--S. Knowles, _The Rose of Aragon_ (1842).
_Olivia_ [PRIMROSE], the elder daughter of the vicar of Wakefield. She
was a sort of a Hebê in beauty, open, sprightly, and commanding. Olivia
Primrose “wished for many lovers,” and eloped with Squire Thornhill. Her
father went in search of her, and on his return homeward, stopped at a
roadside inn, called the Harrow, and there found her turned out of the
house by the landlady. It was ultimately discovered that she was legally
married to the squire.--Goldsmith, _Vicar of Wakefield_ (1765).
_Olivia_, young girl who hearkens to _The Talking Oak_ in Tennyson’s
poem of that name (1842).
=Olivia de Zenuga=, daughter of Don Cæsar. She fixed her heart on having
Julio de Melessina for her husband, and so behaved to all other suitors
as to drive them away. Thus to Don Garcia, she pretended to be a
termagant; to Don Vincentio, who was music-mad, she professed to love a
Jew’s-harp above every other instrument. At last Julio appeared, and her
“bold stroke” obtained as its reward “the husband of her choice.”--Mrs.
Cowley, _A Bold Stroke for a Husband_ (1782).
=Olla=, bard of Cairbar. These bards acted as heralds.--Ossian.
=Ol´lapod= (_Cornet_), at the Galen’s Head. An eccentric country
apothecary, “a jumble of physic and shooting.” Dr. Ollapod is very fond
of “wit,” and when he has said what he thinks a smart thing he calls
attention to it, with “He! he! he!” and some such expression as “Do you
take, good sir! do you take?” But when another says a smart thing, he
titters, and cries, “That’s well! that’s very well! Thank you, good sir,
I owe you one!” He is a regular rattle; details all the scandal of the
village; boasts of his achievements or misadventures; is very mercenary,
and wholly without principle.--G. Colman, _The Poor Gentleman_ (1802).
⁂ This character is evidently a copy of Dibdin’s “Doctor Pother” in _The
Farmer’s Wife_ (1780).
=Ol´lomand=, an enchanter, who persuaded Ahu´bal, the rebellious brother
of Misnar, sultan of Delhi, to try by bribery to corrupt the troops of
the sultan. By an unlimited supply of gold, he soon made himself master
of the southern provinces and Misnar marched to give him battle.
Ollomand, with 5000 men, went in advance and concealed his company in a
forest; but Misnar, apprised thereof by spies, set fire to the forest,
and Ollomand was shot by the discharge of his own cannons, fired
spontaneously by the flames: “For enchantment has no power except over
those who are first deceived by the enchanter.”--Sir C. Morell [J.
Ridley], _Tales of the Genii_ (“The Enchanter’s Tale,” vi., 1751).
=Oluf= (_Sir_), a bridegroom who rode late to collect guests to his
wedding. On his ride, the daughter of the erl king met him and invited
him to dance a measure, but Sir Oluf declined. She then offered him a
pair of gold spurs, a silk doublet, and a heap of gold, if he would
dance with her: and when he refused to do so, she struck him “with an
elf-stroke.” On the morrow, when all the bridal party was assembled, Sir
Oluf was found dead in a wood.--_A Danish Legend_ (Herder).
=Olympia=, countess of Holland and wife of Bire´no. Being deserted by
Bireno, she was bound naked to a rock by pirates, but was delivered by
Orlando, who took her to Ireland, where she married King Oberto (bks.
iv., v.),[TN-47]--Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_ (1516).
_Olympia_, sister to the grand-duke of Muscovia.--Beaumont and Fletcher,
_The Loyal Subject_ (1618).
=Omawhaws= [_Om´.a.waws_] or =Omahas=, an Indian tribe of Dakota.
O, chief of the mighty Omahaws!
Longfellow, _To the Driving Cloud_.
=Ombre´lia=, the rival of Smilinda, for the love of Sharper; “strong as
the footman, as the master sweet.”--Pope, _Eclogues_ (“The Basset
Table,” 1715).
=O’Neal= (_Shan_), leader of the Irish insurgents in 1567. Shan O’Neal was
notorious for profligacy.
=O’Malley= (_Charles_). Dashing Irishman in Charles James Lever’s novel
_Charles O’Malley_.
=O’More= (_Rory_). Hero of a novel of same name and the lover of Katharine
O’Bawn, in the popular song, Rory O’More. Novel and song are by Samuel
Lover.
=Onei´za= (3 _syl._), daughter of Moath, a well-to-do Bedouin, in love
with Thal´aba, “the destroyer” of sorcerers. Thalaba, being raised to
the office of vizier, married Oneiza, but she died on the bridal
night.--Southey, _Thalaba, the Destroyer_, ii., vii. (1797).
=Oneida Warrior= (_The_), Outalissi (_q.v._).--Campbell, _Gertrude of
Wyoming_ (1809).
=Only= (_The_), Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, called by the Germans _Der
Einzige_, from the unique character of his writings.
⁂ The Italians call Bernardo Accolti, an Italian poet of the sixteenth
century, “Aretino the Only,” or _L’Unico Aretino_.
=Open, Ses´ame!= (3 _syl._) the magic words which caused the cave door of
the “forty thieves” to open of itself. “Shut Sesamê!” were the words
which caused it to shut. Sesame is a grain, and hence Cassim, when he
forgot the word, cried, “Open, Wheat!” “Open, Rye!” “Open, Barley!” but
the door obeyed no sound but “Open, Sesamê!”--_Arabian Nights_ (“Ali
Baba or The Forty Thieves”).
=Ophelia=, the young, beautiful, and pious daughter of Polo´nius, lord
chamberlain to the king of Denmark. Hamlet fell in love with her, but
her father forbade her holding word or speech with the Prince, and she
obeyed so strictly that her treatment of him, with his other wrongs,
drove him to upbraid and neglect her. Ophelia was so wrought upon by his
conduct that her mind gave way. In her madness, attempting to hang a
wreath of flowers on a willow by a brook, a branch broke, and she was
drowned.--_Hamlet_ (1596).
Tate Wilkinson, speaking of Mrs. Cibber (Dr. Arne’s daughter,
1710-1766), says: “Her features, figure and singing, made her the best
‘Ophelia’ that ever appeared either before or since.”
=Ophiuchus= [_Of´.i.ū´.kus_], the constellation _Serpentarius_. Ophiuchus
is a man who holds a serpent (Greek _Ophis_) in his hands. The
constellation is situated to the south of _Herculês_; and the principal
star, called “Ras Alhague,” is in the man’s head. (_Ras Alhague_)[TN-48]
is from the Arabic, _rás-al-hawwá_, “the serpent-charmer’s head.”)
Satan stood
Unterrified, and like a comet burned,
That fires the length of Ophiuchus huge,
In the Arctic sky.
Milton, _Paradise Lost_, ii. 709, etc. (1665).
=Opium-Eater= (_The English_), Thomas de Quincey, who published
_Confessions of an English Opium-Eater_ (1845).
=O. P. Q.=, Robert Merry (1755-1798); object of Gifford’s satire in
_Baviad_ and _Mæviad_, and of Byron’s in his _English Bards and Scotch
Reviewers_. He marries Miss Brunton, the actress.
And Merry’s metaphors appear anew,
Chained to the signature of O. P. Q.
Byron, _English Bards and Scotch Reviewers_ (1809).
=Oracle of the Church= (_The_), St. Bernard (1091-1153).
=Oracle of the Holy Bottle= (_The_), an oracle sought for by Rabelais, to
solve the knotty point “whether Panurge (2 _syl._) should marry or not.”
The question had been put to sibyl and poet, monk and fool, philosopher
and witch, but none could answer it. The oracle was ultimately found in
Lantern-land.
This, of course, is a satire on the celibacy of the clergy and the
withholding of the cup from the laity. Shall the clergy marry or
not?--that was the moot point; and the “Bottle of Tent Wine,” or the
clergy, who kept the bottle to themselves, alone could solve it. The
oracle and priestess of the bottle were both called _Bacbuc_ (Hebrew for
“bottle”).--Rabelais, _Pantag´ruel_, iv., v. (1545).
=Oracle= (_Sir_), name used in Merchant of Venice to express conceited,
pugnacious man.
... I am Sir Oracle,
And when I ope my lips, let no dog bark!”[TN-49]
=Orange= (_Prince of_), a title given to the heir-apparent of the king of
Holland. “Orange” is a petty principality in the territory of Avignon,
in the possession of the Nassau family.
=Orania=, the lady-love of Am´adis of Gaul.--Lobeira, _Amadis of Gaul_
(fourteenth century).
=Orator Henley=, the Rev. John Henley, who for about thirty years
delivered lectures on theological, political, and literary subjects
(1692-1756).
⁂ Hogarth has introduced him into several of his pictures; and Pope says
of him:
Imbround with native bronze, lo! Henley stands,
Tuning his voice, and balancing his hands,
How fluent nonsense trickles from his tongue!
How sweet the periods, neither said nor sung!...
Oh, great restorer of the good old stage,
Preacher at once and zany of thy age!
Oh, worthy thou of Egypt’s wise abodes;
A decent priest where monkeys were the gods!
_The Dunciad_ (1742).
=Orator Hunt=, the great demagogue in the time of the Wellington and Peel
administration. Henry Hunt, M.P., used to wear a gray hat, and these
hats were for the time a badge of democratic principles, and called
“radical hats” (1773-1835).
=Orbaneja=, the painter of Ube´da, who painted so preposterously that he
inscribed under his objects what he meant them for.
Orbaneja would paint a cock so wretchedly designed that he was
obliged to inscribe under it, “This is a cock.”--Cervantes, _Don
Quixote_, II. i. 3 (1615).
=Orbilius=, the schoolmaster who taught Horace. The poet calls him “the
flogger” (_plagōsus_).--_Ep._ ii. 71.
⁂ _The Orbilian Stick_ is a birch rod or cane.
=Ordigale=, the otter in the beast-epic of _Reynard the Fox_, i. (1498).
=Ordovi´ces= (4 _syl._), people of Ordovicia, that is, Flintshire,
Denbighshire, Merionetshire, Montgomeryshire, Carnarvonshire and
Anglesey. (In Latin the _i_ is short: _Ordovĭcês_.)
The Ordovīces now which North Wales people be.
Drayton, _Polyolbion_, xvi. (1613).
=Or´dovies= (3 _syl._), the inhabitants of North Wales. (In Latin North
Wales is called _Ordovic´ia_.)
Beneath his [_Agricola’s_] fatal sword the Ordovies to fall
(Inhabiting the west), those people last of all
... withstood.
Drayton, _Polyolbion_, viii. (1612).
=Or´ead= (3 _syl._), a mountain-nymph. Tennyson calls “Maud” an _oread_,
because her hall and garden were on a hill.