love with Rolando, a young soldier, who fancies himself a woman-hater,
and, in order to win him she dresses in boy’s clothes and becomes his
page, under the name of Eugenio. In this character Zamōra wins the
heart of the young soldier by her fidelity, tenderness and affection.
When the proper moment arrives she assumes her female attire, and
Rolando, declaring she is no woman, but an angel, marries her.--J.
Tobin, _The Honeymoon_ (1804).
=Zamti=, the Chinese mandarin. His wife was Mandănê, and his son
Hamet. The emperor of China, when he was about to be put to death by
Ti´murkan´, the Tartar, committed to Zamti’s charge his infant son,
Zaphimri, and Zamti brought up this “orphan of China” as his own son,
under the name of Etan. Twenty years afterwards Zamti was put to the
rack by Timurkan, and died soon afterwards.--Murphy, _The Orphan of
China_ (1761).
=Zanga=, the revengeful Moor, the servant of Don Alonzo. The Moor
hates Alonzo for two reasons: (1) because he killed his father, and
(2) because he struck him on the cheek; and, although Alonzo has used
every endeavor to conciliate Zanga, the revengeful Moor nurses his
hate and keeps it warm. The revenge he wreaks is: (1) to poison the
friendship which existed between Alonzo and Don Carlos by accusations
against the don, and (2) to embitter the love of Alonzo for Leonora,
his wife. Alonzo, out of jealousy, has his friend killed, and Leonora
makes away with herself. Having thus lost his best beloved, Zanga
tells his dupe he has been imposed upon, and Alonzo, mad with grief,
stabs himself. Zanga, content with the mischief he has done, is taken
away to execution.--Edward Young, _The Revenge_ (1721).
⁂ “Zanga” was the great character of Henry Mossop (1729-1773). It was
also a favorite part with J. Kemble (1757-1823).
=Zanoné=, Jepththa’s daughter, doomed by her father’s rash vow, to
perpetual celibacy.--Margaret J. Preston, _Old Song and New_ (1870).
=Zano´ni=, hero and title of a novel by Lord Bulwer Lytton. Zanoni is
supposed to possess the power of communicating with spirits,
prolonging life, and producing gold, silver, and precious stones
(1842).
=Zany of Debate.= George Canning was so called by Charles Lamb in a
sonnet printed in _The Champion_ newspaper. Posterity has not endorsed
the judgment or wit of this ill-natured satire (1770-1827).
=Zaphimri=, the “orphan of China,” brought up by Zamti, under the name
of Etan.
Ere yet the foe burst in,
“Zamti,” said he, “preserve my cradled infant;
Save him from ruffians; train his youth to virtue....”
He could no more; the cruel spoiler seized him,
And dragged my king, from yonder altar dragged him,
Here on the blood-stained pavement; while the queen
And her dear fondlings, in one mangled heap,
Died in each other’s arms.
Murphy, _The Orphan of China_, iii. 1 (1761).
=Zaphna=, son of Alcānor, chief of Mecca. He and his sister, Palmira,
being taken captives in infancy, were brought up by Mahomet, and
Zaphna, not knowing Palmira was his sister, fell in love with her, and
was in turn beloved. When Mahomet laid siege to Mecca, he employed
Zaphna to assassinate Alcanor, and when he had committed the deed
discovered that it was his own father he had killed. Zaphna would have
revenged the deed on Mahomet, but died of poison.--James Miller,
_Mahomet the Impostor_ (1740).
=Zara=, an African queen, widow of Al-buca´cim, and taken captive by
Manuel, king of Grana´da, who fell in love with her. Zara, however,
was intensely in love with Osmyn (_alias_ Prince Alphonso of
Valentia), also a captive. Alphonso, being privately married to
Alme´ria, could not return her love. She designs to liberate Osmyn;
but, seeing a dead body in the prison, fancies it to be that of Osmyn,
and kills herself by poison.--W. Congreve, _The Mourning Bride_
(1697).
⁂ “Zara” was one of the great characters of Mrs. Siddons (1755-1831).
_Zara_ (in French _Zaïre_), the heroine and title of a tragedy by
Voltaire (1733), adapted for the English stage by Aaron Hill (1735).
Zara is the daughter of Lusignan d’Outremer (king of Jerusalem) and
sister of Nerestan. Twenty years ago Lusignan and his two children had
been taken captives. Nerestan was four years old at the time; and
Zara, a mere infant, was brought up in the seraglio. Osman the sultan
fell in love with her, and promised to make her his sultana; and as
Zara loved him for himself, her happiness seemed complete. Nerestan,
having been sent to France to obtain ransoms, returned at this crisis,
and Osman fancied that he observed a familiarity between Zara and
Nerestan, which roused his suspicions. Several things occurred to
confirm them, and at last a letter was intercepted, appointing a
rendezvous between them in a “secret passage” of the seraglio. Osman
met Zara in the passage, and stabbed her to the heart. Nerestan was
soon seized, and being brought before the sultan, told him he had
slain his sister, and the sole object of his interview was to inform
her of her father’s death, and to bring her his dying blessing. Osman
now saw his error, commanded all the Christian captives to be set at
liberty, and stabbed himself.
=Zaramilla=, wife of Tinacrio, king of Micomicon, in Egypt. He was
told that his daughter would succeed him, that she would be dethroned
by the giant Pandafilando, but that she would find in Spain the
gallant knight of La Mancha, who would redress her wrongs, and restore
her to her throne.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. iv. 3 (1605).
=Zaraph=, the angel who loved Nama. It was Nama’s desire to love
intensely and to love holily, but as she fixed her love on an angel
and not on God, she was doomed to abide on earth till the day of
consummation; then both Nama and Zaraph will be received in the realms
of everlasting love.--T. Moore, _Loves of the Angels_ (1822).
=Zauberflöte= (_Die_), a magic flute, which had the power of inspiring
love. When bestowed by the powers of darkness, the love it inspired
was sensual love; but when by the powers of light, it became
subservient to the very highest and holiest purposes. It guided
Tami´no and Pami´na through all worldly dangers to the knowledge of
divine truth (or the mysteries of Isis).--Mozart, _Die Zauberflöte_
(1791).
=Zayde=, the chief character in a French romance by Mde. Lafayette
(seventeenth century).
=Zeal= (_Arabella_), in Shadwell’s comedy _The Fair Quaker of Deal_
(1617).
This comedy was altered by E. Thompson in 1720.
=Zedekiah=, one of General Harrison’s servants.--Sir W. Scott,
_Woodstock_ (time, Commonwealth).
=Ze´gris and the Abencerra´ges= [_A´.ven.ce.rah´.ke_], an historical
romance, professing to be history, and printed at Alca´la in 1604. It
was extremely popular, and had a host of imitations.
=Zeid=, Mahomet’s freedman. “The prophet” adopted him as his son, and
gave him Zeinab (or Zenobia) for a wife; but falling in love with her
himself, Zeid gave her up to the prophet. She was Mahomet’s cousin,
and within the prohibited degrees, according to the _Korân_.
=Zeinab= or ZENOBIA, wife of Zeid, Mahomet’s freedman and adopted son.
As Mahomet wished to have her, Zeid resigned her to the prophet.
Zeinab was the daughter of Amîma, Mahomet’s aunt.
_Zei´nab_ (2 _syl._), wife of Hodei´rah (3 _syl._), an Arab. She lost
her husband and all her children, except one, a boy named Thal´aba.
Weary of life, the angel of death took her, while Thalaba was yet a
youth.--Southey, _Thalaba, the Destroyer_ (1797).
=Zeleu´cus= or =Zaleucus=, a Locrensian lawgiver, who enacted that
adulterers should be deprived of their eyes. His own son being proved
guilty, Zeleucus pulled out one of his own eyes, and one of his son’s
eyes, that “two eyes might be paid to the law.”--Valerius Maximus, _De
Factis Dictisque_, v. 5, exl. 3.
How many now will tread Zeleucus’ steps?
G. Gascoigne, _The Steele Glas_ (died 1577).
=Zeli´ca=, the betrothed of Azim. When it was rumored that he had been
slain in battle, Zelĭca joined the harem of the Veiled Prophet as “one
of the elect of paradise.” Azim returned from the wars, discovered her
retreat, and advised her to flee with him, but she told him that she
was now the prophet’s bride. After the death of the prophet Zelica
assumed his veil, and Azim, thinking the veiled figure to be the
prophet, rushed on her and killed her.--T. Moore, _Lalla Rookh_ (“The
Veiled Prophet,” etc., 1817).
=Zelis=, the daughter of a Persian officer. She was engaged to a man
in the middle age of life, but just prior to the wedding he forsook
her for a richer bride. The father of Zelis challenged him, but was
killed. Zelis now took lodging with a courtezan, and went with her to
Italy; but when she discovered the evil courses of her companion she
determined to become a nun, and started by water for Rome. She was
taken captive by corsairs, and sold from master to master, till at
length Hingpo rescued her, and made her his wife.--Goldsmith, _A
Citizen of the World_ (1759).
=Zelma´ne= (3 _syl._), the assumed name of Pyr´oclês, when he put on
female attire.--Sir Philip Sidney, _Arcadia_ (1590).
Sir Philip has preserved such a matchless decorum that Pyroclês’
manhood suffers no stain for the effeminacy of Zelmanê.--C. Lamb.
=Zelu´co=, the only son of a noble Sicilian family, accomplished and
fascinating, but spoilt by maternal indulgence, and at length rioting
in dissipation. In spite of his gayety of manner, he is a standing
testimony that misery accompanies vice.--Dr. John Moore, _Zeluco_ (a
novel, 1786).
=Ze´mia=, one of the four who, next in authority to U´riel, preside
over our earth.--Klopstock, _The Messiah_, iii. (1748).
=Zemzem=, a fountain at Mecca. The Mohammedans say it is the very
spring which God made to slake the thirst of Ishmael, when Hagar was
driven into the wilderness by Abraham. A bottle of this water is
considered a very valuable present, even by princes.
There were also a great many bottles of water from the fountain of
Zemzem, at Mecca.--_Arabian Nights_ (“The Purveyor’s Story”).
=Zenel´ophon=, the beggar-girl who married King Cophet´ua of Africa.
She is more generally called Penel´ophon.--Tennyson, _King Cophetua
and the Beggar-maid_.
=Zenobia=, queen of Palmyra, who claimed the title of “Queen of the
East.” She was defeated by Aurelian and taken prisoner in A.D. 273.
_Zenobia_, brilliant and beautiful woman, the most striking figure in
the group of remarkable people who compose the Blithedale Farm
household. She has a dark history which she would forget in a later
love. This fails her and she drowns herself. “Being the woman that she
was, could Zenobia have foreseen all these ugly circumstances of
death, how ill it would become her ... she would no more have
committed the dreadful act than have exhibited herself to a public
assembly in a badly-fitting garment.... She was not quite simple in
her death.”--Nathaniel Hawthorne, _The Blithedale Romance_ (1850).
=Zeno´cia=, daughter of Chari´no, and the chaste troth-plight wife of
Arnoldo. While Arnoldo is wantonly loved by the rich Hippol´yta,
Zenocia is dishonorably pursued by the governor, Count
Clo´dio.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Custom of the Country_ (1647).
=Zephalinda=, a young lady who has tasted the delights of a London
season, but is taken back to her home in the country, to find
enjoyment in needlework, dull aunts, and rooks.
She went from opera, park, assembly, play,
To morning walk, and prayers three hours a day;
To part her time ’twixt reading and Bohea,
To muse, and spill her solitary tea,
O’er her cold coffee trifle with her spoon,
Count the slow clock and dine exact at noon.
Pope, _Epistle to Miss Blount_ (1715).
=Zeph´on=, a cherub who detected Satan squatting in the garden, and
brought him before Gabriel, the archangel. The word means “searcher of
secrets.” Milton makes him “the guardian angel of paradise.”
Ithuriel and Zephon, with winged speed
Search thro’ this garden, leave unsearched no nook;
But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge,
Now laid perhaps asleep, secure of harm.
Milton, _Paradise Lost_ (1665).
=Zephyr.= (See MORGANE.)
=Zerbinette= (3 _syl._), the daughter of Argante (2 _syl._), stolen
from her parents by gypsies when four years old, and brought up by
them. Léandre, the son of Seigneur Géronte fell in love with her, and
married her; but the gypsies would not give her up without being paid
£1500. Scapin wrung this money from Géronte, pretending it was to
ransom Léandre, who had been made a prisoner by some Turks who
intended to sell him in Algiers for a slave unless his ransom was
brought within two hours. The old man gave Scapin the money
grudgingly, and Scapin passed it over to the gypsies, when a bracelet
led to the discovery that Zerbinette was the daughter of Seigneur
Argante, a friend of Léandre’s father, and all parties were delighted
at the different revelations.--Molière, _Les Fourberies de Scapin_
(1671).
⁂ In the English version, called _The Cheats of Scapin_, by Thomas
Otway, Zerbinette is called “Lucia,” her father, Argante, is called
“Thrifty,” Léandre is Anglicized into “Leander,” Géronte becomes
“Gripe” and the sum of money is £200.
=Zerbi´no=, son of the king of Scotland, and intimate friend of
Orlando.--Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_ (1516).
=Zerli´na=, a rustic beauty, about to be married to Massetto, when Don
Giovanni allures her away under the promise of making her a fine
lady.--Mozart, _Don Giovanni_ (opera, 1787).
_Zerlina_, in Auber’s opera of _Fra Diavolo_ (1830).
=Zesbet=, daughter of the sage Oucha, of Jerusalem. She had four
husbands at the same time, viz., Abdal Motallab (the sage), Yaarab
(the judge), Abou´teleb (a doctor of law), and Temimdari (a soldier).
Zesbet was the mother of the Prophet Mahomet. Mahomet appeared to her
before his birth, in the form of a venerable old man, and said to her:
“You have found favor before Allah. Look upon me; I am Mahomet, the
great friend of God, he who is to enlighten the earth. Thy virtues,
Zesbet, and thy beauty have made me prefer thee to all the daughters
of Mecca. Thou shalt for the future be named Aminta [_sic_].” Then,
turning to the husbands, he said, “You have seen me; she is yours, and
you are hers. Labor then with a holy zeal to bring me into the world
to enlighten it. All men who shall follow the law which I shall preach
may have four wives; but Zesbet shall be the only woman who shall be
lawfully the wife of four husbands at once. It is the least privilege
I can grant the woman of whom I choose to be born.”--Comte Caylus,
_Oriental Tales_ (“History of the Birth of Mahomet,” 1743).
(The mother of Mahomet is generally called Amina, not Aminta.)
=Zethus=, son of Jupiter and Antiope.
=Zeus= (1 _syl._), the Greek Jupĭter. The word was once applied to the
blue firmament, the upper sky, the arch of light; but in Homeric
mythology Zeus is king of gods and men; the conscious embodiment of
the central authority and administrative intelligence which holds
states together; the supreme ruler; the sovereign source of law and
order; the fountain of justice, and final arbiter of disputes.
=Zeuxis and Parrhas´ios.= In a contest of skill Zeuxis painted some
grapes so naturally that birds pecked at them. Confident of success,
Zeuxis said to his rival, “Now let Parrhasios draw aside his curtain,
and show us _his_ production.” “You behold it already,” replied
Parrhasios, “the curtain is the picture.” Whereupon, the prize was
awarded to him, for Zeuxis had deceived the _birds_, but Parrhasios
had deceived _Zeuxis_.
MYRON’S statue of a cow was mistaken by a herd of bulls for a living
animal; and Apellês’s painting of the horse Bucephalos deceived
several mares, who ran about it neighing.
QUINTIN MATSYS, of Antwerp, fell in love with Lisa, daughter of Johann
Mandyn; but Mandyn vowed his daughter should marry only an artist.
Matsys studied painting, and brought his first picture to show Lisa.
Mandyn was not at home, but had left a picture of his favorite pupil,
Frans Floris, representing the “fallen angels,” on the easel. Quintin
painted a bee on an outstretched leg, and when Mandyn returned he
tried to brush it off, whereupon the deception was discovered. The old
man’s heart was moved, and he gave Quintin his daughter in marriage,
saying, “You are a true artist, greater than Johann Mandyn.” The
painting is in Antwerp Cathedral.
VELASQUEZ painted a Spanish admiral so true to life that King Philip
IV., entering the studio, thought the painting was the admiral, and
spoke to it as such, reproving the supposed officer for being in the
studio wasting his time, when he ought to have been with the fleet.
=Zillah=, beloved by Hamuel, a brutish sot. Zillah rejected his suit,
and Hamuel vowed vengeance. Accordingly, he gave out that Zillah had
intercourse with the devil, and she was condemned to be burnt alive.
God averted the flames, which consumed Hamuel, but Zillah stood
unharmed, and the stake to which she was bound threw forth white
roses, “the first ever seen on earth since paradise was
lost.”--Southey. (See ROSE.)
=Zimmerman= (_Adam_), the old burgher of Soleure, one of the Swiss
deputies to Charles “the Bold” of Burgundy.--Sir W. Scott, _Anne of
Geierstein_ (time, Edward IV.).
=Zim´ri=, one of the six Wise Men of the East led by the guiding star
to Jesus.
Zimri taught the people, but they treated him with contempt; yet, when
dying, he prevailed on one of them, and then expired.--Klopstock, _The
Messiah_, v. (1771).
_Zimri_, in Dryden’s satire of _Absalom and Achitophel_, is the second
duke of Buckingham. As Zimri conspired against Asa, king of Judah, _1
Kings_, xvi. 9, so the duke of Buckingham “formed parties and joined
factions.”
Some of the chiefs were princes in the land:
In the first rank of these did Zimri stand--
A man so various that he seemed to be
Not one, but all mankind’s epitomê;
Stiff in opinion, always in the wrong,
Was everything by turns, and nothing long.
Pt. i. (1681).
=Zine´bi= (_Mohammed_), king of Syria, tributary to the caliph
Haroun-al-Raschid; of very humane disposition.--_Arabian Nights_
(“Ganem, the Slave of Love”).
=Zineu´ra=, in Boccaccio’s _Decameron_ (day 11, Nov. 9), is the
“Imogen” of Shakespeare’s _Cymbeline_. She assumed male attire with
the name of Sicurano da Finalê (Imogen assumed male attire and the
name Fidelê); Zineura’s husband was Bernard Lomellin, and the villain
was Ambrose (Imogen’s husband was Posthŭmus Leonātus, and the villain
Iachimo). In Shakespeare, the British king Cymbeline takes the place
assigned by Boccaccio to the sultan.
=Ziska= or =Zizka=, John of Trocznov, a Bohemian nobleman, leader of
the Hussites. He fought under Henry V. at Agincourt. His sister had
been seduced by a monk; and whenever he heard the shriek of a Catholic
at the stake, he called it “his sister’s bridal song.” The story goes
that he ordered his skin at death to be made into a drum-head
(1360-1427).
⁂ Some say that John of Trocznov was called “Ziska” because he was
“one-eyed;” but that is a mistake--Ziska was a family name, and does
not mean “one-eyed,” either in the Polish or Bohemian language.
For every page of paper shall a hide
Of yours be stretched as parchment on a drum
Like Ziska’s skin, to beat alarm to all
Refractory vassals.
Byron, _Werner_, i. (1822).
But be it as it is, the time may come
His name [_Napoleon’s_] shall beat th’ alarm like Ziska’s drum.
Byron, _Age of Bronze_, iv. (1819).
=Zobeide= [_Zo-bay´de_], half-sister of Amīnê. She had two sisters,
who were turned into little black dogs by way of punishment for
casting Zobeidê and the prince from the petrified city into the sea.
Zobeidê was rescued by the fairy serpent, who had metamorphosed the
two sisters, and Zobeidê was enjoined to give the two dogs a hundred
lashes every day. Ultimately, the two dogs were restored to their
proper forms, and married two calenders, sons of kings; Zobeidê
married the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid; and Aminê was restored to Amin,
the caliph’s son, to whom she was already married.--_Arabian Nights_
(“History of Zobeidê”).
While the caliph was absent from Bagdad, Zobeidê caused his
favorite (named Fetnab) to be buried alive, for which she was
divorced.--_Arabian Nights_ (“Ganem, the Slave of Love”).
=Zohak=, the giant who keeps the “mouth of hell.” He was the fifth of
the Pischdadian dynasty, and was a lineal descendant of Shedâd, king
of Ad. He murdered his predecessor, and invented both flaying men
alive and killing them by crucifixion. The devil kissed him on the
shoulders, and immediately two serpents grew out of his back and fed
constantly upon him. He was dethroned by the famous blacksmith of
Ispahan´, and appointed by the devil to keep hell-gate.--D’Herbelot,
_Bibliothèque Orientale_ (1697).
=Zohara=, the queen of love, and mother of mischief. When Harût and
Marût were selected by the host of heaven to be judges on earth, they
judged righteous judgment till Zohara, in the shape of a lovely woman,
appeared before them with her complaint. They then both fell in love
with her and tried to corrupt her, but she flew from them to heaven;
and the two angel-judges were for ever shut out.
The Persian Magi have a somewhat similar tradition of these two
angels, but add that after their “fall,” they were suspended by the
feet, head downwards, in the territory of Babel.
The Jews tell us that Shamhozai, “the judge of all earth,” debauched
himself with women, repented, and by way of penance was suspended by
the feet, head downwards, between heaven and earth.--Bereshit rabbi
(in _Gen._ vi. 2).
=Zohauk=, the Nubian slave; a disguise assumed by Sir Kenneth.--Sir W.
Scott, _The Talisman_ (time, Richard I.).
=Zoilos= (in Latin _Zoïlus_), a grammarian, witty, shrewd and
spiteful. He was nicknamed “Homer’s Scourge” (_Homēro-mastix_),
because he assailed the _Iliad_ and _Odyssey_ with merciless severity.
He also flew at Plato, Isoc´ratês, and other high game.
_The Sword of Zoïlos_, the pen of a critic.
=Zoilus.= J. Dennis, the critic whose attack on Pope produced _The
Dunciad_, was so called (1657-1733).
=Zoleikha= (3 _syl._), Potiphar’s wife.--Sale, _Al Korân_, xii.
(note).
=Zophiel= [_Zo.fel_], “of cherubim the swiftest wing.” The word means
“God’s spy.” Zophiel brings word to the heavenly host that the rebel
crew are preparing a second and fiercer attack.
Zophiel, of cherubim the swiftest wing,
Came flying, and in mid-air aloud thus cried:
“Arm, warriors, arm for fight.”
Milton, _Paradise Lost_ (1665).
=Zorai´da= (3 _syl._), a Moorish lady, daughter of Agimora´to, the
richest man in Barbary. On being baptized she had received the name of
Maria; and, eloping with a Christian captive, came to
Andalusi´a.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. iv. 9-11 (“The Captive,”
1605).
=Zorphee= (2 _syl._), a fairy in the romance of _Amadis de Gaul_
(thirteenth century).
=Zosimus=, the patriarch of the Greek Church.--Sir W. Scott, _Count
Robert of Paris_ (time, Rufus).
=Zuleika= [_Zu.lee´.kah_], daughter of Giaffer [_Djaf´fir_], pacha of
Aby´dos. Falling in love with Selim, her cousin, she flees with him,
and promises to be his bride; but the father tracks the fugitives and
shoots Selim, whereupon Zuleika dies of a broken heart.--Byron, _Bride
of Abydos_ (1813).
Never was a faultless character more delicately or more justly
delineated than that of Lord Byron’s “Zuleika.” Her piety, her
intelligence, her strict sense of duty, and her undeviating love of
truth, appear to have been originally blended in her mind, rather than
inculcated by education. She is always natural, always attractive,
always affectionate; and it must be admitted that her affections are
not unworthily bestowed.--George Ellis.
=Zulichium= (_The enchanted princess of_), in the story told by
Agelastes, the cynic, to Count Robert.--Sir W. Scott, _Count Robert of
Paris_ (time, Rufus).
=Zulzul=, the sage whose life was saved in the form of a rat by Gedy,
the youngest of the four sons of Corcud. Zulzul gave him, in
gratitude, two poniards, by the help of which he could climb the
highest tree or most inaccessible castle.--Gueulette, _Chinese Tales_
(“Corcud and His Four Sons,” 1723).
[Illustration]
APPENDICES.
APPENDIX I.
----------
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN BIBLIOGRAPHY.