Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 29

BAILIFF'S DAUGHTER OF ISLINGTON (in Norfolk). A squire's son loved the bailiff's daughter, but she gave him no encouragement, and his friends sent him to London "an apprentice for to binde." After the lapse of seven years, the bailiff's daughter, "in ragged attire," set out to walk to London, "her true love to inquire." The young man on horseback met her, but knew her not. "One penny, one penny, kind sir!" she said. "Where were you born?" asked the young man. "At Islington," she replied. "Then prithee, sweetheart, do you know the bailiff's daughter there?" "She's dead, sir, long ago." On hearing this the young man declared he'd live an exile in some foreign land. "Stay, oh stay, thou goodly youth," the maiden cried, "she is not really dead, for I am she." "Then farewell grief and welcome joy, for I have found my true love, whom I feared I should never see again."--Percy, _Relics of English Poetry_, ii. 8.

BAILZOU _(Ann'aple)_, the nurse of Effie Deans in her confinement.--Sir W. Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, George II.).

BAJAR'DO, Rinaldo's steed.--Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_ (1516).

BAJA'ZET, surnamed "The Thunderbolt" (_ilderim_), sultan of Turkey.

After subjugating Bulgaria, Macedonia, Thessaly, and Asia Minor, he laid siege to Constantinople, but was taken captive by Tamerlane emperor of Tartary. He was fierce as a wolf, reckless, and indomitable. Being asked by Tamerlane how he would have treated him had their lots been reversed, "Like a dog," he cried. "I would have made you my footstool when I mounted my saddle, and when your services were not needed would have chained you in a cage like a wild beast."

Tamerlane replied, "Then to show you the difference of my spirit, I shall treat you as a king." So saying, he ordered his chains to be struck off, gave him one of the royal tents, and promised to restore him to his throne if he would lay aside his hostility. Bajazet abused this n.o.ble generosity; plotted the a.s.sa.s.sination of Tamerlane; and bow-strung Mone'ses. Finding clemency of no use, Tamerlane commanded him to be used "as a dog, and to be chained in a cage like a wild beast."--N. Rowe, _Tamerlane_ (a tragedy, 1702).

_Bajazet_, a black page at St. James's Palace.--Sir W. Scott, _Peveril of the Peak_ (time, Charles II.).

BAKER (_The_), and the "Baker's Wife." Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette were so called by the revolutionary party, because on the 6th October, 1789, they ordered a supply of bread to be given to the mob which surrounded the palace at Versailles, clamoring for bread.

BA'LAAM (2 _syl._), the earl of Huntingdon, one of the rebels in the army of the duke of Monmouth.

And, therefore in the name of dulness, be The well-hung Balaam.

Dryden, _Absalom and Achitophel_.

_Ba'laam_, a "citizen of sober fame," who lived near the monument of London. While poor he was "religious, punctual, and frugal;" but when he became rich and got knighted, he seldom went to church, became a courtier, "took a bribe from France," and was hung for treason.--Pope, _Moral Essays_, iii.

BALAAM AND JOSAPHAT, a religious novel by Johannes Damascenus, son of Almansur. (For plot, see JOSAPHAT.)

BALACK, Dr. Burnet, bishop of Salisbury, who wrote a history called _Burnet's Own Time_, and _History of the Reformation_.--Dryden and Tate, _Absalom and Achitophel_, ii.

BALAFRe (_Le_), _alias_ Ludovic Lesly, an old archer of the Scottish Guard at Plessis les Tours, one of the castle palaces of Louis XI. Le Balafre is uncle to Quentin Durward.--Sir W. Scott, _Quentin Durward_ (time, Edward IV.).

Henri, son of Francois second duke of Gruise, was called _Le Balafre_ ("the gashed"), from a frightful scar in the face from a sword-cut in the battle of Dormans (1575).

BALaM', the ox on which the faithful feed in paradise. The fish is called Nun, the lobes of whose liver will suffice for 70,000 men.

BALAN', brother of Balyn or Balin le Savage, two of the most valiant knights that the world ever produced.--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_, i. 31 (1470).

_Balan_, "the bravest and strongest of all the giant race." Am'adis de Gaul rescued Gabrioletta from his hands.--Vasco de Lobeira, _Amadis de Gaul_, iv. 129 (fourteenth century).

BALANCE (_Justice_), father of Sylvia. He had once been in the army, and as he had run the gauntlet himself, he could make excuses for the wild pranks of young men.--G. Farquhar, _The Recruiting Officer_ (1704).

BA'LAND OF SPAIN, a man of gigantic strength, who called himself Fierabras.--_Mediaeval Romance_.

BALATSU-USUR, the name given to the captive Jew Daniel in Babylon, meaning "May Bel protect his life!"

Prostrate upon his royal face, prostrate before the court, the queen, the people--down like a pleading conscience or a suppliant faith, Nebuchadrezzar the Great lay in the dust, and worshipped him right royally.

"_Thou_ art the Master of the Magicians!" said the king. "For thou commandest the power of thy G.o.d and thou controllest the spirit of man!" ...

Plain moral purity and religious fervor had done for the young man what a lifetime of political scheming had failed to do for many a grey-headed disappointed adventurer. Then, as in all ages, intrigue regarded the success of sincerity with astonishment.--_The Master of the Magicians_, by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps and Herbert D. Ward (1890).

BALCHRIS'TIE (_Jenny_), housekeeper to the laird of Dumbiedikes.--Sir W. Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, George II.).

BALDa.s.sA'RE (4 _syl._) chief of the monastery of St. Jacopo di Compostella.--Donizetti's opera, _La Favorite_ (1842).

BAL'DER, the G.o.d of light, peace, and day, was the young and beautiful son of Odin and Frigga. His palace, Briedablik ("wide-shining"), stood in the Milky Way. He was slain by Hoder, the blind old G.o.d of darkness and night, but was restored to life at the general request of the G.o.ds.--_Scandinavian Mythology_.

Balder the beautiful, G.o.d of the summer sun.

Longfellow, _Tegnier's Death_.

(Sydney Dobell has a poem ent.i.tled _Balder_, published in 1854.)

BAL'DERSTONE (_Caleb_), the favorite old butler of the master of Ravenswood, at Wolf's Crag Tower. Being told to provide supper for the laird of Bucklaw, he pretended that there were fat capon and good store in plenty, but all he could produce was "the hinder end of a mutton ham that had been three times on the table already, and the heel of a ewe-milk kebbuck [_cheese_]" (ch. vii.).--Sir W. Scott, _Bride of Lammermoor_ (time, William III.).

BALDRICK, an ancestor of the lady Eveline Berenger "the betrothed." He was murdered, and lady Eveline a.s.sured Rose Flammock that she had seen his ghost frowning at her.--Sir W. Scott, _The Betrothed_ (time, Henry II.).

BAL'DRINGHAM (_The lady Ermengarde of_), great-aunt of lady Eveline Berenger "the betrothed."--Sir W. Scott, _The Betrothed_ (time, Henry II.).

BALDWIN, the youngest and comeliest of Charlemagne's paladins, nephew of sir Roland.

_Baldwin_, the restless and ambitious duke of Bologna, leader of 1200 horse in the allied Christian army. He was G.o.dfrey's brother, and very like him, but not so tall.--Ta.s.so, _Jerusalem Delivered_ (1575).

He is introduced by sir Walter Scott in _Count Robert of Paris_.

_Baldwin_. So the a.s.s is called in the beast-epic ent.i.tled _Reynard the Fox_ (the word means "bold friend"). In pt. iii. he is called "Dr." Baldwin (1498).

_Bald'win_, tutor of Rollo ("the b.l.o.o.d.y brother") and Otto, dukes of Normandy, and sons of Sophia. Baldwin was put to death by Rollo, because Hamond slew Gisbert the chancellor with an axe and not with a sword. Rollo said that Baldwin deserved death "for teaching Hamond no better."--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The b.l.o.o.d.y Brother_ (1639).

_Baldwin (Count)_, a fatal example of paternal self-will. He doted on his elder son Biron, but because he married against his inclination, disinherited him, and fixed all his love on Carlos his younger son.

Biron fell at the siege of Candy, and was supposed to be dead. His wife Isabella mourned for him seven years, and being on the point of starvation, applied to the count for aid, but he drove her from his house as a dog. Villeroy (2 _syl._) married her, but Biron returned the following day. Carlos, hearing of his brother's return, employed ruffians to murder him, and then charged Villeroy with the crime; but one of the ruffians impeached, Carlos was arrested, and Isabella, going mad, killed herself. Thus was the wilfulness of Baldwin the source of infinite misery. It caused the death of his two sons, as well as of his daughter-in-law.--Thomas Southern, _The Fatal Marriage_ (1692).

_Baldwin_, archbishop of Canterbury (1184-1190), introduced by sir W.

Scott in his novel called _The Betrothed_ (time, Henry II.).

BALDWINDE OYLEY, esquire of sir Brian de Bois Guilbert (Preceptor of the Knights Templars).--Sir W. Scott, _Ivanhoe_ (time, Richard I.).

BALIN (_Sir_), or "Balin le Savage," knight of the two swords. He was a Northumberland knight, and being taken captive, was imprisoned six months by king Arthur. It so happened that a damsel girded with a sword came to Camelot at the time of sir Balin's release, and told the king that no man could draw it who was tainted with "shame, treachery, or guile." King Arthur and all his knights failed in the attempt, but sir Balin drew it readily. The damsel begged him for the sword, but he refused to give it to any one. Whereupon the damsel said to him, "That sword shall be thy plague, for with it shall ye slay your best friend, and it shall also prove your own death." Then the Lady of the Lake came to the king, and demanded the sword, but sir Balin cut off her head with it, and was banished from the court. After various adventures he came to a castle where the custom was for every guest to joust. He was accommodated with a shield, and rode forth to meet his antagonist. So fierce was the encounter that both the combatants were slain, but Balin lived just long enough to learn that his antagonist was his dearly beloved brother Balan, and both were buried in one tomb.--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_, i. 27-44 (1470).

"The Book of Sir Balin le Savage" is part i. ch. 27 to 44 (both inclusive) of sir T. Malory's _History of Prince Arthur_.

BALINVERNO, one of the leaders in Agramant's allied army.--Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_ (1516).

BA'LIOL (_Edward_), usurper of Scotland, introduced in _Redgauntlet_, a novel by sir W. Scott (time, George II.).

_Ba'liol (Mrs.)_, friend of Mr. Croftangry, in the introductory chapter of _The Fair Maid of Perth_, a novel by sir W. Scott (time, Henry IV.).

_Ba'liol (Mrs. Martha Bethune)_, a lady of quality and fortune, who had a house called Baliol Lodging, Canongate, Edinburgh. At her death she left to her cousin Mr. Croftangry two series of tales called _The Chronicles of Canongate (q.v.)_, which he published.--Sir W. Scott, _The Highland Widow_ (introduction, 1827).

BALISAR'DA, a sword made in the garden of Orgagna by the sorceress Faleri'na; it would cut through even enchanted substances, and was given to Roge'ro for the express purpose of "dealing Orlando's death."--Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_, xxv. 15 (1516).

He knew with Balisarda's lightest blows, Nor helm, nor shield, nor cuira.s.s could avail, Nor strongly tempered plate, nor twisted mail.