Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 97

DESDEMO'NA, daughter of Brabantio, a Venetian senator, in love with Oth.e.l.lo the Moor (general of the Venetian army). The Moor loves her intensely, and marries her; but Iago, by artful villainy, induces him to believe that she loves Ca.s.sio too well. After a violent conflict between love and jealousy, Oth.e.l.lo smothers her with a bolster, and then stabs himself.--Shakespeare, _Oth.e.l.lo_ (1611.)

The soft simplicity of Desdemona, confident of merit and conscious of innocence, her artless perseverance in her suit, and her slowness to suspect that she can be suspected, are proofs of Shakespeare's skill in human nature.--Dr. Johnson.

DESERT FAIRY _(The)_. This fairy was guarded by two lions, that could be pacified only by a cake made of millet, sugar-candy, and crocodiles' eggs. The Desert Fairy said to Allfair, "I swear by my coif you shall marry the Yellow Dwarf, or I will burn my crutch."--Comtesse D'Aunoy, _Fairy Tales_ ("The Yellow Dwarf," 1682).

DESERTED DAUGHTER _(The)_, a comedy by Holcroft. Joanna was the daughter of Mordent, but her mother died, and Mordent married Lady Anne. In order to do so he ignored his daughter and had her brought up by strangers, intending to apprentice her to some trade. Item, a money-lender, acting on the advice of Mordent, lodges the girl with Mrs. Enfield, a crimp, where Lennox is introduced to her, and obtains Mordent's consent to run away with her. In the interim Cheveril sees her, falls in love with her, and determines to marry her. Mordent repents, takes the girl home, acknowledges her to be his daughter, and she becomes the wife of the gallant young Cheveril (1784).

[Ill.u.s.tration] This comedy has been recast, and called _The Steward_.

DESERTER _(The)_, a musical drama by Dibdin (1770). Henry, a soldier, is engaged to Louisa, but during his absence some rumors of gallantry to his disadvantage reach the village, and to test his love, Louisa in pretence goes with Simkin as if to be married. Henry sees the procession, is told it is Louisa's wedding day, and in a fit of desperation gives himself up as a deserter, and is condemned to death.

Lousia goes to the king, explains the whole affair, and returns with his pardon as the m.u.f.fled drums begin to beat.

DESMAS. The repentant thief is so called in _The Story of Joseph of Arimathea_; but Dismas in the apocryphal _Gospel of Nicodemus._ Longfellow, in _The Golden Legend_, calls him Dumachus. The impenitent thief is called Gestas, but Longfellow calls him t.i.tus.

Imparibus meritis pendent tria corpora ramis: _Dismas et Gesmas_, media est Divina Potestas; Alta pet.i.t Dismas, infelix infima Gesmas; Nos et res nostras conservet Summa Potestas.

Of differing merits from three trees incline Dismas and Gesmas and the Power Divine; Dismas repents, Gesmas no pardon craves, The power Divine by death the sinner saves.

DESMONDS OF KILMALLOCK (Limerick). The legend is that the last powerful head of this family, who perished in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, still keeps his state under the waters of Lough Gur, that every seventh year he re-appears fully armed, rides round the lake early in the morning, and will ultimately return in the flesh to claim his own again. (See BARBAROSSA.)--Sir W. Scott, _Fortunes of Nigel_.

DESPAIR (_Giant_), lived in Doubting Castle. He took Christian and Hopeful captive for sleeping on his grounds, and locked them in a dark dungeon from Wednesday to Sat.u.r.day, without "one bit of bread, or drop of drink, or ray of light." By the advice of his wife, Diffidence, the giant beat them soundly "with a crab-tree cudgel." On Sat.u.r.day night Christian remembered he had a key in his bosom, called "Promise,"

which would open any lock in Doubting Castle. So he opened the dungeon door, and they both made their escape with speed.--John Bunyan, _Pilgrim's Progress_, i. (1678).

DEUCE IS IN HIM (_The_) a farce by George Colman, senior. The person referred to is Colonel Tember, under which name the plot of the farce is given (1762).

DEUGA'LA, says Ossian, "was covered with the light of beauty, but her heart was the house of pride."

DEVE'TA, plu. Devetas, inferior or secondary deities in Hindu mythology.

DEVIL (_The_). Olivier le Daim, the tool of Louis XL, and once the king's barber, was called _Le Diable_, because he was as much feared, was as fond of making mischief, and was far more disliked than the prince of evil. Olivier was executed in 1484.

_Devil (The French)_, Jean Bart, an intrepid French sailor, born at Dunkirk (1650-1702).

_Devil (The White)_. George Castriot, surnamed "Scanderbeg," was called by the Turks "The White Devil of Wallachia" (1404-1467).

_Devil (The Printer's)_. Aldus Manutius, a printer in Venice to the holy Church and the doge, employed a negro boy to help him in his office. This little black boy was believed to be an imp of Satan, and went by the name of the "printer's devil." In order to protect him from persecution, and confute a foolish superst.i.tion, Manutius made a public exhibition of the boy, and announced that "any one who doubted him to be flesh and blood might come forward and pinch him."

_Devil (Robert the)_, of Normandy; so called because his father was said to have been an incubus or fiend in the disguise of a knight (1028-1035).

[Ill.u.s.tration] Robert Francois Damiens is also called _Robert le Diable_, for his attempt to a.s.sa.s.sinate Louis XV. (1714-1757).

_Devil (Son of the)_, Ezzeli'no, chief of the Gibelins, governor of Vicenza. He was so called for his infamous cruelties (1215-1259).

DEVIL d.i.c.k, Richard Porson, the critic, (1759-1808).

DEVIL ON TWO STICKS, (_The_), that is _Le Diable Boiteux_, by Lesage (1707). The plot of this humorous satirical tale is borrowed from the Spanish, _El Diabolo Cojuelo_, by Gueva'ra (1635). Asmode'us (_le diable boiteux_) perches Don Cle'ofas on the steeple of St. Salvador, and stretching out his hand, the roofs of all the houses open, and expose to him what is being done privately in every dwelling.

_Devil on Two Sticks (The)_, a farce by S. Foote; a satire on the medical profession.

DEVIL TO PAY, (_The_), a farce by C. Coffey. Sir John Loverule has a termagant wife, and Zackel Jobson, a patient grissel. Two spirits named Nadir and Ab'ishog transform these two wives for a time, so that the termagant is given to Jobson, and the patient wife to Sir John.

When my lady tries her tricks on Jobson, he takes his strap to her and soon reduces her to obedience. After she is well reformed, the two are restored to their original husbands, and the shrew becomes an obedient, modest wife (died, 1745).

DEVIL'S AGE (_The_). A wealthy man once promised to give a poor gentleman and his wife a large sum of money if at a given time they could tell him the devil's age. When the time came, the gentleman at his wife's suggestion, plunged first into a barrel of honey and then into a barrel of feathers, and walked on all fours. Presently up came his Satanic majesty, and said, "_X and x_ years have I lived," naming the exact number, "yet never saw I an animal like this." The gentlemen had heard enough, and was able to answer the question without difficulty.--Rev. W. Webster, _Basque Legends_, 58 (1877).

DEVIL'S CHALICE (_The_). A wealthy man gave a poor farmer a large sum of money on this condition: at the end of a twelvemonth he was either to say "of what the devil made his chalice," or else give his head to the devil. The poor farmer as the time came round, hid himself in the crossroads, and presently the witches a.s.sembled from all sides. Said one witch to another, "You know that Farmer So-and-so has sold his head to the devil, for he will never know of what the devil makes his chalice. In fact I don't know myself." "Don't you?" said the other; "why, of the parings of finger-nails trimmed on Sundays."--The farmer was overjoyed, and when the time came round was quite ready with his answer.--Rev. W. Webster, _Basque Legends_, 71 (1877).

DEVIL'S d.y.k.e, BRIGHTON (_The_). One day, as St. Cuthman was walking over the South Downs, and thinking to himself how completely he had rescued the whole country from paganism, he was accosted by his sable majesty in person. "Ha, ha!" said the prince of darkness; "so you think by these churches and convents to put me and mine to your ban, do you? Poor fool! why, this very night will I swamp the whole land with the sea." "Forewarned is forearmed," thought St. Cuthman, and hies him to sister Celia, superior of a convent which then stood on the spot of the present d.y.k.e House. "Sister," said the saint, "I love you well. This night, for the grace of G.o.d, keep lights burning at the convent windows from midnight to day-break, and let ma.s.ses be said by the holy sisterhood." At sundown came the devil with pickaxe and spade, mattock: and shovel, and set to work in right good earnest to dig a d.y.k.e which should let the waters of the seas into the downs.

"Fire and brim-stone!"--he exclaimed, as a sound of voices rose and fell in sacred song--"Fire and brim-stone! What's the matter with me?" Shoulders, feet, wrists, loins, all seemed paralyzed. Down went mattock and spade, pickaxe and shovel, and just at that moment the lights at the convent windows burst forth, and the c.o.c.k, mistaking the blaze for daybreak, began to crow most l.u.s.tily. Off flew the devil, and never again returned to complete his work. The small digging he effected still remains in witness of the truth of this legend of the "Devil's d.y.k.e."

DEVIL'S PARLIAMENT (_The_), the parliament a.s.sembled by Henry VI. at Conventry, 1459. So called because it pa.s.sed attainders on the duke of York and his chief supporters.

DEVIL SACRAMENT. This blasphemous rite whereby those who would practice witchcraft were initiated into the diabolical mysteries is described by Deodat Lawson in 1704.

"At their cursed supper they were said to have red bread and red drink, and when they pressed an afflicted person to eat and drink thereof she turned away her head and spit at it, and said, 'I will not eat, I will not drink. It is blood.' ... Thus horribly doth Satan endeavor to have his kingdom and administrations to resemble those of our Lord Jesus Christ."--Deodat Lawson, _Christ's Fidelity the only Shield against Satan's Malignity_ (1704).

DEVONSHIRE, according to historic fable, is a corruption of "Debon's-share." This Debon was one of the companions of Brute, the descendent of Aene'as. He chased the giant Coulin till he came to a pit eight leagues across. Trying to leap this chasm, the giant fell backwards and lost his life.

... that ample pit, yet far renowned For the great leap which Debon did compel Coulin to make, being eight lugs of ground, Into the which retourning back he fell ...

And Debon's share was that is Devonshire.

Spenser, _Faery Queen_, ii. 10 (1590).

DE'VORGOIL (_Lady Jane_), a friend of the Hazlewood family.--Sir W.

Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time, George II.).

DEWLAP (_d.i.c.k_), an anecdote teller, whose success depended more upon his physiognomy than his wit. His chin and his paunch were his most telling points.

I found that the merit of his wit was founded upon the shaking of a fat paunch, and the tossing up of a pair of rosy jowls.--Richard Steele.

DEXTER, (_Gregory_), the typical Successful Man who is first suitor, then the generous friend of Anne Douglas, in Constance Fennimore Woolson's _Anne_.

"A little indifference to outside opinion would have made him a contented, as he was a successful man. But there was a surface of personal vanity over his better qualities which led him to desire a tribute of universal liking." (1882).

DHU (_Evan_) of Lochiel, a Highland chief in the army of Montrose.

_Mhich-Connel Dhu_. or M'Ilduy, a Highland chief in the army of Montrose.--

Sir W. Scott, _Legend of Montrose_ (time, Charles I.).

DHUL'DUL, the famous horse of Ali, son-in-law of Mahomet.

DHU'L KARNEIN ("_the two-horned_,") a true believer according to the Mohammedan notion, who built the wall to prevent the incursions of Gog and Magog.--_Al Koran_, xviii.

Commentators say the wall was built in this manner: The workman dug till they found water; and having laid the foundation of stone and melted bra.s.s, they built the superstructure of large pieces of iron, between which they packed wood and coal, till the whole equalled the height of the mountains [_of Armenia_]. Then setting fire to the combustibles, and by the use of bellows, they made the iron red hot, and poured molten bra.s.s over to fill up the interstices.

--Al Beidawi.

DHU'LNUN, the surname of Jonah.; so called because he was _swallowed by a fish_.