Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 98

Remember Dhu'lnun, when he departed in wrath, and thought that we could not exercise our power over him.--_Al Koran_, xxi.

DIAFOIRUS (_Thomas_), son of Dr. Diafoirus. He is a young medical milksop, to whom Argan has promised his daughter Angelique in marriage. Diafoirus pays his compliments in cut-and-dried speeches, and on one occasion, being interrupted in his remarks, says, "Madame, vous m'avez interrompu dans le milieu de ma periode, et cela m'a trouble la memoire." His father says, "Thomas, reservez cela pour une autre fois." Angelique loves Cleante (2 _syl_.), and Thomas Diafoirus goes to the wall.

Il n'a jamais eu l'imagination bien vive, ni ce feu d'esprit qu'on remarque dans quelques uns,.... Lorsqui'il etait pet.i.t, il n'a jamais ete ce qu'on appelle mievre et eveille; on le voyait toujours doux, paisible, et taciturne, ne disant jamais mot, et ne jouant jamais a tons ces pet.i.ts jeux que l'on nomme enfantins.--Moliere, _Le Malade Imaginaire_, ii.6 (1673).

DI'AMOND, one of three brothers, sons of the fairy Agape. Though very strong, he was slain in single fight by Cambalo. His brothers were Pri'amond and Tri'amond.--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, iv. (1596).

DIAMOND JOUSTS, nine jousts inst.i.tuted by Arthur, and so called because a diamond was the prize. These nine diamonds were all won by Sir Launcelot, who presented them to the queen, but Guinevere, in a tiff, flung them into the river which ran by the palace.--Tennyson, _Idylls of the King_ ("Elaine").

DIAMOND SWORD, a magic sword given by the G.o.d Syren to the king of the Gold Mines.

She gave him a sword made of one entire diamond, that gave as great l.u.s.tre as the sun.--Comtesse D'Aunoy, _Fairy Tales_ ("The Yellow Dwarf," 1682).

DIANA, the heroine and t.i.tle, a pastoral of Montemayor, imitated from the _Daphnis_ and _Chloe_ of Longos (fourteenth century).

_Dian'a_, daughter of the widow of Florence with whom Hel'ena lodged on her way to the shrine of St. Jacques le Grand. Count Bertram wantonly loved Diana, but the modest girl made this attachment the means of bringing about a reconciliation between Bertram and his wife Helena.--Shakespeare, _All's Well that Ends Well_ (1598).

DIAN'A DE LASCOURS, daughter of Ralph and Louise de Lascours, and sister of Martha, _alias_ Ogari'la. Diana was betrothed to Horace de Brienne, whom she resigns to Martha.--E. Stirling, _The Orphan of the Frozen Sea_ (1856).

DIAN'A THE INEXORABLE. (1) She slew Orion with one of her arrows, for daring to make love to her. (2) She changed Actaeon into a stag and set her own dogs on him to worry him to death, because he chanced to look upon her while bathing. (3) She shot with her arrows the six sons and six daughters of Niobe, because the fond mother said she was happier than Latona, who had only two children.

Dianae non movenda numina.

Horace, _Epode_, xvii.

DIANA THE SECOND OF SALMANTIN, a pastoral romance by Gil Polo.

"We will preserve that book," said the cure, "as carefully as if Apollo himself had been its author."--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. i.

6 (1605).

DIANA _(the Temple of_), at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of antiquity, was set on fire by Herostratos to immortalize his name.

DIANA OF THE STAGE, Mrs. Anne Brace-girdle (1663-1748).

DIAN'A'S FORESTERS, "minions of the moon," "Diana's knights," etc., highwaymen.

Marry, then, sweet wag, when thou art king, let not us that are "squires of the night's body"

be called _thieves_ ... let us be "Diana's foresters,"

"Gentlemen of the shade," "minions of the moon."--Shakespeare, I _Henry IV_. act i. sc. 2 (1597).

DIANO'RA, wife of Gilberto of Friu'li, but amorously loved by Ansaldo.

In order to rid herself of his importunities, she vowed never to yield to his suit till he could "make her garden at midwinter as gay with flowers as it was in summer" (meaning _never_). Ansaldo, by the aid of a magician, accomplished the appointed task; but when the lady told him that her husband insisted on her keeping her promise, Ansaldo, not to be outdone in generosity, declined to take advantage of his claim, and from that day forth was the firm and honorable friend of Gilberto.--Bocaccio, _Decameron_, x.5.

The _Franklin's Tale_ of Chaucer is substantially the same story. (See DORIGEN).

DIARMAID, noted for his "beauty spot," which he covered up with his cap; for if any woman chanced to see it, she would instantly fall in love with him.--Campbell, _Tales of the West Highlands_ ("Diarmaid and Grainne").

DIAV'OLO (_Fra_), Michele Pezza, Insurgent of Calabria (1760-1806).--Auber, _Fra Diavolo_ (libretto by Scribe, 1836).

DIBBLE (_Davie_), gardener at Monkbarns.--Sir W. Scott, _Antiquary_ (time, George III.).

_Dibu'tades_ (4 _syl_.), a potter of Sicyon, whose daughter traced on the wall her lover's shadow, cast there by the light of a lamp. This, it is said, is the origin of portrait painting. The father applied the same process to his pottery, and this, it is said, is the origin of sculpture in relief.

Will the arts ever have a lovelier origin than that fair daughter of Dibutades tracing the beloved shadow on the wall!--Ouida, _Ariadne_, i. 6.

DICAE'A, daughter of Jove, the "accusing angel" of cla.s.sic mythology.

Forth stepped the just Dicaea, full of rage.

Phineas Fletcher, _The Purple Island_, vi. (1633).

DICCON THE BEDLAMITE, a half-mad mendicant, both knave and thief. A specimen of the metre will be seen by part of Diccon's speech:

Many amyle have I walked, divers and sundry waies, And many a good man's house have I bin at in my dais; Many a gossip's cup in my tyme have I tasted, And many a broche and spyt have I both turned and basted ...

When I saw it booted nit, out at doores I hyed mee, And caught a slyp of bacon when I saw none spyd mee Which I intend not far hence, unless my purpose fayle, Shall serve for a shooing home to draw on two pots of ale.

_Gammer Gurton's Needle_ (1575).

DICIL'LA, one of Logistilla's handmaids, noted for her chast.i.ty.--Ariosto, _Orlanda Furioso_ (1516).

d.i.c.k, ostler at the Seven Stars inn, York.--Sir W. Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, Greorge II.).

_d.i.c.k_, called "The Devil's d.i.c.k of h.e.l.lgarth;" a falconer and follower of the earl of Douglas.--Sir W. Scott, _Fair Maid of Perth_ (time, Henry IV.).

_d.i.c.k (Mr.)_, an amiable, half-witted man, devoted to David's "aunt,"

Miss Betsey Trotwood, who thinks him a prodigious genius. Mr. d.i.c.k is especially mad on the subject of Charles I.--C. d.i.c.kens, _David Copperfield_ (1849).

d.i.c.k AMLET, the son of Mrs. Amlet, a rich, vulgar tradeswoman. d.i.c.k a.s.sumes the airs of a fine gentleman, and calls himself Colonel Shapely, in which character he gets introduced to Corinna, the daughter of Gripe, a rich scrivener. Just as he is about to elope, his mother makes her appearance, and the deceit is laid bare; but Mrs.

Amlet promises to give her son 10,000, and so the wedding is adjusted. d.i.c.k is a regular scamp, and wholly without principle; but being a dashing young blade, with a handsome person, he is admired by the ladies.--Sir John Vanbrugh, _The Confederacy_ (1695).

d.i.c.k SHAKEBAG, a highwayman in the gang of Captain Colepepper (the Alsatian bully).--Sir W. Scott, _Fortunes of Nigel_ (time, James I).

d.i.c.kSON (_Thomas_) farmer at Douglasdale.

_Charles d.i.c.kson_, son of the above, killed in the church.--Sir W.

Scott, _Castle Dangerous_ (time, Henry I.).

DICTA'TOR OF LETTERS, Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire, called the "Great Pan" (1694-1778).

DICTIONARY (_A Living_). Wilhelm Leibnitz (1646-1716) was so called by George I.

[Ill.u.s.tration] Longinus was called "The Living Cyclopaedia" (213-273).

[Ill.u.s.tration] Daniel Huet, chief editor of the _Delphine Cla.s.sics_, was called a _Porcus Literarum_ for his unlimited knowledge (1630-1721).