The height of his stature was 23,033 cubits [nearly six miles]. He used to drink water from the clouds, and toast fish by holding them before the orb of the sun. He asked Noah to take him into the ark, but Noah would not. When the flood was at its deepest, it did not reach to the knees of this giant. Og lived 3000 years, and then he was slain by the hand of Moses.Moses was himself ten cubits in stature [fifteen feet], and he took a spear ten cubits long, and threw it ten cubits high, and yet it only reached the heel of Og.... When dead, his body reached as far as the river Nile, in Egypt.
The height of his stature was 23,033 cubits [nearly six miles]. He used to drink water from the clouds, and toast fish by holding them before the orb of the sun. He asked Noah to take him into the ark, but Noah would not. When the flood was at its deepest, it did not reach to the knees of this giant. Og lived 3000 years, and then he was slain by the hand of Moses.
Moses was himself ten cubits in stature [fifteen feet], and he took a spear ten cubits long, and threw it ten cubits high, and yet it only reached the heel of Og.... When dead, his body reached as far as the river Nile, in Egypt.
Og’s mother was Enac, a daughter of Adam. Her fingers were two cubits long [one yard], and on each finger she had two sharp nails. She was devoured by wild beasts.—Maracci.
Og’s mother was Enac, a daughter of Adam. Her fingers were two cubits long [one yard], and on each finger she had two sharp nails. She was devoured by wild beasts.—Maracci.
In the satire ofAbsalom and Achitophel, by Dryden and Tate, Thomas Shadwell, who was a very large man, is called “Og.”
O´gier, the Dane, one of the paladins of the Charlemagne epoch. When 100 years old, Morgue, the fay, took him to the island of Av´alon, “hard by the terrestrial paradise;” gave him a ring which restored him to ripe manhood, a crown which made him forget his past life, and introduced him to King Arthur. Two hundred years afterwards, she sent him to defend France from the paynims, who had invaded it; and having routed the invaders, he returned to Avalon again.—Ogier, le Danois(a romance).
In a pack of French cards, Ogier, the Dane, is knave of spades. His exploits are related in theChansons de Geste; he is introduced by Ariosto inOrlando Furioso, and by Morris in hisEarthly Paradise(“August”).
Ogier’s Swords, Curtāna (“the cutter”) and Sauvagine.
Ogier’s Horse, Papillon.
Ogle(Miss), friend of Mrs. Racket; she is very jealous of young girls, and even of Mrs. Racket, because she was some six years her junior.—Mrs. Cowley,The Belle’s Stratagem(1780).
O´gleby(Lord), an old fop, vain to excess, but good-natured withal, and quite the slave of the fair sex, were they but young and fair. At the age of 70, his lordship fancied himself an Adonis, notwithstanding his qualms and his rheumatism. He required a great deal of “brushing, oiling, screwing, and winding upbefore he appeared in public,” but when fully made up, was game for the part of “lover, rake, or fine gentleman.” Lord Ogleby made his bow to Fanny Sterling, and promised to make her a countess; but the young lady had been privately married to Lovewell for four months.—Colman and Garrick,The Clandestine Marriage(1766).
O´gri, giants who fed on human flesh.
O’Groat(John), with his two brothers, Malcolm and Gavin, settled in Caithness in the reign of James IV. The families lived together in harmony for a time, and met once a year at John’s house. On one occasion a dispute arose about precedency—who was to take the head of the table, and who was to go out first. The old man said he would settle the question at the next annual muster; accordingly he made as many doors to his house as there were families, and placed his guests at a round table.
Oig M’Combich(Robin), or M’Gregor, a Highland drover, who quarrels with Harry Wakefield, an English drover, about a pasture-field, and stabs him. Being tried at Carlisle for murder, Robin is condemned to death.—Sir W. Scott,The Two Drovers(time, George III.).
Oina-Morul, daughter of Mal-Orchol, king of Fuärfed (a Scandinavian Island). Ton-Thormod asked her in marriage, and being refused by the father, made war upon him. Fingal sent his son Ossian to the aid of Mal-Orchol, and he took Ton-Thormod prisoner. The king now offered Ossian his daughter to wife, but the warrior-bard discovered that the lady had given her heart to Ton-Thormod; whereupon he resigned his claim, and brought about a happy reconciliation.—Ossian,Oina-Morul.
Oith´ona, daughter of Nuäth, betrothed to Gaul, son of Morni, and the day of their marriage was fixed; but before the time arrived, Fingal sent for Gaul to aid him in an expedition against the Britons. Gaul promised Oithona, if he survived, to return by a certain day. Lathmon, the brother of Oithona, was called away from home at the same time, to attend his father on an expedition; so the damsel was left alone in Dunlathmon. It was now that Dunrommath, lord of Uthal (one of the Orkneys) came and carried her off by force to Trom´athon, a desert island, where he concealed her in a cave. Gaul returned on the day appointed, heard of the rape, sailed for Trom´athon, and found the lady, who told him her tale of woe; but scarcely had she ended when Dunrommath entered the cave with his followers. Gaul instantly fell on him, and slew him. While the battle was raging, Oithona, arrayed as a warrior, rushed into the thickest of the fight, and was slain. When Gaul had cut off the head of Dunrommath, he saw what he thought a youth dying of a wound, and taking off the helmet, perceived it was Oithona. She died, and Gaul returned disconsolate to Dunlathmon.—Ossian,Oithona.
Okba, one of the sorcerers in the caves of Dom-Daniel “under the roots of the ocean.” It was decreed by fate that one of the race of Hodei´rah (3syl.), would be fatal to the sorcerers; so Okba was sent forth to kill the whole race, both root and branch. He succeeded in cutting off eight of them, but Thal´aba contrived to escape. Abdaldar was sent to hunt down the survivor, but was himself killed by a simoom.
“Curse on thee, Okba!” Khawla cried....“Okba, wert thou weak of heart?Okba, wert thou blind of eye?Thy fate and ours were on the lot ...Thou hast let slip the reins of Destiny.Curse thee, curse thee, Okba!”Southey,Thalaba, the Destroyer, ii. 7 (1797).
O’Kean(Lieutenant), a quondam admirer of Mrs. Margaret Bertram, of Singleside.—Sir W. Scott,Guy Mannering(time, George II.).
Olave, brother of Norma, and grandfather of Minna and Brenda Troil.—Sir W. Scott,The Pirate(time, William III.).
Old Bags.John Scott, Lord Eldon; so called because he carried home with him in sundry bags the cases pending his judgment (1751-1838).
Old Bona Fide(2syl.), Louis XIV. (1638, 1643-1715).
Old Curiosity Shop(The), a tale by C. Dickens (1840). An old man, having run through his fortune, opened a curiosity shop in order to earn a living, and brought up a granddaughter, named Nell [Trent], 14 years of age. The child was the darling of the old man, but, deluding himself with the hope of making a fortune by gaming, he lost everything, and went forth, with the child, a beggar. Their wanderings and adventures are recounted till they reach a quiet country village, where the old clergyman gives them a cottage to live in. Here Nell soon dies, and the grandfather is found dead upon her grave. The main character, next to Nell, is that of a lad named Kit [Nubbles], employed in the curiosity shop, who adored Nell as “an angel.” This boy gets in the service of Mr. Garland, a genial, benevolent, well-to-do man in the suburbs of London; but Quilp hates the lad, and induces Brass, a solicitor of Bevis Marks, to put a £5 bank-note in the boy’s hat, and then accuse him of theft. Kit is tried, and condemned to transportation, but the villainy being exposed by a girl-of-all-work, nicknamed “The Marchioness,” Kit is liberated and restored to his place, and Quilp drowns himself.
Old Cutty Soames(1syl.), the fairy of the mine.
Old Fox(The), Marshal Soult; so called from his strategic abilities and never-failing resources (1769-1851).
Old Glory, Sir Francis Burdett; so called by the radicals, because at one time he was their leader. In his later years Sir Francis joined the tories (1770-1844).
Old Grog, Admiral Edward Vernon; so called from his wearing a grogram coat in foul weather (1684-1757).
Old Harry, the devil. The Hebrewseirim(“hairy ones”) is translated “devils” inLev.xvii. 7, probably meaning “he-goats.”
Old Hickory.General Andrew Jackson was so called in 1813. He was first called “Tough,” then “Tough as Hickory,” then “Hickory,” and lastly “Old Hickory.”
Old Humphrey, the pseudonym of George Mogridge, of London (died 1854).
Old Maid(The), a farce by Murphy (1761). Miss Harlow is the “old maid,” aged 45, living with her brother and his bride, a beautiful young woman of 23. A young man of fortune, having seen them at Ranelagh, falls in love with the younger lady; and, inquiring their names, is told they are “Mrs. and Miss Harlow.” He takes it for granted that the elder lady is the mother, and the younger the daughter, so asks permission to pay his addresses to “Miss Harlow.” The request is granted, but it turns out that the young man meant Mrs. Harlow; and the worst of the matter is that the elder spinster was engaged to be married to Captain Cape, but turned him off for the younger man; and, when the mistake was discovered, was left like the last rose of summer to “pine on the stem,” for neither felt inclined to pluck and wear the flower.
Old Maids, a comedy by S. Knowles (1841). The “old maids” are Lady Blanche and Lady Anne, two young ladies who resolved to die old maids. Their resolutions, however, are but ropes of sand, for Lady Blanche falls in love with Colonel Blount, and Lady Anne with Sir Philip Brilliant.
Old Man(An), Sir Francis Bond Head, Bart., who published hisBubbles from the Brunnen of Nassauunder this signature.
Old Man Eloquent(The), Isoc´ratês, the orator. The defeat of the Athenians at Cheronæ´a had such an effect on his spirits that he languished and died within four days, in the 99th year of his age.
... that dishonest victoryAt Cheronæa, fatal to liberty,Killed with report that Old Man Eloquent.Milton,Sonnet, ix.
The samesobriquetwas freely applied to John Quincy Adams.
Old Man of the Mountains, Hussan-ben-Sabah, sheik al Jebal; also called subah of Nishapour, the founder of the band (1090). Two letters are inserted in Rymer’sFœderaby Dr. Adam Clarke, the editor, said to be written by this sheik.
Aloaddin, “prince of the Assassins” (thirteenth century).
Old Man of the Sea(The), a monster which contrived to get on the back of Sindbad the sailor, and refused to dismount. Sindbad at length made him drunk, and then shook him off.—Arabian Nights(“Sindbad the Sailor,” fifth voyage).
Old Man of the Sea(The), Phorcus. He had three daughters, with only one eye and one tooth between ’em.—Greek Mythology.
Old Manor-House(The), a novel by Charlotte Smith. Mrs. Rayland is the lady of the manor (1793).
Old Moll, the beautiful daughter of John Overie or Audery (contracted into Overs) a miserly ferryman. “Old Moll” is a standing toast with the parish officers of St. Mary Overs’.
Old Mortality, the best of Scott’s historical novels (1716). Morton is the best of his young heroes, and serves as an excellent foil to the fanatical and gloomy Burley. The two classes of actors, viz., the brave and dissolute cavaliers, and the resolute, oppressed covenanters, are drawn in bold relief. The most striking incidents are the terrible encounter with Burley in his rocky fastness; the dejection and anxiety of Morton on his return from Holland; and the rural comfort of Cuddie Headrigg’s cottage on the banks of the Clyde, with its thin blue smoke among thetrees, “showing that the evening meal was being made ready.”
Old Mortalityalways appeared to me the “Marmion” of Scott’s novels.—Chambers,English Literature, ii. 587.
Old Mortalityalways appeared to me the “Marmion” of Scott’s novels.—Chambers,English Literature, ii. 587.
Old Mortality, an itinerant antiquary, whose craze is to clean the moss from gravestones, and keep their letters and effigies in good condition.—Sir W. Scott,Old Mortality(time, Charles II.).
***The prototype of “Old Mortality” was Robert Patterson.
Old Noll, Oliver Cromwell (1590-1658).
Old Noll’s Fiddler, Sir Roger Lestrange, who played the base-viol at the musical parties held at John Hingston’s house, where Oliver Cromwell was a constant guest.
Old Rowley, Charles II., so called from his favorite race-horse (1630, 1660-1685).
Old Stone.Henry Stone, statuary and painter (died 1653).
Oldboy(Colonel), a manly retired officer, fond of his glass, and not averse to a little spice of the Lothario spirit.
Lady Mary Oldboy, daughter of Lord Jessamy, and wife of the colonel. A sickly nonentity, “ever complaining, ever having something the matter with her head, back, or legs.” Afraid of the slightest breath of wind, jarred by a loud voice, and incapable of the least exertion.
Diana Oldboy, daughter of the colonel. She marries Harman.
Jessamy, son of the colonel and Lady Mary. An insufferable prig.—Bickerstaff,Lionel and Clarissa.
Oldbuck(Jonathan), the antiquary, devoted to the study and accumulation of old coins and medals, etc. He is sarcastic, irritable, and a woman-hater; but kind-hearted, faithful to his friends, and a humorist.—Sir W. Scott,The Antiquary(time, George III.).
An excellent temper, with a slight degree of subacid humor; learning, wit, and drollery, the more poignant that they were a little marked by the peculiarities of an old bachelor; a soundness of thought, rendered more forcible by an occasional quaintness of expression—these were the qualities in which the creature of myimagintionresembled my benevolent and excellent friend.—Sir W. Scott.
An excellent temper, with a slight degree of subacid humor; learning, wit, and drollery, the more poignant that they were a little marked by the peculiarities of an old bachelor; a soundness of thought, rendered more forcible by an occasional quaintness of expression—these were the qualities in which the creature of myimagintionresembled my benevolent and excellent friend.—Sir W. Scott.
The merit ofThe Antiquaryas a novel rests on the inimitable delineation of Oldbuck, that model of black-letter and Roman-camp antiquaries, whose oddities and conversation are rich and racy as any of the old crusted port that John of the Girnel might have held in his monastic cellars.—Chambers,English Literature, ii. 586.
The merit ofThe Antiquaryas a novel rests on the inimitable delineation of Oldbuck, that model of black-letter and Roman-camp antiquaries, whose oddities and conversation are rich and racy as any of the old crusted port that John of the Girnel might have held in his monastic cellars.—Chambers,English Literature, ii. 586.
Oldcastle(Sir John), a drama by Anthony Munday (1600). This play appeared with the name of Shakespeare on the title-page.
Old Sledge.Game of cards that, played at the “Settlemint”—(a group of log huts) among the Tennessee mountains, has a fatal fascination for Josiah Tait, who loses to a former suitor of the woman he has married everything he owns. The property is restored through the unexpected magnanimity of the winner, and the playing of Old Sledge becomes a lost art at the “Settlemint.”—Charles Egbert Craddock,In the Tennessee Mountains(1884).
Oldworth, of Oldworth Oaks, a wealthy squire, liberally educated, very hospitable, benevolent, humorous, and whimsical. He brings up Maria, “the maid of the Oaks” as his ward, but she is his daughter and heiress.—J Burgoyne,The Maid of the Oaks(1779).
Ole ’Stracted, a superannuated negro, formerly a slave, whose fancy is to wait in a hut on the old plantation for his master’s return. He was “sold South” forty years before, and his young master promised to go down next summer and buy him back. The poor fellow has saved in these years twelve hundred dollars to pay for his freedom. Unknown to himself or to them, his son and daughter-in-law minister to him in his last moments. He has put on his clean shirt, sure that “young marster” will come to-day. Rising to his feet he cries out:
“Heah de one you lookin’ for, Marster! Mymy—heah’s Little Ephrum!”
“Heah de one you lookin’ for, Marster! Mymy—heah’s Little Ephrum!”
And with a smile on his face he sank back into his son’s arms.—Thomas Nelson Page,In Ole Virginia(1887).
Olifant, the horn of Roland or Orlando. This horn and the sword “Durinda´na” were buried with the hero. Turpin tells us in hisChroniclethat Charlemagne heard the blare of this horn at a distance of eight miles.
Olifant(Basil), a kinsman of Lady Margaret Bellenden, of the Tower of Tillietudlem.—Sir W. Scott,Old Mortality(time, Charles II.).
Olifaunt(Lord Nigel), of Glenvarloch. On going to court to present a petition to James I. he aroused the dislike of the duke of Buckingham. Lord Dalgarno gave him the cut direct, and Nigel struck him, but was obliged to seek refuge in Alsatia. After various adventures he married Margaret Ramsay, the watch-maker’s daughter, and obtained the title-deeds of his estates.—Sir W. Scott,The Fortunes of Nigel(time, James I.).
Olim´pia, the wife of Bireno, uncompromising in love, and relentless in hate.—Ariosto,Orlando Furioso(1516).
Olimpia, a proud Roman lady of high rank. When Rome was sacked by Bourbon, she flew for refuge to the high altar of St. Peter’s, where she clung to a golden cross. On the advance of certain soldiers in the army of Bourbon to seize her, she cast the huge cross from its stand, and as it fell it crushed to death the foremost soldier. Others then attempted to seize her, when Arnold dispersed them and rescued the lady; but the proud beauty would not allow the foe of her country to touch her, and flung herself from the high altar on the pavement. Apparently lifeless, she was borne off; but whether she recovered or not we are not informed, as the drama was never finished.—Byron,The Deformed Transformed(1821).
Olindo, the lover of Sophronia. Aladine, king of Jerusalem, at the advice of his magicians, stole an image of the Virgin, and set it up as a palladium in the chief mosque. During the night it was carried off, and the king, unable to discover the thief, ordered all his Christian subjects to be put to death. To prevent this massacre, Sophronia delivered up herself as the perpetrator of the deed, and Olindo, hearing thereof, went to the king and declared Sophronia innocent, as he himself had stolen the image. The king commanded both to be put to death, but, by the intercession of Clorinda, they were both set free.—Tasso,Jerusalem Delivered, ii. (1575).
OliphantorOllyphant, the twin-brother of Argan´tê, the giantess. Their father was Typhæus, and their mother Earth.—Spenser,Faëry Queen, iii. 7, 11 (1590).
Olive Litchfield, young woman married to an elderly man, whose fatherly kindness wins her grateful esteem. With her knowledge and sanction he leaves the bulk of his property to charitable objects, thereby disappointing her rapacious relatives. She is quite willing, as a widow, to marry the man her mother dismissed in order to wed her to a millionaire, but James Merion, the cured suitor, prefers a fresh love.—Ellen Olney Kirk,A Daughter of Eve.
Olive Tree(The), emblem of Athens, in memory of the famous dispute between Minerva (the patron goddess of Athens) and Neptune. Both deities wished to found a city on the same spot; and, referring the matter to Jove, the king of gods and men decreed that the privilege should be granted to whichever would bestow the most useful gift on the future inhabitants. Neptune struck the earth with his trident, and forth came a war-horse; Minerva produced an olive tree, emblem of peace; and Jove gave the verdict in favor of Minerva.
Olive Carraze, beautiful quadroon, virtuous and accomplished, whose mother,Madame Delphine, swears Olive is not her child, that she may secure the girl’s legal marriage with a white man who loves her honorably. On the afternoon of the marriage-day, when the wedded pair have taken their departure, Madame Delphine seeks her confessor, owns the perjury, receives absolution, and falls dead in the confessional.—George W. Cable,Madame Delphine(1879).
Oliver, the elder son of Sir Rowland de Bois [Bwor], left in charge of his younger brother, Orlando, whom he hated and tried indirectly to murder. Orlando, finding it impossible to live in his brother’s house, fled to the forest of Arden, where he joined the society of the banished duke. One morning he saw a man sleeping, and a serpent and lioness bent on making him their prey. He slew both the serpent and lioness, and then found that the sleeper was his brother Oliver. Oliver’s disposition from this moment underwent a complete change, and he loved his brother as much as he had before hated him. In the forest the two brothers met Rosalind and Celia. The former, who was the daughter of the banished duke, married Orlando; and the latter, who was the daughter of the usurping duke, married Oliver.—Shakespeare,As You Like It(1598).
Oliver and Rowland, the two chief paladins of Charlemagne. Shakespeare makes the duke of Alençon say:
Froissart, a countryman of ours, records,England all Olivers and Rowlands bredDuring the time Edward the Third did reign.1Henry VI.act i. sc. 2 (1589).
Oliver’s Horse, Ferrant d’Espagne.
Oliver’s Sword, Haute-claire.
Oliver le DainorOliver le Diable, court barber, and favorite minister of Louis XI. Introduced by Sir W. Scott inQuentin DurwardandAnne 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 wisereciprocated 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).
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 (2syl.), 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,EvadneorThe 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 toThe Talking Oakin 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” inThe 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.),—Ariosto,Orlando Furioso(1516).
Olympia, sister to the grand-duke of Muscovia.—Beaumont and Fletcher,The Loyal Subject(1618).
Omawhaws[Om´.a.waws] orOmahas, 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 novelCharles 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(3syl.), 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 GermansDer Einzige, from the unique character of his writings.
***The Italians call Bernardo Accolti, an Italian poet of the sixteenth century, “Aretino the Only,” orL’Unico Aretino.
Open, Ses´ame!(3syl.) 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 constellationSerpentarius. Ophiuchus is a man who holds a serpent (GreekOphis) in his hands. The constellation is situated to the south ofHerculês; and the principal star, called “Ras Alhague,” is in the man’s head. (RasAlhague)is from the Arabic,rás-al-hawwá, “the serpent-charmer’s head.”)
Satan stoodUnterrified, 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 publishedConfessions of an English Opium-Eater(1845).
O. P. Q., Robert Merry (1755-1798); object of Gifford’s satire inBaviadandMæviad, and of Byron’s in hisEnglish 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 (2syl.) 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 calledBacbuc(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 dogbark!”
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).
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 Stickis a birch rod or cane.
Ordigale, the otter in the beast-epic ofReynard the Fox, i. (1498).
Ordovi´ces(4syl.), people of Ordovicia, that is, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Merionetshire, Montgomeryshire, Carnarvonshire and Anglesey. (In Latin theiis short:Ordovĭcês.)
The Ordovīces now which North Wales people be.Drayton,Polyolbion, xvi. (1613).
Or´dovies(3syl.), the inhabitants of North Wales. (In Latin North Wales is calledOrdovic´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(3syl.), a mountain-nymph. Tennyson calls “Maud” anoread, because her hall and garden were on a hill.
I see my Oreäd coming down.Maud, I. xvi. 1 (1855).
Oreäd.Echo is so called.
Ore´ades(4syl.) orO´reads(3syl.), mountain-nymphs.
Ye Cambrian [Welsh] shepherds then, whom these our mountains please,And ye our fellow-nymphs, ye light Oreädês.Drayton,Polyolbion, ix. (1612).
Orel´io, the favorite horse of King Roderick, the last of the Goths.
’Twas OrelioOn which he rode, Roderick’s own battle-horse,Who from his master’s hand had wont to feed,And with a glad docility obeyHis voice familiar.Southey,Roderick, etc., xxv. (1814).
Ores´tes(3syl.), son of Agamemnon, betrothed to Hermi´onê (4syl.), daughter of Menela´us (4syl.), king of Sparta. At the downfall of Troy Menelāus promised Hermionê in marriage to Pyrrhus, king of Epīrus, but Pyrrhus fell in love with Androm´achê, the widow of Hector, and his captive. An embassy, led by Orestês, was sent to Epirus to demand that the son of Andromachê should be put to death, lest, as he grew up, he might seek to avenge his father’s death. Pyrrhus refused to comply. In this embassage Orestês met Hermionê again, and found her pride and jealousy aroused to fury by the slight offered her. She goaded Orestês to avenge her insults, and the ambassadors fell on Pyrrhus and murdered him. Hermionê, when she saw the dead body of the king borne along, stabbed herself, and Orestês went raving mad.—Ambrose Philips,The Distressed Mother(1712).
Orfeo and Heuro´dis, the tale of Orpheus and Eurydĭcê, with the Gothic machinery of elves and fairies.
***Glück has an opera calledOrfeo; the libretto, by Calzabigi, based on a dramatic piece by Poliziano (1764).
Orgari´ta, “the orphan of the Frozen Sea,” heroine of a drama. (SeeMartha.)—Stirling,The Orphan of the Frozen Sea(1856).
Or´gilus, the betrothed lover of Penthe´a, by the consent of her father; but, at the death of her father, her brother, Ith´oclês, compelled her to marry Bass´anês, whom she hated. Ithoclês was about to marry the princess of Sparta, but a little before the event was to take place Penthea starved herself to death, and Orgilus was condemned to death for murdering Ithoclês.—John Ford,The Broken Heart(1633).
Orgoglio[Or.gole´.yo], a hideous giant, as tall as three men, son of Earth and Wind. Finding the Red Cross Knight at the fountain of Idleness he beats him with a club, and makes him his slave. Una informs Arthur of it, and Arthur liberates the knight and slays the giant (Rev.xiii. 5, 7, withDan.vii. 21, 22).—Spenser,Faëry Queen, i. (1590).
***Arthur first cut off Orgoglio’sleft arm,i. e.Bohemia was cut off first from the Church of Rome; then he cut off the giant’sright leg,i. e.England.
Orgon, brother-in-law of Tartuffe (2syl.). His credulity and faith in Tartuffe, like that of his mother, can scarcely be shaken even by the evidence of his senses. He hopes against hope, and fights every inch of ground in defence of the religious hypocrite.—Molière,Tartuffe(1664).
Oria´na, daughter of Lisuarte, king of England, and spouse of Am´adis of Gaul (bk. ii. 6). The general plot of this series of romances bears on this marriage, and tells of the thousand and one obstacles from rivals, giants, sorcerers and so on, which had to be overcome before the consummation could be effected. It is in this unity of plot that the Amadis series differs from its predecessors—the Arthurian romances, and those of the paladins of Charlemagne, which are detached adventures, each complete in itself, and not bearing to any common focus.—Amadis de Gaul(fourteenth century).
***Queen Elizabeth is called “the peerless Oriana,” especially in the madrigals entitledThe Triumphs of Oriana(1601). Ben Jonson applies the name to the queen of James I. (Oriens Anna).
Oriana, the nursling of a lioness, with whom Esplandian fell in love, and for whom he underwent all his perils and exploits. She was the gentlest, fairest, and most faithful of her sex.—Lobeira,Amadis de Gaul(fourteenth century).
Orian´a, the fair, brilliant, and witty “chaser” of the “wild goose” Mirabel, to whom she is betrothed, and whose wife she ultimately becomes.—Beaumont and Fletcher,The Wild-Goose Chase(1652).
Oriana, the ward of old Mirabel, and bound by contract to her guardian’s son whom she loves; but young Mirabel shilly-shallies, till he gets into trouble with Lamorce (3syl.), and is in danger of being murdered, when Oriana, dressed as a page, rescues him. He then declared that his “inconstancy has had a lesson,” and he marries the lady.—G. Farquhar,The Inconstant(1702).
Oriana, in Tennyson’s ballad so called, “stood on the castle wall,” to see her spouse, a Norland chief, fight. A foeman went between “the chief, and the wall,” and discharged an arrow, which, glancing aside, pierced the lady’s heart and killed her. The ballad is the lamentation of the spouse on the death of his bride (1830).
O´riande(3syl.), a fay who lived at Rosefleur, and was brought up by Maugis d’Aygremont. When herprotégégrew up, she loved him, “d’un si grand amour, qu’elle doute fort qu’il ne se departe d’avecques elle.”—Romance de Maujis d’Aygremont et de Vivian son Frère.
O´riel, a fairy, whose empire lay along the banks of the Thames, when King Oberon held his court in Kensington Gardens.—Tickell,Kensington Gardens(1686-1740).
Orient(The). InThe New Priest of Conception Bay, Fanny Dare sings to little Mary Barré how the good shipOrientwas wrecked.
“Woe for the brave ship Orient!Woe for the old ship Orient!For in the broad, broad lightWith the land in sight,—Where the waters bubbled white,—One great, sharp shriek!—one shudder of affright!And——down went the brave old ship, the Orient!”Robert Lowell,The New Priest of Conception Bay(1858).
Oriflamme, the banner of St. Denis. When the counts of Vexin became possessed of the abbey, the banner passed into their hands, and when, in 1082, Philippe I. united Vexin to the crown, the oriflamme or sacred banner belonged to the king. In 1119 it was first used as anational banner. It consists of a crimson silk flag, mounted on a gilt staff (un glaive tout doré où est attaché une banière vermeille). The loose end is cut into three wavy vandykes, to represent tongues of flame, and a silk tassel is hung at each cleft. In war the display of this standard indicates that no quarter will be given. The English standard of no quarter was the “burning dragon.”
Raoul de Presle says it was used in the time of Charlemagne, being the gift of the patriarch of Jerusalem. We are told that all infidels were blinded who looked upon it. Froissart says it was displayed at the battle of Rosbecq, in the reign of Charles VI., and “no sooner was it unfurled than the fog cleared away, and the sun shone on the French alone.”
I have not reared the Oriflamme of death.... me it behoovesTo spare the fallen foe.Southey,Joan of Arc, viii. 621, etc. (1837).
Origilla, the lady-love of Gryphon, brother of Aquilant; but the faithless fair one took up with Martāno, a most impudent boaster and a coward. Being at Damascus during a tournament in which Gryphon was the victor, Martano stole the armor of Gryphon, arrayed himself in it, took the prizes, and then decamped with the lady. Aquilant happened to see them, bound them, and took them back to Damascus, where Martano was hanged, and the lady kept in bondage for the judgment of Lucīna.—Ariosto,Orlando Furioso(1516).
Orillo, a magician and robber, who lived at the mouth of the Nile. He was the son of an imp and fairy. When any one of his limbs was lopped off, he had the power of restoring it; and when his head was cut off, he could take it up and replace it. When Astolpho encountered this magician, he was informed that his life lay in one particular hair; so instead of seeking to maim his adversary, Astolpho cut off the magic hair, and the magician fell lifeless at his feet.—Ariosto,Orlando Furioso(1516).
Orinda, “the incomparable,” Mrs. Katherine Philipps, who lived in the reign of Charles II., and died of small-pox.
***Her praises were sung by Cowley, Dryden, and others.
We allowed you beauty, and we did submit ...Ah, cruel sex, will you depose us too in wit?Orinda does in that too reign.Cowley,On Orinda’s Poems(1647).
Ori´on, a giant of great beauty, and a famous hunter, who cleared the island of Chios of wild beasts. While in the island, Orion fell in love with Merŏpê, daughter of king Œnop´ion; but one day, in a drunken fit, having offered her violence, the king put out the giant’s eyes, and drove him from the island. Orion was told if he would travel eastward, and expose his sockets to the rising sun, he would recover his sight. Guided by the sound of a Cyclop’s hammer, he reached Lemnos, where Vulcan gave him a guide to the abode of the sun. In due time, his sight returned to him, and at death he was made a constellation. The lion’s skin was an emblem of the wild beasts which he slew in Chios, and the club was the instrument he employed for the purpose.
He [Orion]Reeled as of yore beside the sea,When, blinded by Œnopion,He sought the blacksmith at his forge,And, climbing up the mountain gorge,Fixed his blank eyes upon the sun.Longfellow,The Occultation of Orion.
Orion and the Blacksmith.The reference is to the blacksmith mentioned inthe preceding article, whom Orion took on his back to act as guide to the place where the rising sun might be best seen.
Orion’s Dogswere Arctophŏnus (“the bear-killer”) and Ptoophăgos (“the glutton of Ptoon,” in Bœōtia).
Orion’s Wife, Sidê.
Orion.After Orion has set in the west,Aurīga(the Charioteer) andGem´ini(Castor and Pollux) are still visible. Hence Tennyson says:
... the CharioteerAnd starry Gemini hang like glorious crownsOver Orion’s grave low down in the west.Maud, III. vi. 1 (1855).
Orion, a seraph, the guardian angel of Simon Peter.—Klopstock,The Messiah, iii. (1748).
Orith´yiaorOrith´ya, daughter of Erectheus, carried off by Boreas to Thrace.
Such, dalliance as alone the North wind hath with her,Orithya not enjoyed, from Thrace when he her took,And in his saily plumes the trembling virgin shook.Drayton,Polyolbion, x. (1612).
Phineas Fletcher calls the word “Orithy´a.”
None knew mild zephyr’s from cold Eurus’ mouth,Nor Orithya’s lover’s violence [North wind].Purple Island, i. (1633).
Orlando, the younger son of Sir Rowland de Bois [Bwor]. At the death of his father, he was left under the care of his elder brother, Oliver, who was charged to treat him well; but Oliver hated him, wholly neglected his education, and even tried by many indirect means to kill him. At length, Orlando fled to the forest of Arden´, where he met Rosalind and Celia in disguise. They had met before at a wrestling match, when Orlando and Rosalind fell in love with each other. The acquaintance was renewed in the forest, and ere many days had passed the two ladies resumed their proper characters, and both were married, Rosalind to Orlando, and Celia to Oliver, the elder brother.—Shakespeare,As You Like It(1598).
Orlando(in FrenchRoland,q.v.), one of the paladins of Charlemagne, whose nephew he was. Orlando was confiding and loyal, of great stature, and possessed unusual strength. He accompanied his uncle into Spain, but on his return was waylaid in the valley of Roncesvallês (in the Pyrenees) by the traitor Ganelon, and perished with all his army,A.D.778. His adventures are related in Turpin’sChronique;in theChanson de Roland, attributed to Théroulde. He is the hero of Bojardo’s epic,Orlando Innamorato; and of Ariosto’s continuation calledOrlando Furioso(“Orlando mad”). Robert Greene, in 1594, produced a drama which he calledThe History of Orlando. Rhode’s farce ofBombastês Furioso(1790) is a burlesque of Ariosto’sOrlando Furioso.
Orlando’s Ivory Horn, Olifant, once the property of Alexander the Great. Its bray could be heard for twenty miles.
Orlando’s Horse, Brigliadoro (“golden bridal”).
Orlando’s Sword, Durinda´na or Durandana, which once belonged to Hector, is “preserved at Rocamadour, in France; and his spear is still shown in the cathedral of Pa´via, in Italy.”