Chapter 25

As the fyre began to brenne about hire, she made her preyeres to oure Lord ... and anon was the fayer quenched and oute, and brondes that weren brennynge becomen white roseres ... and theise werein the first roseres that ever ony man saughe.—Sir John Maundeville,Voiage and Traivaile.

Rose.According to Mussulman tradition, the rose is thus accounted for: When Mahomet took his journey to heaven, the sweat which fell on the earth from the prophet’s forehead producedWhiteroses, and that which fell from Al Borak´ (the animal he rode) producedyellowones.

Rose.

The gentle name that showsHer love, her loveliness, and bloom(Her only epitaph a rose)Is growing on her tomb!John James Piatt,Poems of House and Home(1879).

Rose of Aragon(The), a drama by S. Knowles (1842). Olivia, daughter of Ruphi´no (a peasant), was married to Prince Alonzo of Aragon. The king would not recognize the match, but sent his son to the army, and made the cortez pass an act of divorce. A revolt having been organized, the king was dethroned, and Almagro was made regent. Almagro tried to marry Olivia, and to murder her father and brother, but the prince returning with the army made himself master of the city, Almagro died of poison, the marriage of the prince and peasant was recognized, the revolt was broken up, and order was restored.

Rose of Har´pocrate(3syl.). Cupid gave Harpocrate a rose, to bribe him not to divulge the amours of his mother, Venus.

Red as a rose of Harpocrate.E. B. Browning,Isobel’s Child, iii.

Rose of Paradise.The roses which grew in paradise had no thorns. “Thorns and thistles” were unknown on earth till after the Fall (Gen.iii. 18). Both St. Ambrose and St. Basil note that the roses in Eden had no thorns, and Milton says, in Eden bloomed “Flowers of all hue, and without thorn the rose.”—Paradise Lost, iv. 256 (1665).

Rose of Raby, the mother of Richard III. This was Cicely, daughter of Ralph de Nevill of Raby, earl of Westmoreland.

Rose Vaughan.Lover of “Yone” Willoughby, inThe Amber Gods. He has super-refined and poetical tastes; delights and revels in beauty, and until he met Yone had admired her gentle sister. The siren, Yone, sets herself to win him and succeeds. Marriage disenchants him and the knowledge of this maddens her into something akin to hatred. Yet she dies begging him to kiss her. “I am your Yone! I forgot a little while,—but I love you, Rose, Rose!”—Harriet Prescott Spofford,The Amber Gods(1863).

Rose of York, the heir and head of the York faction.

When Warwick perished, Edmund de la Pole became the Rose of York, and if this foolish prince should be removed by death ... his young and clever brother [Richard] would be raised to the rank of Rose of York.—W. H. Dixon,Two Queens.

Roses(War of the). The origin of this expression is thus given byShakepeare:

Plant.Let him that is a true-born gentleman ...If he supposes that I have pleaded truth,From off this briar pluck a white rose with me.Somerset.Let him that is no coward, nor no flatterer,But dare maintain the party of the truth,Pluck a red rose from off this thorn with me.

Whereupon Warwick plucked a white rose and joined the Yorkists, while Suffolk plucked a red one and joined the Lancastrians.—Shakespeare, 1Henry VI.act ii. sc. 4 (1589).

Rosemond, daughter of Cunimond, king of the Gepidæ. She was compelled to marry Alboin, king of the Lombards, who put her father to deathA.D.567. Alboin compelled her to drink from the skull of her own father, and Rosemond induced Peride´us (the secretary of Helmichild, her lover), to murder the wretch (573). She then married Helmichild, fled Ravenna, and sought to poison her second husband, that she might marry Longin, the exarch; but Helmichild, apprised of her intention, forced her to drink the mixture she had prepared for him. This lady is the heroine of Alfieri’s tragedy calledRosemonde(1749-1803). (SeeRosamond.)

Ro´sencrantz, a courtier in the court of Denmark, willing to sell or betray his friend and schoolfellow, Prince Hamlet, to please a king.—Shakespeare,Hamlet(1596).

Rosetta, the wicked sister of Brunetta and Blon´dina, the mothers of Cherry and Fairstar. She abetted the queen-mother in her wicked designs against the offspring of her two sisters, but, being found out, was imprisoned for life.—Comtesse D’Aunoy,Fairy Tales(“Princess Fairstar,” 1682).

Rosetta, a bright, laughing little coquette, who runs away from home because her father wants her to marry young Meadows, whom she has never seen. She enters the service of Justice Woodcock. Now, it so happens that Sir William Meadows wishes his son to marry Rosetta, whom he has never seen, and he also runs away from home, and under the name ofThomas becomes gardener to Justice Woodcock. Rosetta and young Meadows here fall in love with each other, and the wishes of the two fathers are accomplished.—Isaac Bickerstaff,Love in a Village(1763).

In 1786 Mrs. Billington made herdébutin “Rosetta,” at once dazzling the town with the brilliancy of her vocalization and the flush of her beauty.—C. R. Leslie.

Rosetta [Belmont], daughter of Sir Robert Belmont. Rosetta is high-spirited, witty, confident, and of good spirits. “If you told her a merry story, she would sigh; if a mournful one, she would laugh. Foryesshe would say ‘no,’ and forno, ‘yes.’” She is in love with Colonel Raymond, but shows her love by teasing him, and Colonel Raymond is afraid of the capricious beauty.—Edward Moore,The Foundling(1748).

Rosiclear and Donzel del Phebo, the heroine and hero of theMirror of Knighthood, a mediæval romance.

Rosinan´te(4syl.), the steed of Don Quixote. The name implies “that the horse had risen from a mean condition to the highest honor a steed could achieve, for it was once a cart-horse, and was elevated into the charger of a knight-errant.”—Cervantes,Don Quixote, I. ii. 1 (1605).

Rosinante was admirably drawn, so lean, lank, meagre, drooping, sharp-backed, and raw-boned, as to excite much curiosity and mirth.—Pt. I. ii. 1.

Rosiphele(3syl.), princess of Armenia; of surpassing beauty, but insensible to love. She is made to submit to the yoke of Cupid, by a vision which befalls her on a May-day ramble.—Gower,Confessio Amantis(1393).

Rosmonda, a tragedy in Italian, by John R. Ruccellai (1525). This is one of the first regular tragedies of modern times.Sophonisba, by Trissino, preceded it, being produced in 1514, and performed in 1515.

Rosny(Sabina), the young wife of Lord Sensitive. “Of noble parents, who perished under the axe in France.” The young orphan, “as much to be admired for her virtues, as to be pitied for her misfortunes,” fled to Padua, where she met Lord Sensitive.—Cumberland,First Love(1796).

Ross(Lord), an officer in the king’s army, under the duke of Monmouth.—Sir W. Scott,Old Mortality(time, Charles II.).

Ross(The Man of), John Kyrle, of Whitehouse, in Gloucestershire. So called because he resided in the village of Ross, Herefordshire. Kyrle was a man of unbounded benevolence, and beloved by all who knew him.

***Pope celebrates him in hisMoral Essays, iii. (1709).

Rosse(2syl.), the sword which the dwarf Elberich gave to Otwit, king of Lombardy. It was so keen that it left no gap where it cut.

Balmung, the sword forged by Wieland, and given to Siegfried, was so keen that it clove Amilias in two without his knowing it, but when he attempted to move he fell asunder.

This sword to thee I give; it is all bright of hue,Whatever it may cleave, no gap will there ensue.From Almari I brought it, and Rossê is its name.The Heldenbuch.

Rostocostojambedanesse(M. N.), author ofAfter Beef, Mustard.—Rabelais, Pantagruel, ii. 7 (1533).

Rothmar, chief of Tromlo. He attacked the vassal kingdom of Croma, while the under-king, Crothar, was blind with age, resolving to annex it to his own dominion. Crothar’s son, Fovar-Gormo, attacked the invader, but was defeated and slain. Not many days after, Ossian (one of the sons of Fingal) arrived with succors, renewed the battle, defeated the victorious army, and slew the invader.—Ossian,Croma.

Rothsay(The duke of) prince Robert, eldest son of Robert III. of Scotland.

Margaret, duchess of Rothsay.—Sir W. Scott,Fair Maid of Perth(time, Henry IV.).

Rou(Le Roman de), a metrical and mythical history, in Norman-French, of the dukes of Normandy, from Rollo downwards, by Robert Wace (author ofLe Brut).

***Rou’, that is,Roul, the same as Rollo.

Roubigné(Julie de), the heroine and title of a novel by Henry Mackenzie (1783).

Rougedragon(Lady Rachel), the former guardian of Lilias Redgauntlet.—Sir W. Scott,Redgauntlet(time, George III.).

Rouncewell(Mrs.), housekeeper at Chesney Wold to Lord and Lady Dedlock, to whom she is most faithfully attached.—C. Dickens,Bleak House(1823).

Round Table(The), a table made at Carduel, by Merlin, for Uther, the pendragon. Uther gave it to King Leodegraunce, of Camelyard, and when Arthur married Guinever (the daughter of Leodegraunce), he received the table with a hundred knights as a wedding present (pt. i. 45). The table would seat 150 knights (pt. iii. 36), and each seat was appropriated. One of them was called the “Siege Perilous,” because it was fatal for any one to sit therein, except the knight who was destined to achieve the Holy Graal (pt. iii. 32). King Arthur instituted an order of knighthood called “the knights of the Round Table,” the chief of whom were Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, and Sir Lamerock, or Lamorake. The “Siege Perilous” was reserved for Sir Galahad, the son of Sir Launcelot by Elaine.—Sir T. Malory,History of Prince Arthur(1470).

***There is a table shown at Winchester, as “Arthur’s Round Table,” but it corresponds in no respect with the Round Table described in theHistory of Prince Arthur. Round Tables are not unusual, as Dr. Percy has shown, with other kings in the times of chivalry. Thus, the king of Ireland, father of Christabelle, had his “knights of the Round Table.”—See “Sir Cauline,” in Percy’sReliques.

In the eighth year of Edward I., Roger de Mortimer established at Kenilworth, a Round Table for “the encouragement of military pastimes.” Some seventy years later, Edward III. had his Round Table at Windsor; it was 200 feet in diameter.

Rousseau(Jean Jacques) used to say that all fables which ascribe speech and reason to dumb animals ought to be withheld from children, as being only vehicles of deception.

I shall not ask Jean Jacques RousseauIf birds confabulate or no;’Tis clear that they were always ableTo hold discourse—at least in fable.Cowper,Pairing-Time Anticipated(1782).

RoustamorRostam, the Persian Herculês. He was the son of Zal, and a descendant of Djamshid At one time Roustam killed 1000 Tartars at a blow; he slew dragons, overcame devils, captured cities, and performed other marvellous exploits. This mighty man of strength fell into disgrace for refusing to receive the doctrines of Zoroaster, and died by the hand of one of his brothers named Scheghad (sixth centuryB.C.).

Routledge(Harold). First love ofLilian Westbrook, inThe Banker’s Daughter. They have a lover’s quarrel and separate. Lilian, to save her father from poverty, marries another man. Meeting Harold in after years, her love revives. When he challenges a Frenchman who has spoken lightly of her, she follows him to the field in time to receive his last breath and sob in his ear—“I have loved you—you only—from the first.”—Bronson Howard,The Banker’s Daughter, (1878).

Rover, a dissolute young spark, who set off vice “as naughty but yet nice.”—Mrs. Behn,The Rover(1680).

William Mountford [1660-1692] had so much in him of the agreeable, that when he played “The Rover,” it was remarked by many, and particularly by Queen Mary, that it was dangerous to see him act—he made vice so alluring.—C. Dibdin,History of the Stage.

Rovewell(Captain), in love with Arethusa, daughter of Argus. The lady’s father wanted her to marry Squire Cuckoo, who had a large estate; but Arethusa contrived to have her own way and marry Captain Rovewell, who turned out to be the son of Ned Worthy, who gave the bridegroom £30,000.—Carey,Contrivances(1715).

Rowe(Nicholas), poet-laureate (1673, 1714-1718). The monument in Westminster Abbey to this poet was by Rysbrack.

Rowena(The lady), of Hargettstanstede, a ward of Cedric the Saxon, of Rotherwood. She marries Ivanhoe.—Sir W. Scott,Ivanhoe(time, Richard I.).

Rowland(Childe), youngest brother of Helen. Under the guidance of Merlin, he undertook to bring back his sister from elf land, whither the fairies had carried her, and he succeeded in his perilous exploit.—An Ancient Scotch Ballad.

Rowland for an Oliver(A), a tit for tat; getting as good as you gave. Rowland (or Roland) and Oliver were two of Charlemagne’s paladins, so much alike in prowess and exploits that they might be described as “fortemque Gyan, fortemque Cloanthum” (Æneid, i. 222).

Och! Mrs. Mustard-pot, have you found a Rowland for your Oliver at last?—T. Knight,The Honest Thieves.

Rowley, one of the retainers of Julia Avenel (2syl.).—Sir W. Scott,The Monastery(time, Elizabeth).

Rowley(Master), formerly steward of Mr. Surface, Sr., the friend of Charles Surface, and thefidus Achātêsof Sir Oliver Surface, the rich uncle.—Sheridan,School for Scandal(1777).

Rowley(Thomas), the hypothetical priest of Bristol, said by Chatterton to have lived in the reigns of Henry VI. and Edward IV., and to have written certain poems, of which Chatterton himself was the author.

Rowley Overdees, a highwayman.—Sir W. Scott,Guy Mannering(time, George II.).

Roxa´na, daughter of Oxyartês of Bactria, and wife or concubine of Alexander the Great. Proud, imperious, and relentless, she loved Alexander with a madness of love; and being jealous of Statīra, daughter of King Darius, and wife of Alexander, she stabbed her and slew her.—N. Lee,Alexander the Great(1678).

So now am I as great as the famed Alexander; but my dear Statīra and Roxana, don’t exert yourselves so much about me.—Mrs. Centlivre,The Wonder, iii. 1 (1714).

Roxa´na and Stati´ra.Dr. Doran says that Peg Woffington (as “Roxana”), jealous of Mrs. Bellamy (as “Statira”) because she was better dressed, pulled her to the floor when she left the stage, and pummeled her with the handle of her dagger, screaming as she did so:

Nor he, nor heaven, shall shield thee from my justice.Die, sorceress, die! and all my wrongs die with thee?Table Traits.

Campbell tells a very similar story of Mrs. Barry (“Roxana”) and Miss Boutwell (“Statira”). The stage-manager had given to Miss Boutwell a lace veil, and Mrs. Barry, out of jealousy, actually stabbed her rival in acting, and the dagger went a quarter of an inch through the stays into the flesh.

Royal MottoesorLegends.

Dieu et mon droit, Richard I.

Honi soit qui mal y pense, Edward III.

Semper eadem, Elizabeth and Anne.

Je maintiendrai, William III.

Royal Style of Address.

“My Liege,” the usual style till the Lancastrian usurpation.

“Your Grace,” Henry IV.

“Your Excellent Grace,” Henry VI.

“Most High and Mighty Prince,” Edward IV.

“Your Highness,” Henry VII.

“Your Majesty,” Henry VIII. So addressed in 1520, by François I.

“The King’s Sacred Majesty,” James I.

“Your Most Excellent Majesty,” Charles II.

“Your Most Gracious Majesty,” the present style.

Royal Titles.

William I.called himself “Rex Anglorum, comes Normannorum et Cinomanentium.”William II.called himself “Rex Anglorum,” or “Monarchicus Britanniæ.”Henry I.called himself “Rex Anglorum et dux Normannorum.” Subsequent to 1106 we find “Dei gratia” introduced in charters.Henry II.called himself “Rex Anglorum, et dux Normannorum et Aquitannorum, et comes Andegavorum;” or “Rex Angliæ, dux Normanniæ et Aquitaniæ, et comes Andegaviæ.”Richard I.began his charters with “Dei gratia, rex Angliæ, et dux Normaniæ et Aquitaniæ, et comes Andegaviæ.”Johnheaded his charters with “Johannes, D.G. rex Angliæ, dominus Hiberniæ, dux Normanniæ et Aquitaniæ, et comes Andegaviæ.” Instead of “Hiberniæ” we sometimes find “Iberniæ,” and sometimes “Yberniæ.”Henry III.followed the style of his father till October, 1259, when he adopted the form “D.G. rex Angliæ, dominus Hiberniæ, et dux Aquitaniæ.”Edward I.adopted the latter style. So didEdwardII. till 1326, when he used the form “Rex Angliæ et dominus Hiberniæ.”EdwardI. for thirteen years headed his charters with “Edwardus, Dei gratia rex Angliæ, dominus Hiberniæ, et dux Aquitaniæ.” But after 1337 the form ran thus: “Edwardus, D.G. rex Angliæ et Franciæ, dominus Hiberniæ, et dux Aquitaniæ;” and sometimes “Franciæ” stands before “Angliæ.”Richard II.began thus: “Richardus, D.G. rex Angliæ et Franciæ, et dominus Hiberniæ.”Henry IV.continued the same style. So didHenry V.till 1420, after which date he adopted the form, “Henricus, D.G. rex Angliæ, hæres et regens Franciæ, et dominus Hiberniæ.”Henry VI.began, “Henricus, D.G. rex Angliæ et Franciæ, et dominus Hiberniæ.”Edward IV.,Edward V.,Richard III.,Henry VII.continued the same style.FromHenry VIII.(1521) toGeorge III.(1800) the royal style and title was “* by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, king, Defender of the Faith.”FromGeorge III.(1800) to the present day it has been, “* by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, king, Defender of the Faith.”

William I.called himself “Rex Anglorum, comes Normannorum et Cinomanentium.”

William II.called himself “Rex Anglorum,” or “Monarchicus Britanniæ.”

Henry I.called himself “Rex Anglorum et dux Normannorum.” Subsequent to 1106 we find “Dei gratia” introduced in charters.

Henry II.called himself “Rex Anglorum, et dux Normannorum et Aquitannorum, et comes Andegavorum;” or “Rex Angliæ, dux Normanniæ et Aquitaniæ, et comes Andegaviæ.”

Richard I.began his charters with “Dei gratia, rex Angliæ, et dux Normaniæ et Aquitaniæ, et comes Andegaviæ.”

Johnheaded his charters with “Johannes, D.G. rex Angliæ, dominus Hiberniæ, dux Normanniæ et Aquitaniæ, et comes Andegaviæ.” Instead of “Hiberniæ” we sometimes find “Iberniæ,” and sometimes “Yberniæ.”

Henry III.followed the style of his father till October, 1259, when he adopted the form “D.G. rex Angliæ, dominus Hiberniæ, et dux Aquitaniæ.”

Edward I.adopted the latter style. So didEdwardII. till 1326, when he used the form “Rex Angliæ et dominus Hiberniæ.”EdwardI. for thirteen years headed his charters with “Edwardus, Dei gratia rex Angliæ, dominus Hiberniæ, et dux Aquitaniæ.” But after 1337 the form ran thus: “Edwardus, D.G. rex Angliæ et Franciæ, dominus Hiberniæ, et dux Aquitaniæ;” and sometimes “Franciæ” stands before “Angliæ.”

Richard II.began thus: “Richardus, D.G. rex Angliæ et Franciæ, et dominus Hiberniæ.”

Henry IV.continued the same style. So didHenry V.till 1420, after which date he adopted the form, “Henricus, D.G. rex Angliæ, hæres et regens Franciæ, et dominus Hiberniæ.”

Henry VI.began, “Henricus, D.G. rex Angliæ et Franciæ, et dominus Hiberniæ.”

Edward IV.,Edward V.,Richard III.,Henry VII.continued the same style.

FromHenry VIII.(1521) toGeorge III.(1800) the royal style and title was “* by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, king, Defender of the Faith.”

FromGeorge III.(1800) to the present day it has been, “* by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, king, Defender of the Faith.”

Ru´bezahl, Number Nip, a famous mountain-spirit of Germany corresponding to our Puck.

Rubi, one of the cherubs or spirits of wisdom who was with Eve in Paradise. He loved Liris, who was young, proud, and most eager for knowledge. She asked her angel lover to let her see him in his full glory; so Rubi came to her in his cherubic splendor. Liris, rushing into his arms, was burnt to ashes; and the kiss she gave him became a brand upon his forehead, which shot unceasing agony into his brain.—T. Moore,Loves of the Angels, ii. (1822).

Ru´bicon(Napoleon’s), Moscow. The invasion of Moscow was the beginning of Napoleon’s fall.

Thou, Rome, who saw’st thy Cæsar’s deeds outdone!Alas! why passed he [Napoleon] too the Rubicon ...Moscow! thou limit of his long career,For which rude Charles had wept his frozen tear.Byron,Age of Bronze, v. (1821).

***Charles XII. of Sweden formed the resolution of humbling Peter the Great (1709).

Rubo´nax, a man who hanged himself from mortification and annoyance at some verses written upon him by a poet.—Sir P. Sidney,Defence of Poesie(1595).

Rubrick(The Rev. Mr.), chaplain to the baron of Bradwardine.—Sir W. Scott,Waverley(time, George II.).

Ruby(Lady), the young widow of Lord Ruby. Her “first love” was Frederick Mowbray, and when a widow she married him. She is described as “young, blooming and wealthy, fresh and fine as a daisy.”—Cumberland,First Love(1796).

Rucellai(John),i.e.Oricellarius, poet (1475-1525), son of Bernard Rucellai, of Florence, historian and diplomatist.

As hath been said by Rucellai.Longfellow,The Wayside Inn(prelude, 1863).

Ruddymane(3syl.), the name given by Sir Guyon to the babe rescued from Amavia, who had stabbed herself in grief at the death of her husband. So called because:

... in her streaming blood he [the infant] did embay his little hands.Spenser,Faëry Queen, ii. 1, 3 (1590).

Rudge(Barnaby), a half-witted young man of three and twenty years old; rather spare, of a fair height and strong make. His hair, of which he had a great profusion, was red and hung in disorder about his face and shoulders. His face was pale, his eyes glassy and protruding. His dress was green, clumsily trimmed here and there with gaudy lace. A pair of tawdry ruffles dangled at his wrists, while his throat was nearly bare. His hat was ornamented with a cluster of peacock’s feathers, limp, broken, and trailing down his back. Girded to his side was the steel hilt of an old sword, without blade or scabbard; and a few knee-ribbons completed his attire. He had a large raven named Grip, which he carried at his back in a basket, a most knowing imp, which used to cry out in a hoarse voice, “Halloa!” “I’m a devil!” “Never say die!” “Polly, put the kettle on!”

Barnaby joined the Gordon rioters for the proud pleasure of carrying a flag and wearing a blue bow. He was arrested and lodged in Newgate, from whence he made his escape, with other prisoners, when the jail was burnt down by the rioters; but both he and his father and Hugh, being betrayed by Dennis, the hangman, were recaptured, brought to trial, and condemned to death, but by the influence ofGabriel Varden, the locksmith, the poor half-witted lad was reprieved, and lived the rest of his life with his mother in a cottage and garden near the Maypole.

Here he lived, tending the poultry and the cattle, working in a garden of his own, and helping every one. He was known to every bird and beast about the place, and had a name for every one. Never was there a lighter-hearted husbandman, a creature more popular with young and old, a blither and more happy soul than Barnaby.—Ch. lxxxii.

Mr. Rudge, the father of Barnaby, supposed to have been murdered the same night as Mr. Haredale, to whom he was steward. The fact is that Rudge himself was the murderer both of Mr. Haredale and also of his faithful servant, to whom the crime was falsely attributed. After the murder, he was seen by many haunting the locality, and was supposed to be a ghost. He joined the Gordon rioters when they attacked and burnt to the ground the house of Mr. Haredale, the son of the murdered man, and being arrested (ch. lvi.), was sent to Newgate, but made his escape with the other prisoners when it was burnt down by the rioters. Being betrayed by Dennis, he was brought to trial for murder, but we are not told if he was executed (ch. lxxiii.). His name is not mentioned again, and probably he suffered death.

Mrs. [Mary] Rudge, mother of Barnaby, and very like him, “but where in his face there was wildness and vacancy, in hers there was the patient composure of long effort and quiet resignation.” She was a widow. Her husband (steward at the Warren), who murdered his master, Mr. Haredale, and his servant, told her of his deed of blood a little before the birth of Barnaby, and the woman’s face ever after inspired terror. It was thought for many years that Rudge had been murdered in defending his master, and Mrs. Rudge was allowed a pension by Mr. Haredale, son and heir of the murdered man. This pension she subsequently refused to take. After the reprieve of Barnaby, Mrs. Rudge lived with him in a cottage near the Maypole, and her last days were her happiest. C. Dickens,Barnaby Rudge(1841).

Ru´diger, a wealthy Hun, liegeman of Etzel, sent to conduct Kriemhild to Hungary. When Günther and his suite went to visit Kriemhild, Rudiger entertained them all most hospitably, and gave his daughter in marriage to Giselher (Kriemhild’s brother). In the broil which ensued, Rudiger was killed fighting against Gernot, but Gernot dropped down dead at the same moment, “each by the other slain.”—Nibelungen Lied(by the minnesingers, 1210).

Rudiger, a knight who came to Waldhurst in a boat drawn by a swan. Margaret fell in love with him. At every tournament he bore off the prize, and in everything excelled the youths about him. Margaret became his wife. A child was born. On the christening day, Rudiger carried it along the banks of the Rhine, and nothing that Margaret said could prevail on him to go home. Presently, the swan and boat came in sight, and carried all three to a desolate place, wherewas a deep cavern. Rudiger got on shore, still holding the babe, and Margaret followed. They reached the cave, two giant arms clasped Rudiger, Margaret sprang forward and seized the infant, but Rudiger was never seen more.—R. Southey,Rudiger(a ballad from Thomas Heywood’s notes).

Rufus(orthe Red), William II. of England (1057, 1087-1100).

Rugby, servant to Dr. Caius, inMerry Wives of Windsor, by Shakespeare.

Rugg, (Mr.) a lawyer living at Pentonville. A red-haired man, who wore a hat with a high crown and narrow brim. Mr. Pancks employed him to settle the business pertaining to the estate which had long lain unclaimed, to which Mr. Dorrit was heir-at-law. Mr. Rugg delighted in legal difficulties as much as a housewife in her jams and preserves.—C. Dickens,Little Dorrit(1857).

Ruggie´ro, a young Saracen knight, born of Christian parents. He fell in love with Bradamant (sister of Rinaldo), whom he ultimately married. Ruggiero is especially noted for possessing a hippogriff, or winged horse, and a shield of such dazzling splendor that it blinded those who looked on it. He threw away this shield into a well, because it enabled him to win victory too cheaply.—OrlandoInnamarato(1495), andOrlando Furioso(1516).

Rukenaw(Dame), the ape’s wife, in the beast-epic calledReynard the Fox(1498).

Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, a comedy by Beaumont and Fletcher (1640). Donna Margaritta, a lady of great wealth, wishes to marry in order to mask her intrigues, and seeks for a husband a man without spirit, whom she can mould to her will. Leon, the brother of Altea, is selected as the “softest fool in Spain,” and the marriage takes place. After marriage, Leon shows himself firm, courageous, high-minded, but most affectionate. He “rules his wife” and her household with a masterly hand, wins the respect of every one, and the wife, wholly reclaimed, “loves, honors, and obeys” him.

Rumolt, the chief cook of Prince Günther of Burgundy.—Nibelungen Lied, 800 (1210).

Rumpelstilzchen[Rumple.stiltz.skin], an irritable, deformed dwarf. He aided a miller’s daughter, who had been enjoined by the king to spin straw into gold; and the condition he made with her for this service, was that she should give him for wife her first daughter. The miller’s daughter married the king, and when her first daughter was born, the mother grieved so bitterly that the dwarf consented to absolve her of her promise, if, within three days she could find out his name. The first day passed, but the secret was not discovered; the second passed with no better success; but on the third day, some of the queen’s servants heard a strange voice singing:

Little dreams my dainty dameRumpelstilzchen is my name.

The queen, being told thereof, saved her child, and the dwarf killed himself from rage.—German Popular Stories.

Runa, the dog of Argon and Ruro, sons of Annir, king of Inis-Thona, an island of Scandinavia.—Ossian,The War ofInis-Thorna.

Runners.

1. Iphiclês, son of Phylakos and Klymĕnê. Hesiod says he could run over ears of corn without bending the stems; and Demarātos says he could run on the surface of the sea.—Argonauts, i. 60.

2. Camilla, queen of the Volsci, was so swift of foot that she could run over standing corn, without bending the ears, and over the sea without wetting her feet.—Virgil,Æneid, vii. 303; xi. 433.

Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain,Flies o’er th’ unbending corn, and skims along the main.Pope.

3. Lădas, the swift runner of King Alexander. He ran so fast that he never left a foot-print on the ground.

4. Phidippĭdês, a professional courier, ran from Athens to Sparta (150 miles) in two days.

5. Theagĕnês, a native of Thasos, was noted for his swiftness of foot.

***The Greek hemerodromos would run from twenty to thirty-six leagues in a day.

Runnymede, thenom de plumeof Benj. Disraeli, in theTimes(1805-1881).

Rupert,i.e.Major Roselheim, the betrothed of Meeta, “the maid of Mariendorpt.”—S. Knowles,The Maid of Mariendorpt(1838).

Rupert(Prince), in the service of Charles II. Introduced by Sir W. Scott, in three of his novels.—Woodstock,Legend of Montrose, andPeveril of the Peak.

Rupert(Sir), in love with Catharine.—S. Knowles,Love(1840).

Rupert of Debate.Edward Geoffrey, earl of Derby, when he was Mr. Stanley, was so called by Lord Lytton (1799-1869).

Rupert Clare.Desperate lover, who skates with “handsome Madge” straight toward the rotten ice. Seeing their danger and his revengeful resolve, she shrieks out the name of her betrothed who, unknown to her and the rejected suitor, has followed them. “He hurls himself upon the pair,” and rescues his affianced.

“The lovers stand with heart to heart,‘No more,’ they cry, ‘no more topart!”But still along the lone lagoonThe steel skates ring a ghostly tune,And in the moonlight, pale and cold,The panting lovers still beholdThe self-appointed sacrificeSkating toward the rotten ice!”Fitz-James O’Brien,Poems and Stories.

Rush(Friar), a house-spirit, sent from the infernal regions in the seventeenth century to keep the monks and friars in the same state of wickedness they then were.

***The legends of this roistering friar are of German origin. (Bruder Rauschmeans “Brother Tipple.”)

Milton confounds “Jack-o’-Lantern” with Friar Rush. The latter was not afield bogieat all, and was never called “Jack.” Probably Milton meantafriar with a rush-[light].” Sir Walter Scott also falls into the same error:

Better we had thro’ mire and bushBeen lantern-led by Friar Rush.Marmion(1808).

Rusil´la, mother of Roderick, the last of the Goths, and wife of Theodofred, rightful heir to the Spanish throne.—Southey,Roderick, etc.(1814).

Rusport(Lady), second wife of Sir Stephen Rusport, a City knight, and step-mother of Charlotte Rusport. Very proud, very mean, very dogmatical, and very vain. Without one spark of generosity or loving charity in her composition. She bribes her lawyer to destroy a will, but is thwarted in her dishonesty. Lady Rusport has atendressefor Major O’Flaherty; but the major discovers the villainy of the old woman, and escapes from this Scylla.

Charlotte Rusport, step-daughter of Lady Rusport. An amiable, ingenuous, animated, handsome girl, in love with her cousin, Charles Dudley, whom she marries.—R. Cumberland,The West Indian(1771).

Russet(Mr.), the choleric old father of Harriot, on whom he dotes. He is so self-willed that he will not listen to reason, and has set his mind on his daughter marrying Sir Harry Beagle. She marries, however, Mr. Oakly.—(SeeHarriot.)—George Colman,The Jealous Wife(1761).

Russian Byron(The), Alexander Sergeiwitch Pushkin (1799-1837).

Russian History(The Father of), Nestor, a monk of Kiev. HisChronicleincludes the years between 862 and 1116 (twelfth century).

Russian Murat(The), Michael Miloradowith (1770-1820).

Rust(Martin), an absurd old antiquary. “He likes no coins but those which have no head on them.” He took a fancy to Juliet, the niece of Sir Thomas Lofty, but preferred his “Ænēas, his precious relic of Troy,” to the living beauty; and Juliet preferred Richard Bever to Mr. Rust; so matters were soon amicably adjusted.—Foote,The Patron(1764).

Rustam, chief of the Persian mythical heroes, son of Zâl “the Fair,” king of India, and regular descendant of Benjamin, the beloved son of Jacob, the patriarch. He delivered King Caïcāus (4syl.) from prison, but afterwards fell into disgrace because he refused to embrace the religious system of Zoroaster. Caïcaus sent his son, Asfendiar (or Isfendiar) to convert him, and, as persuasion availed nothing, the logic of single combat was resorted to. The fight lasted two days, and then Rustam discovered that Asfendiar bore a “charmed life,” proof against all wounds. The valor of these two heroes is proverbial, and the Persian romances are full of their deeds of fight.

Rustam’s Horse, Reksh.—Chardin,Travels(1686-1711).

In Matthew Arnold’s poem,Sohrab and Rustum, Rustum fights with and overcomes Sohrab, and finds too late that he has slain his own son.

Rustam, son of Tamur, king of Persia. He had a trial of strength with Rustam, son of Zâl, which was to pull away from his adversary an iron ring. The combat was never decided, for Rustam could no more conquer Rustam than Roland could overcome Oliver.—Chardin,Travels(1686-1711).

Rusticus’s Pig, the pig on which Rusticus fed daily, but which never diminished.

Two Christians, travelling in Poland, ... came to the door of Rustĭcus, a heathen peasant, who had killed a fat hog to celebrate the birth of a son. The pilgrims, being invited to partake of the feast, pronounced a blessing on what was left, whichnever diminished in size or weightfromthat moment, though all the family fed on it freely every day.—J. Brady,Clavis Calendaria, 183.

This, of course, is a parallelism to Elijah’s miracle (1Kingsxvii. 11-16).

Rut(Doctor), inThe Magnetic Lady, by Ben Jonson (1632).

Ruth, the friend of Arabella, an heiress, and ward of Justice Day. Ruth also is an orphan, the daughter of Sir Basil Thoroughgood, who died when she was two years old, leaving Justice Day trustee. Justice Day takes the estates, and brings up Ruth as his own daughter. Colonel Careless is her acceptedamé de cœur.—T. Knight,The Honest Thieves.

Ruthven(Lord), one of the embassy from Queen Elizabeth to Mary Queen of Scots.—Sir W. Scott,The Abbot(time, Elizabeth).

Rutil´io, a merry gentleman, brother of Arnoldo.—Beaumont and Fletcher,The Custom of the Country(1647).

Rutland(The Countess of), wife of the earl of Essex, whom he married when he started for Ireland. The queen knew not of the marriage, and was heart-broken when she heard of it.—Henry Jones,The Earl of Essex(1745).

Rutland(The duchess of), of the court of Queen Elizabeth.—Sir W. Scott,Kenilworth(time Elizabeth).

Rutledge(Archie), constable at Osbaldistone Hall. Sir W. Scott,Rob Roy(time, George I.).

Rutledge(Job), a smuggler.—Sir W. Scott,Redgauntlet(time, George III.).

Rut´terkin, name of a cat, the spirit of a witch, sent at one time to torment the countess of Rutland (sixteenth century).

Ruy´dera, a duenna who had seven daughters and two nieces. They were imprisoned for 500 years in the cavern of Montesi´nos, in La Mancha, of Spain. Their ceaseless weeping stirred the compassion of Merlin, who converted them into lakes in the same province.—Cervantes,Don Quixote, II. ii. 6 (1615).

Ryence(Sir), king of Wales, Ireland, and many of the isles. When Arthur first mounted the throne, King Ryence, in scorn, sent a messenger to say “he had purfled a mantel with the beards of kings; but the mantel lacked one more beard to complete the lining, and he requested Arthur to send his beard by the messenger, or else he would come and take head and beard too.” Part of the insolence was in this: Arthur at the time was too young to have a beard at all; and he made answer, “Tell your master, my beard at present is all too young for purfling; but I have an arm quite strong enough to drag him hither, unless he comes without delay to do me homage.” By the advice of Merlin, the two brothers, Balin and Balan, set upon the insolent king, on his way to Lady De Vauce, overthrew him, slew “more than forty of his men, and the remnant fled.” King Ryence craved for mercy; so “they laid him on a horse-litter, and sent him captive to King Arthur.”—Sir T. Malory,History of Prince Arthur, i. 24, 34 (1470).

Rymar(Mr. Robert), poet at the Spa.—Sir W. Scott,St. Ronan’s Well(time, George III.).

Ryno, youngest of the sons of Fingal, king of Morven. He fell in the battleof Lena between the Norsemen led by Swaran and the Irish led by Fingal.

“Rest!” said Fingal; “youngest of my sons, rest! Rest, O Ryno, on Lena! We, too, shall be no more. Warriors must one day fall.”—Ossian,Fingal, v.

Ryparog´rapher of Wits, Rabelais (1495-1553).

***Greek,rupăros(“foul, nasty”). Pliny calls Pyrĭcus the painter a “ryparographer.”

Rython, a giant of Brittany, slain by King Arthur. (SeeRitho.)

Rython, the mighty giant, slain,By his good brand relieved Bretagne.Sir W. Scott,Bridal of Triermain, ii. 11 (1813).

SaadiorSadi, the Persian poet, called “The Nightingale of a Thousand Songs.” His poems areThe Gulistanor “Garden of Roses,”The Bostonor “Garden of Fruits,” andThe Pend Nâmeh, a moral poem. Saadi (1184-1263) was one of the “Four Monarchs of Eloquence.”

SabaorZaba(The Queen of), called Balkis. She came to the court of Solomon, and had by him a son named Melech. This queen of Ethiopia or Abyssinia is sometimes called Maqueda.—Zaga Zabo,Ap. Damian. a Goes.

TheKorân(ch. xxvii.) tells us that Solomon summoned before him all the birds to the valley of ants, but the lapwing did not put in an appearance. Solomon was angry, and was about to issue an order of death, when the bird presented itself, saying, “I come from Saba, where I found a queen reigning in great magnificence, but she and her subjects worship the sun.” On hearing this, Solomon sent back the lapwing to Saba with a letter, which the bird was to drop at the foot of the queen, commanding her to come at once, submit herself unto him, and accept from him the “true religion.” So she came in great state, with a train of 500 slaves of each sex, bearing 500 “bricks of solid gold,” a crown, and sundry other presents.

Sabbath-Breakers.The fish of the Red Sea used to come ashore on the eve of the Sabbath, to tempt the Jews to violate the day of rest. The offenders at length became so numerous that David, to deter others, turned the fish into apes.—Jallâlo´ddin.—Al Zamakh.

Sabellan Song, incantation. The Sabelli or Samnites were noted for their magic art and incantations.

Sabine(The). Numa, the Sabine, was taught the way to govern by Egĕrĭe, one of the Camēnæ (prophetic nymphs of ancient Italy). He used to meet her in a grove, in which was a well, afterwards dedicated by him to the Camenæ.

Our statues—sheThat taught the Sabine how to rule.Tennyson,The Princess, ii. (1830).

Sablonnière(La), the Tuilleries. The word means the “sand-pit.” Thetuilleriesmeans the “tile-works.” Nicolas de Neuville, in the fifteenth century, built a mansion in the vicinity, which he called the “Hotel des Tuilleries,” and François I. bought the property for his mother in 1518.

Sabra, daughter of Ptolemy, king of Egypt. She was rescued by St. George from the hands of a giant, and ultimately married her deliverer. Sabra had three sons at a birth: Guy, Alexander, and David.

Here come I, St. George, the valiant man,With naked sword and spear in han’,Who fought the dragon and brought him to slaughter,And won fair Sabra thus, the king of Egypt’s daughter.Notes and Queries, December 21, 1878.

Sabreur(Le Beau), Joachim Murat (1767-1815).

Sab´rin,Sabre, orSabri´na, the Severn, daughter of Locrine (son of Brute) and his concubine, Estrildis. His queen, Guendolen, vowed vengeance, and, having assembled an army, made war upon Locrine, who was slain. Guendolen now assumed the government, and commanded Estrildis and Sabrin to be cast into a river, since then called the Severn.—Geoffrey of Monmouth,British History, ii. 5 (1142).

(Anexqusitedescription of Sabine, sitting in state as a queen, is given in the opening of song v. of Drayton’sPolyolbion, and the tale of her metamorphosis is recorded at length in song vi. Milton inComus, and Fletcher inThe Faithful Shepherdess, refer to the transformation of Sabrina into ariver.

Sabrina(Aunt). “Grim old maid in rusty bombazine gown and cap,” whose strongest passion is family pride in the old homestead and farm which “her grandfather, a revolted cobbler from Rhode Island, had cleared and paid for at ten cents an acre.”—Harold Frederic,Seth’s Brother’s Wife(1886).

Sabrinian SeaorSevern Sea,i.e.the Bristol Channel. Both terms occur not unfrequently in Drayton’sPolyolbion.

Sacchini(Antonio Maria Gaspare), called “The Racine of Music,” contemporary with Glück and Piccini (1735-1786).

Sacharissa.So Waller calls the Lady Dorothea Sidney, eldest daughter of the earl of Leicester, to whose hand he aspired. Sacharissa married the earl of Sunderland. (Greek,sakchar, “sugar.”)

Sackbut, the landlord of a tavern, in Mrs. Centlivre’s comedy,A Bold Stroke for a Wife(1717).

Sackingen(The Trumpeter of). Werner, a trumpeter, discourses such divine music upon his instrument as gains him access to a baronial castle, the good-will of the baron and the love of Margaret, the baron’s daughter.—Victor Hugo,The Trumpeter of Sackingen.

Sacred Nine(The), the Muses, nine in number.

Fair daughters of the Sun, the Sacred Nine,Here wake to ecstasy their harps divine.Falconer,The Shipwreck, iii. 3 (1756).

Sacred War(The), a war undertaken by the Amphictyonic League for the defence of Delphi, against the Cirrhæans (B.C.595-587).

The Sacred War, a war undertaken by the Athenians for the purpose of restoring Delphi to the Phocians (B.C.448-447).

The Sacred War, a war undertaken by Philip of Macedon, as chief of the Amphictyonic League, for the purpose of wresting Delphi from the Phocians (B.C.357).

Sa´cripant(King), king of Circassia, and a lover of Angelica.—Bojardo,Orlando Innamorato(1495); Ariosto,Orlando Furioso(1516).

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