Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 110

_Louisa Dudley_, daughter of Captain Dudley. Young, fair, tall, fresh, and lovely. She is courted by Belcour the rich West Indian, to whom ultimately she is married.--c.u.mberland, _The West Indian_ (1771).

DUDLEY DIAMOND (_The_). In 1868 a black shepherd named Swartzboy brought to his master, Nie Kirk, this diamond, and received for it 400, with which he drank himself to death. Nie Kirk sold it for 12,000; and the earl of Dudley gave Messrs. Hunt and Roskell 30,000 for it. It weighed in the rough 88 1/2 carats, but cut into a heart shape it weighs 44 1/2 carats. It is triangular in shape, and of great brilliancy.

[Ill.u.s.tration] This magnificent diamond, that called the "Stewart"

_(q. v_.), and the "Twin," have all been discovered in Africa since 1868.

DUDU, one of the three beauties of the harem, into which Juan, by the sultan's order, had been admitted in female attire. Next day, the sultana, out of jealousy, ordered that both Dudu and Juan should be st.i.tched in a sack and cast into the sea; but by the connivance of Baba the chief eunuch, they affected their escape.--Byron, _Don Juan_, vi. 42, etc.

A kind of sleeping Venus seemed Dudu ...

But she was pensive more than melancholy ...

The strangest thing was, beauteous, she was holy.

Unconscious, albeit turned of quick seventeen.

Canto vi. 42-44 (1824).

DUENNA _(The)_, a comic opera by R. B. Sheridan (1773). Margaret, the duenna, is placed in charge of Louisa, the daughter of Don Jerome.

Louisa is in love with Don Antonio, a poor n.o.bleman of Seville; but her father resolves to give her in marriage to Isaac Mendoza, a rich Portuguese Jew. As Louisa will not consent to her father's arrangement, he locks her up in her chamber, and turns the duenna out of doors, but in his impetuous rage he in reality turns his daughter out, and locks up the duenna. Isaac arrives, is introduced to the lady, elopes with her, and is duly married. Louisa flees to the convent of St. Catharine, and writes to her father for his consent to her marriage to the man of her choice; and Don Jerome supposing she means the Jew, gives it freely, and she marries Antonio. When they meet at breakfast at the old man's house, he finds that Isaac has married the duenna, Louisa has married Antonio, and his son has married Clara; but the old man is reconciled and says, "I am an obstinate old fellow, when I'm in the wrong, but you shall all find me steady in the right."

DUESSA _(false faith_), is the personification of the papacy. She meets the Red Cross Knight in the society of Sansfoy _(infidelity)_, and when the knight slays Sansfoy, she turns to flight. Being overtaken, she says her name is Fidessa _(true faith)_, deceives the knight, and conducts him to the palace of Lucif'era, where he encounters Sansjoy (canto 2). Duessa dresses the wounds of the Red Cross Knight, but places Sansjoy under the care of Escula'pius in the infernal regions (canto 4). The Red Cross Knight leaves the palace of Lucifera, and Duessa induces him to drink of the "Enervating Fountain;" Orgoglio then attacks him, and would have slain him if Duessa had not promised to be his bride. Having cast the Red Cross Knight into a dungeon, Orgoglio dresses his bride in most gorgeous array, puts on her head "a triple crown" _(the tiara of the pope_), and sets her on a monster beast with "seven heads" _(the seven hills of Rome_). Una _(truth)_ sends Arthur (England) to rescue the captive knight, and Arthur slays Orgoglio, wounds the beast, releases the knight, and strips Duessa of her finery _(the Reformation_); whereupon she flies into the wilderness to conceal her shame (canto 7).--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, i. (1590).

_Duessa_, in bk. v., allegorizes Mary queen of Scots. She is arraigned by Zeal before Queen Mercilla _(Elizabeth)_, and charged with high treason. Zeal says he shall pa.s.s by for the present "her counsels false conspired" with Blandamour _(earl of Northumberland)_, and Paridel _(earl of Westmoreland_), leaders of the insurrection of 1569, as that wicked plot came to naught, and the false Duessa was now "an unt.i.tled queen." When Zeal had finished, an old sage named the Kingdom's Care _(Lord Burghley)_ spoke, and opinions were divided.

Authority, Law of Nations, and Religion thought Duessa guilty, but Pity, Danger, n.o.bility of Birth, and Grief pleaded in her behalf. Zeal then charges the prisoner with murder, sedition, adultery, and lewd impiety; whereupon the sentence of the court is given against her.

Queen Mercilla, being called on to pa.s.s sentence, is so overwhelmed with grief that she rises and leaves the court.--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, v. 9 (1596).

DUFF _(Jamie)_, the idiot boy attending Mrs. Bertram's funeral.--Sir W. Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time, George II.).

DUKE _(My lord_), a duke's servant, who a.s.sumes the airs and t.i.tle of his master, and is addressed as "Your grace," or "My lord duke." He was first a country cowboy, then a wig-maker's apprentice, and then a duke's servant. He could neither write nor read, but was a great c.o.xcomb, and set up for a tip-top fine gentleman.--Rev. J. Townley, _High Life Below Stairs_ (1763).

_Duke (The Iron_), the duke of Wellington, also called "The Great Duke" (1769-1852).

DUKE AND d.u.c.h.eSS, in pt. II. of _Don Quixote_, who play so many sportive tricks on "the Knight of the Woeful Countenance," were Don Carlos de Borja, count of Ficallo, and Donna Maria of Aragon, d.u.c.h.ess of Villaher'mora, his wife, in whose right the count held extensive estates on the banks of the Ebro, among others a country seat called Buena'via, the place referred to by Cervantes (1615).

DUKE OF MIL'AN, a tragedy by Ma.s.singer (1622). A play evidently in imitation of Shakespeare's _Oth.e.l.lo_. "Sforza" is Othollo; "Francesco," Iago: "Marcelia," Desdemona: and "Eugenia," Emilia.

Sforza "the More" [_sic_] doted on Marcelia his young bride, who amply returned his love. Francesco, Sforza's favorite, being left lord protector of Milan during a temporary absence of the duke, tried to corrupt Marcelia; but failing in this, accused her to Sforza of wantonness. The duke, believing his favorite, slew his beautiful young bride. The cause of Francesco's villainy was that the duke had seduced his sister Eugenia.

[Ill.u.s.tration] Shakespeare's play was produced 1611, about eleven years before Ma.s.singer's tragedy. In act v. 1 we have "Men's injuries we write in bra.s.s," which brings to mind Shakespeare's line, "Men's evil manners live in bra.s.s, their virtues we write in water."

(c.u.mberland reproduced this drama, with some alterations, in 1780).

DUKE COMBE, William Combe, author of _Dr. Syntax_, and translator of _The Devil upon Two Sticks_, from _Le Diable Boiteux_ of Lesage. He was called _duke_ from the splendor of his dress, the profusion of his table, and the magnificence of his deportment. The last fifteen years of his life were spent in the King's Bench (1743-1823).

DULCAMA'RA _(Dr.)_, an itinerant physician, noted for his pomposity; very boastful, and a thorough charlatan.--Donizetti, _L'Elisire d'Amore_ (1832).

DULCARNON. (See DHU'L KARNEIN.)

DULCIFLUOUS DOCTOR, Antony Andreas, a Spanish minorite of the Duns Scotus school (_-1320).

DULCIN'EA DEL TOBO'SO, the lady of Don Quixote's devotion. She was a fresh-colored country wench, of an adjacent village, with whom the don was once in love. Her real name was Aldonza Lorenzo. Her father was Lorenzo Corchuelo, and her mother Aldonza Nogales. Sancho Panza describes her in pt. I. ii. 11.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. i. I (1605).

"Her flowing hair," says the knight, "is of gold, her forehead the Elysian fields, her eyebrows two celestial arches, her eyes a pair of glorious suns, her cheeks two beds of roses, her lips two coral portals that guard her teeth of Oriental pearl, her neck is alabaster, her hands are polished ivory, and her bosom whiter than the new-fallen snow."

Ask you for whom my tears do flow so?

'Tis for Dulcinea del Toboso.

_Don Quixote_, I iii. 11 (1605).

DULL, a constable.--Shakespeare, _Love's Labour's Lost_ (1594).

DU'MACHUS. The impenitent thief is so called in Longfellow's _Golden Legend_, and the penitent thief is called t.i.tus.

In the apocryphal _Gospel of Nicodemis_, the impenitent thief is called Gestas, and the penitent one Dysmas.

In the story of _Joseph of Arimathea_, the impenitent thief is called Gesmas, and the penitent one Dismas.

Alta pet.i.t Dismas, infelix infima Gesmas.

_A Monkish Charm to Scare away Thieves_.

Dismas in paradise would dwell, But Gesmas chose his lot in h.e.l.l.

DUMAIN, a French lord in attendance on Ferdinand, king of Navarre. He agreed to spend three years with the king in study, during which time no woman was to approach the court. Of course, the compact was broken as soon as made and Dumain fell in love with Katharine. When however, he proposed marriage, Katharine deferred her answer for twelve months and a day, hoping by that time "his face would be more bearded," for, she said, "I'll mark no words that smoothfaced wooers say."

The young Dumain, a well-accomplished youth, Of all that virtue love for virtue loved; Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill; For he hath wit to make an ill shape good, And shape to win grace, tho' he had no wit.

Shakespeare, _Love's Labour's Lost_, act ii. sc. I (1594).

DU'MARIN, the husband of Cym'oent, and father of Marinel.--Spenser, _Fairy Queen_, in. 4.

DUMAS _(Alexandre_ D.), in 1845, published sixty volumes.

The most skillful copyist, writing 12 hours a day, can with difficulty do 3,900 letters in an hour, which gives him 46,800 per diem, or 60 pages of a romance. Thus he could copy 5 volumes octavo per month and 60 in a year, supposing that he did not lose one second of time, but worked without ceasing 12 hours every day thoughout the entire year.--De Mirecourt, _Dumas Pere_ (1867).

DUMB OX _(The)._ St. Thomas Aqui'nas was so called by his fellow-students at Cologne, from his taciturnity and dreaminess.

Sometimes called "The Great Dumb Ox of Sicily." He was larged-bodied, fat, with a brown complexion, and a large head partly bald.

Of a truth, it almost makes me laugh To see men leaving the golden grain, To gather in piles the pitiful chaff That old Peter Lombard thrashed with his brain, To have it caught up and tossed again On the horns of the Dumb Ox of Cologne.

Longfellow, _The Golden Legend_.

(Thomas Aquinas was subsequently called "The Angelic Doctor," and the "Angel of the Schools," 1224-1274.)

DUMBIEDIKES (_The old laird of_), an exacting landlord, taciturn and obstinate.

The laird of Dumbiedikes had hitherto been moderate in his exactions ... but when a stout, active young fellow appeared ... he began to think so broad a pair of shoulders might bear an additional burden.

He regulated, indeed, his management of his dependants as carters do their horses, never failing to clap an additional brace of hundred-weights on a new and willing horse.--Chap. 8 (1818).

_The young laird of Dumbiedikes_ (3 _syl_.), a bashful young laird, in love with Jeanie Deans, but Jeanie marries the Presbyterian minister, Reuben Butler.--Sir W. Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, George II.).

DUM'MERAR (_The Rev. Dr._), a friend of Sir Geoffrey Peveril.--Sir W.

Scott, _Peveril of the Peak_ (time, Charles II.).