Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 32

Bargulus, Illyrius latro, de quo est apud Theopompum magnas opes habuit.--Cicero, _De Officiis_, ii. 11.

BARICONDO, one of the leaders of the Moorish army. He was slain by the duke of Clarence.--Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_ (1516).

BARKER (.Mr.), friend to Sowerberry. _Mrs. Barker_, his wife.--W.

Brough, _A Phenomenon in a Smock Frock_.

BAR'KIS, the carrier who courted [Clara] Peggot'ty, by telling David Copperfield when he wrote home to say to his nurse "Barkis is willin'." Clara took the hint and became Mrs. Barkis.

He dies when the tide goes out, confirming the superst.i.tion that people can't die till the tide goes out, or be born till it is in. The last words he utters are "Barkis is willin'."--C. d.i.c.kens, _David Copperfield_, x.x.x. (1849).

(Mrs. Quickly says of sir John Falstaff, "'A parted even just between twelve and one, e'en at the turning o' the tide."--_Henry V_. act ii.

sc. 3, 1599.)

BAR'LAHAM AND JOSAPHAT, the heroes and t.i.tle of a minnesong, the object of which was to show the triumph of Christian doctrines over paganism. Barlaham is a hermit who converts Josaphat, an Indian prince. This "lay" was immensely popular in the Middle Ages, and has been translated into every European language.--Rudolf of Ems (a minnesinger, thirteenth century).

BARLEY _(Bill)_, Clara's father. Chiefly remarkable for drinking rum, and thumping on the floor.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Great Expectations_ (1860).

BARLEYCORN (_Sir John_), Malt-liquor personified. His neighbors vowed that sir John should die, so they hired ruffians to "plough him with ploughs and bury him;" this they did, and afterwards "combed him with harrows and thrust clods on his head," but did not kill him. Then with hooks and sickles they "cut his legs off at the knees," bound him like a thief, and left him "to wither with the wind," but he died not. They now "rent him to the heart," and having "mowed him in a mow," sent two bravos to beat him with clubs, and they beat him so sore that "all his flesh fell from his bones," but yet he died not. To a kiln they next hauled him, and burnt him like a martyr, but he survived the burning.

They crushed him between two stones, but killed him not. Sir John bore no malice for this ill-usage, but did his best to cheer the flagging spirits even of his worst persecutors.

[Ill.u.s.tration] This song, from the _English Dancing-Master_ (1651), is generally ascribed to Robert Burns, but all that the Scotch poet did was slightly to alter parts of it. The same may be said of "Auld lang Syne," "Ca' the Yowes," "My Heart is Sair for Somebody," "Green grow the Rashes, O!" and several other songs, set down to the credit of Burns.

BARLOW, the favorite archer of Henry VIII. He was jocosely created by the merry monarch "Duke of Sh.o.r.editch," and his two companions "Marquis of Islington" and "Earl of Pancras."

_Barlow (Billy)_, a jester, who fancied himself a "mighty potentate."

He was well known in the east of London, and died in Whitechapel workhouse. Some of his sayings were really witty, and some of his att.i.tudes truly farcical.

BAR'MECIDE. Schacabac "the hare-lipped," a man in the greatest distress, one day called on the rich Barmecide, who in merry jest asked him to dine with him. Barmecide first washed in hypothetical water, Schacabac followed his example. Barmecide then pretended to eat of various dainties, Schacabac did the same, and praised them highly, and so the "feast" went on to the close. The story says Barmecide was so pleased that Schacabac had the good sense and good temper to enter into the spirit of the joke without resentment, that he ordered in a real banquet, at which Schacabac was a welcome guest.--_Arabian Nights_ ("The Barber's Sixth Brother").

BAR'NABAS _(St.)_, a disciple of Gamaliel, cousin of St. Mark, and fellow-laborer with St. Paul. He was martyred at Salamis, A.D. 63.

_St. Barnabas' Day_ is June 11.--_Acts_ iv. 36, 37.

BAR'NABY _(Widow)_, the t.i.tle and chief character of a novel by Mrs.

Trollope (1839). The widow is a vulgar, pretentious husband-hunter, wholly without principle. _Widow Barnaby_ has a sequel called _The Barnabys in America, or The Widow Married_, a satire on America and the Americans (1840).

BARNABY RUDGE, a half-witted whose companion is a raven. He is enticed into joining the Gordon rioters.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Barnaby Budge_ (1841).

(See RUDGE.)

BARNACLE, brother of old Nicholas c.o.c.kney, and guardian of Priscilla Tomboy of the West Indies. Barnacle is a tradesman of the old school, who thinks the foppery and extravagance of the "c.o.c.kney" school inconsistent with prosperous shop-keeping. Though brusque and even ill-mannered, he has good sense and good discernment of character.--_The Romp_ (altered from Bickerstaff's _Love in the City_).

BARNADINE, malefactor, condemned to death, "who will not die that day, upon any man's persuasion."--Shakespeare, _Measure for Measure_.

BARNES (1 _syl_.), servant to colonel Mannering, at Woodburne.--Sir W.

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

BARNEY, a repulsive Jew, who waited on the customers at the low public-house frequented by f.a.gin and his a.s.sociates. Barney always spoke through his nose.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Oliver Twist_ (1837).

BARN'STABLE (_Lieutenant_), in the British navy, in love with Kate Plowden, niece of colonel Howard of New York. The alliance not being approved of, Kate is removed from England to America, but Barnstable goes to America to discover her retreat. In this he succeeds, but being seized as a spy, is commanded by colonel Howard to be hung to the yardarm of an American frigate called the _Alacrity_. Scarcely is the young man led off, when the colonel is informed that Barnstable is his own son, and he arrives at the scene of execution just in time to save him. Of course after this he marries the lady of his affection.--E. Fitzball, _The Pilot_ (a burletta).

BARNWELL (_George_), the chief character and t.i.tle of a tragedy by George Lillo. George Barnwell is a London apprentice, who falls in love with Sarah Millwood of Sh.o.r.editch, who leads him astray. He first robs his master of 200. He next robs his uncle, a rich grazier at Ludlow, and murders him. Having spent all the money of his iniquity, Sarah Millwood turns him off and informs against him. Both are executed (1732).

[Ill.u.s.tration] For many years this play was acted on boxing-night, as a useful lesson to London apprentices. BARON (_The old English_), a romance by Clara Reeve (1777).

BAR'RABAS, the rich "Jew of Malta." He is simply a human monster, who kills in sport, poisons whole nunneries, and invents infernal machines. Shakespeare's "Shylock" has a humanity in the very whirlwind of his resentment, but Marlowe's "Barrabas" is a mere ideal of that "thing" which Christian prejudice once deemed a Jew. (See BARABAS.)--Marlowe, _The Jew of Malta_ (1586).

_Bar'rabas_, the famous robber and murderer set free instead of Christ by desire of the Jews. Called in the New Testament _Barab'has_.

Marlowe calls the word "Barrabas" in his _Jew of Malta_, and Shakespeare says:

"Would any of the stock of Bar'rabas Had been her husband, rather than a Christian."

_Merchant of Venice_, act iv. sc. 1 (1598).

BARRY CORNWALL, the _nom de plume_ of Bryan Waller Procter. It is an imperfect anagram of his name (1788-1874).

BARSAD (_John), alias_ Solomon Pross, a spy.

He had an aquiline nose, but not straight, having a peculiar inclination towards the left cheek; expression, therefore, sinister.--C. d.i.c.kens, _A Tale of Two Cities_, ii. 16 (1859).

BARSIS'A (_Santon_), in _The Guardian_, the basis of the story called _The Monk_, by M. G. Lewis (1796).

BARSTON, _alias_ captain Fenwicke, a jesuit and secret correspondent of the conntess of Derby.--Sir W. Scott, _Peveril of the Peak_ (time, Charles II.).

BARTHOL'OMEW (_Brother_), guide of the two Philipsons on their way to Strasburg.

--Sir W. Scott, _Anne of Geierstein_ (time, Edward IV.).

_Bartholomew (St.)._ His day is August 24, and his symbol a knife, in allusion to the knife with which he is said to have been flayed alive.

BARTLEY HUBBARD, the "smart" newspaper-man in _A Modern Instance_, by William Dean Howells (1883). He also plies his trade and exhibits his a.s.surance in _The Rise of Silas Lapham_ (1885).

BARTOLDO, a rich old miser, who died of fear and want of sustenance.

Fazio rifled his treasures, and on the accusation of his own wife was tried and executed.--Dean Milman, _Fazio_ (1815).

_Bartoldo_, same as _Bertoldo_ (_q.v._).

BARTOLI (in French _Barthole_, better known, however, by the Latin form of the name, _Bartolus_) was the most famous master of the dialectical school of jurists (1313-1356). He was born at Sa.s.so Ferrata in Italy, and was professor of Civil Law at the University of Perugia. His reputation was at one time immense, and his works were quoted as authority in nearly every European court. Hence the French proverb, applied to a well-read lawyer, _He knows his "Barthole" as well as a Cordelier his "Dormi_" (an anonymous compilation of sermons for the use of the Cordelier monks). Another common French expression, _Resolu comme Barthole_ ("as decided as Barthole"), is a sort of punning allusion to his _Resolutiones Bartoli_, a work in which the knottiest questions are solved with _ex cathedra_ peremptoriness.

BAR'TOLUS, a covetous lawyer, husband of Amaran'ta.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Spanish Curate_ (1622).

BARTON (_Sir Andrew_), a Scotch sea-officer, who had obtained in 1511 letters of marque for himself and his two sons, to make reprisals upon the subjects of Portugal. The council-board of England, at which the earl of Surrey presided, was daily pestered by complaints from British merchants and sailors against Barton, and at last it was decided to put him down. Two s.h.i.+ps were, therefore, placed under the commands of sir Thomas and sir Edward Howard, an engagement took place, and sir Andrew Barton was slain, bravely fighting. A ballad in two parts, called "Sir Andrew Barton," is inserted in Percy's _Reliques_, II. ii.

12.

BARTRAM, the lime-burner, an obtuse, middle-aged clown in _Ethan Brand_ by Nathaniel Hawthorne. When he finds the suicide's skeleton in the kiln, the heart whole within the ribs, he congratulates himself that "his kiln is half a bushel richer for him" (1846).

BARUCH. _Dites, donc, avez-vous lu Baruch?_ Said when a person puts an unexpected question, or makes a startling proposal. It arose thus: Lafontaine went one day with Racine to _tenebrae_, and was given a Bible. He turned at random to the "Prayer of the Jews," in Baruch, and was so struck with it that he said aloud to Racine, "Dites, donc, who was this Baruch? Why, do you know, man, he was a fine genius;" and for some days afterwards the first question he asked his friends was, _Diles, done, Mons., avez-vous lu Baruch?_

BARZIL'LAI (3 _syl_.), the duke of Ormond, a friend and firm adherent of Charles II. As Barzillai a.s.sisted David when he was expelled by Absalom from his kingdom, so Ormond a.s.sisted Charles II. when he was in exile.

Barzillai, crowned with honors and with years,...