Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 43

Across the unpathwayed seas, Shot the brave prow that cut on Vinland sands The first rune in the Saga of the West.

James Russell Lowell, _The Voyage to Vinland_.

BIRCH (_Harvey_), a prominent character in _The Spy_, a novel by J.F.

Cooper.

BIRD (_My_). f.a.n.n.y Forester (Emily Chubbuck Judson) thus addressed her baby daughter (1848).

There's not in Ind a lovelier bird: Broad earth owns not a happier nest.

Oh, G.o.d! Thou hast a fountain stirred Whose waters never more shall rest.

The pulse first caught its tiny stroke.

The blood its crimson hue from mine; The life which I have dared invoke Henceforth is parallel with THINE!

_Bird (The Little Green)_, of the frozen regions, which could reveal every secret and impart information of events past, present, or to come. Prince Chery went in search of it, so did his two cousins, Brightsun and Felix; last of all Fairstar, who succeeded in obtaining it, and liberating the princes who had failed in their attempts.--Comtesse D'Aunoy, _Fairy Tales_ ("Princess Chery," 1682).

This tale is a mere reproduction of "The Two Sisters," the last tale of the _Arabian Nights_, in which the bird is called "Bulbulhezar, the talking bird."

BIRD SINGING TO A MONK. The monk was Felix.--Longfellow, _Golden Legend_, ii.

BIRE'NO, the lover and subsequent husband of Olympia queen of Holland.

He was taken prisoner by Cymosco king of Friza, but was released by Orlando. Bireno, having forsaken Olympia, was put to death by Oberto king of Ireland, who married the young widow.--Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_, iv. v. (1516).

_Bire'no_ (_Duke_), heir to the crown of Lombardy. It is the king's wish that he should marry Sophia, his only child, but the princess loves Pal'adore (3 _syl_.), a Briton. Bireno has a mistress named Alin'da, whom he induces to personate the princess, and in Paladore's presence she casts down a rope-ladder for the duke to climb up by.

Bireno has Alinda murdered to prevent the deception being known, and accuses the princess of unchast.i.ty--a crime in Lombardy punished by death. As the princess is led to execution, Paladore challenges the duke, and kills him. The villainy is fully revealed, and the princess is married to the man of her choice, who had twice saved her life.--Robert Jephson, _The Law of Lombardy_ (1779).

BIRMINGHAM POET (_The_), John Freeth, the wit, poet, and publican, who wrote his own songs; set them to music, and sang them (1730-1808).

BIRON, a merry mad-cap young lord, in attendance on Ferdinand king of Navarre. Biron promises to spend three years with the king in study, during which time no woman is to approach his court; but no sooner has he signed the compact, than he falls in love with Rosaline. Rosaline defers his suit for twelve months and a day, saying, "If you my favor mean to get, for twelve months seek the weary beds of people sick."

A merrier man, Within the limit of becoming mirth, I never spent an hour's talk withal.

His eye begets occasion for his wit: For every object that the one doth catch, The other turns to a mirth-moving jest; Which his fair tongue (conceit's expositor) Delivers in such apt and gracious words, That aged ears play truant at his tales, And younger hearings are quite ravished.

Shakespeare, _Love's Labor's Lost_, act ii. sc. 1 (1594).

_Biron_ (_Charles de Gontaut due de_), greatly beloved by Henri IV. of France. He won immortal laurels at the battles of Arques and Ivry, and at the sieges of Paris and Rouen. The king loaded him with honors: he was admiral of France, marshal, governor of Bourgoyne, duke and peer of France. This too-much honor made him forget himself, and he entered into a league with Spain and Savoy against his country. The plot was discovered by Lafin; and although Henri wished to pardon him, he was executed (1602, aged 40).

George Chapman has made him the subject of two tragedies, ent.i.tled _Biron's Conspiracy_ and _Biron's Tragedy_ (1557-1634).

_Biron_, eldest son of count Baldwin, who disinherited him for marrying Isabella, a nun. Biron now entered the army and was sent to the siege of Candy, where he fell, and it was supposed died. After the lapse of seven years, Isabella, reduced to abject poverty, married Villeroy (2 _syl_.), but the day after her espousals Biron returned, whereupon Isabella went mad and killed herself.--Thomas Southern, _Isabella, or the Fatal Marriage_.

During the absence of the elder Macready, his son took the part of "Biron" in _Isabella_. The father was shocked, because he desired his son for the Church; but Mrs. Siddons remarked to him, "In the Church your son will live and die a curate on 50 a year, but if successful, the stage will bring him in a thousand."--Donaldson, _Recollections_.

BIRTHA, the motherless daughter and only child of As'tragon the Lombard philosopher. In spring she gathered blossoms for her father's still, in autumn, berries, and in summer, flowers. She fell in love with duke Grondibert, whose wounds she a.s.sisted her father to heal.

Birtha, "in love unpractised and unread," is the beau-ideal of innocence and purity of mind. Grondibert had just plighted his love to her when he was summoned to court, for king Aribert had proclaimed him his successor and future son-in-law. Gondibert a.s.sured Birtha he would remain true to her, and gave her an emerald ring which he told her would lose its l.u.s.tre if he proved untrue. Here the tale breaks off, and as it was never finished the sequel is not known.--Sir W.

Davenant, _Gondibert_ (died 1668).

BISHOP MIDDLEHAM, who was always declaiming against ardent drinks, and advocating water as a beverage, killed himself by secret intoxication.

BISHOPS. The seven who refused to read the declaration of indulgence published by James II. and were by him imprisoned for recusancy, were archbishop Sancroft _(Canterbury)_, bishops Lloyd _(St. Asaph)_, Turner _(Ely)_, Kew _(Bath and Wells)_, White _(Peterborough)_, Lake _(Chichester)_, Trelawney _(Bristol)._ Being tried, they were all acquitted (June, 1688).

BISTO'NIANS, the Thracians, so called from Biston (son of Mars), who built Bisto'nia on lake Bis'tonis.

So the Bistonian race, a maddening train, Exult and revel on the Thracian plain.

Pitt's _Statius_, ii.

BIT'ELAS(3 _syl_.), sister of Fairlimb, and daughter of Rukenaw the ape, in the beast-epic called _Reynard the Fox_ (1498).

BIT'TLEBRAINS _(Lord)_, friend of sir William Ashton, lord-keeper of Scotland.

_Lady Bittlebrains_, wife of the above lord.--Sir W. Scott, _Bride of Lammermoor_ (time, William III.).

BIT'ZER, light porter in Bounderby's bank at c.o.ketown. He is educated at M'Choak.u.mchild's "practical school," and becomes a general spy and informer. Bitzer finds out the robbery of the bank, and discovers the perpetrator to be Tom Gradgrind (son of Thomas Gradgrind, Esq., M.P.), informs against him, and gets promoted to his place.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Hard Times_ (1854).

BIZARRE _[Be.zar'(1)]_, the friend of Orian'a, forever coquetting and sparring with Duretete _[Dure.tait]_, and placing him in awkward predicaments.--G.K. Farquhar, _The Inconstant_ (1702).

BLACK AG'NES, the countess of March, noted for her defence of Dunbar during the war which Edward III. maintained in Scotland (1333-1338).

Sir Walter Scott says: "The countess was called 'Black Agnes' from her complexion. She was the daughter of Thomas Randolph, earl of Murray."--_Tales of a Grandfather_, i. 14. (See BLACK PRINCE.)

BLACK COLIN CAMPBELL, general Campbell, in the army of George III., introduced by sir W. Scott in _Redgauntlet_.

BLACK DOUGLAS, William Douglas, lord of Nithsdale, who died 1390.

He was tall, strong, and well made, of a swarthy complexion, with dark hair, from which he was called "The Black Douglas."--Sir Walter Scott, _Tales of a Grandfather_, xi.

BLACK DWARF (_The_), of sir Walter Scott, is meant for David Ritchie, whose cottage was and still is on Manor Water, in the county of Peebles.

BLACK-EYED SUSAN, one of Dibdin's sea-songs.

BLACK GEORGE, the gamekeeper in Fielding's novel, called _The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling_ (1750).

_Black George_, Greorge Petrowitsch of Servia, a brigand; called by the Turks _Kara George_, from the terror he inspired.

BLACK HORSE (_The_), the 7th Dragoon Guards (_not_ the 7th Dragoons).

So called because their facings (or collar and cuffs) are black velvet. Their plumes are black and white; and at one time their horses were black, or at any rate dark.

BLACK KNIGHT OF THE BLACK LANDS (_The_), sir Pereard. Called by Tennyson "Night" _or_ "Nox." He was one of the four brothers who kept the pa.s.sages of Castle Dangerous, and was overthrown by sir Gareth.--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_, i. 126 (1470); Tennyson, _Idylls_ ("Gareth and Lynette").

BLACK LORD CLIFFORD, John ninth lord Clifford, son of Thomas lord Clifford. Also called "The Butcher" (died 1461).

BLACK PRINCE, Edward prince of Wales, son of Edward III. Froissart says he was styled _black_ "by terror of his arms" (c. 169).

Similarly, lord Clifford was called "The Black Lord Clifford" for his cruelties (died 1461). George Petrowitsch was called by the Turks "Black George" from the terror of his name. The countess of March was called "Black Agnes" from the terror of her deeds, and not (as sir W.