Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 50

BOUNTY (_Mutiny of the_), in 1790, headed by Fletcher Christian. The mutineers finally settled in Pitcairn Island (Polynesian Archipelago).

In 1808 all the mutineers were dead except one (Alexander Smith), who had changed his name to John Adams, and became a model patriarch of the colony, which was taken under the protection of the British Government in 1839. Lord Byron, in _The Island_, has made the "mutiny of the _Bounty_" the basis of his tale, but the facts are greatly distorted.

BOUS'TRAPA, a nickname given to Napoleon III. It is compounded of the first syllables of _Bou_ [logne], _Stra_ [sbourg], _Pa_[ris], and alludes to his escapades in 1836, 1840, 1851 (_coup d'etat_).

No man ever lived who was distinguished by more nicknames than Louis Napoleon. Besides the one above mentioned, he was called _Badinguet, Man of December, Man of Sedan, Ratipol, Verhuel_, etc.; and after his escape from the fortress of Ham he went by the pseudonym of _count Arenenberg_.

BOWER OF BLISS, a garden belonging to the enchantress Armi'da. It abounded in everything that could contribute to earthly pleasure.

Here Rinal'do spent some time in love-pa.s.sages with Armi'da, but he ultimately broke from the enchantress and rejoined the war.--Ta.s.so, _Jerusalem Delivered_ (1575).

_Bower of Bliss_, the residence of the witch Acras'ia, a beautiful and most fascinating woman. This lovely garden was situated on a floating island filled with everything which could conduce to enchant the senses, and "wrap the spirit in forgetfulness."--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, ii. 12 (1590).

BOWKIT, in _The Son-in-Law._

In the scene where Cranky declines to accept Bowkit as son-in-law on account of his ugliness, John Edwin, who was playing "Bowkit" at the Haymarket, uttered in a tone of surprise, "_Ugly?_" and then advancing to the lamps, said with infinite impertinence, "I submit to the decision of the British public which is the ugliest fellow of us three: I, old Cranky, or that gentleman there in the front row of the balcony box?"--_Cornhill Magazine_ (1867).

BOWLEY (_Sir Joseph_), M.P., who facetiously calls himself "the poor man's friend." His secretary is Fish.--C. d.i.c.kens, _The Chimes_ (1844).

BOWLING (_Lieutenant Tom_), an admirable naval character in Smollett's _Roderick Random._ Dibdin wrote a naval song _in memoriam_ of Tom Bowling, beginning thus:

Here a sheer hulk lies poor Tom Bowling, The darling of the crew ...

BOWYER (_Master_), usher of the black rod in the court of queen Elizabeth.--Sir W. Scott, _Kenilworth_ (time, Elizabeth).

BOWZYBE'US (4 _syl._), the drunkard, rioted for his songs in Gray's pastorals, called _The Shepherd's Week_. He sang of "Nature's Laws,"

of "Fairs and Shows," "The Children in the Wood," "Chevy Chase,"

"Taffey Welsh," "Rosamond's Bower," "Lilly-bullero," etc. The 6th pastoral is in imitation of Virgil's 6th _Ecl_., and Bowzybeus is a vulgarized Silenus.

That Bowzybeus, who with jocund tongue, Ballads, and roundelays, and catches sung.

Gay, _Pastoral_, vi. (1714).

BOX AND c.o.x, a dramatic romance, by J. M. Morton, the princ.i.p.al characters of which are Box and c.o.x.

BOY BACHELOR _(The)_, William Wotton, D.D., admitted at St.

Catherine's Hall, Cambridge, before he was ten, and to his degree of B.A. when he was twelve and a half (1666-1726).

BOY BISHOP _(The)_, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of boys (fourth century).

(There was also an ancient custom of choosing a boy from the cathedral choir on St. Nicholas' Day (December 6) as a mock bishop. This boy possessed certain privileges, and if he died during the year was buried _in pontificalibus_. The custom was abolished by Henry VIII. In Salisbury Cathedral visitors are shown a small sarcophagus, which the verger says was made for a boy bishop.)

BOY BLUE _(Little)_ is the subject of a poem in Eugene Field's _Little Book of Western Verse_.

The little toy-dog is covered with dust, But st.u.r.dy and staunch he stands; And the little toy-soldier is red with rust, And his musket moulds in his hands.

Time was when the little toy-dog was new, And the soldier was pa.s.sing fair, And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue Kissed them and put them there.

Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand, Each in the same old place, Awaiting the touch of a little hand, The smile of a little face. (1889.)

BOY CRUCIFIED. It is said that some time during the dark ages, a boy named Werner was impiously crucified at Bacharach, on the Rhine, by the Jews. A little chapel erected to the memory of this boy stands on the walls of the town, close to the river. Hugh of Lincoln and William of Norwich are instances of a similar story.

See how its currents gleam and s.h.i.+ne ...

As if the grapes were stained with the blood Of the innocent boy who, some years back, Was taken and crucified by the Jews In that ancient town of Bacharach.

Longfellow, _The Golden Legend_.

BOYET', one of the lords attending on the princess of France.--Shakespeare, _Love's Labor's Lost_ (1594).

BOYTHORN (_Laurence_), a robust gentleman with the voice of a Stentor; a friend of Mr. Jarndyce. He would utter the most ferocious sentiments, while at the same time he fondled a pet canary on his finger. Once on a time he had been in love with Miss Barbary, lady Dedlock's sister. But "the good old times--all times when old are good--were gone."--C. d.i.c.kens, _Bleak House_ (1853).

("Laurence Boythorn" is a caricature of W. S. Landor; as "Harold Skimpole," in the same story, is drawn from Leigh Hunt.)

BOZ, Charles d.i.c.kens. It was the nickname of a pet brother dubbed _Moses_, in honor of "Moses Primrose" in the _Vicar of Wakefield_.

Children called the name _Bozes_, which got shortened into _Boz_ (1812-1870).

BOZZY, James Boswell, the gossipy biographer of Dr. Johnson (1740-1795).

BRABAN'TIO, a senator of Venice, father of Desdemo'na; most proud, arrogant, and overbearing. He thought the "insolence" of Oth.e.l.lo in marrying his daughter unpardonable, and that Desdemona must have been drugged with love-potions so to demean herself.--Shakespeare, _Oth.e.l.lo_ (1611).

BRAC'CIO, commissary of the republic of Florence, employed in picking up every item of scandal he could find against Lu'ria the n.o.ble Moor, who commanded the army of Florence against the Pisans. The Florentines hoped to find sufficient cause of blame to lessen or wholly cancel their obligations to the Moor, but even Braccio was obliged to confess. This Moor hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues would plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the council which should censure him.--Robert Browning, _Luria_.

BRAC'IDAS AND AM'IDAS, the two sons of Mile'sio, the former in love with the wealthy Philtra, and the latter with the dowerless Lucy.

Their father at death left each of his sons an island of equal size and value, but the sea daily encroached on that of the elder brother and added to the island of Amidas. The rich Philtra now forsook Bracidas for the richer brother, and Lucy, seeing herself forsaken, jumped into the sea. A floating chest attracted her attention, she clung to it, and was drifted to the wasted island, where Bracidas received her kindly. The chest was found to contain property of great value, and Lucy gave it to Bracidas, together with herself, "the better of them both." Amidas and Philtra claimed the chest as their right, and the dispute was submitted to sir Ar'tegal. Sir Artegal decided that whereas Amidas claimed as his own all the additions which the sea had given to his island, so Lucy might claim as her own the chest which the sea had given into her hands.--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, v. 4 (1596).

BRAEKENBURY _(Lord)_, English peer of nomadic tastes. He disappears from his world, leaving the impression that he has been murdered, that he may live unhampered by cla.s.s-obligations.--Amelia B. Edwards, _Lord Brackenbury_.

Bracy _(Sir Maurice de_), a follower of prince John. He sues the lady Rowen'a to become his bride, and threatens to kill both Cedric and Ivanhoe if she refuses. The interview is interrupted, and at the close of the novel Rowena marries Ivanhoe.--Sir W. Scott, _Ivanhoe_ (time, Richard I.).

BRAD'AMANT, daughter of Amon and Beatrice, sister of Rinaldo, and niece of Charlemagne. She was called the _Virgin Knight._ Her armor was white, and her plume white. She loved Roge'ro the Moor, but refused to marry him till he was baptized. Her marriage with great pomp and Rogero's victory over Rodomont form the subject of the last book of _Orlando Furioso_. Bradamant possessed an irresistible spear, which unhorsed any knight with a touch. Britomart had a similar spear.--Bojardo, _Orlando Innamorato_ (1495); Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_ (1516).

BRAD'BOURNE (_Mistress Lilias_), waiting-woman of lady Avenel (2 _syl_.), at Avenel Castle.--Sir W. Scott, _The Abbot_ (time, Elizabeth).

BRADWARDINE (_Como Cosmyne_), baron of Bradwardine and of Tully Veolan. He is very pedantic, but brave and gallant.

_Rose Bradwardine_, his daughter, the heroine of the novel, which concludes with her marriage with Waverley, and the restoration of the manor-house of Tully Veolan.

_Malcolm Bradwardine_ of Inchgrabbit, a relation of the old baron.--Sir W. Scott, _Waverley_ (time, George II.).

BRADY (_Martha_), a young "Irish widow" twenty-three years of age, and in love with William Whittle. She was the daughter of sir Patrick O'Neale. Old Thomas Whittle, the uncle, a man of sixty-three, wanted to oust his nephew in her affections, for he thought her "so modest, so mild, so tenderhearted, so reserved, so domestic. Her voice was so sweet, with just a _soupcon_ of the brogue to make it enchanting." In order to break off this detestable pa.s.sion of the old man, the widow a.s.sumed the airs and manners of a boisterous, loud, flaunting, extravagant, low Irishwoman, deeply in debt, and abandoned to pleasure. Old Whittle, thoroughly frightened, induced his nephew to take the widow off his hands, and gave him 5000 as a _douceur_ for so doing.--Garrick, _The Irish Widow_ (1757).

BRAG (_Jack_), a vulgar boaster, who gets into good society, where his vulgarity stands out in strong relief.--Theodore Hook, _Jack Brag_ (a novel).

_Brag_ (_Sir Jack_), general John Burgoyne (died 1792).

BRAGANZA (_Juan duke of_). In 1580 Philip II. of Spain claimed the crown of Portugal, and governed it by a regent. In 1640 Margaret was regent, and Velasquez her chief minister, a man exceedingly obnoxious to the Portuguese. Don Juan and his wife Louisa of Braganza being very popular, a conspiracy was formed to shake off the Spanish yoke.

Velasquez was torn to death by the populace, and don Juan of Braganza was proclaimed king.

_Louisa d.u.c.h.ess of Braganza_. Her character is thus described:

Bright Louisa, To all the softness of her tender s.e.x, Unites the n.o.blest qualities of man: A genius to embrace the amplest schemes...

Judgment most sound, persuasive eloquence... Pure piety without religious dross, And fort.i.tude that shrinks at no disaster. Robert Jephson, _Braganza_, i. 1 (1775).