Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 82

Ben Jonson, _Volpone or the Fox_ (1605).

Benjamin Johnson [1665-1742] ... seemed to be proud to wear the poet's double name, and was particularly great in all that author's plays that were usually performed, viz "Wasp," in _Bartholomew Fair_; "Corbaccio;" "Morose," in _The Silent Woman_; and "Ananias," in _The Alchemist_.--Chetwood.

C. Dibdin says none who ever saw W. Parsons (1736-1795) in "Corbaccio"

could forget his effective mode of exclaiming "Has he made his will? What has he given me!" but Parsons himself says: "Ah! to see 'Corbaccio' acted to perfection, you should have seen Shuter. The public are pleased to think that I act that part well, but his acting was as far superior to mine as Mount Vesuvius is to a rushlight."

COR'BANT, the rook, in the beast-epic of _Reynard the Fox_ (1498).

(French, _corbeau_, "a rook.")

CORCE'CA _(3 syl_.), mother of Abessa. The word means "blindness of heart," or Romanism. Una sought shelter under her hut, but Corceca shut the door against her; whereupon the lion which accompanied Una broke down the door. The "lion" means _England_, "Corceca"

_popery_, "Una" _protestantism_, and "breaking down the door" _the Reformation_.--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, i. 3 (1590).

CORDAY (_Marie Anne Charlotte_), descendant of the poet Corneille.

Born in Normandy 1768. She killed the b.l.o.o.d.y Marat in the bath and was guillotined for the deed, July, 1793.

CORDE'LIA, youngest daughter of King Lear. She was disinherited by her royal father, because her protestations of love were less violent than those of her sisters. Cordelia married the king of France, and when her two elder sisters refused to entertain the old king with his suite, she brought an army over to dethrone them. She was, however, taken captive, thrown into prison, and died there.

Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman.

Shakespeare, _King Lear_, act v. sc. 3 (1605).

CORFLAM'BO, the personification of sensuality, a giant killed by Arthur. Corflambo had a daughter named Paea'na, who married Placidas, and proved a good wife to him.--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, iv. 8 (1596).

CORIAT (_Thomas_) died 1617, author of a book called _Crudities_.

Besides, 'tis known he could speak Greek, As naturally as pigs do squeak.

Lionel Cranfield, _Panegyric Verses on T. Coriat_

But if the meaning was as far to seek As Coriat's horse was of his master's Greek, When in that tongue he made a speech at length, To show the beast the greatness of his strength.

G. Wither, _Abuses Stript and Whipt_ (1613).

COREY (_Bromfield_). An amiable Boston aristocrat in W. D. Howells's story, _The Rise of Silas Lapham_. His father complains of his want of energy and artistic tastes, but allows him "to travel indefinitely."

He remains abroad ten years studying art, comes home and paints an amateurish portrait of his father, marries and has a family, but continues a dilettante, never quite abandoning his art, but working at it fitfully. He does nothing especially clever, but never says anything that is not clever, and is as much admired as he is beloved.

At heart he is true, however cynical may be his words, and throughout he is the _gentleman_ in grain, and incorruptible (1885).

CORIN, "the faithful shepherdess," who, having lost her true love by death, retired from the busy world, remained a virgin for the rest of her life, and was called "The Virgin of the Grove." The shepherd Thenot (final _t_ p.r.o.nounced) fell in love with her for her "fidelity," and to cure him of his attachment she pretended to love him in return. This broke the charm, and Thenot no longer felt that reverence of love he before entertained. Corin was skilled "in the dark, hidden virtuous use of herbs," and says:

Of all green wounds I know the remedies In men and cattle, be they stung by snakes, Or charmed with powerful words of wicked art, Or be they love-sick.

--John Fletcher, _The Faithful Shepherdess_, i. 1, (1610).

_Cor'in, Corin'eus_ (3 _syl_.), or _Corine'us_ (4 _syl_.) "strongest of mortal men," and one of the suite of Brute (the first mythical king of Britain.) (See CORINEUS.)

From Corin came it first? [_i.e., the Cornish hug in wrestling_].

M. Drayton, _Polyolbion_, i. (1612).

CORINEUS (3 _syl_). Southey throws the accent on the _first_ syllable, and Spenser on the _second_. One of the suite of Brute. He overthrew the giant Goem'agot, for which achievement he was rewarded with the whole western horn of England, hence called Corin'ea, and the inhabitants Corin'eans. (See CORIN).

Corineus challenged the giant to wrestle with him. At the beginning of the encounter, Corineus and the giant standing front to front held each other strongly in their arms, and panted aloud for breath; but Goemagot presently grasped Corineus with all his might, broke three of his ribs, two on his right side and one on his left. At which Corineus, highly enraged, roused up his whole strength, and s.n.a.t.c.hing up the giant, ran with him on his shoulders to the neighboring sh.o.r.e, and getting on to the top of a high rock, hurled the monster into the sea ... The place where he fell is called Lam Goemagot or Goemagot's Leap, to this day.--Geoffrey, _British History_, i. 16 (1142).

When father Brute and Cor'ineus set foot On the white island first.

Southey, _Madoc_, vi. (1805).

Cori'neus had that province utmost west. To him a.s.signed.

Spenser, _Faery Queen_, ii. 10 (1500).

Drayton makes the name a word of four syllables, and throws the accent on the last but one.

Which to their general then great Corine'us had.

Drayton, _Polyolbion_, i. (1612).

CORINNA, a Greek poetess of Boeotia, who gained a victory over Pindar at the public games (fl. B.C. 490).

... they raised A tent of satin, elaborately wrought With fair Corinna's triumph.

Tennyson, _The Princess_, iii.

_Corinna_, daughter of Gripe, the scrivener. She marries d.i.c.k Amlet.

Sir John Vanbrugh, _The Confederacy_ (1695).

See lively Pope advance in jig and trip "Corinna," "Cherry," "Honeycomb," and "Snip;"

Not without art, but yet to nature true, She charms the town with humor just yet new.

Churchill, _Roseiad_ (1761).

Corinne' (2 _syl_.) the heroine and t.i.tle of a novel by Mde. de Stael.

Her lover proved false, and the maiden gradually pined away.

_A Corinthian_, a rake, a "fast man." Prince Henry says (1 _Henry IV_.

act ii. sc. 4.) "[_They_] tell me I am no proud Jack, like Falstaff, but a Corinthian, a lad of mettle."

CORINTHIAN TOM, "a fast man," the sporting rake in Pierce Egan's _Life in London_.

CORIOLA'NUS _(Caius Marcius_), called Coriola.n.u.s from his victory at Cori'oli. His mother was Vetu'ria (_not Volumnia_), and his wife Volumnia (not _Virgilia_). Shakespeare has a drama so called. La Harpe has also a drama ent.i.tled _Coriolan_, produced in 1781.--Livy, _Annals_, ii. 40.

I remember her [_Mrs. Siddons_] coming down the stage in the triumphal entry of her son Coriola.n.u.s, when her dumb-show drew plaudits that shook the house. She came alone, marching and beating time to the music, rolling ... from side to side, swelling with the triumph of her son. Such was the intoxication of joy which flashed from her eye and lit up her whole face, that the effect was irresistible.--C.M. Young.

CORITA'NI, the people of Lincolns.h.i.+re, Nottinghams.h.i.+re, Derbys.h.i.+re, Leicesters.h.i.+re, Rutlands.h.i.+re, and Northamptons.h.i.+re. Drayton refers to them in his _Polyolbion_, xvi. (1613).