Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama Part 20

=Moha'reb=, one of the evil spirits of Dom-Daniel, a cave "under the roots of the ocean." It was given out that these spirits would be extirpated by one of the family of Hodei'rah (3 _syl._), so they leagued against the whole race. First, Okba was sent against the obnoxious race, and succeeeded[TN-15] in killing eight of them, Thalaba alone having escaped alive. Next, Abaldar was sent against Thalaba, but was killed by a simoom. Then Loba'ba was sent to cut him off, but perished in a whirlwind. Lastly, Mohareb undertook to destroy him. He a.s.sumed the guise of a warrior, and succeeded in alluring the youth to the very "mouth of h.e.l.l;" but Thalaba, being alive to the deceit, flung Mohareb into the abyss.--Southey, _Thalaba, the Destroyer_, v. (1797).

=Mohicans= (_Last of the_), Uncas, the Indian chief, son of Chingachook, and called "Deerfoot."--J. F. Cooper, _The Last of the Mohicans_ (a novel, 1826).

The word ought to be p.r.o.nounced _Mo.hek'.kanz_, but is usually called _Mo.he.kanz_.

=Mohocks=, a cla.s.s of ruffians who at one time infested the streets of London. So called from the Indian Mohocks. At the Restoration, the street bullies were called Muns and t.i.tyre Tus; they were next called Hectors and Scourers; later still, Nickers and Hawcabites; and lastly, Mohocks.

Now is the time that rakes their revels keep, Kindlers of riot, enemies of sleep; His scattered pence the flying Nicker flings, And with the copper shower the cas.e.m.e.nt rings; Who has not heard the Scowerer's midnight fame?

Who has not trembled at the Mohock's name?

Gay, _Trivia_, iii. 321, etc. (1712).

=Mohun= (_Lord_), the person who joined Captain Hill in a dastardly attack on the actor, Mountford, on his way to Mrs. Bracegirdle's house, in Howard Street. Captain Hill was jealous of Mountford, and induced Lord Mohun to join him in this "valiant exploit." Mountford died next day, Captain Hill fled from the country, and Mohun was tried but acquitted.

The general features of this cowardly attack are very like that of the Count Koningsmark on Thomas Thynne of Lingleate Hill. Count Koningsmark was in love with Elizabeth Percy (widow of the earl of Ogle), who was contracted to Mr. Thynne; but before the wedding day arrived, the count, with some hired ruffians, a.s.sa.s.sinated his rival in his carriage as it was pa.s.sing down Pall Mall.

? Elizabeth Percy, within three months of the murder, married the duke of Somerset.

=Moidart= (_John of_), captain of the clan Ronald, and a chief in the army of Montrose.--Sir W. Scott, _Legend of Montrose_, (time, Charles I.).

=Moi'na= (2 _syl._), daughter of Reutha'mir, the princ.i.p.al man of Balclu'tha, a town on the Clyde, belonging to the Britons. Moina married Clessammor (the maternal uncle of Fingal), and died in childbirth of her son Carthon, during the absence of her husband.--Ossian, _Carthon_.

=Mokanna=, the name given to Hakem ben Haschem, from a silver gauze veil worn by him "to dim the l.u.s.tre of his face," or rather to hide its extreme ugliness. The history of this impostor is given by D'Herbelot, _Bibliotheque Orientale_ (1697).

? Mokanna forms the first story of _Lalla Rookh_ ("The Veiled Prophet of Khora.s.san"), by Thomas Moore (1817).

=Mokattam= (_Mount_), near Cairo (Egypt), noted for the ma.s.sacre of the Caliph Hakem B'amr-ellah, who was given out to be incarnate deity, and the last prophet who communicated between G.o.d and man (eleventh century). Here, also;[TN-16] fell in the same ma.s.sacre his chief prophet, and many of his followers. In consequence of this persecution, Durzi, one of the "prophet's" chief apostles, led the survivors into Syria, where they settled between the Liba.n.u.s and Anti-Liba.n.u.s, and took the name of Durzis, corrupted into Druses.

As the khalif vanished erst, In what seemed death to uninstructed eyes, On red Mokattam's verge.

Robert Browning, _The Return of the Druses_, i.

=Molay= (_Jacques_), grand-master of the Knights Templar, as he was led to the stake, summoned the pope (Clement V.), within forty days, and the king (Philippe IV.), within forty weeks, to appear before the throne of G.o.d to answer for his death. They both died within the stated periods.

(See SUMMONS TO DEATH.)

=Moliere= (_The Italian_), Charlo Goldoni (1707-1793).

_Moliere_ (_The Spanish_), Leandro Fernandez Moratin (1760-1828).

=Moll Cutpurse=, Mary Frith, who once attacked General Fairfax on Hounslow Heath.

=Moll Flanders=, a woman of great beauty, born in the Old Bailey. She was twelve years a courtezan, five years a wife, twelve years a thief, eight years a convict in Virginia; but ultimately grew rich, and died a penitent in the reign of Charles II.

? Daniel Defoe wrote her life and adventures, which he called _The Fortunes of Moll Flanders_ (1722).

=Molly=, Jaggers's housekeeper. A mysterious, scared-looking woman, with a deep scar across one of her wrists. Her antecedents were full of mystery, and Pip suspected her of being Estella's mother.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Great Expectations_ (1860).

=Molly Maggs=, a pert young housemaid, in love with Robin. She hates Polyglot, the tutor of "Master Charles," but is very fond of Charles.

Molly tries to get "the tuterer Polypot" into a sc.r.a.pe, but finds, to her consternation, that Master Charles is in reality the party to be blamed.--J. Poole, _The Scapegoat_.

=Molly Maguires=, stout, active young men, dressed up in women's clothes, with faces blackened, or otherwise disguised. This secret society was organized in 1843, to terrify the officials employed by Irish landlords to distrain for rent, either by grippers, (_b.u.mbailiffs_), process-servers, keepers, or drivers (_persons who impound cattle till the rent is paid_.[TN-17]--W. S. Trench, _Realities of Irish Life_, 82.

=Molly Mog=, an innkeeper's daughter at Oakingham, Berks. Molly Mog was the toast of all the gay sparks in the former half of the eighteenth century; but died a spinster at the age of 67 (1699-1766).

? Gay has a ballad on this _Fair Maid of the Inn_. Mr. Standen, of Arborfield, the "enamoured swain," died in 1730. Molly's sister was quite as beautiful as "the fair maid" herself. A portrait of Gay still hangs in Oakingham Inn.

=Molly Wilder=, New England girl, who shelters and cares for a young French n.o.bleman wrecked on the Cape Cod coast. A love affair and a clandestine marriage follow. The marriage is acknowledged when peace is established between the French and English.--Jane G. Austin, _A Nameless n.o.bleman_ (1881).

=Molmu'tius.= (See MULMUTIUS.)

=Moloch= (_ch = k_), the third in rank of the Satanic hierarchy, Satan being first, and Beelzebub second. The word means "king." The rabbins say the idol was of bra.s.s, with the head of a calf. Moloch was the G.o.d of the Am'monites (3 _syl._), and was wors.h.i.+pped in Rabba, their chief city.

First Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood Of human sacrifice, and parents' tears, Though, for the noise of drums and timbrels loud, Their children's cries unheard, that pa.s.sed thro' fire To his grim idol. Him the Ammonite Wors.h.i.+pped in Rabba.

Milton, _Paradise Lost_, i. 392, etc. (1665).

=Mo'ly= (Greek, _molu_), mentioned in Homer's _Odyssey_. An herb with a black root and white blossom, given by Hermes to Ulysses, to counteract the spells of Circe, (See HaeMONY.)

... that Mo'ly That Hermes once to wise Ulysses gave.

Milton, _Comus_ (1634).

The root was black, Milk-white the blossom; Moly is its name In heaven.

Homer, _Odyssey_, x. (Cowper's trans.).

=Momus's Lattice.= Momus, son of Nox, blamed Vulcan, because, in making the human form, he had not placed a window in the breast for the discerning of secret thoughts.

Were Momus' lattice in our b.r.e.a.s.t.s, My soul might brook to open it more widely Than theirs [i. e. _the n.o.bles_].