Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 109

DRUGGET, a rich London haberdasher, who has married one of his daughters to Sir Charles Racket. Drugget is "very fond of his garden,"

but his taste goes no further than a suburban tea-garden with leaden images, c.o.c.kney fountains, trees cut into the shapes of animals, and other similar abominations. He is very headstrong, very pa.s.sionate, and very fond of flattery.

_Mrs. Druggett_, wife of the above. She knows her husband's foibles, and, like a wise woman, never rubs the hair the wrong way.--A. Murphy, _Three Weeks after Marriage_.

DRUID (_The_), the _nom de plume_ of Henry

Dixon, sportsman and sporting-writer; One of his books, called _Steeple-chasing_, appeared in the _Gentleman's Magazine_. His last work was called _The Saddle and Sirloin._

[Ill.u.s.tration] Collins calls James Thomson (author of _The Seasons_) a druid, meaning a pastoral British poet or "Nature's High Priest."

In yonder grave a Druid lies.

Collins (1746).

_Druid (Dr.)_, a man of North Wales, 65 years of age, the travelling tutor of Lord Abberville, who was only 23. The doctor is a pedant and antiquary, choleric in temper, and immensely bigoted, wholly without any knowledge of the human heart, or indeed any practical knowledge at all.

"Money and trade, I scorn 'em both; ...I have traced the Oxus and the Po, traversed the Riphaean Mountains, and pierced into the inmost deserts of Kilmuc Tartary ...I have followed the ravages of Kuli Chan with rapturous delight. There is a land of wonders; finely depopulated; gloriously laid waste; fields without a hoof to tread 'em; fruits without a hand to gather 'em: with such a catologue of pats, peetles, serpents, scorpions, caterpillars, toads, and putterflies! Oh, 'tis a recreating contemplation indeed to a philosophic mind!"--c.u.mberland, _The Fas.h.i.+onable Lover_ (1780).

DRUID MONEY, a promise to pay on the Greek Kalends. Patricius says: "Druidae pecuniam mutuo accipiebant in posteriore vita reddituri."

Like money by the Druids borrowed, In th' other world to be restored.

Butler, _Hudibras_, iii. 1 (1678).

[Ill.u.s.tration] Purchase tells us of certain priests of Pekin, "who barter with the people upon bills of exchange, to be paid in heaven a hundredfold."--_Pilgrims_, iii. 2.

DRUM _(Jack), Jack Drum's entertainment_ is giving a guest the cold shoulder.

Shakespeare calls it "John Drum's entertainment" (_All Well, etc_., act iii. sc. 6), and Holinshead speaks of "Tom Drum his entertaynement, which is to hale a man in by the heade, and thrust him out by both the shoulders."

DRUMMLE (_Bentley_) AND STARTOP, two young men who read with Mr.

Pocket. Drummle is a surly, ill-conditioned fellow, who marries Estella.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Great Expectations_ (1860).

DRUNKEN PARLIAMENT, a Scotch parliament a.s.sembled at Edinburgh, January I, 1661.

It was a mad, warring time, full of extravagance; and no wonder it was so, when the men of affairs were almost perpetually drunk.--Burnet, _His Own Time_ (1723-34).

DRUON "the Stern," one of the four knights who attacked Britomart and Sir Scudamore (3 _syl_.).

The warlike dame _(Britomart)_ was on her part a.s.said By Clarabel and Blandamour at one; While Paridel and Druon fiercely laid On Scudamore, both his professed fone [_foes_].

Spenser, _Faery Queen_, iv. 9 (1596).

DRUSES (_Return of the_). The Druses, a semi-Mohammedan sect of Syria, being attacked by Osman, take refuge in one of the Spor'ades, and place themselves under the protection of the Knights of Rhodes. These knights slay their sheiks and oppress the fugitives. In the sheik ma.s.sacre, Dja'bal is saved by Maa'ni, and entertains the idea of revenging his people and leading them back to Syria. To this end he gives out that he is Hakeem, the incarnate G.o.d, returned to earth, and soon becomes the leader of the exiled Druses. A plot is formed to murder the prefect of the isle, and to betray the Island to Venice, if Venice will supply a convoy for their return. An'eal (2 _syl_.), a young woman stabs the prefect, and dies in bitter disappointment when she discovers that Djabal is a mere impostor. Djabal stabs himself when his imposition is made public, but Loys, (2 _syl_.) a Brenton count, leads the exiles back to Lebanon. Robert Browning.--_The Return of the Druses_.

[Ill.u.s.tration] Historically, the Druses, to the number of 160,000 or 200,000, settled in Syria, between Djebail and Sade, but their original seat was Egypt. They quitted Egypt from persecution, led by Dara'zi or Durzi, from whom the name Druse (1 _syl_.) is derived. The founder of the sect was the hakem B'amr-ellah (eleventh century), believed to be incarnate deity, and the last prophet who communicated between G.o.d and man. From this founder the head of the sect was called the _hakem_, his residence being Deir-el-Kamar. During the thirteenth or fourteenth century the Druses were banished from Syria, and lived in exile in some of the Sporades but were led back to Syria early in the fifteenth century by Count Loys de Duex, a new convert. Since 1588 they have been tributaries of the sultan.

What say you does this wizard style himself-- Hakeem Biamrallah, the Third Fatimite?

What is this jargon? He the insane prophet, Dead near three hundred years!

Robert Browning, _The Return of the Druses_.

DRYAS or DRYAD, a wood-nymph, whose life was bound up with that of her tree (Greek, [Greek: dryas, dryados].)

"The quickening power of the soul," like Martha, "is busy about many things," or like "a Dryas living in a tree."--Sir John Davies, _Immortality of the soul_, xii.

DRY-AS-DUST (_The Rev. Doctor_), an hypothetical person whom Sir W. Scott makes use of to introduce some of his novels by means of prefatory letters. The word is a synonym for a dull, prosy, plodding historian, with great show of learning, but very little attractive grace.

DRYDEN OF GERMANY _(The)_, Martin Opitz, sometimes called "The Father of German Poetry" (1597-1639).

DRYEESDALE _(Jasper)_, the old steward at Lochleven Castle.--Sir W.

Scott, _The Abott_ (time, Elizabeth).

DRY'OPE (3 _syl_.), daughter of King Dryops, beloved by Apollo.

Apollo, having changed himself into a tortoise, was taken by Dryope into her lap, and became the father of Amphis'sos. Ovid says that Dryope was changed into a lotus _(Met_., x. 331).

DUAR'TE (3 _syl_), the vainglorious son of Guiomar.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Custom of the Country_ (1647).

DUBOSC, the great thief, who robs the night-mail from Lyons, and murders the courier. He bears such a strong likeness to Joseph Lesurques (act i. 1) that their ident.i.ty is mistaken.--Ed. Stirling, _The Courier of Lyons_ (1852).

DUBOURG-_(Mons.)_, a merchant at Bordeaux, and agent there of Osbaldistone of London.

_Clement Dubourg_, son of the Bordeaux merchant, one of the clerks of Osbaldistone, merchant.--Sir W. Scott, _Rob Roy_ (time, George I.).

DUBRIC _(St.)_ or St. Dubricius, archbishop of the City of Legions _(Caerleon-upon-Usk_; Newport is the only part left.) He set the crown on the head of Arthur, when only 15 years of age. Geoffrey says (_British history_, ix. 12); This prelate, who was primate of Britain, was so eminent for his piety, that he could cure any sick person by his prayers. St. Dubric abdicated and lived a hermit, leaving David his successor. Tennyson introduced him in his _Coming of Arthur, Enid_, etc.

Dubric, whose report old Carleon yet doth carry.

Drayton, _Polyolbion_, xxiv. (1622).

To whom arrived, by Dubric the high saint.

Chief of the Church in Britain, and before The stateliest of her altar-shrines, the king That morn was married.

Tennyson, _The Coming of Arthur_.

DUCHO'MAR was in love with Morna, daughter of Comac, king of Ireland.

Out of jealousy, he slew Cathba, his more successful rival, went to announce his death to Morna, and then asked her to marry him. She replied she had no love for him, and asked for his sword. "He gave the sword to her tears," and she stabbed him to the heart. Duchomar begged the maiden to pluck the sword from his breast that he might die; and when she approached him for the purpose, "he seized the sword from her, and slew her."

"Duchomar, most gloomy of men; dark are thy brows and terrible; red are thy rolling eyes ... I love thee not," said Morna; "hard is thy heart of rock, and dark is thy terrible brow."--Ossian, _Fingal_, i.

DUCHRAN (_The laird of_), a friend of Baron Bradwardine.--Sir W.

Scott, _Waverley_ (time, George II.).

DU CROISY and his friend La Grange are desirous to marry two young ladies whose heads are turned by novels. The silly girls fancy the manners of these gentlemen "too unaffected and easy to be aristocratic"; so the gentlemen send to them their valets, as "the viscount de Jodelet," and "the marquis of Mascarille." The girls are delighted whith their t.i.tled visitors; but when the game had gone far enough, the masters enter and unmask the trick. By this means the girls are taught a useful lesson, without being subjected to any fatal consequence.--Moliere, _Les Precieuses Ridicules_ (1659).

DUDLEY, a young artist; a disguise a.s.sumed by Harry Bertram.--Sir W.

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

_Dudley_ (_Captain_), a poor English officer, of strict honor, good family, and many accomplishments. He has served his country for thirty years, but can scarcely provide bread for his family.

_Charles Dudley_, son of Captain Dudley. High-minded, virtuous, generous, poor, and proud. He falls in love with his cousin Charlotte Rusport, but forbears proposing to her, because he is poor and she is rich. His grandfather's will is in time brought to light, by which he becomes the heir of a n.o.ble fortune, and he then marries his cousin.