Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 79

COLEMI'RA (_3 syl._), a poetical name for a cook. The word is compounded of _coal_ and _mire_.

"Could I," he cried "express how bright a grace Adorns thy morning hands and well-washed face, Thou wouldst, Colemira, grant what I implore, And yield me love, or wash thy face no more."

Shenstone, _Colemira_ (an eclogue).

COLE'PEPPER (_Captain_) or CAPTAIN PEPPERCULL, the Alsatian bully.--Sir W. Scott, _Fortunes of Nigel_ (time, James I.).

COLIN, or in Scotch CAILEN, _Green Colin_, the laird of Dunstaffnage, so called from the green colour which prevailed in his tartan.

COLIN AND ROSALINDE. In _The Shephearde's Calendar_ (1579), by Edm.

Spenser, Rosalinde is the maiden vainly beloved by Colin Clout, as her choice was already fixed on the shepherd Menalcas. Rosalinde is an anagram of "Rose Danil," a lady beloved by Spenser (_Colin Clout_), but Rose Danil had already fixed her affections on John Florio the Resolute, whom she subsequently married.

And I to thee will be as kind As Colin was to Rosalinde, Of courtesie the flower.

M. Drayton, _Dowsabel_ (1593)

COLIN CLOUT, the pastoral name a.s.sumed by the poet Spenser, in _The Shephearde's Calendar, The Ruins of Time, Daphnaida_, and in the pastoral poem called _Colin Clout's come home again_ (from his visit to Sir Walter Raleigh). Ecl. i. and xii. are soliloquies of Colin, being lamentations that Rosalinde will not return his love. Ecl. vi.

is a dialogue between Hobbinol and Colin, in which the former tries to comfort the disappointed lover. Ecl. xi. is a dialogue between Thenot and Colin, Thenot begs Colin to sing some joyous lay; but Colin pleads grief for the death of the sheperdess Dido, and then sings a monody on the great sheperdess deceased. In ecl. vi. we are told that Rosalinde has betrothed herself to the shepherd Menalcas (1579).

In the last book of the _Faery Queen_, we have a reference to "Colin and his la.s.sie," (Spenser and his wife) supposed to be Elizabeth, and elsewhere called "Mirabella" See CLOUT, etc.

_Colin Clout and his la.s.sie_, referred to in the last book of the _Faery Queen_, are Spenser and his wife Elizabeth, elsewhere called "Mirabella" (1596).

COLIN CLOUT'S COME HOME AGAIN. "Colin Clout" is Spenser, who had been to London on a visit to "the Shepherd of the Ocean" (Sir Walter Raleigh), in 1589; on his return to Kilcolman, in Ireland, he wrote this poem. "Hobbinol," his friend (Gabriel Harvey, L.L.D.), tells him how all the shepherds had missed him, and begs him to relate to him and them his adventures while abroad. The pastoral contains a eulogy of British contemporary poets, and of the court beauties of Queen Elizabeth (1591). (See COLYN.)

COLIN TAMPON, the nickname of a Swiss, as John Bull means an Englishman, etc.

COLKITTO (_Young_), or "Vich Alister More," or "Alister M'Donnell,"

a Highland chief in the army of Montrose.--Sir W. Scott, _Legend of Montrose_ (time, Charles I.).

COLLEAN (_May_), the heroine of a Scotch ballad, which relates how "fause Sir John" carried her to a rock for the purpose of throwing her down into the sea; but May outwitted him, and subjected him to the same fate he had designed for her.

COLLEEN', _i.e._ "girl;" Colleen bawn ("the blond girl"); Colleen rhue ("the red-haired girl"), etc.

[Ill.u.s.tration] Dion Boucicault has a drama ent.i.tled _The Colleen Bawn_, founded upon Gerald Griffin's novel _The Collegians_.

COLLIER _(Jem)_, a smuggler.--Sir W. Scott, _Redgauntlet_ (time, George III.)

COLLINGWOOD AND THE ACORNS. Collingwood never saw a vacant place in his estate, but he took an acorn out of his pocket and popped it in.--Thackeray, _Vanity Fair_ (1848).

COLMAL, daughter of Dunthalmo, Lord of Teutha _(the Tweed_). Her father, having murdered Rathmor in his halls, brought up the two young sons of the latter, Calthon and Colmar, in his own house; but when grown to manhood he thought he detected a suspicious look about them, and he shut them up in two separate caves on the banks of the Tweed, intending to kill them. Colmal, who was in love with Calthon, set him free, and the two made good their escape to the court of Fingal.

Fingal sent Ossian with 300 men to liberate Colmar; but when Dunthalmo heard thereof, he murdered the prisoner. Calthon, being taken captive, was bound to an oak, but was liberated by Ossian, and joined in marriage to Colmal, with whom he lived lovingly in the halls of Teutha.--Ossian, _Calthon and Colmal_.

COLMAR, brother of Calthon. When quite young their father was murdered by Dunthalmo, who came against him by night, and killed him in his banquet hall; but moved by pity, he brought up the two boys in his own house. When grown to manhood, he thought he observed mischief in their looks, and therefore shut them up in two separate cells on the banks of the Tweed. Colmal the daughter of Dunthalmo, who was in love with Calthon, liberated him from his bonds, and they fled to Fingal to crave aid on behalf of Colmar; but before succor could arrive, Dunthalmo had Colmar brought before him, "bound with a thousand thongs," and slew him with his spear.--Ossian, _Calthon and Colmal._

COLNA-DONA ("_love of heroes_"), daughter of King Car'ul. Fingal sent Ossian and Toscar to raise a memorial on the banks of the Crona, to perpetuate the memory of a victory he had obtained there. Carul invited the two young men to his hall, and Toscar fell in love with Colna-Dona. The pa.s.sion being mutual, the father consented to their espousals.--Ossian, _Colna-Dona._

COLOGNE _(The three kings of_), the three Magi, called Gaspar, Melchior, and Baltha'zar. Gaspar means "the white one." Melchior, "king of light;" Balthazar, "lord of treasures." Klop-stock, in _The Messiah_, says there were six Magi, whom he calls Hadad, Sel'ima, Zimri, Mirja, Beled, and Sunith.

[Ill.u.s.tration] The "three" Magi are variously named; thus one tradition gives them as Apellius, Amerus, and Damascus; another calls them Magalath, Galgalath, and Sarasin; a third says they were Ator, Sator, and Perat'oras. They are furthermore said to be descendants of Balaam the Mesopotamian prophet.

COLON, one of the rabble leaders in _Hudibras_, is meant for Noel Perryan or Ned Perry, an ostler. He was a rigid puritan "of low morals," and very fond of bear-baiting.

COLONNA (_The Marquis of_), a high-minded, incorruptible n.o.ble of Naples. He tells the young king bluntly that his oily courtiers are vipers who would suck his life's blood, and that Ludovico, his chief minister and favorite, is a traitor. Of course he is not believed, and Ludovico marks him out for vengeance. His scheme is to get Colonna, of his own free will, to murder his sister's lover and the king. With this view he artfully persuades Vicentio, the lover, that Evadne (the sister of Colonna) is the king's wanton. Vicentio indignantly discards Evadne, is challanged to fight by Colonna, and is supposed to be killed. Colonna, to revenge his wrongs on the king, invites him to a banquet with intent to murder him, when the whole scheme of villainy is exposed: Ludovico is slain, and Vicentio marries Evadne.--s.h.i.+el, _Evadne, or the Statue_ (1820).

COLOSSOS (Latin, _colossus_), a gigantic brazen statue 126 feet high, executed by Charles for the Rhodians. Blaise de Vignenere says it was a striding figure, but Comte de Caylus proves that it was not so, and did not even stand at the mouth of the Rhodian port. Philo tells us that it _stood_ on a _block of white marble_, and Lucius Ampellius a.s.serts that it _stood in a car_. Tiekell makes out the statue to be so enormous in size, that--

While at one foot the thronging galleys ride, A whole hour's sail scarce reached the further side; Betwixt the brazen thighs in loose array, Ten thousand streamers on the billows play.

Tickell, _On the Prospect of Peace_.

COLOSSUS. Negro servant in G.W. Cable's "Posson Jone." He vainly tries to dissuade his master from drinking, and, in the end, restores to him the money lost during the drunken bout.

"In thundering tones" the parson was confessing himself a "plum fool from whom the conceit had been jolted out, and who had been made to see that even his n.i.g.g.e.r had the longest head of the two."

COL'THRED (_Benjamin_) or "Little Benjie," a spy employed by Nixon (Edward Redgauntlet's agent).--Sir. W. Scott, _Redgauntlet_ (time, George III.)

COLUMB (_St._) or _St. Columba_, was of the family of the kings of Ulster; and with twelve followers founded amongst the Picts and Scots 300 Christian establishments of presbyterian character; that in Iona was founded 563.

The Pictish men by St. Columb taught.

Campbell, _Rewllura_.

COLUMBUS (_Christopher_), Genoese navigator who was fitted out by Ferdinand and Isabella for a voyage of discovery resulting in the sight of the New World (1492). His s.h.i.+ps were the _Santa Maria_, the _Pinta_ and the _Nina_, all small.--Was.h.i.+ngton Irving, _Life of Columbus_.

COLYN CLOUT (_The Boke of_), a rhyming six-syllable tirade against the clergy, by John Skelton, poet-laureate (1460-1529).

COMAL AND GALBI'NA. Comal was the son of Albion, "chief of a hundred hills." He loved Galbi'na (daughter of Conlech), who was beloved by Grumal also. One day; tired out by the chase, Comal and Galbina rested in the cave of Roman; but ere long a deer appeared, and Comal went forth to shoot it. During his absence, Galbina dressed herself in armor "to try his love," and "strode from the cave." Comal thought it was Grumal, let fly an arrow, and she fell. The chief too late discovered his mistake, rushed to battle, and was slain.--Ossian, _Fingal_, ii.

COM'ALA, daughter of Sarno, king of Inistore (_the Orkneys_). She fell in love with Fingal at a feast to which Sarno had invited him after his return from Denmark or Lochlin (_Fingal_, iii.). Disguised as a youth, Comala followed him, and begged to be employed in his wars; but was detected by Hidallan, son of Lamor, whose love she had slighted.

Fingal was about to marry her when he was called to oppose Caracul, who had invaded Caledonia. Comala witnessed the battle from a hill, thought she saw Fingal slain, and though he returned victorious, the shock on her nerves was so great that she died.--Ossian, _Comala_.

COMAN'CHES (3 _syl_.), an Indian tribe of the Texas. (See CAMANCHES.)

COMB (_Reynard's Wonderful_), said to be made of Pan'thera's bone, the perfume of which was so fragrant that no one could resist following it; and the wearer of the comb was always of a merry heart. This comb existed only in the brain of Master Fox.--_Reynard the Fox_, xii.

(1498).

CO'ME (_St_.), (see Cosme,) a physician, and patron saint of medical pract.i.tioners.

"By St. Come!" said the surgeon, "here's a pretty adventure."--Lesage, (_Gil Blas_, vii. 1 1735).

COME AND TAKE THEM. The reply of Leon'idas, king of Sparta, to the messengers of Xerxes, when commanded by the invader to deliver up his arms.

COM'EDY (_The Father of_), Aristoph'anes the Athenian (B.C. 444-380).

_Comedy (Prince of Ancient)_, Aristoph'anes (B.C. 444-380).

_Comedy (Prince of New)_, Menander (B.C. 342-291).