Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 92

DAN'NISCHEMEND, the Persian sorcerer, mentioned in Donnerhugel's narrative.--Sir W. Scott, _Anne of Geierstein_ (time, Edward IV.).

DANTe AND BEATRICE. Some say that Beatrice, in Dante's _Divina Commedia_, merely personifies faith; others think it a real character, and say she was the daughter of the ill.u.s.trious family of Portinari, for whom the poet entertained a purely platonic affection. She meets the poet after he has been dragged through the river Lethe _(Purgatory_, x.x.xi), and conducts him through paradise. Beatrice Portina'ri married Simon de Bardi, and died at the age of 24; Dante was a few months older.

Some persons say that Dante meant Theology By Beatrice, and not a mistress; I ...

Deem this a commentator's phantasy.

Byron, _Don Juan_, iii. 11 (1820).

DANTe AND-VIRGIL. Virgil was Dante's poetic master and is described as conducting him through the realms depicted in the _Divina Commedia_.

[Ill.u.s.tration] The poet married Gemma, of the powerful house of Donati. (See LOVES).

_Dante's Beard_. All the pictures of

Dante which I have seen represent him without any beard or hair on his face at all; but in _Purgatory_, x.x.xi., Beatrice says to him, "Raise thou thy beard, and lo! what sight shall do," _i.e._ lift up your face and look about you; and he adds, "No sooner lifted I mine aspect up ... than mine eyes _(encountered)_ Beatrice."

DAN DEVEREUX. A young Nantucket giant married to a dainty waif rescued in infancy from the sea. He marries her because she is homeless and seems to be in love with him. When too late, he knows that his affections are another's, and sees his wife fascinated by a handsome French adventurer. In an attempt to elope, the wife and her lover are wrecked, and clinging to a spar, are overtaken by the "terrible South Breaker--plunging and rearing and swelling, a monstrous billow, sweeping and swooping and rocking in." Dan in later life, marries Georgia, his first love.--Harriet Prescott Spofford, _The South Breaker_ (1863).

DANTON OF THE CEVENNES. Pierre Seguier, prophet and preacher of Magistavols, in France. He was a leader amongst the Camisards.

DANVERS _(Charles)_, an embyro barrister of the Middle Temple.--C.

Selby, _The Unfinished Gentleman._

DAPH'NE (2 _syl_.)., daughter of Sileno and Mysis, and sister of Nysa.

The favorite of Apollo while sojourning on earth in the character of a shepherd lad named "Pol."--Kate O'Hara, _Midas_ (a burletta, 1778).

(In cla.s.sic mythology Daphne fled from the amorous G.o.d, and escaped by being changed into a laurel.)

DAPH'NIS, a beautiful Sicilian shepherd, the inventor of bucolic poetry. He was a son of Mercury, and friend both of Pan and Apollo.

_Daph'nis_, the modest shepherd.

This is that modest shepherd, he That only dare salute, but ne'er could be Brought to kiss any, hold discourse, or sing, Whisper, or boldly ask.

John Fletcher, _The Faithful Shepherdess_, i. 3 (1610).

DAPH'NIS AND CHLO'E, a prose pastoral love story in Greek, by Longos (a Byzantine), not unlike the tale of _The Gentle Shepherd_, by Allan Ramsay. Gessner has also imitated the Greek romance in his idyll called _Daphnis_. In this lovestory Longos says he was hunting in Lesbos, and saw in a grove consecrated to the nymphs a beautiful picture of children exposed, lovers plighting their faith, and the incursions of pirates, which he now expresses and dedicates to Pan, Cupid, and the nymphs. Daphnis, of course, is the lover of Chloe.

DAPPER, a lawyer's clerk, who went to Subtle "the alchemist," to be supplied with "a familiar" to make him win in horse-racing, cards, and all games of chance. Dapper is told to prepare himself for an interview with the fairy queen by taking "three drops of vinegar in at the nose, two at the mouth, and one at either ear," "to cry _hum_ thrice and _buzz_ as often."--Ben Jonson, _The Alchemist_ (1610).

DAPPLE, the donkey ridden by Sancho Panza, in Cervantes' romance of _Don Quixote_ (1605-1615).

DARBY AND JOAN. This ballad, called _The Happy Old Couple_, is printed in the _Gentleman's Magazine_, v. 153 (March, 1735).

It is also in Plumtre's _Collections of Songs_, 152 (Camb. 1805), with the music. The words are sometimes attributed to Prior, and the first line favors the notion: "Dear _Chloe_, while thus beyond measure;"

only Prior always spells _Chloe_ without "h."

Darby and Joan are an old-fas.h.i.+oned, loving couple, wholly averse to change of any sort. It is generally said that Henry Woodfall was the author of the ballad, and that the originals were John Darby (printer, of Bartholomew Close, who died 1730) and his wife Joan. Woodfall served his apprentices.h.i.+p with John Darby.

"You may be a Darby _[Mr. Hardcastle]_, but I'll be no Joan, I promise you."--Goldsmith, _She Stoops to Conquer_, i. 1 (1773).

DRADU-LE'NA, the daughter of Foldath, general of the Fir-bolg or Belgae settled in the south of Ireland. When Foldath fell in battle,

His soul rushed to the vale of Mona, to Dardu-Lena's dream, by Dalrutho's stream, where she slept, returning from the chase of hinds. Her bow is near the maid, unstrung ...

Clothed in the beauty of youth, the love of heroes lay. Dark-bending from ... the wood her wounded father seemed to come. He appeared at times, then hid himself in mist.

Bursting into tears, she arose. She knew that the chief was low ... Thou wert the last of his race, O blue-eyed Dardu-Lena!--Ossian, _Temora_, v.

DARGO, the spear of Ossian, son of Fingal.--Ossian, _Calthon and Colmal_.

DAR'GONET, "the Tall," son of Astolpho, and brother of Paradine.

In the fight provoked by Oswald against Duke Grondibert, which was decided by four combatants against four, Dargonet was slain by Hugo the Little. Dargonet and his brother were rivals for the love of Lora.--Sir Wm. Davenant, _Gondibert_, i. (died 1668).

DARI'US AND HIS HORSE. The seven candidates for the throne of Persia agreed that he should be king whose horse neighed first. As the horse of Darius was the first to neigh, Darius was proclaimed king.

That brave Scythian Who found more sweetness in his horse's neighing Than all the Phrygian, Dorian, Lydian playing.

Lord Brooke.

DARLEMONT, guardian and maternal uncle of Julio of Harancour; formerly a merchant. He takes possession of the inheritance of his ward by foul means, but is proud as Lucifer, suspicious, exacting, and tyrannical.

Every one fears him; no one loves him.--Thorn. Holcroft, _Deaf and Dumb_ (1785.)

DARLING _(Grace)_, daughter of William Darling, lighthouse-keeper on Longs tone, one of the Fame Islands. On the morning of September 7, 1838, Grace and her father saved nine of the crew of the _Forfars.h.i.+re_ steamer, wrecked among the Fame Islands opposite Bamborough Castle (1815-1842).

DARNAY _(Charles)_, the lover and afterwards the husband of Lucie Manette. He bore a strong likeness to Sydney Carton, and was a n.o.ble character, worthy of Lucie. His real name was Evremonde.--C. d.i.c.kens, _A Tale of Two Cities_ (1859.)

DARNEL _(Aurelia)_, a character in Smollet's novel ent.i.tled _The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves_ (1760).

DARNLEY, the _amant_ of Charlotte [Lambert], in _The Hypocrite_, by Isaac Bicker-staff. In Moliere's comedy of _Tartuffe_, Charlotte is called "Mariane," and Darnley is "Valere."

DAR'-THULA, daughter of Colla, and "fairest of Erin's maidens." She fell in love with Nathos, one of the three sons of Usnoth, lord of Etha (in Argylls.h.i.+re). Cairbar, the rebel was also in love with her, but his suit was rejected. Nathos was made commander of King Cormac's army at the death of Cuthullin, and for a time upheld the tottering throne. But the rebel grew stronger and stronger, and at length found means to murder the young king; whereupon the army under Nathos deserted. Nathos was now obliged to quit Ireland, and Dar-Thula fled with him. A storm drove the vessel back to Ulster, where Cairbar was encamped, and Nathos, with his two brothers, being overpowered by numbers, fell. Dar-Thula was arrayed as a young warrior; but when her lover was slain "her s.h.i.+eld fell from her arm; her breast of snow appeared, but it was stained with blood. An arrow was fixed in her side," and her dying blood was mingled with that of the three brothers.--Ossian, _Dar-Thula_ (founded on the story of "Deirdri," i.

_Trans, of the Gaelic Soc_.)

DAR'TLE (_Rosa_), companion of Mrs. Steerforth. She loved Mrs.

Steerforth's son, but her love was not reciprocated. Miss Dartle is a vindictive woman, noted for a scar on her lip, which told tales when her temper was aroused. This scar was from a wound given by young Steerforth, who struck her on the lip when a boy.--C. d.i.c.kens, _David Copperfield_ (1849).

DARWIN'S MISSING LINK, the link between the monkey and man. According to Darwin, the present host of animal life began from a few elemental forms, which developed, and by natural selection propagated certain types of animals, while others less suited to the battle of life died out. Thus, beginning with the larvae of ascidians (a marine mollusc,) we get by development to fish lowly organized (as the lancelet), thence to ganoids and other fish, then to amphibians. From amphibians we get to birds and reptiles, and thence to mammals, among which comes the monkey, between which and man is a MISSING LINK.

DASHALL (_The Hon. Tom_), cousin of Tally-ho. The rambles and adventures of these two blades are related by Pierce Egan (1821-1822).

D'ASUMAR (_Count_), an old Nestor who fancied nothing was so good as when he was a young man.

"Alas! I see no men nowadays comparable to those I knew heretofore; and the tournaments are not performed with half the magnificence as when I was a young man...." Seeing some fine peaches served up, he observed, "In my time, the peaches were much larger than they are at present; natures degenerates every day."

"At that rate," said his companion, smiling, "the peaches of Adam's time must have been wonderfully large."--Lesage, _Gil Blas_, iv. 7 (1724).

DAUGHTER (_The_), a drama by S. Knowles (1836). Marian, "daughter" of Robert, once a wrecker, was betrothed to Edward, a sailor, who went on his last voyage, and intended then to marry her. During his absence a storm at sea arose, a body was washed ash.o.r.e, and Robert went down to plunder it. Marian went to look for her father and prevent his robbing those washed ash.o.r.e by the waves, when she saw in the dusk some one stab a wrecked body. It was Black Norris, but she thought it was her father. Robert being taken up Marian gave witness against him, and he was condemned to death. Norris said he would save her father if she would marry him, and to this she consented; but on the wedding day Edward returned. Norris was taken up for murder, and Marian was saved.

DAUGHTER WITH HER MURDERED FATHER'S HEAD. Margaret Roper, daughter of Sir Thomas More, obtained privately the head of her father, which had been exposed for some days on London Bridge, and buried it in St.

Dunstan's Church, Canterbury (1835). Tennyson alludes to this in the following lines:--