Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 96

DELTA [Ill.u.s.tration] of _Blackwood_ is D.M.Moir (1798-1851).

DEL'VILLE (2 _syl_.), one of the guardians of Cecilia. He is a man of wealth and great ostentation, with a haughty humility and condescending pride, especially in his intercourse with his social inferiors.--Miss Burney, _Cecilia_ (1782). DEME'TIA, South Wales; the inhabitants are called Demetians.

Denevoir, the seat of the Demetian king.

Drayton, _Polyolbion_, v. (1612).

DEME'TRIUS, a young Athenian, to whom Egeus (3 _syl_.) promised his daughter Hermia in marriage. As Hermia loved Lysander, she refused to marry Demetrius, and fled from Athens with Lysander. Demetrius went in quest of her, and was followed by Helena, who doted on him. All four fell asleep, and "dreamed a dream" about the fairies. On waking, Demetrius became more reasonable. He saw that Hermia disliked him, but that Helena loved him sincerely, so he consented to forego the one and take to wife the other. When Egeus, the father of Hermia, found out how the case stood, he consented to the union of his daughter with Lysander.--Shakespeare, _Midsummer Night's Dream_ (1592).

_Deme'trius_, in _The Poetaster_, by Ben Jonson, is meant for John Marston (died 1633).

_Deme'trius_, (4 _syl_.), son of King Antig'onus, in love with Celia, _alias_ Enan'the.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Humorous Lieutenant_ (1647).

_Deme'trius_, a citizen of Greece during the reign of Alexius Comnenus.--Sir W. Scott, _Count Robert of Paris_ (time, Rufus).

DEMIURGUS, that mysterious agent which, according to Plato, made the world and all that it contains. The Logos or "Word" of St. John's Gospel (ch. i. I) is the demiurgus of platonizing Christians.

DEMOC'RITOS (in Latin _Democritus_), the laughing or scoffing philosopher, the Friar Bacon of his age. To "dine with Democ'ritos"

is to go without dinner, the same as "dining with Duke Humphrey," or "dining with the cross-legged knights."

People think that we [_authors_] often dine with Democritos, but there they are mistaken. There is not one of the fraternity who is not welcome to some good table.--Lesage, _Gil Blas_, xii. 7 (1735).

DEMOCRITUS JUNIOR, Robert Burton, author of _The Anatomy of Melancholy_ (1576-1640).

DEMOD'OCOS (in Latin _Demodocus_), bard of Alcin'ous (4 _syl_.) king of the Phaea'cians.

Such as the wise Demodicos once told In solemn songs at King Alcinous' feast, While sad Ulysses' soul and all the rest Are held, with his melodious harmony, In willing chains and sweet captivity.

Milton, _Vacation Exercise_ (1627).

DEM'OGOR'GON, tyrant of the elves and fays, whose very name inspired terror; hence Milton speaks of "the dreaded name of Demogorgon"

(_Paradise Lost_, ii. 965). Spenser says he "dwells in the deep abyss where the three fatal sisters dwell" (_Faery Queen_, iv. 2); but Ariosto says he inhabited a splendid palace on the Himalaya Mountains.

Demogorgon is mentioned by Statius in the _Thebaid_, iv. 516.

He's the first-begotten of Beelzebub, with a face as terrible as Demogorgon.--Dryden, _The Spanish Fryar_, v. 2 (1680).

DEMON. Increase Mather tells a long and circ.u.mstantial story of _The Demon at William Morse His House_, time of visitation being 1679.

"The true story of these strange disturbances is as yet not certainly known," he says. "Some (as has been hinted), did suspect Morse's wife to be guilty of witchcraft."--Increase Mather, _An Essay for the Eecording of Ill.u.s.trious Providences_ (1681). DEMOPH'OoN (4 _syl._) was brought up by Demeter, who anointed him with ambrosia and plunged him every night into the fire. One day, his mother, out of curiosity, watched the proceeding, and was horror-struck; whereupon Demeter told her that her foolish curiosity had robbed her son of immortal youth.

[Ill.u.s.tration] This story is also told of Isis.--Plutarch, _De Isid.

et Osirid_., xvi. 357.

[Ill.u.s.tration] A similar story is told of Achilles. His mother Thet'is was taking similar precautions to render him immortal, when his father Pe'leus (2 _syl_.) interfered.--Apollonius Rhodius, _Argonautic Exp_., iv. 866.

DEMOS'THENES OF THE PULPIT. Dr. Thomas Rennell, dean of Westminster, was so called by William Pitt (1753-1840).

DENDIN (_Peter_), an old man, who had settled more disputes than all the magistrates of Poitiers, though he was no judge. His plan was to wait till the litigants were thoroughly sick of their contention, and longed to end their disputes; then he would interpose, and his judgment could not fail to be acceptable.

_Tenot Dendin_, son of the above, but, unlike the father, he always tried to crush quarrels in the bud; consequently, he never succeeded in settling a single dispute submitted to his judgment.--Rabelais, _Pantagruel_, in. 41 (1545).

(Racine has introduced the same name into his comedy called _Les Plaideurs_ (1669), and Lafontaine in his _Fables_ 1668).

DENNET (_Father_), an old peasant at the Lists of St. George.--Sir W.

Scott, _Ivanhoe_ (time, Richard I.).

DENNIS the hangman, one of the ringleaders of the "No Popery Riots;"

the other two were Hugh, servant of the Maypole inn, and the half-witted Barnaby Rudge. Dennis was cheerful enough when he "turned off" others, but when he himself ascended the gibbet he showed a most grovelling and craven spirit.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Barnaby Rudge_ (1841).

_Dennis (John)_, "the best abused man in English literature." Swift lampooned him; Pope a.s.sailed him in the _Essay on Criticism_; and finally he was "d.a.m.ned to everlasting fame" in the _Dunciad_. He is called "Zo'lus" (1657-1733).

DENNISON _(Jenny)_, attendant on Miss Edith b.e.l.l.e.n.den. She marries Cuddie Headrigg.--Sir W. Scott, _Old Mortality_ (time, Charles II.).

DERMER _(Mr.)_, a little bachelor lawyer, whose face has "a pinched, wistful look" under the curls of his brown wig. He lives in a dreary house, with a testy housekeeper, and a timid little nephew-ward, and spends many of his lonely hours in trying to decide if he loves Miss Deborah Woodhouse the utilitarian, or aesthetic Miss Ruth. On his death-bed, he gives an old daguerreotype of himself to Miss Ruth.

"Not that I have--have changed my mind, but it is not improper, I am sure that Miss Deborah's sister should give me--if she will be so good--her hand, that I may say 'goodbye'"--Margaret Deland, _John Ward, Preacher_ (1888).

D'eON DE BEAUMONT (_Le Chevalier_), a person notorious for the ambiguity of his s.e.x; said to be the son of an advocate. His face was pretty, without beard, moustache, or whiskers. Louis XV. sent him as a woman to Russia on a secret mission, and he presented himself to the czarina as a woman (1756). In the Seven Years' War he was appointed captain of dragoons. In 1777 he a.s.sumed the dress of a woman again, which he maintained till death (1728-1810).

DERBY (_Earl of_), third son of the Earl of Lancaster, and near kinsman of Edward III. His name was Henry Plantagenet, and he died 1362. Henry Plantagenet, earl of Derby, was sent to protect Guienne, and was noted for his humanity no less than for his bravery. He defeated the Comte de l'Isle at Bergerac, reduced Perigord, took the castle of Auberoche, in Gascony, overthrew 10,000 French with only 1000, taking prisoners nine earls and nearly all the barons, knights, and squires (1345). Next year he took the fortresses of Monsegur, Montpezat, Villefranche, Miraumont, Tonneins, Damazin, Aiguillon, and Reole.

That most deserving Earl of Derby, we prefer Henry's third valiant son, the Earl of Lancaster. That only Mars of men,

Dayton, _Polyolbion_, xviii. (1613).

_Derby (Countess of)_, Charlotte de la Tremouille, Countess of Derby and Queen of Man.

_Philip (earl of Derby)_, King of Man, son of the countess.--Sir W.

Scott, _Peveril of the Peak_ (time, Charles II.).

DANIEL DERONDA, pure young fellow whose influence for good over men and women is marvellous, and explicable only upon the principle that virtue is mightier than vice. "You could not have seen his face thoroughly meeting yours without believing that human creatures had done n.o.bly in times past and might do more n.o.bly in time to come."--George Eliot, _Daniel Deronda_.

DER'RICK, hangman in the first half of the seventeenth century. The crane for hoisting goods is called a derrick, from this hangman.

_Derrick (Faith)._ The rural heroine of Susan Warner's novel _Say and Seal_ (1860).

_Derrick (Tom)_, quarter-master of the pirate's vessel.--Sir W. Scott, _The Pirate_ (time, William III.).

DERRY DOWN TRIANGLE _(The)_, Lord Castlereagh; afterwards marquis of Londonderry; so called by William Hone. The first word is a pun on the t.i.tle, the second refers to his lords.h.i.+p's oratory, a triangle being the most feeble, monotonous, and unmusical of all musical instruments.

Tom Moore compares the oratory of Lord Castlereagh to "water spouting from a pump."

_Q_. Why is a pump like viscount Castlereigh?

_A_. Because it is a slender thing of wood, That up and down its awkward arm doth sway, And coolly spout, and spout, and spout away, In one weak, washy, everlasting flood.

T. Moore.

DERVISH ("_a poor man_"), a sort of religious friar or mendicant among the Mohammedans.

DESBOROUG-H _(Colonel)_, one of the parliamentary commissioners.--Sir W. Scott, _Woodstock_ (time, Commonwealth).