BELGE (2 _syl_.), the mother of seventeen sons. She applied to queen Mercilla for aid against Geryon'eo, who had deprived her of all her offspring except five.--Spenser, _Faëry Queen_, v. 10 (1596). [Illustration] "Beige" is Holland, the "seventeen sons" are the seventeen provinces which once belonged to her; "Geryoneo" is Philip II. of Spain; and "Mercilla" is queen Elizabeth. BELIAL, sons of, in the Bible _passim_ means the lewd and profligate. Milton has created the personality of Belial: Belial came last; than whom a spirit more lewd Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love Vice for itself. To him no temple stood Or altar smoked; yet who more oft than he In temples, and at altars, when the priest Tarns atheist, as did Eli's sons, who filled With lust and violence the house of God? In courts and palaces he also reigns, And in luxurious cities, where the noise Of riot ascends above their loftiest towers And injury and outrage; and when night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine. Milton, _Paradise Lost_, i. 490 On the other side up rose Belial, in act more graceful and humane; A fairer person lost not Heaven; he seemed For dignity composed, and high exploit. But all was false and hollow; though his tongue. Dropt manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, to perplex and dash Maturest counsels; for his thoughts were low To vice industrious, but to nobler deeds Timorous and slothful. Milton, _Paradise Lost_, ii. 108. BELIA'NIS OF GREECE _(Don)_, the hero of an old romance of chivalry on the model of _Am'adis de Gaul_. It was one of the books in don Quixote's library, but was not one of those burnt by the cure as pernicious and worthless. "Don Belianis," said the curé, "with its two, three, and four parts, hath need of a dose of rhubarb to purge off that mass of bile with which he is inflamed. His Castle of Fame and other impertinences should be totally obliterated. This done, we would show him lenity in proportion as we found him capable of reform. Take don Belianis home with you, and keep him in close confinement."--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. i. 6 (1605). BELINDA, niece and companion of lady John Brute. Young, pretty, full of fun, and possessed of £10,000. Heartfree marries her.--Vanbrugh, _The Provoked Wife_ (1697). _Belin'da_, the heroine of Pope's _Rape of the Lock_. This mock heroic is founded on the following incident:--Lord Petre cut a lock of hair from the head of Miss Arabella Fermor, and the young lady resented the liberty as an unpardonable affront. The poet says Belinda wore on her neck two curls, one of which the baron cut off with a pair of scissors borrowed of Clarissa, and when Belinda angrily demanded that it should be delivered up, it had flown to the skies and become a meteor there. (See BERENICE.)