Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's HandbookBrewer, Ebenezer Cobham
General
Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook
Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham
Allusions; Fiction -- Dictionaries; Literature -- Dictionaries
_Bertol'do_, the chief character of a comic romance called _Vita di
Bertoldo_, by Julio Cesare Crocê, who flourished in the sixteenth
century. It recounts the successful exploits of a clever but ugly
peasant, and was for two centuries as popular in Italy as _Robinson
Crusoe_ is in England. Same as, _Bertolde_ and _Bartoldo_.
BERTOLDO'S SON, Rinaldo.--Tasso, _Jerusalem Delivered_ (1575).
BERTRAM _(Baron)_, one of Charlemagne's paladins.
_Ber'tram_, count of Rousillon. While on a visit to the king of
France, Helena, a physician's daughter, cured the king of a. disorder
which had baffled the court physicians. For this service the king
promised her for husband any one she chose to select, and her choice
fell on Bertram. The haughty count married her, it is true, but
deserted her at once, and left for Florence, where he joined the
duke's army. It so happened that Helena also stopped at Florence while
on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Jacques le Grand. In Florence
she lodged with a widow whose daughter Diana, was wantonly loved by
Bertram. Helena obtained permission to receive his visits in lieu of
Diana, and in one of these visits exchanged rings with him. Soon after
this the count went on a visit to his mother, where he saw the king,
and the king observing on his finger the ring he had given to Helena,
had him arrested on the suspicion of murder. Helena now came
forward to explain matters, and all was well, for all ended
well.--Shakespeare, _All's Well that Ends Well_ (1598).
I cannot reconcile my heart to "Bertram," a man noble without
generosity, and young without truth; who marries Helena as a coward,
and leaves her as a profligate. When she is dead by his unkindness he
sneaks home to a second marriage, is accused by a woman whom he
has wronged, defends himself by falsehood, and is dismissed to
happiness.--Dr. Johnson.
_Bertram_ (_Sir Stephen_), an austere merchant, very just but not
generous. Fearing lest his son should marry the sister of his clerk
(Charles Ratcliffe), he dismissed Ratcliffe from his service, and
being then informed that the marriage had already taken place, he
disinherited his son. Sheva the Jew assured him that the lady had
£10,000 for her fortune, so he relented. At the last all parties were
satisfied.
_Frederick Bertram_, only son of sir Stephen; he marries Miss
Ratcliffe clandestinely, and incurs thereby his father's displeasure,
but the noble benevolence of Sheva the Jew brings about a
reconciliation and opens sir Bertram's eyes to "see ten thousand
merits," a grace for every pound.--Cumberland, _The Jew_ (1776).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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