_Bevil_ (_Francis, Harry, and George_), three brothers--one an M.P., another in the law, and the third in the Guards--who, unknown to each other, wished to obtain in marriage the hand of Miss Grubb, the daughter of a rich stock-broker. The M.P. paid his court to the father, and obtained his consent; the lawyer paid his court to the mother, and obtained her consent; the officer paid his court to the young lady, and having obtained her consent, the other two brothers retired from the field.--O'Brien, _Cross Purposes_. BE'VIS, the horse of lord Marmion.--Sir W. Scott, _Marmion_ (1808). _Be'vis_ (_Sir_) of Southampton. Having reproved his mother, while still a lad, for murdering his father, she employed Saber to kill him; but Saber only left him on a desert land as a waif, and he was brought up as a shepherd. Hearing that his mother had married Mor'dure (2 _syl_.), the adulterer, he forced his way into the marriage hall and struck at Mordure; but Mordure slipped aside, and escaped the blow. Bevis was now sent out of the country, and being sold to an Armenian, was presented to the king. Jos'ian, the king's daughter, fell in love with him; they were duly married, and Bevis was knighted. Having slain the boar which made holes in the earth as big as that into which Curtius leapt, he was appointed general of the Armenian forces, subdued Brandamond of Damascus, and made Damascus tributary to Armenia. Being sent, on a future occasion, as ambassador to Damascus, he was thrust into a prison, where were two huge serpents; these he slew, and then effected his escape. His next encounter was with Ascupart the giant, whom he made his slave. Lastly, he slew the great dragon of Colein, and then returned to England, where he was restored to his lands and titles. The French call him _Beuves de Hantone_.--M. Drayton, _Polyolbion_, ii. (1612). _The Sword of Bevis of Southampton_ was Morglay, and his _steed_ Ar'undel. Both were given him by his wife Josian, daughter of the king of Armenia. BEZA'LIEL, in the satire of _Absalom and Achitophel_, is meant for the marquis of Worcester, afterwards duke of Beaufort. As Bezaliel, the famous artificer, "was filled with the Spirit of God to devise excellent works in every kind of workmanship," so on the marquis of Worcester-- ... so largely Nature heaped her store, There scarce remained for arts to give him more. Dryden and Tate, part ii. BEZO'NIAN, a beggar, a rustic. (Italian, _bisognoso_, "necessitous.") The ordinary tillers of the earth, such as we call _husbandmen_; in France, _pesants_; in Spane, _besonyans_; and generally _cloutshoe_.--Markham, _English Husbandman_, 4.