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
_Mrs. Brulgruddery_, wife of Dennis, and widow of Mr. Skinnygauge,
former landlord of the Red Cow. Unprincipled, self-willed,
ill-tempered, and over-reaching. Money is the only thing that moves
her, and when she has taken a bribe she will whittle down the service
to the finest point.--G. Colman, jun., _John Bull_ (1805).
BRUN'CHEVAL "the Bold," a paynim knight, who tilted with sir
Satyrane, and both were thrown to the ground together at the first
encounter.--Spenser, _Faëry Queen_, iv. 4 (1596).
BRUNEL'O, a deformed dwarf, who at the siege of Albracca stole
Sacripan'te's charger from between his legs without his knowing it.
He also stole Angelica's magic ring, by means of which he released
Roge'ro from the castle in which he was imprisoned. Ariosto says
that Agramant gave the dwarf a ring which had the power of resisting
magic.--Bojardo, _Orlando Innamorato_ (1495); and Ariosto, _Orlando
Furioso_ (1516).
"I," says Sancho, "slept so soundly upon Dapple, that the thief had
time enough to clap four stakes under the four corners of my pannel
and to lead away the beast from under my legs without waking
me."--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, II. i. 4 (1615).
BRUNETTA, mother of Chery (who married his cousin Fairstar).--Comtesse
D'Aunoy, _Fairy Tales_ ("Princess Fairstar," 1682).
_Brunetta_, the rival beauty of Phyllis. On one occasion Phyllis
procured a most marvellous fabric of gold brocade in order to eclipse
her rival, but Brunetta arrayed her train-bearer in a dress of the
same material and cut in the same fashion. Phyllis was so mortified
that she went home and died.--_The Spectator_.
BRUNHILD, queen of Issland, who made a vow that none should win her
who could not surpass her in three trials of skill and strength: (1)
hurling a spear; (2) throwing a stone; and (3) jumping. Günther king
of Burgundy undertook the three contests, and by the aid of Siegfried
succeeded in winning the martial queen. _First_, hurling a spear that
three men could scarcely lift: the queen hurled it towards Günther,
but Siegfried, in his invisible cloak, reversed its direction, causing
it to strike the queen and knock her down. _Next_, throwing a stone so
huge that twelve brawny men were employed to carry it: Brunhild lifted
it on high, flung it twelve fathoms, and jumped beyond it. Again
Siegfried helped his friend to throw it further, and in leaping beyond
the stone. The queen, being fairly beaten, exclaimed to her liegemen,
"I am no longer your queen and mistress; henceforth are ye the
liegemen of Günther" (lied vii.). After marriage Brunhild was so
obstreperous that the king again applied to Siegfried, who succeeded
in depriving her of her ring and girdle, after which she became a very
submissive wife.--_The Niebelungen Lied_.
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