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
CA'CUS, a giant who lived in a cave on mount Av'entine (3 _syl_.).
When Herculês came to Italy with the oxen which he had taken from
Ger'yon of Spain, Cacus stole part of the herd, but dragged the
animals by their tails into his cave, that it might be supposed they
had come _out_ of it.
If he falls into slips, it is equally clear they were introduced
by him on purpose to confuse like Caeus, the traces of his
retreat.--_Encyc. Brit_. Art. "Romance."
CAD, a low-born, vulgar fellow. A cadie in Scotland was a carrier of a
sedan-chair.
All Edinburgh men and boys know that when sedan-chairs were
discontinued, the old cadies sank into ruinous poverty, and became
synonymous with roughs. The word was brought to London by James
Hannay, who frequently used it.--M. Pringle.
[Illustration] M. Pringle assures us that the word came from Turkey.
CADE (_Jack_), Irish insurgent in reign of Henry VII. Assuming the
name of Mortimer, he led a company of rebels from Kent, defeated the
king's army, and entered London. His short-lived triumph was ended by
his death at Lewes. He appears in _Henry VI._ by Shakespeare.
CADE´NUS (3 _syl._) dean Swift. The word is simply _de-ca-nus_ ("a
dean"), with the first two syllables transposed (_ca-de-nus_). Vanessa
is Miss Esther Vanhomrigh, a young lady who fell in love with Swift,
and proposed marriage. The dean's reply is given in the poem entitled
_Cadenus and Vanessa_ [_i.e._ Van-Esther].
CADUCEUS meant generally a herald's staff; as an emblem of a peaceful
errand it was made of a branch of olive-wood with the twigs, which,
later, were transformed to serpents. In this form it is associated
with Mercury, the herald and messenger of the gods--that "beautiful
golden rod with which he both puts men to sleep and wakens them from
slumber." Homer, _Odyssey_, xxiv.
CADUR´CI, the people of Aquita´nia.
CAD´WAL. Arvir´agus, son of Cym´beline, was so called while he lived
in the woods with Bela´rius, who called himself Morgan, and whom
Cadwal supposed to be his father.--Shakespeare, _Cymbeline_ (1605).
CADWALLADER, called by Bede (1 _syl._) Elidwalda, son of Cadwalla king
of Wales. Being compelled by pestilence and famine to leave Britain,
he went to Armorica. After the plague ceased he went to Rome, where,
in 689, he was baptized, and received the name of Peter, but died very
soon afterwards.
Cadwallader that drave [_sailed_] to the Armoric shore.
Drayton, _Polyolbion_, ix. (1612).
_Cadwallader_, the misanthrope in Smollett's _Peregrine Pickle_
(1751).
_Cadwallader_ (_Mrs_.), character in _Middle-march_, by George Eliot.
CADWALL'ON, son of the blinded Cyne'tha. Both father and son
accompanied prince Madoc to North America in the twelfth
century.--Southey, _Madoc_ (1805).
_Cadwal'lon_, the favorite bard of prince Gwenwyn. He entered the
service of sir Hugo de Lacy, disguised, under the assumed name of
Renault Vidal.--Sir W. Scott, _The Betrothed_ (time, Henry II.).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account