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
Edward I. confined the countess of Buchan in an iron cage, for placing
the crown of Scotland on the head of Bruce. This cage was erected on
one of the towers of Berwick Castle, where the countess was exposed
to the rigor of the elements and the gaze of passers-by. One of the
sisters of Bruce was similarly dealt with.
Louis XI. confined cardinal Balue (grand-almoner of France) for ten
years in an iron cage in the castle of Loches [_Losh_].
Tamerlane enclosed the sultan Bajazet in an iron cage, and made of him
a public show. So says D'Herbelot.
An iron cage was made by Timour's command,
composed on every side of iron gratings, through
which the captive sultan [Bajazet] could be seen
in any direction. He travelled in this den slung
between two horses.--Leunclavius.
CAGLIOS´TRO (_Count de_), the assumed name of Joseph Balsamo
(1743-1795).
CAIN AND ABEL are called in the _Korân_ "Kâbil and Hâbil." The
tradition is that Cain was commanded to marry Abel's sister, and Abel
to marry Cain's, but Cain demurred because his own sister was the more
beautiful, and so the matter was referred to God, and God answered
"No" by rejecting Cain's sacrifice.
The Mohammedans also say that Cain carried about with him the dead
body of Abel till he saw a raven scratch a hole in the ground to
bury a dead bird. The hint was taken, and Abel was buried under
ground.--Sale's _Koran_, v. (notes).
CAIR´BAR, son of Borbar-Duthul, "lord of Atha" (Connaught), the most
potent of the race of the Fir-bolg. He rose in rebellion against
Cormac "king of Ireland," murdered him (_Temora_, i.), and usurped
the throne; but Fingal (who was distantly related to Cormac) went to
Ireland with an army, to restore the ancient dynasty. Cairbar
invited Oscar (Fingal's grandson) to a feast, and Oscar accepted the
invitation, but Cairbar having provoked a quarrel with his guest, the
two fought, and both were slain.
"Thy heart is a rock. Thy thoughts are dark
and bloody. Thou art the brother of Cathmor
... but my soul is not like thine, thou feeble
hand in fight. The light of my bosom is stained
by thy deeds."--Ossian, _Temora_, i.
CAIR´BRE (_2 syl._), sometimes called Cair´bar, third king of Ireland,
of the Caledonian line. (There was also a Cairbar, "lord of Atha," a
Fir-bolg, quite a different person.)
The Caledonian line ran thus: (1) Conar, first "king of Ireland;" (2)
Cormac I., his son; (3) Cairbre, his son; (4) Artho, his son; (5)
Cormac II., his son; (6) Ferad-Artho, his cousin.--Ossian.
CAI´US (2 _syl._), the assumed name of the earl of Kent when he
attended on king Lear, after Goneril and Re´gan refused to entertain
their aged father with his suite.--Shakespeare, _King Lear_ (1605).
_Cai´us_ (_Dr._), a French physician, whose servants are Rugby and
Mrs. Quickly.--Shakespeare, _Merry Wives of Windsor_ (1601).
The clipped English of Dr. Cains.--Macau lay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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