CHICK'WEED (_Conkey, i.e. Nosey_), the man who robbed himself. He was a licensed victualler on the point of failing, and gave out that he had been robbed of 327 guineas "by a tall man with a black patch over his eye." He was much pitied, and numerous subscriptions were made on his behalf. A detective was sent to examine into the "robbery," and Chickweed would cry out, "There he is!" and run after the "hypothetical thief" for a considerable distance, and then lose sight of him. This occurred over and over again, and at last the detective said to him, "I've found out who done this here robbery." "Have you?" said Chickweed. "Yes," said Spyers, "you done it yourself." And so he had.--C. Dickens, _Oliver Twist_, xxxi. (1837). CHIF'FINCH (_Master Thomas_), _alias_ Will Smith, a friend of Richard Ganlesse (2 _syl_.). The private emissary of Charles II. He was employed by the duke of Buckingham to carry off Alice Bridgenorth to Whitehall, but the captive escaped and married Julian Peveril. _Kate Chiffinch_, mistress of Thomas Chiffinch.--Sir W. Scott, _Peveril of the Peak_ (time, Charles II.). CHIGNON _[Shin.yong]_, the French valet of Miss Alscrip "the heiress." A silly, affected, typical French valet-de-chambre.--General Burgoyne, _The Heiress_ (1718). CHI'LAX, a merry old soldier, lieutenant to general Memnon, in Paphos.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Mad Lover_ (1617). CHILD (_The_), Bettina, daughter of Maximiliane Brentano. So called from the title of her book, _Goethe's Correspondence with a Child_. CHILD OF NATURE (_The_), a play by Mrs. Inchbald. Amantis was the "child of Nature." She was the daughter of Alberto, banished "by an unjust sentence," and during his exile he left his daughter under the charge of the marquis Almanza. Amantis was brought up in total ignorance of the world and the passion-principles which sway it, but felt grateful to her guardian, and soon discovered that what she called "gratitude" the world calls "love." Her father returned home rich, his sentence cancelled and his innocence allowed, just in time to give his daughter in marriage to his friend Almanza. CHILDE HAROLD, a man sated with the world, who roams from place to place, to kill time and escape from himself. The "childe" is, in fact, lord Byron himself, who was only twenty-two when he began the poem, which was completed in seven years. In canto i. the "childe" visits Portugal and Spain (1809); in canto ii. Turkey in Europe (1810); in canto iii. Belgium and Switzerland (1816); and in canto iv. Venice, Rome, and Florence (1817). ("Childe" is a title of honor, about tantamount to "lord," as childe Waters, childe Rolande, childe Tristram, childe Arthur, childe Childers, etc.) CHIL'DERS (_E.W.B._), one of the riders in Sleary's circus, noted for his vaulting and reckless riding in the character of the "Wild Huntsman of the Prairies." This compound of groom and actor marries Josephine, Sleary's daughter.