Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction, and the Drama, Vol. 2: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's HandbookBrewer, Ebenezer Cobham
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Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction, and the Drama, Vol. 2: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook
Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham
Allusions; Fiction -- Dictionaries; Literature -- Dictionaries
In every creature that breathes, from the conqueror, resting on a field
of blood, to the nest-bird cradled in its bed of leaves, Hypnos holds a
sovereignty which nothing mortal can long resist.—Ouida, _Folle-Farine_,
iii. 11.
=Hypochondria=, personified by Thomson:
And moping here, did Hypochondria sit,
Mother of spleen, in robes of various dye...
And some her frantic deemed, and some her deemed a wit.
_Castle of Indolence_, i. 75 (1748).
=Hyp´ocrite= (_The_), Dr. Cantwell, in the English comedy by Isaac
Bickerstaff, and Tartuffe in the French comedy by Molière. He pretends
to great sanctity, but makes his “religion” a mere trade for getting
money, advancing his worldly prospects, and for the better indulgence of
his sensual pleasures. Dr. Cantwell is made the guest of Sir John
Lambert (in French, “Orgon”), who looks on him as a saint, and promises
him his daughter in marriage; but his mercenary views and his
love-making to Lady Lambert being at length exposed, Sir John forbids
him to remain in the house, and a tipstaff arrests him for a felonious
fraud (1768).
=Hyp´ocrites= (_The_). Abdallah ibn Obba and his partisans were so
called by Mahomet.
_Hypocrites_ (_The prince of_), Tiberius Cæsar (B. C. 42, 14 to A. D.
37).
=Hyppolito=. (See HIPPOLYTUS.)
=Iachimo= [_Eák´.ĭ.mo_], an Italian libertine. When Posthu´mus, the
husband of Imogen, was banished for marrying the king’s daughter, he
went to Rome, and in the house of Philario the conversation fell on the
fidelity of wives. Posthumus bet a diamond ring that nothing could
change the fidelity of Imogen, and Iachimo accepted the wager. The
libertine contrived to get into a chest in Imogen’s chamber, made
himself master of certain details, and took away with him a bracelet
belonging to Imogen. With these vouchers, Iachimo easily persuaded
Posthumus that he had won the bet, and Posthumus handed over to him the
ring. A battle subsequently ensued, in which Iachimo and other Romans,
with Imogen disguised as a page, were made prisoners, and brought before
King Cymbeline. Imogen was set free, and told to ask a boon. She asked
that Iachimo might be compelled to say how he came by the ring which he
had on his finger, and the whole villainy was brought to light.
Posthumus was pardoned, and all ended happily—Shakespeare, _Cymbeline_
(1605).
⁂ The tale of _Cymbeline_ is from the _Decameron_ of Boccaccio (day ii.
9), in which Iachimo is called “Ambrose,” Imogen is “Zineura,” her
husband, Bernard “Lomellin,” and Cymbeline is the “sultan.” The assumed
name of Imogen is “Fidelê,” but in Boccaccio it is “Sicurano da Finale.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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