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
⁂This is one of the Italian tales called _Nights_, by Straparo´la. There
is a German version, and a French one, as far back as 1535. The story
was dramatized in 1553 by Hans Sachs; and in 1600 by Thomas Dekker,
under the title of _The Pleasant Comedie of old Fortunatus_. Ludwig
Tieck also had a drama upon the same subject.
The purse of Fortunatus could not supply you.—Holcroft, _The Road to
Ruin_, i. 3.
_Fortunatus’s Purse_, a purse which was inexhaustible. It was given to
Fortunatus by Fortune herself.
_Fortunatus’s Wishing-cap_, a cap given by the sultan to Fortunatus. He
had only to put it on his head and wish, when he would find himself
transported to any spot he liked.
=Fortune= (_Emerson_). Sharp spinster aunt of Ellen Montgomery in Susan
Warner’s _Wide, Wide World_. She rules her house, her mother and niece
with a hand of iron until she marries her farmer, phlegmatic Van Brunt.
=Fortune’s Frolic=, a farce by Allingham. Lord Lackwit died suddenly,
and the heir of his title and estates was Robin Roughhead, a poor
laborer, engaged to Dolly, a cottager’s daughter. The object of the
farce is to show the pleasure of doing good, and the blessings which a
little liberality can dispense. Robin was not spoilt by his good
fortune, but married Dolly, and became the good genius of the cottage
tenantry.
=Fortunes of Nigel=, a novel by Sir. W. Scott (1822). This story gives
an excellent picture of the times of James I., and the account of
Alsatia is wholly unrivalled. The character of King James, poor, proud
and pedantic, is a masterly historic sketch.
=Fortunio=, one of the three daughters of an old lord, who at the age of
four-score was called out to join the army levied against the emperor of
Matapa´. Fortunio put on military costume, and went in place of her
father. On her way, a fairy gave her a horse named Comrade, not only of
incredible swiftness, but all-knowing and endowed with human speech; she
also gave her an inexhaustible Turkey-leather trunk, full of money,
jewels and fine clothes. By the advice of Comrade she hired seven gifted
servants, named Strongback, Lightfoot, Marksman, Fine-ear, Boisterer,
Trinquet, and Grugeon. After performing several marvelous feats by the
aid of her horse and servants, Fortunio married Alfurite (3 _syl._), the
king of her country. Comtesse D’Aunoy, _Fairy Tales_ (1682).
⁂ This tale is reproduced in Grimm’s _Goblins_.
_Fortunio’s Horse_, Comrade, which not only possessed incredible speed,
but knew all things, and was gifted with human speech.
_Fortunio’s Attendants_.
Trinquet drank up the lakes and ponds, and thus caught for his master
[_sic_] most delicate fish. Lightfoot hunted down venison, and caught
hares by the ears. As for Marksman, he gave neither partridge or
pheasant any quarter, and whatever amount of game Marksman shot,
Strongback would carry without inconvenience.—Comtesse D’Aunoy, _Fairy
Tales_ (“Fortunio,” 1682).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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