Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 3: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's HandbookBrewer, Ebenezer Cobham
General
Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 3: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook
Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham
Allusions; Fiction -- Dictionaries; Literature -- Dictionaries
=Overs= (_John_), a ferryman who used to ferry passengers from Southwark
to the City, and accumulated a considerable hoard of money by his
savings. On one occasion, to save the expenses of board, he simulated
death, expecting his servants would fast till he was buried; but they
broke into his larder and cellar and held riot. When the old miser could
bear it no longer he started up and belabored his servants right and
left; but one of them struck the old man with an oar and killed him.
_Mary Overs_, the beautiful daughter of the ferryman. Her lover,
hastening to town, was thrown from his horse, and died. She then became
a nun, and founded the church of St. Mary Overs on the site of her
father’s house.
=Overton= (_Colonel_), one of Cromwell’s officers.--Sir W. Scott,
_Woodstock_ (time, Commonwealth).
=Ovid= (_The French_), Du Bellay; also called “The Father of Grace and
Elegance” (1524-1560).
=Ovid and Corinna.= Ovid disguises, under the name of Corinna, the
daughter of Augustus, named Julia, noted for her beauty, talent and
licentiousness. Some say that Corinna was Livia, the wife of
Augustus.--_Amor._, i. 5.
So was her heavenly body comely raised
On two faire columnes; those that Ovid praised
In Julia’s borrowed name.
=O´wain= (_Sir_), the Irish knight of King Stephen’s court, who passed
through St. Patrick’s purgatory by way of penance.--Henry of Saltrey,
_The Descent of Owain_ (1153).
=O´weenee=, the youngest of ten sisters, all of surpassing beauty. She
married Osseo, who was “old, poor, and ugly,” but “most beautiful
within.” (See OSSEO.)--Longfellow, _Hiawatha_, xii. (1855).
=Owen= (_Sam_), groom of Darsie Latimer, _i.e._ Sir Arthur Darsie
Redgauntlet.--Sir W. Scott, _Redgauntlet_ (time, George III.).
_Owen_, confidential clerk of Mr. Osbaldistone, senior.--Sir W. Scott,
_Rob Roy_ (time, George I.).
_Owen_ (_Sir_), passed in dream through St. Patrick’s purgatory. He
passed the convent gate, and the warden placed him in a coffin. When the
priests had sung over him the service of the dead, they placed the
coffin in a cave, and Sir Owen made his descent. He came first to an ice
desert, and received three warnings to retreat, but the warnings were
not heeded, and a mountain of ice fell on him. “Lord, Thou canst save!”
he cried, as the ice fell, and the solid mountain became like dust, and
did Sir Owen no harm. He next came to a lake of fire, and a demon pushed
him in. “Lord, Thou canst save!” he cried, and angels carried him to
paradise. He woke with ecstacy, and found himself lying before the
cavern’s mouth.--R. Southey, _St. Patrick’s Purgatory_ (from the
_Fabliaux_ of M. le Grand.[TN-56]
=Owen Meredith=, Robert Bulwer Lytton, afterwards Lord Lytton, son of the
poet and novelist (1831-1892).
=Owl= (_The_), sacred to Minerva, was the emblem of Athens.
Owls hoot in B♭ and G♭, or in F♯ and A♭.--Rev. G. White, _Natural
History of Selborne_, xlv. (1789).
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