Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction, and the Drama, Vol. 4: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's HandbookBrewer, Ebenezer Cobham
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Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction, and the Drama, Vol. 4: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook
Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham
Allusions; Fiction -- Dictionaries; Literature -- Dictionaries
=Way of the World= (_The_), a comedy by W. Congreve (1700). The “way
of the world” is to tie up settlements to wives, to prevent their
husbands squandering their wives’ fortunes. Thus, Fainall wanted to
get into his power the fortune of his wife, whom he hated, but found
it was “in trust to Edward Mirabell,” and consequently could not be
tampered with.
=Way to Keep Him= (_The_), a comedy by A. Murphy (1760). The object of
this drama is to show that women, after marriage, should not wholly
neglect their husbands, but should try to please them, and make home
agreeable and attractive. The chief persons are Mr. and Mrs. Lovemore.
Mr. Lovemore has a virtuous and excellent wife, whom he esteems and
loves; but, finding his home insufferably dull, he seeks amusement
abroad; and those passions which have no play at home lead him to
intrigue and card-playing, routes and dubious society. The under-plot
is this: Sir Bashful Constant is a mere imitator of Mr. Lovemore, and
Lady Constant suffers neglect from her husband and insult from his
friends, because he foolishly thinks it is not _comme il faut_ to love
after he has married the woman of his choice.
=Ways and Means=, a comedy by Colman, the younger (1788). Random and
Scruple meet at Calais two young ladies, Harriet and Kitty, daughters
of Sir David Dunder, and fall in love with them. They come to Dover,
and accidentally meet Sir David, who invites them over to Dunder Hall,
where they are introduced to the two young ladies. Harriet is to be
married next day, against her will, to Lord Snolts, a stumpy, “gummy”
nobleman of five and forty; and, to avoid this hateful match, she and
her sister agree to elope at night with the two young guests. It so
happens that a series of blunders in the dark occur, and Sir David
himself becomes privy to the whole plot, but, to prevent scandal, he
agrees to the two marriages, and discovers that the young men, both in
family and fortune, are quite suitable to be his sons-in-law.
=Wayland= (_Launcelot_), or WAYLAND SMITH, farrier in the vale of
Whitehorse. Afterwards disguised as a pedlar at Cumnor Place.--Sir W.
Scott, _Kenilworth_ (time, Elizabeth).
=Wealtheow= (2 _syl._), wife of Hrothgar, king of Denmark.
Wealtheow went forth; mindful of their races, she ... greeted the men
in the hall. The freeborn lady first handed the cup to the prince of
the East Danes.... The lady of the Helmings then went about every part
... she gave treasure-vessels, until the opportunity occurred that she
(a queen hung round with rings) ... bore forth the mead-cup to Beowolf
... and thanked God that her will was accomplished, that an earl of
Denmark was a guarantee against crime.--_Beowulf_ (Anglo-Saxon epic,
sixth century).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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