Volume I Part 97 (1/2)
DESDEMO'NA, daughter of Brabantio, a Venetian senator, in love with Oth.e.l.lo the Moor (general of the Venetian army). The Moor loves her intensely, and marries her; but Iago, by artful villainy, induces him to believe that she loves Ca.s.sio too well. After a violent conflict between love and jealousy, Oth.e.l.lo smothers her with a bolster, and then stabs himself.--Shakespeare, _Oth.e.l.lo_ (1611.)
The soft simplicity of Desdemona, confident of merit and conscious of innocence, her artless perseverance in her suit, and her slowness to suspect that she can be suspected, are proofs of Shakespeare's skill in human nature.--Dr. Johnson.
DESERT FAIRY _(The)_. This fairy was guarded by two lions, that could be pacified only by a cake made of millet, sugar-candy, and crocodiles' eggs. The Desert Fairy said to Allfair, ”I swear by my coif you shall marry the Yellow Dwarf, or I will burn my crutch.”--Comtesse D'Aunoy, _Fairy Tales_ (”The Yellow Dwarf,” 1682).
DESERTED DAUGHTER _(The)_, a comedy by Holcroft. Joanna was the daughter of Mordent, but her mother died, and Mordent married Lady Anne. In order to do so he ignored his daughter and had her brought up by strangers, intending to apprentice her to some trade. Item, a money-lender, acting on the advice of Mordent, lodges the girl with Mrs. Enfield, a crimp, where Lennox is introduced to her, and obtains Mordent's consent to run away with her. In the interim Cheveril sees her, falls in love with her, and determines to marry her. Mordent repents, takes the girl home, acknowledges her to be his daughter, and she becomes the wife of the gallant young Cheveril (1784).
[Ill.u.s.tration] This comedy has been recast, and called _The Steward_.
DESERTER _(The)_, a musical drama by Dibdin (1770). Henry, a soldier, is engaged to Louisa, but during his absence some rumors of gallantry to his disadvantage reach the village, and to test his love, Louisa in pretence goes with Simkin as if to be married. Henry sees the procession, is told it is Louisa's wedding day, and in a fit of desperation gives himself up as a deserter, and is condemned to death.
Lousia goes to the king, explains the whole affair, and returns with his pardon as the m.u.f.fled drums begin to beat.
DESMAS. The repentant thief is so called in _The Story of Joseph of Arimathea_; but Dismas in the apocryphal _Gospel of Nicodemus._ Longfellow, in _The Golden Legend_, calls him Dumachus. The impenitent thief is called Gestas, but Longfellow calls him t.i.tus.
Imparibus meritis pendent tria corpora ramis: _Dismas et Gesmas_, media est Divina Potestas; Alta pet.i.t Dismas, infelix infima Gesmas; Nos et res nostras conservet Summa Potestas.
Of differing merits from three trees incline Dismas and Gesmas and the Power Divine; Dismas repents, Gesmas no pardon craves, The power Divine by death the sinner saves.
DESMONDS OF KILMALLOCK (Limerick). The legend is that the last powerful head of this family, who perished in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, still keeps his state under the waters of Lough Gur, that every seventh year he re-appears fully armed, rides round the lake early in the morning, and will ultimately return in the flesh to claim his own again. (See BARBAROSSA.)--Sir W. Scott, _Fortunes of Nigel_.
DESPAIR (_Giant_), lived in Doubting Castle. He took Christian and Hopeful captive for sleeping on his grounds, and locked them in a dark dungeon from Wednesday to Sat.u.r.day, without ”one bit of bread, or drop of drink, or ray of light.” By the advice of his wife, Diffidence, the giant beat them soundly ”with a crab-tree cudgel.” On Sat.u.r.day night Christian remembered he had a key in his bosom, called ”Promise,”
which would open any lock in Doubting Castle. So he opened the dungeon door, and they both made their escape with speed.--John Bunyan, _Pilgrim's Progress_, i. (1678).
DEUCE IS IN HIM (_The_) a farce by George Colman, senior. The person referred to is Colonel Tember, under which name the plot of the farce is given (1762).
DEUGA'LA, says Ossian, ”was covered with the light of beauty, but her heart was the house of pride.”
DEVE'TA, plu. Devetas, inferior or secondary deities in Hindu mythology.
DEVIL (_The_). Olivier le Daim, the tool of Louis XL, and once the king's barber, was called _Le Diable_, because he was as much feared, was as fond of making mischief, and was far more disliked than the prince of evil. Olivier was executed in 1484.
_Devil (The French)_, Jean Bart, an intrepid French sailor, born at Dunkirk (1650-1702).
_Devil (The White)_. George Castriot, surnamed ”Scanderbeg,” was called by the Turks ”The White Devil of Wallachia” (1404-1467).
_Devil (The Printer's)_. Aldus Manutius, a printer in Venice to the holy Church and the doge, employed a negro boy to help him in his office. This little black boy was believed to be an imp of Satan, and went by the name of the ”printer's devil.” In order to protect him from persecution, and confute a foolish superst.i.tion, Manutius made a public exhibition of the boy, and announced that ”any one who doubted him to be flesh and blood might come forward and pinch him.”
_Devil (Robert the)_, of Normandy; so called because his father was said to have been an incubus or fiend in the disguise of a knight (1028-1035).
[Ill.u.s.tration] Robert Francois Damiens is also called _Robert le Diable_, for his attempt to a.s.sa.s.sinate Louis XV. (1714-1757).
_Devil (Son of the)_, Ezzeli'no, chief of the Gibelins, governor of Vicenza. He was so called for his infamous cruelties (1215-1259).
DEVIL d.i.c.k, Richard Porson, the critic, (1759-1808).
DEVIL ON TWO STICKS, (_The_), that is _Le Diable Boiteux_, by Lesage (1707). The plot of this humorous satirical tale is borrowed from the Spanish, _El Diabolo Cojuelo_, by Gueva'ra (1635). Asmode'us (_le diable boiteux_) perches Don Cle'ofas on the steeple of St. Salvador, and stretching out his hand, the roofs of all the houses open, and expose to him what is being done privately in every dwelling.
_Devil on Two Sticks (The)_, a farce by S. Foote; a satire on the medical profession.
DEVIL TO PAY, (_The_), a farce by C. Coffey. Sir John Loverule has a termagant wife, and Zackel Jobson, a patient grissel. Two spirits named Nadir and Ab'ishog transform these two wives for a time, so that the termagant is given to Jobson, and the patient wife to Sir John.