Chapter Breck to Bridgenorth of B by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Breck to Bridgenorth

Breck (Alison), an old fishwife, friend of the Mucklebackits.—Sir W. Scott: The Antiquary (time, George III.).

Breck (Angus), a follower of Rob Roy M’Gregor the outlaw.—Sir W. Scott: Rob Roy (time, George I.).

Breeches Bible (The), 1557. It was printed by Whittingham, Gilby, and Sampson. So called, because Gen. iii. 7 runs thus: “The eyes of them bothe were opened, … and they sewed figge-tree leaves together and made themselves breeches.

Breeches Review (The). The Westminster Review was so called, because Francis Place, an important shareholder, was a breeches-maker.

Brenda [Troil], daughter of Magnus Troil and sister of Minna.—Sir W. Scott: The Pirate (time, William III.).

Brengwain, the confidante of Isolde wife of sir Mark king of Cornwall. Isolde was criminally attached to her nephew sir Tristram, and Brengwain assisted the queen in her intrigues.

Brengwain, wife of Gwenwyn prince of Powys-land.—Sir W. Scott: The Betrothed (time, Henry II.).

Brentano (A), one of inconceivable folly. The Brentanos (Clemens and Bettina) are wild erratic Germans, in whom no absurdity is inconsistent. Bettina’s book, Goethe’s Correspondence with a Child (1835), is a pure fabrication.

At the point where the folly of others ceases, that of the Brentanos begins.—German Proverb.

Brentford (The two kings of). In the duke of Buckingham’s farce called The Rehearsal (1671), the two kings of Brentford enter hand-in-hand, dance together, sing together, walk arm-in-arm, and to heighten the absurdity, the actors represent them as smelling at the same nosegay (act ii.2).

Some say this was a skit on Charles II. and James (afterwards James II.). Others think the persons meant were Boabdelin and Abdalla, the two contending kings of Granada.

Bresan, a small island upon the very point of Cornwall.

Upon the utmost end of Cornwall’s furrowing beak,
Where Besan from the land the tilting waves doth break.
Drayton: Polyolbion, 1. (1612).

Breton. Entêté comme le Breton. French proverbial expression.

Breton (Captain), “a spirited and enterprising soldier of fortune,” the lover of Clara.—Mrs. Centlivre: The Wonder (a comedy, 1713).

Bretwalda, the over-king of the Saxon rulers, established in England during the heptarchy. In Germany the over-king was called emperor. The bretwalda had no power in the civil affairs of the under-kings, but in times of war or danger formed an important centre. (“Walda” is Anglo-Saxon for “ruler.”)

Brewer of Ghent (The), James van Artevelde, a great patriot. His son Philip fell in the battle of Rosbecq (fourteenth century).

Brian de Bois Guilbert (Sir), preceptor of the Knights Templars. He offers insult to Rebecca, the Jew’s daughter, but she repels him with scorn, and, rushing to the battlement, threatens to cast herself over if he touches her.—Sir W. Scott: Ivanhoe (time, Richard I.).

Briana, the lady of a castle who demanded for toll “the locks of every lady and the beard of every knight that passed.” This toll was established because sir Crudor, with whom she was in love, refused to marry