Chapter Ireby to Iron Mask of I by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Ireby to Iron Mask

Ireby (Mr.), a country squire.—Sir W. Scott: Two Drovers (time, George III.).

Ireland (S. W. H.), a literary forger. His chief forgery is Miscellaneous Papers and Instruments, under the hand and seal of William Shakespeare, including the tragedy of King Lear and a small fragment of Hamlet, from the original, 1796, folio, £4 4s. (1795).

His most impudent forgery was the production of a new play, which he tried to palm off as Shakespeare’s. It was called Vortigern and Rowena, and was actually represented at Drury Lane Theatre in 1796. (See Forgers and Forgeries, p. 384.)

Weeps o’er false Shakesperian lore
Which sprang from Maisterre Ireland’s store,
Whose impudence deserves the rod
For having aped the Muse’s god.
   —Chalcographomania.

Ireland (The Fair Maid of), the ignis fatuus. He had read…of…the ignis fatuus,…by some called “Will-with- the-whisp,” or “Jack-with-the-lantern.” and likewise…“The Fair Maid of Ireland.”—Ben Jonson: The Seven Champions of Christendom, i. 7 (1617).

Ireland’s Scholarships (Dean), four scholarships of £30 a year, in the University of Oxford, founded by Dr. Ireland, dean of Westminster, in 1825.

Ireland’s Three Saints. The three great saints of Ireland are St. Patrick, St. Columb, and St. Bridget.

Ireland’s Three Tragedies: (1) The Death of the Children of Touran; (2) The Death of the Children of Lir; and (3) The Death of the Children of Usnach (all which see).—O’Flanagan: Transcations of the Gaelic Society of Dublin, i.

Irem (The Garden of), mentioned in the Korân, lxxxix. It was the most beautiful of all earthly paradises, laid out for Shedadking of Ad; but no sooner was it finished, than it was struck with the lightning-wand of the death-angel, and was never after visible to the eye of man.

The paradise of Irem this…
A garden more surpassing fair
Than that before whose gate
The lighting of the cherub’s fiery sword
Waves wide, to bar access.
   —Southey: Thabala the Destroyer, i. 22 (1797).

Irena, Ireland personified. Her inheritance was withheld by Grantorto (rebellion), and sir Artegal was sent by the queen of Faërie-land to succour her. Grantorto being slain, Irena was restored, in 1580, to her inheritance.—Spenser: Faërie Queene, v. (1596).

Irene , daughter of Horush Barbarossa the Greek renegade and corsair-king of Algiers. She was rescued in the siege of Algiers by Selim, son of the Moorish king, who fell in love with her. When she heard of the conspiracy to kill Barbarossa, she warned her father; but it was too late: the insurgents succeeded, Barbarossa was slain by Othman, and Selim married Irenê.—J. Brown, Barbarossa (1742).

Irene , wife of Alexius Comnenus emperor of Greece.—Sir. W. Scott: Count Robert of Paris (time, Rufus).

Dr. Johnson wrote a tragedy called Irene (1737).

Irenus, Peaceableness personified. (Greek, eirênê, “peace.”)—Phineas Fletcher: The Purple Island, x. (1633).

Iris, a messenger, a go-between. Iris was the messenger of Juno.

Wheresoe’er thou art in this world’s globe,
I’ll have an Iris that shall find thee out.
   —Shakespeare: 2 Henry VI. act v. sc. 2 (1591).

Iris and the Dying. One of the duties of Iris was to cut off a lock of hair (claimed by Proserpine) from those devoted to death, and, till this was done, Death refused to accept the victim. Thus, when Dido