Chapter Ivàn Ivànovitch to Ixion of I by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Ivàn Ivànovitch to Ixion

Ivàn Ivànovitch, a poem by R. Browning (Dramatic Idylls, 1879). The story, which takes place in Russia about “Peter’s [the Great] time, when hearts were great, not small,” is as follows: Ivàn Ivànovitch, a Russian carpenter, is working at a “huge shipmast trunk,” when a sledge dashes up to the workyard with a half- frozen, fainting woman in it, who is recognized by the crowd assembled as “Dmitri’s wife.” She tells them that on her journey home in the sledge, with her three children, she is overtaken by wolves, and, to save herself, throws the children to the beasts. Ivàn Ivànovitch takes the law into his own hands, and slays her with an axe as she lies before him. The village pope judges that he has done right in killing so vile a mother, and the crowd go to Ivàn’s house to tell him he is acquitted. They find him calmly making a model of the Kremlin, with his children round him, and when “they told him he was free as air to walk about,” “How otherwise?” asked he, so sure is he that he acted as God’s servant.

Iverach (Allan), or steward of Inveraschalloch with Gallraith, at the Clachan of Aberfoyle.—Sir W. Scott: Rob Roy (time, George I.).

Ives (St.), originally called Slepe. Its name was changed in honour of St. Ive, a Persian missionary.

From Persia, led by zeal, St. Ive this island sought,
And near our eastern fens a fit place finding, taught
The faith; which place from him alone the name derives,
And of that sainted man has since been called St. Ives.
   —Drayton: Polyolbion, xxiv. (1622).

Ivory Gate of Dreams. Dreams which delude pass through the ivory gate, but those which come true through the horn gate. This whim depends upon two puns: ivory, in Greek, is elephas, and the verb elephairo means “to cheat;” horn, in Greek is keras, and the verb karanöo means “to accomplish.”

Sunt geminæ somni portæ, quarum altera fertur
Cornea, qua veris facilis datur exitus umbris;
Altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto,
Sed falsa ad cælum mittunt insomnia Manes.
   —Virgil: Æneid, vi. 893-6.

From gate of horn or ivory, dreams are sent;
These to deceive, and those for warning meant.
   —E. C. B.

The title, The Ivory Gate, was used for a novel by sir Walter Besant in 1892.

Ivory Shoulder. Demeter ate the shoulder of Pelops, served up by Tantalos; so when the gods restored the body to life, Demeter supplied the lacking shoulder by one made of ivory.

Pythagoras had a golden thigh, which he showed to Abaris the Hyperborèan priest.

Not Pelops’ shoulder whiter than her hands,
Nor snowy swans that jet on Isca’s sands.
   —Browne: Britannia’s Pastorals, ii. 3 (1613).

Ivory Tube of prince Ali, a sort of telescope, which showed the person who looked through it whatever he wished most to see.—Arabian Nights (“Ahmed and Pari-Banou”).

Ivry, in France, famous for the battle won by Henry of Navarre over the League (1590).

Hurrah! hurrah! a single field
Hath turned the chance of war.
Hurrah! hurrah! for Ivry.
And Henry of Navarre.
   —Macaulay: Lays (“Ivry,’ 1842).

Ivy Lane, London; so called from the houses of the prebendaries of St. Paul’s, overgrown with ivy.

Iwein, a knight of the Round Table. He slays the possessor of an enc han ted fountain, and marries the widow, whose name is Laudine. Gawein or Gawain urges him to new exploits, so he quits his wife for a year in quest of adventures, and as he does not return at the stated time, Laudine loses all love for h