Chapter Jews to Job and Elspat of J by Brewer's Readers Handbook

J.J., in Hogarth’s “Gin Line,” written on a gibbet, is sir Joseph Jekyll, obnoxious for his bill for increasing the duty on gin.

N.B.—Jean Jacques [Rousseau] was often referred to by these initials in the eighteenth century.

Jo, a poor little outcast, living in one of the back slums of London, called “Tom All-alone’s.” The little human waif is hounded about from place to place, till he dies of want.—Dickens: Bleak House (1852).

Joan. Cromwell’s wife was always called Joan by the cavaliers, although her real name was Elizabeth.

Joan, princess of France, affianced to the duke of Orleans.—Sir W. Scott: Quentin Durward (time, Edward IV.).

Joan of Are, surnamed La Pucelle, born in a village upon the marches of Barre, called Domremy, near Vaucouleurs. Her father was James of Arc, and her mother Isabel, poor country-folk, who brought up their child to keep their cattle. Joan professed to be inspired to liberate France from the English, and actually raised the siege of Orleans, after which Charles II. was crowned (1402–1431).

A young wench of an eighteene years old; of favour was she counted likesome, of person stronglie made and manlie, of courage great, hardie and stout withall …she had great semblance of chastitie both of body and behaviour.—Hollinshed: Chronicles, 600 (1577).

…there was no bloom of youth
Upon her cheek; yet had the loveliest hues
Of health, with lesser fascination, fixed
The gazer’s eye; for wan the maiden was,
Of saintly paleness, and there seemed to dwell,
In the strong beauties of her countenance,
Something that was not earthly.
   —Southey: Joan of Arc (1795).

Schiller published a tragedy on the subject, Jungfrau von Orleans (1801); Loumet another, Jeanne d’ Arc (1825); T. Taylor an historic drama, Joan of Arc (1870); Balfe an opera (1839).

Historic poems on the subject (Joan of Arc) are by Southey, in ten books (blank verse), 1795; Francais Czaneaux, in French; J. Chaplain, a French poet, toiled thirty years on his poem called La Pucelle, published in 1656.

Casimir Delavigne, a French poet, published an admirable elegy on The Maid (1846); and Voltaire a burlesque, La Pucelle d’ Orleans, in 1738.

Joanna, the “deserted daughter” of Mr. Mordent. Her father abandoned her in order to marry lady Anne, and his money-broker placed her under the charge of Mrs. Enfield, who kept a house of intrigue. Cheveril fell in love with Joanna, and described her as having “blue eyes, auburn hair, aquiline nose, ivory teeth, carnation lips, a ravishing mouth, enchanting neck, a form divine, and the face of an angel.”—Holcroft: The Deserted Daughter (altered into The Steward).

Job (The Book of), one of the five poetical books of the Old Testament, which records how Job was “plagued” by Satan; and, having continued steadfast to the end, was restored to health and prosperity.

The tale of the patient Griselda is somewhat of the same character.

Job and Elspat, father and mother of sergeant Houghton.—Sir W. Scott: Waverley (time, George II.).