Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama | Page 9

Le Prophète (an opera, 1849).
=Matilda=, wife of the earl of Leicester, in the "first American tragedy regularly produced" in the United States.
She plans to poison her lord, a plot discovered and thwarted by him. In shame and remorse she stabs herself to the heart, praying Leicester to "pity her youthful paramour."--William Dunlap, Leicester, A Tragedy (1794).
Matilda, sister of Rollo and Otto, dukes of Normandy, and daughter of Sophia.--Beaumont and Fletcher, The Bloody Brother (1639).
Matilda, daughter of Lord Robert Fitzwalter.
[Asterism] Michael Drayton has a poem of some 650 lines, so called.
Matilda, daughter of Rokeby, and niece of Mortham. Matilda was beloved by Wilfred, son of Oswald; but she herself loved Redmond, her father's page, who turned out to be Mortham's son.--Sir W. Scott, Rokeby (1812).
=Matsys= (Quintin), a blacksmith of Antwerp. He fell in love with Liza, the daughter of Johann Mandyn, the artist. The father declared that none but an artist should have her to wife; so Matsys relinquished his trade, and devoted himself to painting. After a while, he went into the studio of Mandyn to see his picture of the fallen angel; and on the outstretehed[TN-6] leg of one of the figures painted a bee. This was so life-like, that when the old man returned, he proceeded to frighten it off with his handkerchief. When he discovered the deception, and found out it was done by Matsys, he was so delighted that he at once gave Liza to him for wife.
=Matthew Merrygreek=, the servant of Ralph Roister Doister. He is a flesh-and-blood representative of "vice" in the old morality-plays.--Nicholas Udall, Ralph Roister Doister (the first English comedy, 1634).
=Matthias de Mon?ada=, a merchant. He is the father of Mrs. Witherington, wife of General Witherington.--Sir W. Scott, The Surgeon's Daughter (time, George II.).
=Matthias de Silva= (Don), a Spanish beau. This exquisite one day received a challenge for defamation, soon after he had retired to bed, and said to his valet, "I would not get up before noon to make one in the best party of pleasure that was ever projected. Judge, then, if I shall rise at six o'clock in the morning to get my throat cut."--Lesage, Gil Blas, iii. 8 (1715).
(This reply was borrowed from the romance of Espinel, entitled Vida del Escudero Mar?os de Obregon, 1618).
=Mattie=, maid servant of Bailie Nicol Jarvie, and afterwards his wife.--Sir W. Scott, Rob Roy (time, George I.).
=Maud Muller=, pretty, shy haymaker, of whom the judge, passing by, craves a cup of water. He falls in love with the rustic maiden, but dare not wed her. She, too, recollects him with tenderness, dreaming vainly of what might have been her different lot.
"Of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been.'"
J.?G. Whittier, Maud Muller.
Bret Harte has written a clever parody upon Maud Muller,--"Mrs. Judge Jenkins."
"There are no sadder words of tongue or pen, Than 'It is, but it hadn't orter been!'"
=Maude=, (1 syl.), wife of Peter Pratefast, "who loved cleanliness."
She kepe her dishes from all foulenes; And when she lacked clowtes withouten fayle, She wyped her dishes with her dogges tayll.
Stephen Hawes, The Pastyme of Pleasure, xxix. (1515).
=Maugis=, the Nestor of French romance. He was one of Charlemagne's paladins, a magician and champion.
[Asterism] In Italian romance he is called "Malagigi" (q.v.).
=Maugis d'Aygremont=, son of Duke Bevis d'Aygremont, stolen in infancy by a female slave. As the slave rested under a white-thorn, a lion and a leopard devoured her, and then killed each other in disputing over the infant. Oriande la fèe, attracted to the spot by the crying of the child, exclaimed, "by the powers above, the child is mal gist ('badly nursed')!" and ever after it was called Mal-gist or Mau-gis'. When grown to manhood, he obtained the enchanted horse Bayard, and took from Anthenor (the Saracen) the the[TN-7] sword Flamberge. Subsequently he gave both to his cousin Renaud (Renaldo). Romance of Maugis d'Aygremont et de Vivian son Frère.
[Asterism] In the Italian romance, Maugis is called "Malagigi," Bevis is "Buovo," Bayard is "Bayardo," Flamberge is "Fusberta," and Renaud is "Renaldo."
=Maugrabin= (Zamet), a Bohemian, hung near Plessis lés Tours.
Hayraddin Maugrabin, the "Zingaro," brother of Zamet Maugrabin. He assumes the disguise of Rouge Sanglier, and pretends to be a herald from Liège [Le.aje].--Sir W. Scott, Quentin Durward (time, Edward IV.).
=Mau′graby=, son of Hal-il-Maugr[)a]by and his wife Yandar. Hal-il-Maugraby founded Dom-Daniel "under the roots of the ocean" near the coast of Tunis, and his son completed it. He and his son were the greatest magicians that ever lived. Maugraby was killed by Prince Habed-il-Rouman, son of the caliph of Syria, and with his death Dom-Daniel ceased to exist.--Continuation of Arabian Nights ("History of Maugraby").
Did they not say to us every day that if we were naughty the Maugraby would take us?--Continuation of Arabian Nights, iv. 74.
=Maugys=, a giant who kept