Chapter Belford to Bells of B by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Belinda was very handsome, very independent, most irreproachable,and devotedly attached to Beverley. When he hinted suspicions of infidelity, she was too proud to deny it; but her pure and ardent love instantly rebuked her for giving her lover causeless pain.—Murphy: All in the Wrong (1761).

Belinda, the heroine of Miss Edgeworth’s novel of the same name. The object of the tale is to make the reader feel what is good, and pursue it (1803).

Belinda, a lodging-house servant-girl, very poor, very dirty, very kindhearted, and shrewd in observation. When married, Mr. Middlewick the butter-man set her husband up in business in the butter line.—H. F. Byron: Our Boys (1875).

Beline, second wife of Argan the malade imaginaire, and stepmother of Angelique, whom she hates. Beline pretends to love Argan devotedly, humours him in all his whims, calls him “mon fils,” and makes him believe that if he were to die it would be the death of her. Toinette induced Argan to put these protestations to the test by pretending to be dead. He did so, and when Beline entered the room, instead of deploring her loss, she cried in ecstasy—

“Le ciel en soit loué ! Me voilà délivrée dun grande fardeau ! … de quoi servait-il sur la terre? Un homme incommode à tout le monde, malpropre, dégoûtant … mouchant, toussant, crachant toujours, sans esprit, ennuyeux, de mauvaise humeur, fatiguant sans cesse les gens, et grondant jour et nuit servantes et valets” (iii. 18).

[a]She then proceeded to ransack the room for bonds, leases, and money; but Argan, starting up, told her she had taught him one useful lesson for life, at any rate.—Molière: La Malade Imaginaire (1673).

Belisarius, the greatest of Justinian’s generals. Being accused of treason, he was deprived of all his property, and his eyes were put out. In this state he retired to Constantinople, where he lived by begging. The story says he fastened a label to his hat, containing these words, “Give an obolus to poor old Belisarius.” Marmontel has written a tale called Belisaire, which has helped to perpetuate these fables, originally invented by Tzetzês or Cæsios, a Greek poet, born at Constantinople in 1120.

Bélise, sister of Philaminte, and, like her, a femme savante. She imagined that every one was in love with her.—Molière: Les Femmes Savantes (1672).

BELL (Adam), a wild, north-country outlaw, noted, like Robin Hood, for his skill in archery. His place of residence was Englewood Forest, near Carlisle; and his two comrades were Clym of the Clough [Clement of the Cliff] and William of Cloudesly. William was married, but the other two were not. When William was captured at Carlisle and was led to execution, Adam and Clym rescued him, and all three went to London to crave pardon of the king, which, at the queen’s intercession, was granted them. They then showed the king specimens of their skill in archery, and the king was so well pleased that he made William a “gentleman of fe,” and the two others yeomen of the bedchamber.—Percy: Reliques (“Adam Bell,” etc.), I. ii. I.

Bell (Bessy), Bessy Bell and Mary Gray were the daughters of two country gentlemen near Perth. When the plague broke out in 1666 they built for themselves a bower in spot called Burn Braes, to which they retired, and were supplied with food, etc., by a young man who was in love with both of them. The young man caught the plague, communicated it to the two young ladies, and all three died.—Allan Ramsay: Bessy Bell and Mary Gray (a ballad).

Bell. Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Bronté assumed the names of Acton, Currer, and Ellis Bell (first half of the nineteenth century). Currer Bell, who married the Rev. Arthur Bell Nicholls, was the author of Fane Eyre.

It will be observed that the initial letter of both names is in every case preserved throughout—Acton (Anne), Currer (Charlotte), Ellis (Emily), and Bell (Bronté).