Chapter BERTRAM to Betrothed of B by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Bess (Good queen), Elizabeth (1533, 1558–1603).

Bess, the daughter of the “blind beggar of Bethnal Green,” a lady by birth, a sylph for beauty, an angel for constancy and sweetness. She was loved to distraction by Wilford, who turns out to be the son of lord Woodville; and as Bess was the daughter of lord Woodville’s brother, they were cousins. Queen Elizabeth sanctioned their nuptials, and took them under her own especial conduct.—S. Knowles: The Beggar of Bethnal Green (1834).

Bess o’ Bedlam, a female lunatic vagrant; the male lunatic vagrant being called a Tom o’ Bedlam.

Bessus, governor of Bactria, who seized Darius (after the battle of Arbela) and put him to death. Arrian says, Alexander caused the nostrils of the regicide to be slit, and the tips of his ears to be cut off. The offender, being then sent to Ecbatana in chains, was put to death.

Lo! Bessus, he that armde with murderer’s knyfe
And traytrous hart agaynst his royal king.
With bluddy hands bereft his master’s life …
What booted him his false usurped raygne …
When like a wretche led in an iron chayne.
He was presented by his chiefest friende
Unto the foes of him whom he had slayne?
   —Sackville: A Mirrour for Magistraytes (“The Complaynt,” 1587).

Bessus, a cowardly bragging captain, a sort of Bobadil or Vincent de la Rosa. Captain Bessus, having received a challenge, wrote word back that he could not accept the honour for thirteen weeks, as he had already 212 duels on hand, but he was much grieved he could not appoint an earlier day.—Fletcher: King or No King (a tragedy, 1619).

Rochester I despise for want of wit …
So often does he aim, so seldom hit …
Mean in each action, leud in every limb,
Manners themselves are mischievous in him …
[Oh] what a Bessus has he always lived!
   —Dryden: Essay upon Satire.

Bessy Bell. (See Bell, p. 106.)

Bestiaries, a class of books immensely popular in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries, when symbolism was much in vogue, and sundry animals were made symbols, not only of moral qualities, but of religious doctrines. Thus the unicorn with its one horn symbolized Christ (the one Saviour), the gospel (or one way of salvation); and the legend that it could be caught only by a virgin symbolized “God made man” being born of the virgin Mary.

Beth Gelert. (See Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, p. 128.)

Bétique or Bætica (Granada and Andalusia), so called from the river Bætis (Guadalquiver). Adoam describes this part of Spain to Telemachus as a veritable Utopia.—Fénelon: Aventures des Télémaque, viii. (1700).

Betrothed (The), one of the Tales of the Crusaders, by sir W. Scott (1825); time, Henry II. of England. The lady Eveline, daughter of sir Raymond, was for three years “betrothed” to sir Hugo de Lacy (the crusader), but ultimately married his nephew, sir Damian de Lacy. The tale is as follows: Gwenwin, a Welsh prince, living in PowysCastle, asked the hand of lady Eveline in marriage, but the alliance was declined by her father. Whereupon Gwenwyn besieged sir Raymond’s castle, and lady Eveline saw her father fall, slain by the Welsh prince. Sir Hugo de Lacy came to the rescue, dispersed the Welsh army, proposed marriage, and being accepted, lady Eveline was placed in a convent under charge of her aunt till the marriage could be consummated. Sir Hugo was now ordered to the Holy Land for three years on a crusade, and lady Eveline had to wait for his return. On one occasion she was treacherously induced to join a hawking party; and, being seized by emissaries of the Welsh prince, was confined in a “cavern.” Sir Damian de Lacy rescued her, but, being severely wounded, was confined to his bed and nursed by the lady. When sir Hugo returned, he soon found out how the land lay, and magnanimously cancelled his own betrothal in favour of his nephew. Sir Damian married the betrothed, and so the novel ends.