Chapter Bishop Middleham to Black Thursday of B by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Bishop Middleham to Black Thursday

Bishop Middleham, who was always declaiming against ardent drinks, and advocating water as a beverage, killed himself by secret intoxication.

Bistonians, the Thracians: so called from Biston (son of Mars), who built Bistonia on lake Bistonis.

So the Bistonian race, a maddening train,
Exult and revel on the Thracian plain.
   —Pitt’s Statius,, ii.

Bitelas, sister of Fairlimb, and daughter of Rukenaw the ape, in the beast-epic called Reynard the Fox (1498).

Biting Remark (A). Nearchos ordered Zeno the philosopher to be pounded to death in a mortar. When he had been pounded some time, he told Nearchos he had an important communication to make to him, but as the tyrant bent over the mortar to hear what he had to say, Zeno bit off his ear. Hence the proverb, A remark more biting than Zeno’s.

Bittlebrains (Lord), friend of sir William Ashton, lord-keeper of Scotland. Lady Bittlebrains, wife of the above lord.—Sir W. Scott: Bride of Lammermoor (time, William III.)

Bitzer, light porter in Bounderby ’s bank at Coketown. He was educated at MChoakumchild’s “practical school,” and became a general spy and informer. Bitzer finds out the robbery of the bank, and discovers the perpetrator to be Tom Gradgrind (son of Thomas Gradgrind, Esq., M.P.), informs against him, and gets promoted to his place.—Dickens: Hard Times (1854).

Bizarre [Be-zar], the friend of Oriana, for ever coquetting and sparring with Duretete [Dure-tait], and placing him in awkward predicaments.—Farquhar: The Inconstant (1702).

Miss Farren’s last performances were “Bizarre,” March 26, 1797, and “lady Teazle’ on the 28th.—Memoirs of Elizabeth Countess of Derby (1829).

Black Agnes, the countess of March, noted for her defence of Dunbar during the war which Edward III. maintained in Scotland (1333–1338).

She kept a stir in tower and trench,
That brawling, boist’rous Scottish wench,
Came I early, came I late,
I found Black Agnes at the gate.

Sir Walter Scott says, “The countess was called ‘Black Agnes’ from her complexion. She was the daughter of Thomas Randolph, earl of Murray.”—Talks of a Grandfather, i. 14. (See BLACK PRINCE:)

Black Agnes, the palfrey. (See Agnes, p. 15.)

Black Bartholomew, the day when 2000 presbyterian pastors were ejected. They had no alternative but to subscribe to the articles of uniformity or renounce their livings. Amongst their number were Calamy, Baxter, and Reynolds, who were offered bishoprics, but refused the offer.

Black Bess, the famous mare of Dick Turpin, which, according to tradition, carried him from London to York.

Black Charlie, sir Charles Napier (1786–1860).

Black Clergy (The), monks, in contradistinction to The White Clergy, or parish priests, in Russia.

Black Colin Campbell, general Campbell, in the army of George III., introduced by sir W. Scott in Redgauntlet.

Black Death, fully described by Hecker, a German physician. It was a putrid typhus, and was called Black Death because the bodies turned black with rapid putrefaction. (See Cornhill, May, 1865).