Chapter Bleeding-heart Yard to Blood-Bath of B by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Blind Poet (The), Luigi Groto, an Italian poet, called Il Cieco (1541–1585). John Milton (1608–1674).

Homer is called The Blind Old Bard (fl. B.C. 960).

Blind Traveller (The), lieutenant

James Holman. He became blind at the age of 25; nevertheless he travelled round the world, and published an account of his travels (1787–1857)

Blinde Beggar of Alexandria (The), a drama by George Chapman (1598).

Blinkinsop, a smuggler in Redgauntlet, a novel by sir W. Scott (time, George III.).

Blister, the apothecary, who says, “Without physicians, no one could know whether he was well or ill.” He courts Lucy by talking shop to her.—Fielding: The Virgin Unmasked (a farce, 1740).

Blithe-Heart King (The). David is so called by Cædmon.

Those lovely lyrics written by his hand
Whom Saxon Cædmon calls “The Blithe-heart King.
   —Longfellow: The poet’s Tale (ref.is to ps. cxlviii.9).

Block (Martin). One of the committee of the Estates of Burgundy, who refused supplies to Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy.—Sir W. Scott: Anne of Geierstein (time, Edward IV.).

Blok (Nikkel), the butcher, one of the insurgents at Liëge.—Sir W. Scott: Quentin Durward (time, Edward IV.).

Blondel de Nesle [Neel], the favourite minstrel of Richard Cœur de Lion. He chanted the Bloody Vest in presence of queen Berengaria, the lovely Edith Plantagenet.—Sir W. Scott: The Talisman (time, Richard I.).

Blondina, the mother of Fairstar and two boys at one birth. She was the wife of a king; but the queen- mother hated her, and, taking away the three babes, substituted three puppies. Ultimately her children were restored to her, and the queen-mother was duly punished, with her accomplices.—Comtesse D’Aulnoy: Fairy Tales (“Princess Fairstar,” 1682).

Blood (Colonel Thomas), emissary of the duke of Buckingham (1628–1680), introduced by sir W. Scott in Peveril of the Peak, a novel (time, Charles II.).

Blood (The Court of). “The twelve judges of the Tumult,” established in the Netherlands by the duke of Alva, in 1557.—Motley: The Dutch Republic.

Blood (General), Zisca, the Hannibal of Bohemia, who was totally blind.

Blood-Bath (1520), a massacre of the Swedish nobles and leaders, which occurred three days after the coronation of Christian II. king of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, The victims were invited to attend the coronation, and were put to the sword, under the plea of being enemies of the true Church. In this massacre fell both the father and brother-in-law of Gustavus Vasa. The former was named Eric Johansson, and the latter Brahe (2syl).

This massacre reminds us of the “Bloody Wedding” (q.v.), or slaughter of huguenots during the marriage ceremonies of Henri of Navarre and Marguerite of France, in 1572.