Chapter Bow Church to Bradamant of B by Brewer's Readers Handbook

This was by no means a unique instance— Henry Philpotts, C.C.C., matriculated at the age of 13 (1791). James lord Abinger, at the age of 13½. John Kelle, C.C.C., at the age of 14, in 1808. Richard Bethell, Wadham, Oxford, aged 14, 1814. Lord Westbury, Oxford, at the age of 14, 1818. Edward Copleston, C.C.C., at the age of 15, 1791.

Boy Bishop (The), St. Nicholas, the patron saint of boys (fourth century).

(There was also an ancient custom of choosing a boy from the cathedral choir on St. Nicholas’ Day (December 6) as a mock bishop. This boy possessed certain privileges, and if he died during the year was buried in pontificalibus. The custom was abolished by Henry VIII. In Salisbury Cathedral visitors are shown a small sarcophagus, which the verger says was made for a boy bishop.)

Boy Crucified. It is said that some time during the dark ages, a boy named Werner was impiously crucified at Bacharach on the Rhine, by the Jews. A little chapel erected to the memory of this boy stands on the walls of the town, close to the river. Hugh of Lincoln and William of Norwich are instances of a similar story.

See how its currents gleam and shine…
As if the grapes were stained with the blood
Of the innocent boy who, some years back,
Was taken and crucified by the Jews
In that ancient town of Bacharach.
   —Longfellow: The Golden Legend.

Boyet, one of the lords attending on the princess of France.—Shakespeare: Love’s Labour’s Lost (1594).

Boyle’s Lectures, founded by the hon. Robert Boyle, for any “minister” who shall preach eight sermons in a year in defence of the Christian religion, as opposed to atheism, deism, paganism, or Mohammedanism, or the Jewish faith. The first course was preached in 1692, by Richard Bentley. All the lectures up to 1739 have been printed in 3 vols. folio. In 1846 the course of lectures by the Rev. F. D. Maurice were published under the title of The Religions of the World. Many courses since then have been delivered.

Boythorn (Laurence), a robust gentleman with the voice of a Stentor, a friend of Mr. Jarndyce. He would utter the most ferocious sentiments, while at the same time he fondled a pet canary on his finger. Once on a time he had been in love with Miss Barbary, lady Dedlock’s sister; but “the good old times—all times when old are good—were gone.”—Dickens: Bleak House (1853).

(“Laurence Boythorn” is a photograph of W. S. Landor; as “Harold Skimpole,” in the same story, is drawn from Leigh Hunt.)

Boz, Charles Dickens. It was the nickname of a pet child dubbed Moses, in honour of “Moses Primrose” in the Vicar of Wakefield. Children called the name Bozes, which got shortened into Boz (1812–1870).

Who the dickens “Boz” could be
Puzzled many a learned elf;
But time revealed the mystery,
And “Boz” appeared as Dickens’ self.
   —Epigram on the Carthusian.

(Sketches by Boz, by Charles Dickens, (1836), two series. The first sketch is called Mr. Minns and his Cousin.)

Bozzy, James Boswell, the gossipy biographer of Dr. Johnson (1740–1795).

Brabantio, a senator of Venice, father of Desdemona; most proud, arrogant, and overbearing. He thought the “insolence” of Othello in marrying his daughter unpardonable, and that Desdemona must have been drugged with love-potions so to demean herself.—Shakespeare: Othello (1611).

Braccio, commissary of the republic of Florence, employed in picking up every item of scandal he co uld find against Luria the noble Moor, who commanded the army of Florence against the Pisans. The Florentines hoped to find sufficient cause of blame to lessen or wholly cancel their obligations to the Moor, but even Braccio was obliged to confess “This Moor hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his