Chapter Clementina to Clever of C by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Clementina to Clever

Clementina (The lady), an amiable, delicate, beautiful, accomplished, but unfortunate woman, deeply in love with sir Charles Grandison. Sir Charles married Harriet Biron.—Richardson: The History of Sir Charles Grandison (1753).

Those scenes relating to the history of Clementina contain passages of deep pathos.—Encyclopœdia Britannica (article “Fielding”).

Shakespeare himself has scarcely drawn a more affecting or harrowing picture of high-souled suffering and blighting calamity than the madness of Clementina.—Chambers: English Literature, ii. 161.

Cleofas (Don), the hero of a novel by Lesage, entitled Le Diable Boiteux (The Devil on Two Sticks). A fiery young Spaniard, proud, high-spirited, and revengeful; noted for gallantry, but not without generous sentiments. Asmodeus shows him what is going on in private families by unroofing the houses (1707).

Cleombrotus or Ambraciota of Ambracia (in Epirus). Having read Plato’s book on the soul’s immortality and happiness in another life, he was so ravished with the description that he leaped into the sea that he might die and enjoy Plato’s elysium.

He who to enjoy Plato’s elysium leaped into the sea, Cleombrotus.
   —Milton: Paradise Lost, iii. 471, etc. (1665).

Cleomenes , the hero and title of a drama by Dryden (1692).

As Dryden came out of the theatre a young fop of fashion said to him, “If I had been left alone with a young beauty, I would not have spent my time like your Spartan hero.” “Perhaps not,” said the poet, “but you are not my hero.”—W. C. Russell; Representative Actors.

Cleomenes . “The Venus of Cleomenês” is now called “The Venus di Medici.”

Such a mere moist lump was once…the Venus of Cleomenês.—Ouida: Ariadné, i. 8.

Cleon, governor of Tarsus, burnt to death with h is wife Dionysia by the enraged citizens, to revenge the supposed murder of Marina, daughter of Periclês prince of Tyre.—Shakespeare: Pericles Prince of Tyre (1608).

Cleon, the personification of glory.—Spenser: Faërie Queene.

Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, wife of Ptolemy Dionysius her brother. She was driven from her throne, but re-established by Julius Cæsar, B.C. 47. Antony, captivated by her, repudiated his wife, Octavia, to live with the fascinating Egyptian. After the loss of the battle of Actium, Cleopatra killed herself by an asp.

N.B.—Shakespeare calls the word Cleopatra or Cleopatra. Witness the following quotations from his play of Antony and Cleopatra:—

Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra, too. ii. 2. Next Cleopatra does confess thy greatness. iii. 12. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides. iv. 14.

The Greek word is Kleopatra. Yet many persons call the word Cleopatra.

The tales of Cleopatra and Sophonisba are very much alike in many points. Both were young and fascinating; both were married; both held their conqueror in the bonds of love; both killed themselves to prevent being made Roman captives; and both are subjects of more tragedies than any other woman.

(E. Jodelle wrote in French a tragedy called Cléopátre Captive (1550); Jean Mairet one called Cléopátre (1630); Isaac de Benserade (1670), J. F. Marmontel (1750), Alfieri (1773), and Mde. de Girardin (1847) wrote tragedies in French on the same subject. S. Daniel (1599) wrote a tragedy in English called Cleopatra,