Chapter Gillamore to Gipsies' Head-quarters of G by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Gillamore to Gipsies' Head-quarters

Gillamore or Guillamur, kind of, Ireland, being slain in battle by Arthur, Ireland was added by the conqueror to his own dominions.

How Gillamore again to Ireland he pursued …
And having slain the king, the country waste he laid.
   —Drayton: Polyolbion, iv.(1612).

Gillian, landlady of don John and don Frederic.—Fletcher: The Chances (1620).

Gillian (Dame), tirewoman to lady Eveline, and wife of Raoul the huntsman.—Sir W. Scott: The Betrothed (time, Henry II.).

Gills (Solomon), ship’s instrument maker. A slow, thoughtful old man, uncle of Walter Gay, who was in the house of Mr. Dombey, merchant. Gills was very proud of his stock-in-trade, but never seemed to sell anything.—Dickens: Dombey and Son (1846).

Gillyflower, from the French giroflée, from girofle (“a clove,” called by Chaucer “gilofre”). The common stock, the wallflower, rocket, clove pink, are so called. (See Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, p. 519.)

Gillyflowers. A nesegay of these flowers was given by the fairy Amazona to Carpillona in her flight. The virtue of this nosegay was, that so long as the princess had it about her person, those who knew her before would not recognize her.—Comtesse D’Aulnoy: Fairy Tales (“Princess Carpillona,” 1682).

Gilpin (John), a linen-draper and train-band captain, living in London. His wife said to him, “Though we have been married twenty years, we have taken no holiday;” and at her advice the well-to-do linen- draper agreed to make a family party, and dine at the Bell, at Edmonton. Mrs. Gilpin, her sister, and four children went in the chaise, and Gilpin promised to follow on horseback. As madam had left the wine behind, Gilpin girded it in two stone bottles to his belt, and started on his way. The horse, being fresh, began to trot, and then to gallop; and John, being a bad rider, grasped the mane with both his hands. On went the horse, off flew John Gilpin’s cloak, together with his hat and wig. The dogs barked, the children screamed, the turnpike-men (thinking he was riding for a wager) flung open their gates. He flew through Edmonton, and never stopped till he reached Ware, when his friend the calender gave him welcome, and asked him to dismount. Gilpin, however, declined, saying his wife would be expecting him. So the calender furnished him with another hat and wig, and Gilpin harked back again, when similar disasters occurred, till the horse stopped at his house in London.—Cowper: John Gilpin (1782).

(John Gilpin was a Mr. Beyer, of Paternoster Row, who died in 1791, and it was lady Austin who told the anecdote to the poet. The marriage adventure of commodore Trunnion, in Peregrine Pickle, is a similar adventure.)

Giltspur Street, a street in West Smithfield, built on the route taken by the knights (who wore gilt spurs) on their way to Smithfield, where the tournaments were held.

Gines de Passamonte, one of the galley-slaves set free by don Quixote. Gines had written a history of his life and adventures. After being liberated, the slaves set upon the knight; they assulted him with stones, robbed him and Sancho of everything they valued, broke to pieces “Mambrino’s helmet,” and then made off with all possible speed, taking Sancho’s ass with them. After a time the ass was recovered (pt. I. iv.3).

“Hark ye, friend,” said the galley-slave, “Gines is my name, and Passamontê the title of my family.”—Cervantes: Don Quixote, I. iii. 8 (1605).

This Gines reappears in pt. II. ii.7 as “Peter the showman,” who exhibits the story of “Melisendra and don Gayferos.” The helmet also is presented whole and sound at the inn, where it becomes a matter of dispute whether it is a basin or a helmet.