Chapter Grey to Grissel of G by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Grey to Grissel

Grey (Lady Jane), a tragedy by N. Rowe (1715). Another by Ross Neil; and one by Tennyson (1876).

(In French, Laplace (1745), Mde. de Staël (1800), Ch. Brifaut (1812), and Alexandre Soumet (1844), produced tragedies on the same subject. Paul Delaroche has a fine picture called “Le Supplice de Jane Grey,” 1835.)

Grey (Vivian), a novel by Disraeli (lord Beaconsfield), said to be meant for the author himself, and Mr. Grey for the author’s father (1826–7). This was the author’s first novel.

Gribouille, the wiseacre who threw himself into a river that his clothes might not get wetted by the rain.—A French Proverbial Saying.

Gride (Arthur), a mean old usurer, who wished to marry Madeline Bray; but Madeline loved Nicholas Nickleby, and married him. Gride was murdered. —Dickens: Nicholas Nickleby (1838).

Grieux (Le chevalier des), the hero of a French novel by the abbé Prévost, called Manon Lescaut, translated into English by Charlotte Smith. A discreditable connection existed between des Grieux and Manon, and they lived together a disreputable life. After many vicissitudes, Manon was transported to New Orleans, and des Grieux accompanied her in the transport. She fled the colony to escape the governor’s son, who made love to her, and died of privation in the wilderness. The chevalier returned to France (1697–1763).

Grieve (Jockie), landlord of an alehouse near Charlie’s Hope.—Sir W. Scott: Guy Mannering (time, George II.).

Griffin(Allan), landlord of the Griffin inn, at Perth.—Sir W. Scott: Fair Maid of Perth (time, Henry IV.).

Griffin-feet, the mark by which the Desert Fairy was known in all her metamorphoses.—Comtesse D’Aulnoy: Fairy Tales (“The Yellow Dwarf,” 1682).

Griffiths (Old), steward of the earl of Derby.—Sir W. Scott: Peveril of the Peak (time, Charles II.).

Griffiths (Samuel), London agent of sir Arthur Darsie Redgauntlet.—Sir W. Scott: Redgauntlet (time, George III.).

Griflet (Sir), knighted by king Arthur at the request of Merlin, who told the king that sir Griflet would prove “one of the best knights of the world, and the strongest man of arms.”—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur, i. 20 (1470).

Grildrig, a mannikin.

She gave me the name “Grildrig,” which the family took up, and afterwards the whole kingdom. The word imports what the Latin calls manunculus, the Italian homunceletion, and the English mannikin.—Dean Swift: Gulliver’s Travels (“Voyage to Brobdingnag,” 1726).

Grim. (See Havelock.)

Grim (Giant), a huge giant, who tried to stop pilgrims on their way to the Celestial City. He was slain by Mr. Greatheart.—Bunyan: Pilgrim’s Progress, ii. (1684).

Grimalkin, a cat, the spirit of a witch. Any witch was permitted to assume the body of a cat nine times. When the “first Witch” (in Macbeth) hears a cat mew, she says, “I come, Grimalkin” (act i. sc. 1).—Shakespeare.

Grimbard, the brock, in the beast-epic of Reynard the Fox, by Heinrich von Alkmann (1498).