Chapter Malengin to Mambrino's Helmet of M by Brewer's Readers Handbook

very penitent; but it is since doubted she was maudlin drunk, being discovered to have tippeled of three quarts of sack before she came to her penance.—J. Chamberlain (1611).

Mal-Orchol, king of Fuärfed (an island of Scandinavia). Being asked by Ton-Thormod to give him his daughter in marriage, he refused, and the rejected suitor made war on him. Fingal sent his son Ossian to assist Mal-Orchol, and on the very day of his arrival he took Ton-Thormod prisoner. Mal-Orchol, in gratitude, now offered Ossian his daughter in marriage; but Ossian pleaded for Ton-Thormod, and the marriage of the lady with her original suitor was duly solemnized. (The daughter’s name was Oina-Morul.)—Ossian: Oina-Morul.

Malt. Dr. Dodd, prebendary of Brecon, having made himself conspicuous by his declamations against the drinking habits of university students, was one day beset by some Cantabs a few miles from the city, who insisted on his preaching to them, from a hollow tree, on the word “Malt.” His sermon was as follows:—

Beloved, I am a little man, come at a short notice, to preach a short sermon, on a short text, to a small congregation, My text is “Malt.” I cannot divide it into words, there being but one, nor into syllables for the same reason; I must therefore of necessity divide it into letters, which are M-A-L-T.

“M,” my beloved, is Moral; “A,” Allegorical; “L,” Literal; and “T,” Theological.

The “Moral” is to teach you drunkards manners; therefore “M,” masters; “A,” all of you; “L,” leave off; “T,” tippling.

“Allegorical” is when one thing is spoken of, and another thing is meant. The thing spoken of in my text is “Malt,” the thing meant is beer, which is brewed from malt, and which you, Cantabs, make “M,” your master; “A,” your ambition; “L,” your lord; “T” your trust.

“Literal” is according to the letter of the text: “M,” much; “A,” ale; “L,”little; “T,”truth.

“Theological” is the reference of our text to the life that now is, and to that which is to come. In this life, drunkenness leads to “M,”murder; “A,” adultery; “L,”licentiousness; “T,”tremor, treason, theft. For the life to come it leads to “M,” misery; “A,”anguish; “L,”lamentation; “T,” torment.

So much for the text. Now for the improvement. A drunkard is the ruin of “M,”modesty; “A,”ability; “L,”learning; “T,”truthfulness. He is the curse of domestic life, the pest of society, the brewers’ agent, the publicans’ benefactor; his wife’s sorrow, his children’s trouble, his own shame, his neighbours’ scorn; a walking swill-bowl, the picture of a beast, the monster of a man, the child of the devil. Therefore, I beseech you “M,” my masters; “A,”all of you; “L,” leave off; “T,”tippling.

Maltravers (Ernest), a novel by lord Lytton (1837).

Maltworm, a tippler. Similarly, bookworm means a student.

Gadshill. I am joined with no foot-land-rakers [foot-pads], no long-staff sixpenny strikers [common priggers, who strike small coins from the hands of children]; none of these…purple-hued maltworms; but with nobility.—Shakespeare: I Henry IV. act ii. sc. I (1597).

Malvenu, Lucifœra’s porter.—Spenser: Faërie Queene, i. 4 (1590).

Malvina, daughter of Toscar. She was betrothed to Oscar son of Ossian: but he was slain in Ulster by Cairbar before the day of marriage arrived.—Ossian: Temora, i.

I was a lovely tree in thy presence, Oscar, with all my branches round me; but thy death came like a blast from the desert, and laid my green head low. The spring returned with its showers; no leaf of mine arose.…The tear was in the cheek of Malvina.—Ossian: Croma.