Chapter Mirabilis Doctor to Mishe-Nahma of M by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Mirabilis Doctor to Mishe-Nahma

Mirabilis Doctor, Roger Bacon (1214–1292).

Miramont, brother of justice Brisac, and uncle of the two brothers Charles (the scholar) and Eustace (the courtier). Miramont is an ignorant, testy old man, but a great admirer of learning and scholars.—John Fletcher: The Elder Brother (1637).

Miranda, daughter of Prospero the exiled duke of Milan, and niece of Anthonio the usurping duke. She is brought up on a desert island, with Ariel the fairy spirit and Caliban the monster as her only companions. Ferdinand, son of the king of Naples, being shipwrecked on the island, falls in love with her, and marries her.—Shakespeare: The Tempest (1609).

Identifying herself with the simple yet noble-minded Miranda in the isle of wonder and enchantment.—Sir W. Scott.

Miranda, an heiress, the ward of sir Francis Gripe. (See Gripe, Sir Francis, p. 451.)—Mrs. Centlivre: The Busy Body (1709).

Mirja, one of the six Wise Men of the East, led by the guiding star to Jesus. Mirja had five sons, who followed his holy life.—Klopstock: The Messiah, v. (1771).

Mirror (Alasnam’s), a mirror which showed Alasnam if “a beautiful girl was also chaste and virtuous.” The mirror was called “the touchstone of virtue.”—Arabian Nights (“Prince Zeyn Alasnam”).

Cambuscan’s Mirror, a mirror sent to Cambuscanking of Tartary by the king of Araby and Ind. It showed those who consulted it if any adversity was about to befall them; if any individual they were interested in was friend or foe; and if a person returned love for love or not.—Chaucer: Canterbury Tales (“The Squire’s Tale,” 1388).

Sometimes, but incorrectly, called “Canacê’s Mirror.”

Kelly’s Mirror, Dr. Dee’s speculum. Kelly was the doctor’s speculator or scer. The speculum resembled a “piece of polished cannel coal.”

Kelly did all his feats upon
The devil’s looking-glass, a stone.
   —S. Butler: Hudibras (1663–78).

Lao’s Mirror, a looking-glass which reflected the mind as well as the outward form.—Goldsmith: Citizen of the World, xlv. (1759).

Merlin’s Magic Mirror or Venus’s looking-glass, fabricated in South Wales, in the days of king Ryence. It would show to those who looked therein anything which pertained to them, anything that a friend or foe was doing. It was round like a sphere, and was given by Merlin to king Ryence—

That never foes his kingdom might invade
But he it knew at home before he heard
Tidings thereof.

(Britomart, who was king Ryence’s daughter and heiress, saw in the mirror her future husband, and also his name, which was sir Artegal.—Spenser: Faërie Queene, iii. 2, 1590.)

Prester John’s Mirror, a mirror which possessed similar virtues to that made by Merlin. Prester John could see therein whatever was taking place in any part of his dominions.

N.B.—Dr. Dee’s speculum was also spherical, and possessed a similar reputed virtue.

(In Rider Haggard’s She, the heroine was able to see reflected on the surface of a liquid all that transpired in her kingdom. This mirror had also the power of reproducing vivid images of anything which the mind clearly remembered.)