Chapter Mortemar to Moses Slow of Speech of M by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Morvidus, son of Danius by his concubine Tangustela. In his reign there “came from the Irish coast a most cruel monster, which devoured the people continually; but as soon as Morvidus heard thereof, he ventured to encounter it alone. When all his darts were spent, the monster rushed upon him, and swallowed him up like a small fish.”—Geoffrey: British History, iii. 15 (1142).

… that valiant bastard …
Morvidus (Danius’ son), who with that monster fought,
His subjects that devoured.
   —Drayton: Polyolbion, viii. (1612)

(Morvidus is erroneously printed “Morindus” in Drayton, but has been corrected in the quotation given above.)

Mosby, an unmitigated villain. He seduced Alicia, the wife of Arden of Feversham. Thrice he tried to murder Arden, but was baffled, and then frightened Alicia into conniving at a most villainous scheme of murder. Pretending friendship, Mosby hired two ruffians to murder Arden while he was playing a game of draughts. The villains, who were concealed in an adjacent room, were to rush on their victim when Mosby said, “Now I take you.” The whole gang were apprehended and executed.—Arden of Feversham (1592), altered by George Lillo (1739).

Mosca, the knavish confederate of Volpone the rich Venetian “fox.”—Ben Jonson: Volpone or The Fox (1605).

If your mother, in hopes to ruin me, should consent to marry my pretended uncle, he might, like “Mosca” in The Fox, stand upon terms.—Congreve: The Way of the World, ii. 1 (1700).

Moscera, a most stately convent built by the abbot Rodulfo, on the ruins of a dil apidated fabric. On the day of opening, an immense crowd assembled, and the abbot felt proud of his noble ed ifice. Amongst others came St. Gualberto who, when the abbot showed him the pile and the beauty thereof, said in prayer, “If this convent is built for God’s glory, may it abide to the end of time; but if it is a monument of man’s pride, may that little brook which flows hard by overwhelm it with its waters.” At the word, the brook ceased to flow, the waters piled up mountain high; then, dashing on the convent, overthrew it, nor left one stone upon another, so complete was the ruin.—Southey: St. Gualberto.

Moscow. So-and-so was my Moscow, that is, the turning-point of my good fortune, leading to future “shoals and misery.” The reference is to Napoleon Bonaparte’s disastrous Russian expedition, when his star hastened to its “set.”

Juan was my Moscow [the ruin of my reputation and fame].

Byron: Don Juan, xi. 56 (1824).

Moses, the Jew money-lender in The School for Scandal, by Sheridan (1777).

Moses’ Clothes. The Korân says, “God cleared Moses from the scandal which was rumoured against him” (ch. xxxiii.). The scandal was that his body was not properly formed, and therefore he would never bathe in the presence of others. One day he went to bathe, and laid his clothes on a stone, but the stone ran away with them into the camp. Moses went after it as fast as he could run, but the Israelites saw his naked body, and perceived the untruthfulness of the common scandal.—Sale: Al Korân, xxxiii. notes.

Moses’ Horns. The Vulgate gives quod cornuta esset facies sua, for what our version has translated, “he wist not that the skin of his face shone.” The Hebrew word used means both a “born” and an “irradiation.” Michael Angelo followed the Vulgate.

Moses’ Rod.