Chapter Tibert to Tim Syllabub of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Tibert to Tim Syllabub

Tibert (Sir), the name of the cat, in the beast-epic of Reynard the Fox (1498).

Tibet Talkapace, a prating handmaid of Custance the gay and rich widow vainly sought by Ralph Roister Doister.—Nicholas Udall: Ralph Roister Doister (first English comedy, 1534).

The metre runs thus—

I hearde our nourse speake of an husbande to-day
Ready for our mistresse, a rich man and gay;
And we shall go in our French hoodes every day …
Then shall ye see Tibet, sires, treade the mossc so trimme …
Not lumperdee, clumperdee, like our Spaniel Rig.

Tibs (Mr.), a most “useful hand.” He will write you a receipt for the bite of a mad dog, tell you an Eastern tale to perfection, and understands the business part of an author so well that no publisher can humbug him. You may know him by his peculiar clumsiness of figure, and the coarseness of his coat; but he never forgets to inform you that his clothes are all paid for. (See Tibbs.)—Goldsmith: A Citizen of the World, xxix. (1759).

Tibs’s Eve (St.), never. St. Tibs is a corruption of St. Ubes. There is no such saint in the calendar; and therefore St. Tibs’s Eve falls on the Greek Kalends. (See Never, p. 750.)

Tibullus, a Roman poet, contemporary with Virgil and Horace. His Elegies are models of good taste, wholly devoid of affectation or striving after effect.

(English translations by John Granger, 1758; and by James Cranstoun, 1872.)

The French Tibullus, the chevalier Evariste de Parny (1753–1814).

Tiburce (2 or 3 syl.), brother of Valirian, converted by St. Cecile, his sister-in-law, and baptized by pope Urban. Being brought before the prefect Almachius, and commanded to worship the image of Jupiter, he refused to do so, and was decapitated.—Chaucer: Canterbury Tales (“Second Nun’s Tale,” 1388).

When “Tiburce” is followed by a vowel it is made 2 syl., when by a consonant it is 3 syl., as—

And after this, Tiburce in good entente ,
With Valirian to pope Urban went.
At this thing sche unto Tiburce tolde.
   —Chaucer.

Tiburzio, commander of the Pisans in their attack upon Floren ce, in the fifteenth century. The Pisans were thoroughly beaten by the Florentines, led by Luria a Moor, and Tiburzio was taken captive. Tiburzio tells Luria that the men of Florence will cast him off after peace is established, and advises him to join Pisa. This Luria is far too noble to do, but he grants Tiburzio his liberty. Tiburzio, being examined by the council of Florence, under the hope of finding some cause of censure against the Moor, to lessen or cancel their obligation to him, “testifies to his unflinching probity,” and the council could find no cause of blame; but Luria, by poison, relieves the ungrateful state of its obligation to him.—R. Browning: Luria.

Tichborne Dole (The). When lady Mabella was dying, she requested her husband to grant her the means of leaving a charitable bequest. It was to be a dole of bread, to be distributed annually on the Feast of the Annunciation, to any who chose to apply for it. Sir Roger, her husband, said he would give her as much land as she could walk over while a billet of wood remained burning. The old lady was taken into the park, and managed to crawl over twenty-three acres of land, which was accordingly set apart, and is called “The Crawls” to this hour. When the lady Mabella was taken back to her chamber, she said, “So long as this dole is continued, the family of Tichborne shall prosper; but immediately it is discontinued, the house shall fall, from the failure of an heir male. This,” she added, “will be when a family of seven sons is succeeded by one of seven daughters. The custom began in the reign of Henry II., and continued till 1796, when, singularly enough, the baron had seven sons and his successor seven