Chapter Tintoretto of Switzerland to Tite Barnacle of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

with her ’squire, and the witticisms of lady Brillianta. This is one of the most amusing books ever written.”—Cervantes: Don Quixote, I, i. 6 (1605).

Tiresias, a Theban soothsayer, blind from bo yhood. It is said that Athêna deprived him of sight, but gave him the power of understanding the language of birds, and a staff as good as eyesight to direct his way. Another tale is that, seeing a male and female serpent in copulation, he killed the male, and was metamorphosed into a woman; seven years later he saw a similar phenomenon, and killed the female, whereupon he became a man again. Thus, when Jupiter and Juno wished to know whether man or woman had the greater enjoyment in married life, they referred the question to Tiresias, who declared that the pleasure of the woman is tenfold greater than that of the man. (See Cæneus, p. 164.)

“In troth,” said Jove (and as he spoke he laughed,
While to his queen from nectar bowls he quaffed),
“The sense of pleasure in the male is far
More dull and dead than what you females share.”
Juno the truth of what he said denied;
Tiresias therefore must the case decide,
For he the pleasure of each sex had tried.
   —Addison: The Transformation of Tiresias (1719).

There is an awkward thing, which much perplexes,
Unless, like wise Tiresias, we had proved
By turns the difference of the several sexes.
   —Byron: Don Juan, xiv. 73 (1824).

The name is generally pronounced Ti-re-si-as, but Milton calls it Ti-re-sas—

Blind Thamyris and blind Mæonidês [Homer],
And Tires’as and Phineus [Fi nuce] prophets old.
   —Paradise Lost, iii. 36 (1665).

Tirlsneck (Jonnie), beadle of old St. Ronan’s.—Sir W. Scott: St. Ronan’s Well (time, George III.).

Tirnanoge. (See Land of Life, p. 590.)

Tirso de Molina, the pseudonym of Gabriel Tellez, a Spanish monk and dramatist. His comedy called Convivando de Piedra (1626) was imitated by Molière in his Festin de Pierre (1665), and has given birth to the whole host of comedies and operas on the subject of “don Juan” (1570–1648).

Tiryns (The Gallery of), one of the old Cyclopean structures mentioned by Homer, and still extant in Argolis. The stones of this “gallery” are so enormous that two horses could not stir the smallest of them.

Si milar Cyclopean structures are the “treasury of Atreus,” the “gate of Lions,” the “tomb of Phoroneus”, and the “tomb of Danaos,” all in Mycenæ.

Tirynthian Swain (The), Herculês, called in Latin Tirynthius Heros, because he generally resided at Tiryns, a town of Argolis, in Greece.

Upon his shield lay that Tirynthian swain
Sweltring in fiery gore and poisonous flame,
His wife’s sad gift venomed with bloody stain. [See Nessus, p. 749.]
   —P. Fletcher: The Purple Island, vii. (1633).

Tisaphernes , “the thunderbolt of war.” He was in the army of Egypt, and was slain by Rinaldo.—Tasso: Jerusalem Delivered, xx. (1575).

N.B.—This son of Mars must not be mistaken for Tissaphernês the Persian satrap, who sided with the Spartans in the Peloponnesian war, and who treacherously volunteered to guide “the ten thousand” back to Greece.

Tisbina, wife of Iroldo. (For the tale, see Prasildo, p. 868.)—Bojardo: Orlando Innamorato (1495). (See Dianora, p. 278; and Dorigen, p. 294.)

Tisellin, the raven, in the beast-epic of Reynard the Fox (1498).