Chapter TOBY to Tom Scott of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

heart” for Mr. Pecksniff, widower, and being really kind-hearted, befriended poor Mercy Pecksniff in her miserable married life with her brutal husband Jonas Chuzzlewit.—Dickens: Martin Chuzzlewit (1844).

Toffania, of Palermo, a noted poisoner, who sold a tasteless, colourless poison, called the Manna of St. Nicola of Bari, but better known as Aqua Tofana. Above 600 persons fell victims to this fatal drug. She was at last convicted of murder, and was executed in 1719.

Tofana, properly Tufinia.

La Spara or Hieronyma Spara, about a century previously, sold an “elixir” equally fatal. The secret was ultimately revealed to her father confessor.

Tofts (Mistress), a famous singer towards the close of the eighteenth century. She was very fond of cats, and left a legacy to twenty of the tabby tribe.

Not Niobe mourned more for fourteen brats,
Nor Mistress Tofts, to leave her twenty cats.
   —Peter Pindar [Dr. Wolcot]: Old Simon (1809).

Togarma [“island of blue waves”], one of the Hebridês.—Ossian: Death of Cuthullin.

Togorma, the kingdom of Connal son of Colgar.—Ossian: Fingal.

Tohu va Bohu, at sixes and sevens, in the utmost confusion, topsy-turvy.

The earth was tohu va bohu, that is, void and in confusion…in short, a chaos. This may well be applied to a country desolated by war. [Note by Edit. Bohn’s ed.]—Rabelais: Pantagruel, iv. 17 (1545).

Toinette, a confidential female servant of Argan the malade imaginaire. “Adroite, soigneuse, diligente, et surtout fidèle,” but contradictious, and always calling into action her master’s irritable temper. In order to cure him, she pretends to be a travelling physician of about 90 years of age, although she has not seen twenty-six summers; and in the capacity of a Galen, declares M. Argan is suffering from lungs, recommends that one arm should be cut off, and one eye taken out to strengthen the remaining one. She enters into a plot to open the eyes of Argan to the real affection of Angelique (his daughter), the false love of her step-mother, and to marry the former to Cléante the man of her choice, in all which schemes she is fully successful.—Molière: Le Malade Imaginaire (1673).

Toison d’Or, chief herald of Burgundy.—Sir W. Scott: Quentin Durward and Anne of Geierstein (time, Edward IV.).

Toki, the Danish William Tell. Saxo Grammaticus, a Danish writer of the twelfth century, tells us that Toki once boasted, in the hearing of Harald Blue-tooth, that he could hit an apple with his arrow off a pole; and the Danish Gessler set him to try his skill by placing an apple on the head of the archer’s son (twelfth century).

Tolande of Anjou, a daughter of old king Réné of Provence, and sister of Margaret of Anjou (wife of Henry VI. of England).—Sir W. Scott: Anne of Geierstein (time, Edward IV.).

Tolbooth (The), the principal prison of Edinburgh.

The Tolbooth felt defrauded of his charms
If Jeffrey died, except within her arms.
   —Byron: English Bards and Scotch Reviewers (1809).