Chapter TOUCHWOOD to Tradelove of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

TOUCHWOOD to Tradelove

TOUCHWOOD (Colonel), “the most passionate, impatient, unreasonable, good-natured man in Christendom.” Uncle of major and Clarissa Touchwood.

Sophia Touchwood, the colonel’s daughter, in love with her cousin, major Touchwood. Her father wants her to marry colonel Clifford, but the colonel has fixed his heart on Clarissa, the major’s sister.

Major Touchwood, nephew of colonel Touchwood, and in love with his cousin Sophia, the colonel’s daughter. He fancied that colonel Clifford was his rival, but Clifford was in love with Clarissa, the major’s sister. This error forms the plot of the farce, and the mistakes which arise when the major dresses up to pass himself off for his uncle constitute its fun and entanglement.

Clarissa Touchwood, the major’s sister, in love with colonel Clifford. They first met at Brighton, and the colonel thought her Christian name was Sophia; hence the major looked on him as a rival.—Dibdin: What Next?

Touchwood (Lord), uncle of Mellefont .

Lady Touchwood, his wife, sister of sir Paul Pliant. She entertains a criminal passion for her nephew Mellefont, and, because he repels her advances, vows to ruin him. Accordingly, she tells her husband that the young man has sought to dishonour her, and when his lordship fancies that the statement of his wife must be greatly overstated, he finds Mellefont with lady Touchwood in her own private chamber. This seems to corroborate the accusation laid to his charge, but it was an artful trick of Maskwell’s to make mischief, and in a short time a conversation which he overhears between lady Touchwood and Mask-well reveals the infamous scheme most fully to him.—Congreve: The Double Dealer (1700).

(Lord and lady Touchwood must not be mistaken for sir George and lady Frances Touchwood, which are very different characters. See below.)

Their Wildairs, sir John Brutes, lady Touchwoods, and Mrs. Frails are conventional reproductions of those wild gallants and demireps which figure in the licentious dramas of Dryden and Shadwell.—Sir W. Scott: The Drama.

(“Wildair,” in The Constant Couple, by Farquhar; “Brute,” in The Provoked Wife, by Vanbrugh; “Mrs. Frail,” in Love for Love, by Congreve.)

Touchwood (Sir George), the loving husband of lady Frances, desperately jealous of her, and wishing to keep her out of all society, that she may not lose her native simplicity and purity of mind. Sir George is a true gentleman of most honourable feelings.

Lady Frances Touchwood, the sweet, innocent wife of sir George. Before her marriage she was brought up in seclusion in the country, and sir George tries to keep her fresh and pure in London.—Mrs. Cowley: The Belle’s Stratagem (1780).

The calm and lovely innocence of lady Touchwood could by nobody be so happily represented as by this actress [Mrs. Hartley, 1751–1824].—T. Davies.

Touchwood (Peregrine), a touchy old East Indian, a relation of the Mowbray family.—Sir W. Scott: St. Ronan’s Well (time, George III.).

Tough (Mr.), an old barrister.—Sir W. Scott: Redgauntlet (time, George III.).

Touran. The death of the children of Touran forms one of the three tragic stories of the ancient Irish. The other two are The Death of the Children of Lir, and The Death of the Children of Usnach.