Chapter Turquine to Twelve Knights of the Round Table of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

It was the word “tweels” blotted and iil-written on an invoice, which gave rise to the now family name of “tweed.” It was adopted by James Locke, of London, after the error was discovered, as especially suitable to these goods so largely manufactured on the banks of the Tweed.—The Border Advertiser.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee. The prince of Wales was the leader of the Handel party, supported by Pope and Dr. Arbuthnot; and the duke of Marlborough led the Bononcinists, and was supported by most of the nobility.

Some say, compared to Bononcini,
That mynheer Handel’s but a ninny;
Others aver that he to Handel
Is scarcely fit to hold a candle;
Strange all this difference should be
Twixt Tweedledum and Tweedledec.
   —J. Byrom (stenographist, 1691–1763).

Twelfth Night, a drama by Shakespeare. The story came originally from a novelletti by Bandello (who died 1555), reproduced by Belleforest in his Histoires Tragiques, from which Shakespeare obtained his story. The tale is t his: Viola and Sebastian were twins, and exactly alike. When grown up, they were shipwrecked off the coas t of Illyria, and both were saved. Viola, being separated from her brother, in order to obtain a livelihood, dressed like her brother and took the situation of page under the duke Orsino. The duke, at the time, happened to be in love with Olivia, and as the lady looked coldly on his suit, he sent Viola to advance it, but the wilful Olivia, instead of melting towards the duke, fell in love with his beautiful page. One day, Sebastian, the twin-brother of Viola, being attacked in a street brawl before Olivia’s house, the lady, thinking him to be the page, invited him in, and they soon grew to such familiar terms that they agreed to become man and wife. About the same time, the duke discovered his page to be a most beautiful woman, and, as he could not marry his first love, he made Viola his wife and the duchess of Illyria.

Twelve (The), i.e. the twelve apostles. According to tradition—

(1) ANDREW. brother of Peter, bar-Jona. He was tied to a cross like the letter X, in Patras of Achaia, by order of Egæus the proconsul (first century). His day is November 30.

(2) BAR-THOLOMEW (i.e. Nathaniel bar-Tholomew). Flayed alive in Armenia, A.D. 71. His day is August 24.

(3) JAMES the Elder, brother of John, and son of Zebedee. Beheaded at Jerusalem, by Herod Agrippa, A.D. 44. His day is July 24.

(4) JAMES, the “brother” of Jesus, probably a cousin, son of Cleopas and Mary. He was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple, and then stoned to death, A.D. 65. His day is May 1.

(5) JOHN the Evangelist, brother of James the Elder. He died at an extreme old age at Ephesus, between A.D. 95 and 100. His day is December 27.

(6) JUDAS ISCARIOT. Hanged himself, A.D. 33.

(7) JUDE or Thaddeus, brother of James the Less. Shot to death by arrows in Armenia, A.D. 80. His day is October 28.

(8) MATTHEW the Evangelist Slain by a sword in Parthia (first century) His day is September 27.

(9) PETER, brother of Andrew, bar-Jona. Crucified with his head downwards, at Rome, A.D. 66. His day is June 29.

(10) PHILIP. Hanged on a pillar at Hierapolis, in Phrygia, A.D. 80. His day is May 1.

(11) SIMON Zelotes, brother of James and Jude. Crucified in Persia, A.D. 107, at the age of 129. His day is February 18.