Chapter Umbra to Unigenitus of U by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Umbra to Unigenitus

Umbra, in Pope’s Moral Essays (Epist. i.), is intended for Bubb Doddington.

Umbra (Obsequious), in Garth’s Dispensary, is meant for Dr. Gould (1699).

Umbriel, the tutelar angel of Thomas the apostle, once a Sadducee, and always hard of conviction.—Klopstock: The Messiah, iii. (1748).

Umbriel [Um-breel], a sprite whom Spleen supplies with a bagful of “sighs, sobs, and cross words,” and a vialful of “soft sorrows, melting grief, and flowing tears.” When the baron cuts off Belinda’s lock of hair, Umbriel breaks the vial over her, and Belinda instantly begins sighing and sobbing, chiding, weeping, and pouting.—Pope: Rape of the Lock (1712).

Umbriel, a dusky, melancholy sprite
As ever sullied the fair face of light,
Down to the central earth, his proper scene,
Repaired, to search the gloomy cave of Spleen.
   —Rape of the Lock, canto iv. 13, etc.

Una, truth personified. Truth is so called because it is one, whereas Error is multiform. Una goes, leading a lamb and riding on a white ass, to the court of Gloriana, to crave that one of her knights might undertake to slay the dragon which kept her father and mother prisoners. The adventure is accorded to the Red Cross Knight, and the two start forth together. A storm compels them to seek shelter in a forest, and when the storm abates they get into Wandering Wood, where they are induced by Archimago to sleep in his cell. A vision is sent to the knight, which causes him to quit the cell; and Una, not a little surprised at this discourtesy, goes in seach of him. In her wanderings she is caressed by a lion, who becomes her attendant. After many adventures, she finds St. George “the Red Cross Knight;” he had slain the dragon, though not without many a fell wound; so Una takes him to the house of Holiness, where he is carefully nursed; and then leads him to Eden, where they are united in marriage.—Spenser: Faërie Queene, i. (1590).

Una, one of Flora M’Ivor’s attendants.—Sir W. Scott: Waverley (time, George II.).

Unborn Doctor (The), of Moorfields. Not being born a doctor, he called himself “The Un-born Doctor.”

Uncas, son of Chingachcook, surnamed “Deer-foot.”—Fenimore Cooper: Last of the Mohicans; The Pathfinder; and The Pioneer.

Uncle Remus, the hero and title of a book by Joel C. Harris. Uncle Remus is represented as an old plantation darkey with great store of tales and songs illustrative of negro folklore, dealing chiefly with “Brer [i.e. Brother] Rabbit,” “Brer Fox,” and other animal characters—great favourites with the children of both England and America.

Uncle Sam, the United States Government; so called from Samuel Wilson, one of the inspectors of provisions in the American War of Independence. Samuel Wilson was called by his workmen and others “Uncle Sam,” and the goods which bore the contractor’s initials, E.A. U.S. (meaning “Elbert Anderson, United States”), were read “Elbert Anderson,” and “Uncle Sam.” The joke was too good to die, and Uncle Sam became synonymous with U.S. (United States).

Uncle Toby. (See Toby, p. 1116.)

Uncle Tom, a negro slave of unaffected piety, and most faithful in the discharge of all his duties. His master, a humane man, becomes embarrassed in his affairs, and sells him to a slave-dealer. After passing through various hands, and suffering intolerable cruelties, he dies.—Mrs. B. Stowe: Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852).

The original of this character was the negro slave subsequently ordained and called “the Rev. J. Henson.” He was in London 1876, 1877, took part in several religious services, and was even presented to her majesty queen Victoria.