Chapter Bellaston to Ben of B by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Bellaston to Ben

Bellaston (Lady ). A profligate, whose conduct and conversation are a life-like photograph of the court “beauties” of Louis XV. (Fielding: Tom Jones.)

Belle A beauty. The Belle of the room. The most beautiful lady in the room (French).
   La belle France. A common French phrase applied to France, as “Merry England” is to our own country.

Belles Lettres Polite literature (French); similarly, Beaux arts, the fine arts.

Bellefontaine (Benedict ). The most wealthy farmer of Grand Pré (Nova Scotia), and father of Evangeline. When the inhabitants of his village were exiled, and he was about to embark, he died of a broken heart, and was buried on the sea-shore. (Longfellow: Evangeline.)

Bellerophon One of the ships which took part in the Battle of the Nile, and was called by the English sailors “the Bully-ruffran,” or “Belly-ruffron.”

“Why, she and the Belly-ruffron seem to have pretty well shared and shared alike.”- Captain Marryat: Poor Jack, chap. xiii.

Bellerophon The Joseph of Greek mythology; Antæa, the wife of Proetos, being the “Potiphar's wife” who tempted him, and afterwards falsely accused him. Being successful in various enterprises, he attempted to fly to heaven on the winged horse Pegasos, but Zeus sent a gad-fly to sting the horse, and the rider was overthrown.
   Letters of Bellerophon. Letters or other documents either dangerous or prejudicial to the bearer. Proetos sent Bellerophon with a letter to the King of Lycia, his wife's father, recounting the charge, and praying that the bearer might be put to death.
   Pausanias, the Spartan, sent messengers from time to time to King Xerxes, with similar letters; the discovery by one of the bearers proved the ruin of the traitor.
   David's letter sent by Uriah (2 Sam. xi. 14) was of a similar treacherous character; hence the phrase, “Letters of Uriah.”

Bellerus Bellerium is the Land's End, Cornwall, the fabled land of the giant Bellerus.

“Sleep'st by the fable of Bellerus old.”
Milton: Lycidas, 160.

Bellicent Daughter of Gorloise and Igerna. According to Tennyson, she was the wife of Lot, King of Orkney; but in La Morte d'Arthur Margause is called Lot's wife.

Bellin The ram, in the tale of Reynard the Fox.

Bellisant Sister to King Pepin of France, wife of Alexander, Emperor of Constantinople. Being accused of infidelity, the emperor banished her, and she became the mother of Valentine and Orson. (Valentine and Orson.)

Bellman Before the new police force was established, watchmen or bellmen used to parade the streets at night, and at Easter a copy of verses was left at the chief houses in the hope of obtaining an offering. These verses were the relies of the old incantations sung or said by the bellman to keep off elves and hobgoblins. The town crier.

Bellona Goddess of war and wife of Mars. (Roman mythology.)

“Her features, late so exquisitely lovely, inflamed with the fury of frenzy, resembled those of a Bellona.”- Sir Walter Scott.

Bellows The pit of the stomach. To knock a man on the “bellows” takes his “wind (breath) away.”
   Sing old rose and burn the bellows. (See Sing.)

Bellwether of the Flock A jocose and rather depreciating term applied to the leader of a party. Of course the allusion is to the wether or sheep which leads the flock with a bell fastened to its neck.