Duenna (The), a comic opera by R. B. Sheridan (1773). Margaret, the duenna, is placed in charge of Louisa, the daughter of Don Jerome. Louisa is in love with Don Antonio, a poor nobleman of Seville; but her father resolves to give her in marriage to Isaac Mendoza, a rich Portuguese Jew. As Louisa will not consent to her father's arrangement, he locks her up in her chamber, and turns the duenna out of doors, but in his impetuous rage he in reality turns his daughter out, and locks up the duenna. Isaac arrives, is introduced to the lady, elopes with her, and is duly married. Louisa flees to the convent of St. Catharine, and writes to her father for his consent to her marriage to the man of her choice; and Don Jerome supposing she means the Jew, gives it freely, and she marries Antonio. When they meet at breakfast at the old man's house, he finds that Isaac has married the duenna, Louisa has married Antonio, and his son has married Clara; but the old man is reconciled and says, "I am an obstinate old fellow, when I'm in the wrong, but you shall all find me steady in the right."
Duessa (false faith), is the personification of the papacy. She meets the Red Cross Knight in the society of Sansfoy (infidelity), and when the knight slays Sansfoy, she turns to flight. Being overtaken, she says her name is Fidessa (true faith), deceives the knight, and conducts him to the palace of Lucif'era, where he encounters Sansjoy (canto 2). Duessa dresses the wounds of the Red Cross Knight, but places Sansjoy under the care of Escula'pius in the infernal regions (canto 4). The Red Cross Knight leaves the palace of Lucifera, and Duessa induces him to drink of the "Enervating Fountain;" Orgoglio then attacks him, and would have slain him if Duessa had not promised to be his bride. Having cast the Red Cross Knight into a dungeon, Orgoglio dresses his bride in most gorgeous array, puts on her head "a triple crown" (the tiara of the pope), and sets her on a monster beast with "seven heads" (the seven hills of Rome). Una (truth) sends Arthur (England) to rescue the captive knight, and Arthur slays Orgoglio, wounds the beast, releases the knight, and strips Duessa of her finery (the Reformation); whereupon she flies into the wilderness to conceal her shame (canto 7).—Spenser, Faëry Queen, i. (1590).
Duessa, in bk. v., allegorizes Mary queen of Scots. She is arraigned by Zeal before Queen Mercilla (Elizabeth), and charged with high treason. Zeal says he shall pass by for the present "her counsels false conspired" with Blandamour (earl of Northumberland), and Paridel (earl of Westmoreland), leaders of the insurrection of 1569, as that wicked plot came to naught, and the false Duessa was now "an untitled queen." When Zeal had finished, an old sage named the Kingdom's Care (Lord Burghley) spoke, and opinions were divided. Authority, Law of Nations, and Religion thought Duessa guilty, but Pity, Danger, Nobility of Birth, and Grief pleaded in her behalf. Zeal then charges the prisoner with murder, sedition, adultery, and lewd impiety; whereupon the sentence of the court is given against her. Queen Mercilla, being called on to pass sentence, is so overwhelmed with grief that she rises and leaves the court.—Spenser, Faëry Queen, v. 9 (1596).
Duff (Jamie), the idiot boy attending Mrs. Bertram's funeral.—Sir W. Scott, Guy Mannering (time, George II.).
Duke (My lord), a duke's servant, who assumes the airs and title of his master, and is addressed as "Your grace," or "My lord duke." He was first a country cowboy, then a wig-maker's apprentice, and then a duke's servant. He could neither write nor read, but was a great coxcomb, and set up for a tip-top fine gentleman.—Rev. J. Townley, High Life Below Stairs (1763).
Duke (The Iron), the duke of Wellington, also called "The Great Duke" (1769-1852).
Duke and Duchess, in pt. II. of Don Quixote, who play so many sportive tricks on "the Knight of the Woeful Countenance," were Don Carlos de Borja, count of Ficallo, and Donna Maria of Aragon, duchess of Villaher'mora, his wife, in whose right the count held extensive estates on the banks of the Ebro, among others a country seat called Buena'via, the place referred to by Cervantês (1615).
Duke of Mil'an, a tragedy by Massinger (1622). A play evidently in imitation of Shakespeare's Othello. "Sforza" is Othollo; "Francesco," Iago: "Marcelia," Desdemona: and "Eugenia," Emilia. Sforza "the More" [sic] doted on Marcelia his young bride, who amply returned his love. Francesco, Sforza's favorite, being left lord protector of Milan during a temporary absence of the duke, tried to corrupt Marcelia; but failing in this, accused her to Sforza of wantonness. The duke, believing his favorite, slew his beautiful young bride. The cause of Francesco's villainy was that the duke had seduced his sister Eugenia.
Shakespeare's play was produced 1611, about eleven years before Massinger's tragedy. In act v. 1 we have "Men's injuries we write in brass," which brings to mind Shakespeare's line, "Men's evil manners live in brass, their virtues we write in water."