Malaprop (Mrs.), aunt and guardian to Lydia Languish, the heiress. Mrs. Malaprop sets her cap at Sir Lucius O’Trigger, “a tall Irish baronet,” and corresponds with him under the name of Delia. Sir Lucius fancies it is the niece, and, when he discovers his mistake, declines the honor of marriage with the aunt. Mrs. Malaprop is a synonym for those who misapply words without mispronouncing them. Thus Mrs. Malaprop talks of a Darbyshire putrefaction, an allegory on the banks of the Nile, a barbarous Vandyke, she requests that no delusions to the past be made, and talks of flying with the utmost felicity.—Sheridan, The Rivals (1775).
(Mrs. Malaprop’s name is itself a clever invention; by no means mal à propos.)
Malbecco, “a cankered, crabbed carl,” very wealthy and very miserly, husband of a young wife named Hel´inore (3 syl.), of whom he is very jealous, and not without cause. Helinore, falling in love with Sir Paridel, her guest, sets fire to the closet where her husband keeps his treasures, and elopes with Paridel, while Malbecco stops to put out the flames. This done, Malbecco starts in pursuit, and finds that Paridel has tired of the dame, who has become the satyr’s dairy-maid. He soon finds her out, but she declines to return with him; and he, in desperation, throws himself from a rock, but receives no injury. Malbecco then creeps into a cave, feeds on toads and frogs, and lives in terror lest the rock should crush him or the sea overwhelm him. “Dying, he lives on, and can never die,” for he is no longer Malbecco, “but Jealousy is hight.”—Spenser, Faëry Queen, iii. 9, 10 (1590).
Malbrough´, corrupted in English into Malbrook, the hero of a popular French song. Generally thought to refer to John Churchill, duke of Marlborough, so famous for his victories over the French in the reign of Louis XIV.; but no incident of the one corresponds with the life of the other. The Malbrough of the song was evidently a crusader or ancient baron, who died in battle; and his lady, climbing the castle tower and looking out for her lord, reminds one of the mother of Sisera, who “looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots? ... Have they not sped? Have they not divided the spoil?’” (Judges, v. 28-30). The following are the words of the song:—
“Malbrough is gone to the wars. Ah! when will he return?” “He will come back by Easter, lady, or at latest by Trinity.” “No, no! Easter is past, and Trinity is past; but Malbrough has not returned.” Then did she climb the castle tower, to look out for his coming. She saw his page, but he was clad in black. “My page, my bonnie page,” cried the lady, “what tidings bring you—what tidings of my lord?” “The news I bring,” said the page, “is very sad, and will make you weep. Lay aside your gay attire, lady, your ornaments of gold and silver, for my lord is dead. He is dead, lady, and laid in earth. I saw him borne to his last home by four officers; one carried his cuirass, one his shield, one his sword, and the fourth walked beside the bier, but bore nothing. They laid him in earth. I saw his spirit rise through the laurels. They planted his grave with rosemary. The nightingale sang his dirge. The mourners fell to the earth; and when they rose up again, they chanted his victories. Then retired they all to rest.”
This song used to be sung as a lullaby to the infant son of Louis XVI.; and Napoleon I. never mounted his charger for battle without humming the air of Malbrough s’en va-t-en guerre. Mon. de Las Casas says he heard him hum the same air a little before his death.
Malbrouk, of Basque legend, is a child brought up by his godfather of the same name. At the age of seven he is a tall, full-grown man, and, like Proteus, can assume any form by simply naming the form he wishes to assume. Thus, by saying “Jesus, ant,” he becomes an ant; and “Jesus, pigeon,” he becomes a pigeon. After performing most wonderful prodigies, and releasing the king’s three daughters who had been stolen by his godfather, he marries the youngest of the princesses, and succeeds the king on his throne.
⁂ The name Malbrouk occurs in the Chanson de Gestes, and in the Basque Pastorales. (See above Malbrough.)
Malcolm, surnamed “Can More” (“great head”), eldest son of Duncan, “the Meek,” king of Scotland. He, with his father and younger brother, was a guest of Macbeth at Inverness Castle, when Duncan was murdered. The two young princes fled—Malcolm to the English court, and his brother Donalbain to Ireland. When Macduff slew Macbeth in the battle of Dunsin´ane, the son of Duncan was set on the throne of Scotland, under the name and title of Malcolm III.—Shakespeare, Macbeth (1606).
Mal´ecasta, the mistress of Castle Joyous, and the impersonation of lust. Britomart (the heroine of chastity) entered her bower, after overthrowing four of the six knights that guarded it; and Malecasta sought to win the stranger to wantonness, not knowing her sex. Of course, Britomart resisted all her wiles, and left the castle next morning.—Spenser, Faëry Queen, iii. 1 (1590).