Mutton-Eating King (The), Charles II. of England (1630, 1659-1685).
Here lies our mutton-eating king,
Whose word no man relies on;
He never said a foolish thing,
And never did a wise on’.
Earl of Rochester.
Mutual Friend (Our), a novel by Charles Dickens (1864). The “mutual friend” is Mr. Boffin, “the golden dustman,” who was the mutual friend of John Harmon and of Bella Wilfer. The tale is this: John Harmon was supposed to have been murdered by Julius Handford; but it was Ratford, who was murdered by Rogue Riderhood, and the mistake arose from a resemblance between the two persons. By his father’s will, John Harmon was to marry Bella Wilfer; but John Harmon knew not the person destined by his father for his wife, and made up his mind to dislike her. After his supposed murder, he assumed the name of John Rokesmith, and became the secretary of Mr. Boffin, “the golden dustman,” residuary legatee of old John Harmon, by which he became possessor of £100,000. Boffin knew Rokesmith, but concealed his knowledge for a time. At Boffin’s house, John Harmon (as Rokesmith) met Bella Wilfer, and fell in love with her. Mr. Boffin, in order to test Bella’s love, pretended to be angry with Rokesmith for presuming to love Bella; and, as Bella married him, he cast them both off “for a time,” to live on John’s earnings. A baby was born, and then the husband took the young mother to a beautiful house, and told her he was John Harmon, that the house was their house, that he was the possessor of £100,000 through the disinterested conduct of their “mutual friend,” Mr. Boffin; and the young couple lived happily with Mr. and Mrs. Boffin, in wealth and luxury.
Mutusa-ili, Babylonian sage and unsuspected Jew, high in repute for wisdom and prophetic powers.—Elizabeth Stuart Phelps and Herbert D. Ward, The Master of the Magicians (1890).
My Book (Dr.). Dr. John Aberne´thy (1765-1830) was so called because he used to say to his patients, “Read my book” (On Surgical Observations).
I was twice burnt out, and lost my little all both times.—Sheridan, The Critic, i. 1 (1779).
Myrebeau (Le sieure de), one of the committee of the states of Burgundy.—Sir W. Scott, Anne of Geierstein (time, Edward IV.).
Myro, a statuary of Eleu´thĕræ, who carved a cow so true to nature that even bulls mistook it for a living animal. (See Horse Painted.)
E’en Myro’s statues, which for art surpass
All others, once were but a shapeless mass.
Ovid, Art of Love, iii.