O’Shanter (Tam), a farmer, who, returning home from Ayr very late and well-soaked with liquor, had to pass the kirk of Alloway. Seeing it was illuminated, he peeped in, and saw there the witches and devils dancing, while old Clootie was blowing the bagpipes. Tam got so excited that he roared out to one of the dancers, “Weel done, Cutty Sark!” In a moment all was dark. Tam now spurred his “grey mare Meg” to the top of her speed, while all the fiends chased after him. The river Doon was near, and Tam just reached the middle of the bridge when one of the witches, whom he called Cutty Sark, reached him; but it was too late—he had passed the middle of the stream, and was out of the power of the crew. Not so his mare’s tail—that had not yet passed the magic line, and Cutty Sark, clinging thereto, dragged it off with an infernal wrench.—R. Burns, Tam O’Shanter.
Osi´ris, judge of the dead, brother and husband of Isis. Osiris is identical with Adonis and Thammuz. All three represent the sun, six months above the equator, and six months below it. Adonis passed six months with Aphrodītê in heaven, and six months with Persephŏnê in hell. So Osiris in heaven was the beloved of Isis, but in the land of darkness was embraced by Nepthys.
Osiris, the sun; Isis, the moon.
They [the priests] wore rich mitres shaped like the moon,
To show that Isis doth the moon portend,
Like as Osiris signifies the sun.
Spenser, Faëry Queen, v. 7 (1596).
Osman, sultan of the East, the great conqueror of the Christians, a man of most magnanimous mind and of noble generosity. He loved Zara, a young Christian captive, and was by her beloved with equal ardor and sincerity. Zara was the daughter of Lusignan d’Outremer, a Christian king of Jerusalem; she was taken prisoner by Osman’s father, with her elder brother, Nerestan, then four years old. After twenty years’ captivity, Nerestan was sent to France for ransom, and on his return presented himself before the sultan, who fancied he perceived a sort of intimacy between the young man and Zara, which excited his suspicion and jealousy. A letter, begging that Zara would meet him in a “secret passage” of the seraglio, fell into the sultan’s hands, and confirmed his suspicions. Zara went to the rendezvous, where Osman met her and stabbed her to the heart. Nerestan was soon brought before him, and told him he had murdered his sister, and all he wanted of her was to tell her of the death of her father, and to bring her his dying benediction. Stung with remorse, Osman liberated all his Christian captives, and then stabbed himself.—Aaron Hill, Zara (1735).
*** This tragedy is an English adaptation of Voltaire’s Zaïre (1733).
Osmand, a necromancer, who, by enchantment, raised up an army to resist the Christians. Six of the champions were enchanted by Osmand, but St. George restored them. Osmand tore off his hair, in which lay his spirit of enchantment, bit his tongue in two, disembowelled himself, cut off his arms, and died.—R. Johnson, Seven Champions of Christendom, i. 19 (1617).
Osmond, an old Varangian guard.—Sir W. Scott, Count Robert of Paris (time, Rufus).
Osmond (Gilbert), the incarnation of polished selfishness. He deserts one woman, who has sacrificed everything for him, and marries Isabel Archer for her money; eyes his only child as he might a pretty puppet, and sends her back to her convent upon finding that she will not increase his social consequence by marrying an English nobleman.—Henry James, Jr., Portrait of a Lady (1881).
Osmyn, alias Alphonso, son of Anselmo, king of Valentia, and husband of Alme´ria, daughter of Manuel, king of Grana´da. Supposed to have been lost at sea, but in reality cast on the African coast, and tended by Queen Zara, who falls in love with him. Both are taken captive by Manuel, and brought to Granada. Here Manuel falls in love with Zara, but Zara retains her passionate love for Alphonso. Alphonso makes his escape, returns at the head of an army to Granada, finds both the king and Zara dead, but Almeria, being still alive, becomes his acknowledged bride.—W. Congreve, The Mourning Bride (1697).