Robert, a servant of Sir Arthur Wardour, at Knockwinnock Castle.—Sir W. Scott, The Antiquary (time, George III.).
Robert (Mons.), a neighbor of Sganarelle. Hearing the screams of Mde. Martine (Sganarelle’s wife), he steps over to make peace between them, whereupon Madame calls him an impertinent fool, and says if she chooses to be beaten by her husband it is no affair of his; and Sganarelle says, “Je la veux battre, si je le veux; et ne la veux pas battre, si je ne le veux pas;” and beats M. Robert again.—Molière, Le Médecin Malgré Lui (1666).
Robert Kent. Weak, vicious husband of Margaret Kent. Causes trouble all his life and dies of yellow fever.—Ellen Olney Kirk, The Story of Margaret Kent (1886).
Robert Macaire, a bluff, free-living libertine. His accomplice is Bertrand, a simpleton and a villain.—Daumier, L’Auberge des Adrets.
Robert, duke of Albany, brother of Robert III. of Scotland.—Sir W. Scott, Fair Maid of Perth (time, Henry IV.)
Robert, duke of Normandy, sold his dominions to Rufus for 10,000 marks, to furnish him with ready money for the crusade, which he joined at the head of 1000 heavy-armed horse and 1000 light-armed Normans.—Tasso, Jerusalem Delivered (1575).
Robert III. of Scotland, introduced by Sir W. Scott in the Fair Maid of Perth (time, Henry IV.).
Robert le Diable, son of Bertha and Bertramo. Bertha was the daughter of Robert, duke of Normandy, and Bertramo was a fiend in the guise of a knight. The opera shows the struggle in Robert between the virtue inherited from his mother and the vice inherited from his father. His father allures him to gamble till he loses everything, and then claims his soul, but his foster-sister, Alice, counterplots the fiend, and rescues Robert by reading to him his mother’s will.—Meyerbeer, Roberto il Diavolo (libretto by Scribe, 1831).
*** Robert le Diable was the hero of an old French metrical romance (thirteenth century). This romance in the next century was thrown into prose. There is a miracle-play on the same subject.
Robert of Paris (Count), one of the crusading princes. The chief hero of this novel is Hereward (3 syl.), one of the Varangian guard of the Emperor Alexius Comnēnus. He and the count fight a single combat with battle-axes; after which Hereward enlists under the count’s banner, and marries Bertha, also called Agatha.—Sir W. Scott, Count Robert of Paris (time, Rufus).