Roderick Random, a child of impulse, and a selfish libertine. His treatment of Strap is infamous and most heartless.—Smollett, Roderick Random (1748).
Rod´erigo or Roderi´go (3 syl.), a Venetian gentleman, in love with Desdemona. When Desdemona eloped with Othello, Roderigo hated the “noble Moor,” and Ia´go took advantage of this temper for his own base ends.—Shakespeare, Othello (1611).
Roderigo’s suspicious credulity and impatient submission to the cheats which he sees practised on him, and which, by persuasion, he suffers to be repeated, exhibit a strong picture of a weak mind betrayed by unlawful desires to a false friend.—Dr. Johnson.
Rodilardus, a huge cat, which attacked Panurge, and which he mistook for “a young, soft-chinned devil.” The word means “gnaw-lard” (Latin, rodĕre lardum).—Rabelais, Pantagruel, iv. 67 (1545).
*** The marquis de Carabas.” (See [Puss in Boots].)
Rodrigo, king of Spain, conquered by the Moors. He saved his life by flight, and wandered to Guadaletê, where he begged food of a shepherd, and gave him in recompense his royal chain and ring. A hermit bade him, in penance, retire to a certain tomb full of snakes and toads, where, after three days, the hermit found him unhurt; so, going to his cell, he passed the night in prayer. Next morning, Rodrigo cried aloud to the hermit, “They eat me now; I feel the adder’s bite.” So his sin was atoned for, and he died.
*** This Rodrigo is Roderick, the last of the Goths.
Rodrigo, rival of Pe´dro, “the pilgrim,” and captain of a band of outlaws.—Beaumont and Fletcher, The Pilgrim (1621).
Rodri´go de Mondragon (Don), a bully and tyrant, the self-constituted arbiter of all disputes in a tennis-court of Valladolid.
Don Rodrigo de Mondragon was about 30 years of age, of an ordinary make, but lean and muscular; he had two little twinkling eyes that rolled in his head, and threatened everybody he looked at; a very flat nose, placed between red whiskers that curled up to his very temples; and a manner of speaking so rough and passionate that his words struck terror into everybody.—Lesage, Gil Bias, ii. 5 (1715).