BOR’GIA (Lucrezia di), duchess of Ferra’ra, wife of don Alfonso.  Her natural son Genna’ro was brought up by a fisherman in Naples, but when he grew to manhood a stranger gave him a paper from his mother, announcing to him that he was of noble blood, but concealing his name and family.  He saved the life of Orsi’ni in the battle of Rin’ini, and they became sworn friends.  In Venice he was introduced to a party of nobles, all of whom had some tale to tell against Lucrezia:  Orsini told him she had murdered her brother; Vitelli, that she had caused his uncle to be slain; Liverotto, that she had poisoned his uncle Appia’no; Gazella, that she had caused one of his relatives to be drowned in the Tiber.  Indignant at these acts of wickedness, Gennaro struck off the B from the escutcheon of the duke’s palace at Ferrara, changing the name Borgia into Orgia.  Lucrezia prayed the duke to put to death the man who had thus insulted their noble house, and Gennaro was condemned to death by poison.  Lucrezia, to save him, gave him an antidote, and let him out of prison by a secret door.  Soon after his liberation the princess Negroni, a friend of the Borgias, gave a grand supper, to which Gennaro and his companions were invited.  At the close of the banquet they were all arrested by Lucrezia after having drunk poisoned wine.  Gennaro was told he was the son of Lucrezia, and died.  Lucrezia no sooner saw him die than she died also.—­Donizetti, Lucrezia di Borgia (an opera, 1835).

BOROS’KIE (3 syl.), a malicious counsellor of the great-duke of
Moscovia.—­Beaumont and Fletcher, The Loyal Subject (1618).

BOR’OUGHCLIFF (Captain), a vulgar Yankee, boastful, conceited, and slangy.  “I guess,” “I reckon,” “I calculate,” are used indifferently by him, and he perpetually appeals to sergeant Drill to confirm his boastful assertions:  as, “I’m a pretty considerable favorite with the ladies; arn’t I, sergeant Drill?” “My character for valor is pretty well known; isn’t it, sergeant Drill?” “If you once saw me in battle, you’d never forget it; would he, sergeant Drill?” “I’m a sort of a kind of a nonentity; arn’t I, sergeant Drill?” etc.  He is made the butt of Long Tom Coffin.  Colonel Howard wishes him to marry his niece Katharine, but the young lady has given her heart to lieutenant Barnstable, who turns out to be the colonel’s son, and succeeds at last in marrying the lady of his affection.—­E.  Fitzball, The Pilot.

BORRE (1 syl.), natural son of king Arthur, and one of the knights of the Round Table.  His mother was Lyonors, an earl’s daughter, who came to do homage to the young king.—­Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, i. 15 (1470).

[Illustration] Sir Bors de Granis is quite another person, and so is king Bors of Gaul.

BORRO’MEO (Charles), cardinal and archbishop of Milan.  Immortalized by his self-devotion in ministering at Mil’an to the plague-stricken (1538-1584).