BOTTOM (Nick), an Athenian weaver, a compound of profound ignorance and unbounded conceit, not without good-nature and a fair dash of mother-wit.  When the play of Pyramus and Thisbe is cast, Bottom covets every part; the lion, Thisbe, Pyramus, all have charms for him.  In order to punish Titan’ia, the fairy-king made her dote on Bottom, on whom Puck had placed an ass’s head.—­Shakespeare, Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Bottom.  An’ I may hide my face; let me play
Thisby, too:  I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice.

* * * * *

Let me play the lion, too; I will roar that I will
do any man’s heart good to hear me.

Midsummer Night’s Dream, i. 2.

BOUBEKIR’ MUEZ’IN, of Bag dad, “a vain, proud, and envious iman, who hated the rich because he himself was poor.”  When prince Zeyn Alasnam came to the city, he told the people to beware of him, for probably he was “some thief who had made himself rich by plunder.”  The prince’s attendant called on him, put into his hand a purse of gold, and requested the honor of his acquaintance.  Next day, after morning prayers, the iman said to the people, “I find, my brethren, that the stranger who is come to Bag dad is a young prince possessed of a thousand virtues, and worthy the love of all men.  Let us protect him, and rejoice that he has come among us.”—­Arabian Nights ("Prince Zeyn Alasnam").

BOUCHARD (Sir), a knight of Flanders, of most honorable descent.  He married Constance, daughter of Bertulphe provost of Bruges.  In 1127 Charles “the Good,” earl of Flanders, made a law that a serf was always a serf till manumitted, and whoever married a serf became a serf.  Now, Bertulphe’s father was Thancmar’s serf, and Bertulphe, who had raised himself to wealth and great honor, was reduced to serfdom because his father was not manumitted.  By the same law Bouchard, although a knight of royal blood became Thancmar’s serf because he married Constance, the daughter of Bertulphe (provost of Bruges).  The result of this absurd law was that Bertulphe slew the earl and then himself, Constance went mad and died, Bouchard and Thancmar slew each other in fight, and all Bruges was thrown into confusion.—­S.  Knowles, The Provost of Bruges (1836).

BOU’ILLON (Godfrey duke of), a crusader (1058-1100), introduced in Count Robert of Paris, a novel by Sir W. Scott (time, Rufus).

BOUNCE (Mr. T.), a nickname given in 1837 to T. Barnes, editor of the Times (or the Turnabout, as it was called).

BOUND’ERBY (Josiah), of Coketown, banker and mill-owner, the “Bully of Humility,” a big, loud man, with an iron stare and metallic laugh.  Mr. Bounderby is the son of Mrs. Pegler, an old woman, to whom he pays L30 a year to keep out of sight, and in a boasting way he pretends that “he was dragged up from the gutter to become a millionaire.”  Mr. Bounderby marries Louisa, daughter of his neighbor and friend, Thomas Gradgrind, Esq., M.P.—­C.  Dickens, Hard Times (1854).