Frederick Bramble, nephew of sir Robert, and son of Joseph Bramble, a Russian merchant.  His father having failed in business, Frederick is adopted by his rich uncle.  He is full of life and noble instincts, but thoughtless and impulsive.  Frederick falls in love with Emily Worthington, whom he marries.—­G.  Colman, The Poor Gentleman (1802).

BRAMINE (2 syl.) AND BRAMIN (The), Mrs. Elizabeth Draper and Laurence Sterne.  Sterne being a clergyman, and Mrs. Draper having been born in India, suggested the names.  Ten of Sterne’s letters to Mrs. Draper are published, and called Letters to Eliza.

BRAN, the dog of Lamderg the lover of Gelchossa (daughter of Tuathal).—­Ossian, Fingal, v.

[Illustration] Fingal king of Morven had a dog of the same name, and another named Luaeth.

  Call White-breasted Bran and the surly
  strength of Luaeth.—­Ossian, Fingal, vi.

BRAND (Ethan), an ex-lime burner in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story of the same name, who, fancying he has committed the Unpardonable Sin, commits suicide by leaping into the burning kiln.

Brand (Sir Denys), a county magnate, who apes humility.  He rides a sorry brown nag “not worth L5,” but mounts his groom on a race-horse “twice victor for a plate.”

BRANDAMOND of Damascus, whom sir Bevis of Southampton defeated.

That dreadful battle where with Brandamond he fought.  And with his sword and steed such earthly wonders wrought As e’en among his foes him admiration won.  M. Drayton, Polyolbion, ii. (1612).

BRAN’DAN (Island of St.) or ISLAND of SAN BORANDAN, a flying island, so late as 1755 set down in geographical charts west of the Canary group.  In 1721 an expedition was sent by Spain in quest thereof.  The Spaniards say their king Rodri’go has retreated there, and the Portuguese affirm that it is the retreat of their don Sebastian.  It was called St. Brandan from a navigator of the sixth century, who went in search of the “Islands of Paradise.”

Its reality was for a long time a matter of firm belief ... the garden of Armi’da, where Rinaldo was detained, and which Tasso places in one of the Canary Isles, has been identified with San Borandan.—­W.  Irving.

(If there is any truth at all in the legend, the island must be ascribed to the Fata Morgana.)

BRAN’DEUM, plu. Brandea, a piece of cloth enclosed in a box with relics, which thus acquired the same miraculous powers as the relics themselves.

Pope Leo proved this fact beyond a doubt, for when some Greeks ventured to question it, he cut a brandeum through with a pair of scissors, and it was instantly covered with blood.—­J.  Brady, Clavis Calendaria, 182.

BRAN’DIMART, brother-in-law of Orlando, son of Monodantes, and husband of For’delis.  This “king of the Distant Islands” was one of the bravest knights in Charlemagne’s army, and was slain by Gradasso.—­Bojardo, Orlando Innamorata (1495); Ariosto, Orlando Furioso (1516).