BUR’BON (i.e.  Henri IV. of France).  He is betrothed to Fordelis (France), who has been enticed from him by Grantorto (rebellion).  Being assailed on all sides by a rabble rout, Fordelis is carried off by “hell-rake hounds.”  The rabble batter Burbon’s shield (protestantism), and compel him to throw it away.  Sir Artegal (right or justice) rescues the “recreant knight” from the mob, but blames him for his unknightly folly in throwing away his shield (of faith).  Talus (the executive) beats off the hellhounds, gets possession of the lady, and though she flouts Burbon, he catches her up upon his steed and rides off with her.—­Spenser, Faery Queen, v. 2 (1596).

BURCHELL (Mr.), alias sir William Thornhill, about thirty years of age.  When Dr. Primrose, the vicar of Wakefield, loses L1400, Mr. Burchell presents himself as a broken-down gentleman, and the doctor offers him his purse.  He turns his back on the two flash ladies who talked of their high-life doings, and cried “Fudge!” after all their boastings and remarks.  Mr. Burchell twice rescues Sophia Primrose, and ultimately marries her.—­Goldsmith, Vicar of Wakefield (1765).

BURGUNDY (Charles the Bold, duke of) introduced by sir W. Scott in Quentin Durward and in Anne of Geierstein.  The latter novel contains the duke’s defeat at Nancy, and his death (time, Edward IV.).

BURIDAN’S ASS.  A man of indecision is so called from the hypothetical ass of Buridan, the Greek sophist.  Buridan maintained that “if an ass could be placed between two hay-stacks in such a way that its choice was evenly balanced between them, it would starve to death, for there would be no motive why he should choose the one and reject the other.”

BURLEIGH (William Cecil, lord), lord treasurer to queen Elizabeth (1520-1598), introduced by sir W. Scott in his historical novel called Kenilworth (time, Elizabeth).

He is one the principal characters in The Earl of Essex, a tragedy by Henry Jones (1745).

Burleigh (Lord), a parliamentary leader in The Legend of Montrose, a novel by sir W. Scott (time, Charles I.).

A lord Burleigh shake of the head, a great deal meant by a look or movement, though little or nothing is said.  Puff, in his tragedy of the “Spanish Armada,” introduces lord Burleigh, “who has the affairs of the whole nation in his head, and has no time to talk;” but his lordship comes on the stage and shakes his head, by which he means far more than words could utter.  Puff says: 

Why, by that shake of the head he gave you to understand that even though they had more justice in their cause and wisdom in their measures, yet, if there was not a greater spirit shown on the part of the people, the country would at last fall a sacrifice to the hostile ambition of the Spanish monarchy.

  Sneer.  Did he mean all that by shaking his
  head?