Clara (Donna), the troth-plight wife of Octavio.  Her affianced husband, having killed Don Felix in a duel, was obliged to lie perdu for a time, and Clara, assuming her brother’s clothes and name, went in search of him.  Both came to Salamanca, both set up at the Eagle, both hired the same servant, Lazarillo, and ere long they met, recognized each other, and became man and wife.—­Jephson, Two Strings to your Bow (1792).

Clara [DOUGLAS], a lovely girl of artless mind, feeling heart, great modesty, and well accomplished.  She loved Alfred Evelyn, but refused to marry him because they were both too poor to support a house.  Evelyn was left an immense fortune, and proposed to Georgina Vesey, but Georgina gave her hand to Sir Frederick Blount.  Being thus disentangled, Evelyn again proposed to Clara, and was joyfully accepted.—­Lord L. Bulwer Lytton, Money (1840).

CLARCHEN [Kler’.kn], a female character in Goethe’s Egmont, noted for her constancy and devotion.

CLARE (Ada), cousin of Richard Carstone, both of whom are orphans and wards in Chancery.  They marry each other, but Richard dies young, blighted by the law’s delays in the great Chancery suit of “Jarndyce v.  Jarndyce.”—­C.  Dickens, Bleak House (1853).

CLARENCE (George Duke of), introduced by Sir W. Scott in Anne of Geierstein (time Edward IV.).

CLARENCE AND THE MALMSEY BUTT.  According to tradition, George, Duke of Clarence, having joined Warwick to replace Henry VI. on the throne, was put to death, and the choice being offered him, was drowned in a butt of malmsey wine (1478).

CLARENDON (The Earl of), Lord Chancellor to Charles II.  Introduced by Sir W. Scott in Woodstock (time, Commonwealth).

CLARIBEL (Sir), surnamed “The Lewd.”  One of the six knights who contended for the false Florimel.—­Spenser, Faery Queen, iv. 9 (1593).

Clar’ibel, the pseudonym of Mrs. Barnard, author of numerous popular songs (from 1865 to).

CLAR’ICE (3 syl.), wife of Rinaldo, and sister of Huon of Bordeaux.  Introduced in the romances of Bojardo, Ariosto, Tasso, etc.

CLARIN OR CLARIN’DA, the confidential maid of Radigund, queen of the Am’azons.  When the queen had got Sir Ar’tegal into her power, and made him change his armor for an apron, and his sword for a distaff, she fell in love with the captive, and sent Clarin to win him over by fair promises and indulgences.  Clarin performed the appointed mission, but fell in love herself with the knight, and told the queen that Sir Artegal was obstinate, and rejected her advances with scorn.—­Spenser, Faery Queen, v. 5 (1596).

CLARINDA, the heroine of Mrs. Centlivre’s drama The Beau’s Duel (1703).

[Illustration] “Estifania,” in Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, by Beaumont and Fletcher.