CLAU’DIUS, King of Denmark, who poisoned his brother, married the widow, and usurped the throne.  Claudius induced Laertes to challenge Hamlet to play with foils, but persuaded him to poison his weapon.  In the combat the foils got changed, and Hamlet wounded Laertes with the poisoned weapon.  In order still further to secure the death of Hamlet, Claudius had a cup of poisoned wine prepared, which he intended to give Hamlet when he grew thirsty with playing.  The queen, drinking of this cup, died of poison, and Hamlet, rushing on Claudius, stabbed him and cried aloud, “Here, thou incestuous, murderous Dane....  Follow my mother!”—­Shakespeare, Hamlet (1596). [Illustration] In the History of Hamblet, Claudius is called “Fengon,” a far better name for a Dane.

Claudius, the instrument of Appius the decemvir for entrapping Virginia.  He pretended that Virginia was his slave, who had been stolen from him and sold to Virginius.—­J.  S. Knowles, Virginius (1820).

Claudius (Mathias), a German poet born at Rheinfeld, and author of the famous song called Rheinweinlied ("Rhenish wine song"), sung at all convivial feasts of the Germans.

  Claudius, though he sang of flagons,
  And huge tankards filled with Rhenish,
  From the fiery blood of dragons
  Never would his own replenish. 
  Longfellow, Drinking Song.

CLAUS (Peter). (See under K.)

Claus (Santa), a familiar name for St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children.  On Christmas Eve German children have presents stowed away in their socks and shoes while they are asleep, and the little credulous ones suppose that Santa Claus or Klaus placed them there.

St. Nicholas is said to have supplied three destitute maidens with marriage portions by secretly leaving money with their widowed mother, and as his day occurs just before Christmas, he was selected for the gift-giver on Christmas Eve.—­Yonge.

“CLAVERHOUSE,” or the Marquis of Argyll, a kinsman of Ravenswood, introduced by Sir W. Scott in The Bride of Lammermoor (time, William III.).

Claver’house (3 syl.), John Graham of Claverhouse (Viscount Dundee), a relentless Jacobite, so rapacious and profane, so violent in temper and obdurate of heart, that every Scotchman hates the name.  He hunted the Covenanters with real vindictiveness, and is a by-word for barbarity and cruelty (1650-1689).

CLAVIJO (Don), a cavalier who “could touch the guitar to admiration, write poetry, dance divinely, and had a fine genius for making bird-cages.”  He married the Princess Antonomesia of Candaya, and was metamorphosed by Malambruno into a crocodile of some unknown metal.  Don Quixote disenchanted him “by simply attempting the adventure.”—­ Cervantes, Don Quixote, II. iii. 4, 5 (1615).

CLAVILEN’O, the wooden horse on which Don Quixote got astride in order to disenchant the Infanta Antonoma’sia, her husband, and the Countess Trifaldi (called the “Dolori’da Duena").  It was “the very horse on which Peter of Provence carried off the fair Magalone, and was constructed by Merlin.”  This horse was called Clavileno or wooden Peg, because it was governed by a wooden pin in the forehead.—­Cervantes, Don Quixote, II. iii. 4, 5 (1615).