Robert Belmont, the younger of the two brothers, in love with Sophia Dove.  He went to sea in a privateer under captain Ironside, his uncle, and changed his name to Lewson.  The vessel was wrecked on the Cornwall coast, and he renewed his acquaintance with Sophia, but heard that she was engaged in marriage to his brother.  As, however, it was proved that his brother was already married, the young lady willingly abandoned the elder for the younger brother.—­K.  Cumberland, The Brothers (1769).

BELMOUR (Edward), a gay young man about town.—­Congreve, The Old Bachelor (1693).

Belmour (Mrs.), a widow of “agreeable vivacity, entertaining manners, quickness of transition from one thing to another, a feeling heart, and a generosity of sentiment.”  She it is who shows Mrs. Lovemore the way to keep her husband at home, and to make him treat her with that deference which is her just due.—­A.  Murphy, The Way to Keep Him (1760).

BELOVED DISCIPLE (The), St. John “the divine,” and writer of the fourth Gospel.—­John xiii. 23, etc.

BELOVED PHYSICIAN (The), St. Luke the evangelist.—­Col. iv. 14.

BEL’PHEGOR, a Moabitish deity, whose orgies were celebrated on mount Phegor, and were noted for their obscenity.

BELPHOE’BE (3 syl.).  “All the Graces rocked her cradle when she was born.”  Her mother was Chrysog’one (4 syl.), daughter of Amphisa of fairy lineage, and her twin-sister was Amoretta.  While the mother and her babes were asleep, Diana took one (Belphoebe) to bring up, and Venus took the other.

[Illustration] Belphoebe is the “Diana” among women, cold, passionless, correct, and strong-minded.  Amoret is the “Venus,” but without the licentiousness of that goddess, warm, loving, motherly, and wifely.  Belphoebe was a lily; Amoret a rose.  Belphoebe a moonbeam, light without heat; Amoret a sunbeam, bright and warm and life-giving.  Belphoebe would go to the battle-field, and make a most admirable nurse or lady-conductor of an ambulance; but Amoret would prefer to look after her husband and family, whose comfort would be her first care, and whose love she would seek and largely reciprocate.—­See Spenser, Faery Queen, iii. vi. (1590).

[Illustration] “Belphoebe” is queen Elizabeth.  As queen she is Gloriana, but as woman she is Belphoebe, the beautiful and chaste.

  Either Grloriana let her choose,
  Or in Belphoebe fashioned to be;

  In one her rule, in the other her rare chastitie.

  Spenser, Faery Queen (introduction to bk. iii.).

BELTED WILL, lord William Howard, warden of the western marches (1563-1640).

  His Bilboa blade, by Marchmen felt,
  Hung in a broad and studded belt;
  Hence in rude phrase the Borderers still
  Called noble Howard “Belted Will.”

  Sir W. Scott.