DERVISH ("a poor man"), a sort of religious friar or mendicant among the Mohammedans.

DESBOROUG-H (Colonel), one of the parliamentary commissioners.—­Sir W. Scott, Woodstock (time, Commonwealth).

DESDEMO’NA, daughter of Brabantio, a Venetian senator, in love with Othello the Moor (general of the Venetian army).  The Moor loves her intensely, and marries her; but Iago, by artful villainy, induces him to believe that she loves Cassio too well.  After a violent conflict between love and jealousy, Othello smothers her with a bolster, and then stabs himself.—­Shakespeare, Othello (1611.)

The soft simplicity of Desdemona, confident of merit and conscious of innocence, her artless perseverance in her suit, and her slowness to suspect that she can be suspected, are proofs of Shakespeare’s skill in human nature.—­Dr. Johnson.

DESERT FAIRY (The).  This fairy was guarded by two lions, that could be pacified only by a cake made of millet, sugar-candy, and crocodiles’ eggs.  The Desert Fairy said to Allfair, “I swear by my coif you shall marry the Yellow Dwarf, or I will burn my crutch.”—­Comtesse D’Aunoy, Fairy Tales ("The Yellow Dwarf,” 1682).

DESERTED DAUGHTER (The), a comedy by Holcroft.  Joanna was the daughter of Mordent, but her mother died, and Mordent married Lady Anne.  In order to do so he ignored his daughter and had her brought up by strangers, intending to apprentice her to some trade.  Item, a money-lender, acting on the advice of Mordent, lodges the girl with Mrs. Enfield, a crimp, where Lennox is introduced to her, and obtains Mordent’s consent to run away with her.  In the interim Cheveril sees her, falls in love with her, and determines to marry her.  Mordent repents, takes the girl home, acknowledges her to be his daughter, and she becomes the wife of the gallant young Cheveril (1784).

[Illustration] This comedy has been recast, and called The Steward.

DESERTER (The), a musical drama by Dibdin (1770).  Henry, a soldier, is engaged to Louisa, but during his absence some rumors of gallantry to his disadvantage reach the village, and to test his love, Louisa in pretence goes with Simkin as if to be married.  Henry sees the procession, is told it is Louisa’s wedding day, and in a fit of desperation gives himself up as a deserter, and is condemned to death.  Lousia goes to the king, explains the whole affair, and returns with his pardon as the muffled drums begin to beat.

DESMAS.  The repentant thief is so called in The Story of Joseph of Arimathea; but Dismas in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. Longfellow, in The Golden Legend, calls him Dumachus.  The impenitent thief is called Gestas, but Longfellow calls him Titus.

Imparibus meritis pendent tria corpora ramis:  Dismas et Gesmas, media est Divina Potestas; Alta petit Dismas, infelix infima Gesmas; Nos et res nostras conservet Summa Potestas.

  Of differing merits from three trees incline
  Dismas and Gesmas and the Power Divine;
  Dismas repents, Gesmas no pardon craves,
  The power Divine by death the sinner saves.