DESMONDS OF KILMALLOCK (Limerick).  The legend is that the last powerful head of this family, who perished in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, still keeps his state under the waters of Lough Gur, that every seventh year he re-appears fully armed, rides round the lake early in the morning, and will ultimately return in the flesh to claim his own again. (See BARBAROSSA.)—­Sir W. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel.

DESPAIR (Giant), lived in Doubting Castle.  He took Christian and Hopeful captive for sleeping on his grounds, and locked them in a dark dungeon from Wednesday to Saturday, without “one bit of bread, or drop of drink, or ray of light.”  By the advice of his wife, Diffidence, the giant beat them soundly “with a crab-tree cudgel.”  On Saturday night Christian remembered he had a key in his bosom, called “Promise,” which would open any lock in Doubting Castle.  So he opened the dungeon door, and they both made their escape with speed.—­John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress, i. (1678).

DEUCE IS IN HIM (The) a farce by George Colman, senior.  The person referred to is Colonel Tember, under which name the plot of the farce is given (1762).

DEUGA’LA, says Ossian, “was covered with the light of beauty, but her heart was the house of pride.”

DEVE’TA, plu.  Devetas, inferior or secondary deities in Hindu mythology.

DEVIL (The).  Olivier le Daim, the tool of Louis XL, and once the king’s barber, was called Le Diable, because he was as much feared, was as fond of making mischief, and was far more disliked than the prince of evil.  Olivier was executed in 1484.

Devil (The French), Jean Bart, an intrepid French sailor, born at Dunkirk (1650-1702).

Devil (The White).  George Castriot, surnamed “Scanderbeg,” was called by the Turks “The White Devil of Wallachia” (1404-1467).

Devil (The Printer’s).  Aldus Manutius, a printer in Venice to the holy Church and the doge, employed a negro boy to help him in his office.  This little black boy was believed to be an imp of Satan, and went by the name of the “printer’s devil.”  In order to protect him from persecution, and confute a foolish superstition, Manutius made a public exhibition of the boy, and announced that “any one who doubted him to be flesh and blood might come forward and pinch him.”

Devil (Robert the), of Normandy; so called because his father was said to have been an incubus or fiend in the disguise of a knight (1028-1035).

[Illustration] Robert Francois Damiens is also called Robert le Diable, for his attempt to assassinate Louis XV. (1714-1757).

Devil (Son of the), Ezzeli’no, chief of the Gibelins, governor of Vicenza.  He was so called for his infamous cruelties (1215-1259).

DEVIL DICK, Richard Porson, the critic, (1759-1808).

DEVIL ON TWO STICKS, (The), that is Le Diable Boiteux, by Lesage (1707).  The plot of this humorous satirical tale is borrowed from the Spanish, El Diabolo Cojuelo, by Gueva’ra (1635).  Asmode’us (le diable boiteux) perches Don Cle’ofas on the steeple of St. Salvador, and stretching out his hand, the roofs of all the houses open, and expose to him what is being done privately in every dwelling.