_Waverley_ (time, George II.).

DUNCE, wittily or willfully derived from Duns, surnamed "Scotus."

In the Gaelic, _donas [means]_ "bad luck" or in contempt, "a poor
ignorant creature." The Lowland Scotch has _donsie_, "unfortunate,
stupid."--_Notes and Queries_, 225, September 21, 1878.

DUN'CIAD ("_the dunce epic_"), a satire by Alexander Pope--written to
revenge himself upon his literary enemies. The plot is this: Eusden
the poet-laureate being dead, the goddess of Dulness elects Colley
Cibber as his successor. The installation is celebrated by games, the
most important being the "reading of two voluminous works, one in
verse and the other in prose, without nodding." King Cibber is then
taken to the temple of Dulness, and lulled to sleep on the lap of the
goddess. In his dream he sees the triumphs of the empire. Finally the
goddess having established the kingdom on a firm basis, Night and
Chaos are restored, and the poem ends (1728-42).

DUNDAS, _(Starvation)_, Henry Dundas, first Lord Melville. So called
because he introduced into the language the word _starvation_, in a
speech on American affairs (1775).

DUNDER _(Sir David_), of Dunder Hall, near Dover. An hospitable,
conceited, whimsical old gentleman, who forever interrupts a speaker
with "Yes, yes, I know it," or "Be quiet, I know it." He rarely
finishes a sentence, but runs on in this style: "Dover is an odd sort
of a--eh?" "It is a dingy kind of a--humph!" "The ladies will be happy
to--eh?" He is the father of two daughters, Harriet and Kitty, whom he
accidentally detects in the act of eloping with two guests. To prevent
a scandal, he sanctions the marriages, and discovers that the two
lovers, both in family and fortune, are suitable sons-in-law.

_Lady Dunder_, fat, fair, and forty if not more. A country lady, more
fond of making jams and pastry than doing the fine lady. She prefers
cooking to croquet, and making the kettle sing to singing herself.
(See HARRIET and KITTY.)--G. Colman, _Ways and Means_ (1788).

William Dowton [1764-1851] played "Sir Anthony Absolute," "Sir Peter
Teazle," "Sir David Dunder," and "Sir John Falstaff," and looked the
very characters he represented.--W. Donaldson, _Recollections_.

[Illustration] "Sir Anthony Absolute," in _The Rivals_ (Sheridan);
"Sir Peter Teazle," in _The School for Scandal_ (Sheridan).

DUNDREAR'Y _(Lord)_, a good natured, indolent, blundering,
empty-headed swell; the chief character in Tom Taylor's dr