nd joined the conspiracy of Pierre to
murder the senators. He tells Belvidera of the plot, and Belvidera,
in order to save her father, persuades Jaffier to reveal the plot to
Priuli, if he will promise a general free pardon. Priuli gives the
required promise, but notwithstanding, all the conspirators, except
Jaffier, are condemned to death by torture. Jaffier stabs Pierre to
save him from the dishonor of the wheel, and then kills himself.
Belvidera goes mad and dies.--Otway, _Venice Preserved_ (1682).

BEN [LEGEND], sir Sampson Legend's younger son, a sailor and
a "sea-wit," in whose composition there enters no part of the
conventional generosity and open frankness of a British tar. His slang
phrase is "D'ye see," and his pet oath "Mess!"--W. Congreve, _Love for
Love_ (1695). I cannot agree with the following sketch:--

What is _Ben_--the pleasant sailor which Bannister gives us--but a
piece of satire ... a dreamy combination of all the accidents of a
sailor's character, his contempt of money, his credulity to women,
with that necessary estrangement from home?... We never think the
worse of Ben for it, or feel it as a stain upon his character.--C.
Lamb.

C. Dibdin says: "If the description of Thom. Doggett's performance of
this character be correct, the part has certainly never been performed
since to any degree of perfection."

BEN BOLT, old schoolmate with whom Thomas Dunn English exchanges
reminiscences in the ballad, _Ben Bolt_, beginning:

Don't you remember sweet Alice, Ben Bolt?
Sweet Alice, whose hair was so brown;
Who wept with delight when you gave her a smile,
And trembled with fear at your frown. (1845.)

BEN-HUR, a young Jew, who, for accidentally injuring a Roman soldier,
is condemned to the galleys for life. Escaping, after three years of
servitude, through the favor of Arrius, a Roman Tribune, he seeks his
mother and sister to find both lepers. They are healed by Christ,
whose devoted followers they become.--Lew Wallace, _Ben-Hur: A Tale of
the Christ_ (1880).

BEN ISRAEL (_Nathan_) or NATHAN BEN SAMUEL, the physician and friend
of Isaac the Jew.--Sir W. Scott, _Ivanhoe_ (time, Richard I.).

BEN JOC'HANAN, in the satire of _Absalom and Achitophel_, by Dryden
and Tate, is meant for the Rev. Samuel Johnson, who suffered much
persecution for his defence of the right of private judgment.

Let Hebron, nay, let hell produce a man
So made for mischief as Ben Jochanan.
A Jew of hum