THYESTEAN REVENGE 
 
 
(Edtpus are the two most lamentable 
stories of historic fiction, and in some 
points resemble each other: Thus (Edi- 
pus married his mother, not knowing 
who   she was; Thyestes seduced      his 
daughter, not knowing who she was. 
(Edipus slew his father, not knowing who 
he was; Atreus slew his son, not know- 
ing who he was. (Edipus was driven 
from his throne by the sons born to him 
by his own mother; Atreus [At'.ruce] 
was killed by the natural son of his own 
wife. 
 
  Thymbrw'an God (The), Apollo; so 
called from a celebrated temple raised to 
his honor on a hill near the river Thym- 
brtus. 
               The Thymbraan god 
    With Mars I saw and Pallas. 
              Dant6, Purgatory, xii. (1308). 
 
  Thymert, priest     and  guardian   of 
Guenn. Beloved by the fisherfolk, and 
secretly in love with his beautiful ward. 
He finds her drowned on the shore of his 
island home.-Blanche Willis Howard, 
Guenn (1883). 
 
  Thyrsis, a herdsman introduced in the 
Idylls of Thepcrltos, and in Virgil's Ec- 
logue, vii. Any shepherd or rustic is so 
called. 
      Hard by, a cottage chimney smokes 
    From betwixt two aged oaks, 
    Where Corydon and Thyrsis met, 
    Are at their savory dinner set. 
                  Milton, IJAllegro (1638). 
 
  Thyrsus, a long pole with an orna- 
mental head of ivy, vine leaves, or a fir 
cone, carried by Bacchus and by his vota- 
ries at the celebration of his rites. It 
was emblematic of revelry and drunken- 
ness. 
 
 
[I will] abash the frantic thyrsus with my song. 
       Akenside, Hymn to the Naiads (1767). 
 
  Tibbs (Beau), a poor, clever, dashing 
young spark, who had the happy art of 
fancying he knew all the haut monde, and 
that all the monde knew him; that his gar- 
ret was the choicest spot in London, for 
its commanding view of the Thames; that 
his wife was a lady of distinguished airs; 
and that his infant daughter would marry 
a peer. He took off his hat to every man 
and woman of fashion, and made out that 
dukes, lords, duchesses, and ladies ad- 
dressed him simply as Ned. His hat was 
pinched up with peculiar smartness; his 
looks were pale, thin, and sharp, round 
his neck he wore a broad black ribbon, and 
in his bosom a glass pin; his coat was 
trimmed with tarnished lace; and his 
stockings were silk. Beau Tibbs inter- 
larded his rapid talk with fashionable 
oaths, such as, "Upon my soul ! egad! " 
  "I was asked to dine yesterday," he says, "at 
the Duchess of Piccadilly's. My Lord Mudler 
was there. 'Ned,' said he, 'I'll hold gold to 
silver I can tell you where you were poaching 
last night . . . I hope Ned, it will improve your 
fortune.' 'Fortune, my lord? five hundred a 
year at least-great secret-let it go no further.' 
My lord took me down in his chariot to his 
country seat yesterday, and we had a t4te-d-Wte 
dinner in the country." "I fancy you told us 
just now you dined yesterday at the duchess's, 
in town." "Did I so ?" replied he, coolly. "To be 
sure, egad! now I do remember-yes, I had two 
dinners yesterday."--Letter liv. 
  Mrs. Tibbs, wife of the beau, a slattern 
and a coquette, much emaciated, but with 
the remains of a good-looking woman. 
She made twenty apologies for being in 
dishabille; but had been out all night with 
the countess. Then, turning to her hus- 
band, she added, "And his lordship, my 
dear, drank your health in a bumper." 
Ned then asked his wife if she had given 
orders for dinner. "You need make no 
 
 
116 
 
 
TIBBS