is race, proud of his lineage, and versed
in all pertaining to Hebrew history. He dies of consumption.--George
Eliot, _Daniel Deronda_.

=Mordent=, father of Joanna, by a former wife. In order to marry Lady
Anne, he deserts Joanna and leaves her to be brought up by strangers.
Joanna is placed under Mrs. Enfield, a crimp, and Mordent consents to a
proposal of Lennox to run off with her. Mordent is a spirit embittered
with the world--a bad man, with a goading conscience. He sins and
suffers the anguish of remorse; does wrong, and blames Providence
because when he "sows the wind he reaps the whirlwind."

_Lady Anne_, the wife of Mordent, daughter of the earl of Oldcrest,
sister of a viscount, niece of Lady Mary, and one of her uncles is a
bishop. She is wholly neglected by her husband, but, like Griselda
(_q.v._), bears it without complaint.--Holcroft, _The Deserted
Daughter_ (1784, altered into _The Steward_).

=Mordred= (_Sir_), son of Margawse (sister of King Arthur), and Arthur,
her brother, while she was the wife of Lot, king of Orkney (pt. i. 2,
35, 36). The sons of Lot himself and his wife were Gaw'ain, Agravain,
Ga'heris, and Gareth, all knights of the Round Table. Out of hatred to
Sir Launcelot, Mordred and Agravain accuse him to the king of too great
familiarity with Queen Guenever, and induce the king to spend a day in
hunting. During his absence, the queen sends for Sir Launcelot to her
private chamber, and Mordred and Agravain, with twelve other knights,
putting the worst construction on the interview, clamorously assail the
chamber, and call on Sir Launcelot to come out. This he does, and kills
Agravain with the twelve knights, but Mordred makes his escape and tells
the king, who orders the queen to be burnt alive. She is brought to the
stake, but is rescued by Sir Launcelot, who carries her off to Joyous
Guard, near Carlisle, which the king besieges. While lying before the
castle, King Arthur receives a bull from the pope, commanding him to
take back his queen. This he does, but as he refuses to be reconciled to
Sir Launcelot, the knight betakes himself to Benwick, in Brittany. The
king lays siege to Benwick, and during his absence leaves Mordred
regent. Mordred usurps the crown, and tries, but in vain, to induce the
queen to marry him. When the king hears thereof, he raises the siege of
Benwick, and returns to England. He defeats Mordred at Dover, and at
Barondown, but at Salisbury (_Camlan_) Mordred