A “cankered, crabbed earl,” very wealthy, but miserly and mean.
He seems to be the impersonation of self-inflicted torments. He
married a young wife named Helenore, who set fire to his house, and
eloped
with Sir Paridel. Malbecco cast himself over a high rock, and all his
flesh vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing but his ghost,
which was metamorphosed into Jealousy. (Spenser: Faërie Queene, book iii.)
More on Malbecco from Infoplease:
- Malbecco - Malbecco A “cankered, crabbed earl,” very wealthy, but miserly and mean. He seems to be ...
- Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: M - Definitions, origins, and illustrative excerpts for words, phases, and literary allusions starting with "M"
See a map of "" in the Visual Thesaurus
