Brewer's: Blatant Beast

(The ). “A dreadful fiend of gods and men, ydrad,” type of “Common Rumour” or “Slander.” He has 100 tongues and a sting; with his tongues he speaks things “most shameful, most unrighteous, most untrue;” and with his sting “steeps them in poison.” Sir Calidore muzzled the monster, and drew him with a chain to Faërie Land. After a time the beast broke his chain and regained his liberty. (Saxon, blæton, to bellow.) (Spenser: Faërie Queene, books v. vi.)

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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