LITERATURE 



343 



NAMES IN FICTION, LITERARY 

 PLOTS, AND ALLUSIONS 



A-bad'don. The Hebrew name of an evil spirit or 

 destroying angel called Apollyon in Greek. In mediaeval 

 literature he is regarded aa the chief of the demons of 

 the seventh hierarchy and the one who causes wars. 

 and uproars. Klopstock has introduced him in his 

 Messiah under the name of Abad'onna. He represents 

 him as a fallen angel still bearing traces of his former 

 dignity and repenting of his part in the rebellion against 

 God. In Bunyan's "Pilgrims Progress," he meets and 

 fights with Pilgrim. 



Abdall'ah. Life of Mohammed, Washington 

 Irving. In Mohammedan legend it is said that Ab- 

 dallah, the father of Mohammed, was so beautiful, that 

 when he married Amina, 200 virgins broke their hearts 

 from disappointed love. 



Ab-di'el. Paradise Lost, Milton. The name of 

 raph, who, when Satan stirred up a revolt, boldly 

 withstood him. 



Abon'de. A character in French literature that 

 corresponds to our Santa Glaus, the good fairy who 

 comes at night, especially New Year's night, to bring 

 toys to children while they sleep. 



Ab'on Hassan. Arabian Nights. As related in 

 "Arabian Nights." Abon Hassan is a merchant of Bag- 

 dad who is carried in his sleep to the bed of the Calipn 

 Haroun-al-Raschid and on awaking is made to believe 

 himself the caliph. Twice in this way he was made to 

 believe himself caliph and afterward became in reality 

 the caliph's favorite and companion. 



A-brax'as. In Persian literature Abraxas denotes 

 a supreme being. In Greek notation it stands for the 

 number 365. In old tales or romances Abraxas presides 

 over 36o impersonated virtues, one of which is supposed 

 to prevail on each day of the year. In the Second 

 Century the word was employed by the Basilid'ians 

 for the deity: it was also the principle of the Gnostic 

 hierarchy, and that from which sprang their numerous 

 JEons. 



Ab'sa-lom. Absalom and Achitophel, Dryden. 

 A name given by Dryden, in his satirical poem " Absalom 

 and Achitophel," to the Duke of Monmouth, a natural 

 son of Charles II. Like Absalom, the son of David. 

 Monmouth. was remarkable for his personal beauty, his 

 popularity, and his undutifulness to his father. 



Ab' solute. Captain. The Rivals, Sheridan. A 

 character in Sheridan's comedy, "The Rivals." He is 

 distinguished for hi? gallant, determined spirit, his quick- 

 ness of speech, and dry humor. 



Absolut.-. Sir Anthony. Th<> Hi\:i|s. Shrridan. 

 An amusing character in Sheridan's "Rivals." He is 

 represented as testy, positive, impatient, and over- 

 bearing. but yet of a warm and generous disposition. 



Vhudah. A merchant of Ballad. He finds the 

 only way to rid himself of the torment of an old hag by 

 whom he is haunted is ".to fear God and keep His com- 

 mandments." 



A-ca'dl-a. The name is said to be derived from 



.t>enacadie. the name of one of the principal rivers" 



in old grants called L'Acadie," and 



" La Cadie." the original, and now the poetic, name of 



Nova Scotia. In 1755, the French inhabitants were 



seized, forcibly removed, and dispersed among the Eng- 



lish colonists on the Atlantic Coast. Ixmgfellow has 



made this event the suhjcct of his poem " Evangel! nr." 



\-< hii <.-pti. I. Aii-.ilnm and Arhltophel, Dry- 



di ii. Aehitopbat, a DMOUOM uivm to the first Earl 



of Bhafteabury >> hi* oontampoiarka, and made use of 



': vd.-n in hi* JMKTM " Ah.xalom and Achitophel," a 



satire designed aa a defense of CLnl.-- n. against the 



Whig party. There is said to be a utriking n-M-n.i 



between the character and r.-.r.-.-r <>f Shaftesbury and 



those of Achitophel. or Ahitoph.-l. tho treacherous fn.-i.d 



and counselor of David, and the fellow-conspirator of 



Absalom. 



\-ra'l-a. Fairy <jn.-.-n. spenser. A witch 

 represented aa a lovely and charming woman, whose 

 ...w.-r of Hh.H, which i M mated on an 

 island flouting in a lake or gulf, and is adorned 

 everything in nature that can de-light the nennen. 



:ies intemperance. She to it 

 of sen.-uou.< indulgence and Intoxication. 



lu-t rates the opposite virtue, in 

 thr fairy queen to bring her into subjection, and to 



Acrostic. A form of verse in which the first letters 

 of the lines form a word, usually a name. The Hebrews 

 wrote a form of acrostic poetry in which the initial 

 letters made their alphabet in regular order. Some of 

 the Psalms of the Old Testament are on this plan, especi- 

 ally the one hundred and nineteenth psalm. 



Ad'am. (1) Adam is a character frequently alluded 

 to in the "Talmud." Many strange legends are related 

 of him. He was buried, so Arabian tradition says, on 

 Aboncais, a mountain of Arabia. (2) In As Tou Like 

 It, Shakes pe re, he is an aged servant to Orlando and 

 offers to accompany Orlando in his flight and to share 

 with him his carefully-hoarded savings of 500 pounds. 

 (3) In Comedy of Errors, Shakespere, Adam is an 

 officer known by his dress, a skin-coat. 



Adamas'tor. Luciad, Camoens. (1) A hideous 

 phantom described by Camoens as the spirit of the 

 stormy cape (Cape of Good Hope). (2) Adamastor is 

 described as one of the giants who invaded heavrn. 



Ad'ams, Parson. Joseph Andrews, Fielding. 

 A character in Fielding's story of "Joseph Andrews, ' 

 distinguished for his goodness of heart, poverty, learning, 

 and ignorance of the world, combined with courage. 

 modesty, and a thousand oddities. 



Ad'emar or Ad'e-ma-ro. Jerusalem Delivered, 

 Tasso. An ecclesiastical warrior who besought the 

 pope that he might be sent on the crusades. He was 

 slain in an attack on Antioch but in the final attack on 

 Jerusalem his spirit came with three squadrons of angels 

 to aid the besiegers. 



Adol'pha. Maid of Marlendqrft. Knowles. 

 Adolpha, the daughter of General Kleiner, Governor of 

 Prague, and wife of Idemstein, is known for her 

 of too sweet nature," which Knowles in his romance 

 pictures as a fault. 



Ad'o-na'ls. A poetical name given by Shelley to the 



;its, on whose untimely death he wrote an elegy 



bearing this name for its title. The name was coined by 



Shelley probably to hint an analogy between Keats's fate 



and that of Adonis. 



yE-ne'as. The hero of Virgil's . neid, son of Anchises 

 and the goddess Venus, and to him is ascribed the 

 foundation of the Roman Empire. He is called the 

 "Pious /Eneas." because he carried his father Anchises 

 on his shoulders from burning Troy. 



yKneid. Virgil introduces into his poem the outlines 

 of the Roman history, and a number of interesting 

 episodes. The three first books are not arranged in 

 the order of time. The second book, which relates the 

 downfall of Troy, and is the basis of the poem, is the 

 first in time. The third, which relates the voyage of 

 /Eneas, till after his departure from Sicily for Italy. 

 follows. The first, which relates the dispersion of !..-< 

 fleet, and his arrival in Africa, with his kind reception 

 by Dido, succeeds the third. By this change the hero 

 relates the downfall of his country, and the fortunes of 

 his long and eventful voyage. Virgil's .-Kneid is an 

 epic of national life. The idea which underlies the 

 whole action of the poem is the great part played by 

 Rome in the history of the world. 



Adrastus. Jerusalem Delivered. Tasso. 'An 

 Indian prince from the banks of the Ganges, who aided 

 tin* King of Egypt against the crusaders. He was dis- 

 tinguished by his garment, a serpent's skin. Adrastua 

 was slain by Hinaldo. 



Agamrm'non. A Tragedy by jEsohylus. The 

 first of a triology consisting of Agamemnon, Clurphonr. 

 and Eumenides. 



Ag'ncs. (1) A young girl in Moliere's "L'Eoole dea 

 Femmes," who affects to be remarkably simple and 



. KI.II. i in- HI\;I|S. Sheridan. A character 

 hrated for his cowardice and hi- 

 peculiar method of allegorical swearing. 



ingenuous. The name has iwuwd into popular use, and 



(-applied to any >otmn woman iniM.phit irat.-d in affair?-. 



(2) A strong womanly character in David t . pnerfield, 



who proves a trur friend t<> David'* "child 



and to David himself. Later Dora dies and David 



V u.i plda. Fray Antonio. Thr imaginary chronicler 

 Conquest of Granada." written by Washington 



A'U>. A, Ills' KiiK-rfalnmrnt, 



third Calendar in i hi- ill Three Calendars." 



/.hts." 

 A-gra-Mi.in I.- \iii.i-ni.ini. King of the Moon 



-to'- |H.i-m ill "tlilai>iii I urioSO." 



A'gur- rhri'k. Sir Andr.u. I \\.lfili NmM. 



. A MM.pl, 



whom life -oni-t- only of eating and drinking. Hi i* 

 -nipid I-M-II to -illmrM, but K> n 



that ho i- delightful in lux nimplicity. 

 VI, in, ,1. Pun. 



n magic tent he POIWWMH! which would cover a whole 



;t might I.,- rnrnr.l m the porkrt. HP also DO- 



ewed a magic apple which would cure all di 



