Chapter Amreet to Anacreon Moore of A by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Amreet to Anacreon Moore

Amreet, the drink which imparts immortality, or the Water of Immortality. It is obtained by churning the sea, either with the mountain Meroo or with the mountain Mandar.—Mahabharat.

“Bring forth the Amreeta-cup!” Kehama cried
To Yamen, rising sternly in his pride;
“It is within the marble sepulchre.”…
“Take! drink!” with accents dread the spectre said.
“For thee and Kailgal hath it been assigned.
Ye only of the children of mankind.”
   —Southey: Curse of Kehama, xxiv. 13(1809).

Amri, in Absalom and Achitophel, by Dryden and Tate, is Heneage Finch, earl of Nottingham and lord chancellor. He is called “The Father of Equity” (1621–1682).

To whom the double blessing did belong,
With Moses’ inspiration, Aaron’s tongue.
   —Part ii. 1023-4 (1682).

Amundeville (Lord Henry), one of the “British privy council.” After the sessions of parliament he retired to his country seat, where he entertained a select and numerous party, amongst which were the duchess of Fitz-Fulke, Aurora Raby, and don Juan “the Russian envoy.” His wife was lady Adeline. (His character is given in xiv. 70, 71.)—Byron: Don Fuan, xiii. to end.

Amurath III., sixth emperor of the Turks. He succeeded his father, Selim II., and reigned 1574–1595. His first act was to invite all his brothers to a banquet, and strangle them. Henry IV. alludes to this when he says—

This is the English, not the Turkish court;
Not Amurath an Amurath succeeds,
But Harry, Harry.
   —Shakespeare: 2 Henry IV. act v. sc. 2 (1598).

Amusements of Kings. The great amusement of Aretas of Arabia Petræa, was currying horses; of Artabanus of Persia, was mole-catching; of Domitian of Rome, was catching flies; of Ferdinand VII. of Spain, was embroidering petticoats; of Henri III., bilboquet; of Louis XVI., clock and lock making; of George IV., the game of patience.

Amyntas, in Colin Clout’s Come Home Again, by Spenser, is Ferdinando earl of Derby, who died 1594.

Amyntas, flower of shepherd’s pride forlorn.
He, whilst he lived, was the noblest swain
That ever pipèd on an oaten quill.
   —Spenser: Colin Clout’s Come Home Again (1591).

Amyntor. (See Amintor.)

Amy Robsart. (See Robsart.)

Amys and Amylion, the Damon and Pythias of mediæval romance. (See Ellis’s Specimens of Early English Metrical Romances.)

Anabasis, the expedition of the younger Cyrus against his brother Artaxerxes, and the retreat of his “ten thousand” Greeks, described by Xenophon the Greek historian.

Your chronicler, in writing this,
Had in his mind th’ Anabasis.
   —Longfellow: The Wayside Inn (an interlude).

Anacharsis. Le voyage du Jeune Anacharsis. An historical romance by l’abbé Barthélemy (1788). It is a description of Greece in the time of Periclês and Philip, and was a labour of 30 years. The introduction is especially admired. At one time it was extremely popular, but it has not maintained its original high reputation.

Anacharsis the Scythian, of princely rank, left his native country to travel in pursuit of knowledge. He reached Athens about B.C. 594, and became acquainted with Solon, etc. By his talents and acute observations he has been reckoned by some one of the “Seven Wise Men.” Barthélemy’s romance is not a translation of the Scythian’s book, but an original work called Anacharsis the Younger.