AM'ADIS OF GAUL, a love-child of king Per'ion and the princess Elize'na. He is the hero of a famous prose romance of chivalry, the first four books of which are attributed to Lobeira, of Portugal (died 1403). These books were translated into Spanish in 1460 by Montal'vo, who added the fifth book. The five were rendered into French by Herberay, who increased the series to twenty-four books. Lastly, Gilbert Saunier added seven more volumes, and called the entire series _Le Roman des Romans_. Whether Amadis was French or British is disputed. Some maintain that "Gaul" means _Wales_, not France; that Elizena was princess of _Brittany_ (Bretagne), and that Perion was king of Gaul (_Wales_), not Gaul _(France)._ Amadis de Gaul was a tall man, of a fair complexion, his aspect something between mild and austere, and had a handsome black beard. He was a person of very few words, was not easily provoked, and was soon appeased.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, II. i. 1 (1615). As Arthur is the central figure of British romance, Charlemagne of French, and Diderick of German, so Amadis is the central figure of Spanish and Portuguese romance; but there is this difference--the tale of Amadis is a connected whole, terminating with his marriage with Oria'na, the intervening parts being only the obstacles he encountered and overcame in obtaining this consummation. In the Arthurian romances, and those of the Charlemagne series, we have a number of adventures of different heroes, but there is no unity of purpose; each set of adventures is complete in itself. AMA'DIS OF GREECE, a supplemental part of _Amadis of Gaul_, by Felicia'no de Silva. There are also several other Amadises--as Amadis of Colchis, Amadis of Trebisond, Amadis of Cathay, but all these are very inferior to the original _Amadis of Gaul_. The ancient fables, whose relickes doe yet remain, namely, _Lancelot of the Lake, Pierceforest, Tristram, Giron the Courteous_, etc., doe beare witnesse of this odde vanitie. Herewith were men fed for the space of 500 yeeres, untill our language growing more polished, and our minds more ticklish, they were driven to invent some novelties wherewith to delight us. Thus came ye bookes of Amadis into light among us in this last age.--Francis de la Noue, _Discourses_, 87 (1587). AMAI'MON (3 _syl_.), one of the principal devils. Asmode'us is one of his lieutenants. Shakespeare twice refers to him, in 1 _Henry IV._ act ii. sc. 4, and in _The Merry Wives of Windsor_, act ii. sc. 2. AMAL'AHTA, son of Erill'yab the deposed queen of the Hoamen (2 _syl_.), an Indian tribe settled on the south of the Missouri. He is described as a brutal savage, wily, deceitful, and cruel. Amalahta wished to marry the princess Goer'vyl, Madoc's sister, and even seized her by force, but was killed in his flight.--Southey, _Madoc_, ii. 16 (1805).