_Captain Absolute_, son of sir Anthony, in love with Lydia Languish, the heiress, to whom he is known only as ensign Beverley. Bob Acres, his neighbor, is his rival, and sends a challenge to the unknown ensign; but when he finds that ensign Beverley is captain Absolute, he declines to fight, and resigns all further claim to the lady's hand.--Sheridan, _The Rivals_ (1775). ABSYRTUS, brother of Medea and companion of her flight from Colchis. To elude or delay her pursuers, she cut him into pieces and strewed the fragments in the road, that her father might be detained by gathering up the remains of his son. _Abu'dah_, in the drama called _The Siege of Damascus_, by John Hughes (1720), is the next in command to Caled in the Arabian army set down before Damascus. Though undoubtedly brave, he prefers peace to war; and when, at the death of Caled, he succeeds to the chief command, he makes peace with the Syrians on honorable terms. ABU'DAH, in the _Tales of the Genii_, by H. Ridley, is a wealthy merchant of Bag dad, who goes in quest of the talisman of Oroma'nes, which he is driven to seek by a little old hag, who haunts him every night and makes his life wretched. He finds at last that the talisman which is to free him of this hag [_conscience_] is to "fear God and keep his commandments." ACADE'MUS, an Attic hero, whose garden was selected by Plato for the place of his lectures. Hence his disciples were called the "Academic sect." The green retreats of Academus. Akenside, _Pleasures of Imagination_, i (1721-1770). ACAS'TO (_Lord_), father of Seri'no, Casta'lio, and Polydore; and guardian of Monimia "the orphan." He lived to see the death of his sons and his ward. Polydore ran on his brother's sword, Castalio stabbed himself, and Monimia took poison.--Otway, _The Orphan_ (1680). ACES'TES (3 _syl_.). In a trial of skill, Acestes, the Sicilian, discharged his arrow with such force that it took fire from the friction of the air.--_The Æneid_, Bk. V. Like Acestes' shaft of old, The swift thought kindles as it flies. Longfellow, _To a Child_. ACHATES [_A-ka'-teze_], called by Virgil "fidus Achates." The name has become a synonym for a bosom friend, a crony, but is generally used laughingly.--_The Æneid_. He, like Achates, faithful to the tomb. Byron, _Don Juan_, i. 159. ACHER'IA, the fox, went partnership with a bear in a bowl of: milk. Before the bear arrived, the fox skimmed off the cream and drank the milk; then, filling the bowl with mud, replaced the cream atop. Says the fox, "Here is the bowl; one shall have the cream, and the other all the rest: choose, friend, which you like." The bear told the fox to take the cream, and thus bruin had only the mud.--_A Basque Tale_. A similar tale occurs in Campbell's _Popular Tales of the West Highlands_ (iii. 98), called "The Keg of Butter." The wolf chooses the _bottom_ when "oats" were the object of choice, and the _top_ when "potatoes" were the sowing.