Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's HandbookBrewer, Ebenezer Cobham
General
Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook
Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham
Allusions; Fiction -- Dictionaries; Literature -- Dictionaries
ANTHEA, beautiful woman to whom Herrick addresses several poems.
ANTHI'A, the lady beloved by Abroc'omas in the Greek romance called
_De Amoribus Anthiae et Abrocomae_, by Xenophon of Ephesus, who lived
in the fourth Christian century. (This is not Xenophon the historian,
who lived B.C. 444-359.)
ANTHONIO, "the merchant of Venice," in Shakespeare's drama so called
(1598). Anthonio borrows of Shylock, a Jew, 3000 ducats for three
months, to lend to his friend Bassanio. The conditions of the loan
were these: if the money was paid within the time, only the principal
should be returned; but if not, the Jew should be allowed to cut from
Anthonio's body "a pound of flesh." As the ships of Anthonio were
delayed by contrary winds, he was unable to pay within the three
months, and Shylock demanded the forfeiture according to the bond.
Portia, in the dress of a law-doctor, conducted the case, and when the
Jew was about to cut the flesh, stopped him, saying--(1) the bond gave
him no drop of blood; and (2) he must take neither more nor less than
an exact pound. If he shed one drop of blood or if he cut more or
less than an exact pound, his life would be forfeit. As it was quite
impossible to comply with these restrictions, the Jew was nonsuited,
and had to pay a heavy fine for seeking the life of a citizen.
_Antho'nio_, the ursuping duke of Milan, and brother of Pros'pero (the
rightful duke, and father of Miranda).--Shakespeare, _The Tempest_
(1609).
_Antho'nio_, father of Protheus, and suitor of Julia.--Shakespeare,
_The Two Gentlemen of Verona_ (1594).
AN'THONY, an English archer in the cottage of farmer Dickson, of
Douglasdale.--Sir W. Scott, _Castle Dangerous_ (time, Henry I.).
_An'thony_, the old postillion at Meg Dods's, the landlady of the inn
at St. Ronan's Well.--Sir W. Scott, _St. Ronan's Well_ (time, George
III.).
ANTID'IUS, bishop of Jaen, martyred by the Vandals in 411. One day,
seeing the devil writing in his pocket-book some sin committed by the
pope, he jumped upon his back and commanded his Satanic majesty to
carry him to Rome. The devil tried to make the bishop pronounce the
name of Jesus, which would break the spell, and then the devil would
have tossed his unwelcome burden into the sea, but the bishop only
cried, "Gee up, devil!" and when he reached Rome he was covered with
Alpine snow. The chronicler naïvely adds, "the hat is still shown at
Rome in confirmation of this miracle."--_General Chronicle of King
Alphonso the Wise_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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