=Spear of Achillês.= Telĕphos, son-in-law of Priam, opposed the Greeks in their voyage to Troy. A severe contest ensued, and Achillês, with his spear, wounded the Mysian king severely. He was told by an oracle that the wound could be cured only by the instrument which gave it; so he sent to Achillês to effect his cure. The surly Greek replied he was no physician, and would have dismissed the messengers with scant courtesy, but Ulysses whispered in his ear that the aid of Telephos was required to direct them on their way to Troy. Achillês now scraped some rust from his spear, which, being applied to the wound, healed it. This so conciliated Telephos that he conducted the fleet to Troy, and even took part in the war against his father-in-law. Achillês’ and his father’s javelin caused Pain first, and then the boon of health restored. Dantê, _Hell_, xxxi. (1300). And fell in speche of Telephus, the king, And of Achilles for his queinte spere, For he coude with it both hele and dere (_i.e._, wound). Chaucer, _Canterbury Tales_ (“The Squire’s Tale”). Whose smile and frown, like to Achillês’ spear, Is able with the change to kill and cure. Shakespeare, _2 Henry VI._ act v. sc. 1 (1591). ⁂ The plant milfoil or yarrow, called by the old herbalists, _Achilles_, is still used in medicine as a tonic. The leaves were at one time much used for healing wounds, and are still employed for this purpose in Scotland, Germany, France, and other countries. =Spearman= (_Rosanna_). Housemaid in the employ of Lady Verinder, and a reformed thief. She is infatuated with Franklin Blake, who is quite ignorant of her passion. Learning, accidentally, that he has, as a sleep-walker, stolen the diamond, she tries to use the knowledge to establish a hold upon him. Failing in this, she drowns herself in a quicksand, leaving behind her a confession of her hopeless love and the means she had used to avert suspicion from him.--Wilkie Collins, _The Moonstone_. =Spears of Spyinghow= (_The Three_), in the troop of Fitzurse.--Sir W. Scott, _Ivanhoe_ (time, Richard I.). =Speech ascribed to Dumb Animals.= Al Borak, the animal which conveyed Mahomet to the seventh heaven; Arīon, the wonderful horse which Herculês gave to Adrastos; Balaam’s ass (_Numb._ xxii. 28-30); the black pigeons of Dodōna; Comrade, Fortunio’s horse; Katmîr, the dog of the Seven Sleepers; Sâleh’s camel; Temliha, king of the serpents; Xanthos, the horse of Achillês. Frithjof’s ship, _Ellīda_, could not speak, but it understood what was said to it.