Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 16

ANIMULA, beauteous being revealed in a drop of water by a microscope of extraordinary and inconceivable power.--_The Diamond Lens_, by Fitz-James...o...b..ien (1854).

ANJOU (_The Fair Maid of_), lady Edith Plantagenet, who married David earl of Huntingdon (a royal prince of Scotland). Edith was a kinswoman of Richard Coeur de Lion, and an attendant on queen Berengaria.

[Ill.u.s.tration: symbol] Sir Walter Scott has introduced her in _The Talisman_ (1825).

ANN (_The princess_), lady of Beaujeu.--Sir W. Scott, _Quentin Durward_ (time, Edward IV.).

_Ann_ (_The Lady_), the wife who, in John G. Saxe's ballad, _The Lady Ann_, goes mad at the news of the death of sir John, her husband (1868).

ANNA (_Donna_), the lady beloved by don Otta'vio, but seduced by don Giovanni.--Mozart's opera, _Don Giovanni_ (1787).

AN'NABEL, in _Absalom and Achitophel_, by

Dryden, is the d.u.c.h.ess of Monmouth, whose maiden name was Anne Scott (countess of Buccleuch). She married again after the execution of her faithless husband.

With secret joy indulgent David [_Charles II_.]

viewed His youthful image in his son renewed; To all his wishes nothing he denied, And made the charming Annabel his bride.

Part i.

ANNABEL LEE. Edgar A. Poe's poem of this name is supposed to be a loving memorial to his young wife, Virginia Clemm, who died of consumption at Fordham, N.Y., in 1847.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven Went envying her and me; Yes! that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. (1848.)

ANNA PASTORIUS, wife of Pastorius in Whittier's poem, _The Pennsylvania Pilgrim_. At his cry "Help! for the good man faileth!"

she points to her aloe-tree, and reminds him that as surely as "the century-moulded bud shall burst in bloom," love and patience will soon or late conquer wrong (1872).

AN'NAPLE [BAILZOU], Effie Dean's "monthly" nurse.--Sir W. Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, George II.).

_An'naple_, nurse of Hobbie Elliot of the Heugh-foot, a young farmer.--Sir W. Scott, _The Black Dwarf_ (time, Anne).

ANNE (_Sister_), the sister of Fat'ima, the seventh and last wife of Blue Beard. Fatima, having disobeyed her lord by looking into the locked chamber, is allowed a short respite before execution. Sister Anne ascends the high tower of the castle, with the hope of seeing her brothers, who are expected to arrive every moment. Fatima, in her agony, keeps asking "sister Anne" if she can see them, and Blue Beard keeps crying out for Fatima to use greater despatch. As the patience of both is exhausted, the brothers arrive, and Fatima is rescued from death.--Charles Perrault, _La Barbe Bleue_.

_Anne_, own sister of king Arthur. Her father was Uther the pendragon, and her mother Ygerna, widow of Gorlos. She was given by her brother in marriage to Lot, consul of Londonesia, and afterwards king of Norway.--Geoffrey, _British History_, viii. 20, 21.

[Ill.u.s.tration] In Arthurian romance this Anne is called Margawse (_History of Prince Arthur_, i. 2); Tennyson calls her Bellicent (_Gareth and Lynette_). In Arthurian romance Lot is always called king of Orkney.

ANNE CATHERICK, half-witted girl, the natural sister of Laura Fairlie, to whom she bears a strong resemblance. This circ.u.mstance suggests to the villain of the book the deception of showing her dead body as that of Laura, as a step toward securing the fortune of the latter.--_The Woman in White_, by Wilkie Collins (1865).

ANNE DOUGLAS, heroine of _Anne_, a novel by Constance Fenimore Woolson (1882). The scene laid on the Island of Mackinac, Mich.

ANNETTE, daughter of Mathis and Catherine, the bride of Christian, captain of the patrol.--J.E. Ware, _The Polish Jew_.

ANNETTE AND LUBLIN, by Marmontel, imitated from the _Daphnis and Chloe_ of Longos (_q.v._).

ANNIE KILBURN, the conscientious heiress who returns to a New England homestead after long residence abroad, and endeavors to do her duty in the station to which Providence has called her. Prim, pale, pretty, and not youthful except in heart.--_Annie Kilburn_, by William Dean Howells (1888).

AN'NIE LAU'RIE, eldest of the three daughters of sir Robert Laurie, of Maxwelton. In 1709 she married James Fergusson, of Craigdarroch, and was the mother of Alexander Fergusson, the hero of Burns's song _The Whistle_. The song of _Annie Laurie_ was written by William Douglas, of Fingland, in the stewardry of Kirkcud'bright, hero of the song _Willie was a Wanton Wag_. (See WHISTLE.)

Bayard Taylor has used the ballad with thrilling effect in his poem _The Song of the Camp_.

They sang of love, and not of fame, Forgot was Britain's glory, Each heart recalled a different name, But all sang "Annie Laurie."

Voice after voice caught up the song Until its tender pa.s.sion Rose, like an anthem, rich and strong, Their battle-eve confession.

Dear girl! her name he dared not speak, But as the song grew louder, Something upon the soldier's cheek Washed off the stain of powder.

AN'NIE WIN'NIE, one of the old sibyls at Alice Gray's death; the other was Ailsie Gourlay.--Sir W. Scott, _The Bride of Lammermoor_ (time, William III.).

ANNIR, king of Inis-thona (an island of Scandinavia). He had two sons (Argon and Ruro) and one daughter. One day Cor'malo, a neighboring chief, came and begged the honor of a tournament. Argon granted the request, and overthrew him, which so vexed Cormalo that during a hunt he shot both the brothers secretly with his bow. Their dog Runa ran to the palace, and howled so as to attract attention; whereupon Annir followed the hound, and found both his sons dead, and on his return he further found that Cormalo had carried off his daughter. Oscar, son of Ossian, led an army against the villain, and slew him; then liberating the young lady, he took her back to Inis-thona, and delivered her to her father.--_Ossian_ ("The War of Inis-thona").

AN'NOPHEL, daughter of Cas'silane (3 _syl_.) general of Candy.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Laws of Candy_ (1647).

ANSELM, prior of St. Dominic, the confessor of king Henry IV.--Sir W.

Scott, _The Fair Maid of Perth_ (time, Henry IV.).

ANSELME (2 _syl_.), father of Valere (2 _syl_.) and Mariane (3 _syl_.). In reality he is don Thomas d'Alburci, of Naples. The family were exiled from Naples for political reasons, and being shipwrecked were all parted. Valere was picked up by a Spanish captain, who adopted him; Mariane fell into the hands of a corsair, who kept her a captive for ten years, when she effected her escape; and Anselme wandered from place to place for ten years, when he settled in Paris, and intended to marry. At the expiration of sixteen years they all met in Paris at the house of Har'pagon, the miser. Valere was in love with Elise (2 _syl_.), the miser's daughter, promised by Harpagon in marriage to Anselme; and Mariane, affianced to the miser's son Cleante (2 _syl_.), was sought in marriage by Harpagon, the old father. As soon as Anselme discovered that Valere and Mariane were his own children, matters were soon amicably arranged, the young people married, and the old ones retired from the unequal contest.--Moliere, _L'Avare_ (1667).

ANSELMO, a n.o.ble cavalier of Florence, the friend of Lothario. Anselmo married Camilla, and induced his friend to try to corrupt her, that he might rejoice in her incorruptible fidelity. Lothario unwillingly undertook the task, and succeeded but too well. For a time Anselmo was deceived, but at length Camilla eloped, and the end of the silly affair was that Anselmo died of grief, Lothario was slain in battle, and Camilla died in a convent.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. iv. 5, 6; _Fatal Curiosity_ (1605).

AN'STER (_Hob_), a constable at Kinross village.--Sir W. Scott, _The Abbot_ (time, Elizabeth).

ANSTISS DOLBEARE, heroine of Mrs. A.D.T. Whitney's novel, _Hitherto_, a sensitive, imaginative, morbid, motherless girl who is "all the time holding up her soul ... with a thorn in it" (1872).

ANTAE'OS, a gigantic wrestler of Libya (or _Ira.s.sa_). His strength was inexhaustible so long as he touched the earth, and was renewed every time he did touch it. Her'cules killed him by lifting him up from the earth and squeezing him to death. (See MALEGER.)

As when earth's son Antaeus ... in Ira.s.sa strove With Jove's Alcides, and oft foiled, still rose, Receiving from his mother earth new strength, Fresh from his fall, and fiercer grapple joined, Throttled at length in the air, expired and fell.

Milton, _Paradise Regained_, iv. (563).

[Ill.u.s.tration] Similarly, when Bernardo del Carpio a.s.sailed Orlando or Rolando at Roncesvalles, as he found his body was not to be pierced by any instrument of war, he took him up in his arms and squeezed him to death.

N.B.--The only vulnerable part of Orlando was the sole of his foot.

ANTE'NOR, a traitorous Trojan prince, related to Priam. He advised Ulysses to carry away the palladium from Troy, and when the wooden horse was built it was Antenor who urged the Trojans to make a breach in the wall and drag the horse into the city.--Shakespeare has introduced him in _Troilus and Cressida_ (1602).

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 Ba.s.sanio. The conditions of the loan were these: if the money was paid within the time, only the princ.i.p.al 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).