Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 | Page 3

3. She is the paramour of Kirkrapine, who used to

rob churches and poor-boxes, and bring his plunder to Abessa, daughter
of Corceca (Blindness of Heart).
ABIGAIL, typical name of a maid.--See Beaumont and Fletcher, Swift,
Fielding, and many modern writers.
ABNEY, called Young Abney, the friend of colonel Albert Lee, a
royalist.--Sir W. Scott, Woodstock (time, the Commonwealth).
ABON HASSAN, a young merchant of Bag dad, and hero of the tale
called "The Sleeper Awakened," in the Arabian Nights' Entertainments.
While Abon Hassan is asleep he is conveyed to the palace of
Haroun-al-Raschid, and the attendants are ordered to do everything
they can to make him fancy himself the caliph. He subsequently
becomes the caliph's chief favorite.
Shakespeare, in the induction of Taming of the Shrew, befouls
"Christopher Sly" in a similar way, but Sly thinks it was "nothing but a
dream."
Philippe le Bon, duke of Burgundy, on his marriage with Eleonora,
tried the same trick.--Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy, ii. 2,4.
ABOU BEN ADHEM, "awakening one night from a deep dream of
peace," sees an angel writing the names of those who love the Lord.
Ben Adhem's name is registered as "one who loves his fellow-men." A
second vision shows his name at the head of the list.
Abou Ben Adhem. By Leigh Hunt (1784-1859).
ABRA, the most beloved of Solomon's concubines. Fruits their odor
lost and meats their taste, If gentle Abra had not decked the feast;
Dishonored did the sparkling goblet stand, Unless received from gentle
Abra's hand; ... Nor could my soul approve the music's tone Till all was
hushed, and Abra sang alone.
M. Prior, Solomon (1664-1721).

AB'RADAS, the great Macedonian pirate.
Abradas, the great Macedonian pirate, thought every one had a letter of
mart that bare sayles in the ocean.--Greene, Penelope's Web (1601).
ABROC'OMAS, the lover of An'thia in the Greek romance of
Ephesi'aca, by Xenophon of Ephesus (not the historian).
AB'SALOM, in Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel, is meant for the
duke of Monmouth, natural son of Charles II. (David). Like Absalom,
the duke was handsome; like Absalom, he was beloved and rebellious;
and like Absalom, his rebellion ended in his death (1649-1685).
AB'SOLON, a priggish parish clerk in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. His
hair was curled, his shoes slashed, his hose red. He could let blood, cut
hair, and shave, could dance, and play either on the ribible or the gittern.
This gay spark paid his addresses to Mistress Alison, the young wife of
John, a rich but aged carpenter: but Alison herself loved a poor scholar
named Nicholas, a lodger in the house.--_The Miller's Tale_ (1388).
ABSOLUTE (Sir Anthony), a testy but warm-hearted old gentleman,
who imagines that he possesses a most angelic temper, and when he
quarrels with his son, the captain, fancies it is the son who is out of
temper, and not himself. Smollett's "Matthew Bramble" evidently
suggested this character. William Dowton (1764-1851) was the best
actor of this part.
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).