Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 | Page 9

daughter of Latinus king of Italy, by whom he had a posthumous son
called Aene'as Sylvius. He succeeded his father-in-law in the kingdom,
and the Romans called him their founder.

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth "Brutus," the first king of Britain
(from whom the island was called Britain), was a descendant of Æneas.
AENE'ID, the epic poem of Virgil, in twelve books. When Troy was
taken by the Greeks and set on fire, Aene'as, with his father, son, and
wife, took flight, with the intention of going to Italy, the original
birthplace of the family. The wife was lost, and the old father died on
the way; but after numerous perils by sea and land, Æneas and his son
Asca'nius reached Italy. Here Latïnus, the reigning king, received the
exiles hospitably, and promised his daughter Lavin'ia in marriage to
Æneas; but she had been already betrothed by her mother to prince
Turnus, son of Daunus, king of Ru'tuli, and Turnus would not forego
his claim. Latinus, in this dilemma, said the rivals must settle the
dispute by an appeal to arms. Turnus being slain, Æneas married
Lavinia, and ere long succeeded his father-in-law on the throne.
Book I. The escape from Troy; Æneas and his son, driven by a tempest
on the shores of Carthage, are hospitably entertained by queen Dido.
II. Æneas tells Dido the tale of the wooden horse, the burning of Troy,
and his flight with his father, wife, and son. The wife was lost and died.
III. The narrative continued. The perils he met with on the way, and the
death of his father.
IV. Dido falls in love with Æneas; but he steals away from Carthage,
and Dido, on a funeral pyre, puts an end to her life.
V. Æneas reaches Sicily, and celebrates there the games in honor of
Anchises. This book corresponds to the Iliad, xxiii.
VI. Æneas visits the infernal regions. This book corresponds to
Odyssey, xi.
VII. Latinus king of Italy entertains Æneas, and promises to him
Lavinia (his daughter) in marriage, but prince Turnus had been already
betrothed to her by the mother, and raises an army to resist Æneas.

VIII. Preparations on both sides for a general war.
IX. Turnus, during the absence of Æneas, fires the ships and assaults
the camp. The episode of Nisus and Eury'alus.
X. The war between Turnus and Æneas. Episode of Mezentius and
Lausus.
XI. The battle continued.
XII. Turnus challenges Æneas to single combat, and is killed.
N.B.--1. The story of Sinon and taking of Troy is borrowed from
Pisander, as Macrobius informs us.
2. The loves of Dido and Æneas are copied from those of Medea and
Jason, in Apollonius.
3. The story of the wooden horse and the burning of Troy are from
Arcti'nus of Miletus.
AE'OLUS, god of the winds, which he keeps imprisoned in a cave in
the Æolian Islands, and lets free as he wishes or as the over-gods
command.
Was I for this nigh wrecked upon the sea, And twice by awkward wind
from England's bank Drove back again unto my native clime?... Yet
Aeolus would not be a murderer, But left that hateful office unto thee.
Shakespeare, 2 Henry VI. act v, sc. 2 (1591).
AESCULA'PIUS, in Greek, ASKLE'PIOS, the god of healing.
What says my Æsculapius? my Galen?... Ha! is he dead?
Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, act ii. sc. 3 (1601).
AE'SON, the father of Jason. He was restored to youth by Medea, who
infused into his veins the juice of certain herbs.

In such a night, Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs That did renew old
Aeson. Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, act v. sc. I (before 1598).
ÆSOP, the fabulist, said to be humpbacked; hence, "an Æsop" means a
humpbacked man. The young son of Henry VI. calls his uncle Richard
of Gloster "Æsop."--3 Henry VI. act v. sc. 5.
Aesop of Arabia, Lokman; and Nasser (fifth century).
Aesop of England, John Gay (1688-1732).
Aesop of France, Jean de la Fontaine (1621-1695).
Aesop of Germany, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781).
Aesop of India, Bidpay or Pilpay (third century B.C.).
AFER, the south-west wind; Notus, the full south.
Notus and Afer, black with thundrous clouds. Milton, Paradise Lost, x.
702 (1665).
AFRICAN MAGICIAN (The), pretended to Aladdin to be his uncle,
and sent the lad to fetch the "wonderful lamp" from an underground
cavern. As Aladdin refused to hand it to the magician, he shut him in
the cavern and left him there. Aladdin contrived to get out by virtue of
a magic ring, and learning the secret of the lamp, became immensely
rich, built a superb palace, and married the sultan's daughter. Several
years after, the African resolved to make himself master of the lamp,
and accordingly walked up and down before the palace, crying
incessantly, "Who