Chapter Afrit or Afreet to AGNES of A by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Agatha, daughter of Cuno, and the betrothed of Max, in Weber’s opera of Der Freischütz. (See Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, p. 21.)

Agathocles , tyrant of Sicily. He was the son of a potter, and raised himself from the ranks to become general of the army. He reduced all Sicily under his power. When he attacked the Carthaginians, he burnt his ships, that his soldiers might feel assured they must either conquer or die. Agathoclês died of poison administered by his grandson (B. C. 361-289).

(Voltaire has a tragedy called Agathocle, and Caroline Pichler has an excellent German novel entitled Agathoclês.)

Julian, the Roman emperor (361-363), when he crossed the Tigris, in his war against the Persians, burnt his ships; but, after many victories, was mortally wounded and died.

Agathon, the hero and title of a philosophic romance by C. M. Wieland (1733–1813). This is considered the best of his novels, though some prefer his Don Sylvio de Rosalva.

Agathos, a volume of allegorical stories by Samuel Wilberforce, bishop of Winchester, published in 1840.

Agdistes , the mystagog of the Acrasian bower, or the evil genius loci. Spenser says the ancients call “Self” the Agdistes of man; and the Socratic “dæmon” was his Agdistes.

They in that place him “Genius” did call;
Not that celestial power … sage Antiquity
Did wisely make, and good Agdistes call;
But this … was … the foe of life.
   —Spenser: Faërie Queene, ii. 12 (1590).

Agdistis, a genius of human form, uniting the two sexes, and born of the stone Agdus (q.v.). This tradition has been preserved by Pausanias.

Agdus, a stone of enormous size, parts of which were taken by Deucalion and Pyrrha to throw over their heads, in order to repeople the world desolated by the Flood.—Arnobius.

Aged (The), so Wemmick’s father is called. He lived in “the castle at Walworth.” Wemmick at “the castle” and Wemmick in business are two “different beings.”

Wemmick’s house was a little wooden cottage, in the midst of plots of garden, and the top of it was cut out and painted like a battery mounted with guns.… It was the smallest of houses, with queer Gothic windows (by far the greater part of them sham), and a Gothic door, almost too small to get in at.… On Sundays he ran up a real flag.… The bridge was a plank, and it crossed a chasm about four feet wide and two deep. … At nine o’clock every night “the gun fired, the gun being mounted in a separate fortress made of lattice-work. It was protected from the weather by a tarpaulin … umbrella.—Dickens: Great Expectations, xxv. (1860).

Agelastes (Michael), the cynic philosopher.—Sir W. Scott: Count Robert of Paris (time, Rufus).

Ages. The Age of the Bishops, according to Hallam, was the ninth century.

The Age of the Popes, according to Hallam, was the twelfth century.

Varo recognizes Three Ages: 1st. From the beginning of man to the great Flood (the period wholly unknown). 2nd. From the Flood to the first Olympiad (the mythical period). 3rd. From the first Olympiad to the present time (the historical period).—Varo: Fragments, 219 (edit. Scaliger).

Agesilaus . Plutarch tells us that Agesilaus king of Sparta was one day discovered riding cock-horse on a long stick, to please and amuse his children.