Chapter Al Rakim to Amalthea of A by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Altisidora, one of the duchess’s servants, who pretends to be in love with don Quixote, and serenades him. The don sings his re sponse that he has no other love than what he gives to his Dulcinea, and while he is still singing he is assailed by a string of cats, let into the room by a rope. As the knight was leaving the mansion, Altisidora accused him of having stolen her garters, but when the knight denied the charge, the damsel protested that she said so in her distraction, for her garters were not stolen. “I am like the man,” she said, “looking for his mule at the time he was astride its back.”—Cervantes: Don Quixote, II. iii. 9, etc.; iv. 5 (1615).

Alton (Miss), alias Miss Clifford, a sweet, modest young lady, the companion of Miss Alscrip, “the heiress,” a vulgar, conceited parvenue. Lord Gayville is expected to marry “the heiress,” but detests her, and loves Miss Alton, her humble companion. It turns out that £2000 a year of “the heiress’s” fortune belongs to Mr. Clifford (Miss Alton’s brother), and is by him settled on his sister. Sir Clement Flint destroys this bond, whereby the money returns to Clifford, who marries lady Emily Gayville, and sir Clement settles the same on his nephew, lord Gayville, who marries Miss Alton.—Burgoyne: The Heiress (1781).

Alton Locke, tailor and poet, a novel by the Rev. Charles Kingsley (1850). This novel won for the author the title of “The Chartist Clergyman.”

Alzirdo, king of Tremizen, in Africa, overthrown by Orlando in his march to join the allied army of Agramant.—Ariosto: Orlando Furioso (1516).

Amadis of Gaul, a love-child of king Perion and the princess Elizena. He is the hero of a famous prose romance of chivalry, the first four boo ks of which (in old French) are attributed to Vasco de Lobeira of Portugal, who died 1403. Three othe r books were added in the same century, and were translated into Spanish in 1460 by Montalvo, who added a fifth book. The five were rendered into French by Herberay, who increased the series to twenty-four books. Lastly, Gilbert Saunier added seven more volumes, and called the entire series Le Roman des Romans.

Whether Amadis was French or British is disputed. Some maintain that “Gaul” means Wales, not France; that Elizena was princess of Brittany (Bretagne), and that Perion was king of Gaul (Wales), not Gaul (France).

Amadis de Gaul was a tall man, of a fair complexion, his aspect something between mild and austere, and had a handsome black beard. He was a person of very few words, was not easily provoked, and was soon appeased.—Cervantes: Don Quixote, II. i. 1 (1615).

(William Stewart Rose has a poem in three books, called Amadis of Gaul, 1803.)

As Arthur is the cen tral figure of British romance, Charlemagne of French, and Diderick of German, so Amadis is the central fi gure of Spanish and Portuguese romance; but there is this difference—the tale of Amadis is a connec ted whole, concluding with the marriage of the hero with Oriana. The intervening parts are only the obstacles he encountered and overcame in obtaining this consummation. In the Arthurian romances, and those of the Charlemagne series, we have a number of adventures of different heroes, but there is no unity of purpose, each set of adventures is complete in itself.

(Southey the poet has an admirable abridgment of Amadis of Gaul, and also of Palmerin of England. Bernardo Tasso wrote Amadigi di Gaula in 1560.)

Amadis of Greece, a supplemental part of Amadis of Gaul, by Feliciano de-Silva. There are also several other Amadises—as Amadis of Colchis, Amadis of Trebisond, Amadis of Cathay; but all these are very inferior to the original Amadis of Gaul.

The ancient fables, whose relickes doe yet remain, namely, Lancelot of the Lake, Pierceforest, Tristram, Giron the Courteous, etc., doe beare witnesse of this odde vanitie. Herewith were men fed for the space of 500 yeeres, untill our language growing more polished, and our minds more ticklish, they were driven