Chapter Armida to Arsaces of A by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Arpasia, the betrothed of Monesês, a Greek, but made by constraint the bride of Bajazet sultan of Turkey. Bajazet commanded Monesês to be bow-strung in the presence of Arpasia, to frighten her into subjection, but she died at the sight.—Rowe: Tamerlane (1702).

Arrant Knave (An), a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon nearo-cnápa (“great knave”). Similarly, nearo-bregd (“great fear”); nearo-gráp (“great grip”); nearowrence (“great deceit”), etc.

Arrot (Dame), the weasel in the beast-epic of Reynard the Fox (1498).

Arrow in the Fable (The). “The arrow, like that in the fable, has to be aimed at a mark which the archer’s eye is allowed to see only as reflected on some other substance.” The allusion is to the Parthians, who shot behind them when in flight. It is said that each Parthian horseman carried on his back a “reflecting plate of metal,” in which the man behind saw reflected those in pursuit. He shot, therefore, over his left shoulder, guided by the reflection of the foe in the back of the man before him.

Arrow Festival (The), instituted by Zoroaster to commemorate the flight of the arrow shot from the top of the Peak of Demavend, in Persia, with such miraculous prowess as to reach the banks of the Oxus, causing the whole intervening country to be ceded to Persia.

Arrow shot a Mile. Robin Hood and Little John “frequently shot an arrow a measured mile” (1760 yards).

Tradition informs us that in one of Robin Hood’s peregrinations, attended by Little John, he went to dine at Whitby Abbey with the abbot Richard… they went to the top of the abbey, and each of them shot an arrow, which fell not far from Whitby-laths, and a pillar was set up by the abbot where each arrow was found … both fell more than a measured mile from the abbey.—Charlton: History of Whitby, York, 146.

Arsaces, the patronymic name of the Persian kings, from Arsaces, their great monarch. It was generally added to some distinctive name or appellation, as the Roman emperors added the name of Cæsar to their own.

Cujus memoriæ hunc honorem Parthi tribuerunt ut omnes exinde reges suos Arsâcis nomine nuncupent.—Justin: Historiaræ Philippica, xli.