Chapter Calydon to Camilla of C by Brewer's Readers Handbook

blade; (3) a mirror, which would reveal conspiracies, tell who were faithful and loyal, and in whom trust might be confided. He also sent Canacê (daughter of Cambuscan) a ring that she might know the virtues of all plants, and by aid of which she would be able to understand the language of birds, and even to converse with them.—Chaucer: Canterbury Tales (“The Squire’s Tale,” 1388).

Cambyses, a pompous, ranting character in Preston’s tragedy of that name (1569).

I must speak in passion, and I will do it in king Cambyses’ vein.—Shakespeare: I Henry IV. act ii. sc. 4 (1597).

Cambyses and Smerdis. Cambysês king of Persia killed his brother Smerdis from the wild suspicion of a mad man, and it is only charity to think that he was really non compos mentis.

Behold Cambisês and his fatal daye…
While he his brother Mergus cast to slaye,
A dreadful thing, his wittes were him bereft.
   —Sackville: A Mirrour for Magistraytes (“The Complaynt,” 1587).

Camden Society (The), established, in 1838, for the republication of British historical documents. So named in honour of William Camden, the historian (1551–1623).

Camel. The pelican is called the “river camel;” in French chameau d’ eau’; and in Arabic jimmel el bahar.

We saw abundance of camels [i.e.pelicans], but they did not come near enough for us to shoot them.—Norden: Voyage.

Cameliard, the realm of Leodogran or Leodogrance, father of Guinevere (Guin-e-ver) wife of Arthur.

Leodogran, the king of Cameliard
Had one fair daughter and none other child…
Guinevere, and in her his one delight
   —Tennyson: Coming of Arthur.

Camelot. There are two places so called. The place referred to in King Lear is in Cornwall, but that of Arthurian renown was in Winchester. In regard to the first Kent says to Cornwall, “Goose, if I had you upon Sarum Plain, I’d drive ye cackling home to camelot,” i.e. to Tintagil or Camelford, the “home” of the duke of Cornwall. But the Camelot of Arthur was in Winchester, where visitors are still shown certain large entrenchments once pertaining to “king Arthur’s palace.”

Sir Balin’s sword was put into marble stone, standing it upright as a great millstone, and it swam down the stream to the city of Camelot, that is, in English, Winchester.—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur, i. 44 (1470).camel

In some places, even in Arthurian romance, Camelot seems the city on the Camel, in Cornwall. Thus, when sir Tristram left Tintagil to go to Ireland, a tempest “drove him back to Camelot” (pt. ii. 19).

Camilla, the virgin queen of the Volscians, famous for her fleetness of foot. She aided Turnus against Æneas.

Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain,
Files o’er th’ unbending corn, or skims along the main.

Camilla, wife of Anselmo of Florence. Anselmo, in order to rejoice in her incorruptible fidelity, induced his friend Lothario to try to corrupt her. This he did, and Camilla was not trial-proof, but fell. Anselmo for a time was kept in the dark, but at the end Camilla eloped with Lothario. Anselmo died of grief, Lothario was slain in battle, and Camilla died in a convent.—Cervantes: Don Quixote, I. iv. 5, 6 (“Fatal Curiosity,” 1605).

Camilla, a novel by Mde. D’Arblay, authoress of Evelina, etc., published 1796.