Chapter Tests of Chastity to Thames of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Thaddeus of Warsaw, the hero and title of a novel by Jane Porter (1803).

Thaddu, the father of Morna, who became the wife of Comhal and the mother of Fingal.—Ossian.

Thais , an Athenian courtezan, who induced Alexander, in his cups, to set fire to the palace of the Persian kings at Persepolis.

The king seized a flambeau with zeal to destroy;
Thais led the way to light him to his prey,
And, like another Helen, fired another Troy.
   —Dryden: Alexander’s Feast (1697).

Thaïsa, daughter of Simonidês king of Pentapolis. She married P ericlês prince of Tyre. In her voyage to Tyre, Thaïsa gave birth to a daughter, and dying, as it was supposed, in chil dbirth, was cast into the sea. The chest in which she was placed drifted to Ephesus, and fell into the h ands of Cerimon, a physician, who soon discovered that she was not dead. Under proper care, she entirely recovered, and became a priestess in the temple of Diana. Periclês, with his daughter and her betrothed husband, visiting the shrine of Diana, they became known to each other, and the whole mystery was cleared up.—Shakespeare: Pericles Prince of Tyre (1608).

Thalaba ebn Hateb, a poor man, who came to Mahomet, requesting him to beg God to bestow on him wealth, and promising to employ it in works of godliness. The “prophet” made the petition, and Thalaba rapidly grew rich. One day, Mahomet sent to the rich man for alms, but Thalaba told the messengers their demand savoured more of tribute than of charity, and refused to give anything; but afterwards repenting, he took to the “prophet” a good round sum. Mahomet now refused to accept it, and, throwing dust on the ungrateful churl, exclaimed, “Thus shall thy wealth be scattered!” and the man became poor again as fast as he had grown rich.—Al Korân, ix. (Sale’s notes).

Thalaba the Destroyer—that is, the de stroyer of the evil sp irits of Dom-Daniel. He was the only s urviv ing ch ild of H odeirah and his wife Zeinab ; their other eight children had been cut off by the Dom-Danielists, because it had been decreed by fate that “one of th e race would be their destruction.” When a mere stripling, Thalaba was left motherless and fatherless (bk. i.); he then found a home in the tent of a Bedouin named Moath, who had a daughter Oneiza . Here he was found by Abdaldar, an evil spirit sent from Dom-Daniel to kill him; but the spirit was killed by a simoom just as he was about to stab the boy, and Thalaba was saved (bk . ii.). He now drew from the finger of A bdaldar the magic ring which gave him power over all spirits; an d, thus armed, he set out “to avenge the death of his father” (bk. iii.). On his way to Babylon, he was encountered by a merchant, who was in reality the sorcerer Lobaba in disguise. This sorcerer led Thalaba astray into the wilderness, and then raised up a whirlwind to destroy him; but the whirlwind was the death of Lobaba himself, and again Thalaba escaped (bk. iv.). He reached Babylon at length, and met there Mohareb, another evil spirit, disguised as a warrior, who conducted him to the “mouth of hell.” Thalaba detected the villainy, and hurled the false one into the abyss (bk. v.). The young “Destroyer” was next conveyed to “the paradise of pleasure,” but he resisted every temptation, and took to flight just in time to save Oneiza, who had been brought there by violence (bk. vi.). He then killed with a club Aloadin, the presiding spirit of the garden, was made vizier, and married Oneiza, who died on the bridal night (bk. vii.). Distracted at this calamity, Thalaba wandered towards Kâf, and entered the house of an old woman, who was spinning thread. He expressed surprise at the extreme fineness of the thread, but Maimuna (the old woman) told him, fine as it was, he could not break it. Thalaba felt incredulous, and wound it round his wrists, when, lo! he became utterly powerless; and Maimuna, calling up her sister Khwala, conveyed him helpless to the island of Mohareb (bk. viii.). Here he remained for a time, and was at length liberated by Maimuna, who repented of her sins and turned to Allah (bk. ix.). Being liberated from the island of Mohareb, our hero wandered, cold and hungry, into a dwelling, where he saw Laila, the daughter of Okba the sorcerer. Okba rushed forward with intent to kill him, but Laila interposed, and feil dead by the hand of her own father (bk. x.). Her spirit, in the form of a green bird, now became the guardian angel of “The Destroyer,” and conducted him to the simorg, who directed him the road to Dom-Daniel (bk. xi.), which he reached in time, slew the surviving sorcerers, and was received into heaven (bk. xii.).—Southey: Thalaba the Destroyer (1797).