Chapter Along-shore Men to Alvina Weeps of A by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

And the attribute of Victor is an altar overthrown, in allusion to his throwing down a Roman altar in the presence of the Emperor Maximian.

Led to the altar, i.e. married. Said of a lady. The altar is the communion-table railed off from the body of the church, where marriages are solemnised. The bride is led up the aside to the rail.

Alter ego My double or counterpart. In The Corsican Brothers, the same actor performs the two brothers, the one being the alter ego of the other. (Latin, "a second I"). One who has full powers to act for another.

Althæa's Brand a fatal contingency. Althæa's son was to live so long as a log of wood, then on the fire, remained unconsumed. She contrived to keep the log unconsumed for many years, but being angry one day with Meleager, she pushed it into the midst of the fire, and it was consumed in a few minutes. Meleager died at the same time. - Ovid: Metamorphoses, viii. 4.

"The fatal brand Althæa burned." Shakespeare: 2 Henry VI, Act i. 1.

Althea (Divine). The divine Althea of Richard Lovelace was Lucy Sacheverell, called by the poet, "Lucretia."

"When love with unconfined wings
Hovers within my gates,
And my divine Althea brings
To whisper at my grates."

The "grates" referred to were the prison grates. Lovelace was thrown into prison by the Long Parliament for his petition from Kent in favour of the king.

Altisidora (in the "Curious Impertinent"), an episode in Don Quixote.

Altis The plot of ground on which the Greeks held their public games.

Alto relievo Italian for "high relief." A term used in sculpture for figures in wood, stone, marble, etc., so cut as to project at least one-half from the tablet. It should be rilievo (3 syl.).

Alumbrado a perfectionist; so called from a Spanish sect which arose in 1575, and claimed special illumination. (Spanish, meaning "illuminated," "enlightened").

Alvina Weeps or "Hark! Alvina weeps," i.e. the wind howls loudly, a Flemish saying. Alvina was the daughter of a king, who was cursed by her parents because she married unsuitably. From that day she roamed about the air invisible to the eye of man, but her moans are audible.