Chapter Arzina to Aspen of A by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Arzina to Aspen

Arzina A river that flows into the North Sea, near Wardhus, where Sir Willoughby's three ships were frozen, and the whole crew perished of starvation.

"In these fell regions, in Arzina caught,
And to the stony deep his idle ship
Immediate sealed, he with his hapless crew ...
Froze into statues."
Thomson: Winter 934.

As you were in military drilling, means, Return to the position in which you were before the last exercise. As you were before.

Asa was a term of address to all the gods of Gladsheim; as Asa Odin, Asa Thor, Asa Loki, Asa Tyr, etc.

""That's all very well, Asa Odin," answered Frey; "but who, let me ask, is to undertake the feeding of the human animal?"" - Keary: Heroes of Asgard , p.73.

Asa Loki Descended from the giants and received among the celestials. He is represented as a treacherous malignant power, fond of assuming disguises, and plotting evil. One of his progeny is Hela (q.v.). (Scandinavian mythology.) (See Æsir.)

Asa Thor. Eldest son of Asa Odin, and the first-born of mortals. (Scandinavian mythology.)

Asaph A famous musician in David's time (1 Chron. xxv. 1, 2). Mr. Tate, who wrote the second part of Absalom and Achitophel, lauds Dryden under this name.

"While Judah's throne and Sion's rock stand fast,
The song of Asaph and the fame shall last."
Absalom and Achitophel, part ii, 1063--4.

Asbolos One of Actæon's dogs. The word means soot-coloured. (See Amarynthos.)

Ascalaphos Turned by Proserpine, for mischief-making, into an owl. (Greek fable.)

Ascapart A giant conquered by Sir Bevis of Southampton. He was thirty feet high, and the space between his eyes was twelve inches. This mighty giant, whose effigy figures on the city gates of Southampton, could carry under his arm without feeling distressed Sir Bevis with his wife and horse. (See Giants.)

"As Bevis of Southampton fell upon Ascapart." Shakespeare: 2 Henry VI., act ii. 3.

Ascendant In casting a horoscope the easternmost star, representing the house of life, is called the ascendant, because it is in the act of ascending. This is a man's strongest star, and so long as it is above the horizon his fortune is said to be in the ascendant. When a man's circumstances begin to improve, and things look brighter, we say his star is in the ascendant. (See Houses, Stars.)

House of the Ascendant includes five degrees of the zodiac above the point just rising, and twenty-five below it. Usually, the point of birth is referred to.

The lord of the Ascendant is any planet within the "house of the Ascendant." The house and lord of the Ascendant at birth were said by astrologers to exercises great influence on the future life of the child. Perhaps Deborah referred to the influence of the stars when she said "the stars in their courses fought against Sisera." (Judges v. 20.)

Ascension Day or Holy Thursday. The day set apart by the Catholic and Anglican Church to commemorate the ascent of our Lord from earth to heaven.

Formerly it was customary to beat the bounds of each respective parish on this day, and many practical jokes were played even during the first quarter of the nineteenth century, to make the boys remember the delimitations: such as "bumping them," pouring water clandestinely on them from house windows, beating them with thin rods, etc. Beating the bounds was called in Scotland Riding the marches (bounds).