rse peremptory, his tongue filed, his
eye ambitious, his gait majestical, and his general behavior vain,
ridiculous, and thrasonical.... He draweth out the thread of his
verbosity finer than the staple of his argument.--Shakespeare, _Love's
Labor's Lost_, act v. sc. 1 (1594).

ARMANDE (2 _syl_.), daughter of Chrysale (2 _syl_.), and sister of
Henriette. Armande is a _femme savante_, and Henriette a "thorough
woman." Both love Clitandre, but Armande loves him platonically, while
Henriette loves him with womanly affection. Clitandre prefers the
younger sister, and after surmounting the usual obstacles, marries
her.--Moliere, _Les Femmes Savantes_ (1672).

ARMI'DA, a sorceress, who seduces Rinaldo and other crusaders from
the siege of Jerusalem. Rinaldo is conducted by her to her splendid
palace, where he forgets his vows, and abandons himself to sensual
joys. Carlo and Ubaldo are sent to bring him back, and he escapes from
Armida; but she follows him, and not being able to allure him back
again, sets fire to her palace, rushes into the midst of the fight,
and is slain.

[Julia's] small hand
Withdrew itself from his, but left behind
A little pressure ... but ne'er magician's wand
Wrought change with, all Armida's fairy art,
Like what this light touch left on Juan's heart.
Byron, _Don Juan_, i. 71.

When the young queen of Frederick William of Prussia rode about in
military costume to incite the Prussians to arms against Napoleon, the
latter wittily said, "She is Armida in her distraction setting fire to
her own palace."

(Both Glueck and Rossini have taken the story of Armida as the subject
of an opera.)

_Armida's Girdle_. Armida had an enchanted girdle, which, "in price
and beauty," surpassed all her other ornaments; even the cestus of
Venus was less costly. It told her everything; "and when she would be
loved, she wore the same."--Tasso, _Jerusalem Delivered_ (1575).

ARM'STRONG (_John_), called "The Laird's Jock." He is the laird of
Mangerton. This old warrior witnesses a national combat in the valley
of Liddesdale, between his son (the Scotch chieftain) and Foster (the
English champion), in which young Armstrong is overthrown.--Sir W.
Scott, _The Laird's Jock_ (time, Elizabeth).

_Armstrong (Grace)_, the bride-elect of Hobbie Elliot of the
heugh-foot, a young farmer.--Sir W. Scott, _The Black Dwarf_ (time,
Anne).

_Armstrong (Archie)_, court jester to James I., introduced in _The
Fortunes of