ed him
with four rivers of milk, and was herself nourished by licking dew
from the rocks.--_Scandinavian Mythology_.
AUDREY, a country wench, who jilted William for Touchstone. She is an
excellent specimen of a wondering she-gawky. She thanks the gods that
"she is foul," and if to be poetical is not to be honest, she thanks
the gods also that "she is not poetical."--Shakespeare, _As You Like
It_ (1598).
The character of "Audrey," that of a female
fool, should not have been assumed [_i.e._ by Miss
Pope, in her last appearance in public]; the last
line of the farewell address was, "And now poor
Audrey bids you all farewell" (May 26, 1808).--
James Smith, _Memoirs, etc._ (1840).
AUGUSTA, mother of Gustavus Vasa. She is a prisoner of Christian II.
king of Denmark, but the king promises to set her free if she will
induce her son to submission. Augusta refuses, but in the war which
follows, Gustavus defeats Christian, and becomes king of Sweden.--H.
Brooke, _Gustavus Vasa_ (1730).
_Augusta_, a title conferred by the Roman emperors on their wives,
sisters, daughters, mothers, and even concubines. It had to be
conferred; for even the wife of an Augustus was not an Augusta until
after her coronation.
1. EMPRESSES. Livia and Julia were both _Augusta_; so were Julia
(wife of Tiberius), Messalina, Agrippina, Octavia, Poppaea, Statilia,
Sabina, Domitilla, Domitia, and Faustina. In imperials the wife of an
emperor is spoken of as _Augusta: Serenissima Augusta conjux nostra;
Divina Augusta_, etc. But the title had to be conferred; hence we
read, "Domitian uxorem suam _Augustam_ jussit nuncupari;" and "Flavia
Titiana, eadem die, uxor ejus [_i.e._ Pertinax] _Augusta_ est
appellata."
2. MOTHERS or GRANDMOTHERS. Antonia, grandmother of Caligula, was
created _Augusta_. Claudius made his mother Antonia _Augusta_ after
her death. Heliogabalus had coins inscribed with "Julia Maesa
_Augusta_," in honor of his grandmother;
Mammaea, mother of Alexander Severus, is styled _Augusta_ on coins;
and so is Helena, mother of Constantine.
3. SISTERS. Honorius speaks of his sister as "venerabilis _Augusta_
germananostra." Trajan has coins inscribed with "Diva Marciana
_Augusta_."
4. DAUGHTERS. Mallia Scantilla the wife, and Didia the daughter of
Didius Julianus, were both _Augusta_. Titus inscribed on coins his
daughter as "Julia Sabina _Augusta_;" there are coins of the emperor
Decius inscribed with "Herennia Etruscil
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