" and dying for the faith's sake, left
his name to the country, where Offa subsequently reared to him "a rich
and sumptuous shrine, with a monastery attached."--Song xvi.
_Albion_, king of Briton, when O'beron held his court in what is now
called "Kensington Gardens." T. Tickell has a poem upon this subject.
_Albion wars with Jove's Son_. Albion, son of Neptune, wars with
Her'cules, son of Jove. Neptune, dissatisfied with the share of his
father's kingdom, awarded to him by Jupiter, aspired to dethrone
his brother, but Hercules took his father's part, and Albion was
discomfited.
Since Albion wielded arms against the son of
Jove.
M. Drayton, _Polyolbion_, iv. (1612).
ALBO'RAK, the animal brought by Gabriel to convey Mahomet to the
seventh heaven. It had the face of a man, the cheeks of a horse, the
wings of an eagle, and spoke with a human voice.
ALBUMA'ZAR, Arabian astronomer (776-885).
Chaunteclere, our cocke, must tell what is o'clocke,
By the astrologye that he hath naturally
Conceyued and caught; for he was never taught
By Albumazar, the astronomer,
Nor by Ptholomy, prince of astronomy.
J. Skelton, _Philip Sparoiv_ (time, Henry VIII.).
Alcestis or Alcestes, daughter of Pelias and wife of Admetus (_q. v_.)
On his wedding-day Admetus neglected to offer sacrifice to Diana and
was condemned to die, but Apollo induced the Fates to spare his life
if he could find a voluntary substitute. His wife offered to give her
life for his, and went away with death; but Hercules fought with Death
and restored Alcestes to her husband. This story is the subject of a
tragedy _Alcestes_, by Euripides. Milton alludes to the incident in
one of his sonnets:
Methought I saw my late espoused saint
Brought to me like Alcestes from the grave.
John Milton, Sonnet _On his deceased Wife_.
William Morris has made Alcestes the subject of one of the tales in
his _Earthly Paradise._
A variation of the story is found in Longfellow's _The Golden Legend_,
Henry of Hoheneck when dying was promised his life if a maiden could
be found who would give up her life for his. Elsie, the daughter
of Gottlieb, a tenant-farmer of the prince offered herself as a
sacrifice, and followed her lord to Sorrento to give herself up to
Lucifer; but Henry heard of it, and, moved by gratitude, saved Elsie
and made her his wife.
_Alceste_, the hero of Moliere's comedy _Le Misanthrope_. He has a
pure and noble mind that has be
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