ANTHEA, beautiful woman to whom Herrick addresses several poems.

ANTHI’A, the lady beloved by Abroc’omas in the Greek romance called De Amoribus Anthiae et Abrocomae, by Xenophon of Ephesus, who lived in the fourth Christian century. (This is not Xenophon the historian, who lived B.C. 444-359.)

ANTHONIO, “the merchant of Venice,” in Shakespeare’s drama so called (1598).  Anthonio borrows of Shylock, a Jew, 3000 ducats for three months, to lend to his friend Bassanio.  The conditions of the loan were these:  if the money was paid within the time, only the principal should be returned; but if not, the Jew should be allowed to cut from Anthonio’s body “a pound of flesh.”  As the ships of Anthonio were delayed by contrary winds, he was unable to pay within the three months, and Shylock demanded the forfeiture according to the bond.  Portia, in the dress of a law-doctor, conducted the case, and when the Jew was about to cut the flesh, stopped him, saying—­(1) the bond gave him no drop of blood; and (2) he must take neither more nor less than an exact pound.  If he shed one drop of blood or if he cut more or less than an exact pound, his life would be forfeit.  As it was quite impossible to comply with these restrictions, the Jew was nonsuited, and had to pay a heavy fine for seeking the life of a citizen.

Antho’nio, the ursuping duke of Milan, and brother of Pros’pero (the rightful duke, and father of Miranda).—­Shakespeare, The Tempest (1609).

Antho’nio, father of Protheus, and suitor of Julia.—­Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

AN’THONY, an English archer in the cottage of farmer Dickson, of Douglasdale.—­Sir W. Scott, Castle Dangerous (time, Henry I.).

An’thony, the old postillion at Meg Dods’s, the landlady of the inn at St. Ronan’s Well.—­Sir W. Scott, St. Ronan’s Well (time, George III.).

ANTID’IUS, bishop of Jaen, martyred by the Vandals in 411.  One day, seeing the devil writing in his pocket-book some sin committed by the pope, he jumped upon his back and commanded his Satanic majesty to carry him to Rome.  The devil tried to make the bishop pronounce the name of Jesus, which would break the spell, and then the devil would have tossed his unwelcome burden into the sea, but the bishop only cried, “Gee up, devil!” and when he reached Rome he was covered with Alpine snow.  The chronicler naively adds, “the hat is still shown at Rome in confirmation of this miracle.”—­General Chronicle of King Alphonso the Wise.

ANTIG’ONE (4 syl.), daughter of Oe’dipos and Jocas’te, a noble maiden, with a truly heroic attachment to her father and brothers.  When Oedipos had blinded himself, and was obliged to quit Thebes, Antigone accompanied him, and remained with him till his death, when she returned to Thebes.  Creon, the king, had forbidden any one to bury Polyni’ces, her brother, who had been slain by his elder brother in battle; but Antigone, in defiance of this prohibition, buried the dead body, and Creon shut her up in a vault under ground, where she killed herself.  Haemon, her lover, killed himself also by her side.  Sophocles has a Greek tragedy on the subject, and it has been dramatized for the English stage.