This engine may be contrived from the same principles by which Archytas made a wooden dove, and Regiomontanus a wooden eagle.—­Dr. John Wilkins (1614-1672).

AR’CITE (2 syl.) AND PAL’AMON, two Theban knights, captives of duke Theseus, who used to see from their dungeon window the duke’s sister-in-law, Emily, taking her airing in the palace garden, and fell in love with her.  Both captives having gained their liberty, contended for the lady by single combat.  Arcite was victor, but being thrown from his horse was killed, and Emily became the bride of Palamon.—­Chaucer, Canterbury Tales ("The Knight’s Tale,” 1388).

Richard Edwards in 1566 produced a drama entitled Palamon and Arcite.

AR’DEN (Enoch), the hero of a poetic tale by Tennyson.  He is a seaman wrecked on a desert island, who returns home after the absence of several years, and finds his wife married to another.  Seeing her both happy and prosperous, Enoch resolves not to mar her domestic peace, so leaves her undisturbed, and dies of a broken heart.

AR’DEN OF FEV’ERSLIAM, a noble character, honorable, forgiving, affectionate, and modest.  His wife Alicia in her sleep reveals to him her guilty love for Mosby, but he pardons her on condition that she will never see the seducer again.  Scarcely has she made the promise when she plots with Mosby her husband’s murder.  In a planned street-scuffle, Mosby pretends to take Arden’s part, and thus throws him off his guard.  Arden thinks he has wronged him, and invites him to his house, but Mosby conspires with two hired ruffians to fall on his host during a game of draughts, the right moment being signified by Mosby’s saying, “Now I take you.”  Arden is murdered; but the whole gang is apprehended and brought to justice.

(This drama is based on a murder which took place in 1551.  Ludwig Tieck has translated the play into German, as a genuine production of Shakespeare.  Some ascribe the play to George Lillo, but Charles Lamb gives 1592 as the date of its production, and says the author is unknown.)

AREOUS’KI, the Indian war-god, war, tumult.

A cry of Areouski broke our sleep.  Campbell, Gertrude of Wyoming, i, 16 (1809).

ARETHU’SA, daughter of the king Messi’na, in the drama called Philaster or Love Lies a-bleeding, by Beaumont and Fletcher (1638).

Arethusa, a nymph pursued by Alpheos the river-god, and changed into a fountain in the island of Ortygia; but the river-god still pursued her, and mingled his stream with the fountain, and now, “like friends once parted grown single-hearted,” they leap and flow and slumber together, “like spirits that love but live no more.”

[Illustration] This fable has been exquisitely turned into poetry by Percy B. Shelley (Arethusa, 1820).

ARGALI’A, brother of Angel’ica, in Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso (1516).