ALMATOUR, an officer attached to a religious establishment, to whom belonged the distribution of the alms of the house. By the ancient canons, onetenth of the income of monasteries was required to be distributed in alms to the poor. This officer was subsequently called an almoner. After him came Dalmadas, A riche almatour he was. ROM. OF K. ALISAUNDRE. ALMOND FOR A PARROT, a phrase frequently used by the old dramatists, the meaning of which is not very obvious; probably a parrot was taught to ask for an almond, and hence it might be used to denote silly unmeaning prattle. The quotations seem to countenance the supposition. What a green greasy shining coat he hath; O. P. ENGLISHMEN FOR MY MONEY. My tongue speaks no language but an almond for a parrot and crack me this nut. O. P. OLD FORTUNATUS. The phrase also occurs in Dekkar's Honest Whore, Middleton's Spanish Gypsey, and Ben Jonson's Magnetic Lady. ALMOUS and ALMESSE (Teut. almosen), alms, charitable gifts. He was to needy men of his almesse large and free. ROBERT OF GLOUCESTER'S CHRON. And yet he giveth almesse, And fasteth ofte and hereth messe. GOWER'S CON. AM. He was a man of almous grete, WYNTOUN'S CHRON. ALOSE (L. laus), to praise or commend. Nother lackey ne alose ne leyse that ther were. Merry and full of jollity, And of largesse alosed be. P. PLOWMAN'S VISION. CHAUCER'S ROM. OF THE ROSE. ALOURIS (O. F. aloir), passages, corridors. The toures to lake and the torellis ROM. OF K. ALISAUNDRe. ALOW, in an humble manner; downward. She stood and hing her vissage down alow. CHAUCER'S COURT OF LOVE. ALOWDE, to be humbled or brought low. Narcissus may example bee And mirrour to the proude; TUBERVILLE. ALOWE (F. allouer), praises; approved of. Perhaps in the same sense as we now use the word allow. Kyng Richard took it to griefe, "Cursyd be he that thy werke alowe." ROM. OF RICHARD CŒUR DE LION. ALSATIA, a name given to the precinct of Whitefriars, near the Temple; it was called Alsatia the higher, to distinguish it from the Mint, in Southwark, which was called Alsatia the lower; both these places obtained certain privileges, particularly arrest from civil process, and in consequence became the resort of the profligate and abandoned of both sexes, and the scene of frequent riots and disturbances. By an act of William III. these and several other privileged places were put down. Shadwell has dramatised the manners and language of the Alsatians, in a satirical comedy called The Squire of Alsatia, acted in 1688. ALTERN (L. alternus), following in turn, acting by turns. The greater to have rule by day, The less by night altern MILTON. AMAIN (S. magn), with vehemence, force, or vigour. A concert! that amain; play that amain. O. P. LUST'S DOMINION. AMAISTRE (O. F. maistre), to master, to overcome, to get the better of. Is he not riche that hath suffisance? and have Ye power that no man may amaistre? CHAUCER'S TEST. OF LOVE. AMANSE, to curse, to interdict, or excommunicate. He amansed alle that such unright adde i-do To the churche of Kanterbury. ROBERT OF GLOUCESTER'S CHRON. AMARANTH (L. amaranthus), an imaginary flower, described by the poets as never fading. There is a flower so called, a species of which is better known by the name of "Love lies bleeding." Immortal amaranth! a flower which once In Paradise, fast by the tree of life, Began to bloom. PARADISE LOST. AMATE (S. mat), to daunt, to stupify with horror, to dismay; also, in another sense, from mate, to associate with as a companion. Whom grisly terror doth so much amate. Rous's THULE. Which when the world she meaneth to amate. DRAYTON'S ECLOGUES. A lovely levy of fair ladies satte, The which them did in modest wise amate. SPENSER'S F. QUEEN. What are you mated by this frolic friar? O. P. FRIAR BACON AND FRIAR BUNGAY. AMBAGES (L.), a long circumstance of words, an indirect mode of expression, a prevaricating or circumlocutory speech. I cannot play the dissembler, And wooe my love with courtly ambages. O. P. WILY BEGUILED. But, now, setting apart the ambages and superfluous vagaries, I pray you describe it, &c. STUBBS'S ANATOMY OF ABUSES. Tush! tush! my lord, let go these ambages, And in plain terms acquaint her. O. P. THE SPANISH TRAGEDY. AMBERGREASE (from amber and gris), grey amber, a fragrant and unctuous substance, found floating on the sea, but its origin seems involved in mystery, various opinions being held as to its derivation, but nothing satisfactorily proved; it was used formerly as a culinary article, for preparing meats, and flavouring sauces and wines. In each of them shall be enclosed a fat nightingale, well season'd with ambergrease. O. P. THE ANTIQUARY Be sure The wines be lusty, high and full of spirit, CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY, BY AND FLETCHER. BEAUMONT AMBREE, Mary. This female warrior is rendered famous by her heroic conduct at the siege of Ghent, in 1584, and in consequence became the subject of many popular ballads; little is known of her history beyond what may be obtained from the old ballads, from which it seems that the cause of her appearing in armour and gallantly leading the soldiers to the charge, was to revenge the death of her lover, who was slain in her presence. Her name afterwards became proverbial, to denote any woman of masculine habits or appearance. When captains courageous, whom death colde not daunt, OLD BALLAD. My large gentlewoman, my Mary Ambree, Had I but seen into you, you should have had FLETCHER'S SCORNFUL LADY. My daughter will be valiant, B. JONSON'S TALE OF A TUB. AMBRIE (O. F. ambrey), a cupboard, store house, buttery, or larder, where provisions are kept; probably the Almonry, in Westminster, pronounced Ambry, was so called, from a building formerly there, set apart for that use; it should more properly be called Aumonery, from the Latin eleemo |