Ryence (Sir), king of Wales, Ireland, and many of the isles. When Arthur first mounted the throne, King Ryence, in scorn, sent a messenger to say “he had purfled a mantel with the beards of kings; but the mantel lacked one more beard to complete the lining, and he requested Arthur to send his beard by the messenger, or else he would come and take head and beard too.” Part of the insolence was in this: Arthur at the time was too young to have a beard at all; and he made answer, “Tell your master, my beard at present is all too young for purfling; but I have an arm quite strong enough to drag him hither, unless he comes without delay to do me homage.” By the advice of Merlin, the two brothers, Balin and Balan, set upon the insolent king, on his way to Lady De Vauce, overthrew him, slew “more than forty of his men, and the remnant fled.” King Ryence craved for mercy; so “they laid him on a horse-litter, and sent him captive to King Arthur.”—Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, i. 24, 34 (1470).
Rymar (Mr. Robert), poet at the Spa.—Sir W. Scott, St. Ronan’s Well (time, George III.).
Ryno, youngest of the sons of Fingal, king of Morven. He fell in the battle of Lena between the Norsemen led by Swaran and the Irish led by Fingal.
“Rest!” said Fingal; “youngest of my sons, rest! Rest, O Ryno, on Lena! We, too, shall be no more. Warriors must one day fall.”—Ossian, Fingal, v.
Ryparog´rapher of Wits, Rabelais (1495-1553).
*** Greek, rupăros (“foul, nasty”). Pliny calls Pyrĭcus the painter a “ryparographer.”
Rython, a giant of Brittany, slain by King Arthur. (See [Ritho].)
Rython, the mighty giant, slain,
By his good brand relieved Bretagne.
Sir W. Scott, Bridal of Triermain, ii. 11 (1813).
Saadi or Sadi, the Persian poet, called “The Nightingale of a Thousand Songs.” His poems are The Gulistan or “Garden of Roses,” The Boston or “Garden of Fruits,” and The Pend Nâmeh, a moral poem. Saadi (1184-1263) was one of the “Four Monarchs of Eloquence.”
Saba or Zaba (The Queen of), called Balkis. She came to the court of Solomon, and had by him a son named Melech. This queen of Ethiopia or Abyssinia is sometimes called Maqueda.—Zaga Zabo, Ap. Damian. a Goes.