When the king was in Brittany, whither he had gone to chastise Sir Lancelot for adultery with the queen, he left Sir Modred regent, and Sir Modred raised a revolt. The king returned, drew up his army against the traitor, and in this “great battle of the West” Modred was slain and Arthur received his death-wound.—Tennyson, Idylls of the King (“Guinevere,” 1858).
*** This version is in accordance neither with Geoffrey of Monmouth (see [previous art.]), nor with Arthurian romance (see [Mordred]), and is, therefore, given separately.
Modu, the prince of all devils that take possession of a human being.
Mado was the chief devil that had possession of Sarah Williams; but ... Richard Mainy was molested by a still more considerable fiend called Modu, ... the prince of all other devils.—Harsnett; Declaration of Popish Impostures, 268.
Modus, cousin of Helen; a “musty library, who loved Greek and Latin;” but cousin Helen loved the bookworm, and taught him how to love far better than Ovid could with his Art of Love. Having so good a teacher, Modus became an apt scholar, and eloped with Cousin Helen.—S. Knowles, The Hunchback (1831).
Mœ´chus, adultery personified; one of four sons of Caro (fleshly lust). His brothers were Pornei´us (fornication), Acath´arus and Asel´gês (lasciviousness). In the battle of Mansoul, Mœchus is slain by Agnei´a (wifely chastity), the spouse of Encra´tês (temperance) and sister of Parthen´ia (maidenly chastity). (Greek, moichos “an adulterer.”)—Phineas Fletcher, The Purple Island, xi. (1633).
Mœli´ades (4 syl.). Under this name William Drummond signalized Henry, prince of Wales, eldest son of James I., in the monody entitled Tears on the Death of Mœliadës. The word is an anagram of Milês a Deo. The prince, in his masquerades and martial sports, used to call himself “Mœliadês of the Isles.”
Mœliadês, bright day-star of the West.
W. Drummond, Tears on the Death of Mœliades (1612).
The burden of the monody is:
Mœliadês sweet courtly nymphs deplore,
From Thulê to Hydaspês’ pearly shore.