MON AND DELIA. Damon asks Delia why she looks so coldly on him. She
replies because of his attention to Belvidera. He says he paid these
attentions at her own request, "to hide the secret of their mutual
love." Delia confesses that his prudence is commendable, but his
acting is too earnest. To this he rejoins that she alone holds his
heart; and Delia replies:

Tho' well I might your truth mistrust,
My foolish heart believes you just;
Reason this faith may disapprove,
But I believe, because I love.

Lord Lyttleton.

DAMON AND MUSIDO'RA, two lovers who misunderstood each other. Musidora
was coy, and Damon thought her shyness indicated indifference; but one
day he saw her bathing, and his delicacy so charmed the maiden that
she at once accepted his proffered love.--Thomson, _The Seasons_
("Summer," 1727).

DA'MON AND PYTH'IAS. Damon, a senator of Syracuse, was by nature
hot-mettled, but was schooled by Pythagore'an philosophy into a Stoic
coldness and slowness of speech. He was a fast friend of the republic,
and when Dionysius was made "King" by a vote of the senate, Damon
upbraided the betrayers of his country, and pronounced Dionysius a
"tryant." For this he was seized, and as he tried to stab Dionysius,
he was condemned to instant death. Damon now craved respite for four
hours to bid farewell to his wife and child, but the request was
denied him. On his way to execution, his friend Pythias encountered
him, and obtained permission of Dionysius to become his surety, and to
die in his stead, if within four hours Damon did not return. Dionysius
not only accepted the bail, but extended the leave to six hours. When
Damon reached his country villa, Lucullus killed his horse to prevent
his return; but Damon, seizing the horse of a chance traveler, reached
Syracuse just as the executioner was preparing to put Pythias to
death. Dionysius so admired this proof of friendship, that he forgave
Damon, and requested to be taken into his friendship.

This subject was dramatized in 1571 by Richard Edwards, and again in
1825 by John Banim.

(The classic name of _Pythias_ is "Phintias.")

DAMSEL OR DAMOISEAU (in Italian, _donzel_; in Latin, _domisellus_);
one of the gallant youths domiciled in the _maison du roi._ These
youths were always sons of the greater vassals. Louis VII. _(le
Jeune_) was called "The Royal Damsel;" and at one time the royal
body-guard was called "The King's Damsells."

DAMSEL OF BRITTANY, Eleanor,