CAMBUSCAN, king of Sarra, in the land of Tartary; the model of all royal virtues.

At Sarra, in the lond of Tartarie,
Ther dwelt a king that werreied Russie,
Through which ther died many a doughty man: 
This noble king was cleped Cambuscan
Which in his time was of so great renoun
That ther n’ as no wher in no regioun,
So excellent a lord in alle thing: 

       * * * * *

This noble king, this Tartre Cambuscan
Hadde two sones by Elfeta his wif,
Of which the eldest sone highte Algarsif
That other was ycleped Camballo.

       * * * * *

A doughter had this worthy king also
That youngest was and highte Canace. 
Chaucer, The Squire’s Tale.

Milton, in the Penseroso, alludes to the fact that the Squire’s Tale was not finished: 

Or call up him that left half told
The story of Cambuscan bold.

CAMBYSES (3 syl.), a pompous, ranting character in Preston’s tragedy of that name,

  I must speak in passion, and I will do it in
  king Cambyses’ vein.—­Shakespeare, 1 Henry IV.
  act ii. sc. 4 (1597).

CAMBYSES AND SMERDIS.  Cambyses king of Persia killed his brother Smerdis from the wild suspicion of a madman, and it is only charity to think that he was really non compos mentis.

  Behold Cambises and his fatal daye ... 
  While he his brother Mergus cast to slaye,
  A dreadful thing, his wittes were him bereft. 
  T. Sackville, A Mirrour for Magistraytes ("The
  Complaynt,” 1587).

CAMDEO, the god of love in Hindu mythology.

CAMILLA, the virgin queen of the Volscians, famous for her fleetness of foot.  She aided Turnus against AEneas.

  Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain,
  Flies o’er th’ unbending corn, or skims along the main. 
  Pope.

Camilla, wife of Anselmo of Florence.  Anselmo, in order to rejoice in her incorruptible fidelity, induced his friend Lothario to try to corrupt her.  This he did, and Camilla was not trial-proof, but fell.  Anselmo for a time was kept in the dark, but at the end Camilla eloped with Lothario.  Anselmo died of grief, Lothario was slain in battle, and Camilla died in a convent.—­Cervantes, Don Quixote, I. iv. 5, 6 ("Fatal Curiosity,” 1605).

Camilla, English girl, heroine of Miss Burney’s novel of same name.

Camilla, the heroine of Signor Monaldini’s Niece, by Mary Agnes Tincker, a story of modern Rome (1879).

CAMILLE (2 syl.), in Corneille’s tragedy of Les Horaces (1639).  When her brother meets her and bids her congratulate him for his victory over the three Curiatii, she gives utterance to her grief for the death of her lover.  Horace says, “What! can you prefer a man to the interests of Rome?” Whereupon Camille denounces Rome, and concludes with these words:  “Oh, that it were my lot!” When Mdlle.  Rachel first appeared in the character of “Camille,” she took Paris by storm (1838).