Edmund Dante (See MONTE CRISTO).
Edo'nian Bane (The), priestesses and other ministers of Bacchus, so called from Edo'nus, a mountain of Thrace, where the rites of the wine-god were celebrated.
Edric, a domestic at Hereward's barracks.—Sir W. Scott, Count Robert of Paris (time, Rufus).
Edward, brother of Hereward the Varangian guard. He was slain in battle.—Sir W. Scott, Count Robert of Paris (time, Rufus). Edward (Sir). He commits a murder, and keeps a narrative of the transaction in an iron chest. Wilford, a young man who acts as his secretary, was one day caught prying into this chest, and Sir Edward's first impulse was to kill him; but on second thought he swore the young man to secrecy, and told him the story of the murder. Wilford, unable to live under the suspicious eye of Sir Edward, ran away; but was hunted down by Edward, and accused of robbery. The whole transaction now became public, and Wilford was acquitted.—G. Colman, The Iron Chest (1796).
therefore.jpg This drama is based on Goodwin's novel of Caleb Williams. "Williams" is called Wilford in the drama, and "Falkland" is called Sir Edward.
Edward II., a tragedy by C. Marlowe (1592), imitated by Shakespeare in his Richard II. (1597). Probably most readers would prefer Marlowe's noble tragedy to Shakespeare's.
Edward IV. of England, introduced by Sir W. Scott in his novel entitled Anne of Geierstein (1829).
Edward the Black Prince, a tragedy by W. Shirley (1640). The subject of this drama is the victory of Poitiers.
Ed'widge, wife of William Tell.—Rossini, Guglielmo Tell (1829).
Edwin "the minstrel," a youth living in romantic seclusion, with a great thirst for knowledge. He lived in Gothic days in the north countrie, and fed his flocks on Scotia's mountains.
Edwin and Angeli'na. Angelina was the daughter of a wealthy lord, "beside the Tyne." Her hand was sought in marriage by many suitors, amongst whom was Edwin, "who had neither wealth nor power, but he had both wisdom and worth." Angelina loved him, but "trifled with him," and Edwin, in despair, left her and retired from the world. One day, Angelina, in boy's clothes, asked hospitality at a hermit's cell; she was kindly entertained, told her tale, and the hermit proved to be Edwin. From that hour they never parted more.—Goldsmith, The Hermit.
A correspondent accuses me of having taken this ballad from The Friar of Orders Gray ... but if there is any resemblance between the two, Mr. Percy's ballad is taken from mine. I read my ballad to Mr. Percy, and he told me afterwards that he had taken my plan to form the fragments of Shakespeare into a ballad of his own.—Signed, O. Goldsmith, 1767.
Edwin and Emma. Emma was a rustic beauty of Stanemore, who loved Edwin "the pride of swains;" but Edwin's sister, out of envy, induced his father, "a sordid man," to forbid any intercourse between Edwin and the cottage. Edwin pined away, and being on the point of death, requested he might be allowed to see Emma. She came and said to him, "My Edwin, live for me;" but on her way home she heard the death bell toll. She just contrived to reach her cottage door, cried to her mother, "He's gone!" and fell down dead at her feet.—Mallet, Edwin and Emma (a ballad).
Ed'yrn, son of Nudd. He ousted the earl of Yn'iol from his earldom, and tried to to win E'nid, the earl's daughter, but failing in this, became the evil genius of the gentle earl. Ultimately, being sent to the court of King Arthur, he became quite a changed man—from a malicious "sparrow-hawk" he was converted into a courteous gentleman.—Tennyson, Idylls of the King ("Enid").
Efeso (St.), a saint honored in Pisa. He was a Roman officer [Ephesus] in the service of Diocletian, whose reign was marked by a great persecution of the Christians. This Efeso or Ephesus was appointed to see the decree of the emperor against the obnoxious sect carried out in the island of Sardinia; but being warned in a dream not to persecute the servants of the Lord, both he and his friend Potito embraced Christianity, and received a standard from Michael the archangel himself. On one occasion, being taken captive, St. Efeso was cast into a furnace of fire, but received no injury; whereas those who cast him in were consumed by the flames. Ultimately, both Efeso and Potito suffered martyrdom, and were buried in the island of Sardinia. When, however, that island was conquered by Pisa in the eleventh century, the relics of the two martyrs were carried off and interred in the duomo of Pisa, and the banner of St. Efeso was thenceforth adopted as the national ensign of Pisa.
Egalité (Philippe), the duc d'Orléans, father of Louis Philippe, king of France. He himself assumed this "title" when he joined the revolutionary party, whose motto was "Liberty, Fraternity, and Egalité" (born 1747, guillotined 1793).
Ege'us (3 syl.), father of Her'mia. He summoned her before The'seus (2 syl.), duke of Athens, because she refused to marry Demetrius, to whom he had promised her in marriage; and he requested that she might either be compelled to marry him or else be dealt with "according to law," i.e. "either to die the death," or else to "endure the livery of a nun, and live a barren sister all her life." Hermia refused to submit to an "unwished yoke," and fled from Athens with Lysander. Demetrius, seeing that Hermia disliked him but that Hel'ena doted on him, consented to abandon the one and wed the other. When Egëus was informed thereof, he withdrew his summons, and gave his consent to the union of his daughter with Lysander.—Shakespeare, Midsummer Night's Dream (1592).
therefore.jpgS. Knowles, in The Wife, makes the plot turn on a similar "law of marriage" (1833).
E'gil, brother of Weland; a great archer. One day, King Nidung commanded him to shoot at an apple placed on the head of his own son. Egil selected two arrows, and being asked why he wanted two, replied, "One to shoot thee with, O tyrant, if I fail."
(This is one of the many stories similar to that of William Tell, q.v.) Egilo'na, the wife of Roderick, last of the Gothic kings of Spain. She was very beautiful, but cold-hearted, vain, and fond of pomp. After the fall of Roderick, Egilona married Abdal-Aziz, the Moorish governor of Spain; and when Abdal-Aziz was killed by the Moorish rebels, Egilona fell also.
Eg'Ia, a female Moor, a servant to Amaranta (wife of Bar'tolus, the covetous lawyer).—Beaumont and Fletcher, The Spanish Curate (1622).
Eg'lamour (Sir) or SIR EGLAMORE of Artoys, a knight of Arthurian romance. Sir Eglamour and Sir Pleindamour have no French original, although the names themselves are French.
Eg'lamour, the person who aids Silvia, daughter of the duke of Milan, in her escape.—Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).
Eglantine (3 syl.). daughter of King Pepin, and bride of her cousin Valentine (brother of Orson). She soon died.—Valentine and Orson (fifteenth century).
Eglantine (Madame), the prioress; good-natured, wholly ignorant of the world, vain of her delicacy of manner at table, and fond of lap-dogs. Her dainty oath was "By Saint Eloy!" She "entuned the service swetely in her nose," and spoke French "after the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe." —Chaucer, Canterbury Tales (1388).
Egmont. Dutch patriot executed by order of Philip II. of Spain.—Goethe's Egmont (1788).
Egypt, in Dryden's satire of Absalom and Achitophel, means France.
Egyptian Princess. Nitetis, the real daughter of Hophra, king of Egypt, and the assumed daughter of Amases, his successor. She was sent to Persia, as the bride of Cambyses, the king, but before their marriage, was falsely accused of infidelity, and committed suicide.—George Ebers, An Egyptian Princess.
Egyptian Thief (The), Thyamis, a native of Memphis. Knowing he must die, he tried to kill Chariclea, the woman he loved.
Eighth Wonder (The). When Gil Blas reached Pennaflor, a parasite entered his room in the inn, hugged him with great energy, and called him the "eighth wonder." When Gil Blas replied that he did not know his name had spread so far, the parasite exclaimed, "How! we keep a register of all the celebrated names within twenty leagues, and have no doubt Spain will one day be as proud of you as Greece was of the seven sages." After this, Gil Blas could do no less than ask the man to sup with him. Omelet after omelet was despatched, trout was called for, bottle followed bottle, and when the parasite was gorged to satiety, he rose and said, "Signor Gil Blas, don't believe yourself to be the eighth wonder of the world because a hungry man would feast by flattering your vanity." So saying, he stalked away with a laugh.—Lesage, Gil Blas, i. 2 (1715).
(This incident is copied from Aleman's romance of Guzman d' Alfarache, q.v.)
Eikon Basil'ikê (4 syl.), the portraiture of a king (i.e. Charles I.), once attributed to King Charles himself; but now admitted to be the production of Dr. John Gauden, who (after the restoration) was first created Bishop of Exeter, and then of Worcester (1605-1662).
In the Eikon Basilikê a strain of majestic melancholy is kept up, but the personated sovereign is rather too theatrical for real nature, the language is too rhetorical and amplified, the periods too artificially elaborated.—Hallam, Literature of Europe, iii. 662.
(Milton wrote his Eikonoclasêts in answer to Dr. Gauden's Eikon Baslikê.)
Einer'iar, the hall of Odin, and asylum of warriors slain in battle. It had 540 gates, each sufficiently wide to admit eight men abreast to pass through.—Scandinavian Mythology.
Einion (Father), Chaplain to Gwenwyn Prince of Powys-land.—Sir W. Scott, The Betrothed (time, Henry II.).
Eiros. Imaginary personage, who in the other world holds converse with "Charmion" upon the tragedy that has wrecked the world. The cause of the ruin was "the extraction of the nitrogen from the atmosphere."
Elvir, a Danish maid, who assumes boy's clothing, and waits on Harold "the Dauntless," as his page! Subsequently her sex is discovered, and Harold marries her.—Sir. W. Scott, Harold the Dauntless (1817).
Elain, sister of King Arthur by the same mother. She married Sir Nentres of Carlot, and was by King Arthur the mother of Mordred. (See ELEIN)—Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, i. (1470).
therefore.jpg In some of the romances there is great confusion between Elain (the sister) and Morgause (the half-sister) of Arthur. Both are called the mother of Mordred, and both are also called the wife of Lot. This, however, is a mistake. Elain was the wife of Sir Nentres, and Morgause of Lot; and if Gawain, Agrawain, Gareth and Gaheris were [half] brothers of Mordred, as we are told over and over again, then Morgause and not Elain was his mother. Tennyson makes Bellicent the wife of Lot, but this is not in accordance with any of the legends collected by Sir T. Malory.
Elaine (Dame), daughter of King Pelles (2 syl.) "the foragn country," and the unwedded mother of Sir Galahad by Sir Launcelot du Lac.—Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, iii. 1 (1470).
Elaine, daughter of King Brandeg'oris, by whom Sir Bors de Ganis had a child.
therefore.jpgIt is by no means clear from the history whether Elaine was the daughter of King Brandegoris, or the daughter of Sir Bors and granddaughter of King Brandegoris.
Elaine' (2 syl.), the strong contrast of Guinevere. Guinevere's love for Launcelot was gross and sensual, Elaine's was platonic and pure as that of a child; but both were masterful in their strength. Elaine is called "the lily maid of Astolat" (Guildford), and knowing that Launcelot was pledged to celibacy, she pined and died. According to her dying request, her dead body was placed on a bed in a barge, and was thus conveyed by a dumb servitor to the palace of King Arthur. A letter was handed to the king, telling the tale of Elaine's love, and the king ordered the body to be buried, and her story to be blazoned on her tomb.—Tennyson, Idylls of the King ("Elaine").
El'amites (3 syl.), Persians. So called from Elam, son of Shem.
El'berich, the most famous dwarf of German romance.—The Heldenbuch.
El'bow, a well-meaning but loutish constable.—Shakespeare, Measure for Measure (1603).
El'eanor, queen-consort of Henry II., alluded to by the Presbyterian minister in Woodstock, x. (1826).
Eleanor Crosses, twelve or fourteen crosses erected by Edward I. in the various towns where the body of his queen rested, when it was conveyed from Herdelie, near Lincoln, to Westminster. The three that still remain are Geddington, Northampton, and Waltham. Eleazar the Moor, insolent, bloodthirsty, lustful, and vindictive, like "Aaron," in [Shakespeare's?] Titus An-dron'icus. The lascivious queen of Spain is in love with this monster.—C. Marlowe, Lust's dominion or The Lascivious Queen (1588).
Elea'zar, a famous mathematician, who cast out devils by tying to the nose of the possessed a mystical ring, which the demon no sooner smelled than he abandoned the victim. He performed before the Emperor Vespasian; and to prove that something came out of the possessed, he commanded the demon in making off to upset a pitcher of water, which it did.
Elector (The Great), Frederick William of Brandenburg (1620-1688).
Elein, wife of King Ban of Benwick (Brittany), and mother of Sir Launcelot and Sir Lionell. (See ELAIN.)—Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, i. 60 (1470)
Eleven Thousand Virgins (The), the virgins who followed St. Ur'sula in her flight towards Rome. They were all massacred at Cologne by a party of Huns, and even to the present hour "their bones" are shown lining the whole interior of the Church of Ste. Ursula.
A calendar in the Freisingen codex notices them as "SS. M. XL VIRGINUM," this is, eleven virgin martyrs; but "M" (martyrs) being taken for 1000, we get 11,000. It is furthermore remarkable that the number of names known of these virgins is eleven; (1) Ursula, (2) Sencia, (3) Gregoria, (4) Pinnosa, (5) Martha, (6) Saula, (7) Brittola, (8) Saturnina, (9) Rabacia or Sabatia, (10) Saturia or Saturnia, and (11) Palladia.
Elfenreigen [el.f'n-ri.gn] (4 syl.) or Alpleich, that weird music with which Bunting, the pied piper of Hamelin, led forth the rats into the river Weser, and the children into a cave in the mountain Koppenberg. The song of the sirens is so called.
El'feta, wife of Cambuscan', king of Tartary.
El'flida or AETHELFLAEDA, daughter of King Alfred, and wife of Aethelred, chief of that part of Mercia not claimed by the Danes. She was a woman of enormous energy and masculine mind. At the death of her husband, she ruled over Mercia, and proceeded to fortify city after city, as Bridgenorth, Tamworth, Warwick, Hertford, Witham, and so on. Then attacking the Danes, she drove them from place to place, and kept them from molesting her.
Elfride (Swancourt). Blue-eyed girl, betrothed first to Stephen Smith; afterwards she loves passionately Henry Knight. He leaves her in pique, and she weds Lord Luxellian, dying soon after the marriage.—Thomas Hardy, A Pair of Blue Eyes (1873).
Elf'thryth or Aelf'thryth, daughter of Ordgar, noted for her great beauty. King Edgar sent Aethelwald, his friend, to ascertain if she were really as beautiful as report made her out to be. When Æthelwald saw her he fell in love with her, and then, returning to the king, said she was not handsome enough for the king, but was rich enough to make a very eligible wife for himself. The king assented to the match, and became godfather to the first child, who was called Edgar. One day the king told his friend he intended to pay him a visit, and Aethelwald revealed to his wife the story of his deceit, imploring her at the same time to conceal her beauty. But Elfthryth, extremely indignant, did all she could to set forth her beauty. The king fell in love with her, slew Aethelwald, and married the widow.
A similar story is told by Herodotus; Prêxaspês being the lady's name, and Kambysês the king's.
El'githa, a female attendant at Rotherwood on the Lady Rowe'na.—Sir W. Scott, Ivanhoe (time, Richard I.).
E'lia, pseudonym of Charles Lamb, author of the Essays of Elia (1823).—London Magazine.
Eli'ab, in the satire of Absalom and Achitophel, by Dry den and Tate, is Henry Bennet, earl of Arlington. As Eliab befriended David (1 Chron. xii. 9), so the earl befriended Charles II.
E'lian God (The), Bacchus. An error for 'Eleuan, i.e. "the god Eleleus" (3 syl). Bacchus was called El'eleus from the Bacchic cry, eleleu!
El'idure (3 syl.), surnamed "the Pious," brother of Gorbonian, and one of the five sons of Morvi'dus (q.v.). He resigned the crown to his brother Arthgallo, who had been deposed. Ten years afterwards, Arthgallo died, and Elidure was again advanced to the throne, but was deposed and imprisoned by his two younger brothers. At the death of these two brothers, Elidure was taken from prison, and mounted the British throne for the third time.—Geoffrey, British History, iii. 17,18 (1470).
therefore.jpgWordsworth has a poem on this subject.
Elijah fed by Ravens. While Elijah was at the brook Cherith, in concealment, ravens brought him food every morning and evening.—1 Kings xvii. 6.
A strange parallel is recorded of Wyat, in the reign of Richard III. The king cast him into prison, and when he was nearly starved to death, a cat appeared at the window-grating, and dropped into his hand a pigeon, which the warder cooked for him. This was repeated daily.
E'lim, the guardian angel of Lebbeus (3 syl.) the apostle. Lebbeus, the softest and most tender of the twelve, at the death of Jesus "sank under the burden of his grief."—Klopstock, The Messiah, iii. (1748).
Elinor Grey, self-poised daughter of a statesman in Frank Lee Benedict's novel, My Daughter Elinor (1869). El'ion, consort of Beruth, and father of Che.—Sanchoniathon.
Eliot (John). Of the Apostle to the North American Indians, Dr. Cotton Mather writes:
Eliot (George), Marian Evans (or "Mrs. Marian Lewes"), author of Adam Bede (1858), Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), etc.
Elisa, often written Eliza in English, Dido, queen of Carthage.
Elis'abat, a famous surgeon, who attended Queen Madasi'ma in all her solitary wanderings, and was her sole companion.—Amadis de Gaul (fifteenth century).
Élisabeth ou Les Exilés de Siberie, a tale by Madame Cottin (1773-1807). The family being exiled for some political offence, Elizabeth walked all the way from Siberia to Russia, to crave pardon of the Czar. She obtained her prayer, and the family returned.
Elisabetha (Miss). "She is not young. The tall, spare form stiffly erect, the little wisp of hair behind ceremoniously braided and adorned with a high comb, the long, thin hands and the fine network of wrinkles over her pellucid, colorless cheeks, tell this." But she is a gentlewoman, with generations of gentlewomen back of her, and lives for Doro, her orphan ward, whom she has taught music. She loved his father, and for his sake—and his own—loves the boy. She works for him, hoards for him, and is ambitious for him only. When he grows up and marries a lowborn girl,—"a Minorcan"—and fills the old home with rude children, who break the piano-wires, the old aunt slaves for them. After he dies, a middle-aged man, she does not leave them.
"I saw her last year—an old woman, but working still."—Constance Fennimore Woolson, Southern Sketches (1880).
Elise (2 syl.), the motherless child of Harpagon the miser. She was affianced to Valère, by whom she had been "rescued from the waves." Valère turns out to be the son of Don Thomas d'Alburci, a wealthy nobleman of Naples.—Molière, L'Avare (1667).
Elis'sa, step-sister of Medi'na and Perissa. They could never agree upon any subject.—Spenser, Faëry Queen, ii. 2 (1590).
"Medina" (the golden mean), "Elissa" and "Perissa" (the two extremes).
Elizabeth (Le Marchant.) Nice girl whose life is, darkened by a frustrated elopement, by which she is apparently compromised. All comes well in the end.—Rhoda Broughton, Alas! (1890).
Elizabeth (The Queen), haughty, imperious, but devoted to her people. She loved the earl of Essex, and, when she heard that he was married to the countess of Rutland, exclaimed that she never "knew sorrow before." The queen gave Essex a ring after his rebellion, saying, "Here, from my finger take this ring, a pledge of mercy; and whensoe'er you send it back, I swear that I will grant whatever boon you ask." After his condemnation, Essex sent the ring to the queen by the countess of Nottingham, craving that her most gracious majesty would spare the life of Lord Southampton; but the countess, from jealousy, did not give it to the queen. The queen sent a reprieve for Essex, but Burleigh took care that it came too late, and the earl was beheaded as a traitor.—Henry Jones, The Earl of Essex (1745).
Elizabeth (Queen), introduced by Sir W. Scott in his novel called Kenilworth.
Elizabeth of Hungary (St.), patron saint of queens, being herself a queen. Her day is July 9 (1207-1231).
Ellen (Montgomery). The orphaned heroine of Susan Warner's story, The Wide, Wide World (1851.)
Ellen (Wade). Girl of eighteen who travels and camps with the family of Ishmael Bush, although many grades above them in education and refinement. Betrothed to Paul Hover, the bee-hunter.—James Fennimore Cooper, The Prairie, (1827).
Ellesmere (Mistress), the head domestic of Lady Peveril.—Sir W. Scott, Peveril of the Peak (time, Charles II.).
Elliott, (Hobbie, i.e. Halbert), farmer at the Heugh-foot. His bride-elect is Grace Armstrong.
Mrs. Elliott, Hobbie's grandmother. John and Harry, Hobbie's brothers.
Lilias, Jean, and Arnot, Hobbie's sisters.—Sir W. Scott, The Black Dwarf (time, Anne).
Elmo (St.). The fire of St. Elmo (Feu de Saint Elme), a comazant. If only one appears on a ship-mast, foul weather is at hand; but if two or more, they indicate that stormy weather is about to cease. By the Italians these comazants are called the "fires of St. Peter and St. Nicholas." In Latin the single fire is called "Helen," but the two "Castor and Pollux." Horace says (Odes, I. xiii. 27):
But Longfellow makes the stella indicative of foul weather: