Character Sketches of Romance
Chapter 126 : Bk. ix. 571.Then: Obvius ambustum torrem Chorinseus ab ara Corripit, et venienti Ebuso

Bk. ix. 571.

Then:

Obvius ambustum torrem Chorinseus ab ara Corripit, et venienti Ebuso plagamque ferenti Occupat os flammis, etc.

Bk. xii. 298, etc.

Again in bk. ix. Numa is slain by Nisus, (ver. 554); but in bk. x. 562 Numa is alive, and aeneas kills him.

Once more, in bk. x. aeneas slays Camertes (ver. 562); but in bk. xii.

224 Jaturna, the sister of Turnus, a.s.sumes his shape. But if he was dead, no one would have been deluded into supposing the figure to be the living man.

[Ill.u.s.tration] Of course, every intelligent reader will be able to add to this list; but no more s.p.a.ce can be allowed for the subject in this dictionary.

ER'RUA ("_the mad-cap_"), a young man whose wit defeated the strength of the giant Tartaro (a sort of one-eyed Polypheme). Thus the first compet.i.tion was in throwing a stone. The giant threw his stone, but Errua threw a _bird_, which the giant supposed to be a stone, and as it flew out of sight, Errua won the wager. The next wager was a bar of iron. After the giant had thrown, Errua said, "From here to Salamanca;" whereupon the giant bade him not to throw, lest the bar of iron should kill his father and mother, who lived there; so the giant lost the second wager. The third was to pull a tree up by the roots; and the giant gave in because Errua had run a cord around a host of trees, and said, "You pull up one, but I pull up all these." The next exploit was at bed-time; Errua was to sleep in a certain bed; but he placed a dead man in the bed, while he himself got under it. At midnight Tartaro took his club and belabored the dead body most unmercifully. When Errua stood before Tartaro next morning, the giant was dumbfounded. He asked Errua how he had slept. "Excellently well,"

said Errua, "but somewhat troubled by fleas." Other trials were made, but always in favor of Errua. At length a race was proposed, and Errua sewed into a bag the bowels of a pig. When he started, he cut the bag, strewing the bowels on the road. When Tartaro was told that his rival had done this to make himself more fleet, he cut his belly, and of course killed himself.--Rev. W. Webster, _Basque Legends_ (1877).

ERS'KINE _(The. Rev. Dr_.), minister of Grayfriar's Church, Edinburgh.--Sir W. Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time, George II.).

ER'TANAX, a fish common in the Euphrates. The bones of this fish impart courage and strength.

A fish ... haunteth the flood of Eufrates ...

it is called an ertanax, and his bones be of such a manner of kind that whoso handleth them he shall have so much courage that he shall never be weary, and he shall not think on joy nor sorrow that he hath had, but only on the thing he beholdeth before him.--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_, iii. 84, (1470).

ERUDITE (_Most_). Marcus Terentius Varro is called "the most erudite of the Romans" (B.C. 116-27).

ER'YTHRE, modesty personified, the virgin page of Parthen'ia or maiden of chast.i.ty, in _The Purple Island_, by Phineas Fletcher (1633). Fully described in canto x. (Greek, _cruthros_, "red," from _eruthriao_, "to blush.")

ERYSICHTHON [_Erri. sik'. thon_], a grandson of Neptune, who was punished by Ceres with insatiable hunger, for cutting down some trees in a grove sacred to that G.o.ddess. (See ERISICHTHON.)

ES'CALUS, an ancient, kind-hearted lord in the deputation of the duke of Vienna.--Shakespeare, _Measure for Measure_ (1603).

_Es'calus_, Prince of Vero'na.--Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet_ (1598).

ES'CANES (_3 syl_.), one of the lords of Tyre.--Shakespeare, _Pericles, Prince of Tyre_ (1608).

ESCOBAR (_Mons. L_') the French, name for a fox, so called from M.

Escobar the probabilist, whence also the verb _escobarder_, "to play the fox," "to play fast and loose."

The French have a capital name for the fox, namely, M. L'Escobar, which may be translated the "shuffler," or more freely, "sly boots."--_The Daily News_, March 25, 1878.

ESCOTILLO (_i.e. little Michael Scott_), considered by the common people as a magician, because he possessed more knowledge of natural and experimental philosophy than his contemporaries.

ES'DALE (_Mr_.), a surgeon at Madras.--Sir W. Scott, _The Surgeon's Daughter_ (time, George II.).

ES'INGS, the king of Kent. So called from Eisc, the father of Hengist, as the Tuscans receive their name from Tuscus, the Romans from Romulus, the Cecrop'idae from Cecrops, the Britons from Brutus, and so on.--Ethelwerd, _Chron_., ii.

ESMERALDA, a beautiful gypsy-girl, who, with tambourine and goat, dances in the _place_ before Notre Dame de Paris, and is looked on as a witch. Quasimodo conceals her for a time in the church, but after various adventures she is gibbeted.--Victor Hugo, _Notre Dame de Paris_.

_Esmeralda_; humbly-born heroine of Frances Hodgson Burnett's work of same name. The story has been dramatized and played with great effect.

ESMOND (_Henry_), a chivalrous cavalier in the reign of Queen Anne; the hero of Thackeray's novel called _Henry Esmond_ (1852).

ESPLAN'DIAN, son of Am'adis and Oria'na. Montalvo has made him the subject of a fifth book to the four original books of _Amadis of Gaul_ (1460).

The description of the most furious battles, carried on with all the b.l.o.o.d.y-mindedness of an Esplandian or a Bobadil [Ben Jonson, _Every Man in his Humor_].--_Encyc. Brit_., Art. "Romance."

ESPRIEL'LA (_Manuel Alvarez_), the apocryphal name of Robert Southey.

The poet-laureate pretends that certain "letters from England,"

written by this Spaniard, were translated by him from the original Spanish (three vols., 1807).

ESs.e.x (_The earl of_), a tragedy by Henry Jones (1745.) Lord Burleigh and Sir Walter Raleigh entertained a mortal hatred of the earl of Ess.e.x, and accused him to the queen of treason. Elizabeth disbelieved the charge; but at this juncture the earl left Ireland, whither the queen had sent him, and presented himself before her. She was very angry, and struck him, and Ess.e.x rushed into open rebellion, was taken, and condemned to death. The queen had given him a ring before the trial, telling him whatever pet.i.tion he asked should be granted, if he sent to her this ring. When the time of execution drew nigh, the queen sent the countess of Nottingham to the Tower, to ask Ess.e.x if he had any plea to make. The earl entreated her to present the ring to her majesty, and pet.i.tion her to spare the life of his friend Southampton. The countess purposely neglected this charge, and Ess.e.x was executed. The queen, it is true, sent a reprieve, but Lord Burleigh took care it should arrive too late. The poet says that Ess.e.x had recently married the countess of Rutland, that both the queen and the countess of Nottingham were jealous, and that this jealousy was the chief cause of the earl's death.

The Abbe Boyer, La Calprenede, and Th. Corneille have tragedies on the some subject.

_Ess.e.x_ (_The earl of_), lord high constable of England, introduced by Sir W. Scott in his novel called _Ivanhoe_ (time, Richard I.).

ESTEL'LA, a haughty beauty, adopted by Miss Havisham. She was affianced by her wish to Pip, but married Bentley Drummle.--C.

d.i.c.kens, _Great Expectations_ (1860).

ESTHER, housekeeper to Muhldenau, minister of Mariendorpt. She loves Hans, a servant to the minister, but Hans is shy, and Esther has to teach him how to woo and win her. Esther and Hans are similar to Helen and Modus, only in lower social grade.--S. Knowles, _The Maid of Mariendorpt_ (1838).

ESTHER HAWDON, better known through the tale as Esther Summerson, natural daughter of Captain Hawdon and Lady Dedlock (before her marriage with Sir Leicester Dedlock). Esther is a most lovable, gentle creature, called by those who know and love her, "Dame Durden" or "Dame Trot." She is the heroine of the tale, and a ward in Chancery.

Eventually she marries Allan Woodcourt, a surgeon.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Bleak House_ (1852).

ESTHER _Bush_: Wife of the squatter Ishmael Bush. Loud-voiced, sharp of temper and hard of hand, yet loyal in her way to husband and children.--James Fennimore Cooper, _The Prairie_, (1827).

_Esther_ (_Queen_), Indian monarch who, during the Wyoming ma.s.sacre, dashes out the brains of sixteen prisoners with her own hands, as a sacrifice to the manes of her son. Queen Esther's Rock is still shown to travelers.--Ann Sophia Stevens, _Mary Derwent_ (1845).

ESTIFA'NIA, an intriguing woman, servant of donna Margaritta, the Spanish heiress. She palms herself off on Don Michael Perez (the copper captain) as an heiress, and the mistress of Margaritta's mansion. The captain marries her, and finds out that all her swans are only geese.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _Rule a Wife and Have a Wife_ (1640).

EST-IL-POSSSIBLE? A nickname given to George of Denmark (Queen Anne's husband), because his general remark to the most startling announcement was, _Est-il possible?_ With this exclamation he exhausted the vials of his wrath. It was James II. who gave him the sobriquet.

EST'MERE (_2 syl_.), king of England. He went with his younger brother Adler to the court of King Adlands, to crave his daughter in marriage; but King Adlands replied that Bremor, the sowdan, or sultan of Spain, had forestalled him. However, the lady, being consulted, gave her voice in favor of the king of England. While Estmere and his brother went to make preparations for the wedding, the "sowdan" arrived, and demanded the lady to wife. A messenger was immediately despatched to inform Estmere, and the two brothers returned, disguised as a _harper and his boy_. They gained entrance into the palace, and Adler sang, saying, "O ladye, this is thy owne true love; no harper, but a king;"

and then drawing his sword he slew the "sowdan," Estmere at the same time chasing from the hall the "kempery men." Being now master of the position, Estmere took "the ladye faire," made her his wife, and brought her home to England.--Percy, _Reliques_, 1. i. 5.

ESTRILDIS OR ELSTRED, daughter of the Emperor of Germany. She was taken captive in war by Locrin (king of Britain), by whom she became the mother of Sabrin or Sabre. Gwendolen, the wife of Locrin, feeling insulted by this liaison, slew her husband, and had Estrildis and her daughter thrown into a river, since called the Sabri'na or Severn.--Geoffrey, _British History_, ii. 2, etc.

ESTWICKE (_John_), hero of Charles Egbert Craddock's book, _Where the Battle was Fought_ (1884). His real name was John Fortescue.

ETE'OCLES AND POLYNI'CES, the two sons Oe'dipos. After the expulsion of their father, these two young princes agreed to reign alternate years in Thebes. Eteocles, being the elder, took the first turn, but at the close of the year refused to resign the sceptre to his brother; whereupon Polynices, aided by six other chiefs, laid seige to the city. The two brothers met in combat, and each was slain by the other's hand.

[Ill.u.s.tration] A similar fratricidal struggle is told of Don Pedro of Castile and his half-brother Don Henry. When Don Pedro had estranged the Castilians by his cruelty, Don Henry invaded Castile with a body of French auxiliaries, and took his brother prisoner. Don Henry visited him in prison, and the two brothers fell on each other like lions. Henry wounded Pedro in the face, but fell over a bench, when Pedro seized him. At that moment a Frenchman seized Pedro by the leg, tossed him over, and Henry slew him.--Menard, _History of Du Gueselin._

ETHAN (_Allen_). He gives under his own hand the history of the capture of Ticonderoga, May 10, 1775, and corroborates the popular story that he demanded the surrender of the fortress, "_In the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!_" _Allen's Narrative of Captivity_ (1779).

ETH'ELBERT, king of Kent, and the first of the Anglo-Saxon kings who was a Christian. He persuaded Gregory to send over Augustine to convert the English to "the true faith" (596), and built St. Paul's, London.--Ethelwerd's _Chronicle_, ii.