Character Sketches of Romance Volume I Part 122

EREEN'IA (3 _syl._), a glendoveer' or good spirit, the beloved son of Cas'yapa (_3 syl_.), father of the immortals. Ereenia took pity on Kail'yal (_2 syl_.), daughter of Ladur'lad, and carried her to his Bower of Bliss in paradise (canto vii.). Here Kailyal could not stay, because she was still a living daughter of earth. On her return to earth, she was chosen for the bride of Jagannaut, and Ar'valan came to dishonor her; but she set fire to the paG.o.da, and Ereenia came to her rescue. Ereenia was set upon by the witch Lor'rimite (_3 syl_.), and carried to the submerged city of Baly, whence he was delivered by Ladurlad. The glendoveer now craved Seeva for vengeance, but the G.o.d sent him to Yamen (_i.e._ Pluto), and Yamen said the measure of iniquity was now full, so Arvalan and his father Kehama were both made inmates of the city of everlasting woe; while Ereenia carried Kailyal, who had quaffed the waters of immortality, to his Bower of Bliss, to dwell with him in everlasting joy.--Southey, _Curse of Kehoma_ (1809).

ERET'RIAN BULL _(The)._ Menede'mos of Eretria, in Eubae'a, was called "Bull" from the bull-like breadth and gravity of his face. He founded the Eretrian school (fourth century B.C.).

ERIC, "Windy-cap," king of Sweden. He could make the wind blow from any quarter by simply turning his cap. Hence arose the expression, "a capful of wind."

ERIC GRAY. A young man whose religious principles will not let him marry the girl he loves because she has not "joined the church." His old love tells the story after his funeral.

"And all my heart went forward, past the shadows and the cross, Even to that home where perfect love hath never thorn nor loss; Where neither do they marry, nor in marriage are given, But are like unto the angels in G.o.d'S house, which is Heaven."

Margaret E. Sangster, _Eric's Funeral_ (1882).

ERICHTHO _[Erik'.tho]_, the famous Thessaliaii witch consulted by Pompey.--Lucan, _Pharsalia_, vi.

ERICKSON _(Sweyn)_, a fisherman at Jarlshof.--Sir W. Scott, _The Pirate_ (time, William III.).

ERIC'THO, the witch in John Marston's tragedy called _The Wonder of Women_ or _Sophonisba_ (160)5.

ERIG'ENA (_John Scotus_), called "Scotus the Wise." He must not be confounded with Duns Scotus, "the Subtle Doctor," who lived some four centuries later. Erigena died in 875, and Duns Scotus in 1308.

ERIG'ONE (4 _syl_.), the constellation _Virgo_. She was the daughter of Icarios, an Athenian, who was murdered by some drunken peasants.

Erigone discovered the dead body by the aid of her father's dog Moera, who became the star called _Canis_.

... "that virgin, frail Erigone, Who by compa.s.sion got preeminence."

Lord Brooke, _Of n.o.bility_.

ERILL'YAB (3 _syl_.), the widowed and deposed Queen of the Hoamen (2 _syl_.), an Indian tribe settled on a south branch of the Missouri.

Her husband was King Tepol'loni, and her son Amal'ahta. Madoc when he reached America, espoused her cause, and succeeded in restoring her to her throne and empire.--Southey, _Madoc_ (1805).

ERIPHY'LE (4 _syl_.), the wife of Amphiara'os. Being bribed by a golden necklace, she betrayed to Polyni-ces where her husband had concealed himself that he might not go to the seige of Thebes, where he knew that he should be killed. Congreve calls the word Eriph'yle.

When Eriphyle broke her plighted faith, And for a bribe procured her husband's death.

Ovid, _Art of Love_, iii.

ERISICH'THON (should be _Erysichthon_), a Thessaliad, whose appet.i.te was insatiable. Having spent all his estate in the purchase of food, nothing was left but his daughter Metra, and her he sold to buy food for his voracious appet.i.te; but Metra had the power of transforming herself into any shape she chose, so as often as as her father sold her, she changed her form and returned to him. After a time, Erisichthon was reduced to feed upon himself.--Ovid, _Metaph_, viii. 2 (740 to end).

Drayton says when the Wyre saw her goodly oak trees sold for firewood, she bethought her of Erisichthon's end, who, "when nor sea, nor land, sufficient were," ate his own flesh.--_Polyolbion_, vii.

So Erisicthon, once fired (as men say), With hungry rage, fed never, ever feeding; Ten thousand dishes severed every day, Yet in ten thousand thousand dishes needing.

In vain his daughter hundred shapes a.s.sumed; A whole camp's meat he in his gorge inhumed; And all consumed, his hunger yet was unconsumed.

Phineas Fletcher, _The Purple Island_ (1633).

ERLAND, father of Norna "of the Fitful Head."--Sir W. Scott, _The Pirate_ (time, William III.).

ERL-KING, a spirit of mischief, which haunts the Black Forest of Thuringia.

Goethe has a ballad called the _Erl-konig_, and Herder has translated the Danish ballad of _Sir Olaf and the Erl-King's Daughter_.

In Goethe's ballad, a father, riding home through the night and storm with a child in his arms is pursued by the Erl-king, who entices the child with promises of fairy-gifts, and finally kills it.

ERMANGARDE OF BALDRINGHAM (_The Lady_), aunt of the Lady Eveline Berenger "the betrothed."--Sir W. Scott, _The Betrothed_ (time, Henry II.).

ER'MELINE (_Dame_), the wife of Reynard, in the beast-epic called _Reynard the Fox_ (1498).

ERMIN'IA, the heroine of _Jerusalem Delivered_. She fell in love with Tancred, and when the Christian army beseiged Jerusalem, arrayed herself in Clorinda's armor to go to him. After certain adventures, she found him wounded, and nursed him tenderly; but the poet has not told us what was the ultimate lot of this fair Syrian.--Ta.s.so, _Jerusalem Delivered_ (1575).

ERNA'NI, the robber-captain, duke of Segor'bia and Cardo'na, lord of Aragon, and count of Ernani. He is in love with Elvi'ra, the betrothed of Don Ruy Gomez de Silva, an old Spanish grandee, whom she detests.

Charles V. falls in love with her, and Ruy Gomez joins Ernani in a league against their common rival. During this league Ernani gives Ruy Gomez a horn, saying, "Sound but this horn, and at that moment Ernani will cease to live." Just as he is about to espouse Elvira, the horn is sounded, and Ernani stabs himself.--Verdi, _Ernani_ (an opera, 1841).

ERNEST (_Duke_), son-in-law of Kaiser Konrad II. He murders his feudal lord, and goes on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to expiate his crime.

The poem so called is a mixture of Homeric legends, Oriental myths, and pilgrims' tales. We have pygmies and cyclopses, genii and enchanters, fairies and dwarfs, monks and devotees. After a world of hair-breadth escapes, the duke reaches the Holy Sepulchre, pays his vows, returns to Germany, and is pardoned.--Henry Von Veldig (minnesinger), _Duke Ernest_ (twelfth century).

ERNEST DE FRIDBERG, "the prisoner of the State." He was imprisoned in the dungeon of the Giant's Mount fortress for fifteen years on a false charge of treason. Ul'rica (his natural daughter by the countess Marie), dressed in the clothes of Herman, the deaf and dumb jailor-boy, gets access to the dungeon and contrives his escape; but he is retaken, and led back to the dungeon. Being subsequently set at liberty, he marries the countess Marie (the mother of Ulrica).--E.

Stirling, _The Prisoner of State_ (1847.)

EROS, the manumitted slave of Antony the triumvir. Antony made Eros swear that he would kill him if commanded by him so to do. When in Egypt, Antony after the battle of Actium, fearing lest he should fall into the hands of Octavius Caesar, ordered Eros to keep his promise.

Eros drew his sword, but thrust it into his own side, and fell dead at the feet of Antony. "O n.o.ble Eros," cried Antony, "I thank thee for teaching me how to die!"--Plutarch.

[Ill.u.s.tration] Eros is introduced in Shakespeare's _Antony and Cleopatra_, and in Dryden's _All for Love or the World Well Lost_.

(Eros is the Greek name of Cupid, and hence amorous poetry is called Erotic.)

EROS'TRATOS (in Latin EROSTRATUS), the incendiary who set fire to the temple of Diana of Ephesus, that his name might be perpetuated. An edict was published, prohibiting any mention of the name, but the edict was wholly ineffective.

[Ill.u.s.tration] Charles V., wis.h.i.+ng to be shown over the Pantheon [_All Saints_] of Rome, was taken to the top by a Roman knight. At parting, the knight told the emperor that he felt an almost irresistible desire to push his majesty down from the top of the building, "in order to immortalize his name." Unlike Erostratos, the name of this knight has not transpired. ERO'TA, a very beautiful but most imperious princess, pa.s.sionately beloved by Philander, Prince of Cyprus.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Laws of Candy_ (1647).

ERRA-PATER, an almanac, an almanac-maker, an astrologer. Samuel Butler calls Lilly, the almanac-maker, an Erra-Pater, which we are told was the name of a famous Jewish astrologer.

His only Bible was an Erra-Pater.

Phin. Fletcher, _The Purple Island_, vii. (1633).

"What's here? Erra-Pater or a bearded sibyl"

[_the person was Foresight_].

Congreve, _Love for Love_, iv. (1695).

ERRAGON, king of Lora (in Scandinavia). Aldo, a Caledonian chief, offered him his services, and obtained several important victories; but Lorma, the king's wife, falling in love with him, the guilty pair escaped to Morven. Erragon invaded the country, and slew Aldo in single combat, but was himself slain in battle by Gaul, son of Morni.

As for Lorma, she died of grief.--Ossian, _The Battle of Lora_.

ERRANT DAMSEL (_The_), Una.--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, iii. 1 (1590).

ERRIMA, Greek maiden chidden by her mother for dreaming of Sappho, and Lesbian dances and Delphian lyre, and commanded to

"rend thy scrolls and keep thee to thy spinning."