Volume I Part 116 (1/2)

Dombey's second wife, but the marriage was altogether an unhappy one, and she eloped with Mr. Carker to Dijon, where she left him, having taken this foolish step merely to annoy her husband for the slights to which he had subjected her. On leaving Carker she went to live with her cousin Feenix, in the south of England.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Dombey and Son_ (1846).

EDITH PLANTAGENET (_The lady_), called ”The Fair Maid of Anjou,” a kinswoman of Richard I., and attendant of Queen Berenga'ria. She married David, earl of Huntingdon (prince royal of Scotland), and is introduced by Sir W. Scott in _The Talisman_ (1825).

EDMUND, natural son of the earl of Gloucester. Both Goneril and Regan (daughters of King Lear) were in love with him. Regan, on the death of her husband, designed to marry Edmund, but Goneril, out of jealousy, poisoned her sister Regan.--Shakespeare, _King Lear_ (1605).

_Edmund Andros_. In a letter to English friends (1698) Nathaniel Byfield writes particulars of the revolt in the New England Colonies against the royal governor, Sir Edmund Andros.

”We have, also, advice that on Friday last Sir Edmund Andros did attempt to make an escape in woman's apparel, and pa.s.sed two guards and was stopped at the third, being discovered by his shoes, not having changed them.” Nathaniel Byfield.--_An Account of the Late Revolution in New England_ (1689).

_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-G.o.d were celebrated.

Accept the rites your bounty well may claim, Nor heed the scoffing of th' Edonian band.

Akinside, _Hymn to the Naiads_ (1767).

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).

[Ill.u.s.tration] This drama is based on Goodwin's novel of _Caleb Williams_. ”Williams” is called _Wilford_ in the drama, and ”Falkland”

is called _Sir Edward_.

Sowerby, whose mind was always in a ferment, was wont to commit the most ridiculous mistakes. Thus when ”Sir Edward” says to ”Wilford,” ”You may have noticed in my library a chest,” he transposes the words thus: ”You may have noticed in my chest a library,”

and the house was convulsed with laughter.-- Russell, _Representative Actors_ (appendix).

EDWARD II., a tragedy by C. Marlowe (1592), imitated by Shakespeare in his _Richard II_. (1597). Probably most readers would prefer Marlowe's n.o.ble tragedy to Shakespeare's.

EDWARD IV. of England, introduced by Sir W. Scott in his novel ent.i.tled _Anne_ of _Geierstein_ (1829).

EDWARD THE BLACK PRINCE, a tragedy by W. s.h.i.+rley (1640). The subject of this drama is the victory of Poitiers.

Yes, Philip lost the battle [_Cressy_] with the odds Of three to one. In this [_Poitiers_]...

The have our numbers more than twelve times told, If we can trust report.

Act iii. 2.

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.

And yet poor Edwin was no vulgar boy, Deep thought oft seemed to fix his infant eye, Danties he heeded not, nor gaude, nor toy, Save one short pipe of rudest ministrelsy; Silent when glad, affectionate, yet shy ...

And now he laughed aloud, yet none knew why.

The neighbors stared and sighed, yet blessed the lad;

Some deemed him wonderous wise, and some believed him mad.

Beattie, _The Minstrel_, 1. (1773).

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,”