Chapter EDWARD to Egypt of E by Brewer's Readers Handbook

EDWARD to Egypt

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 thoughts he swore the young man to secrecy, and told him the story of the murder. Wilford, unable to live under the suspicious eye of his master, ran away; but was hunted down by sir Edward, and accused of robbery. The whole transaction now became public, and Wilford was acquitted.—Colman: The Iron Chest (1796).

(This drama is based on Goodwin’s novel of Caleb Williams. “Williams” is called Wilford in the drama, and “Falkland” sir Edward Mortimer.)

Sowerby, whose mind was always in a ferment, was went to commit the most ridiculous mistakes. Thus when “sir Edward” says to “Wilford,” “You may have noticed in my library a chest,” he transposed 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 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.

Yes, Philip lost the battle [Cressy], with the odds
Of three to one. In this [Poitiers]…
They have our numbers more than twelve times told,
If we can trust report.
   —Act iii. sc. 2

Edward Street (Cavendish Square, London) is so called from Edward second earl of Oxford and Mortimer. (See Henrietta Street.)

Edwidge, 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.
Dainties he heeded not, nor gaude, nor toy,
Save one short pipe of rudest minstrelsy;
Silent when glad, affectionate, yet shy;…
And now he laughed aloud, yet none knew why.
The neighbours stared and sighed, yet blessed the lad;
Some deemed him wondrous wise, and some believed him mad.
   —Beattie: The Minstrel, i. (1737).

Edwin and Angelina. 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).