Chapter Egyptian Disposition to Eleven Thousand Virgins of E by Brewer's Readers Handbook

For all women was sir Bors a virgin, save for one, the daughter of king Brandegoris, on whom he had a child, hight Elaine; save for her, sir Bors was a clean maid.—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur, iii. 4 (1470).

It 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 , 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 he ordered her story to be blazoned on her tomb.—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur, iii. 123 (1470).

(One of Tennyson’s Idylls is “Elaine.”)

Elamites , Persians. So called from Elam, son of Shem.—Acts ii. 9.

Elberich, the most famous dwarf of German romance.—The Heldenbuch.

Elbow, a well-meaning but loutish constable.—Shakespeare: Measure for Measure (1603).

Elden Hole, in Derbyshire Peak, said to be fathomless.

Elder Brother (The), a comedy by John Fletcher (1637). Charles is supposed to be wholly absorbed in books, but, at the first sight of Angelina, falls over head and ears in love.

Elder Tree (The). There are several legends connected with this tree: (I) It is said that the cross was made of elder wood; (2) it is also said that Judas hanged himself on this tree. The two legends are closely linked together. If Judas hanged himself on an elder tree, no doubt the cross was the remote cause of his death. So, again, if the cross was of elder wood, it certainly brought about the death of Judas. Thus the accursed tree of Jesus was in reality the accursed tree of the traitor also.

Shakespeare, in Love’s Labour’s Lost, says, “Judas was hanged on an elder.”

Probably both are poetic symbols. Elder may be called the heartless wood. It was a heartless deed to crucify Jesus. And Judas was a heartless man to betray so good a Master.

El Dorado, the “golden city.” So the Spaniards called Manhoa of Guiana. (See Dorado, El, p. 293.)

Guiana, whose great city Geryon’s sons
Call “El Dorado.”
   —Milton: Paradise Lost, xi. 411 (1665).

Eleanor, queen-consort of Henry II., alluded to by the presbyterian minister in Woodstock, x. (1826).

“Believe me, young man, thy servant was more likely to see visions than to dream idle dreams in that apartment; for I have always heard that next to Rosamond’s Bower, in which…she played the wanton, and was afterwards poisoned by queen Eleanor, Victor Lee’s chamber was the place…peculiarly the haunt of evil spirits.”—Sir W. Scott: Woodstock (time, Common-wealth).

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.

(In front of the South-Eastern Railway station, Strand, London, is a model of the Charing Cross, of the original dimensions.)