Chapter Eloa to Emerald Isle of E by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Eloa to Emerald Isle

Eloa, the first of seraphs. His name with God is “The Chosen One,” but the angels call him Eloa. Eloa and Gabriel were angel-friends.

Eloa, fairest spirit of heaven. His thoughts are past understanding to the mind of man. His looks more lovely than the day-spring, more beaming than the stars of heaven when they first flew into being at the voice of the Creator.—Klopstock: The Messiah, L (1748).

Eloi (St.), that is, St. Louis. The kings of France were called Loys up to the time of Louis XIII. Probably the “delicate oath” of Chaucer’s prioress, who was a French scholar “after the scole of Stratford-atte- Bowe,” was St. Loy, i.e. St. Louis, and not St. Eloi the patron saint of smiths and artists. St. Eloi was bishop of Noyon in the reign of Dagobert, and a noted craftsman in gold and silver.

Ther was also a nonne, a prioresse,
That of hire smiling was full simp’ and coy,
Hire greatest othe n’as but by Seint Eloy!
   —Chaucer: Canterbury Tales (1388).

“Seint Eloy,” query “Seinte Loy”?

Eloisa to Abelard (Epistle from), by Pope (1717). Eloisa was a pupil of Abelard, and bore him a child; but she refused to marry him, lest it should injure his prospects in the Church.

Elops. There was a fish so called, but Milton uses the word (Paradise Lost, x. 525) for the dumb serpent or serpent which gives no warning of its approach by hissing or otherwise. (Greek, ellops, “mute or dumb.”)

Eloquence (The Four Monarchs of); (1) Demosthenês, the Greek orator (B.C. 385–322); (2) Cicero, the Roman orator (B.C. 106–43); (3) Sadi, the Persian (1184–1263); (4) Zoroaster (B.C. 589–513).

Eloquent (That Old Man), Iso cratês, the Greek orator. When he heard that the battle of Chæronea was lost, and that Greece was no longer free, he died of grief.

That dishonest victory
At Chæronea, fatal to liberty,
Killed with report that Old Man Eloquent.
   —Milton: Sonnet, ix.

(This victory was gained by Philip of Macedon. Called “dishonest” because bribery and corruption were employed.)

Eloquent Doctor (The), Peter Aureolus, archbishop of Aix (fourteenth century).

Elpinus, Hope personified. He was “clad in sky-like blue,” and the motto of his shield was “I hold by being held.” He went attended by Pollicita (promise). Fully described in canto ix. (Greek, elpis, “hope.”)—Phineas Fletcher: The Purple Island (1633).

Elshender the Recluse, called “The Canny Elshie” or “The Wise Wight of Mucklestane Moor.” This is “the black dwarf,” or sir Edward Mauley, the hero of the novel.—Sir W. Scott: The Black Dwarf (1816; time, Anne).

Elsie, the daughter of Gottlieb, a cottage farmer of Bavaria. Prince Henry of Hoheneck, being struck with leprosy, was told he would never be cured till a maiden chaste and spotless offered to give her life in sacrifice for him. Elsie volunteered to die for the prince, and he accompanied her to Salerno; but either the exercise, the excitement, or some charm, no matter what, had quite cured the prince, and when he entered the cathedral with Elsie, it was to make her lady Alicia, his bride.—Hartmann von der Aue: Poor Henry (twelfth century); Longfellow: Golden Legend.

Alcestis, daughter of Pelias and wife of Admetos, died instead of her husband, but was brought back by Herculês from the shades below, and restored to Admetos.