Chapter Egoism to Elector of E by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Egoism to Elector

Egoism The theory in Ethics which places man's summum bonum in self. The correlative of altruism, or the theory which places our own greatest happiness in making others happy. Egoism is selfishness pure, altruism is selfish benevolence. "Egoist," a disciple of egoism.

"To say that each individual shall reap the benefits brought to him by his own powers ... is to enunciate egoism as an ultimate principle of conduct." - Spencer: Data of Ethics, p. 189.

Egotism The too frequent use of the word I; the habit of talking about oneself, or of parading one's own doings. "Egotist," one addicted to egotism.

Egypt in Dryden's satire of Absalom and Achitophel, means France.

"Egypt and Tyrus [Holland] intercept your trade,
And Jebusites [Papists] your sacred rites invade." Part i. 705-6.

Egyptian Crown (The). That of Upper Egypt was a high conical white cap, terminating in a knob. That of Lower Egypt was red. If a king governed both countries he wore both crowns (that of Lower Egypt outside the other). This double crown was called a pschent.

Egyptian Days The last Monday in April, the second Monday of August, and the third Monday of December. So called because Egyptian astrologers marked them out.

"Three days there are in the year which we call Egyptian Days." - Saxon MS. (British Museum).

Egyptian Festivals (The). The six great festivals of the ancient Egyptians were -
   1. That of Bubastis (= Diana, or the moon);
   2. That of Busiris, in honour of Isis;
   3. That of Saïs (= Minerva, Hermes, or Wisdom);
   4. That of Heliopolis, in honour of the sun;
   5. That of Butis, or Buto, the goddess of night; and
   6. That of Papremis (= Mars or Ares, the god of War).

Eider-down The down of the eider duck. This duck is common in Greenland, Iceland, and the Islands north and west of Scotland. It is about the size of a goose, and receives its distinctive name from the river Eider, in Denmark.

Eikon Basilike [Portraiture of the King ]. A book attributed to Charles I., but claimed by John Gauden, Bishop of Exeter. "The Eikwu is wholly and only my invention." (Gauden; Letter to the Lord Chancellor.)

Eisell Wormwood wine. Hamlet says to Laertes, Woul't drink up eisell - i.e. drink wormwood wine to show your love to the dead Ophelia? In the Troy Book of Ludgate we have the line "Of bitter eysell and of eager [sour] wine." And in Shakespeare's sonnets;

"I will drink
Potions of eysell, gainst my strong infection;
No bitterness that I will bitter think,
Nor double penance to correct correction."
Sonnet cxi.

Eisteddfod The meetings of the Welsh bards and others, now held annually, for the encouragement of Welsh literature and music. (Welsh, "a sessions," from eistedd, to sit.)

Either (Greek, hekater'; Irish, ceachtar; Saxon, ægther. Ceach', our "each," and ægther, our "either.")

Ejusdem Farinæ (Latin). Of the same kidney; of the same sort.

"Lord Hartington, Lord Derby, Mr Childers, and others ejusdem farinæ." - Newspaper paragraph, November, 1885.

El Dorado Golden illusion; a land or means of unbounded wealth. Orellana, lieutenant of Pizarro, pretended he had discovered a land of gold (el dorado) between the rivers Orinoco and Amazon, in South America. Sir Walter Raleigh twice visited Guiana as the spot indicated, and published a highly- coloured account of its enormous wealth. Figuratively, a source of wit, wealth, or abundance of any kind.
   The real "land of gold" is California, and not Guiana. (See Balnibarbi.)

"The whole comedy is a sort of El Dorado of wit." - T. Moore

    El Dorado (masculine), "the gilt one," can hardly refer to a country; it seems more likely to refer to some prince; and we are told of a prince in South