Chapter Episode to Ermine Street of E by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

MUNDANE ERA, or the number of years between the Creation and the Nativity:

According to the modern Greek Calendar		7,388
"	Josephus	7,282
"	Scaliger	5,829
"	the ancient Greek Church	5,508
"	Professor Hales	5,411
"	L'art de Verifier les Dates	4,968
"	Archbishop Ussher	4,004
"	Calmet	4,000
"	the Jews	3,700

   OTHER ERAS:
The Era of Abraham starts from Oct. 1, B.C. 2016.

"	Actium starts from Jan. 1, B.C. 30.
"	Alexander, or of the Lagidæ, starts from Nov. 12, B.C. 324.
"	American Independence, July 4, A.D. 1776.
"	Augustus, B.C. 27.
"	Diocletian, Aug. 29, A.D. 284.
"	Tyre, Oct. 19, B.C. 125.
"	the Chinese, B.C. 2697.
"	the French Republic, Sept. 22, A.D. 1792.
"	the Hegira, July 16, A.D. 622. (The flight of Mahomet from Mecca.)
"	the Maccabees, B.C. 166.
"	the Martyrs, Feb. 23, A.D. 313.

   The Christian Era begins from the birth of Christ.

Eraclius, the emperor, condemned a knight to death because the companion who went out with him returned not. "Thou hast slain thy fellow," said the emperor, "and must die. Go," continued he, to another knight, "and lead him to death." On their way they met the knight supposed to be dead, and returned to Eraclius, who, instead of revoking his sentence, ordered all three to be put to death - the first because he had already condemned him to death; the second because he had disobeyed his orders; and the third because he was the real cause of the death of the other two. Chaucer tells this anecdote in his Sompnoures Tale. It is told of Cornelius Piso by Seneca in his De Ira, lib. i. 16; but in the Gesta Romanorum it is ascribed to Eraclius.

Erastians The followers of Thomas Lieber, Latinised into Erastus, a German "heretic" of the sixteenth century. (1524-1583.)

Erastianism State supremacy or interference in ecclesiastical affairs. Thus the Church of England is sometimes called "Erastian," because the two Houses of Parliament can interfere in its ritual and temporalities, and the sovereign, as the "head" of it, appoints bishops and other dignitaries thereof.

Erebus Darkness. The gloomy cavern underground through which the Shades had to walk in their passage to Hades. "A valley of the shadow of death."

"Not Erebus itself were dim enough
To hide thee from prevention."
Shakespeare: Julius Cæsar, ii. 1.

Eretrian The Eretrian bull. Menedemos of Eretria, in Euboea; a Greek philosopher of the fourth century B.C. and founder of the Eretrian school which was a branch of the Socratic. He was called a "bull" from the bull- like gravity of his face.

Erigena John Scotus, called "Scotus the Wise," who died 886. He must not be confounded with Duns Scottus the schoolman, who lived some four centuries after him (1265-1308).

Erin Ireland (q.v.).

Erinnys or Erinys. The goddess of vengeance, one of the Furies. (Greek mythology.)

Eriphila The personification of avarice, who guards the path that leads to pleasure, in Orlando Furioso, vi. 61.

Erix son of Goliah (sic) and grandson of Atlas. He invented legerdemain. (Duchat: OEuvres de Rabelais; 1711.)

Erl-king King of the elves, who prepares mischief for children, and even deceives men with his seductions. He is said to haunt the Black Forest.

Ermeline (Dame). Reynard's wife, in the tale of Reynard the Fox.

Ermienes (4 syl.). A renegade Christian, whose name was Clement. He was entrusted with the command of the caliph's "regal host," and was slain by Godfrey. (Tasso: Jerusalem Delivered.)