an of enormous energy and masculine mind. At the death of her
husband, she ruled over Mercia, and proceeded to fortify city after
city, as Bridgenorth, Tamworth, Warwick, Hertford, Witham, and so on.
Then attacking the Danes, she drove them from place to place, and kept
them from molesting her.

When Elflida up-grew ...
The puissant Danish powers victoriously pursued,
And resolutely here thro' their thick squadrons hewed
Her way into the north.

Drayton, _Polyolbion_, xii. (1613).

ELFRIDE (_Swancourt_). Blue-eyed girl, betrothed first to Stephen
Smith; afterwards she loves passionately Henry Knight. He leaves
her in pique, and she weds Lord Luxellian, dying soon after the
marriage.--Thomas Hardy, _A Pair of Blue Eyes_ (1873).

ELF'THRYTH or AELF'THRYTH, daughter of Ordgar, noted for her great
beauty. King Edgar sent Aethelwald, his friend, to ascertain if she
were really as beautiful as report made her out to be. When AEthelwald
saw her he fell in love with her, and then, returning to the king,
said she was not handsome enough for the king, but was rich enough to
make a very eligible wife for himself. The king assented to the match,
and became godfather to the first child, who was called Edgar. One
day the king told his friend he intended to pay him a visit, and
Aethelwald revealed to his wife the story of his deceit, imploring
her at the same time to conceal her beauty. But Elfthryth, extremely
indignant, did all she could to set forth her beauty. The king fell in
love with her, slew Aethelwald, and married the widow.

A similar story is told by Herodotus; Prexaspes being the lady's name,
and Kambyses the king's.

EL'GITHA, a female attendant at Rotherwood on the Lady Rowe'na.--Sir
W. Scott, _Ivanhoe_ (time, Richard I.).

E'LIA, pseudonym of Charles Lamb, author of the _Essays of Elia_
(1823).--_London Magazine_.

ELI'AB, in the satire of _Absalom and Achitophel_, by Dry den and
Tate, is Henry Bennet, earl of Arlington. As Eliab befriended David (1
_Chron_. xii. 9), so the earl befriended Charles II.

Hard the task to do Eliab right;
Long with the royal wanderer he roved,
And firm in all the turns of fortune proved.

_Absalom and Achitophel_, ii. (1682).

E'LIAN GOD (_The_), Bacchus. An error for 'Eleuan, _i.e._ "the god
Eleleus" (3 _syl_). Bacchus was called _El'eleus_ from the Bacchic
cry, _eleleu_!

As when with crowned cups unto the Elian god
Those priests high orgies held.