supposing the figure to be
the living man.

[Illustration] Of course, every intelligent reader will be able to add
to this list; but no more space can be allowed for the subject in this
dictionary.

ER'RUA ("_the mad-cap_"), a young man whose wit defeated the strength
of the giant Tartaro (a sort of one-eyed Polypheme). Thus the first
competition was in throwing a stone. The giant threw his stone, but
Errua threw a _bird_, which the giant supposed to be a stone, and as
it flew out of sight, Errua won the wager. The next wager was a bar
of iron. After the giant had thrown, Errua said, "From here to
Salamanca;" whereupon the giant bade him not to throw, lest the bar of
iron should kill his father and mother, who lived there; so the giant
lost the second wager. The third was to pull a tree up by the roots;
and the giant gave in because Errua had run a cord around a host of
trees, and said, "You pull up one, but I pull up all these." The next
exploit was at bed-time; Errua was to sleep in a certain bed; but
he placed a dead man in the bed, while he himself got under it. At
midnight Tartaro took his club and belabored the dead body most
unmercifully. When Errua stood before Tartaro next morning, the giant
was dumbfounded. He asked Errua how he had slept. "Excellently well,"
said Errua, "but somewhat troubled by fleas." Other trials were made,
but always in favor of Errua. At length a race was proposed, and Errua
sewed into a bag the bowels of a pig. When he started, he cut the bag,
strewing the bowels on the road. When Tartaro was told that his rival
had done this to make himself more fleet, he cut his belly, and of
course killed himself.--Rev. W. Webster, _Basque Legends_ (1877).

ERS'KINE _(The. Rev. Dr_.), minister of Grayfriar's Church,
Edinburgh.--Sir W. Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time, George II.).

ER'TANAX, a fish common in the Euphrates. The bones of this fish
impart courage and strength.

A fish ... haunteth the flood of Eufrates ...
it is called an ertanax, and his bones be of such
a manner of kind that whoso handleth them he
shall have so much courage that he shall never
be weary, and he shall not think on joy nor
sorrow that he hath had, but only on the thing
he beholdeth before him.--Sir T. Malory, _History
of Prince Arthur_, iii. 84, (1470).

ERUDITE (_Most_). Marcus Terentius Varro is called "the most erudite
of the Romans" (B.C. 116-27).

ER'YTHRE, modesty personified, the virgin page