t, a surgeon.--C. Dickens, _Bleak
House_ (1852).

ESTHER _Bush_: Wife of the squatter Ishmael Bush. Loud-voiced, sharp
of temper and hard of hand, yet loyal in her way to husband and
children.--James Fennimore Cooper, _The Prairie_, (1827).

_Esther_ (_Queen_), Indian monarch who, during the Wyoming massacre,
dashes out the brains of sixteen prisoners with her own hands, as a
sacrifice to the manes of her son. Queen Esther's Rock is still shown
to travelers.--Ann Sophia Stevens, _Mary Derwent_ (1845).

ESTIFA'NIA, an intriguing woman, servant of donna Margaritta, the
Spanish heiress. She palms herself off on Don Michael Perez (the
copper captain) as an heiress, and the mistress of Margaritta's
mansion. The captain marries her, and finds out that all her swans
are only geese.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _Rule a Wife and Have a Wife_
(1640).

EST-IL-POSSSIBLE? A nickname given to George of Denmark (Queen
Anne's husband), because his general remark to the most startling
announcement was, _Est-il possible?_ With this exclamation he
exhausted the vials of his wrath. It was James II. who gave him the
sobriquet.

EST'MERE (_2 syl_.), king of England. He went with his younger brother
Adler to the court of King Adlands, to crave his daughter in marriage;
but King Adlands replied that Bremor, the sowdan, or sultan of Spain,
had forestalled him. However, the lady, being consulted, gave her
voice in favor of the king of England. While Estmere and his brother
went to make preparations for the wedding, the "sowdan" arrived, and
demanded the lady to wife. A messenger was immediately despatched to
inform Estmere, and the two brothers returned, disguised as a _harper
and his boy_. They gained entrance into the palace, and Adler sang,
saying, "O ladye, this is thy owne true love; no harper, but a king;"
and then drawing his sword he slew the "sowdan," Estmere at the same
time chasing from the hall the "kempery men." Being now master of
the position, Estmere took "the ladye faire," made her his wife, and
brought her home to England.--Percy, _Reliques_, 1. i. 5.

ESTRILDIS OR ELSTRED, daughter of the Emperor of Germany. She was
taken captive in war by Locrin (king of Britain), by whom she became
the mother of Sabrin or Sabre. Gwendolen, the wife of Locrin, feeling
insulted by this liaison, slew her husband, and had Estrildis and
her daughter thrown into a river, since called the Sabri'na or
Severn.--Geoffrey, _British History_, ii. 2,