ECHO, in classic poetry, is a female, and in English also; but in Ossian echo is called “the son of the rock.”—­Songs of Selma.

ECK’HART (The Trusty), a good servant, who perishes to save his master’s children from the mountain fiends.—­Louis Tieck.

(Carlyle has translated this tale into English.)

ECLECTA, the “Elect” personified in The Purple Island, by Phineas Fletcher.  She is the daughter of Intellect and Voleta (free-will), and ultimately becomes the bride of Jesus Christ, “the bridegroom” (canto xii., 1633).

But let the Kentish lad [Phineas Fletcher] ... that sung and crowned Eclecta’s hymen with ten thousand flowers Of choicest praise ... be the sweet pipe.

Giles Fletcher, Christ’s Triumph, etc, (1610).

ECOLE DES FEMMES, a comedy of Moliere, the plot of which is borrowed from the novelletti of Ser Giovanni (1378.)

ECTOR (Sir), lord of many parts of England and Wales, and foster-father of Prince Arthur.  His son Sir Key or Kay, was seneschal or steward of Arthur when he became king.—­Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, i. 3 (1470.)

[Illustration] Sir Ector and Sir Ector de Maris were two distinct persons.

ECTOR DE MARIS (Sir), brother “of Sir Launcelot” of Benwick, i.e. Brittany.

Then Sir Ector threw his shield, his sword, and his helm from him, and ... he fell down in a swoon; and when he awaked, it were hard for any tongue to tell the doleful complaints [lamentations] that he made for his brother.  “Ah, Sir Launcelot” said he “head of all Christian knights.” ... etc.—­Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, iii. 176 (1470.)

EDEN (A Journey to the land of), Col.  William Evelyn Byrd of Westover Virginia gives this name to a tract of Southern Virginia surveyed under his direction and visited by him in one of his numerous expeditions for the good of the young colony.

(Colonel Byrd laid out upon his own ground the cities of Richmond and Petersburgh, Va.)—­William Evelyn Byrd, Westover MSS. (1728-39).

Eden, in America.  A dismal swamp, the climate of which generally proved fatal to the poor dupes who were induced to settle there through the swindling transactions of General Scadder and General Choke.  So dismal and dangerous was the place, that even Mark Tapley was satisfied to have found at last a place where he could “come out jolly with credit.”—­C.  Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit (1844).

EDENHALL (The Luck of) an old painted goblet, left by the fairies on St. Cuthbert’s Well in the garden of Edenhall.  The superstition is that if ever this goblet is lost or broken, there will be no more luck in the family.  The goblet is in possession of Sir Christopher Musgrave, bart.  Edenhall, Cumberland.

[Illustration] Longfellow has a poem on The Luck of Edenhall, translated from Uhland.