ETTERCAP, an ill-tempered person, who mars sociability.  The ettercap is the poison-spider, and should be spelt “Attercop.” (The Anglo-Saxon, atter-cop, poison-spider.)

  O sirs, was sic difference seen
  As ’twix wee Will and Tam,
  The ane’s a perfect ettercap,
  The ither’s just a lamb. 
  W. Miller, Nursery Songs.

ETTRICK SHEPHERD (The), James Hogg, the Scotch Poet., who was born in the forest of Ettrick, in Selkirkshire, and was in early life a shepherd (1772-1835).

ETTY’S NINE PICTURES, “the Combat,” the three “Judith” pictures, “Benaiah,” “Ulysses and the Syrens,” and the three pictures of “Joan of Arc.”

“My aim,” says Etty, “in all my great pictures has been to paint some great moral on the heart.  ‘The Combat’ represents the beauty of mercy; the three ‘Judith’ pictures, patriotism [1, self-devotion to God; 2, self-devotion to man; 3, self-devotion to country;] ’Benaiah, David’s chief captain,’ represents valor; ’Ulysses and the Syrens,’ sensual delights or the wages of sin is death; and the three pictures of ‘Joan of Arc’ depict religion, loyalty and patriotism.  In all, nine in number, as it was my desire to paint three.”—­William Etty, of York (1787-1849).

ET’ZEL or EZZEL (i.e.  Attila), king of the Huns, in the songs of the German minnesingers.  A ruler over three kingdoms and thirty principalities.  His second wife was Kriemhild, the widow of Siegfried.  In pt ii. of the Niebelungen Lied, he sees his sons and liegemen struck down without making the least effort to save them, and is as unlike the Attila of history as a “hector” is to the noble Trojan “the protector of mankind.”

EU’CHARIS, one of the nymphs of Calypso, with whom Telemachos was deeply smitten.  Mentor, knowing his love was sensual love, hurried him away from the island.  He afterwards fell in love with Anti’ope, and Mentor approved his choice.—­Fenelon, Telemaque, vii. (1700).

Eucharis is meant for Mdlle. de Fontange, maid of honor to Mde. de Montespan.  For a few months she was a favorite with Louis XIV., but losing her good looks she was discarded, and died at the age of 20.  She used to dress her hair with streaming ribbons, and hence this style of head-gear was called a la Fontange.

EU’CLIO, a penurious old hunks.—­Plautus, Aulularia.

  Now you must explain all this to me, unless
  you would have me use you as ill as Euclio does
  Staphy’la—­Sir W. Scott.

EU’CRATES (3 syl.), the miller, and one of the archons of Athens.  A shuffling fellow, always evading his duty and breaking his promise; hence the Latin proverb: 

  Vias novit quibus effugiat Eucrates ("He has
  more shifts than Eucrates").

EUDO’CIA (4 syl.), daughter of Eu’menes, governor of Damascus.  Pho’cyas, general of the Syrian forces, being in love with her, asks the consent of Eumenes, and is refused.  In revenge, he goes over to the Arabs, who are beseiging Damascus.  Eudocia is taken captive, but refuses to wed a traitor.  At the end, Pho’cyas dies, and Eudocia retires into a nunnery.—­John Hughes, The Siege of Damascus (1720).