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EKNKSTI ERSCH. 



profane philology, he liad fitted himself for a thorough 

 study of theology, and was thus led to a more judi- 

 cious exegesis ot the biblical writers, and, in general, 

 to more liberal theological views. Theological cri- 

 ticism, so far as it is founded on philology and gram- 

 matical illustrations, was greatly promoted by him. 

 Of his accuracy as a critic and grammarian, his edi- 

 tions of Xenophon's Memorabilia of Socrates, the 

 Clouds of Aristophanes, Homer's works, Callima- 

 chus, Polybius, Suetonius, Tacitus, and, above all, 

 his admirable edition of Cicero's works (first, at 

 Leipsic, 1738), are sufficient proofs. For the ele- 

 gance of his Latin style, he well deserves to be called 

 the Cicero of Germany. His Opuscula Orat. (Leyden, 

 1762), Oration. (Leipsic, 1791), Initia Doctrin. Soli- 

 dioris (Leipsic, 1736), have been often published. 

 His theological writings are no less numerous. 



ERNESTI, AUGUSTUS WILLIAM, nephew of the 

 preceding, was born in 1733, and died 1801. He 

 was professor of philosophy and eloquence, and a dis- 

 tinguished philologist. We are indebted to him, 

 among other works, for a good edition of Livy and 

 Ammianus Marcellinus. 



EROS ; the Greek name of Cupid and Amor 

 (which see ; see also Anteros), 



EROSTRATUS. See Eratostratus. 



EROTIC (from the Greek fy u! , love) ; relating to 

 love.' Erotic Poetry ; amatory poetry. The name 

 of erotic writers lias been applied, in Greek literature, 

 particularly to a class of romance writers, and to the 

 writer of the Milesian Tales. These writers belong 

 to the later periods of Greek literature, and abound 

 in sophistical subtleties and ornaments. The best of 

 them are Achilles Tatius, Heliodorus, Longus, Xeno- 

 phon of Ephesus, and Chariton. There is a collec- 

 tion of them Scriptores erotici Greed, Cura Mits- 

 cherlichii (Bipont. 1792 1793, 3 vols.). 



EROTOMANY (from l^uf, love, and ftavia, mad- 

 ness). This term has been employed, by some writ- 

 ers, to denote that modification of insanity, of which 

 the passion of love is the origin, and in which the 

 love of a particular individual constitutes the predo- 

 minant idea, occupying the whole attention of the 

 patient. Licentious thoughts and physical excite- 

 ment do not exist in this disease. Those who are 

 afflicted with erotomany, fix their affections on a 

 certain object, often one which they have had but a 

 single opportunity to see ; sometimes also one which 

 cannot return their love. The eye is lively and ani- 

 mated ; the look, passionate ; but the conduct of the 

 subjects always within the limits of propriety. They 

 forget themselves, and yield a pure, often a secret 

 worship to their idol, whose wishes and caprices 

 they implicitly obey. Sometimes erotomany begins 

 under the form of melancholy, instead of raving; the 

 patient is pensive and silent : it then terminates in a 

 sort of nervous fever. The discovery of 'it is some- 

 times difficult : the passion betrays itself, however, 

 at the sight, or even the name, of the loved object ; 

 the countenance grows animated ; the pulse quick, 

 strong, and spasmodic. Hippocrates, by these symp- 

 toms, discovered the love of Perdiccas to his father's 

 mistress ; and Erasistratus, the affection of Antiochus 

 fur liis step-mother, Stratonice. Erotomany some- 

 times passes into perfect delirium, leads to suicide, 

 hysterics, &c. It depends on the same causes as 

 other mental diseases. Young people are peculiarly 

 subject to it, who have an excitable nervous system 

 and lively imagination, who give themselves up to 

 excess in pleasure, or are spoiled by reading ro- 

 mances, and rendered effeminate by an injudicious 

 education and indolence. Low and light diet has 

 been recommended in this disease, together with 

 active exertion of body and mind. 



ERPENIUS, THOMAS (properly Van Krpen), a 



learned Orientalist, was born at Gorcum in Holland, 

 in 1584, and studied at Leyden, where he at first 

 despaired of success. His confidence, however, was 

 soon revived, and he returned to his studies with so 

 much zeal, that his progress justly astonished his 

 instructors. His fame rests principally on his 

 acquaintance witli the Oriental languages, which be 

 began to learn under Joseph Scaliger. To extend 

 his knowledge of them, he visited England, France, 

 Italy, and Germany, and became acquainted with 

 the most eminent scholars, who gave him advice and 

 instruction. He was received with particular marks 

 of friendslu'p by the great Casaubon. He learned, 

 at the same time, the Persian, Turkish, ami Ethio- 

 pian languages. After a tour of four years, he 

 returned, in 1612, to Holland, and was appointed 

 professor of Arabic and other Oriental languages, 

 except the Hebrew, the Hebi ew professorship being 

 already filled. Erpenius discharged the duties of this 

 office with ability and zeal. He established a press at 

 great expense, for the printing of works of Oriental 

 literature. In 1619, a second Hebrew professor- 

 ship was founded at Leyden, and committed to 

 Erpenius. Soon after, he received the office of 

 Oriental interpreter to the states-general. The 

 most learned Arabs admired the elegance with 

 which he expressed himself in their language, so 

 rich in delicate peculiarities. His reputation, as a 

 perfect master of the Arabic, became universal, and 

 he was repeatedly invited by the king of Spain to 

 explain inscriptions on the Moorish buildings and 

 monuments. The works of Erpenius (some of which 

 were published after his death) are held in the 

 highest estimation. It was his intention to publish 

 an edition of the Koran, with a Latin translation and 

 a commentary, a Thesaurus Grammaticus of the Ara- 

 bic, and an Arabic dictionary ; but he was carried off 

 by a contagious disease, in 1624, at the age of 40. 

 Beside his Grammatica Arabica, his Grammatica 

 Hebraica, and other grammatical works, his most 

 valuable and celebrated publication is his Elmacini 

 Historia Saracenica (1625, folio). 



ERROL, a parish and village in the carse of 

 Gowrie, Perthshire. The village is remarkable for 

 its houses being constructed of 'clay, owing to the 

 scarcity of stone in the neighbourhood. The inha- 

 bitants are chiefly employed in the manufacture of 

 linen and in salmon fishing. Population of parish in 

 1831, 2992. 



ERROR, in astronomy, is the difference between 

 the places of any of the heavenly bodies, as deter- 

 mined by calculation and observation. Thus the 

 error in the lunar tables is the difference between the 

 place of the moon, as given in the tables, and as 

 determined by observation ; and this error is marked 

 with the sign + or , according as it is to be added 

 to or subtracted from the tabular result. 



ERSCH, JOHN SAMUEL ; the father of modern 

 German bibliography. He was born at Grossglogau, 

 in Lower Silesia, June 23, 1766, and, while a mere 

 tyro, showed uncommon love for bibliography. 

 Being encouraged in this pursuit by Tabri and 

 other learned men, he published the Repertory of 

 the German Journals, and other Periodical Collec- 

 tions of Information on the Subjects of Geography, 

 History, and Sciences connected with them, 1790 

 1792, 3 vols. Becoming known to Schutz and 

 Hufeland, they engaged him in the editing of their 

 Universal Repertory of Literature, 17851790. 

 This, work was published in 1793, and was followed 

 in 1799 by the Quinquennium, extending from 1791 

 to 1795; and, in 1806, by another, extending from 

 1796 to 1800. These works contain notices of all 

 the separate publications which appeared during 

 that period, and even all the essays printed in the 



