Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/753

 ESTHONIA ence to God, notwithstanding the providential character of the events related. This has led to the conclusion of some critics, that the book is a translation of or extract from a Persian chronicle, though its authorship has also been attributed to Ezra, Mordecai, and other distin- guished Jews. The book narrates how the king, incited by his minister Haman, who was incensed by the independent spirit of the Jew Mordecai, resolved upon the massacre of all the Jews in his dominions, but was turned from his purpose by Esther, who, inspired by Mor- decai, saved her nation at the risk of her own life. To commemorate the salvation of their people and the destruction of their enemies, Mordecai and Esther introduced the fast of the 13th of Adar, the day of danger, and the festi- val of Purim or lots, still celebrated by the Jews on the 14th and 15th of the same month, as days of entertainment and joy, and for send- ing presents to each other and alms to the poor. On the former of these days the Megil- lah is read in the synagogues. The Persian name of the queen has been differently trans- lated ; and that of Ahasuerus is a source of contradictory hypotheses among critics. From the last king of Media down to the last king of Persia, each monarch of that united empire has had his advocate. The claims of Xerxes are best supported by his character ; those of Ar- taxerxes Longimanus, by the authority of the Septuagint and Josephus. The apocryphal additions to the book caused it to be violently attacked by Luther. Among the recent works relating to the book of Esther are : Baumgar- ten, De Fide Esther (Halle, 1839) ; Davidson, "Lectures on Esther" (Edinburgh, 1859); and Oppert, Gommentaire. . . cPapres la lecture des inscriptions perses (Paris, 1864). By a singular coincidence, another Jewess Esther also attracted the love of a gentile king, Casi- mir the Great of Poland (1333-70), became his mistress, and was able to protect her people in a time of persecution. She is the heroine of historical novels by Bernatowicz, Bulgarin, Bronikowski, Josika, and others ; and her mem- ory is preserved by the tomb at Lobz6w, near Cracow, once her residence. ESTHONIA (Ger. Esthland ; Esth. Wiroma), a government of European Russia, bounded N. by the gulf of Finland, E. by the government of St. Petersburg, S. by Livonia, and W. by the Baltic, in which lie Dago and some smaller islands belonging to it; area, 7,611 sq. m. ; pop. in 1867, 322,668. The inhabitants of the towns and the nobility are chiefly Germans, and the German language is predominant in the admin- istration and in the schools and churches ; but the rural population, who constitute a great majority of the people, are Esthonians. The surface is generally low, sandy, rocky, or marshy, and is interspersed with more than 200 lakes, but produces abundantly grains, flax, and pulse. There are many extensive forests of firs and birches. The climate is moist, cold, and salubrious ; the winter continues for eight ESTIENNE 741 months, and the transition to summer is sud- den. The fisheries are productive ; agriculture receives great attention, and the rearing of cat- tle, and particularly of sheep of the merino and Saxon breeds, is an important interest. Lu- theranism is the prevalent religion, but there are also many adherents of the Greek church. The government of Esthonia is divided into the districts of Bevel, Hapsal, Weissenstein, and Wesenberg. Capital Revel. Its governor is under the orders of a governor general who re- sides at Riga, and who has authority also over Livonia and Courland. The Esthonians, who are also numerous in Livonia and other neigh- boring governments, are of Finnish descent, of slight stature, daring and vindictive. They embraced Christianity about the beginning of the 13th century, and fell successively un- der the power of the merchants of Bremen, the Danes, the Teutonic knights, the knights Esthonian Women. sword-bearers or Livonian knights, and the bishops of Riga and Semgallia. Threatened in 1555 with conquest by Russia, they pre- ferred to recognize the authority of Eric XIV., king of Sweden, whose successors gave legal sanction to the rights of the Esthonians by various treaties, especially by that of Oliva in 1660. In 1710 the country was conquered by Peter the Great, and was definitely confirmed to Russia by the treaty of Nystadt in 1721. It received the title of grand duchy. There are Esthonian popular songs, naive and melan- choly, versified in the Finnish manner, that is, metrically and alliteratively. The oldest of these is a song of the peasants of the canton of Revel, which has been sung from the time of the introduction of Christianity. ESTIEME, or Etienne, a celebrated French family of printers. See STEPHENS.