Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 8, ELE-FOR

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Elplimfton 0f the etvil and canon law in the univeruty of Paris,
_r i! where he afterwards became a profelTor, and for the
1 lluJictlo- {v)ace 0f fix years acquired confiderable reputation in the
diicharge of his duty. On his return to Scotland, he
entered into holy orders, was foon appointed official of
Glafgow, and afterwards of St Andrews. He was ad¬
mitted a member of the king’s council 5 and on a mif-
underftanding taking place between James III. of Scot¬
land and Louis XL of France, his powerful mediation
at the latter court, in conjunction with the bifhop of
Dunkeld and the earl of Buchan, eft'ecled an amicable
reconciliation. As Elphinfton on this occaiion dilplay-
ed fuch prudence and eloquence, the king was fo grate¬
ful for his meritorious fervices, that he rewarded him
with the fee of Rofs, from which he wras tranflated to
the diocefe of Aberdeen about the year 1484, and alio
appointed to the high office of chancellor of the king¬
dom, which he managed with fo much moderation and
equity, that ail parties efteemed and admired him.
When the civil wars broke out be ween James and the
difcontented nobility, Biffrop Elphinffon appears to have
declined all interference w ith public affairs of a political
nature, and confined himfelf to the difcharge of his
minifterial duties. But when James IV. afcended the
throne, his abilities as a ffatefman w7ere again called
forth, and he Avas chofen ambaffador to the emperor
Maximilian, in order to bring about a marriage alliance
betAveen his royal mafter and the emperor’s daughter 5
but fhe had been previouily promifed to another. Yet
the biffiop’s miffion Avas not without its falutary effects,
as he Avas the mean of terminating an enmity Avhich
had long exifted betAveen the Dutch and Scots. i his
he conduced in fueh a mailerly manner, that James
never undertook any thing of importance, Avithout firft
procuring the fanftion of his approbation. He Avas
equally the zealous patron of learning j and it is general¬
ly believed that the eftablifhment of a univerfity at
Aberdeen Avas entirely owing to his influence Avith the
Pope, from whom he obtained a bull for that purpofe 5
and by his exertions was King’s college undertaken and
•ompleted. He bequeathed, at the time of his deceafe,
large fums of money for its fupport. He terminated his
mortal career in 1514, about 83 years of age, at Avhich
advanced period his conftitutional vigour was very little
impaired, and all the faculties of his mind Avere in full
force } but the ferious Ioffes at the memorable battle of
Fkmden had broken his heart. He Avrote a hiftory of
his native countrv, A\ffiich is among the manufcripts of
Sir Thomas Fairfax, in the Bodleian library at Ox¬
ford.
EDSHEMIER, Adam, a celebrated painter, born
at Francfort on the Maine, in 1 574. He Avas firft a
difciple of Philip Uffenbach, a German •, but his defire
of improvement carrying him to Borne, he focn became
a moft excellent artift in landfcapes, hiftory, and night-
pieces, Avith fmall figures. His Avorks are but ferv •,
and the great pains he beftoAved in finifhing them rai-
fed their prices fo high, that they are hardly anywhere
to be found but in the cabinets of princes. He Avas
of a melancholy turn, and funk under the embarrafs-
ments of his circumftances in 1610. James Erneft
Thomas of Landau Avas his difciple 5 and imitated his
ftyle fo nicely, that their performances are not eafily
aiftinguiffied.
ELSIMBURG, a port toAvn of Sweden, in the
province of Gothland, and territory of Schonen, feated Elfimburg
on the fide of the Sound, over againft Elfinore. It Avas ^ I!
formerly a fortrefs belonging to the Danes 5 but all the , ^
fortifications Avere demolifhed in 1679, and there is
only one toAver of a caftle which remains undemolilhed.
It noAV belongs to Sweden. E. Long. 13. 20. N. Lat.
56. 2.
ELSINORE, or Elsinoor, a port town of Den¬
mark, fealed on the Sound, in the ifte of Zealand. E.
Long. 13. 23. N. Lat. 36. o.—It Avas a fmall village,
containing a feA\r fithermen’s huts, until 1445? w hen it
Avas made a liaple toAvn by Eric of Pomerania •, ayIiq
conferred upon the nerv fettlers confiderable immuni¬
ties, and built a caftle lor their defence. From that
period it gradually increafed in fize and Aveallh, and
is noAV the moft commercial place in Denmark next t»
Copenhagen. It contains abour 300c inhabitants, a-
mongft whom are a confiderable number of foreign
merchants, and the coniuls of the principal nations
trading to the Baltic. rJ he pafiage of the Sound is
guarded by the fortrefs of Cronbi .g, which is tituated
upon the edge of a peninfular promontory, the m artft
point of land from the oppofite coaft of SAveden. It
is itrongly fortified towards the ftiore by ditches, ba-
ftions, and regular entrenchments j and towards the
fea by feveral batteries, mounted Avith 60 cannon, the
largeft Avhereof are 48 pounders. Every veffel, as it
paifes, loAvers her top-fails, and pays a toll at Elltnore.
It is generally aflerted, that this fortrefs guards the
Sound *, and that all the fliips muft, on account of the
ftioal waters and currents, fleer fo near the batteries
as to be expofed to their fire in cafe of refufal. This,
hoAvever, is a miftaken notion. On account indeed of
the numerous and oppofite currents in the Sound, the
fafeft paffage lies near the fortrefs •, but the Avater in
any part is of fufficient depth for veffels to keep at a
diftance from the batteries, and the largeft flaps can
even fail clofe to the coaft of SAveden. The conftant
difcharge, however, of the toll, is not fo much oAving
to the ftrength of the fortrefs as to a compliance with
the public larv of Europe. Many difput.es have arifen
concerning the right by Avhich the crown of Denmark
impofes fuch a duty. The kings of SAveden, in parti¬
cular, claiming an equal title to the free paffage of
the Strait, Avere for feme time exempted by treaty
from paying it; but in 17 20, Frederic I. agreed that
all SAvedifh veffels fhould for the future be fubjedl t»
the ufual impofts. All veffels, befide a fmall dutA are
rated at 1^ per cent, of their cargoes, except the Irg-
liffi, French, Dutch, and SAvedifh, Avhich pay only
one per cent.-, and in return the crown takes the charge
of conftrudling light houfes, and eroding fignals to
mark the fhoals and rocks, from the Categate to the
entrance into the Baltic. The tolls of the Sound, and
of the tAvo Belts, fupply an annual revenue of above
ioo,oool.
ELVAS, a large toAvn, and one of the beft and
moft important in Portugal, feated in the province of
Alentejo, a feAV miles from the frontiers of Eftrema-
dura in Spain. It is built on a mountain, and is
ftrongly fortified with Avorks of free-ftone. The ftreets
of the toAvn are handfome, and the houfes neat and
there is a cittern fo large, that it Avill hold water
enough to fupply the whole town fix months. The
water is conveyed to it by a magnificent aquedud,
three