| E. Cobham Brewer 18101897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Sea-girt Isle. | | |
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England. So called because, as Shakespeare has it, it is hedged in with the main, that water-wallëd bulwark (King John, ii. 1). | 1 |
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| This precious stone set in the silver sea, |
| Which serves it in the office of a wall, |
| Or as a moat defensive to a house, |
| Against the envy of less happier lands. | |
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Shakespeare: King Richard II., ii. 1. |
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