Chapter IX: Front Matter (9)
* * * * *
The following items belong to Dr. Vincent’s page, C. L. S. C. Work, but were received too late for insertion in their proper place:
“We notice in the spelling of many Greek names of our history, _ei_ where _i_ was formerly used. We do not know the proper pronunciation.” Prof. T. T. Timayenis replies to the above as follows: “Names spelled with _ei_ are pronounced as English _i_ in _kite_. Those spelled with _i_ are generally pronounced as English _i_ in the word _in_.”
* * * * *
The memorial days for May are Addison’s Day, May 1; Special Sunday, May 13.
* * * * *
The studies for May are Evangeline, by Longfellow; English, Russian, Scandinavian, and religious history and literature, with readings in Physiology, in THE CHAUTAUQUAN.
EDITOR’S TABLE.
Q. How long was the Long Parliament?
A. From October, 1640, to April, 1653.
Q. Which is the oldest town in the United States?
A. St. Augustine is said to be the oldest town. A fort was built there in 1565. It is not known when Santa Fé was settled by the Spaniards, though they visited it in 1542, and the town was then a populous Indian pueblo; but the actual settlement was not made until some time later.
Q. What is the exact area in square miles of Europe?
A. 3,733,008 square miles.
Q. Were the Kimmerian Kelts mentioned in History of Russia for October the same as the Celts mentioned by Prof. Sherman?
A. The latter tribe were of the Aryan race, and settled England and parts of the continent. The origin of the Kimmerians has never been decided. For further information see the authority given by Mrs. Robinson.
Q. Who is the author of the German Reader and Grammar used by Prof. Worman?
A. Prof. Worman is the author. Information concerning text-books can be best obtained from him—Adelphi Academy, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Q. What is the period of the moon’s revolution?
A. Her mean sidereal revolution is accomplished in 27.32 days; the synodical revolution, or lunar month, in 29.53 days.
Q. What legend or story has fastened the scallop, or cockle-shell, as an accessory to the pilgrim’s dress, and made it an emblem of St. James?
A. Pilgrims formerly went in great numbers to the tomb of St. James, at Compostella, in Spain. They were often poorly provided with utensils, and, as the adjacent sea shore was covered with the scallop-shell, they gathered them to use as spoons, cups, saucers, etc. Naturally, upon their return, they carried the shell as a relic, often fastening it in their hats; and thus it became part of a pilgrim’s outfit, and the token of St. James.
Q. What is the best work on Florida?
A. A good work is “Florida: Its History, Growth, Condition, and Resources,” by S. A. Drake. Published by Messrs. Little, Brown & Co., Boston, Mass.
Q. What is the origin of St. Valentine’s Day?
A. It is said by some that St. Valentine was so lovable a man that the custom of choosing valentines upon his festival took its rise from his character. Others derive the custom from a Roman fashion of placing the names of young women in a box, from which they were taken by the youth, by chance. This always was done during the festival of the Lupercal, in February, and afterward the day fixed was the 14th of February. This account declares the connection of the day with St. Valentine to be accidental.
Q. What is the meaning of the word fjord?
A. It is a Scandinavian word for arm of the sea—the bays or inlets extending into the land from the sea.
Q. Who was Froebel?
A. A German educator: born 1782, died 1852. The inventor of the kindergarten.
Q. Pronounce Cœur-de-Lion; Hengist.
A. Kur-de-Lī´on; Hĕng´gĭst.
Q. Correct the sentence, “The crafty king asked time to consider of it.”
A. The crafty king asked time to consider the request.
Q. In the sentence, “If it is time,” is the verb correct for subjunctive mood?
A. It is not. If subjunctive, the sentence should read, “If it be time.”
Q. Are the “Golden Fleece” and “Gideon’s Fleece” identical?
A. They are not. The Golden Fleece is said to have been taken from a ram which Phryxos sacrificed to Zeus, in Colchis. The fleece was given to the King of Colchis, and afterward stolen by Jason.
Q. How came Greek to be the language of the New Testament?
A. At the time the New Testament was written, Hellenistic Greek was used by most Jews, owing largely to the number of Greek cities in Palestine. It was the language of Christ and the disciples, and, naturally, the language of the disciples’ writings.
Q. What brought out the difference of the Greek language that existed at the time of Christ’s advent?
A. We suppose the question to mean what caused the difference between the Greek of the New Testament and classic Greek. As spoken by the Jews, Greek was modified by Syro-Chaldaic, which had been spoken by them since the Babylonish captivity. The changes were in orthography, the spelling of words, introduction of new words, and in rare and novel construction.
Q. Who are the Roumanian peasants?
A. The peasants of Roumania—a country consisting of the Danubian principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia. The country contains about 200,000 gypsies who constitute a large part of the peasantry.
Q. What are the epic poems of the different countries?
A. Greece, “The Iliad;” Rome, “The Æneid;” Italy, Tasso’s “Jerusalem;” England, “Paradise Lost.” The above are recognized as the chief epic poems.
Q. What is an agnostic?
A. One who professes to know nothing absolutely, neither asserts nor denies; especially those who neither affirm nor deny the existence of Deity.
Q. How much larger is the earth around the equator than around the poles?
A. The equatorial diameter is 7,926 miles; the polar diameter is 7,898 miles.
C. L. S. C. NOTES ON REQUIRED READINGS FOR MAY.
HISTORY OF RUSSIA.
P. 427, c. 1—“Vsĕv´ō-lōd.”
P. 427, c. 1—“Tor´jōk.”
P. 427, c. 1—“Merchants.” The corn for Novgorod was brought from the south by the Volga.
P. 427, c. 1—“Smolensk,” smo-lensk´, or smo-len´sko. A fortified town about two hundred and fifty miles southwest of Moscow. It is one of the oldest cities of Russia, lying in a very fertile province. On his march to Moscow, in 1812, Napoleon passed through Smolensk, and the Russians were defeated there.
P. 427, c. 1—“Lip´etsh.” A town of Southern Central Russia, two hundred and thirty miles southeast of Moscow, with a present population of about 15,000.
P. 427, c. 1—“Vetch´é;” pronounced as spelled. The Vetché was a legislative or executive assembly composed of representatives of the people.
P. 427, c. 2—“St. Sophia.” Not, as commonly supposed, the name of a saint, but the second person of the trinity, the spirit of wisdom; taken from the Greek, _Hagia Sophia_ (holy wisdom).
P. 427, c. 2—“Eucharist,” yu´ka-rĭst. A word signifying, in the Greek, giving of thanks; a name for the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
P. 427, c. 2—“Nĭ-kĭ´tā.”
P. 427, c. 2—“Nē´va.” A river of Russia, emptying into the Gulf of Cronstadt. It is but forty miles in length, but very important in Russian commerce. St. Petersburg lies on the Neva, nine miles of whose length are within the city. An immense traffic is carried on by its waters, both from the interior and the Baltic.
P. 427, c. 2—“In´gri-an.” An inhabitant of Ingria, a strip of land lying on either side of the Neva, and formerly inhabited by a Finnish tribe. It now belongs to the government of St. Petersburg.
P. 427, c. 2—“Boris and Gleb” were sons of Saint Vladimir (CHAUTAUQUAN for Nov., ’82, p. 62, col. 1), put to death by his nephew, Sviatopolk, who wrested for himself the principality of Kief. Their memory is cherished and revered among the saints of the Russian Church.
P. 427, c. 2—“Burger,” bur´ger (g hard).
P. 427, c. 2—“Skuilaf,” sku´ĭ-laf.
P. 427, c. 2—“Galley.” A low vessel with one deck, navigated by oars and sails.
P. 427, c. 2—“Lake Peïpus,” pā´e-poos. A lake of Russia located on the map of Russia in THE CHAUTAUQUAN for April, but not marked. It lies midway between Novgorod the Great and the Baltic Sea.
P. 428, c. 1—“Redoubtable,” re-dout´a-ble. Formidable to foes, hence valiant.
P. 428, c. 1—“Ri´ga”—An important seaport of Russia, near the mouth of the Dwina River.
P. 428, c. 1—“Reprisals,” re-priz´als (_re_, again, and _prehendere_, to lay hold of). To retaliate on an enemy by seizing property or inflicting suffering upon them in some way.
P. 428, c. 1—“Posadnik,” pos-ad´nik. Chief magistrate, along with the prince. He combined the functions of mayor and general.
P. 428, c. 1—“Bäs´käks.”
P. 428, c. 1—“Burghers,” bür´gers. Members of a borough enjoying all its privileges.
P. 428, c. 1—“Contingent.” Suitable share, proportion.
P. 428, c. 1—“Mĕt-ro-pŏl-i´tan.” The bishop of a metropolis, or mother city, upon which other cities are dependent. In England the archbishops of York and Canterbury are metropolitans. The word is more commonly used as an adjective, meaning to have the characteristics of a metropolis, or the chief city of a country.
P. 428, c. 2—“Lauras.” From the Greek for monastery. A collection of hermitages, the inhabitants of which are lodged in separate cells, but under the same superior.
P. 428, c. 2—“Ap´pan-age.” Literally, the word means to furnish with bread. That portion of land given by a sovereign for the sustenance of a younger son.
P. 428, c. 2—“Mŏs´kō-va.” The river upon which Moscow is built.
P. 428, c. 2—“Kreml,” or “kremlin.” One of the five quarters of Moscow. It is the ancient citadel, is surrounded by a wall from twenty-eight to fifty feet in height, and about one and a quarter miles in circuit, with massive towers and battlements. It is entered by five gates, and within are some of the finest public buildings and monuments of Moscow, besides churches, cathedrals, palaces and monasteries.
P. 428, c. 2—“Enjoying the chase.” This khan was Usbeck. The descriptions of this expedition, taken from the annals of the time, are almost beyond credence. Several hundred thousand soldiers were in motion, equipped gorgeously, and mounted on fine horses, the train presenting the appearance, when encamped, of a beautiful and populous city.
P. 428, c. 2—“Cau´ca-sŭs.” The Caucasus provinces are in that arm of Southern Russia which runs between the Black and Caspian Seas to the boundary of Asia.
P. 428, c. 2—“Pilloried.” To be punished by the pillory, an ancient instrument of torture, consisting of a framework of wood, upon which was put movable boards with holes for head and arms, into which the guilty were fastened.
P. 428, c. 2—“Da-ghes-tan´.” A province of what is called Asiatic Russia, lying between Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
P. 428, c. 2—“Käv-gäd´i.”
P. 429, c. 1—“Russ.” A Russian; also used as an adjective, and for the Russian language.
P. 429, c. 1—“Pōl-tï-räs.”
P. 429, c. 1—“Uspenski sobor,” us-pen´ski so´bor.
HISTORY AND LITERATURE OF SCANDINAVIA.
P. 429, c. 1—“Carolinian.” Belonging to the age of Charles XII.
P. 429, c. 2—“Frithiof’s Saga,” freet´yof’s sä´ga.
P. 429, c. 2—“Böttiger,” böt´e-ger. A Swedish poet born in 1807. He obtained his degree at Upsal, and was twice crowned by the Swedish academy. He has published many short poems of superior merit, besides translations from Tasso.
P. 429, c. 2—“Tegnaby,” teng´nabi.
P. 429, c. 2—“Lucas Esaiasson,” lū´cas es-ī´as-son.
P. 429, c. 2—“Ingeborg Mänsdotter,” ing´e-borg mens´dot-ter.
P. 429, c. 2—“Shot.” Referring to the shot which killed Charles XII. “The shot” is the common reference in Swedish books to Charles XII.’s death.
P. 429, c. 2—“Temple progeny.” The names being so common in the Scriptures, the author calls the children a sacred or temple progeny.
P. 429, c. 2—“Aptitude,” apt´i-tude. Fitness.
P. 429, c. 2—“Wexiö,” wek´she-o. A town in the southern part of Sweden, but northeast of Lund, where Tegnér attended the university.
P. 429, c. 2—“Having but one name.” The use of fixed surnames did not extend much farther back than the latter part of the tenth century. They first came into use in France, and by the Normans were introduced into England. The adoption of surnames by the common people was much later than by the nobility, and similarly the more remote and less highly cultivated districts were slower to accept the fashion than more advanced nations; thus in some parts of Wales it is said that surnames are not yet fully adopted. Prior to the Reformation surnames were less fixed than now. Younger sons particularly, dropped their patronymic and often, instead, adopted the name of their estate or place of residence, as did Tegnér.
P. 429, c. 2—“Kykerud,” chi´ker-ud. Near Millesvik.
P. 429, c. 2—“Crown bailiff,” or bailiff to the crown or sovereign. One whose duties were to collect rents, taxes, fines, summon juries, etc.
P. 430, c. 1—“Ossian,” osh´yan. A Scottish poet, said to have lived in the second or third century. The genuineness of his poetry is, however, doubted. In the eighteenth century James MacPherson claimed that he had translated fragments of Ossian’s poetry. He published these, and soon afterward two long poems. These works caused a fierce war between Scottish and English writers, the Highlanders maintaining their authenticity, and the English disputing it. The general opinion now is that they are to be classed with the literary forgeries of the day, and MacPherson with Chatterton.
P. 430, c. 1—“Rämen,” ray´men. In the mountain region near Filipstad.
P. 430, c. 1—“Myhrman,” mir´man.
P. 430, c. 1—“Multifold.” A word derived from the Latin _multi_, many, and the English fold; it signifies various, numerous.
P. 430, c. 1—“Patriarchic,” pa´tri-arch´ic. An adjective of the same meaning as patriarchal, _i. e._, belonging to a patriarch, or the father of a family.
P. 430, c. 1—“Homerus,” Homer (Latin). The book was written in Latin, still to a wide extent the language of learning.
P. 430, c. 1—“Castelio,” käs-tāl´yo. A theologian, born 1515, died 1563. In 1540 he was invited by Calvin to Geneva, and became Professor of Humanities. Unfortunately he afterward differed from his patron in religious belief, and was expelled. He went to Basel, where he lived in great poverty. Among his works is a translation of the entire Bible into Latin.
P. 430, c. 1—“Basel,” ba´sel. A city of Switzerland lying in a canton of the same name. Its history begins with the building of a fort there by the Romans. In the middle ages it had become a flourishing city, more populous than now, though it still numbers about 50,000 souls. Basel boasts many ancient works, among which is a bridge built in 1226. It has a library of 50,000 volumes. The Council of Basel was held there in 1431, and in 1795 two treaties were ratified there between the quarreling European States.
P. 430, c. 1—“Dialectic,” di=´=a-lect´ic. The word dialect comes from two Greek words signifying to pick out, to choose; hence it means the form of speech chosen in a certain locality, or peculiar to limited regions; in distinction from others nearly related.
P. 430, c. 1—“Xenophon,” zĕn´o-phon. A Grecian historian, general, and philosopher, born about 445 B. C. He joined the expedition which Cyrus the Younger undertook against his brother, the King of Persia. Upon the defeat of Cyrus, the Greeks made their famous retreat, Xenophon being their chief counselor. Upon his return to Greece he began to write. His “Anabasis; or, Retreat of the Ten Thousand,” is, perhaps, his best known work, though the “Memorabilia,” or account of the acts and conversation of Socrates, Xenophon’s former teacher, holds a high rank. Died about 355 B. C.
P. 430, c. 1—“Lucian,” lū´shan. A Roman satirist, living in the second century. Born in Syria, he spent his life, until forty years of age, wandering through Italy, Greece, and Gaul. In the latter country he taught rhetoric with success. Returning to Syria he began his literary work, which included histories, biographies, criticisms, poems, satires, etc. As a satirical and humorous writer he ranks very high.
P. 430, c. 1—“Homer,” hō´mer. The greatest of all epic poets. When he lived is unknown; critics have disputed his existence, but the best authority of the times is opposed to this. Homer was probably an Asiatic Greek, born at Smyrna about 850 B. C. His most famous works are the Iliad and Odyssey.
P. 430, c. 1—“Horace.” (Born 65 B. C., died 8 B. C.) The southern part of Italy was the birth place of the poet Horace. At eighteen he was sent to Athens to study, as was the custom then. When the civil wars, which followed the death of Cæsar, broke out (44 B. C.) Horace joined Brutus and Cassius. After their defeat he lost all his property and was very poor until, through the influence of Varius and Virgil, Mæcenas became his friend. After this his wants were provided for and he gave his time to his writing. His work consists of two books of satires, one book of epodes, two of odes, two of epistles, and a treatise on the art of poetry.
P. 430, c. 1—“Rousseau,” rôus-sō´. See CHAUTAUQUAN for April—notes on Sunday Readings.
P. 430, c. 1—“Voltaire,” vol-têr´. (Born 1694, died 1778.) The real name of this celebrated Frenchman was Arouet. His early life was spent in Paris until, because of his irregular conduct, he was obliged to leave the country. In 1743 the French Government sent him on an embassy to Frederick the Great, with whom he became intimate; but afterward, quarreling with his royal friend, he retired to Switzerland. His belief was strongly infidel and his mind wonderfully vigorous. The quantity and wide range of his writings are surprising.
P. 430, c. 1—“Racine,” rä-seen´. (Born 1639, died 1699.) The most famous of French dramatists. He began his career in Paris in 1662, and for ten years achieved wonderful success; but at thirty-eight years of age he suddenly decided to abandon the stage and become a Carthusian monk. He was prevailed upon to modify his views and marry. Afterward Racine became historiographer to the king. “Esther” and “Athalie,” the only plays produced after his conversion, are deeply religious.
P. 430, c. 2—“Iliad.” Homer’s finest epic, treating of the anger of Achilles, an episode in the Trojan war.
P. 430, c. 2—“Odyssey,” ŏd´e-se. An epic poem relating to the adventures of Ulysses as he returned to Ithaca after the fall of Troy.
P. 430, c. 2—“Virgil,” ver´jil, (70 B. C.-19 B. C.) After Homer, the greatest of epic poets. His life was mainly spent in Italy. At thirty-four he began his “Georgics,” and worked seven years at them. The rest of his life was given to his epic, the Æneid. In 19 B. C. he went to Greece to revise this, but meeting the Emperor Augustus, then on his triumphal march, he started back with him. On the voyage he contracted a fatal illness and died a few days after reaching Italy.
P. 430, c. 2—“Ovid,” ŏv´id. (43 B. C.-18 A. D.) A Roman, educated for the law, but most famous as a poet. He was banished by the Emperor Augustus in 8 A. D., and died ten years later in the tower of Ovid, at the mouth of the Danube, where he is supposed to have been confined.
P. 430, c. 2—“Mĕ-ta-mor´phō-ses.” One of Ovid’s best-known works, treating of the transformation, or changes of form, which were so often the subject of ancient stories and legends.
P. 430, c. 2—“Lund.” A town in the extreme south of Sweden. There are two famous universities in Sweden, at Upsala and at Lund. The latter was founded in 1628, and has thirty professors, about five hundred students, and a library of fifty thousand volumes. In 1853 Lund erected a colossal statue to the memory of Tegnér.
P. 430, c. 2—“Idyl,” ī´dyl. A short pastoral poem in a highly finished style.
P. 430, c. 2—“Æsthetics,” ĕs-thet´ics. The theory of taste, or the science of the beautiful.
P. 430, c. 2—“Dithyramb,” dĭth´e-rămb. The word comes from _Dithyrambus_, an ancient name of Bacchus, and afterward applied to lyric poetry of an enthusiastic and vehement style.
P. 430, c. 2—“Phosphoristic.” An unusual word of about the same meaning as phosphorescent, but not as yet accepted by lexicographers. It is applied to that school of poetry which may be said to seek its source entirely from within, or from the spirit—a kind of transcendentalism.
P. 430, c. 2—“Whitsun Idyl.” A story of White-Sunday-tide, or, contracted, Whitsuntide, the English name for the Pentecost. It is so called from the white garments which were prescribed for those to wear who were about to receive the Lord’s Supper for the first time.
P. 430, c. 2—“Gei´jer,” yi´er (1783-1847). A Swedish poet and historian, who for many years held the chair of history at Upsala. His influence was very strong.
P. 430, c. 2—“Goethe,” gö´tēh. (1749-1832.) The most famous of German authors. He received the degree of Doctor of Laws, but soon began to write. Being successful, the Grand Duke of Saxony invited him to Weimar, his capital. He became a statesman, and rose to the position of privy councilor. In 1782, Goethe received a patent of nobility, after which time he traveled extensively. His works include his autobiography, many essays and travels—“Iphegenia,” “Faust,” etc.
P. 431, c. 1—“Linnæus,” lin-ne´us. (1707-1778). A Swedish botanist. His life was almost entirely devoted to the study of botany. He was held in high repute at Upsala, where he was in turn professor of medicine and of botany. He published a book on the “Flora of Lapland,” “Natural System,” “Fundamental Principles of Botany,” and other works.
P. 431, c. 1—“Bishopric.” A district presided over by a bishop.
P. 431, c. 1—“Diocese,” dī´o-cese. The circuit of a bishop’s jurisdiction.
P. 431, c. 1—“Unremitting.” Incessant, continuous.
P. 431, c. 1—“Diet.” An assembly or council. The etymology of the word is probably the same as the word diet or food. Its peculiar _sense_ is said to have risen from its being so similar to the Latin word for day, _dies_. This word meant particularly a _set_ day, so that diet came to mean a day set for deliberation; or, an assembly.
P. 431, c. 1—“Emanating.” Flowing forth.
P. 431, c. 1—“Schleswig,” sles´wick. A city in Denmark, at the head of a narrow bay, and some twenty miles from the Baltic. It now belongs to Prussia.
P. 431, c. 1—“Au-rō´ra bō-re-ā´lis,” the northern daybreak. A luminous phenomenon, seen only at night and supposed to be of electric origin. The light usually appears in streams rising from an arch a few degrees above the horizon. When reaching beyond the zenith a corona is formed.
P. 431, c. 2—“Belles lettres,” bel-lĕt´ter. The French for polite learning, including history, philology, poetry, criticism, and language; the humanities.
P. 431, c. 2—“Runeberg,” run´e-berg.
P. 431, c. 2—“Romantic era.” That period in the history of literature in which the materials were drawn from the stories of the Middle Ages, and from imagination. The ideal in distinction from the real was treated, the beautiful and not the base, the fantastical and wonderful rather than the practical and common. The name was first used in Germany. Tieck and the Schlegels are considered the founders of this school. An essay translated from Heine, and published by Henry Holt & Co., gives a masterly analysis of the “romantic school.”
P. 431, c. 2—“Realistic.” A school of literature holding principles contrary to the romantic school. They contend that nature must be followed in all cases and things represented exactly as they are. Many of our first writers have followed these principles, though many have treated life as though the only real part were the vice and misery. The realistic school claims strength as its chief characteristic, that is, a direct expression of facts and passions unchanged by fancies or culture.
P. 431, c. 2—“Nadeschda,” nä-desch´da.
P. 431, c. 2—“Fjalar,” fyä´lar.
P. 431, c. 2—“Wirsén,” vir-sain´.
P. 431, c. 2—“Snoilsky,” snoil´ski.
P. 431, c. 2—“Viktor Rydberg,” vick´tor rid´berg.
P. 431, c. 2—“Kalevála,” kä-le-vä´la.
PICTURES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY.
P. 432, c. 1—“Franklin.” (1706-1790.) An American statesman and natural philosopher. He spent his early life in Boston as a compositor in his brother’s printing office. Going to Philadelphia, he edited and published the _Gazette_, and in 1732 published “Poor Richard’s Almanac,” since translated into many languages. In 1757 he was sent to England to settle matters for the Assembly, and from that time was active in the affairs of the country, helped to bring about the declaration of independence, and the treaty with France. Franklin discovered the identity of electricity with lightning, and proposed the plan of protecting buildings by pointed conductors.
P. 432, c. 1—“Jack Falstaff.” A character in the first and second parts of “Henry IV.” and in “Merry Wives of Windsor.” Many have said that Shakspere found the original of Falstaff in Sir John Folstaffe, who is introduced into “Henry VI.,” but recent commentators deny this. Others have said Sir J. Oldcastle to be the original. Shakspere himself denies this in the epilogue to Henry IV., where he says, speaking of Falstaff, “Oldcastle died a martyr, and this is not the man.”
P. 432, c. 1—“Com-mit´ment.” The act of committing, keeping, putting in charge; particularly committing to prison.
P. 432, c. 1—“Gascoigne,” gas´koin. (1350 ?-1420 ?) A man noted for his moral courage. He was appointed chief justice of the king’s bench by Henry IV. On the accession of Henry V., Hume says that Gascoigne “met with praise, not reproach, for his past conduct.”
P. 432, c. 1—“Campbell.” (1779-186-?.) A British jurist; he held many important offices under the government, was lord chancellor of Ireland in 1841, and in 1859 lord chancellor of England. He wrote the lives of the chief justices of England, and of the lord chancellors.
P. 432, c. 1—“Cut-purses.” Now a pick-pocket. The words show the different ways of carrying the purse. Formerly men hung their purses at their girdles, and thieves cut the string by which they were attached; but when the purse was transferred to the pocket, the cut-purse became a pick-pocket.
P. 432, c. 1—“Eftsoon;” obsolete. Soon, afterward; in a short time.
P. 432, c. 1—“Pre-cā´ri-ous.” Uncertain, doubtful.
P. 432, c. 1—“Oldcastle,” Lord Cobham. An Englishman who, by his valor and talents, gained the favor of both Henry IV. and V.; but, becoming the leader of the Lollards, he was condemned, and in 1418 he was hanged.
P. 432, c. 1—“King of France.” Charles VI. is referred to.
P. 432, c. 2—“Queen Regent.” She aspired to royal power, and united with the Burgundians against her son.
P. 432, c. 2—“Orleanists.” The followers of the Duke of Orleans, the brother of the king.
P. 432, c. 2—“Burgundians.” Those who adhered to the Duke of Burgundy, who wished to obtain control of affairs.
P. 432, c. 2—“Pseudo.” The Greek for false.
P. 432, c. 2—“Claim.” The daughter of Philip the Fair, of France, had married Edward II. of England. The sons of Philip had died without male heirs, and Edward III., the son of Edward II., claimed the throne through his mother, though the Salic law, by which French succession was determined, denied the throne to women. In no case could this claim revert to Henry, who belonged to another family.
P. 432, c. 2—“Cressy,” krĕs´e. See THE CHAUTAUQUAN for March: “Pictures from English History.”
P. 432, c. 2—“Poictiers,” poi-tērz´. See THE CHAUTAUQUAN for March: “Pictures from English History.”
P. 431, c. 2—“In´dē-fēa=´=si-ble.” Not to be defeated.
P. 432, c. 2—“Harfleur,” ar-flŭr´. A town in the north of France, near the Seine, formerly a most important bulwark against invasion.
P. 432, c. 2—“Invasion of Edward III.” See THE CHAUTAUQUAN for March: “Pictures from English History.”
P. 432, c. 2—“Somme,” som. A river of Northern France, flowing into the English Channel.
P. 432, c. 2—“Blanchetacque,” blan-´sh-tāk.
P. 432, c. 2—“Agincourt,” a´zhăn-koor. A town on the road from Calais to Paris. A wood corresponding to the one here spoken of still exists. Agincourt is but twenty miles from Cressy.
P. 432, c. 2—“Pix.” The box in which the host is kept. The host is a consecrated wafer believed, by Roman Catholics, to be the body of the Savior, and is offered at mass as a sacrifice.
P. 433, c. 1—“Recoup;” to diminish.
P. 433, c. 1—“Calais,” kăl´iss.
P. 433, c. 1—“Rouen,” roo´en. A city in the north of France, on the river Seine. It has a famous cathedral and a fine museum. The French regained the city in 1449, and it was in their possession until the Franco-Prussian war, when the Germans occupied it for six months.
P. 433, c. 2—“Nem´e-sis.” In Grecian mythology the daughter of night; a personification of conscience; the goddess, that, watching over the affairs of men, distributes to each a just reward for their deeds; thus she became an avenger of all crime, and in this character is ordinarily conceived.
P. 433, c. 2—“Penitential Psalm,” psalm li.
P. 433, c. 2—“James I.” (1394-1437.) At the age of nine this prince was captured by the English and held by them for nineteen years. He was well educated and given all advantages. Upon his restoration to the throne he treated the rebellious nobles so severely in his attempts to restore order, that a conspiracy was formed against him, and he was murdered.
P. 433, c. 2—“Beaugé,” bo-gā.
PHYSIOLOGY.
P. 434, c. 1—The article on physiology needs few explanatory notes. It is really a series of experiments, and if it be possible to use the illustrations the subject will be found much more plain and interesting. Much ingenuity is possible in arranging experiments. Any specimen, large or small, may be made to contribute valuable information in regard to the action of the muscles, the circulation of the blood, and the process of digestion.
P. 435, c. 1—“Căp´il-la-ry,” or “ca-pil´la-ry.” The fine thread-like end of a vein or artery.
P. 435, c. 1—“Venæ cavæ.” Hollow veins. There are two of these hollow veins carrying the blood to the heart, although but one aorta or passage from the heart.
P. 435, c. 1—“Pŭl´mo-na-ry artery.” The artery of the lungs, carrying blood from the heart to the lungs.
P. 435, c. 2—“Heart.” Ask the butcher for a sheep’s pluck, and the whole structure of heart, lungs and liver may be studied. By cutting away the liver and spreading the lungs on the table with the heart between them, you may soon understand the whole subject. A beef’s heart will, of course, do as well; or a smaller subject’s, as a rabbit.
P. 435, c. 2—“Osmosis,” ŏs´mō-sis.
P. 436, c. 1—“Oxidation,” ŏx-ī-dā´tion.
SUNDAY READINGS.
P. 436, c. 2—“Apples of Sodom.” Therenot says: “There are apple trees on the sides of the Dead Sea which bear lovely fruit, but within are full of ashes.”
“Like to the apples on the Dead Sea’s shore,
All ashes to the taste.”—_Byron._
P. 436, c. 2—“Ob´so-lēte.” No longer common.
P. 436, c. 2—“Lē´thal.” Deadly, fatal.
P. 437, c. 1—“Hecatomb,” hĕk´a-toom. A sacrifice of an hundred oxen.
P. 437, c. 1—“Bestial,” bĕst´yal. Like a beast, brutal.
P. 437, c. 2—“Rev. W. Jay” (born 1769, died 1853.) A popular English minister, called by John Foster “the prince of preachers.” Several volumes of his works have been published.
P. 438, c. 1—“Subtlety,” sut´tl-te. Acuteness of intellect, shrewdness.
P. 438, c. 1—“Un-wiëld´y.” Unmanageable because of size.
P. 438, c. 1—“Prĭs´tine.” Belonging to former times, primitive.
P. 438, c. 1—“Calvin,” kăl´vin. (Born 1509, died 1564.) One of the leaders of the Reformation; he was educated for the church, but becoming convinced of its errors joined the Reformation. He was driven from place to place by persecution. In 1536 was published his “Institutes of the Christian Religion,” in which he advanced the doctrines of predestination, election, and reprobation. Afterward he published a catechism and “Confession of Faith,” and in 1541 the presbyterial system was introduced by him into the church at Geneva. An important element of his work was teaching in the Geneva Academy. Students flocked to him, and Calvinism spread through Europe. Besides his great work of organization and teaching, Calvin preached almost daily, and wrote commentaries on nearly the whole Bible.
P. 438, c. 1—“Arminius,” ar-mĭn´i-us. (Born 1560, died 1609.) A Dutch theologian and pastor at Amsterdam. He denied the doctrine of predestination and maintained the subordination of ecclesiastical to civil power. Becoming a professor at Leyden, a dispute arose between him and Gomar, a Calvinist. The states enjoined the parties to drop the dispute and teach nothing contrary to the creed and catechism. One public declaration of sentiments was made, but while preparing for another conference Arminius died.
P. 438, c. 1—“Baxter.” (1615-1691). An English nonconformist divine. At the time of the civil war he joined the parliamentary army. Not favoring the assumption of supreme power by Cromwell, he advocated the restoration. Subsequently, at the age of seventy, he suffered persecution for nonconformity. He was a voluminous writer. Of all his works, the “Saint’s Everlasting Rest” has had, probably, the widest circulation.
P. 438, c. 2—“So-cĭn´i-an.” A follower of Socinus, who, with Faustus, was a prominent Italian theologian of the sixteenth century. They denied the trinity, the deity of Christ, the eternity of future punishment, the personality of the devil, and total depravity of man. They taught that Christ was merely a man, human sin was the imitation of Adam’s sin, human salvation the adoption of Christ’s virtue, and the Bible was to be interpreted by human reason.
P. 438, c. 2—“A-năth´e-má.” A curse pronounced with ecclesiastical authority.
P. 438, c. 2—“Măr=´=a-năth´a.” The word was used in anathematizing persons for great crimes. As much as to say, says Calmet, “May the Lord come quickly to take vengeance on thee for thy crime.”
P. 439, c. 1—“John Wesley.” (1703-1791.) A religious reformer and the founder of Methodism. By the advise of his mother he undertook to make religion the work of his life. At Oxford he was known as a superior classical scholar. In 1727 he received the degree of Master of Arts, and having become a priest of the Church of England, he went, in 1835 as a missionary to Georgia, where he remained three years. Upon his return, through the influence of certain Moravians, he became convinced that a deeper religious experience was possible, and after his conversion he became an evangelist. He organized the first Methodist Society, in 1739, and for more than fifty years was its leader. His energy and industry were perfect; he is said to have traveled two hundred and fifty thousand miles in his itinerant ministry, and preached forty-two thousand sermons. At his death the society which he organized had five hundred and eleven ministers and a membership of one hundred and twenty thousand.
P. 439, c. 2—“Id´i-om.” Here signifies the mode of expression peculiar to the language.
P. 440, c. 1—“Assembly’s Catechism.” The Assembly appointed by the Long Parliament for the settling of doctrine, liturgy, and church government, sent out among other things the Shorter and Longer Catechisms.
P. 440, c. 1—“Thomas à Kempis” (1379-1471). An Augustinian monk whose whole life seems to have been spent in the cloister. His character was famous for sanctity. He is best known to us by his work on “The Imitation of Christ.”
EVANGELINE.
Comments
Log in to leave a comment.
The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, May 1883Chapter IX: Front Matter (9)
0%24 min left in chapter