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.
PART I.
“Primeval,” prī-mē´val. Belonging to the first ages, primitive.
“Drū´ids.” Ministers of religion among the Celts in Gaul, Britain, and Germany. They were both priests and judges among the people, and were divided into three classes—prophets, priests, and bards.
“Harper.” A player on the harp.
“Grand Pré,” gran prā.
“Basin of Minas,” mee´näs. A bay on the western coast of Nova Scotia, opening into the Bay of Fundy.
“Normandy.” A former province of France, lying in the northwest of the country. It takes its name from the Northmen, who settled it in the tenth century. The sixth duke of Normandy was William, the conqueror of England.
“Dormer-windows.” Literally the window of a sleeping apartment, belonging to a room in an inclined roof, the frame being placed vertically on the rafters.
“Kir´tles.” An upper garment—a loose jacket.
“Angelus,” an´ge-lus. A prayer to the Virgin, beginning with the word “angelus.” Pious Catholics recite the prayer three times a day at the sound of the angelus bell. This custom has recently been beautifully represented in a picture called the “Angelus.” Two peasants at their toil hearing the bell in the distance stand with uncovered bowed heads while “Angelus Domini nunciavit Mariæ,” etc., (the angel of the Lord announced to Mary) is repeated.
“Bellefontaine,” bĕl-fŏn´tĕn.
“Hyssop,” hĭs´sup. An aromatic perennial plant, a native of Europe.
“Mĭs´sal.” The Roman Catholic mass book.
“Pent-house.” (Pent is derived from the Latin word pendere, to hang.) The whole word signifies a sloping shed, or, as we ordinarily call it, a “lean-to.”
“Wain.” From the Anglo-Saxon. A wagon.
“Seraglio,” se-răl´yo. The palace of the Turkish sultan, inhabited by his officers and wives. Because the latter live there the word is often used in the sense of harem.
“Mutation.” Change.
“Gabriel Lajeunesse,” la-jeu-ness.
“Felician,” fe-lĭsh´an.
“Plain-song.” A chant in which the tones are of the same length, and the compass rarely beyond an octave.
“Wondrous stone.” The swallow is said to give sight to her young by bringing to her nest a certain stone.
“St. Eu´lalie.” A virgin martyr. When only twelve years of age the young girl left home during the persecution of Diocletian, and in the presence of the judge threw down the idols he had set up. She was tortured to death in 308.
“Summer of all Saints.” The season which Longfellow so beautifully describes here is better known as the Indian Summer. All Saints’ Day is the 1st of November, and as, ordinarily, our Indian Summer comes about that time, the origin of the name is obvious.
“Sheen.” Brightness.
“Plane tree.” An Oriental tree much esteemed for its size and beauty. It is of the same genus as our buttonwood, or button tree.
“Bur-gun´di-an.” From Burgundy, an ancient province of France lying along the Saône and Rhône rivers.
“Gaspereau,” gas´pā-ro.
“Mandate.” An official command.
“Lou´is-bûrg.” Captured by the English in 1745.
“Beau Sejour,” bō sā-jour.
“Glēbe.” Turf, soil; derived from the Latin word gleba, which signifies soil.
“Réné Lablanc,” rā-nā lă-blang.
“Supernal.” Belonging to a higher sphere; celestial.
“Loup-garou,” lou-ga-rou. The French for bugbear.
“Letiche,” la-tish´.
“Irascible,” ī-răs´ci-ble. Out of temper.
“Embrasure,” em-brā´zhur. An embrace.
“Curfew,” kŭr´fū. The ringing of a bell as a signal to extinguish the fires. [See Longfellow’s poem, “Curfew.”]
“Tous les bourgeois de Chartres.” All the citizens of Chartres.
“Le Carillon de Dunkerque.” The chime of Dunkirk.
“Im´pre-cā´tions.” Curses.
“Mien,” meen. Manner, carriage.
“Tocsin,” tŏc´sin. Alarm bell, derived from the verb toquer, to strike, and sein, or seint, a bell.
“Ave Maria, ä´ve ma-rï´a. Hail, Mary; the first words of the prayer to the Virgin used by Roman Catholics.
“Emblazoned,” em-blā´zned. Decorated.
“Ambrosial,” am-brō´zhal. Delicious.
“Refluent.” Flowing back.
“Kelp.” Sea weed which is reduced to powder and is used in making glass; the name is also applied to the sea weed from which kelp is made.
“Leaguer,” leeg´er. A camp of a besieging army.
“Bĕn-e-dic´i-te.” A prayer signifying praise, blessing.
“Titan-like.” The Titans with the Cyclops and Centimanes (hundred-handed), were giants and the first inhabitants of the earth. Strictly the hundred hands belong to the brothers of the Titans, the Centimanes.
PART II.
“Savannas,” sa-văn´nas. A wide plain without trees, and covered with grass.
“Father of Waters.” Mississippi is an Indian word meaning “father of waters.” The following line refers to the immense quantities of débris that the river carries from hills and mountains, and in which many relics of the past are found buried.
“Prairie,” prā´re. Often incorrectly pronounced.
“Courier-des-bois.” French—literally scouts of the forest.
“Voyageurs.” Travelers.
“St. Catherine’s tresses.” St. Catherine lived a virgin; hence the expression means to live unmarried.
“Shard.” A shred. The word is obsolete in this meaning.
“Op-e-lou´sas.”
“Chutes,” shoots. A rapid descent in a river, or the opening in a river dam.
“Lagoon,” la-goon´. A marsh, shallow pond, or lake.
“Wimpling.” Lying in folds; rippling.
“Pĕl´i-cans.” A web-footed bird of large size, and remarkable for its bill, to the lower edge of which is attached a pouch which will hold many quarts of water.
“Bayou of Plequemine,” bī´oo of plak-mēn´. One of the numerous lakes, outlets, or, as they say in the South, bayous, of the delta of the Mississippi. The southeast province of Louisiana, lying on the Gulf and containing the delta, is called Plaquemine.
“Ten´e-broŭs.” Gloomy, dusky.
“Mi-mō´sa.” The sensitive plant; its name comes from a Greek word signifying imitator, because the plant seems to imitate animal sensibility.
“Atchafalaya,” atch-af-a-lī´a. A river or bayou of Louisiana connecting with the Mississippi just below the Red River. The Atchafalaya river is the outlet to the volumes of water bound by the levees of the Mississippi. “Where thirty-eight years ago,” says a writer in Harper’s Weekly, “the farmer waded across the Atchafalaya, now they find a depth of one hundred and twenty-two feet. The question that this wonderful change raises is whether the Atchafalaya will not eventually absorb the Mississippi current. The results would certainly be serious, and it is the opinion of many that unless proper care be taken, the Mississippi will take this short cut to the Gulf.”
“Lō´tus.” An aquatic plant.
“Wa-chi´ta.”
“Cope.” An arch, or cover.
“Pĕnd´ū-loŭs.” Swinging.
“Under the lee of.” The word lee comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for shelter; hence the expression means under the shelter of the island.
“Pal-mĕt´tos.” A species of the palm tree.
“Thōles.” The pin used to keep the oar in the row-lock when rowing.
“Têche,” tesh.
“Bac-chăn´tes.” Devotees of Bacchus, the god of wine in Roman mythology.
“Yule-tide.” Christmas-time.
“Sombrero,” som-bra´ro. A kind of broad-brimmed hat.
“O-zark´.” A range of hills running from the Missouri River in Missouri into Indian Territory.
“Olympus.” The chief abode of the gods in Grecian mythology.
“Cidevant,” se-de-vong´. Former.
“Natch-ī-tōch´es.” Said to be pronounced by the inhabitants, nak´-e-tush. A northwest province of Louisiana having a capital of the same name.
“Carthusian,” kar-thū´zhan. One of the order of Carthusian monks, a body famous for their austerities.
“Upharsin.” Dan. v:25.
“Oregon.” A name for the Columbia River.
“Wall´e-way.”
“O-wy´hee.”
“Fontaine-qui-bout,” fōn-tān-ke-bou´.
“Sierras,” sï-ĕr´ra. A saw-like ridge of mountains.
“Anch´o-rīte.” Hermit.
“Fä´ta Morgäna.” A phenomenon similar to the mirage in the desert. Through atmospheric refraction objects at a distance appear contorted, doubled, or inverted. It is oftenest seen in the Straits of Messina, and is named from a fairy who is said to cause it.
“Shaw´nee.” A tribe of American Indians bore this name; they are nearly all Christianized.
“Ca-măn´che.” A fierce tribe of Indians.
“Mo´wis.”
“Li-li-man´.”
“A-ē´ri-al.”
“Su-sŭr´rus.” Whispering.
“Asphodel,” as´phō-del. A species of perennial plant, famous for its beautiful flowers.
“Ne-pen´the.” A drug used by the ancients to relieve from pain and exhilarate. The word is derived from the Greek, signifying taking away sorrow.
“Sag´ĭ-naw.”
“Wōld.” Wood, forest.
“Ab-ne-gā-tion.” Denying.
“Prĕs´aged.” Foretold.
“Wi-cā´co.”
Errata, in “Notes on Required Reading” for April.
P. 419, c. 2—“Amoor Darya” should read “Amoo Darya.”
P. 420, c. 1—The Russian Saint Anthony was not Saint Anthony of Egypt, but of Mount Athos, and belonged to a later age.
P. 420, c. 1—“Laraï” should read “Saraï.”
