triste—(French) sad, mournful, dull, dreary [(return)]
mumchance—silent and idle [(return)]
Amadis . . . du Guesclin—mediaeval heroes. Amadis de Gaul was the title hero of a 14th century romantic novel, probably first written in Spanish, which was popular throughout Europe. Bertrand du Guesclin was a historical figure, a fourteenth century French soldier and Marshall of France. [(return)]
Puseyite—a follower of Edward Pusey (1800-1882), one of three scholars at Oxford who started a movement critical of the Church of England. One of the three, John Henry Newman, converted to Catholicism, and Pusey and his followers were accused of advocating Catholic practices. [(return)]
Lavater—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741-1801), Swiss writer whose only widely read book was a tract on physiognomy (Physiognomische Fragmente zur Beförderung der Menschenkenntnis und Menschenliebe). The Victorians put much stock in physiognomy. [(return)]