, mmm Ex Libris C. K. OGDEN THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST HANDY BOOK OF TERMS, PHRASES, EPITHETS, COGNOMENS, ALLUSIONS, &c, IN CONNECTION WITH UNIVERSAL HISTORY, POLITICS. THEOLOGY. LAW. COMMERCE. LITERATURE. ARMY AND NAVY. ARTS AND SCIENCES. GEOGRAPHY. TRADITION. NATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS. ETC. ETC. ETC. BY EDWARD SHELTON, AUTHOR OP "THE RAILWAY TRAVELLER'S HANDY BOOK," ASSISTANT COMPILER OP THE " DICTIONARY OF DAILY WANTS," ETC. LONDON: LOCKWOOD & CO., 7, STATIONERS' HALL COURT. 1861. PRINTED BY SU3IFIELD AND JONES, WEST HABDING STREET, FETTER LANE. PREFACE. EVERY reader of general literature is aware that it is impossible to take up a newspaper, a periodical, or an ordinary volume, without meeting with numerous allusions of an historical character. These are frequently employed by the writer as illustrations of his theme, and the reader is supposed to be familiar with them, and capable of applying them accordingly. In many instances the names, terms, or epithets em- ployed have never been met with before. In others, they have occurred in youthful studies long since forgotten, or in discursive reading only imperfectly remembered. When the eye of the partially informed reader lights upon these symbols, he is, generally speaking, content to guess at the meaning, and to pass on. In other cases, where the reader, more scrupulous, wishes to gain the clue, he has no alternative but to undertake a long and tedious .search through histories, encyclopaedias, and dictionaries. Thus, in the one case, error is perpetuated; and in the other,, research is discouraged and rendered irksome. But the work which we now place before the reader will, so far as it goes, prevent misconception on the one hand, * ,* rri-v.-'r- JL.IX / -Ltt^t iv PKEFACE. and lighten, the labour of investigation on the other ; inasmuch as any one of its passages may be referred to on the instant, with scarcely a halt or interruption to the subject under perusal. Be it understood, however, that it is not sought to elevate this humble performance at the expense of weightier and more valuable authorities. Far from depreciating such important labours, the Compiler not only acknowledges his obligations to them in the preparation of this volume, but strongly recommends their study, and deems this a not inappropriate place to introduce a list of some of the various publications referred to ; viz. : Conversations-Lexicon ; Saint Laurent's Dictionnaire Encyclopedique Usuel ; Dictionnaire de la Conversation ; Encyclopedic des Gens du Monde ; Dezobry et Bachelet's Dictionnaire General de Biographic, Histoire, &c. ; Ency- clopaedia Americana ; Dictionnaire des Dates ; Macaulay's History of England; Hone's Year Book; Hone's Every- Day Book ; Blakey's History of Political Literature ; Doubleday's Financial History of England ; Tooke's His- tory of 'Prices ; Parry's Parliaments of England ; Oldfield's Eepresentative History of Great Britain ; Godwin's History of the Commonwealth ; Strutt's Manners and Customs ; Hallam's History of the Middle Ages ; Hallam's Constitu- tional History of England ; Alison's History of Europe ; Hume's History of England ; Keightley's History of Eng- land ; Grote's History of Greece ; Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Eoman Empire; Rollin's Ancient History; Tytler's Elements of Universal History ; Eussell's Modern Europe ; Arnold's History of Rome ; Smith's Dictionary of PREFACE. V Antiquities ; Tomlin's Law Dictionary ; Rose's Biographi- cal Dictionary ; Clinton's Fasti Hellenic! ; Bevington's History of the Middle Ages ; Aspin's Analysis of Universal History ; Wade's British Chronology ; Heeren's Historical Researches ; Robertson's Histories of Scotland, America, and Charles the Fifth ; Palgrave's History of Normandy ; Historical Register ; Cooke's History of Party ; Clarendon's History of the Rebellion ; Beatson's Political Index ; Timbs's Things Not Generally Known; Selby's Events to be Remembered; History in all Ages; Gleanings, Historical and Literary ; Bartlett's Dictionary of Ame- ricanisms ; Dictionary of Familiar Sayings ; Hunt's Little World of Knowledge ; Stocqueler's Military Encyclopaedia ; Bartlett's New Tablet of Memory ; Robinson's Theological Dictionary ; Buck's Theological Dictionary, &c., &c. The limited extent of this undertaking has necessarily rendered it one of selection ; for if all the items of informa- tion appertaining to any one of the sections comprised herein were included, they would of themselves have proved sufficient to fill a bulky volume. The principle adopted, therefore, has been, first, to include those allusions which are most frequently met with ; secondly, such as the general reader is least acquainted with ; and, thirdly, to reject such subjects as were assumed to be sufficiently obvious and familiar. Doubtless, in endeavouring to carry out this view, there have been errors of omission and commission. Some things may have been rejected which might have been selected, and others may have been adopted which should have been excluded. vi PREFACE. These objections have been anticipated, and considerable pains taken to meet them. It is seldom, however, that individual judgment can cope with universal expectation ; and it is trusted that, notwithstanding minor defects, the work, as a whole, will prove eminently useful, and in a great measure fulfil the purpose for which it has been designed. TABLE OF CONTENTS. SECTION PAGE I. Wars, Battles, Naval and Military Expeditions, &c. ... 1 II. Conspiracies, Plots, Revolts, Riots, Tumults, Insur- rections, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 15 III. Factions, Political Parties, Secret Societies, Cliques, Coteries, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 29 IV. Dynasties, Royal Houses, Noble and Illustrious Families, &c 41 V. Empires, Territorial Divisions, Forms of Government, &c. 49 VI. Dignities, Titles, Offices of State and Honour, &c. ... 57 VII. Treaties, Conventions, Leagues, Convocations, Councils, Deliberative Assemblies, &c. ... ... ... 67 VIII. Religious Sects and Denominations, Ecclesiastical Orders, Divisions, &c. ... ... ... ... ..'. 79 IX. Philosophies, Systems, Doctrines, &c. ... ... 98 X. Laws, Enactments, Codes, Constitutions, &c. ... ... 1013 XI. Places, Provinces, Districts, Territories, &c. ... ... 131 XII. Races, Peoples, Classes, Tribes, &c. ... ... ... 146 XIII.* Military Organizations ... ... ... ... 163 XIV. Superstitions, Fables, Traditions, &c. ... ... 171 XV. Romance, Legend, Imaginary and Mysterious Personages 187 XVI. Personal Epithets, Surnames, Distinguishing Titles, &c. 197 XVII. National Epithets, Political, Classical, and Social Allusions . 228 viii TABLE OF COKTENTS. SECTION XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. INDEX Memorable Sayings, Mottoes, Party Cries, National Songs, Hymns, &c. Books of Faith, Records, Remarkable Publications, &c. Literature, Art, Science, Discoveries, Inventions, &c. ... Insignia, Emblems, Orders of Knighthood, &c. ... National Institutions, Customs, &c.... Objects of Curiosity, Interest, and Wonder ... Epochs, Anniversaries, Sports, &c. ... Prisons, Punishments, Penalties, Taxes, &c. ... Parliamentary Terms, Legal and Commercial Phrases, &c. PAGE 250 265 275 290 303 318 326 339 351 361 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST. SEOTIOIT I. WAES, BATTLES, NAVAL AND MILITAKY EXPEDITIONS, ETC. Acre, Siege of. Acre is a port and fortified city of Syria, which Napoleon Bonaparte attempted to storm in 1799. For two months he endeavoured to carry the place by incessant assaults, but, although its only defenders were a band of English sailors and a few Turks, the defence was so gallantly maintained, that the besieging party were compelled to retire, utterly discomfited. Actimn, Battle of. A memorable naval engagement fought be- tween Mark Antony and Octavius, 31 B.C. The former was totally defeated, and put an end to his existence. Octavius, thus freed from his rival, assumed the imperial power ; Rome, ceasing to be a republic was placed under the arbitrary sway of one ruler. Affghan War. In 1841, England, in order to check the advances of Russia towards her eastern possessions, determined to possess herself of Cabul. The army had to fight its way there, and finally succeeded in making a settlement. After two years the people of Cabul rose against the English, who were forced to retire with the most terrific slaughter. Agincourt, Battle of. Fought October 25th, 1415, between THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : the French and English armies. In this battle 10,000 of the French werfe killed, and 14,000 made prisoners ; among the slain were .3 dukes, an archbishop, a marshal, 13 earls, 92 barons, and 1500 knights ; among the prisoners, 2 dukes of the blood royal, 7000 barons, knights, and gentlemen. Arcola, Battle of. The scene of a terrible conflict between a portion of the Austrian and the French army, and which took place November 16th, 1796. In this famous struggle, Napoleon Bonaparte performed prodigies of valour, forced the passage of the bridge, and totally routed the enemy, who lost in the engage- ment 18,000 men. This victory, however, was not gained without a loss of 15,000 on the side of the French. Argonautic Expedition. An expedition respecting which there appears to exist a" mixture of truth and fable. It is sup- posed to have been undertaken about 1263 B.C. It was commanded by Jason, the son of - impatient at the spread of Protestantism ; and, regarding England as the refuge, and Elizabeth the protectress of the Protestants, her subjection, and the conquest of the coun- try was determined upon. To achieve this end, the Pope, Sixtus V., incited Philip II. of Spam to undertake an expedition against England. Accordingly, a fleet of ISO 1 ships of war, manned by 27,000 men, and armed with 3000 pieces of cannon, set sail for the British coast. When, however, the Armada reached the English Channel, it became partially weakened by a violent storm that arose, and the remnant was taken or destroyed by the British admirals. Spurs, Battle of the. A battle fought in 1513 by the allied armies of the English, Germans, and Swiss against the French. It received its name from the circumstance of the French cavalry 12 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : . spurring their horses to flight almost as soon as they beheld the enemy. Succession, Austrian, War of. This war commenced in 1741. The Emperor of Austria, Charles the Sixth, by virtue of a statute promulgated by him, and acknowledged by the other powers, named his daughter, Maria Theresa, as successor to the throne, in default of heirs male. On the death of the Emperor, however, a number of princes declaimed the " Pragmatic Sanction " null and void, and advanced themselves as claimants to the throne. These rival pretensions gave rise to a war which became general throughout Europe. Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria, was declared Emperor. Upon his death, in 1745, the husband of Maria Theresa was elected emperor under the title of Francis the First. The war, nevertheless, continued till 1748, when it was terminated by a mutual restitution of conquests, and a guarantee of the Pragmatic Sanction. Succession, Spanish War of. In the year 1700 the throne of Spain became vacant by the demise of Charles the Second, who died childless. At this juncture, Louis the Fourteenth, of France, claimed the crown for his grandson Philip, Duke of Anjou ; the Emperor Leopold, of Germany, for his second son Charles. The rival interests of France and Austria gave rise to a war in which all the European powers took part, England being opposed to France. Several battles were fought in connec- tion with this question, between the years 1702 and 1713, and finally the French prince was permitted to ascend the throne. Tearless Battle. A celebrated victory gained 367 B.C. by Archidamus the Spartan, over the united armies of Argos, Arcadia, and Messenia. These armies fled without offering the slightest resistance, and in the pursuit 10,000 men are said to have been put to death without the loss of a single Lacedaemonian ; upon the receipt of the news at Sparta, the emotion felt was so powerful, that all the Spartans who heard it burst into tears, the king and the senators setting the example. Ten Thousand, Retreat of the. One of the most renowned examples of military tactics ever recorded. 401 B.C., Cyrus, prince of Persia, conspired against his brother Artaxerxes Mnemon, WARS, BATTLES, AND EXPEDITIONS. 13 the reigning king. To further this project, he engaged the services of 13,000 Greeks ; Cyrus was slain fighting, and the generals of the Greeks being treacherously assassinated, the re- mainder of the army, to the number of 10,000, commenced their retreat, principally under the direction of Xenophon, one of their officers. This movement was beset by numerous difficulties and dangers ; they were surrounded by nations inflamed with the most deadly hostility, they were 1600 miles distant from home, and had neither provisions nor money. In the face of these apparently insurmountable obstacles, however, they succeeded in reaching their native land in safety. Thermopylae, Pass of. The name of a narrow pass leading from Thessaly into Locris and Phocis, between the mountains and the sea, and rendered celebrated by one of the most heroic acts on record. When the Persian army were advancing towards Greece, the duty of defending this important pass devolved on Leonidas, one of the Spartan kings, and who for this purpose took up his post with about 4000 men. This small band withstood the attacks of the whole Persian army for many days, without yielding one foot of ground. At length a Greek spy pointed out to the Persians a path by which the mountain could be ascended above the pass ; this was accomplished, and Leonidas foreseeing the cer- tainty of his fate, dismissed his allies, and with 300 Spartans, devoted himself to death. All of these were slain, except one, while the loss sustained by the Persians amounted to 20,000 men. Thirty Years' War. A contest in which religion and politics were both concerned, continuing from 1618 to 1648. It was caused by the antagonism of the Catholics and Protestants ; also, by the threatening power of the House of Austria. In this war France, Germany, Switzerland, and many minor states bore part. It was terminated by the treaty of Westphalia. Trojan War. This event is represented as happening at an early period of Grecian history. Some authorities regard it as a reality, while others pronounce it to be a tale wholly or partially fabulous. The war is said to have continued ten years, and to have ended in the taking and burning of Troy, 1184 B.C. Vendean War. A name given to a series of fierce and san- 14 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: guinary struggles which took place in the west of France, after the proclamation of the first Republic. They^arose by way of protest in favour of royalty, and were, also directed against the civil constitution of the clergy. These wars continued from 1793 to 1800. Vendetta. An Italian word designating the act of arming against an enemy. The word is more particularly in use in Corsica, where one who has an injury to avenge is said to be in vendetta ; and he warns his enemy that, at the expiration of a certain number of days, he will seek his life. From this moment, the two champions are on their guard, striving to accomplish each other's death, but with sufficient prudence to avoid rendering themselves amenable to the law. The war is conducted with extreme punctilio, and rarely descends to stratagem. The Corsican in vendetta regards the redressing of his wrong as the sole object of his life ; and where the injury escapes punishment for any length of time, or is not adequately atoned for, the office of avenger descends from father to sou, and from generation to generation. Vinegar Hill, Battle of. Fought June 21, 1798, between the Irish rebels and the British troops. The former were defeated, utterly routed, and sustained great lose. Walcheren Expedition. A disastrous affair which took place between July and December, 1809, and which cost the British nearly 50,000 soldiers. This expedition was sent to the coast of Holland, with a view of creating a diversion in favour of Austria,, who was then at war with France. This is regarded as one of the most signal failures that ever dimmed the lustre of the British arms. A magnificent armament left the English shores ; much was naturally expected of it, but it performed next to nothing. The fortress of Flushing was taken, and the island of Walcheren subdued, but the unhealthiness of the climate forced the conquerors to evacuate these acquisitions ; not, how- ever, before death and disease had worked the ruin of the entire force. CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 15 SEOTIOIT II. CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, RIOTS, TUMULTS, INSURRECTIONS, ETC. Babington's Conspiracy. A project to assassinate Queen Elizabeth, and place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne of England, September, 1586. This conspiracy was set on foot by Anthony Babington, a gentleman of Derbyshire, who had con- ceived a romantic attachment for the unfortunate Mary, and who counted upon becoming her husband in the event of success. He was further instigated by Ballard, a Romish priest, and others of the Roman Catholic party. The affair was brought to light by one of the conspirators, the chief of whom were put to death. This plot was the immediate pretext for the execution of Queen Mary. Bangor Controversy. A disagreement respecting the Ha- noverian succession, between Bishops Sharpe and Shirley on be- half of the Non-jurors, and Bishop Hoadley, of Bangor, against them. The controversy arose out of a sermon preached by Bishop Hoadley, March 31, 1717, on the subject of the civil esta- lishment of the Church, from the text, " My kingdom is not of this world." The consequence of this dispute was, that the con- vocation of the clergy, as previously constituted, was interdicted. ' Barons, Revolt of the. Caused by Henry the Third, in- fringing the provisions of the recently secured Magna Charta; also by his preferring foreign favourites to high offices of state. The barons were headed by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester ; they met at Oxford and proposed terms to the king, which he rejected. A battle was fought at Lewes, May 14, 1264, in which the royalists were defeated, and the king made prisoner. Henry the Third subsequently escaped. The battle of Evesham was 16 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : fought August 4, 1265. The barons were defeated, and Leicester fell. Finally, the barons returned to their allegiance in 1268, and the charter was again confirmed. Barricades. A rude kind of defence composed of overturned vehicles, casks, and other bulky objects, with which the people of Paris have, upon the occasion of popular disturbances, ob- structed the public thoroughfares. The insurgents, posting themselves behind the barricades, are enabled to assault the military and at the same time protect themselves. This mode of street warfare was especially put in practice during the revolu- tions of 1830 and 1848 in the latter instance, the Archbishop of Paris being killed, while attempting to act the part of me- diator. Blood's Conspiracy. Colonel Blood, who had served in the army in Ireland, imagined that he had certain claims upon the Government ; these he pressed upon the notice of the Duke of Ormond, who, however, refused to take cognizance of them. To avenge this supposed neglect, Blood and his confederates seized the Duke of Ormond in his coach, and conveyed him to Tyburn, with the intention of hanging him ; but they were baulked in their intention by several of the Duke's friends, who had received notice of the outrage, and rescued him, December 4, 1660. Blood, subsequently conceived the design of stealing the crown and royal jewels ; these he absolutely contrived to make off with, and the booty was wrested from him after a severe struggle, May 9, 1661. Notwithstanding these crimes, he afterwards received a pension of 500 a year from Charles the Second. Ultimately, he was imprisoned for a libel on the Duke of Buckingham, and died in prison, 1680. Bonnet, War of the. The name given to a long and ridi- culous contention among the peers of the French Parliament, at the end of the reign of Louis the Fourteenth, as to whether the president, when consulting the members, ought to uncover. Boston " Tea Party." The denomination of a party in Boston, America, with whom originated the resistance to the British rule. In 1767, the English Government imposed a duty upon tea imported into America. The Americans regarded this as CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 17 an infringement of their liberty, and determined not only to resist the tax, but to discontinue the use of British commodities. In pursuance of this resolution, several hundred chests of tea, then lying in ships in the port, were thrown into the sea. The port of Boston was in consequence shut up by the English Par- liament, and proscribed until restitution should be made to the East India Company, for the tea which had been destroyed. In 1775, the place was besieged, and a battle was fought, in which the Bostonians were defeated. Bounty, Mutiny of the. The "Bounty" was an English ship returning from Otaheite, in 1789,. commanded by Captain Bligh, who had the reputation of being a very arbitrary officer. The captain, with nineteen of his men, and a very small supply of provisions, were put into a small boat, and in the open sea, by the mutineers. In this frail vessel a perilous voyage was made of upwards of 4000 miles, and Captain Bligh ultimately reached England in safety. In 1792, three of the mutineers were executed. Ten of them settled at Pitcairn's Island, in the Pacific Ocean, and from these men the island has been since colonized. They remained unknown for a period of twenty-five years, and were accidentally discovered by a British vessel in 1814. Bristol Riots. Riot at Bristol, October 25, 1793, on account of the imposition of an unpopular toll. A second riot, com- mencing October 29, 1831, and continuing during the two following days. At this period the cause of Reform was being agitated among the people ; and Sir Charles Wetherell, a strenuous opponent of the Reform Bill, was recorder of the city. Upon the recorder making his entrance into Bristol, attended by a large civil force, for the purpose of opening the sessions, the mob arose, and the work of destruction commenced. For three days, the city was entirely in the hands of the rioters. Houses were burned and destroyed ; merchants' stores plundered ; prisons broken into, and many persons killed. A number of the rioters were taken and tried, four of whom were executed and twenty-two transported. Colonel Brereton, who commanded the troops called out upon the occasion, committed suicide, pending an inquiry into his conduct by court-martial. 18 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Catiline Conspiracy. In the year 65 B.C., Lucius Sergius Catilina, a patrician of Rome, having squandered his substance in riotous living, conceived the project of a conspiracy to repair his broken fortunes. The intention was, to murder Cicero and the Senate ; invest the Capitol ; sot fire to the city ; and seize upon the government treasures. In this wild and sanguinary scheme, the chief conspirator was to receive the assistance of many illus- trious Romans, bankrupt and unprincipled as himself. The design was, however, frustrated by one of the conspirators, who was in love with Fulvia, imparting to her the secret, which she in her turn made known to the consul. Cicero, having thus gained full information of the whole affair, laid the particulars before the Senate, and publicly denounced the author of it. Catilina succeeded in making his escape from Rome, but was afterwards slain at the head of his insurgent troops, with which he attempted to enter the city 62 B.C. Others of the conspirators were put to death ; while Cicero, for the part he had taken, received from the people every mark of honour and applause. Cato Street Conspiracy. An insane plot formed by a band of low and unprincipled men, with the view of assassinating the cabinet ministers, and overthrowing the Government. The conspirators, Thistlewood, Ings, Davidson, and others, assembled at a house in Cato Street, London, with the intention of sallying out and executing their design. The conspiracy was discovered in time to prevent any mischief being done, and the conspirators were executed, May, 1820. Chartist Riots. A series of disturbances, extending over several years, took place in many parts of England among the Chartists. The most notorious was that on April 10, 1848, when various meetings, to the aggregate of 200,000 men, were projected to assemble in the outskirts of London, and march thence in a body to the Houses of Parliament for the purpose of presenting their petition. The active measures taken by the Government defeated the intended demonstration. The Bank of England and other public establishments were fortified, soldiers and artillery were posted in various parts of the metro- polis, and a body of 150,000 special constables, composed of all CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 19 ranks of the people, were sworn in. The consequence was, that a small number only of the malcontents found their way to the appointed place of meeting. The whole affair became an utter failure ; and from that day the proceedings of the Chartists ceased to have any significance. Corn-law Riots. In 1815, the high price of provisions and especially bread produced serious disturbances among the people of England. It was felt that this distress was greatly aggravated by the prohibitions upon foreign corn ; and while a bill in reference to the importation of corn was being discussed in Parliament, mobs assembled in London and other places, and committed great destruction to property. Despard's Conspiracy. A design, set on foot by Colonel Despard, a native of Ireland, to lay violent hands upon the person of King George the Third, on the occasion of his opening Parlia- ment ; to put him to death, and to revolutionise the government. The conspiracy was detected, Nov. 16, 1802 ; and Despard, toge- ther with six of his accomplices, were hanged for the crime. Georges' Conspiracy. A conspiracy against the life of Bona- parte, discovered February, 1804, and in which were con- cerned Generals Moreau and Pichegru, and Georges Cadoudal, popularly known as Georges. The object was to assassinate Bonaparte, and to restore Louis the Eighteenth to his dominions. Home of the conspirators suffered death, others were imprisoned. Pichegru was found strangled in his cell ; but Moreau was permitted to escape from France to America. Gordon Riots. In 1780, Parliament having passed an act in favour of the Roman Catholics, the Protestants became greatly excited. At this juncture, Lord George Gordon, member of Par- liament, and brother to the Duke of Gordon, was induced to become the tool of a faction, and to place himself at the head of a mob, styling itself the Protestant Association. Under the pre- tence of defending the Protestant religion against the encroach- ments of the Papists, the rioters marched through London, and indulged in every sort of excess. The houses and chapels of the Catholics were destroyed ; Newgate and other prisons were broken open, and 350 persons lost their lives. The disturbance 20 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: was at length quelled by a military force ; many of the rioters were taken prisoners and afterwards executed. Lord George Gordon underwent a trial, but was acquitted. Gowrie's Plot. A design entertained by Euthven, earl of Gowrie, to take away the life of James the First (then James the Sixth of Scotland), in the year 1596. The assassination was to have taken place in the town of Perth, and the king narrowly escaped. Gunpowder Plot. A plot concocted against James the First of England, and the Parliament, on the 5th of November, 1605. This scheme was projected by certain discontented Eoman Catholics, who imagined that they could arrest the progress of Protestantism, and restore the Popish religion to the country, by destroying at one blow the king and the most important persons of the realm. To effect this object, a vault beneath the House of Lords was hired by the conspirators, and in it were placed thirty-six barrels of gunpowder, which were to be fired at the moment that the king and the Lords were assembled. The night previous to the intended perpetration of the plot, Lord Monteagle received a letter from an unknown hand, warning him not to attend in his place in Parliament on the following day. This letter was shown to the king ; suspicions were aroused, the vaults beneath the Houses of Parliament were searched, and there the barrels of gunpowder were discovered, and Guido or Guy Fawkes, a hireling of the conspirators, was detected in the act of making his final arrangements for the firing of the train. Fawkes, and several others of the conspirators were executed, while the remainder were killed in the attempt to take them prisoners. Holland's Mob. A set of tumultuous and dissolute characters, whose chief occupation consisted in ringing and knocking at the doors of houses, with shouts and imprecations, and afterwards assaulting the inmates. The last time they appeared as an orga- nized mob was in 1822. The name is supposed to be derived from the Holland family, through whose interest Bartholomew Fair, held annually in Smithfield, was continued in opposition to the party who endeavoured to suppress it CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 21 Hungarian Insurrection. The continued aggressions made by Austria upon the liberties of the Hungarians, caused the latter to rise against their oppressors in 1848 ; a provisional go- vernment was appointed under Kossuth, and all were denounced as traitors who acknowledged the Emperor of Austria as King of Hungary. Several engagements took place between the Hun- garians and the Austrians ; the latter, at length, called Russia to their aid, and after a severe struggle, the united armies of the two countries succeeded in utterly defeating the Hungarians, Aug. 9, 1849. Irish Rebellion. Under this designation several disturbances have taken place from time to time. The most memorable event of this nature broke out May 4th, 1798 ; and was not sup- pressed until the year following. This movement was prompted by the French Revolution, and aid was promised from France ; which promise, however, resulted in the landing of one thousand men, when the insurrection was on the wane. After scenes of the greatest atrocity and horror had been perpetrated from one end of the kingdom to the other, the rebellion was at length quelled. It is estimated that, in this attempt, thirty thousand lives were sacrificed, and property to the value of 2,000,000 destroyed. Jack Cade's Insurrection. Jack Cade, an Irishman, assumed the name of John Mortimer, a descendant of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, third son of Edward the Third ; he headed an insurrec- tion in Kent, marched into London, and put to death the Lord Treasurer, Lord Saye, and other persons of eminence. A battle was fought, in which the insurgents were defeated, and they received a general pardon. Cade made his escape, and endea- voured to conceal himself in a garden in Kent, where he was discovered and slain, July, 1450. Mar's Rebellion. In 1715, the claim of the Young Pre- tender, son of James the Second, was espoused by several persons of consideration in Scotland and England. Among others, the Earl of Mar enlisted himself in the cause of the Stuart exile, and soon succeeded in getting together a large army. A battle was fought at Preston, Lancashire, between the army of George the First, and the forces of the Pretender, 22 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : which resulted in the total defeat of the latter. The Pretender fled to France ; many of his adherents were punished or put to death : the Earl of Mai' being beheaded on Tower Hill. Massaniello's Insurrection. Thomas- Aniello was a fisher- man of Naples, and for brevity was called Massaniello. He came to Naples to sell fish and vegetables. A new tax was put upon fruit and vegetables, the 7th of July, 1647, and Massaniello, instead of submitting to the impost, called upon the people to re- volt. An insurrection broke out ; Massaniello was recognised as supreme chief, and succeeded in securing to the people all their privileges. This done, he relapsed into a species of in- sanity, and committed several follies. After a brief career, he was assassinated in the twenty-fourth year of his age. Meal-Tub Plot. A conspiracy, either real or pretended, which was alleged to exist in 1679 against the Duke of York, afterwards James the Second. It was so called, because the papers in connection with this affair were found concealed in a meal-tub, in the house of a woman with whom one of the conspirators cohabited. These papers implicated several Protestant noblemen, and endeavoured to show that they were bent on preventing the accession of James to the crown. Dangerfield, the concoctor or fabricator of the plot, was imprisoned and publicly whipped, and on the last of these occasions, one of his eyes was struck out, which caused his death. Monmouth's Rebellion. A movement headed by the Duke of Monmouth, natural son of Charles the Second, with the view of wresting the crown of England from William and Mary, on whom it had been recently bestowed. In 1685, a battle was fought at Sedgmoor, terminating in the defeat of Monmouth, who was taken prisoner, and afterwards executed with several of his adherents. Newport Eiots. On the 3rd. of November, 1839, a large body of political agitators, known as Chartists, assembled at New- port, Monmouthshire, and committed serious depredations. The mob and the soldiery being brought into conflict, about twenty ot the rioters were killed, and several others wounded. Frost, and the other ringleaders in this aifair were transported, and their CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 23 accomplices were punished with various terms of imprison- ment. Nore, Mutiny at the. Broke out in 1797, in a portion of the English fleet lying at the Nore. The grievance was stated to be the insufficient pay received by the common seamen, and the unfair distribution of prize-money. The mutineers were further encouraged in their disaffection, by the fact of a similar outbreak having recently occurred at Portsmouth, where the demands of the men were complied with. In this case, however, the authorities determined upon adopting severer measures ; they resolved upon reducing the fleet to submission, and threatened to employ force. After a while, the mutineers began to dis- agree among themselves ; obedience soon followed ; Parker, the ringleader, and several of his accomplices were given up and executed, while more liberal terms were granted by the Govern- ment to the seamen at large. 0. P. Riots. A disturbance, which dated its commence- ment from the re-opening of Covent-Garden Theatre, London, Sept. 18, 1809. The management had thought proper to intro- duce increased prices of admission ; at which the play-going public took umbrage, and clamoured for a return to the Old Prices (0. P.) The contest continued for nearly three months ; every night during which interval the theatre was in a state of con- tinuous uproar. The manager and the actors were jeered, hissed, and frequently pelted by the audience ; speeches were made from different parts of the house, placards of an insulting and personal character were every now and then exhibited from the boxes or galleries, and great injury was done to the property. The affair terminated on the 10th of December, the same year, by the management yielding to the demand made. Oates's Plot. Titus Gates, a man of profligate character, and who had been educated for the Church, invented what he termed a Popish plot, declaring that several Catholic noblemen had conspired to assassinate the king, Charles the Second, and to place his brother the Duke of York on the throne. Upon his unsupported evidence, several Eoman Catholics in high position were committed to the Tower, some of whom were executed, 24 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : including the venerable Lord Stafford. Gates was afterwards convicted of perjury; whipped, pilloried, and sentenced to be imprisoned. On the accession of William and Mary, he was pardoned, and received a pension for life : died 1705. Perkin Warbeck's Insurrection. In 1492, Perkin Warbeck set himself up as pretender to the crown of England, on the plea that he was Richard, Duke of York, who was said to have been smothered in the Tower during a previous reign. His claim was recognised by some of the nobility ; he was crowned at Dublin as Richard the Fourth, and married the daughter of Lord Huntley. He unsuccessfully opposed himself to the king's forces, was taken prisoner, and confined to the Tower, where he engaged in further conspiracies, and was hanged at Tyburn, 1499. Peterloo Massacre. A meeting of reformers was convened at Manchester, August 16, 1819. A piece of ground known as St. Peter's Field was chosen for this demonstration, and upwards of 60,000 persons were present, including men, women, and children. In the midst of the proceedings, a troop of yeomanry cavalry and a regiment of hussars charged upon the mob, and a scene of indescribable terror and confusion ensued. Numbers were cut down or trampled under the horses' feet, while others gave way from the pressure of the crowd. Eleven persons were killed, and 400 wounded. Porteous Mob. A smuggler was to have been hanged at Edinburgh, on April 14, 1736, his crime being the rescue of a companion from the hands of the soldiery. The crowd sympa- thized with the contrabandists, and assaulted the guard. The officer in charge, Captain Porteous, ordered his men to fire on the people, when seventeen persons were killed or wounded. Porteous was tried and found guilty of murder, but was reprieved, with the evident design of sparing his life. The people, enraged at this display of clemency, broke into the prison, dragged the captain forth, and hanged him on a sign-post in defiance of the military and the authorities. The most remarkable circumstance in con- nection with this affair is, that although large rewards were offered, no individual concerned in the deed was ever discovered. Rebecca Riots. In 1843, the rural population of Carmar- CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 25 thenshire, and some of the neighbouring Welsh counties, com- bined for the purpose of resisting the Turnpike tolls, and gave to themselves the name of " Rebecca and her daughters." With this rising, the removal of turnpike gates and the destruction of toll-houses became general. The rioters also attacked work- houses and unions, and demolished the furniture. They were finally dispersed by the military, and several of the ringleaders punished. The title of " Rebecca and her daughters " is derived from the twenty-second chapter of Genesis, in which the children of Rebecca are promised possession of the " gates of their enemies." Rebellion, the Great. A common historical denomination for the revolt of the Long Parliament against the authority of Charles the First. Repeal Agitation. A movement in Ireland, which existed for many years, having for its object the repeal of the Union be- tween that country and England. Daniel O'Connell was the re- cognised head of this agitation ; and under his auspices, monster meetings were held from time to time ; and a permanent fund was raised by subscriptions from among the people to defray the expenses of the organization. In 1844, O'Connell and those con- cerned with him were tried and condemned for sedition ; the sen- tence, however, being afterwards reversed. After the death of O'Connell, the Repeal agitation met with but slender support, and ultimately died out. Revolution, The Glorious. An epithet emphatically given to that change of dynasty and government which was brought about in England in 1688, by deposing James the Second, and placing William the Third on the throne in his stead. Rye House Plot. A plot, which many aver to be pre- tended ; the supposed object being to secure the succession of the Duke of Monmouth to the throne in place of the Duke of York. The place where the conspirators were alleged to have their meeting, was called the Rye House, a farm which lay on the road to Newmarket, and from which the conspirators were to rally out and assassinate the king and his brother as they returned to town. A fire happening, however, in the 26 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : king's house at Newmarket, compelled the Court to return to London sooner than intended, thereby frustrating the designs of the conspirators, if any such existed. Upon this charge, Lord William Russell and Algernon Sydney were put to death, and Hampden was fined 40,000. St. Domingo, Rising of. St. Domingo, one of the largest West India islands, was up to the period of the first French revolution under the French rule. The cruel laws by which they were governed, and the circumstance of the revolution becoming known, emboldened the natives to strike for their own inde- pendence. In 1791 the rising commenced, and was succeeded by several years of conflict, bloodshed, famine, and disease. After a terrible struggle, the island was abandoned. Toussaint 1'Ouver- ture, a man of colour, who had guided the movements of the insurgents throughout, was chosen Governor-General. In 1803, a fresh insurrection broke out ; the previous scenes of anarchy were renewed, and the island, shifting from one kind of rule to another, remained in an unsettled state for several years. St. Domingo has been recently annexed to Spain. Sepoy Revolt. In January,. 1857, the Enfield rifle was introduced among the native' troops of India, and with it greased cartridges were served out. These were objected to from religious scruples, and were immediately discontinued. The spirit of disaffection had, however, been roused, and open mutiny broke out in the ranks. Regiment after regiment revolted the Sepoys shooting their officers, murdering many ot the inhabitants, and finally marching to Delhi, and blowing up the garrison there. Many other atrocities followed ; by the end of June 50,000 Sepoys had deserted, and the whole native army was in a state of insurrection. The revolt was at length quelled by Sir Colin Campbell, now Lord Clyde, in 1858, and the rebel Sepoys were disarmed, expelled, and otherwise punished. Servian Rebellion. Servia is a province of European Turkey, with the title of principality ; the Servians are of Slavonic origin, and consequently of the same race as the Russians. In 1737 and in 1806, they arose in rebellion against their masters, the Turks, and they at length succeeded in establishing an in- dependent principality, tributary only to the Porte. CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 27 Spa Fields Riot. In 1816, meetings were held in Spa Fields, situated in the north of London, to petition the Prince Regent to take cognizance of the distress of the labouring and manufacturing classes. These proceedings were diverted by the appearance of a band of desperadoes who placed themselves at the head of the crowd and marched into the city. In their pro- gress, several gunsmiths' shops were broken into and plundered ; much injury was done, and one person was seriously wounded. At length, the military succeeded in quelling the disturbances. Several of the rioters were apprehended, and the remainder dispersed. Tailors' Riot. A disturbance, Avliich took place at the Hay- market Theatre, London, August 15, 1805. Mr. Dowton, a comedian, advertised for his benefit a piece called Tin- Tailors, a, Tragedy for Warm Weather. Upon this announcement being made public, the management received threatening letters, to the effect that, if the piece were attempted to be performed, 17,000 tailors would attend to opjxi.se it. Notwithstanding these threats, the play was retained in the bills. On the night of the perform- ance, the house was crowded ; and no sooner had the curtain drawn up, than the disturbance commenced. The performers were prevented proceeding with their parts by the incessant noise ; knives, scissors, and other missiles were thrown upon the stage, and the audience threatened to tear up the benches. In the midst of this scene a magistrate was sent for, who posted a number of special constables in and about the house, and had a numerous body of military stationed in the Haymarket. The performance then proceeded, but still amidst uproar and confu- sion ; between sixty and seventy persons were taken into cus- tody ; but in spite of these interruptions the obnoxious piece was played out, and terminated half an hour after midnight. The persons who were secured and who, with one exception, were all tailors were fined or held to bail. Waller's Plot. During the existence of the Commonwealth in England, a number of persons associated themselves together with a view of restoring Charles the Second to his kingdom. The plan was said to be, to destroy the Parliament and deliver up the city of London to the King. Mr. Waller being the most con- 28 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : spicuous and considerable person in this affair, it was designated Waller's Plot. Wat Tyler's Insurrection. An impost known as the poll- tax was levied in England in 1379, and soon became extremely unpopular among the people. Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and others incited a rising among the populace, and at the head of 100,000 men marched into London in open revolt. They murdered the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the King's Treasurer, broke open prisons, burned palaces, and destroyed and plundered in every direction. They were appeased by the timely concessions of the king, Richard the Second, but Wat Tyler was killed by Sir William Walworth, Lord Mayor of London, and upon the assem- bling of Parliament, 280 of the rebels were executed as traitors. Wood's Halfpence. A tumult took place in Ireland, in 1723, in consequence of a Mr. Wood having obtained a patent for coin- ing halfpence for circulation in Ireland. A great outcry was raised against this project, instigated by Dean Swift. The coin- age was denounced as base, and Wood was driven out of the kingdom. The halfpence were afterwards assayed in England, and were proved to be genuine. FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 29 SEGTIOIT III. FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, SECRET SOCIETIES, CLIQUES, COTERIES, ETC. Abhorrers and Petitioners. Two great parties in opposition, in the time of Charles the Second. Abhorrers were attached to the Court, and were the supporters of passive obedience ; their abhorrence being those who endeavoured to encroach upon the royal prerogative the Petitioners. Absolutists. That political party which advocates the un- limited power of the sovereign, contrary to constitutional laws and government. In Roman Catholic countries the priests are largely mixed up with this party. Bonapartists. Those who espouse the claims of the Bonaparte family in opposition to all others, in France and elsewhere. Cabal. In a general sense, implies a faction or party plot- ting against the executive, or against the state. In English history, this term is applied to a noted council of the time of Charles the Second, from the initials of whose names the word cabal was formed : namely, Sir T. Clifford, Lord Ashley, the Duke of Buckingham, Lord Arlington, and the Duke of Lau- derdale. These five noblemen were accused of being pensioners in the pay of France, to betray the interests of their country. Camisards. Derived from the French chemise, Languedoc camisa, a shirt ; and referring to the practice of wearing a shirt or blouse of white linen over the dress. The Camisards were a body of French Protestants, who, during the reign of Louis the Fourteenth, resented the rigour muLr which they suffered, and armed themselves in defence of their religion and lives. 30 THE HISTORICAL FIXGER-POST : After endeavouring in vain to suppress them, the government treated with their chiefs, and they were, in 1704, induced to submit. Carbonari. An Italian word, signifying charcoal-burners, and in history applied originally to the Guelph conspirators, who, to escape the pursuit of the Ghibelins, took their way to the woods, and sought concealment in the cabins of the charcoal- burners. The name was adopted early in the present century by a powerful secret society in Italy, which aimed at the expulsion of foreigners, and the establishment of civil and religious liberty. The society was destroyed in 1819, and then found its way to France ; where, during the three following years, it became the mainspring of insurrectionary movements. The society was then dispersed by the severe laws enacted against it, and the chiefs afterwards established various other secret societies. Carlists. In France, the name of the partisans of Charles the Tenth, after his deposition in 1830. In Spain, those who espoused the cause of Don Carlos in his claim to the Spanish throne in 1834, and the succeeding years. Cavaliers. The adherents of the king during the civil wars in England, and the opponents of the Roundheads, or Par- liamentarians. The name was originally given to a number of gentlemen who formed themselves into a body-guard for the king in 1641. Communists. An epithet designating the French Socialists, who held the doctrine^ that no one was justified in retaining a larger share of riches or possessions than another ; that social distinctions were prejudicial to the universal good, and that all men are equal. During the revolution of 1848, the Communists became a powerful political body in France, and exercised con- siderable influence in the overthrow of the government. Conservatives. That party in politics, which aims at con- serving or keeping intact the old institutions of the country up- holding the union of Church and State, and generally regarding new measures as mere innovations. Conservatives are conse- quently opposed to both Liberals and Radicals. Cordeliers. The name of a secret political party established FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 31 in Paris in 1790, and holding its sittings in the chapel of the convent of the Cordeliers. The president of this club was Danton, and it numbered among its members several of the most conspicu- ous revolutionary chiefs. Country Party v. Court Party. The historical names for the two great contending parties in England, in the disputes between the king and the people, afterwards represented by Whig and Tory. Democrats (American). That party inclining to all mea- sures tending to increase the free action of the individual citizens in each state, and of the separate states as distinct from the Union. Doctrinaires. A name given in France to a political party which was formed subsequently to 1815, and which held the doctrine of the establishment and conservation of constitutional government, the due admixture of authority with liberty, the recognition of the royal prerogative, and of the representative system. In other words, a monarchy surrounded by republican institutions. Emigres. The name given to natives of France who were opposed to the first revolution, and who left the kingdom in con- sequence. Numbers of them settled in England permanently ; others returned to France in 1801, at the invitation of Napoleon Bonaparte, who reinstated them in their possessions, and placed them under the protection of the government. Filibusters. From the Spanish filibustero, a freebooter. This term was brought into common use in consequence of the expedition against Cuba, under Lopez, in 1851, to the members of which expedition it was applied. It has since been used to denote men bent upon desperate adventures, and who live by rapine and plunder. In another sense the term filibuster is applied to those who undertake foraging expeditions with the hope of acquiring dominion or booty. Free -Traders. Those political economists who advocate the total remission of prohibitive duties, so as to render trading operations free to all countries, and, by thus encouraging com- petition, to lower the prices of articles, and to increase the powers 32 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : of production. This party gained its greatest triumph by the repeal of the Corn-laws, and has since extended its influence and operations by the gradual reduction or abolition of almost all the duties upon foreign produce. Girondists. A celebrated party of the first French Revolution, composed principally of the deputies of the department of the Gironde, in the legislative assembly. As revolutionists, they entertained moderate views, and were opposed to the atrocities which were committed in the name of liberty. These sentiments rendered them ultimately obnoxious to Robespierre and his asso- ciates, who succeeded at length in annihilating the party, by the guillotine or by proscription. Guelphs and Ghibelins. The party-names of two contending factions which raged in Germany in the middle of the twelfth century, and which continued to agitate the Christian world for more than two centuries. It originated in a disputed claim to the empire of Germany. The Papal party of the German nobles, at the head of whom was Guelph, Duke of Bavaria, secured the election of Lothaire, Duke of Saxony. His accession was op- posed by the other party of the German nobles ; and a battle was fought between them in 1140. The imperial general was born at the village of Heghibilin, and his soldiers were called Ghibelins. Hence the origin of the names : Guelphs, or partisans of the popes against the emperors, and Ghibelins, or partisans of the emperors against the popes. Guelph is the name of the present royal family of England. Hats and Caps. The name of a faction which existed in Sweden from 1750 to 1770, between the adherents of royalty and those who were attached to the privileges of the senate. The former were denominated "Hats," the latter " Caps." liluininati. The name of a secret order of society formerly existing in Germany, and some other parts of the Continent. Their ostensible object was the dissemination of virtue and wisdom upon the purest principles ; but their real motive is said to have been the undermining of all existing governments and religions, in order to establish what they considered a perfect system of freedom and independence among mankind. FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 33 Jacobins. A celebrated society, with whom originated the first French Revolution. It was originally named the Club Breton, was formed in 1780, and recognised in 1790. The first Jacobins consisted of about forty members, men eminent in politics or literature, who associated for the purpose of discussing political and other matters. It afterwards included all the dis- tinguished republicans, and became very numerous. The term Jacobins was derived from the hall of the Jacobin friars at Paris, in which these meetings were held. Jacobites. The name given to a party who remained true in their attachment to the abdicated monarch, James the Second ; whose constant desire it was to restore James or his heirs to the government, and who invariably held that none but a Stuart could rightfully occupy the throne.- Legitimists. A name given in France since 1814, to the partisans of the elder branch of the Bourbon family, who, in 1814, and again in 1830, were driven from the throne. The present representative is Henry, Due de Bordeaux, called Comte de Chambord. Levellers. Under this style, some knots of persons ap- peared in England at the period of the French Revolution, their aim being to indoctrinate the people with republican ideas. Their influence was counteracted, however, by the organisation of several " Loyal Associations." Liberals. Those politicians who advocate liberal measures for the government of the people ; opposed on the one hand to the exclusive views of the Conservatives, and on the other hand not caring to adopt the extreme sentiments of the Radicals. Loco-Foco. The name by which the Democratic party is extensively distinguished throughout the United States of America. The origin of this term is as follows : In 1834 a self- igniting match was invented in America, and was named " Loco- foco" the idea of this word being borrowed from " locomotive," or self-moving. These matches had a very extensive sale, and quickly came into general use. In 1835 Gideon Lee was nomi- nated as the Democratic candidate for Congress. This nomina- tion was violently opposed by the opposite party ; and in the C 34 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: hall where the meeting was held a scene of indescribable noise and confusion ensued. In the midst of this tumult the gas-lights were extinguished ; but the opponents of Lee, either having had intimation of this course, or being accidentally provided with loco-foco matches, instantly re-lighted them, and, by the aid of their light, continued the business of the evening. The news- paper report of these proceedings dubbed the party having recourse to the matches loco-foco. The name was seized upon, and was soon given to the entire Democratic party. Lone Star Society. Under this title a secret association was formed in 1851-2, in some of the southern states of the North American Union. The object was to extend the dominion of the United States over the whole of the western hemisphere, and the islands of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The acquisi- tion of Cuba and the Sandwich Islands was to be the first step in the movement. Luddites. Under this name, large parties of men, chiefly unemployed artisans, committed outrages at Nottingham and elsewhere in 1811-12. The cause of this rising was the introduc- tion of machinery into the factories, which rendered less manual labour necessary ; and thus for the moment threw a number of hands out of employ. Manchester School. A name given to those politicians in England who advocate Free-trade, and who regard commerce as the most important part of political economy. Messrs. Cobden and Bright are the recognised exponents of this theory. Moderados. The name given in Spain to the Conservative party, or those who oppose the increase of popular power. Mohocks. The designation of a set of ruffians, who, in 1711, prowled about the streets of London during the night-time, assaulting, maiming, and disfiguring all with whom they came in contact. They were named after a tribe .of North American savages, who were desperate and bloodthirsty in warfare. , Mountain Party. A derisive appellation for that party in the French assembly during the time of the first Revo- lution, who took their seats upon the highest benches in the hall, to the left of the president. They were the chiefs of the FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 35 Jacobins and Cordeliers, and were called also Montagnards. They made themselves chiefly conspicuous by their opposition to the Girondists, and were the most powerful party until the down- fall of Robespierre. Non-Jurors. The partisans of James the Second, who con- sidered that monarch as having been unjustly deposed, and who refused to take the oath of allegiance to his successors. Among this party were several persons of note, including seven bishops and many of the clergy. As a penalty for their extreme views, non-jurors were subjected to a double taxation, and were com- pelled to register their estates. Orangemen. A party having its stronghold in Ireland, pro- fessing an ardent attachment to the Protestant religion, and violently opposed to the Roman Catholics. They have established in various parts of the country what are termed Orange lodges, for the enrolment and concentration of the members, and for the exhibition of anti- Catholic demonstrations. The existence of this society has occasioned much bitterness and ill-feeling, and several attempts have been made to limit or annul its operations. The term is derived from William, Prince of Orange, who is tradi- tionally regarded as the prime upholder of the constitution in Church and State. Parliamentarians. The name of the party which espoused the cause of Parliament, in opposition to the unconstitutional aggression of Charles the First upon the rights and privileges of the representatives of the people. Peace Party. In England, a party composed chiefly of Quakers, who hold war to be sinful, cruel, and unnecessary. To avoid war they propose, first, a system of non-intervention, so that one country shall not interfere in the quarrels of another ; and, secondly, they submit that, in the event of a misunder- standing, it shall be settled by arbitration instead of by an appeal to arms. The Peace Society was founded in 1816, and some members of it had an interview with the Emperor of Russia in 1854, to urge upon him their peculiar views. Messrs. Bright and Cobden are its most eminent supporters. Peelites. The followers of the policy of Sir Robert Peel, c 2 36 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : when he first pledged himself to a revision of the then existing tariff. The majority of this party have been since absorbed by the Free-traders, or have. returned to Conservatism, a few still re- maining who adhere to the policy of Peel as first enunciated ; namely, the pursuit of Free-trade under certain prohibitory conditions, and in a restrictive sense. Peep-o'-Day Boys. In Ireland, a lawless band who visited houses at break of day to rob them of arms. They made their appearance in July, 1784, and for a long time carried on their depredations to the terror of the country. Pope's Brass Band. Applied in derision to the Irish Roman Catholic members of Parliament, who are incessantly urging upon the notice of the country the claims of the Pope and the Roman Catholics. Progressistas. The Spanish term for that party which is in favour of progress and popular government. Protectionists. The name of that political party which seeks to " protect " the interests of the English producers, especially the producers of corn, by levying high duties upon importations from other countries, and thus keeping foreign products at & higher price than our own. Since the abolition of the Corn- laws and other reductions of the tariff, this party has gradually dwindled away, and is now all but extinct. Prnd' -Homines. That is to say, prudent men. Under this denomination were known in France men of experience, in whom was vested the decision of certain affairs between masters and workmen. The association was instituted by Napoleon in 1806, and was composed of nine members, five of whom were masters, and four head-workmen. All trade disputes are referred to this council, and its decision is regarded as final. Radicals. An epithet applied to the democratic party of England, who advocate the doing away with Church and State ; hold extreme views with regard to the civil and religious liberty of the people, and systematically attack what they deem the abuses of Government. The term Radical is derived from the Latin word radix, a root, and implies that those who adopt this epithet seek to bring about reform by striking at the root. FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 37 Red Tapists. A derisive term, used to denote that class of officers of state and other persons in public employment who are addicted to routine and departmental etiquette, and who will not step out of the beaten track, however certain and great the benefit attending such a step. The term is used allusively to the red tape with which the various official documents are supposed to be tied. Refugees. An epithet applied to persons, who, from political or other causes, are obliged to quit their native country, and take refuge in another, as the refugees of Poland, Hungary, &c. Regicides. The word regicide is understood, in general terms, as the murderer of a sovereign ruler ; and in this sense it is, by some writers, applied to those persons who were instru- mental in procuring the execution of Charles the First. Republicans (American). The political party in America, which avoids democratic extremes, and aims at strengthening the central government, so 'as to keep the component States of the Union as firmly bound together as possible. Ribbonmen. During the years 1820 23 the distress in Ire- land was very great, and the poorer population were, incessantly threatened with famine. The owners of estates, disliking to live in the midst of such distress, left the country and resided abroad ; in the mean time they endeavoured to improve their estates by introducing Scotch and English farmers. But this attempt being considered by the already-famished peasantry as a prelude to ejectment, they engaged generally in secret societies, the object of which was to murder every new-comer, and every landlord or agent who was instrumental in introducing them. Hence the association of Ribbonmen, who were bound together by the most terrible oaths to execute the mandates of the lodges in fire-raising and murder. Ribbons, Blue and Green. A faction which existed at Con- stantinople in the sixth century, and in which the rival emperors Justinian and Anastasius were concerned. Anastasius covertly espoused the cause of the Greens, while Justinian openly pro- tected the Blues. Roundheads. A term applied to the adherents of Crom- 38 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : well during the civil wars. It arose from such persons having their hair cut close and even with the edges of a round bowl, which was fitted to the head. Royalists. Those who supported the royal cause in the contest between Charles the First and Oliver Cromwell. Sans Culottes. A French term, signifying, literally, with- out breeches. At the earlier period of the French republic, it was applied to the more ardent of revolutionists by way of derision. Subsequently the epithet became identified with the most eminent of the republican generals and representatives. Secessionists. Those parties which have severed them- selves from the United States of America, and seek to form an independent government of their own, as Confederate States. As the Secessionists reside for the most part in the southern states of America, the party is also designated collectively as the "South." Terrorists. A name given to those persons who, in times of danger and difficulty, are ever ready to exaggerate national calamities, and whose very fears acting upon the weak-minded or the uninformed, are apt to bring about a panic. Tiers Etat "Third Estate." In France, a section of the constitution, represented by the inhabitants of cities, the holders of land, &c. Formerly, the nobility and clergy possessed the pro- perty of almost the whole country ; but by degrees the cities, and even the peasantry, rose to wealth and importance, and demanded a .recognised position in the state ; this was granted them by Louis the Ninth, in 1252, and hence the name tiers etat. Tories. This term is involved in some obscurity. The most generally received opinion is, that it is derived from the Irish word "toree," that is give me, which was the summons of surrender used by the banditti to whom the name was origin- ally applied. In the first instance, the term, in its political sense, referred to certain parties in Ireland who refused to submit to Cromwell ; afterwards, it attached to those who vindicated the divine right of kings, and held high notions of their prerogatives in a word, the court party ; and more recently, it was synonymous with Conservative. FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. Trimmers. A name formerly given to that class of politicians, who first leant to one side and then the other, taking care to adapt their sentiments and movements to the current opinion and the course of events. Ultramontane Party. From the Latin ultra, beyond, monies, the mountains. The name given in France to that party which admits or defends the ecclesiastical power, as recognised by the Italians ; who, as viewed from France, are dwellers beyond the Alps or mountains. United Irishmen. A political society formed by Grattan and others in 1795, holding secret meetings in Ireland, and seeking to counteract the effect of the Orange clubs. Whigs. The origin of this term is differently stated by various authorities. By some it is said to be derived from the word whiggam-more, which the Highlanders applied to " saddle- bag thieves." Others identify it with the Scottish word whig, the vernacular for sour whey, which was a common drink of the people. Another fanciful derivation is from the initials of the motto, " We hope in God," adopted by the Parliamentary party in the days of Cromwell. But, whatever the origin of the term, the political significance of Whig is, one who is opposed to the court and professes liberal sentiments. The Whig and Tory party first entered into opposition in 1649, and they were at their greatest height in 1704, and during the chief part of the reign of Queen Anne. White Boys. A faction represented by bands of lawless men who committed great excesses in Ireland in 1761, and again in 1786-7. They wore their shirts outside their dresses, whence their name. Young England. An offshoot of the Conservative party ; which violently opposed the introduction of liberal measures, and endeavoured to impede the march of progress. They were especially conspicuous by their desire, manifested and expressed, to return to the feudalism and aristocratic exclusiveness which prevailed in England, in former times. The impracticable and unpopular views, advocated by this party, soon rendered its position untenable, and cut short its existence. Most of the 40 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : members of the House of Commons allied to the Yeung England interest, wore white waistcoats as a sort of distinctive badge ; it is thus frequently alluded to as the " White Waistcoat Party." Young Ireland. The political party in Ireland who, on the death of Daniel O'Connell, constituted themselves the representa- tives of the Eepeal agitation. Several of the foremost of these, from the violent measures which they adopted, were pro- secuted by Government, and imprisoned, transported, and otherwise punished. Young Italy. A revolutionary party, having for its object the restoration of Italian freedom. It sprang up in 1832, in Piedmont, under the auspices of a number of Genoese youths, headed by Joseph Mazzini, a young Genoese lawyer. DYNASTIES, ROYAL HOUSES, ETC. 41 rv. DYNASTIES, ROYAL HOUSES, NOBLE AND ILLUSTRIOUS FAMILIES, ETC. Borghese. A Roman family, originally of Sienne, occupy- ing, from the middle of the fifteenth century, the chief places in the Pontifical State. It has also been distinguished by its enormous riches, and its munificent patronage of the fine arts. Bourbon Family. A royal family, formerly very powerful, members of which were occupants of the throne of France, Spain, and Naples. The following is the origin of the Bourbons : Henry, Prince of Beam, afterwards Henry the Fourth, was born December 13th, 1553, and was the immediate heir of the Crown of France, on the possible extinction of the House of Valois, in the person of the reigning monarch and his younger brother, the Dukes of Anjou and Alencon. The latter died, 1584 ; and the former, Henry the Third, being assassinated in 1859, the Prince of Beam then ascended the throne as Henry the Fourth. He was the son of Anthony de Bourbon, Duke of Vendome, and of Jane d' Albert, Queen of Navarre. Anthony was descended from Robert, sixth son of St. Louis, the ninth of that name. Robert was born in 1256, married Beatrice of Burgundy, the daughter of Agnes, heiress of the House of Bourbon ; and with that title was created duke and peer of France. Broglie. A distinguished family in French history, originally of Piedmont. The first count served with distinction in the wars of Louis the Fourteenth, and the last of that name was many times minister under Louis Philippe. Brunswick, House of. Owes its origin to Azo, the fourth of the family of Este, son of Hugo the Third, Marquis of Fer- rara, in Italy. About 940 he married Cunegonde, heiress to Guelph the Third, Duke of Bavaria, In 1071 a Guelph obtained 42 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : the Duchy of Brunswick ; his great-grandson, Henry the Lion, married Matilda, eldest daughter of King Henry the Second of England. In 1235, the grandson of Henry the Lion, Otho, became the first Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg, and from him all the succeeding dukes of this family have descended. The House of Brunswick has since then divided into several branches, from one of which sprang the Elector of Hanover and the pre- sent royal family of England. Capet, House of. The third dynasty of the kings of France, so named from the founder, Hugh Capet, who was acknow- ledged king in an assembly of nobles, 987. The name is pro- bably derived from chappatus, the bearer of a cape or hood, 'the ancestors of Capet being abbots ; the second King, Robert, sang the vespers clothed in a cappa ; the ancient standard of the kings was the Cape of St. Martin. Caracci. A family of celebrated Italian painters, and founders of the Bolognese school of painting. They flourished at the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century. Carlovingian Line. The name given to the kings of France of the second race, who had their origin from Pepin the Short, and the name from Charlemagne. There were fourteen kings of this race, commencing in 752, and ending in 987. Cenci. A Roman family, the members of which were noted for their wealth, crimes, and misfortunes, of whom the most re- markable are the following : Francesco, who plunged into the lowest depths of infamy, and Avas only saved from an ignominious end by his gold, with which he corrupted the judges. He had four sons and one daughter, the celebrated Beatrice, who, in concert with two of her brothers, and Lucretia, her mother, accomplished the death of Francesco, the hated Grand Duke of Tuscany. Accused and found guilty of the murder, all four 'perished on the scaffold. The event made a profound impression on the people of Rome ; for many ages the name of Beatrice Cenci was preserved in popular airs, and the subject has been a favourite one with painters and dramatists. Colonna. An ancient and illustrious family of Rome which famished many members famous for learning, military prowess, and ecclesiastical influence. DYNASTIES, ROYAL HOUSES, ETC. 43 Contarini. A celebrated Venetian family, and one of the twelve of the most ancient called apostolic. It has given eight doges to the republic. Daudini. An eminent family in Italy in connection with literature and the fine arts. Its members flourished from 1580 to 1712. Dandolo. An illustrious Venetian family which has given four doges to the republic. Its origin may be traced back to the Romans. DolgorouM. A line of Russian princes, who possessed anciently a part of the Ukraine ; it dates its origin from St. Vladimir and Rurik. Doria. One of the most noble and powerful families of Genoa ; the members of which occupied the most distinguished posts from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries. The last of the Dorias died in 1839, leaving only a daughter. Douglas. An ancient Scotch family, illustrious in all the wars between Scotland and England. The first of the name was companion in arms of Wallace, and the last was Chancellor of Mary Stuart, and was condemned to death for being con- cerned in the murder of Darnley, 1581. Dudley. A celebrated English family, the first member of which was the favourite of Henry the Seventh. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was the favourite of Queen Elizabeth. His son, Robert, was Chamberlain of the Archduchess of Austria, and duke of the Holy Empire. Este. An ancient and illustrious house of Italy, which de- rived its name from the town of Este, in Venetian Lombardy. This house has produced a number of celebrated persons, and the arms of the family are quartered with those of France and Germany. Farnese. A celebrated Italian family, whose members were made the recipients of honours and riches from the thirteenth century downwards. The family is also illustrious for the pro- tection which it has accorded to the arts. Fatimites. A Mohammedan dynasty, the founder of which pretended to be descended from Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet. This dynasty commenced in 797, and terminated, 1171. 44 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Ferrari. A Milanese family, many of the members of which were, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, distinguished by their scholastic attainments. Gracchi. The name given to two Roman tribunes of the people, sons of Sempronius Gracchus, they rendered themselves conspicuous by defending the cause of the plebeians against the patricians, and were both assassinated by their enemies. Grammont. An ancient family which signalized itself under Louis the Thirteenth and Louis the Fourteenth, and whose name appears conspicuously in the history of that time. Guise, Dlikes of. The title of a branch of the sovereign House of Lorraine, which settled in France at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Hanoverian Succession. Upon the death of the Duke of Gloucester, infant son of Queen Anne, it was determined, in order to exclude the Eoman Catholics from the sovereignty of England, that the succession should devolve upon Sophia, the grand-daughter of James the First, Duchess-dowager of Hanover, and her heirs. Accordingly upon the death of Queen Anne, without issue, George, the son of Sophia, succeeded to the throne, as George the First of England. Hapsburg, House of. The Austrian line of emperors, com- mencing with Count Rudolph, of Hapsburg, who, in 1273, was advanced to the imperial dignity of Germany and the Arch- duchy of Austria. The present Emperor of Austria belongs to this illustrious house, Hohenzollern, House of. A famous German house, here- ditary marquises and electors of Brandenburg. Raised to the rank of royalty January 18th, 1701, the marquis-elector being crowned Frederick the First, King of Prussia. Horatii and Curiatii. The first-named of these were three brothers in the Roman army ; the last-named, three brothers in the Alban army. It was agreed between the contending parties that a combat should be fought between the Horatii and Curiatii brothers, and that the result should be regarded in the same light as though the whole army had been engaged. The three Curiatii and two of the Horatii were slain, the victory being thus adjudged to the Romans. DYNASTIES, KOYAL HOUSES, ETC. 45 Howard. An ancient illustrious English family, distin- guished for its attachment to the Romish Church, and for an im- portant part played by it in history. The head of this family has the titles of first Duke, first Marquis, first Earl, and first Baron of the kingdom, and takes his place immediately after the princes of the royal blood. Lancaster, House of. The third of four royal English houses, issue of Edward the Third. The first issue of Edward was the Black Prince, whose son, Richard the Second, reigned from 1377 to 1399. At the death of this prince the third branch of Lancaster, issue of John of Gaunt, took possession of the throne, to the prejudice of the second branch, founded by Lionel, Duke of Clarence. This house gave three kings to England, Henry the Fourth, Henry the Fifth, and Henry the Sixth. At his death, the House of York took possession of the throne, founding their pretensions on their descent from the before-mentioned Clarence, second son of Edward the Third. Manfredi. A sovereign family of Faenza. It had for its chief Richard Manfredi, who caused himself to be proclaimed king, 1334. It terminated with Astorgio the Third, who was deposed and put to death by Csesar Borgia in 1500. Medici. One of the most celebrated families in the history of Florence and Tuscany during the fifteenth century. By the exercise of extraordinary industry and activity its members achieved great wealth, and with it, great influence in the control of public affairs. The name of Medici is intimately associated with the Florentine Republic. Cosmo Medici was called the " Father of his Country ; " and Lorenzo, his grandson, was styled " The Magnificent." The Medici family governed Florence and Tuscany from 1434 to 1737. Merovingian Line. The name given to the kings of France of the first race, supposed to be derived from Meroveus or Merowig, who was born about the year 410. They held possession of the throne for 250 years. Montmorency. One of the most illustrious families of France, the chiefs of which formerly bore the title of the " First Barons of France." From the year 1060 till the present time, this family has counted among its members six constables, twelve 46 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : marshals, four admirals, many cardinals, and numerous grand masters of every European order of knighthood. Moorish Kings. The former sovereigns of the countiy now known as Portugal. They kept possession of the kingdom from the eighth to the twelfth century. Norman Rule. William, Duke of Normandy, was cousin to Edward the Confessor, King of England ; and, having been bequeathed the crown by the latter, laid claim to the sovereignty ; his pretensions were disputed by Harold, a powerful Saxon noble, a battle was fought, Harold was killed, and William proclaimed King of England. The Norman rule extended from this period (1066) to the death of Stephen, 1154. Orange, House of. An ancient and illustrious House de- scended from Otho the First, Count of Nassau. In 1369, Otho the Second obtained a considerable accession of territoiy in right of his wife, and these domains were added to by his grandson, Gilbert. The title of Prince of Orange came first into the Nassau family by the marriage of Claude de Chalons with the Count of Nassau, in 1530. William, Prince of Orange, afterwards William the Third of England, was a descendant of this family ; he was also grandson of Charles the First, and married Mary, daughter of the Duke of York, after James the Second. Upon the abdi- cation of this latter monarch, William landed in England, and, with his queen, was crowned April 11, 1689. Orleans Family. The immediate descendants of Louis Philippe, King of the French, deposed February 24th, 1848. His father was the notorious Duke of Orleans, who assumed the name of Egalite, opposed the court in the French Revolution, and was guillotined. Piccolomini. An illustrious family of Italy, originally of Rome, and established at Sienne. Its elevation commenced with the pontificate of Pius the Second, 1458. Two other members of the family have made themselves a name in history : Alphonso who signalized himself by his expeditions against the Pope, and Octavius, the most distinguished Austrian general in the Thirty Years' War. Plantagenet. A line of English monarchs, from Henry the Second, 1154, to Richard the Third, 1485. The etymology DYNASTIES, EOYAL HOUSES, ETC. 47 of this name is derived from Planta genesta (broom plant). It was first given to Fulke, Earl of Anjou, who lived in the tenth century. He, having been guilty of certain crimes, was enjoined to wear in his cap, by way of penance, a piece of broom ; that plant being regarded as the symbol of humility. This expia- tion accomplished, Fulke, in remembrance of it, adopted the title of Plantagenet ; and his descendants, not only assumed the same name, but even distinguished themselves by wearing a piece of broom in their bonnets ; the remoter descendants adopting this as their cognizance. Rohan. An eminent house which is carried back to the first sovereignty of Brittany, and which gave birth to many distin- guished persons. Of these, the most eminent were Henri Due de Rohan, Prince de Leon, born in 1579, and remarkable for his military prowess ; Cardinal Rohan, born in 1734, and implicated in the " Diamond Necklace " affair, which see. Romanoff, House of. A Russian dynasty so called, having its origin in the following manner. Up to the early part of the seventeenth century, Russia had been continually a prey to anarchy and foreign influence ; but in 1613 a national party was formed at Moscow, and a young Russian nobleman, named Michael Romanoff, related by blood to the ancient line of Rurik, was called to the throne. With the accession of this dynasty a new era in Russian history commenced ; it terminated in 1762, on the dethronement and murder of Peter the Third. Rurik. A dynasty of Russia, which held the throne from the year 879 till the end of the sixteenth century. The founder of this dynasty was the chief of a horde of pirates who infested the shores of the Baltic ; at the invitation of the inhabitants of Novogorod, he lent them aid against some plundering neighbours, but soon took the power into his own hands, and subjected those whom he came to defend. He extended his authority over Polotsk, Roston, Murom, &c., and took the title of grand duke. Samanldes. A Persian dynasty, claiming to be descended from the ancient kings of Persia, first rising into power in 874, and terminating, 999. Saxon Rule. The Saxons were originally an obscure tribe 48 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : in Germany. They came to England at the invitation of the Britons, for the purpose of assisting this people in driving the Eomans out of their country, in 449. The Saxons afterwards rose against the Britons and conquered them. The Saxon rule lasted from 447 till the Norman Conquest, 1066. Shepherd Kings. A term applied to a line of rulers, who conquered Egypt 2000 years B.C., and held the sovereignty till 1825 B.C. Under their sway, Egypt relapsed into a state of bar- barism, and forfeited for a time the reputation for civilization which had previously distinguished it. Stuart Dynasty. The reigning family in England from 1603 to 1689. Commencing with James the First, son of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and ending with the abdication of James the Second. The name of this unfortunate family is said to have been derived in the following manner. After the murder of Banqhuo, Fleance, his son, fled to Wales, and subsequently married the Welsh prince's daughter, by whom he had a son, Walter. This Walter, flying Wales for murder, was entertained in Scotland, and his descent once known, he was preferred to be steward -to King Edgar ; from which office, the name becoming altered to Stuart, originated the surname of his posterity. One of the descendants of Walter was Robert Steward, who, after- wards, in right of his wife, became King of Scotland. Tudor Dynasty. Commenced with Henry the Seventh, formerly Earl of Richmond, and grandson of Owen Tudor, in 1485, and terminated at the death of Queen Elizabeth, 1603. Valois Dynasty. The name of a line of kings, the first of whom succeeded to the throne in 1328, in consequence of the failure of heirs-male to the preceding monarch. This dynasty held possession of the throne till the death of Henry the Third, 1598. York, House Of. A branch of the Plantagenet family, the issue of Edmund of Langley, fourth son of Edward the Third. It disputed the throne with the House of Lancaster, during the " Wars of the Roses." It gave three kings to England, Edward the Fourth, Edward the Fifth, and Richard the Third. It wa united to the House of Lancaster by the marriage of Henry the Seventh with the Princess Elizabeth of York. EMPIRES, TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, ETC. 49 SEOTIOUST -V. EMPIRES, TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, FORMS OF GOVERNMENT, ETC. Anjou. One of the provinces or military governments into which France was divided before the revolution of 1789. It includes the present departments of Maine and Loire, with portions of the several surrounding ones, especially Sar,the, Mayenne, and Vienne. Aquitaine. One of Caesar's great divisions of Gaul, which comprehended the countries on the coast from the Garonne to the Pyrenees, and from the sea to Toulouse. Augustus extended it to the Loire. In the reign of Honorius it was conquered by the Visigoths, from whom it was wrested by Clovis. Thenceforth it was considered as a portion of France, until it fell, by marriage, into the hands of Henry the Second of England. It was an appanage of the English monarchs until Charles the Seventh finally united it to the French crown in 1452. Argentine Republic. The united provinces of La Plata, a country of South America. It extends from the eastern slope of the Andes to the rivers Paraguay and Uruguay. The govern- ment is a federal republic, under a president who is elected for six years, and a congress consisting of two chambers, the lower composed of thirty-eight deputies elected directly by the people, and the upper of twenty-eight senators named by the provincial legislatures. Aristocracy. An hereditary form of government, composed of the nobles or superior citizens of a country. Arragon. The ancient realm of Arragon constituted the second division of Spain, and was composed of the kingdoms of Arragon, Valencia, and Mollorca, and the principality of Cata- 50 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Ionia. Upon the death of Ferdinand, in 1516, it was united with Castile ; the two conjointly forming the new Spanish monarchy, See CASTILE. Ateliers Nationaux. National workshops. The title given to a scheme attempted to be carried out during the French Revolution of 1848, under the supervision of Louis Blanc. The establishment proposed to organize labour in such a manner, that all persons capable of working should be provided with employ- ment, under certain conditions and at definite rates of remune- ration. In accordance with this view, upwards of 14,000 paupers were set to work in Paris and its neighbourhood. Immense confusion followed, the working classes became dissatisfied, the government was overwhelmed, and the scheme soon fell to the ground. Autocracy. From the Greek autos, self, and Jcratos, power. Absolute and supreme power, without limit or control, vested in a single person. Birman Empire. The area and geographical boundaries of this empire have never been accurately determined. It may, however, be said to extend over more than one-fourth of the surface of the peninsula beyond the Ganges, and to contain about 184,030 square miles. Also known as ihe Kingdom of Ava. Bohemia. An ancient kingdom, deriving its name from the Boii, a Celtic nation, who settled there about 600 B.C. On the death of Charles the Sixth, in 1740, Austria took possession K>f Bohemia, and it has ever since remained one of the provinces of the Austrian empire. Brittany or Bretagne. One of the most important pro- vinces into which France was divided before the revolution of 1789. It is at present divided into five departments of Ille-et- Vilaine, Loire Inferieure, C6tes du Nord, Morbihan, and Finisterre. Broad Bottom Ministry. An administration formed in 1744, so called because it included Tories, Whigs, and Patriots, and thereby established the government of the kingdom upon a broad basis. EMPIRES, TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, ETC. 51 Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine or Eastern Roman Em- pire comprehended, at first, in Asia, the country on this side the Euphrates, the coasts of the Black Sea, and Asia Minor ; in Africa, Egypt; and in Europe, all the countries from the Hellespont to the Adriatic and the Danube. It commenced in 395, and was put an end to, 1453. Castile. The name of one of the two kingdoms by the union of which the present Spanish monarchy was formed ; and it is also the name of one of the great territorial divisions of present Spain. The term appears to be derived from the Spanish castello, a castle. See ARRAGON. Cinque Ports. Eight seaports of England, on the coast of Kent and Sussex : namely, Dover, Sandwich, Hastings, Hythe, Eomney, Winchelsea, Rye, and Seaford. As the name implies, there were originally only five, the three latter having been declared ports subsequent to the first institution. They are under a Lord Warden, and are endowed with considerable privileges. Cisalpine Republic. Proclaimed July 9, 1797, consisting of Austrian Lombardy, the Bergamese, the Brescian, the Cremasco, and other parts of the Venetian States ; Mantua, the Duchy of Modena, Massa, and and Carrara, the Bolognese, the Ferrarese, and the Romagna. Newly modelled under Bonaparte in 1802, and re-named the Italian Republic. Coalition Ministry. Formed 1783, and famous for its hetero- geneous elements ; more especially from the novelty of joint Secretaries of State in the persons of Lord North and Mr. Fox, the chiefs of the rival parties. It failed in giving satisfaction, and was dissolved in a few months. Commonwealth. The form of government in England con- sequent upon the execution of Charles the First, and exercised by Oliver Cromwell from 1649 to 1660. Consulate, French. A form of government which commenced in France December 13th, 1799. The supreme power was to be vested in three consuls chosen for ten years, of whom one, entitled " The First Consul," should be chief in all matters, the others only advising him. Under this arrangement, Bona- 52 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : parte, as first consul, became virtually the monarch of France. Abolished by the crowning of Napoleon as emperor, December 2nd, 1804. Continental System. A project put forward by Bonaparte, having for its object the humbling of Great Britain by cutting off her commerce with other parts of the earth, by means of which she subsisted and flourished. A decree was issued declaring Great Britain to be in a state of blockade, and inter- dicting all intercourse with that power. The scheme signally failed, and the only result was the ruin of thousands of merchants in both countries. County Palatine. In England, a county distinguished by particular privileges ; so called a palatio (the palace), because the chief officers in the county had, originally, royal powers, or the same powers in the administration of justice as the king had in his palace ; but these powers are now abridged. The counties palatine in England are Lancaster, Chester, and Durham. Coup d'Etat. A French term, signifying an energetic stroke of policy. It applies especially to an act of Louis Napoleon, who, on the 2nd of December, 1851, at one blow, dissolved the National Assembly, broke up the constitution, and assumed the sole direction of affairs. The Parisians, attempting to oppose this change, were put down by force ; those who advocated the popular cause were banished. Louis Napoleon alleged that he had obtained a universal vote of the French people, confirming what he had done, and acknowledging him as emperor. Decemviri. The name given to ten magistrates' of Rome invested with supreme power in the year of Rome 302. They commenced their government with moderation, but after a time began to abuse their power, and in the end became despotic ; after continuing in office for two years they were degraded and banished. Decemviri was also a name given to ten judges appointed to administer justice in the Praetor's absence. Democracy. That form of government which is vested in the hands of the people at large. Directory, French. The name of a national assembly in French EMPIRES, TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, ETC. 53 history, called into existence on the extinction of the Convention in 1795. It was composed of the Council of Five Hundred, the Council of Ancients, and an executive body of five. The chief mission of this assembly was to put an end to the anarchy of revolution, and to restore order. Duumviri. A Roman magistracy composed of two persons, generally instituted for some particular purpose, and for some special affair. There were many kinds of these, and they were named according to their functions. Eastern Empire. Commenced under Valens in 364, and ended in the defeat and death of Constantine the Twelfth, 1453. French Republic. A popular form of government adopted in France on three several occasions, namely, 1789, 1830, and 1848. Helvetic Republic. The name which Switzerland assumed iu 1798, upon the occasion of its being conquered and converted into a republic by the French. Heptarchy. Among the Anglo-Saxons, the government of the seven kings. It comprised that part of Britain called England, which was formerly divided into seven parts or kingdoms. In 819 Egbert, one of the kings, succeeded in con- quering the rest, and had himself crowned as sovereign of the whole, under the title of King of England. Hierarchy. A term signifying literally sacred government; and applied to an ecclesiastical establishment, or a state governed by priests. Hundred Days. In French history, the interval of time dating from Napoleon's escape from Elba, February 26th, 1815, and immediately preceding his downfall at Waterloo. This was the busiest and most momentous part of Bonaparte's career, being devoted by him to the concentration of all the resources at his command, with the view of contending against the combined forces of several powers which were being now raised against him. Ireland, Ancient Kingdoms of. These were Meath, Leinster, Munster, Connaught, and Ulster, the first-named being consi- dered the chief sovereignty. THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Navarre. An ancient province of Spain, with the title of kingdom ; separated from France by the Pyrenees, having the kingdom of Arragon on the south. It was formed on the dissolu- tion of the empire of Charlemagne, and consisted of Upper Navarre to the south, and Lower Navarre to the north of the Pyrenees. In 1512, the former was united to the Spanish crown, and the latter only remained in possession of the kings of Navarre. Under Henry the Fourth of France, this kingdom was annexed to the French monarchy. Normandy. An ancient province in the north of France. It was divided into Upper and Lower Normandy ; Rouen was the capital of the former, Caen of the latter. It became annexed to England through the accession of its duke, William. It was wrested from John and united to France in 1203; was after- wards several times invaded by the English, but finally recovered by the French in 1450. It now comprises five of the richest and most fertile departments of France. Oligarchy. A form of government wherein the administra- tion of affairs is lodged in the hands of a few persons. Protectorate. A name for the latter period of the Common- wealth ; so called from Cromwell being appointed Lord Protector of the Kingdom. Provence. One of the old provinces of France, lying in the south-eastern part of the country, on the Mediterranean, bounded on the north by Dauphiny, and on the west by Lan- guedoc. Greek colonies were founded here at an early period ; and the Romans, afterwards conquering the countiy, gave it the name of Provincia (the province), whence its later name was derived. It now forms the departments of the Mouths of the Rhone, the Lower Alps, and the Var, with a part of that of Vaucluse. Provisional Government. A temporary government organized in France immediately after the revolution of 1848. It included Lamartine, Louis Blanc, Arago, Ledru Rollin, and other eminent names. It lasted only seven months, and was succeeded by the Presidency of Louis Napoleon. Public Safety, Committee of. A body politic organized in EMPIRES, TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, ETC. 55 Prance during the Revolution, and commencing its functions April 6th, 1793. It was composed of nine persons, who were invested with full powers to prepare and execute whatever measures they might deem advisable for the external as well as the internal protection of the republic. The office was held for one month, and the members were re-eligible. Regency. A government appointed during the minority, incapacity, or absence of the rightful monarch. The English regency was vested in the Prince of Wales, afterwards George the Fourth, during the period of his father's mental alienation. Existed from 1811 to 1820. Republic. A term derived from the Latin respublica, and in its largest acceptation closely corresponding with the English word commonwealth. According to modern usage, it signifies a political community which is not under monarchical government, or in which the sovereign power is not vested in one person. Russias, All the. A term indicating the whole Russian territory. It is founded on the ancient division of Russia, which comprehends the provinces of Great or Black Russia, Little or Red Russia, and White Russia. Talents, All the. An administration so called by its friends, and afterwards applied derisively by the opposition party. It was a ministry formed by Lord Grenville and Mr. Fox, on the death of Mr. Pitt, in 1806. It consisted of Lord Grenville, Lord Henry Petty, Earl Fitzwilliam, Viscount Sidmouth, Mr. Fox, Earl Spencer, Mr. Windham, Lord Erskine, Lord Ellenborough, Lord Minto, Right Hon. Charles Grey, Richard Fitzpatrick, Lord Moira, and Mr. Sheridan. Terror, Reign of. A term applied to that -period of the first French Revolution marked by wholesale and indiscriminate executions, and other fearful crimes, which were perpetrated at the instigation of Robespierre and his associates. It continued during the years 1793-94. Texas, Republic of. Texas was formerly a part of the Spanish viceroyalty of Mexico. When the Mexicans threw off the yoke of the mother country, it formed one of the provinces of the new republic, and was established as a separate state in 1824. In 56 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 1836, Texas declared itself independent of Mexico, and it con- tinued to exist as a distinct republic till 1846. The government of Mexico persisting in its refusal to acknowledge the inde- pendence of the country, it was admitted as one of the United States of North America. Thirty Tyrants, or Council of Thirty. A name given to the government of Athens, 404 B.C. Under this rule the greatest tyrannies were practised and the worst of crimes perpetrated. After a career of eight months, it was put an end to, and the tyrants themselves expelled. Triumviri. Under this designation, numerous offices at Borne were held by three persons conjointly, and who thus associated were intrusted with the management or administration of certain affairs. Wapentake. From the Saxon wcepen, arms, and tac, to touch or take. A term synonymous with the territorial division now known as a "hundred." The word is said to be derived either from the ancient custom of the chief men of the hundred, upon a certain day, placing their lances or pikes together, so as to touch, as a token of unity: or from the practice of taking away the weapons of those who could not find sufficient pledges for their loyalty. Western Empire. That portion of the ancient Roman Empire, converted into a separate kingdom, on the death of Theodosius the Great in 395, and comprehending Italy, Africa, Gaul, Spain, Britain, and half of Illyria. Its place was subse- quently supplied by the Italian, French, Spanish, and English sovereignties. DIGNITIES, TITLES, ETC. 57 SEOTIO1T VI. DIGNITIES, TITLES, OFFICES OF STATE AND HONOUR, ETC. .ffidile. A Roman magistrate named from the Latin word between the Caspian and the Black Sea. Beguines. A congregation of nuns founded either by St. Begghe or by Lambert de B6gue. They were first established at Liege, and afterwards at Neville, 1207 ; from this last settle- ment they spread over Flanders, and thence passed into Germany. Their grand rule of conduct was universal charity, and their only motive the love of God. Benedictines. An order founded by St. Benedict, in the year 529 ; introduced into England, 596 ; suppressed under Henry the Eighth ; and re-established in the Netherlands, 1608. The earlier Benedictines were subjected to many privations and severities. Each monk was furnished with two coats, two cowls, a table- book, a knife, a needle, and a handkerchief. They were called upon to perform their devotions seven times in the twenty-four hours, and they were compelled always to walk two together. On special occasions they were expected to voluntarily abandon food, rest, &c., and throughout the forty days of Lent they fasted till six o'clock in the evening. In the course of time these severities were relaxed, and the monks degenerated into luxury, vice, and idleness. RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 81 Brownists. The original name given to those who were afterwards called Independents. The epithet arose from one Robert Brown, who in 1580 began to inveigh openly against the forms and ceremonies of the Church, and to deny its supremacy. Buddhists. The followers or believers in Buddha, an imagi- nary deity born in Hindostan about 600 B.C., and who founded a religion in India, which is practised in China, Japan, and Thibet at the present day. The Buddhists believe that the soul proceeds directly from God, and that if it remain uncontaminated it will return to him on the death of the body ; but, if otherwise, that it will be made to undergo various degrees of punishment and changes of abode. Calvinists. Those who embrace the doctrine and sentiments of John Calvin. He was born at Noyen, in Picardy, in 1509, and at an early age commenced the work of reforming the Christian Church from Romish superstition and doctrinal errors. At first, the name of Calvinists was given to those who embraced not merely the doctrine but the church-government and dis- cipline established at Geneva, and was intended to distinguish them from Lutherans ; but since the meeting of the Synod of Dort, this appellation has been chiefly applied to those who embrace his leading views of the Gospel, and is intended to distinguish them from the Arminians. Cameronians. One of the names by which a sect of dissenters in Scotland is designated. They derive their name from Richard Cameron, who was killed in 1680 while fighting at the head of his adherents against the royal troops. They subse- quently assumed the name of Old Presbyterian Dissenters. Carmelites. One of the four orders of mendicant friars ; receiving their name from Mount Carmel, where they were originally established. They pretend to be descended from the prophet Elijah, and show a cave in which they say the prophet lived. Carthusians. A religious order founded in 1080 in the desert of Chartreux, in the diocese of Grenoble, France. The rules of this body were very severe : they were never to eat flesh ; to fast every Friday on bread and water ; to take their 82 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : meals in solitude ; and never to walk abroad. The Charter- house in London was originally a convent of Carthusians. Cateclramens. The lowest order of Christians in the ancient Church. They were denominated Catechumens, from the Greek word Jcatechizo, which signifies to instruct in the first rudiments of any art or science. They had some title to the common name of Christians, being a degree above pagans and heretics, though not consummated by baptism ; but, however great their piety, a distinction was made between them and the " believers," or such as had been baptized. Cistercians. A religious order of the eleventh century founded at Citeaux, near Chalons, upon the rule of St. Benedict, which they were rigidly to observe. They spread rapidly through most parts of Europe, grew exceedingly rich, and eventually acquired the form and privileges of a spiritual republic, exercising a sort of dominion over all other monastic orders. In the course of time, they degenerated like other orders, and lost their power and influence. Confucians. The disciples of Confucius, a celebi-ated Chinese philosopher who is supposed to have lived about 500 years before the Christian era. This religion, which is professed by the most intelligent and eminent among the Chinese, consists in a deep inward veneration for the God or King of Heaven, and in the practice of every moral virtue. They have neither temples, priests, nor any settled form of external worship ; every one adores the Supreme Being in the manner he deems most fit. Cordeliers. A minor religious order of Franciscans instituted in 1223, and so designated from a cord that was tied round their waist instead of a girdle. Dissenters. A general term, comprehending all who dissent from the religion by law established ; the chief denominations of whom in this country are, Presbyterians, Independents, and Baptists. Dominicans. An order of monks known also by the names of Preaching Friars, Black Friars, and Jacobins ; founded in the early part of the twelfth century by Dominic de Guzman, a KELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 83 Spaniard. They were notorious for the laxity of their morals, their wandering habits, and especially for their opposition to the Franciscans. The Dominican order exists chiefly in Spain and Portugal. Donatists. A denomination that arose in Africa in the early part of the fourth century, and derived their name from Donatus, a learned bishop of Numidia. They maintained that their com- munity was alone to be considered as the true church, and avoided all communication with other churches, from an appre- hension of contracting their impurity and corruption. Druids. The priests or religious preceptors of the ancient Gauls, Britons, and Germans. They performed their religious worship in groves of oak, and paid peculiar honours to the misletoe. They believed in a Supreme Being, and also in the existence of lesser deities, supposed to act as agents or mes- sengers. They taught the immortality of the soul, but at the same time asserted that it passed from one body to another. The partaking of flesh, milk, or eggs, was deemed highly criminal, upon the supposition that human souls inhabited animal bodies. Prisoners taken in battle were sacrificed to the gods upon high festivals ; and, from the manner in which the blood flowed from the victim, the sacrificing priest pretended to foretell the future. Druses. A people of Syria who inhabit the Castravan and Lebanon mountains, and who derive their origin from a sect of Mahomedans about the commencement of the eleventh century. They are under the Turkish rule, and speak Arabic. Their religion is a strange medley of doctrines, Christian, Judaic, and Mussulman. They can neither read nor write, and occupy themselves solely in the cultivation of the vine and the olive, and in the manufacture of tobacco and silk. Early Reformers. A name given in common to Luther, Calvin, Knox, and others, who were the first to reform the errors of the Romish Church as affecting Protestantism. Encratites. A sect of the second century, which condemned marriage, forbade the eating of flesh or the drinking of wine, 84 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : rejected all the comforts and conveniences of life, and practised great mortification of the body. They also denied the reality of our Lord's suffering. Episcopalians. Those who advocate Episcopacy, or that form of church government in which are established three distinct orders bishops, priests or presbyters, and deacons the bishops having a superiority over both the others. Erastians. The followers of Erastus, a German divine of the sixteenth century. According to him, the pastoral office was persuasive without the power of inflicting punishment or visiting with censure. Evangelical. The literal meaning of this term is, " Agreeable to the gospels," but it is generally applied by way of reproach to those clergymen who, although acknowledging the supremacy of the Church, are nevertheless ready to co-operate with Dissenters in the furtherance of any scheme which has for its object the promotion of Christianity, whether it be conducive or not to the exclusive interest of the Establishment. Fakirs. Hindoo monks or devotees. They are distinguished by their fanaticism and secluded habits. Their chief aim is to gain the veneration and applause of mankind, by mortifications, penances, and personal chastisement. Like the Stylites, they will sometimes remain for protracted periods in one position with- out lying down. Another class of Fakirs exists, who make a vow to poverty, and wander from place to place pretending to foretell events. Feuillants. A reformed order of Cistercian monks who affected the greatest austerities ; they went barefoot, drank only from the skulls of the dead, and lived upon herb-broth and black bread. In 1630 the French and Italian members of the society were separated, and each party had a general assigned it. Fifth Monarchy Men. A party of enthusiasts who arose in England during the time of the Commonwealth, and maintained that there would be & fifth universal monarchy under the personal reign of Jesus Christ upon earth. The four other great mon- archies implied were Assyria, Persia, Greece, and Rome. These fanatics arose in insurrection in London, and fought desperately RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 85 against the military that were called out to suppress them. The result was that several of them were killed, and others taken, tried, and executed. Flagellants. From the Latin flagellare, to whip. A denomi- nation which had its origin in Italy in 1260, its followers believing in the efficacy of scourging or whipping, as a propitiation for sin. At one period this species of fanaticism seized upon all ranks, and persons of every sex and age ; so much so, that the streets became crowded with devotees, who, as they went along, applied whips to their naked backs and shoulders, at the same time uttering loud entreaties for divine forgiveness. The excesses and extravagance of this fraternity at length attained to such a height, that the Pope thought it necessary to interpose his authority, and to denounce the fanaticism of the Flagellants as an impious and pernicious heresy. Since that time nothing more has been heard of a fraternity of that sort. Franciscans. A name given in common to all the various members of a religious order, founded in 1208 at Naples by St. Francis, who was originally the son of a merchant of Assisi, in the province of Umbria. The Franciscans were zealous and active friends to the papal hierarchy, and in return were dis- tinguished by peculiar privileges and honourable employments. The original order of Franciscans has given birth to numerous sub-orders scattered throughout France, Italy, Spain, and other Roman Catholic countries. Freethinkers. Persons who reject revelation, and disbelieve in the Deity. The name originated in England in 1718, among a party advocating freedom of thought in religious matters, a doctrine still further carried out by the establishment of a journal entitled " The Freethinker." Hume, Bolingbrokc, and Voltaire are the most conspicuous names in connection with this spirit of scepticism. Galilean Church. The so-called Church of France, under the government of its respective bishops and pastors. Gnostics. From the Greek gnosis, knowledge. The origin of this class of religionists is derived from certain men, who, in the earliest times, rejected the simplicity of the gospel, and inter- THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : preting the New Testament by dogmas of their own, pretended to discover in the sacred writings hidden mysteries and obscure meanings. In a word, they were the mere speculators and refiners of revealed religion. Their belief that evil resided in matter led them to reject the doctrine of the resurrection of the body; and their faith in the power of malevolent genii in their eyes, the sources of all earthly calamity encouraged them to have recourse to the study of magic, in order to avert or weaken the influence of those malignant agents. Greek Church. That portion of professing Christians who conform in their creed, practices, and church government to the views of Christianity introduced into the ancient Greek empire, and matured since the fifth century under the patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. The Greek Church comprehends a considerable part of Greece, the Grecian Isles, Wallachia, Moldavia, Egypt, Abyssinia, Nubia, Lybia, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Cilicia, and Palestine ; Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem ; the whole of the Russian empire in Europe ; great part of Siberia in Asia ; Astraehan, Casan, and Georgia. High Church. That teaching and practice of the established religion, which are characterized by a species of exclusiveness and are strongly opposed to all dissent. Hospitallers, called also Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, and Knights of Ehodes, instituted in the twelfth century, for the special purpose of relieving and assisting the vast number of pilgrims who visited the Holy Land. To forward this object they founded a hospital for the reception of pilgrims : hence their name. Huguenots. A term applied to the French Protestants in 1561. The origin of it is uncertain, by some authorities the derivation is traced to Hugon, the name of a gate at Tours, where the Protestants first assembled, others derive it from their original protest or confession of faith : Hoc non venimus, &c. ; others from Hugues a Genevese Calvinist, and one of their early leaders. See MASSACRE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW. Humanitarians. Those who believe in " the simple humanity RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 87 of Christ," assuming that he was nothing more than a mere man, born according to the usual course of nature, and living and dying agreeably to the ordinary circumstances of mankind. Hussites. The followers of John Huss, an eminent divine of Bohemia. He adopted the opinions of Wickliffe', and suffered martyrdom. His followers determined upon revenging his death, and waged war against the Pope. The struggle lasted for nearly twenty years, during which interval the Hussites gained several important victories, and executed a work of signal destruction and bloodshed. A compromise was at length effected between the contending parties ; the Hussites gradually lost their identity, and were finally merged into other communities. Iconoclasts. Breakers of images ; a name given to those who opposed the use of images in churches, and who on certain occasions vented their zeal in destroying them. The Church of Kome thus designates all who reject the use of images in religious matters. Independents. A denomination of Protestants in England and Holland, originally called Brownists. Their name is derived from the doctrine they held, that every particular congregation of Christians has, according to the New Testament, a full power of ecclesiastical jurisdiction over its members, independent of the authority of bishops, synods, presbyteries, or any other ecclesiastical assemblies. Islamism. The practice and doctrine of the Mohammedan faith, combining its civil and religious polity. Jansenists. A sect of Roman Catholics in France, formed in 1640, who followed the opinions of Jansenius, Bishop of Ypres, in relation to grace and predestination, and who especially maintained the doctrine, that man is not a free agent. Jesuits. Members of the Society of Jesus, a religious order of the Romish Church, founded in the sixteenth century, by Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish knight. This society was at one period the most numerous, powerful, and wealthy of any that has ever been established ; so much so that the Jesuits long excited the jealousy of most of the European powers, and they were finally expelled one dominion after the other and suppressed. THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : On the restoration of the Bourbons, the order was revived, and it has to some extent regained its former position. The Jesuits uphold more strongly than any other order the infallibility of the Pope ; they maintain that so long as the Divine laws are observed, it is a matter of perfect indifference from what motive they are obeyed ; they recommend a devout ignorance to such as submit to their direction, and an unquestioning obedience to the orders of the Church. Lady Huntingdon's Connection. A denomination founded by the Countess of Huntingdon, about 1740. It partakes largely of the doctrines and practice of the followers of Whitfield. Latittldinarians. Persons who do not conform to or hold any determinate or exclusive views of doctrine or worship, and who assume that men of all denominations, and of every creed, will share the same chance of salvation. The term was specially applied to a certain number of divines, who, in the seventeenth century, attempted to bring Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Independents, into one communion. Latter-day Saints. See MORMONITES. Lay Brothers. The lowest class of monks, who perform the meanest and most servile offices of the establishment to which they are attached, and are a species of monastic servant. Lollards. A name originally given to a class of public singers, who chanted funeral services over the dead. It was also applied by way of reproach to the followers of Wickliffe, from their attachment to the singing of hymns ; and further, the name has been associated with such as wore an outward sem- blance of extreme piety, while they were secretly committing the most heinous offences against religion. A sect, however, bearing the name of Lollards, succeeded in obtaining the Pope's bull in 1472, by which the society became enrolled among the religious rders ; and further concessions were granted in 1506. Low Church. Opposed to High Church, allowing greater latitude of doctrine, and tolerant of Dissenters. Lutherans. The disciples and followers of Martin Luther, the celebrated reformer, who was born in 1483. The Lutherans are generally divided into the Moderate and the Rigid. The KELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 89 Moderate are those who submitted to " the Interim," published by Charles the Fifth ; the Rigid those who do not countenance any change in their master's sentiments. Many other parties have also sprung out of the original, on the discussion of parti- cular points of controversy. ManicliEeans, or Manichees. A sect originating in the latter part of the third century, founded by a Persian named Marii, Manes, or Manichseus. The doctrines promulgated by this sect were an incongruous medley of the tenets of Christianity with the ancient philosophy of the Persians ; the two systems so accommodating themselves, that the character and actions which the Persians attributed to the god Mithras are also applied to Jesus Christ. Maronites. Greek Christians who inhabit a district of country called Maronia, extending from the ridge of Mount Lebanon to the shores of Tripoli, in Syria. The supremacy of the Pope among them is merely nominal ; the clergy elect their own chiefs, the head of whom is called the Patriarch of Antioch. They have the reputation of being a simple, honest, and industrious race of people. Materialists. The materialists of modern times are those who maintain that the soul of man is material, in other words, that man does not consist of two substances, essentially different from each other, but is of uniform composition ; and that the con- scious principle, or what is generally termed the soul, is merely a property resulting from such an organic structure as that of the brain. Mendicant Friars. Under this head are included several religious orders in Romish countries, which, having no settled revenues, are supported by charitable contributions. They were instituted by Pope Innocent the Third, in 1215. Their affectation of humility and poverty, travelling bare-footed, with a cord for a girdle round their loins, and begging from door to door, awakened at once the sympathy and the influence of the people, and rendered them formidable instruments in the cause of ignorance and superstition. Methodists. An epithet applied originally by way of derision THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: to the Wesleyans, in allusion to the regularity and methodical habits of their lives. The term has been since adopted by the Wesleyans themselves. Mohammedans. The followers of Mohammed, who was bom in 570 at Mecca, a city of Arabia, and died at Medina, 631 Mohammedanism is a compound of Paganism, Judaism, and Christianity ; it is professed by the majority of the inhabitants of Turkey in Europe and Asia, of Persia and Arabia, of Egypt, and of the greater portion of Africa. Moravians. The name of Moravians was in England given to those members of a foreign Protestant Church, known as the United Brethren, who formerly resided in Moravia. This church originally consisted of three branches, Bohemian, Moravian, and Polish ; and upon a portion of the Moravian branch coming to England in 1728, the appellation was given. Mormonites. Called also Latter-day Saints, believers in the doctrines of the " Book of Mormon," which Joseph Smith, their so-called prophet, pretended was a revelation from heaven. In 1830, Smith succeeded in prevailing upon a number of weak and credulous people to dispose of their property, and to follow him to the " New Zion," which he was commanded to establish. Accordingly, in 1831-2, Smith and his disciples esta- blished themselves in Jackson county, Missouri ; but, after enduring much persecution for many years, and shifting from place to place, they, in 1847, settled at the Great Salt Lake. From this period they commenced to prosper, and in 1850, their colony, under the name of Utah, was recognised as one of the United States. Their society is now very numerous, and some of its members are to be found in England and other countries. The Mormonites permit polygamy, and, as a consequence, some of the most revolting and atrocious acts are said to be commonly prac- tised among them. Muggletonians. A denomination which arose in England about the year 1657 ; so called from their leader Ludovick Muggleton, a journeyman tailor, who with his associate Reeves set up for prophets Reeves to act the part of Moses, and Muggleton to be his mouth. For some time this society found RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 91 favour with the lower orders, and their worship, which was conducted with the accompaniments of smoking and drinking, was celebrated in several parts of the country ; but when the novelty of the affair wore off, the sect soon became extinct. Nonconformists. Those who refuse to conform to the doctrines and practices of the Established Church. The term is historically applied to those ministers who were ejected from their livings by the Act of Uniformity, in 1662. The number of these was about two thousand. Pagans. Another name for Heathens, or those who worship idols and false gods. They were so called by the early Christians, because, when upon the establishment of Christianity the worslu'p of heathen deities was forbidden in cities, the adherents of the former practices retired to villages and remote country places, where they might worship in security. The Latin for .village is pagus, for villagers or countrymen, pagani. Pantheists. From the Greek pan, the whole, thcos, God. A species of philosophical atheists, who regard the universe as the Supreme God. About 1750, a set of philosophical idolaters, calling themselves Pantheists, established themselves in England, professing the worship of all Nature as their deity. They had a secretary, chaplain, and other officials, and composed for their use, liturgy in Latin. Penitents. A title which, in Roman Catholic countries, was conferred upon certain religious fraternities distinguished by their parti-coloured garments. Of these there were a great variety in France, Spain, and Portugal. The most conspicuous were the White Penitents, who appeared in the north of Italy in 1899, clothed in white and bearing crucifixes, and giving out that the end of the world was at hand. A species of religious mania was thus occasioned, which spread over the whole of Italy ; it lasted, however, but a few months. Presbyterians. From the Greek word presbyteros, senior or elder ; and the Presbyterians are so denominated from their maintaining that the government of the Church appointed in the New Testament was by presbyteries, that is, by associations of ministers and ruling elders, all possessed of equal powers, 92 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : without any superiority among them, either in office or in orders. The Church of Scotland admits only this one order of clergy, and her members are hence called Presbyterians. Primitive Christians. Those who lived in the first ages of Christianity, especially the holy Apostles and their more imme- diate followers. Propaganda. A name originally given to those institutions belonging to the Romish Church, and which were erected by the papal court with the view of extending its power among those who are not within its pale. During the French Revolution the term was applied to those secret societies which fostered democratic principles ; and it has since come to signify any institution or organization for the promotion of special schemes, either political or religious. Puritans. A term applied to those who advocated greater reforms in the Church than were adopted by Queen Elizabeth ; and a purer form of discipline and worship. Up till the year 1662 the name of Puritan was commonly given to all who disapproved of the established religion as then prevailing. The term Nonconformist was then substituted, and to this has succeeded that of Dissenter. Puseyites. A name given to those members of the Church of England who introduce into their worship certain forms and ceremonies which are not observed in Protestant Churches generally. The term is derived from Dr. Pusey, an Oxford professor, who is charged (falsely, he alleges) with having originated these innovations. Quakers. The popular name of a community who denominated themselves the Society of Friends. The term was applied by way of derision, and is said to have arisen from George Fox, the originator of the Society, having bidden the magistrate who committed him to prison to " quake at the word of the Lord." This sect took its rise in England in 1647 ; but the persecutions to which the members were subjected induced numbers of them to emigrate to North America. On the Restoration, they secured the good services and protection of Charles the Second, who RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 93 granted to William Penn the province thence called Penn- sylvania. Their doctrines, mode of worship, and peculiar habits are well known. Quietists. The disciples of Michael de Molinos, a Spanish priest, who flourished in the seventeenth century. The doctrine of the sect was that when the soul arrived at that state of perfection which they called " unitive life," and which consisted of a kind of absolute rest and inaction, they then considered it to be wholly employed in contemplating its God, to whose influence it was entirely submissive, so that he might turn and direct it when and how he would. Ranters. A sect which sprang up in 1645, and advocated the light of nature under the name of Christ within. This title is also given to a denomination otherwise known as the Primitive Methodists, who conduct their service in a noisy manner, parade the streets singing hymns, and allow females to preach. Recusants. Those who refuse to acknowledge the sovereign's supremacy, and declare the Pope, and none other, to be the supreme head of the Church. Reformed Church Comprises the whole of the Protestant churches in Europe and America, whether Lutheran, Calvinistic, Baptist, Independent, Quaker, or any other denomination who dissent from the Church of Eome. The term reformed is now, however, used on the continent of Europe to distinguish the Calvinists from the Lutherans. Remonstrants. Another name for the Arminians, given by reason of the " Remonstrance," which in 1610 they made to the States of Holland against the sentence of the Synod of Dort, which condemned them as heretics. Sabbatarians. Those who observe the seventh day as the Sabbath, and reject the first day. Such persons regard the original command for observance of the seventh day as universal and perpetual ; and maintain that the change to the first day was not made by divine authority, but by the Emperor Constantino, on his embracing Christianity. St. Bernard, Monks of. A large community of monks who 94 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : live in a convent on the summit of the Great St. Bernard, and who there entertain travellers. The name is derived from Bernardino Menthon who founded the order in 962. Sarabites. Certain begging friars of the fourth century, who wandered about the country selling relics, and otherwise practising upon the credulity and ignorance of their victims. Schoolmen. A set of men in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries, who framed a new sort of divinity, called Scholastic Theology. It was founded upon the philosophy of Aristotle, and lay principally in contending for abstruse and difficult points of doctrine. Their aim was to subvert Christianity and to advance Popish doctrines. Servites. That is, Servants of the Virgin. A religious order founded in Florence, in 1223. It was reformed in 1593, and still exists in Italy. There are also nuns of this order. Shakers. These people were an off-shoot from the Quakers. They promulgated their opinions in 1747 under the leadership of one Wardley, a tailor. They declared that " the second appear- ance of Christ was at hand, and the Church would arise in her full glory, and compass the downfall of Anti-Christ." They are called Shakers, and admit the denomination to be a proper one, from the shaking of their bodies in religious exercises. These consist in dancing, leaping, and spinning around, at the same time clapping their hands, shouting, singing, and making other strange noises. A very limited number of this sect exists at the present day, and they belong to America rather than England. Simonians. An infidel sect recently organized in Paris and founded by the Count de St. Simon, a nobleman of some learning but of no estate. The fundamental principle of this sect is that religion is to perfect the social condition of man ; therefore, Christianity is no longer suitable for society, because it separates the Christian from other men, and leads him to live for another world. Sisters of Charity. An order of female devotees founded in 1617, whose mission it is to succour the sick poor. They are to be found in most of the countries throughout Europe, and in RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 95 addition to their charitable works are known for the simplicity of their habits and the purity of their lives. Socinians. A denomination which arose in the sixteenth century, deriving its name from Faustus Socinus, its founder. The chief article of their faith is U nitarianism, and they deny the divinity of our Saviour. This sect is not at present very numerous and is confined chiefly to England. Sophi. A Persian word employed to designate a class of religious persons, otherwise termed dervishes^ which see. Stylites or Pillar Saints. From the Greek stylos, a pillar. The disciples of this most extraordinary sect were in the habit of standing motionless on the tops of pillars raised expressly for this exercise of their patience, and there they would remain for several years amidst the admiration and applause of the populace. The originator of this discipline was Simeon, a Syrian, and a famous anchorite of the fifth century, who passed thirty-seven years of his life upon pillars of various heights. The tops of the columns thus employed were only three feet in diameter, and were defended by a rail that reached almost to the girdle ; there was no possibility of lying down. Swedenborgians. The followers of Baron Swedenborg, born at Stockholm, 1688 ; died in London, 1772. Swedenborg pre- tended that the Almighty had manifested himself to him in a vision, and had so opened his spiritual eyes as to enable him to converse with spirits and angels. The communications received in these supposed visions enter largely into the principles and practices adopted by his disciples. Tabernacle Connection. A branch of the Wesleyan Metho- dists, formed by Whitfield, and so called from the name given to several places of worship in London, Bristol, &c. Templars. A purely military order, founded 1118, whose duty it was to guard the roads on the way to the Holy Land, and to protect the Christians from the Mohammedans. Their wealth and power became in the end so great, as to excite the cupidity and envy of the French kings, and they were accordingly sub- jected to great persecution and plunder. Their name was derived from a palace adjoining Jerusalem. 96 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Thomists. The followers of Thomas Aquinas, in opposition to Duns Scotus, in the fourteenth century, on the doctrines of grace, and on some metaphysical speculations. Tractarianism. A term of similar significance to Puseyism, and derived from certain continuous publications known as " Tracts for the Times," in which the Puseyite theory was pro- pounded. Dr. Pusey was one of the principal authors of these tracts, assisted by other clergymen of the Church of England, some of whom have since embraced the Roman Catholic faith. Trappists. An order of monks originally attached to the abbey of La Trappe in Normandy, founded to the 1140. The monks of La Trappe are represented as passing a life of great self-denial and austerity. The rules of their order command silence, prayer, reading, and manual labour, and at the same time forbid study, or the partaking of wine, fish, and many other luxuries. Ubiquists. From the Latin ubique, everywhere. A sect of Lutherans who arose in the sixteenth century, and maintained that the body of Christ was everywhere and in eveiy place. On this point, however, they had divided opinions, some holding that Christ was everywhere during his mortal life, and others dating the ubiquity of his body from the time of his ascension. Unitarians. A comprehensive term, including all who believe the Deity to subsist in one person only. Ursulines. An order of nuns founded originally by St. Angela of Brescia, in the year 1537, and so called from St. Ursula, to -whom they were dedicated. Originally, these religious were young ladies of the first families in Brescia, not living in com- munity, but dwelling apart at their homes. Their employment was, to attend to the sick, to comfort the afflicted, to relieve the poor, and to instruct the ignorant. In process of time, their operations extended, and they began to live in community and to embrace the regular life ; the first establishment of Ursulines being at Paris in 1604. From that period, their chief employ-, ment was the instruction of females, and their monasteries became schools where young ladies of the best families received their education. RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 97 Waldenses. A sect of religious reformers whose origin is dated about 1160. They were most numerous in the valleys of the Alps between Italy and Provence, the inhabitants of which were designated the Vaudois; hence, according to some authorities, the denomination : others derive it from Peter Waldo, one of their earliest and most prominent leaders. No sooner was this community formed than it was strenuously opposed by the rulers of the Church without success, however, for in an incredibly short space of time their numbers increased and spread through- out Europe. Their chief aim was to restore the primitive purity of the Church, and free it from such mummeries and superstitions as had been introduced by ignorant and designing priests. They practised extreme austerity, and rigorously and literally adopted the moral precepts inculcated in the New Testament. They consequently prohibited war, suits at law, and all attempts towards the acquisition of wealth. During the greater part ot the seventeenth century, the Waldenses were persecuted in a most cruel manner by the ministers of Rome. Their utter extinction was determined upon, and a few only of them were saved from a general massacre by the interposition of the English and Dutch Governments. Wesleyans. A numerous religious community founded by John Wesley and his brother Charles in 1727. Their tenets are nearly identical with those of the Arminians. Since the original formation of this sect five separations have taken place, but it is still a large and influential denomination. Western Church, or Latin Church Comprehends all the churches of Italy, Portugal, Spain, Africa, and all other countries whither the Romans carried their language. Great Britain, part of the Netherlands, of Germany, and of the North of Europe, have been separated from it almost ever since the Reformation. , 98 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST SECTIOIT rx. PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTEINES, ETC. Aristotelian Philosophy is that which was taught by Aristotle and maintained by his followers ; it is also called Peripatetic Philosophy. Bell's System. A system of general instruction upon the mutual principle which was promulgated by Dr. Bell in opposition to the Lancasterian system Lancaster being a Dissenter, and Bell a Churchman. Benthamites. The disciples of Jeremy Bentham, a celebrated metaphysician and writer upon jurisprudence. The main theory with which this sect is identified is, that interest is the sole motive of our actions, and that the only principle of government should be " the greatest happiness for the greatest number." Brahe' Tycho, System of. An astronomical system com- pounded from the theories of Ptolemy and Copernicus by Tycho Brahe in 1580. It consists in supposing that the stars all move round the earth, as in the Ptolemaic system. That all the planets, except the earth, move round the sun, as in the Copernican system. That the sun, and the imaginary orbits in which the planets are moving are carried round the earth. Cartesians. A philosophical sect, the followers of Eenes des Cartes, a celebrated French philosopher of the seventeenth century. He admitted two kinds of being body and mind ; the latter of which, in man, exercised its authority over the body by the agency of the brain. To other animals, he denied not only mind and reason, but even thought and sensation, and regarded them as mere automata. Copernican System. That system of heavenly bodies which was first made public in a work published by Nicholas Copernicus PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTRINES, ETC. 9$ in 1543. It supposes the sun to be at rest in the centre, and the. earth and planets to revolve around him in their orbits ; and hence it is also called the Solar system. It is also identical with the Pythagorean system. Cynics. Philosophers who exhibited a contempt for everything, especially riches and state, arts and sciences, all except morality. Cyrenaic Philosophy. So called from Aristippus of Cyr&ne. It inclined to luxury, and held in contempt virtue or the welfare of society. Dogmatists. An ancient sect of physicians, of which Hippo-, crates and Galen Avere at the head. They supposed ..principles^ and from them drew inferences applicable to particular cases ; they Avere opposed to the empirici or theorists, who answer to the quacks of modern days. Eclectics. A sect of philosophers connected with the Christian Church which arose towards the close of the second century. They held Plato in the highest esteem, but with his doctrines they associated Avhatever they deemed conformable to reason in the tenets of other philosophers. Economists. A sect of philosophers in France who are accused of distributing the Avritings of Voltaire and other sceptics, for the purpose of engendering a disbelief in divine revelation. They Avere called Economists because they professed to plead the distresses of the poor, by recommending an economical expenditure of the public revenue, and by general economy in the administration of finance. Eleatic Philosophy. So called from Elea, a Grecian colony on the western coast of LoAver Italy, where Xenophanes of Colophon founded a school distinguished by its bold attempt to construct a system of the universe upon metaphysical principles. The leading position of this philosophy is, that the Avorld and the Deity are one. Encyclopedists. A set of philosophers, writers, and distin- guished men of France, including Voltaire, Diderot, D'Alembert, Montesquieu, Turgot, Helvetius, Marmontel, Necker, Duclos, Condillac, and others, Avho Avere concerned in the production of an exteusive publication entitled : Encyclopedic ; ou Dictionnaire E 2 100 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : raisonne des sciences, des arts, et des metiers. This work -which professed to be a species of universal dictionary, was in point or fact an elaborate and stupendous attack upon religion from every point where an opportunity offered. Another object of this work was to subvert all constituted government, and in this direction it paved the way to the first French Revolution. Epicurean Philosophy. So named from Epicurus, a Greek philosopher, born 342 B.C. He taught that the greatest good consists in a happiness springing, not from sensual gratification or vicious pleasures, but from virtue ; the practice of which he inculcated, not for its own sake but for its connection with happiness. He recommended wisdom, moderation, temperance,, seclusion from political affairs, gentleness, forbearance towards the self-love of men, firmness of soul, the enjoyment of decent pleasures, and contempt of life. Freedom from pain he regarded as desirable, but when unavoidable 'advised that it should be borne with fortitude. Fourierism. A system of association founded by Charles Fourier. This philosophy attempts to prove that our affections, desires, passions, &c., rightly impel us to seek their gratification, and that it is because they are not permitted to develope them- selves naturally and harmoniously within the limits of wise social arrangements, that they so often lead to vice instead of to virtue, to misery instead of to happiness. Upon this basis, Fourier seeks to erect a new social structure in which capital, skill, and labour shall, each in its place, work harmoniously together for the general good, and under circumstances calculated to render our duty pleasant and remunerative, and to cause men to be enlightened, friendly, and happy. Gall and Spnrzheim's System. Another name for the system of Phrenology, so called from the founders Drs. Gall and Spurz- heim, who conjointly taught their theory from the year 1800 to 1828. Hegelianism. The system of philosophy founded by Hegel, a German logician, born 1770, died 1831. Ideology. The science of ideas or mind. A term by which the later disciples of Condillac, under the French Directory and PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTRINES, ETC. 101 the Empire, have designated the history and evolution of human ideas, considered as so many successive modes of certain original or transformed sensations. Ionic Sect. A sect of philosophers founded by Thales of Miletus, in Ionia ; their distinguishing tenet was, that water was the principle or base of all natural things. Kantism. That system of logic, metaphysics, &c., founded by Immanuel Kant, a native of Konigsberg, Prussia, who died in 1804. Kepler's Laws. In astronomy, the laws of the planetary motions, first discovered and demonstrated by Kepler in the early part of the seventeenth century. These laws are three in number, namely : 1. That the planets describe ellipses, each of which lias one of its -foci in the same point the centre of the sun. 2. That every planet moves so that the line draAvn from it to the sun describes about the sun areas proportional to the times. 3. That the squares of the times of the revolutions of the planets are as the cubes of their mean distances from the sun. Lamarck's Theory. From a distinguished French naturalist of that name, born 1744, died 1829. He supposed that all animated beings commenced at the lowest stage, and that the- constant efforts made by individuals of the then universal species, succeeded in the attainment of new properties, which again were surmounted by the results of fresh efforts on the part of other individuals ; till from the minute fleshy animalcule, hardly distinguishable from the plants, we have all the wonderfully variegated kingdom of animated nature, and man at its head, as the crowning effort placed him there. Lancasterian System. A system of general instruction- devised by Joseph Lancaster, a member of the Society of Friends, who died in 1838. In this system, much depended upon mutual instruction; it was also unsectarian, the Bible only being used as a means of religious instruction. Laplace's Theory. A system of astronomy, propounded by Laplace, a French philosopher, born 1749, died 1827. This system was comprised in numerous theories propounded by him in a work known as La Mecanique Celeste. 102 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Limiaean System. A scientific arrangement of all natural objects, as animals, plants, and minerals, into three kingdoms subdivided into classes, orders, genera, species, and varieties with aidescription of their generic and specific characters. So called from Charles Linne, the distinguished Swedish naturalist, who died in 1778. Machiavellian Policy. Certain principles of conduct laid down in the writings of Machiavelli, an eminent Italian politician, who flourished at the early part of the sixteenth century. The leading idea is, that men should shape their conduct with a view to their own . interest, or that of their faction or country, as separate and: distinct from, the great interests of mankind. That the intrinsic merit of virtue T or the natural deformity of vice, are subsidiary considerations to party requirements and political need. MalebrancMsm. The doctrine of Malebranche, an eminent French metaphysician r who was born 1638. His system is contained in a work entitled Recherche de la Verite. The views propounded closely resemble the doctrines of the Cartesians. Malthusian Doctrines. Certain principles of population, laid down by the Rev. Thomas Malthus, in essays published by him in 1798. The gist of this doctrine is, that the population of England increases too rapidly for the prosperity of the country and the well-being of society, and that the best remedy for pauperism would be to place some check on this prolific tendency. Megarian School. That philosophic association which a majority of the disciples of Socrates founded after his death. Mesmerism. A magnetic agent, which, according to its advocates, enables one person to communicate certain influences at will to the mind of the person " mesmerised-" or put into a state of sleep, in, which questions are answered, involuntary movements take place,, and other phenomena are produced. It is so named in honour of Antony Mesmer of Vienna, who wrote, on the subjeet, in- 17-70. Monaciism. The practice of retiring from the world for mortification or pious contemplation. The first Christian monkish community is said to have been established at Phanium, in the PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTRINES, ETC. 103 Thebai's of Egypt, in the year 305, by the disciples of St. Anthony. Monboddo's Theory. A peculiar theory made public by Lord Monboddo, in a work entitled " The Origin and Progress of Language," published in 1773. In this work it is affirmed that the human race have actually arisen from the very lowest stage that of mere brutality: the author supposes, on the authority of several travellers whom he quotes, that there were nations without laws, or any of the arts of civilized life without even language; and that some of them, to complete their relationship to the monkey tribe, had actually tails ! Newtonian Philosophy. The doctrine of the universe, as delivered by Sir Isaac Newton, who was born 1642. The great principle upon which the philosophy is founded is the power of gravity or attraction. Nominalists. A sect of the Scholastic philosophers, so named on account of the particular tenet by which they were distinguished from and in opposition to the Realists. They adopted the Stoical doctrine and affirmed that words and names only were universal. Optimism. That philosophical and religious opinion which maintains that this world, in spite of its apparent imperfectness, is the best, and could not be otherwise than it is. It is specially applied to the doctrine of Leibnitz that God has, among the possible worlds which presented themselves to his understanding, chosen and created the best. Peripatetic Philosophy. The philosophy of Aristotle received this name, either from his custom of teaching while walking, or from the place where it was taught, a walk planted with trees. Pestalozziaii System. A mode of teaching so called from its founder, Pestalozzi, who was born at Zurich in 1746, and died 1827. This theory of education is built upon the supposition that all our knowledge is derived in the first instance from the perception of the senses, and that, therefore, all instruction should be based upon the observation of real objects and occur- rences. Further, that the object of primary education is to give a general and harmonious cultivation to the faculties of the mind, not merely to communicate technical knowledge. 104 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST t Platonic Philosophy. Derived from Plato, who lived about 350 B.C. It approaches nearer to the religion of the Hebrews than that of any other pagan writer. Ptolemaic System. In astronomy, the ancient arrangement of the sun, stars, and planets, as exhibited and maintained by Claudius Ptolemy, a celebrated astronomer and mathematician of Alexandria, in Egypt, who flourished in the first and second centuries after Christ. According to this system, the earth is the central body of the universe, and about it the sun, stars, and planets revolve in twenty-four hours, moving from east to west. This hypothesis prevailed in every country where astronomy was cultivated, till towards the sixteenth century, when it was dis- placed by the Copernican system. Pythagorean System. In astronomy, that arrangement of the heavenly bodies which places the sun in the centre, and makes the planets revolve around it, in orbits nearly circular. It is also named the Solar or Copernican system, and is that which is at present received as the true system of the universe. Pythagoreans. A sect of ancient philosophers which took its rise about 550 B.C., and adopted the principles and doctrines of Pythagoras its founder. The Pythagoreans held that the universe in its original state was a shapeless mass of inert and passive matter, which a powerful Being modified and reduced to order ; that this great Being is the mover and soul of the universe, and that the souls of mankind are a portion of his substance. They supported the doctrine of the transmigration of the human soul into different bodies ; hence they forbade the killing of animals, and even the burning of wood. They abstained from eating flesh and pulse, and lived principally upon bread and honey, and water. Realists. A sect of philosophers founded in opposition to the Nominalists. Rosicmcians. A name assumed by a sect of philosophers, who first made themselves notorious in Germany, in the beginning of the fourteenth century. They bound themselves by a solemn secret, which they all swore inviolably to preserve, and also gave in their adhesion to certain established rules. They pretended to have a knowledge of all the sciences, and especially of medicine. PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTRINES, ETC. 105 They gave themselves out to be masters of many important secrets, and, among others, that of the philosopher's stone. They also pretended to protract the period of human life by means of certain nostrums, and even to restore youth. Sceptics. From the Greek slceptomai, " I look about." A sect of philosophers, followers of Pyrrho, who maintained that no certain inferences could be drawn from the evidence of the senses, and who therefore doubted of everything. Socialism. The doctrine taught by Robert Owen, who pro- posed to re-organize society by banishing old motives of action, including religion in any special forms, and to establish the social edifice on his own views of co-operation and mutual usefulness. Socratic Method. A method of teaching, originated by Socrates, the Grecian sage, in which reasoning and instruction were imparted by interrogatories. Sophists. The name of a sect of Grecian philosophers who flourished in the fifth century before the Christian era. They arrogated to themselves universal knowledge, and taught a variety of subjects in specious and attractive language. They were ridiculed by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and others, and were by them accused of teaching mere word-wisdom, and of corrupting and perverting the profession and study of philosophy. Spencean System. So called from one Thomas Spence, a political enthusiast, who devised and published a plan by which mankind could be provided with sustenance and avoid pauperism. He died October, 1814. Stoics. Followers of the opinions of Zeno, who taught that a wise man is unmoved by joy, grief, or other passions, and regards all things as governed by unavoidable necessity. Utilitarianism. The doctrine that utility is the end and pur- pose of moral virtue, a sentiment approximating that held by the Benthamites, which see. 106 THE HISTOBICAL FINGER-POST : LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, CONSTITUTIONS, ETC. Abjuration, Oath of. An oath abjuring particular doctrines of the Church of Rome, first required to be taken in the reign of Charles the Second, 1672. Also an oath made in 1701, renouncing and disclaiming the Pretender, and denying that he has any kind of right to the crown of the British dominions. Afficlies. In France, placards or proclamations which are posted at the corners of streets and other conspicuous places, for the purpose of making public the ordinances and regulations of the- government. Agrarian Laws. These laws were originally promulgated at Rome, and related to the public lands. They had for their main object the assignment of tracts of land, and the securing to the possessors the use and enjoyment of their possessions. They also regulate the division of the conquered lands ; also lands purchased with the public money ; or of such as had been usurped by powerful individuals. Many of the attempts to introduce and establish agrarian laws excited great dissension between the Roman people and their magistrates, and frequently terminated in violent commotions. Amende Honorable. A kind of infamous punishment formerly inflicted in France, upon traitors, parricides, and sacri- legious persons. The offender being delivered into the hands of a hangman, his shirt was stripped off, a rope put about his neck, and a taper placed in his hand ; he was then led into court, where he was obliged to ask pardon of God, the king, the court, and his country. Sometimes the punishment ended here, but at others it was only a prelude to banishment, to the galleys, to imprison- ment in the Bastile, death, or torture. This term is also used LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 107 for making recantation in open court, or in presence of the person injured. American Stamp Act. A famous statute passed by the British Legislature, March 22, 17G5, and acting as an incentive to the war by which America gained her independence. The growing wealth and increasing resources of the British colonies in North America encouraged England to seek to impose upon them taxes to lighten the burdens of the mother-country. With this view it was proposed to levy a duty upon stamps used in the colonies and plantations. The colonists rejected the measure with indignation, and it was afterwards repealed ; too late, how- ever, to allay the storm which had thus been raised, and which shortly afterwards raged with redoubled fury. Assiento. A contract or convention between the king of Spain and other powers for furnishing slaves for the Spanish dominions in South America. Attainder. In law, that species of infamy which is incurred by one who has been convicted of felony, treason, or other great crime. In such cases, where sentence of death has been passed or a judgment of outlawry given, the person so convicted loses all power over his property, and is incapable of performing any of the duties or enforcing any of the privileges of a freeman. By bills of attainder, persons accused of treason and other crimes against the state- were formerly punished without the ordinary process of law ; and scarcely a year passed without persons of the highest rank being brought through this means to the scaffold. In recent times this measure has been seldom resorted to. Bills of attainder may be and have been reversed. Ban. In ancient jurisprudence, a declaration of outlawry. In political law it has the same force as excommunication in eccle- siastical law. The Emperor of Germany had the right to declare a member of the empire under the ban, and to dispose of his feud. The ban, like the excommunication, forbids every one to have intercourse with the person proscribed, or to give him food or shelter. Ban, in military affairs, is an order given by beating the dram or sounding the trumpet, requiring the strict observance of discipline, or announcing the appointment of an officer, &c. 108 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Bank Charter. An enactment by which the Bank of England has secured to it peculiar powers and privileges. The original charter was in 1708 extended to 1732, and was five years after- wards extended to 1742, when it was renewed to 1764 ; it was in this manner extended from time to time, in five years' grants, until 1800, when it was extended 33 years, the final extent of the original charter. Berlin, Decrees of. Issued by Bonaparte, November 21st, 1806, declaring the British territories in a state of blockade, and interdicting the whole world from having any communication with them. Black Act. A statute passed in the reign of George the First, and made perpetual in the succeeding reign. It was so called, because it was occasioned by the devastations committed by persons in disguise, or with their faces blacked. By this Act certain penalties are imposed upon persons detected in poaching, cattle-stealing, setting fire to dwellings, barns, &c., shooting at any person, and other outrages. Blood, Court of. The name given by its victims to a council instituted by the Duke of Alba in the sixteenth century, with a view of bringing to justice the chief rebels of the Flemish pro- vinces of Spain. By this council the most cruel punishments were devised for the offenders ; more than thirty thousand persons fled to escape its operation, all the prisons were filled with vic- tims, and the surrounding country converted into a military camp. Brehon Laws. The ancient laws of the Irish, so called from being expounded by judges, named in the Irish language Brei- theamhuin, or Brehons. Prior to the Anglo-Norman invasion, Ireland was wholly governed by these laws ; they were finally abolished by James the First, in 1608. Brevet. A term applied to a commission, conferring on an officer a degree of rank next above that which he holds in his regiment, unaccompanied, however, with a corresponding increase of pay. Brevet rank neither ascends higher than lieutenant- colonel nor descends lower than that of captain. British Constitution. That form or system of government assigning to each rank its special province : thus, the making of LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 109 the laws is assigned to the sovereign, and the Lords and Com- mons the sovereign being at the same time the executive power and personal representative of the nation ; the House of Lords forms a court of appeal from the royal courts of law ; and the House of Commons is the originator of all taxes and financial grants, for the use of the executive. To these outlines of the constitution may be added, as points of form, that all acts of the sovereign must be directed or sanctioned by privy-councillors, and that the people are amenable to no law, unless an accusation be made by twelve of a grand jury, and by the unanimous decision of a jury in open court. Bulwer-Clayton Treaty. A treaty so called from the names of the two persons who negotiated it for their respective govern- ments ; concluded in 1855 between Great Britain and the United States. By this treaty, the fisheries of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the entire coasts of the British American provinces, together with the free navigation of the St. Lawrence and its canals, were conceded to the Americans, who, in return, admitted to the States colonial agricultural produce and timber on equal duties. This treaty did not enable British colonists to enter the United States with shipping or manufactures on equal duties ; considerable dissatisfaction was thereby occasioned, the ambassadors were recalled, and the question finally adjusted by subsequent nego- tiations. Burgjmiote. The ancient court of a burgh or borough. By the laws of Edgar, the burghmote was to be held thrice a year, and by those of Henry the First, twelve times a year. Canon Law. A collection of ecclesiastical constitutions ori- ginally compiled by Dionysius Exiguus, in 520. This code was afterwards reformed by Ivo in 1114 ; and by Gratian, a Bene- dictine monk, in 1 151 ; soon after which it was introduced into England, and in 1280 formed a part of the academical studies at Oxford. Canonical Hours. Hours for prayers were instituted in the year 391, and were seven in number ; first, prime, about six a.m. ; second, tierce, at nine a.m. ; third, sext, at noon ; fourth, nones, about three ; fifth, vespers, about six ; sixth, complin, at eight ; (110 THE HISTORICAL FINGEE-POST : and seventh, matins and lauds, at midnight. The canonical hours in England are from eight in the morning to noon ; after which marriage cannot be legally performed in any parish church. Civil List. An annual sum granted by Parliament at the ;commencement of each reign, for the expense of the royal house- hold and establishment, as distinguished from the general exigen- cies of the state, and -is the provision made for the Crown out of the taxes, in lieu of its proper patrimony, and in consideration of the assignment of that patrimony to the public use. Clarendon, Constitutions of. Certain constitutions founded in the reign of Henry the Second, 1164, in a paiiiament held at Clarendon, near Salisbury, whereby the king checked the power of the Pope and his clergy, and greatly narrowed the total exemption they claimed from secular jurisdiction. Code Frederick. A body of laws drawn up in 1748, under the direction and with the assistance of Frederick the Second of Pru.<> sia. Code Napoleon. A title, which, in France, is sometimes given to all the digests of law made under that emperor, but having especial reference to the legal work otherwise known as the code civile. The project for this code was drawn up in 1801 by five commissioners, and afterwards discussed clause by clause in the Legislative Assembly. This code defines the civil rights ot Frenchmen, and their legal relation to each other and to society at large. Comity of Nations. A phrase expressing the foundation and extent of the obligation of the laws of one nation within the territories of another. It is derived altogether from the voluntary consent of the latter ; and it is inadmissible when it is contraiy 4o its known policy, or prejudicial to its interests. The word '*' comity " signifies courtesy. Concordat. An appellation givn to. a formal agreement be- tween the see of Rome and any foreign government, with a view o regulating the ecclesiastical discipline of the Roman Catholic clergy, and the management of the benefices and churches within the prescribed territories. It is, in fact, a diplomatic negotiation and treaty concerning ecclesiastical affairs, including also tempo- ralities appertaining .to the Church, LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. Confession of Faith. A summary of the principal articles oi belief adopted by any church. The first Protestant Confession ot Faith was presented to the Diet of Augsburg, and is known by the name of the Augsbwrg Confession. The first English Confession was drawn up by Archbishop Cranmer in 1551. The first Confession of Faith in Scotland was ratified by Parliament in 1500 ; and the Westminster Confession was drawn up in 1643, and approved by the General Assembly in 1647. Conscription. The compulsory enrolment of individuals for military or maritime service, taken from the population at large. In the Roman commonwealth, the conscripts were selected by the consuls from the bulk of the people.. In France, the conscrip- tion was established during the revolution. According to the law as at present established, all males are liable to conscrip- tion at the age of twenty. Each arrondisscment has its contin- gent allotted to it out of the total number required for the service, and this number is filled up by lot from the youths liable to the conscription. The legal duration of the service is seven years. Conventicle Act. An act passed in 1664 for suppressing "seditious conventicles," that is to say, religious; meetings where the services were conducted in a different manner from those of the Church of England. The persecutions under this act were very severe, and continued till 1672, when its operation was suspended by the exercise of a dispensing power, and the king's declaration of. indulgence. Corn Laws. Laws passed at various times by the British Legislature,, regulating the importation of foreign corn, and the exportation of home-grown ; but latterly restricted in its use to the bill passed in 1815, which was expected to keep the price of wheat uniformly at 80s. per quarter, but which failed, with the' exception of one or two years of scarcity, to raise the price above 58s. 5d. These laws were modified in 1828 ; and during the summer of 1846, under the administration of Sir Robert Peel, their final abolition was fixed to take place in 1849. Coronation Oath. At the ceremony of crowning the sovereign in England, the following oath is taken : " I solemly promise and swear to govern the people of this United Kingdom of Great 112 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Britain and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging, according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on, and the laws and customs of the same ; to cause law in justice and mercy to be executed in all my judgments ; to the utmost of my power to maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel, and the Protestant reformed religion established by the law ; to preserve unto the bishops and clergy of this realm, and the churches committed to their charge, aH such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain unto them or any of them. The things which I have proclaimed I will perform and keep, so help me God." Corporation and Test Acts. Passed in 1673, requiring every person who held office under government to take the sacra- ment of the Lord's Supper, in the Church of England, at least once a year. Roman Catholics and Dissenters, not being able consistently to comply with this law, were virtually excluded from holding office in the state. Abolished in 1828. Coventry Acts. A measure passed in 1671 to prevent malicious maiming and wounding. It is so called from Sir John Coventry, a Member of Parliament, who, having indulged in a joke on the king's mistress, was attacked in the streets, and had his nose slit. Curfew. From the French couvre feu. A law of Norman origin, passed in England in 1068, and which ordered that, on the ringing of the curfew-bell at eight o'clock in the evening, all fires and lights were to be extinguished, under a a severe penalty. This law was abolished in 1103. The object of the Curfew was, to lessen the risks of fire by night ; for conflagrations, in those days, were rendered doubly dangerous, owing to the buildings being principally composed of wood, straw, &c., and the want oi sufficient means for extinguishing large bodies of fire. Declaration of War. Formerly, a proclamation made by the herald-at-arms to the members or subjects of a state, de- claring them to be at war with some foreign power, and forbidding all of them to assist the common enemy at their peril. The more recent practice of declaring war is by manifesto made public, and notified to the foreign governments, the cause as well as the intention being stated. LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 113 Decretals. Rescripts or epistles from the Pope, deciding points of controversy, and questions of ecclesiastical policy ; they compose the second volume of the canon law. Detenu. A term adopted and forced beyond its legitimate meaning by the French Government, at the commencement of hostilities between France and England in 1803, when Bonaparte, the First Consul, detained and imprisoned all British subjects who were found about the French dominions after the departure of their ambassador. Draconian Laws. A code of laws made by Draco, a celebrated lawgiver of Athens, 621 B.C. Their measures were so severe that they were said to be written in letters of blood ; and hence, all laws of exceeding rigour were so called. Ecclesiastical Titles Bill. An act passed in 1851, rendering the assumption of any ecclesiastical title by Catholics inJEngland an offence against the laws. Edict. An order or instrument signed and sealed by a prince, to serve as a law to his subjects. It was a conspicuous instru- ment in the Roman laws. In the ancient French law, several edicts also existed. Despotic rulers employ edicts much in the same manner as proclamations are used in free countries ; but with this difference, that the former has the authority of a law from the power which issues it ; whereas the latter is only the declaration of a law to which it refers, and has no power in itself. Edicts are all sealed with green wax, as a sign of their being perpetual and irrevocable. Embargo. An arrest on ships of merchandise by public authority, or a prohibition of state, commonly on foreign ships in time of war, to prevent their entering or leaving port, and sometimes both, for a limited period. Encumbered Estates. An act having reference to Ireland, passed 28th July, 1849. By it, the owners of land or of leases of land, subject to encumbrance, were privileged to apply for the sale of such property ; provided the interest and charges payable do not exceed half the net annual income. Under this act a large number of estates have been sold ; the effect being to relieve and indemnify the encumbered owners, to place the property under a 114 THE HISTORICAL FINGEE-POST : better management, and to give an impetus to the industry of the country at large. Exceptions, Bill of. An ancient privilege provided by statute, in 1284, and existing at the present day. It is the right of ten- dering to a judge, upon a trial between parties, exceptions to his charge or definition of the law ; it also seeks to remedy or take advantage of any error or informality committed by the court. Exclusion, Bill of. The name of a bill by which Parliament. in the latter part of the reign of Charles the Second, sought to exercise the right of altering and limiting the succession to the crown, by setting aside the king's brother and presumptive heir, the Duke of York, on the ground of his being a Papist ; it passed the House of Commons, but was rejected in the House of Lords, the king having openly declared that it should never receive the royal assent. Extravagantes. A name given to certain decretal epistles or constitutions of the Pope, which were published from the Clemen- tines, but were not at first digested or arranged with the other papal constitutions. Hence the name which they continued to retain even after their insertion in the body of the canon law. Feudal System. This celebrated system was universally received into Europe between the sixth and seventh centuries, and is supposed to have derived its origin from the military policy of the Celtic or northern nations. According to this system, the victorious general allotted considerable tracts of land to his principal officers, who, in like manner divided their posses- sions among inferior officers. The condition upon which these rewards were given, was, that the possessors should yield to the donor military service both at home and abroad. The natural consequence of this tenure was a military subjection throughout the whole community. For a time this system prospered, but after a little while its primitive scope and simple maxims were abandoned for more interested and less honest designs ; so that the feudal system became a species of despotism on the one hand, and of bondage on the other. It is generally supposed that the feudal system was first introduced into England by William the Conqueror ; but as wealth and luxury increased, and civilization LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 115 grew more extended, a new tenure, called escuage, was substi- tuted, by which the vassal was only obliged to pay to his superior a sum of money annually, instead of attending him into the field. Hence originated taxes for the support of the army and the defence of the nation. Finnan. A Persian word, denoting a decree issued by the Turkish Sultan, signed with his own cipher or signet, as when a Pacha or other officer of state is appointed. Firman is also the name given to a passport which the pachas are in the habit of granting to travellers. The firman of death is a sentence of sum- mary execution, issued by the Sultan against a pacha or other state officer, the written order of which is intrusted to a state messenger, whose duty it is to see it executed. First Fruits. Formerly, the profit of every spiritual living for one year, according to the valuation thereof in the king's books. They were^ originally claimed by the Pope throughout Christen- dom ; in the reign of Henry the Eighth they were transferred to the. king ; and were ultimately given up by Queen Anne, to be applied towards the augmentation of small livings. Five Articles of Perth. Sanctioned by the General Assembly, and the Scottish parliament, at the instigation of James the First. They were : 1. Kneeling at the Sacrament. 2. Private Com- munion. 3. Private Baptism. 4. Confirmation of Children. 5. Observance of Holy days. Five-Mile Act. Passed October, 1665. This act compelled Nonconformist teachers, who refused to take the non-resistance oath, not to come within five miles of any corporation where they had preached since the " Act of Oblivion," unless they were travelling, under the penalty of 50. Flotsam, Jetsam, and Ligan. These barbarous and uncouth terms have the following signification. Flotsam, is such portion of the wreck of a ship and the cargo as continues floating on the surface of the water. Jetsam, is where goods are cast into the sea, and there sink and remain under water. Ligan, is where they are sunk in the sea, but are fastened to a cork or buoy in order that they may be found again. These appellations are used to distinguished goods not legally wrecked, in order to constitute 116 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : which, they must come to land. Flotsam, Jetsam, and Ligan, belong to the sovereign or the sovereign's representatives, pro- vided no owner appear to claim them within a year. Four Hundred, Council of. A form of government established at Athens, upon the abolishing of democracy, 411 B.C. At the end of four months, the council was dissolved, and Antiphon, its framer, put to death. French Clergy, Declaration of the. Made in 1681 by an assembly of the ecclesiastics of France. The object was to pro- test against the power which the Pope sought to exercise over the court of France ; and to intimate that such power should be generally regulated by the Divine commandments, and by the canon law. Fulmination. Literally, the act of thundering. In the canon law of the Romish church, a sentence of a bishop or any other ecclesiastic appointed by the Pope, by which it is decreed that some bull sent by the Pope shall be put into execution. Game Laws. Certain enactments which operate with extreme severity against persons destroying or taking game, such as hares, partridges, &c. The justice or injustice of these laws has long been a vexed question, and the putting them in force has fre- quently led to an irreconcilable estrangement between the upper and lower classes in several rural districts. Golden Bull. A denomination peculiarly given to an ordinance or statute made by the Emperor Charles the Fourth of Germany, in 1356, and operating as a fundamental law of the empire. It is thus called from a golden seal affixed to it, such as were used to annex to edicts in the Eastern empire. Till the publication of the Golden Bull, the election of an emperor was a matter of doubt and uncertainty ; but by this instrument the election was made to devolve upon seven Electors, three of whom were ecclesiastics and four secular rulers. Grace, Act of. The Act, so termed in Scotland, was passed in 1696 ; it provides maintenance for debtors imprisoned by their creditors. It is usually applied in England to insolvent aets and general pardons at the beginning of a new reign or upon other great occasions. LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 117 Habeas Corpus. A celebrated act, passed in 1679, for the pre- vention of arbitrary arrests and for the protection of the person. Its chief provisions are : 1. That no one shall be sent to prison beyond sea. 2. That the body of every prisoner shall be pro- duced on trial. 3. That a prisoner shall be tried the term next after his apprehension. 4. That no one shall be tried twice for the same offence. Numerous other conditions are attached to this law, all tending to the same end. Hatti-Scherif. A name given in Turkey to the ordinances emanating from the Sultan, and signed by his hand. Heriot. A feudal service, consisting in a chattel rendered to the lord on the death of a tenant, and in some places upon aliena- tion by a tenant. Heriots were known in England before the complete development of the feudal system which followed the Norman conquest. Hidage. Formerly, a royal aid or tribute, which, in England, was raised in certain proportions upon every hide of land. The hide was variously fixed at 60, 80, and 100 acres. Hue and Cry. An old common law process of pursuing with horn and voice all felons and such as had dangerously wounded another. This mode of arrest is still recognised by the law of England, and when hue and cry is raised, all persons, as well constables as others, are bound, according to the strict letter of the law, to join in the pursuit, and assist in the capture of the felon. Indemnity Bill. Passed generally to secure a minister against abuses of his office, or to relieve him from the responsibility of measures adopted in extreme and urgent cases without the pre- vious sanction of Parliament. A memorable bill of this kind was passed on the 19th of April, 1801 ; and another, to guard against the effects of the law for abuse of power during the suspension of the Habeas Corpus, March 10th, 1818. In 1848 and 1857 bills of indemnity were passed for the suspension by the ministry of the Bank Charter Act. Index Expurgatorius. In Catholic countries, a catalogue of those books which the Church of Rome forbids her followers to read, or condemns as heretical. It is annually published at Rome. 118 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: Institutes. A book so entitled, containing the elements of the Roman or civil law. The Institutes are divided into four books, and contain an abridgement of the whole body of the civil law. Instrument of Government. When Oliver Cromwell dispersed the House of Commons, and destroyed its authority, a council of officers prepared what was called an " Instrument of Government," placing Cromwell at the head of the nation, with the title ot Protector ; and he, having taken the oath which was required of him, was proclaimed in the three kingdoms without opposition. Interim. A document published by the Emperor Charles the Fifth of Germany in 1547, being a system of religious doctrine retaining all the Romish tenets, but granting some slight conces- sions to the Protestants. It was called the " Interim," because it was only to remain in force until the Pope should consent to re-assemble the Council of Trent. International Law. A term originally applied to what was called previously the ".law of nations," and generally received as a more appropriate designation than the one which preceded it. International law includes questions of peace and war, disputes between governments, misunderstandings between territories, states, &c., the rights of subjects, disabilities of aliens, and every topic of a similar character. Jaghire. An assignment made in Bengal by an imperial grant upon the revenue of any district to defray civil or military charges, pensions, gratuities, and the like. Justinian Code. A name given to a compilation ordered by Justinian, the Roman emperor, of the best and most useful laws which had been promulgated by his predecessors. The new code was published, in the first instance, in the year 529, and was after- wards revised and republished in 534, under the title which it has since borne. Lambeth. Articles. So called from their being drawn up at Lambeth Palace, under the eye of Archbishop Whitgift, and other church dignitaries. These articles were framed to meet the opposition against predestination which was beginning to manifest itself at Cambridge. When completed, the articles were sent to LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 1L9 the University, and the scholars were strictly enjoined to conform thereto. Letters of Marque. A, licence, or extraordinary commission granted by a sovereign of one state to his subjects to make reprisals at sea on the subjects of another, under the pretence of indemnification for injuries received. For this purpose, pri- vateers, or private ships of war, are fitted out at the cost of indi- viduals for the purpose of carrying on hostilities on their own account, but with the permission of the state. The word marque is said to be derived from the same root as marches, limits, fron- tiers. Magna Cliarta. This great charter of English liberties was founded upon minor privileges granted in the reigns of the earlier kings ; was amplified, remodelled, and perfected, and granted by King John, June 15th, 1215. Since then it has been confirmed many times, and is now indissolubly bound up with the English constitution. Maine Law. A law having force in the State of Maine, America, and which constitutes the public sale of intoxicating liquors an illegal act. Martial Law. That kind of government which is in force during the existence of a rebellion ; when, in consequence of the ordinary processes of general law becoming ineffectual for the security of life and property, the Legislature appoints a military force to suppress the disorder and arrest the offenders ; this, and the trial of prisoners according to the practice of military courts, constitutes martial law. Matrons, Jury of. In English law, when a woman convicted of treason or felony, upon sentence of death being pronounced, pleads pregnancy in stay of execution, a jury of matrons may be summoned to investigate into the truth of the allegation, and if true, the convicted woman is respited until after delivery. The same form of judicial inquiry is. adopted in the civil law, with respect to widows who declare themselves enceinte by their late husband. Maynooth Grant. A sura ot money annually voted by the 120 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : English Parliament to aid in supporting the Catholic College ot Maynooth in Ireland. This grant has been objected to by a religious section in England, and has been from time to time violently opposed by Members of Parliament, who represent themselves as uncompromising adherents to the Protestant cause. Medes and Persians, Laws of the. These were famous in ancient times, as being irrevocable. The king's word was the fixed and immutable law of the land. When the monarch had once commanded, though it was to commit wrong, even he could not depart from what he had ordained. Mortality, Bills of. Public registers of births, deaths, and disease occurring in London and the surrounding districts. They were first used in 1562, and were intended to give timely notice of the Plague, from which the metropolis was then seldom free. From the year 1603 to the present time, they have been kept in regular series. Mortmain Act. A statute passed in 1279, intended to limit the acquisitions of the Church, and to prevent the clergy amassing an undue proportion of wealth. This measure was a timely and necessary one; for the priesthood, taking advantage of the ignorance of people, upon their death-beds, frequently extorted from them large grants of land as a pretended atonement for their transgressions. By the law of Mortmain, such grants were declared illegal. Several supplementary statutes have since been passed, and one especially in 1736, to which frequent reference is made. Mortuary. In ecclesiastical law, a customary gift claimed by and due to the minister in very many parishes on the death of his parishioners. It appears to have been originally a voluntary bequest to the church, intended as a kind of expiation and amend to the clergy for the personal tithes and other ecclesiastical duties which the laity in their lifetime might have neglected or forgotten to pay. Mosaic Laws, Institutions, &c. Those given to the Children of Israel by Moses, and his successors. Multoco. The code of laws of the Turkish empire. It consists of the precepts contained in the Koran, the oral LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 121 injunctions of Mahomet, and the decisions of the early Caliphs and doctors. Mutiny Act. A series of regulations which from year to year are enacted by the British Legislature for the government of the military force of the country. The most important operation of this bill is that it acts as an effectual security against military power or regal despotism ; the supplies are voted from year to year only; and, if the sovereign were to neglect to summon Parliament every year, the army would cease to have a legal existence ; also, the refusal of either house to concur in the mutiny bill would at once wrest the sword out of his grasp. This act was passed in 1689, and the immediate cause of its being made an annual measure is as follows : In the year above mentioned, the royal Scotch regiment of horse, quartered at Abingdon, and great part of Dumbarton's regiment declared for King James, and marched for Scotland ; they were, however, overtaken and reduced. A bill was immediately passed for punishing mutiny and desertion, and has since become annual. Nantes, Edict of. A famous ordinance promulgated at Nantes in the year 1598, by Henry the Fourth, granting to the professors of the reformed or Protestant religion, religious free- dom and the enjoyment of civil rights and privileges without molestation. To these privileges were added full admission to employments of trust, honour, and profit, and the permission to educate Protestant children in the public universities. Nantes, Kevocation of the Edict of. A measure promulgated by Louis the Fourteenth, October 22nd, 1685, the object being to deprive the Huguenots of the religious liberty which the edict had secured to them. The consequence of this measure was that four hundred thousand persons, among whom were many of high station and wealth, were driven out of France, and were scattered among the countries of England, Holland, and Germany. Ne Exeat Eegno. A prerogative writ issued to prevent a person leaving the kingdom. It is said to have been introduced between the reign of King John and that of Edward the First. It was originally applied only to great political objects, and purposes of state, for the safety or benefit of the realm. 122 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Norway Law. A code of laws compiled by the order of Christian the Fifth in 1675. The Norwegian peasants regard it as their Palladium, as it secures to them certain privileges, and renders their condition superior to that of the peasants in the neighbouring countries. Oleron. The laws, constitutions, or judgments of Oleron are a capitulary of ancient marine customs written in old French, and bearing the name of Oleron for several centuries, because tradition points to the island so called as the place of their original propagation. Ordeal, Trial by. A form by which :guilt or innocence was determined, practised among the ancient and barbarous nations of Europe. In England, the ordeal was of two kinds. The lirst, ordeal by fire, was performed either by taking up in the hand a piece of red-hot iron, or otherwise by walking barefoot over burning ploughshares ; and in either case, if the accused escaped unhurt he was deemed innocent, if otherwise, he was condemned as guilty. Water ordeal was performed either by plunging the bare arm up to the elbow in boiling water, or by casting the suspected person into a river or pond ; if in the former case his arm was scalded, or in the latter, if he floated without any action of swimming, he was considered guilty ; if otherwise, he was held to be innocent. Oswald's Law. A law made by Oswald, Bishop of Worcester, to expel married priests, and bring monks into the Church. Pains and Penalties, Bill of. A bill presented in Parliament by Lord Liverpool in 1820 against Caroline, queen of George the Fourth. It assumed her Majesty to have been guilty of infidelity and other scandalous conduct, and provided that her Majesty should be degraded from her rank and title, and her marriage with the king dissolved. A great outcry was raised against this measure : the conduct of the king had gained him many enemies, while the sufferings and indignities to which the queen was subjected enlisted much sympathy on her behalf. The bill was ultimately abandoned. Pandects. In jurisprudence, the digest or collection, made by- order of the Emperor Justinian, of 534 decisions of the ancient LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 123 lawyers, on questions occurring in the civil law, to which that emperor gave the force and authority of law by the epistle prefixed to them. Partidas, las Siete. Spanish for " the seven parts." A celebrated ancient Spanish code of laws, drawn up in the reign of Alphonso the Tenth, of Castile, about 12GO, so called from the number of principal parts into which it is divided. Petition of Eight. An enactment passed in 1628, in sub- stance as follows : 1. That no loan or tax might be levied but by the consent of Parliament. 2. That no man might be imprisoned but by legal process. 3. That soldiers might not be quartered on people against their will. 4. That no commissions be granted for executing martial law. To this measure, the king (Charles the First) gave, after much evasion, a reluctant assent. Pie-Poudre Court. An ancient court of record in England, incident to every fair or market, of which the judge is the steward of him who owns or has the toll. Pix, Trial of the. As a security for the integrity of the coinage, it is required that before the Master of the Mint can receive his " discharge," or an admission that his duties have been properly performed, the coins should be submitted to a trial by jury. This final examination is technically called the Trial of the Pix, from the box which contains the coins selected for that purpose. They are secured by three locks, the keys of which are respectively in the custody of the Warden, Master, and Comptroller of the Mint. Plebiscitiun. In Roman history, a law enacted by the common people, under the superintendence of the tribune or some other plebeian magistrate, without the intervention of the senate. Poyning's Law, or the Statute of Drogheda, passed in 1495, has had a marked influence on the subsequent legislative and constitutional history of Ireland. By this law it was enacted that all the acts then or lately passed in England concerning its common weal should be law in Ireland. It was further provided that no parliament should be held in Ireland until the Lord Lieutenant had certified the English crown of the causes for holding it, and licence for the same had been obtained from the 124 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: king. This law. was repealed in 1783, and the Irish parliament emancipated. Praenmnire, Statutes of. These may be traced to the time of Edward the First, by whom they were enacted for the purpose of restricting the power of the Pope in England. That statute referred to by way of eminence was passed in the reign of Richard the Second, 1392, by which persons exercising Romish influence unduly were put out of the royal protection, and their goods and lands forfeited to the king. The penalties of a prsemunire were inflicted upon certain persons who refused to take the oath of allegiance to Charles the Second. Pragmatic Sanction. A term ordinarily applied to certain ordinances, concerning the great affairs of the Church. It is chiefly used among modern writers for the famous ordinance of Charles the Seventh of France, drawn up with the consent of the most eminent prelates and grandees of the nation, and published in 1438, containing a regulation of ecclesiastical discipline, and since used by the Gallican Church as a barrier against the enter- prises and encroachment of the Court of Rome. The Pragmatic Sanction was abolished in 1516, and replaced by the Concordat, between Pope Leo the Tenth and Francis the First. The most recent ordinance of this nature is the pragmatic sanction of the Emperor Charles the Sixth, in 1713, whereby in default of male issue his daughters were to succeed in preference to the sons of his brother. Proces Verbal. A French term signifying an authentic report or minute of an official act or proceeding, or statement of facts. The term is also used to denote minutes drawn up by a secretary or other officer of the proceedings of an assembly. Provincial Constitutions. Decrees made in the provincial synods held under divers Archbishops of Canterbury from the reign of Henry the Third to that of Henry the Fifth. Provisions of Oxford. The names of certain important en- actments passed in 1258. The tyranny and unconstitutional conduct of Henry the Third so incensed some of the chief persons of the nation, that they determined upon bringing about such reforms in the state as were deemed necessary for the salvation. LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 125 of the country. The king was compelled by the barons to summon a parliament, having the power to inaugurate the re- formations needed. Twelve barons were selected by the king and twelve by the Parliament, these held their meeting at Oxford ; and proposed the following " provisions," to which the king assented, namely, that three times in each year the Parliament should meet ; that on the next meeting of Parliament each shire or county should send four knights to that Parliament, that so the especial wants and grievances of every part of the kingdom might be known. From these provisions, in fact, sprang the present House of Commons. Quarantine. An interval of a certain number of days (pro- perly forty), during which a ship arriving in port, and suspected of being infected with a malignant contagious disease, is obliged to forbear all intercourse with the city or place. It is customary for the proper officers to determine the period of restraint at their discretion, according to circumstances. Regiuni Donum. A Latin term signifying a royal gift. It is an annual grant of public money, made by the British Parliament in aid of the maintenance of the Presbyterian clergy of Ireland. It was instituted by William the Third in 1690, and remodelled 1790. The stipends are paid to ministers both of the Synod of Ulster, and Seceding Synod, the two principal divisions of the sect. Right of Search. A usage recognised by the law of nations, by which belligerent powers are permitted to visit and search neutral vessels for the purpose of ascertaining that such vessels do not carry anything prejudicial to the powers in question. The search is usually confined to the ship's papers, namely, the passport of the captain, the sea-letter or sea-brief specifying the nature and quantity of the cargo, the muster-roll of the ' crew, the charter-party, the bill -of lading, the invoices, the log-book, and the bill of health. The penalty for the violent contravention of the right of search is the confiscation of the ship and cargo. Eights, Bill of. An Act of Parliament passed in 1690, granting important constitutional privileges to the English people. This bill placed certain restrictions upon the regal 126 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : authority, depriving it of the power to suspend or execute the laws without the consent of Parliament ; vesting the levying of all moneys in the Commons ; rendering it illegal to raise or keep a standing army without the consent of Parliament ; ensuring freedom of election and liberty of speech and debate ; regulating juries, doing away with excessive fines or bail ; and granting the right of petition. Ritual. A book directing the order and manner to be ob- served in celebrating religious ceremonies, and performing divine service in the church. Root and Branch Bill. A bill, thus designated, was introduced into Parliament in 1641, having for its object the utter extirpa- tion of episcopacy. It originated from the Scotch Presbyterians, who were then being treated with intolerance by the heads of the Episcopal Church. Royal Assent. In England, the assent given by the sovereign to bills that have passed the two Houses of Parliament ; it is given to a public bill in the words " Le Roi le veut" the king wills it ; and to a private bill " Soit fait comme il est desire" let it be done as desired. The royal assent is refused by using the words " Le Roi s'avisera" the king will think of it, or be advised. In practice, the royal assent is seldom if ever withheld. Royal Marriage Act. A bill passed in 1772, for rendering all the descendants of the late king (George the Second) incapable of contracting marriage without the previous consent of his Majesty, or his successors ; but such descendants being above twenty -five years of age, on giving the Privy Council twelve months' previous notice, may, after the expiration of that term, marry without the royal assent, unless both Houses of Parliament should, within that time, declare their disapprobation of it. This bill originated in the marriages of the brothers of George the Third the Duke of Cumberland with Mrs. Horton, and the Duke of Gloucester with Lady Waldegrave neither of which had been recognised at court. Royal Prerogative. The special powers vested in the sovereign of Great Britain, and which comprise the appointment of his own ministers of state, the creation of peers, prorogation. LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 127 of Parliament, dissolving the House of Commons, pardoning offenders after conviction, granting commissions for the execution of the laws ; negotiating with foreign nations, exercising his veto in regard to new laws, and making war or peace. Rubric. From the Latin ruber, red. In the canon law, a title or article in certain ancient law-books, thus called because written, as the titles of the chapters of our ancient Bibles are, in red letters. The same term also denotes the rules and directions given at the beginning and in the course of the Liturgy, for the order and manner in which the several parts of the office are to be performed. Salic Law. An ancient law of France, by which females are excluded from inheriting the throne, confirmed in the reign^ of Pharamond, 424 ; first quoted 1327. Scan. Mag. An abbreviation of Scandalum Magnatum, that is to say, the scandal of the peerage, a reflection or inuendo, thrown out against either an individual peer or against the peerage collectively. A statute bearing this title was promulgated in the reign of Richard the Second, adjudging the infliction of punish- ment for any wrong offered to or uttered against a noble personage. Schism Bill. An act passed in the reign of Queen Anne, by virtue of which Nonconformists teaching schools were to be imprisoned three months. Each schoolmaster was to receive the sacrament and take the oaths. If afterwards present at a con- venticle, he was to be incapacitated and imprisoned ; he was bound to teach only the Church Catechism. Upon the very day this act was to have received the royal assent, the queen died, and it consequently fell to the ground. Scot and Lot. A term including all parochial assessments for the poor, the church, lighting, cleansing, and watching. The right of voting for Members of Parliament, and for municipal officers, used to be exclusively, in many places, vested in the payers of scot and lot. Sederunt, Acts of. In the municipal law of Scotland, statutes made by the Lords of Session, by virtue of a Scottish Act of Parliament, passed in 1540, empowering them to make such 128 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : constitutions as they may deem expedient for ordering the pro- cedure and forms of administering justice. These are called Acts of Sederunt, because they are made by the Lords of Session sitting in judgment. Senatus-Consulta. A term applied to all acts made in the name of the senate of Rome. In the reducing of a decree into writing, mention was made of the time, the place, the names of the senators present, and the name of him who was the author of the proposition. After this preamble followed the text of the law. The senatus-consultse were carried to the treasury, and registered among other laws, this formality giving them the force of law, until which time they could not be compulsorily obeyed. Settlement, Act Of. A statute by which Roman Catholics are excluded from the throne of England. The first act of this nature was passed in 1689, in favour of William and Mary ; and the second act in 1701, declaring that the Electress of Hanover, grand-daughter of James the First, should succeed after the Princess Anne. Ship-Money. An impost charged upon the ports, towns, cities, boroughs, and counties of the British dominions in the reign of Charles the First, 1635-6, for the providing and furnishing of certain ships for the king's service, &c. This, however, was declared to be contrary to the laws and statutes of the realm, and the taxes sought to be levied were refused. Sidmouth Circular. An order issued by Lord Sidmouth in 1819, to the lords-lieutenant of the various counties, which order, on account of its object and wording, aroused considerable indignation and ridicule. It directed, as a precaution against the designs of the Radicals, that all pieces of cannon " laying about " in the streets were to be removed or made useless. Sign Manual The signature or subscription of the sovereign of England is so called ; it is usually placed at the top left-hand corner of the instrument. It must be countersigned by a principal secretary of state, or by the lords of the treasury ; when attached to a grant or warrant, to be accompanied by the signet or privy seal. LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 129 Six Articles. An act restoring the whole body of Popery, passed in the reign of Henry the Eighth. It was opposed by Archbishop Cranmer and others, but without effect. Sliding Scale. In British legislation, a device for regulating the price of grain by means of a variable tax upon it. The first sliding scale act was passed July 15th, 1828 ; the second, April 29th, 1842. Both have been abolished by the repeal of the corn- laws. Sumptuary Laws. Laws made to restrain excess in apparel, costly furniture, eating, &c. Most ages and nations have had their sumptuary laws, and one was passed in England in 1482 ; such measures have, however, invariably proved futile and inoperative. Ten Hours Bill. A Parliamentary enactment, passed in 1844, restricting the hours of labour in factories for children and persons of tender years to ten hours. Tenant-Eight. In certain districts of Ireland, the claim of the tenant on the landlord, upon the expiration of his lease, for reimbursement on account of capital laid out and fixed in unexhausted improvements of the owner's lands. Theodosian Code. A collection of laws made by order of Theodosius the Second, in the year 429. It was completed and promulgated as law in the Eastern empire in the year 438. The arrangement of the matter differs from that of the Justinian Code, although the two greatly assimilate. Thirty-nine Articles. Professions of belief relating to the Church of England, first passed in convocation, and confirmed by royal authority in 1562. To these, the law requires the subscrip- tion of all persons ordained to be deacons or priests ; of all clergymen inducted to any ecclesiastical living ; of licensed lecturers and curates, and of the heads of colleges, of chancellors, commissaries, &c. Toleration Act. Passed 1689, granting religious liberty to all Protestant Dissenters, and exempting all, except those who denied the Trinity, from the penal laws to which they had been till then subjected. The benefits of this act were subsequently much abridged by more stringent enactments. F 130 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Truck System. The -word " truck" means barter or exchange, and in this instance alludes to a mode ot payment of wages in goods or provisions instead of money. In many parts of England, numerous abuses arose from this mode of payment, to do away with which an act, called the " Truck Act," was passed in 1831, making it illegal to pay wages through any other than a money medium. Twelve Tables. A code of Roman laws drawn up 451 B.C. They at first numbered only ten ; but being considered defective, two more were added. The laws were cut on tablets of bronze, and set up in a public place. Ukase. A Russian word, signifying an ordinance emanating from the emperor or the government of Russia. Ultimatam. In diplomacy, the final propositions, conditions, or terms offered as the basis of a treaty ; the most favourable terms that a negotiator can offer, and the rejection of which usually puts an end to the negotiation. Uniformity, Act of. A parliamentary statute, passed in 1662, ordering that every clergyman should possess episcopal ordina- tion, and that he should declare his assent to everything contained in the book of Common Prayer, and renounce the principle of taking arms against the king under any pretence whatsoever. In consequence of this act, 2000 clergymen relinquished their livings, and were placed beyond the pale of the Church of England. Thus originated the now numerous body of Nonconformist Dis- senters. Unwritten Law. The ancient common law of England, which existed in full force for centuries without ever having been written. It is remarkable for its brevity, perspicuity, and com- prehensiveness, Uti Possidetis. Latin for "as you possess." In politics, a treaty by which belligerent parties are left in possession of what they have acquired during the war. Valentinian Code. Identical with the Theodosian code it having been forwarded by Theodosius the emperor of the Eastern empire, to Valentinian the Third emperor of the Western empire, and by the latter confirmed as law PLACES, PKOVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. SEOTIOIT XI. PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, TERRITORIES, ETC. Abb's Head. A conspicuous promontory on the southern en- trance of the Frith of Forth, ten miles north of Berwick. Abdera. A maritime town in Thrace, near the River Nessus, and much celebrated in ancient history for the proverbial dulnes* of the people, the singular properties attributed to the soil of the neighbourhood, and for the diseases and plagues with which the inhabitants were reported to be afflicted. Aird's Moss. A tract of bleak and barren moorland in the south-west of Scotland, and the county of Ayr. It is celebrated in the traditions of the Presbyterians as the scene of many per- secutions and dangers, and the rendezvous of numerous conven- ticle meetings, where men came armed to the teeth to hear the Bible read. It was on this moss that, in 1680, Cameron and several of his followers were killed while engaged in religious exercises, and to commemorate which event a monument is raised. Africa, Central. A vast district in the interior of Africa, said to be wholly inhabited by negro races, but of which very little is known. Algeria. A name given by the French to a large portion of Northern Africa, which they have acquired by conquest. It is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Tunis, on the south by the Great Desert, and on the west by Morocco. Andalusia. A division of Spain, which embraces the four ancient provinces of Seville, Cordova, Jaen, and Granada ; and the modern ones of Seville, Cadiz, Jaen, Huelva, Cordova, Ahneria, Granada, and Malaga. Appian Way. The first of the Roman military roads, con- structed by Appiue Claudius, 312 B.C. F 2 132 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Arabia Felix. " Araby the blest." One of the three divisions of Arabia, comprising the fertile country to the south and west on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and whence were derived most of the precious gums and spices for which Arabia was celebrated. Assam. A wild country north-east of Hindostan which became a British province in 1825 ; and which in 1836 was put under cultivation as a tea-plantation by a public company. Asturias. A province in the north of Spain, which gives the title to the heir-apparent of the Spanish monarchy. Backwoods. The partially cleared forest region on the western frontier of the United States of America. This- portion of the country is regarded as the back part or rear of Anglo-American civilization, which fronts on the Atlantic. Bedford Level. A tract of land in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Huntingdon, Northampton, Lincoln, Cambridge, and the isle of Ely, consisting of about 400,000 acres, a large portion of it being marshy ground. At various periods, efforts were made to reclaim this immense expanse, but it was not accomplished till the seventeenth century, when it was effected by the Duke of Bedford. It produces fine crops of grain, flax, and cole- seed. Bermudas. Pour islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 100 miles east of Carolina. Discovered in 1522 by Juan Bermudas, a Spaniard: constituted a British settlement in 1609. Berwick-upon-Tweed. A seaport and garrison town on the great north road from London to Edinburgh, situated on the northern bank of the River Tweed. Berwick is not within any county, neither is it a town and county of itself, though it virtually forms a county. Therefore, in all acts, proclamations, &c., relating to Great Britain, Berwick-upon-Tweed is always; mentioned separately. Black Forest. A range of high mountains in Germany,, covered with vast and dense woods, rising in the Grand Duchy of Baden, between the valleys formed by the Neckar and the Rhine; some of the elevations in this region attain an altitude of more than 4000 feet. The Black Forest is associated with PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 133 numberless German stories of goblins, spectres, and supernatural forms. Bceotia. A country of Greece, forming a part of the modern Livadia. Its inhabitants were noted for their natural dulness and stupidity. British America. The collective term for the British posses- sions in North America, stretching northward to the Arctic Ocean, westward to the Pacific, and eastward to the Atlantic. The British possessions on the mainland consist of Hudson's Bay Territories, Upper and Lower Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Bnmnens. In Germany, the name applied collectively to watering-places. Carnatic. A division in Southern India, extending along its east co^st from Cape Comorin to the River Gondegam. This district was conquered by the British in 1783. Catalonia. A province of Spain, situate in the north-east of the kingdom, and comprising the provinces of Barcelona, Gerona, Lerida, and Tarragona. Caucasus. A vast chain of mountains in Asia, between the Black and Caspian Seas. Their length is 750 miles, and their breadth from 65 to 150 miles. Chat-Moss. The name of a morass, some 6000 acres in extent, situated about ten miles from Manchester. This place is remark- able for the extraordinary efforts which have been made to reclaim a considerable portion of the bog in the face of almost insurpassable obstacles, it having been drained and cultivated so as to produce good crops. The Manchester and Liverpool Railway crosses Chat-moss ; and some idea of the boggy nature of the soil may be formed, from the fact of thousands upon thousands of waggon-loads of material having been used before a bottom could be found. Chersonesus. A Greek word rendered by the Latins "peninsula." There were many of these among the ancients. Civita Vecchia, the Old City. A town near Rome, and the chief seaport of the Papal States. Cockpit, Westminster. An establishment founded at West- 134 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : minster, by Henry the Eighth, for conducting cockfighting, which was then a national sport ; it was afterwards renewed and encouraged by Charles the Second, and for many years the Cockpit was regularly attended by the highest personages in the realm. More recently it became the place where the council assembled, the proclamations from which were dated from the Cockpit." Colombia. A name borne by a portion of South America, comprehending Venezuela, New Granada, and Ecuador. Its appellation is derived from Columbus, the discoverer. Colonies. Establishments in foreign countries, obtained by conquest or cession, or originally founded by the state, or by individuals who voluntarily emigrate from, or are compulsorily in virtue of a judicial sentence sent abroad by, the mother- country. The colonies of the British empire are about ( fifty in number ; the principal of which are the Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, in North America; in the West Indies, Jamaica, Barbadoes, Antigua, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Trinidad ; exclusive of Demerara and Berbice, in South America. Britain has also settlements elsewhere, as Australia, Port Lewis, Columbo, Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Van Diemen's Land, New Zealand, and seme others, exclusive of her dependencies in the East Indies. Cork, Cove of. A small inlet on the coast, near Cork, in Ireland, and one of the finest on the British coasts. It changed its name to Queenstown, upon the visit of Queen Victoria in 1849. Crimea. A peninsula of European Russia, formed by the Black Sea on the south and west, the Straits of Caffa and the ;3ea of Azov on the east, and on the north connected with Russia by the Isthmus of Perekop. Dardanelles. Fortifications erected on both sides of the Hellespont, a narrow strait connecting the Sea of Marmora with the JEgean. Dead, City of the. When Sir William Gell, the celebrated topographer, discovered the ruins of Pompeii, he involuntarily exclaimed " City of the dead ! city of the dead !" a name which has appropriately attached to these extraordinary relics ever since. PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 135 Dead Sea. A lake situated in the Holy Land. It extends about fifty miles nearly north and south, and measures about twenty-five miles where widest, but it narrows considerably towards its extremities. In the adjacent country is a pillar covered with asphaltum, which is pretended to be the pillar into which Lot's wife was transformed. The towns of Sodom and Gomorrah were swallowed up by its waters, and are said to have been on its western bank. The water of the lake is pungent and bitter. Asphaltum floats on its surface, and covers the whole extent of its shores. The lake throws up on its banks pieces of petrified wood and porous stones in a calcined state. Deccan Territory. A territory anciently understood to comprehend all the peninsula of India south of Nerbudda River, but now limited to that part of Ilindostan lying between the Nerbudda and the Kistna, on the north and south sides, and the Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea, on the east and west. Downs. A term applied to that part of the Channel lying near to the sands, off the coast of Kent ; it derives its name from the circumstance of its having been at one period a grazing land for sheep. It is famed as a rendezvous for shipping. Eden of the Pyrenees. The name given to a lovely valley in the south of France, called Val d'Azun, reaching to the base ot the Pic du Midi, and crossed by an important road into Spain. Far West. An American term applied to the states lying to the extreme of the westward. Field of Falsehood. The name given to a place near Cofinar, in Germany, where all the nobles who pretended to be on the side of Louis le Debonnaire went over to his sons, who were arrayed in rebellion against their father. Franche Comte. Part of the original kingdom of the Bur- gundians, between the Rhone, the Saone, Mount Jura, and the Rhine, conquered by the Franks, 534. Part of the duchy of Bur- gundy, 877 ; severed from it and given as the palatinate of Burgundy to Rudolf the Third, king of Aries, 1002 ; annexed to Germany, 1032 ; recovered by the dukes of Burgundy, and on the death of the last duke seized by Louis the Eleventh of France, 136 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 1477 ; given to Philip the Second of Spain, 1559 ; conquered by Louis the Fourteenth, 1674, confirmed to him, 1678. German Spas. A number of places in Western Germany, containing mineral springs, the waters of which are drunk by visitors from all parts of the globe, who repair thither for that purpose. Geysers. The name of certain spouting fountains of boiling water, situated about thirty miles from the volcano Hecla, in Iceland. These fountains are remarkable for the height to which the water and stones which issue from them are frequently pro- jected. Giant's Causeway. A vast collection of masses of rock situate in the county of Antrim, Ireland, extending to so great a distance, and disposed in such regular order, as to form one of the greatest curiosities in nature. Glaciers. The name given to the immense blocks of ice which accumulate on the peaks and slopes, and in the upper valleys of lofty mountains, and which, owing to their elevation, generally remain solid. Those of the Alps are specially referred to as "the Glaciers." Golconda. A town of Hindostan, six miles from Hyderabad, once celebrated for its commerce in diamonds. Goodwin Sands. Dangerous shoals off the coast of Kent, once part of the estate of Earl Godwin, the father of King Harold. Where the sands now are was formerly a large tract of land, which was overwhelmed by the sea in 1100, reducing it to that perilous condition which has been so fatal to mariners ever since. Grampian Hills. A chain of hills in Scotland, which extend in a north-east direction from the mountain Benlomond in Dum- bartonshire, through the counties of Perth, Angus, and Kincar- dine, to Aberdeen, and thence in a north-west direction, through the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Murray, and on the borders of Inverness. They take their name from a single hill, the Mons Grampius of Tacitus. Great Belt and Little Belt. Two straits which unite the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat. " ; Great Plain of Europe. This extends from the German Sea PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 137 through Prussia, Poland, and Russia, towards the Ural Mountains , presenting tracts of heath, sand, and open pasture. Greenland. Under this name is denoted the most easterly parts of America, stretching towards the North Pole, and also some islands to the northward of the continent of Europe, lying in very high latitudes. Grub Street. The former title of Milton Street, Cripplegate, London, which was once the residence of authors of the less fortunate class, and the trite and illiberal jest of the more favoured. This character it seems to have obtained so far back as the time of Cromwell, when the street consisted of low and mean houses, which were let out in lodgings, in many instances to persons whose occupation was publishing anonymously what were then deemed libellous or treasonable works. Hague. A large and beautiful city of Holland, the usual residence of the Court, and the seat of the States General or Dutch Parliament. Hanse Towns. The cities of Hamburg, Lubeck, and Bremen, so called from their being the sole representatives in the present day of the Hanseatic League. Hartz Mountains. The most northern mountain-range in Germany, occupying an area of above 1000 miles. Hebrides. A long chain of islands lining the western coast of Scotland, and amounting in number to above 200, though a great many of these are mere islets, and only eighty are inhabited. Herculaneum. An ancient city of Naples, overwhelmed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the reign of Titus ; it was discovered in the year 1689, since which time there have been obtained from it many sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, and other relics of antiquity. Hercules, Pillars of. The name given by the ancients to the eminences of Calpe in Spain and Abyla in Africa, which command the entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar. Hesse. A country of Germany, formerly constituting a province of the empire, under the charge of a landgrave. After undergoing various changes through family successions and political revolutions, the territory is now divided into three inde- 138 THE HISTORICAL FINGEE-POST : pendent principalities : namely, Hesse-Cassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Hesse-Homburg. Highlands. A name given to the mountainous parts of Scotland, to the north and north-west, including the Hebrides. The inhabitants are a hardy and primitive people, characterized by peculiar habits and customs, and speaking the Gaelic language. Himalaya. A vast mountain-chain of Asia, bordering the plateau of Thibet on the south, and dividing it from the plains of Northern India. It contains the loftiest summits on the globe and the largest number of them ; the range extending in length for about fifteen hundred miles, and in breadth from two hundred to two hundred and fifty. Hispania. In ancient geography, the name given by the Komans to the whole peninsula of the Pyrenees, now Spain and Portugal. Iceland. A large island in the northern part of the Atlantic .Ocean, between the 63rd and 67th degrees of north latitude, and 16th and 23rd degrees of west longitude from London. Ionian Republic. The name given to seven principal with many smaller islands, lying in the Ionian Sea, to the west and south of the kingdom of Greece. The principal islands are, Corfu, Cephalonia, Zante, Santa Maura, Ithaca, and Paxo. These form a republic, under the protection of Great Britain. The government consists of a Lord High Commissioner, who repre- sents the British sovereign, and of a legislative assembly. John o' Groat's House. The name of a house formerly belonging to John de Groot, and supposed, though erroneously, to have been the most northerly dwelling on the mainland of Scotland. It is mentioned in connection with the Land's End, in Cornwall, to express the extreme points of Great Britain. Land's End, In Cornwall, the western extremity of England. Levant. An Italian word signifying the East, and commonly employed to designate the eastern or Asiatic shores of the Medi- terranean Sea. Lover's Leap. The name given to a promontory in Leucadia, one of the Tnracian islands ; so called, because from this height, PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 139 Sappho and other disappointed lovers threw themselves into the sea. Low Countries. Another name for the Netherlands, a district in the north of Europe, comprehending Holland and Belgium, and the grand duchy of Luxemburg. Lower Empire. A term applied to the Roman Empire during the period of its decline. Lowlands. The name given to the southern and eastern parts of Scotland, in contradistinction to the Highlands. Lunenburg. Anciently, an independent state of the House of Brunswick, which in the year 1235 was raised together with Brunswick to the rank of a duchy. Man, Isle of. This is a distinct territory from England, and is not governed by English laws, neither does any Act of Parlia- ment extend to it, unless expressly named therein. It was formerly a feudatoiy kingdom, subject to the kings of Norway, then to King John and Henry the Third of England ; afterwards to the kings of Scotland, and then again to the Crown of England ; subsequently it was claimed by Hemy the Fourth by right of con- quest, and disposed of, first to the Earl of Northumberland, and afterwards to Sir John de Stanley. From this period the Earls of Derby were constituted Lords of Man, and maintained a sort of regal sway there, by assenting to or dissenting from the laws ; and no English process was of any authority. Such an independent jurisdiction being found inconvenient for the purposes of justice, by affording a ready asylum for debtors, outlaws, and smugglers, the interest of the then proprietor was purchased by Government in 1765, and the island and its dependencies became vested in the Crown and subject to the regulations of the British excise and customs. The Isle of Man still retains, however, peculiar laws, privileges, and immunities. Marble, City of. The city of Genoa was formerly thus designated on account of its stability, stateliness, and magni- ficence. Marches. A term used to signify the cotmtry lying near and about the marks which indicated the limits of two kingdoms, dukedoms, or other extensive jurisdictions. The Marches of 140 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Wales and Scotland was a term employed in English history until the union of those countries with England. Mauritius, or Isle of France, is 400 miles east of Madagascar. It was discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, and converted into a Dutch settlement in 1640. It was called Mauritius, in honour of Prince Maurice, the Stadtholder. Upon their acquisition of the Cape of Good Hope, the Dutch deserted it, and it continued unsettled till the French landed there in 1720. They remained in possession of it till 1810, when it was taken by the British, in whose possession it now is. Military Frontier. The name given to a tract of country which extends from the Adriatic Sea to the Bukowina, between the frontiers of Illyria, Croatia, Slavonia, Hungary, Transylvania, and those of Turkey. Military Roads. Certain great roads in the Highlands of Scotland, distinguished by this name from the circumstance of their having been originally made by the soldiers stationed in the Highlands during the rebellion of 1745. These roads afforded a communication from Stirling to Inverness, and from Inverness to Fort William. Mint. A locality in the Borough, London, taking its name from a large structure, which formerly stood here, and which was used as a mint in the time of Henry the Eighth. This quarter of the town became afterwards notorious as the hiding-place of persons who had committed crime, and of other dissolute and abandoned characters. The place was thus converted into a sort of stronghold, and as such succeeded in keeping at bay or otherwise baffling the officers of justice. Montenegro, or Black Mountain. So called from the dark forests that clothe its mountain-sides. A high rugged district forming a small independent state, nominally under the protection of Austria, and situated on the borders of Albania, Herzegovina, and the Austrian territoiy of Cattaro. New World. An epithet applied to America in contradistinc- tion to the other parts of the globe, which are collectively called the Old World. PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 141 Oases. A name given to those fertile spots watered by springs which occur in the great sandy deserts of Africa. Old Man. The ancient Koman Pharos, at Boulogne, so called during the siege by Henry the Eighth, 1544. Pampas. The name of large barren plains in South America, abounding in swamps, overgrown with wild vegetation, and in many places impassable. In the dry season the plains become parched to such a degree that extensive conflagrations occur, and myriads of animals are destroyed. At other seasons terrific storms, known as the pamperos, sweep across the district, levelling everything within their reach. Penal Settlements. Colonies established for the reception of convicts transported from the mother-country. The only remain- ing penal settlements belonging to England are Van Diemen's Land and Western Australia. Pere la Chaise. The name of the eastern cemetery of Paris ; it derives its name from occupying the site of a house which belonged to a priest named La Chaise. Plate River, or River of Silver. An immense estuary, formed by the junction of the Paraguay and Parana, and extending forty miles above Buenos Ayres, a total distance of 270 miles. Poles. A figurative expression to designate the two fixed points on the earth's surface, round which all the rest turn ; but, their site being surrounded by ice, they have been approached only at a distance of many miles. Polynesia. A name given by modern geographers to various groups of islands in the Great Pacific Ocean, lying east of the Asiatic Islands and Australia, and on both sides of the equator, stretching through an extent of about 5100 miles from north to south, and 3600 from east to west. Pontine Marshes. The name of a low marshy plain in the Papal States, about twenty-four miles long by ten broad. It is remarkable for the attempts made to drain it. This district is supposed to have been at one time a gulf of the sea ; and within the historical period it was a fertile neighbourhood, containing towns and a considerable population. 142 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Potosi, Silver Mines of. These are situated in Potosi, a town of South America. They have yielded since their discovery silver, worth nearly two hundred millions sterling. Hidings. The name of three territorial divisions of Yorkshire, namely, east, west, and north riding. It is supposed to be a cor- ruption of trithing, Saxon for the third part of a county. Sahara. The great desert of Africa, consisting of vast plains of burning sand, and covering an area nearly three times greater in extent than the whole of France. For a distance of 700 miles in one direction, no living creature finds a habitation ; and travel- lers rarely venture there. Sanguinetto. The name borne to this day by a stream which runs into the Lake Thrasymenus, where, in the year 217 B.C., the Carthaginian general, Hannibal, defeated the Romans with such terrible slaughter, that the stream was filled Avith blood. Sanun, Old. Sarum was formerly the name of the town now known as Salisbury (New Sarum). It was notorious for its political corruption, and on this account was eventually disfran- chised. Savannahs. In South America, extensive plains similar to the prairies of North America. During the dry season their vege- tation is entirely destroyed, and the ground opens in crevices. With the rainy season a vigorous vegetation rapidly springs up again. Savoy. A locality abutting on the Strand, London, which takes its name from the Duke of Savoy, who formerly had a palace here. It was afterwards converted into a place of confinement for debtors, and from this circumstance a popular error existed that it was a place privileged from arrest, Saxe. The prefix of several small German duchies, the most considerable portions of which lie between Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, and Hesse-Cassel, but of which some small districts lie in the Bavarian and Prussian territories. They are named Saxe-Coburg, Saxe-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Weimar, Saxe- Altenburg, and Saxe-Hilburghausen. Scandinavia. A name sometimes employed to designate the north-western peninsular portion of Europe ; and formerly the PLA.CES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 143 appellation of the three northern kingdoms, now known as Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Schleswig-Holstein. Two German duchies whose political troubles have been before the world for a number of years. In 1848 they refused to become incorporated as provinces of Denmark, and hence arose a conflict which has become notorious , and after a time was involved in endless complications. Scythian. Pertaining to Scythia, a large country occupying the most northern parts of Europe and Asia. Seven United Provinces. Seven of the northern provinces of the Netherlands, which, in 1579, seceded from the southern, and formed themselves into a commonwealth, with the Prince of Orange as Stadtholder. This separate kingdom existed till 1814, when it became united with the other provinces under the title of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Sicilies, The Two. Another name for the kingdom of Naples when it existed as a distinct dominion. Spanish Main. A name given to the Atlantic Ocean and coast along the north part of South America, from the Leeward Islands to the Isthmus of Darien. Stannaries. From the Latin stannum, tin. The districts of Cornwall and Devon, where the tin mines are wrought and the metal purified. The miners and tinners are privileged to sue and be sued only in their own courts, held before the lord-warden or his deputy ; so that they may not be drawn from their business to attend law-suits in distant courts. Steppes. A name given to vast plains or level wastes of land, destitute of trees, and abounding in some parts of Kussia and Tartary. Stonehenge. An object of curiosity on Salisbury Plain, con- sisting of a collection of immense stones to the number of a hundred and nine. Some of these stones being erect, and others reclining and prostrate, the supposition is that they formed at one time an extensive building ; which by comparison and inves- tigation is further conjectured to have been a Druidical temple. No certain indications of its origin or purpose have yet been discovered, nor is there the slightest clue to the process by 144 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : which such enormous masses of stone were conveyed to this desolate spot and raised in their respective situations. Sunny South. An epithet applied to Italy from its geogra- phical position, and consequent prevalence of sunny and unclouded skies. Tarpeian Rock. A rocky eminence to the south of the capital of Eome, from which criminals sentenced to death were fre- quently thrown. It was so named to commemorate the treachery of Tarpeia, who, in the early period of Roman history, betrayed the city to the Sabines. Transalpine. Lying or being beyond the Alps in respect to Rome, that is, on the north or the west of the Alps ; opposed to Cisalpine. Transylvania. A grand principality, forming part of the Hungarian estates of the imperial House of Austria, lying between Hungary, Wallachia, and Moldavia. Tropics. The tropics are two parallels from the equator, drawn through the ecliptic at those points where the ecliptic is at the greatest distance from the equator. When the sun is opposite to one of the tropics, those people who are as far from the corresponding pole as the tropic is from the equator, see the sun for more than twenty-four hours. Ukraine. An extensive country in the south-east part of Russian Poland, now represented by the Russian governments of Kiev, Podolia, Charkow, and Poltava. Vendee, La. A department in the western part of France, formed from the ancient Poitou, and deriving its name from the River Vendee. In the beginning of the first French Revolution, the inhabitants of this part of the country, who were attached to the royalist cause, maintained a war against the republican government of a protracted and formidable nature. The peculiar nature of the place, containing small woods and thickets, and being intercepted by ditches and small canals, was well calculated for maintaining a partisan war. Vistula. An important river of Europe. It rises in the Car- pathian mountains, and flows through Poland and Prussia into the Baltic. It is navigable through the greater part of its course, PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 145 and forms a most important channel to the great corn districts through which it passes. Wtald of Kent. A large district in the county of Kent r containing several market-towns, namely, Cranbrook, Smarden, Tenteiden, Biddenden, &c. It is so called from the growth of large timber, oak particularly ; iveald being a Saxon term, sig- nifying a woody district. 146 THE HISTORICAL FINGBE-POST : SEOTIO2ST Sill. EACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, CLASSES, ETC. Abii. A wandering tribe of Scythians, remarkable for their simple mode of life, peaceful habits, and integrity of conduct. They only moved as the pasture for their cattle demanded change, and on such occasions carried whatever they possessed with them. Aborigines. The original inhabitants of any country or state, in contradistinction from the colonists or more recent settlers. This name was given specially to the former inhabitants of Latium, or the country now called Campagna di Roma. Acrobates. Ancient rope-dancers and vaulters, whose per- formances were conducted from a great height, and consisted chiefly of leaping forwards or sliding down in imitation of flying. The street performers of the present day have adopted this name. Albinos. A variety of the human race, distinguished by a preternatural whiteness of the skin, white hair, red or blue eyes, and a feeble constitution. They are most numerous among the African negroes. Amazons. A nation of renowned women, who lived near the River Thermodor, in Cappadocia. They were remarkable for their masculine habits, -habitually indulged in manly exercises, and were employed in war. In order to throw the javelin with greater force, and use the bow more dexterously, they are said to have burnt their right breasts off. By some authors, this account of the Amazons is regarded as fiction, but evidence in favour of their existence greatly preponderates. Anak, Sons of. A gigantic and warlike race of men, destroyed by Joshua. Anglo-Saxons. A designation given to the people who in- RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 147 vadol and conquered England after the departure of the Romans. They were a tribe inhabiting the north of Germany. Antediluvians. The inhabitants of the earth before the Flood. Antipodes. Persons so named in geography, who live dia- metrically opposite to one another, as it were, feet to feet. They have equal latitudes, the one north, and the other south ; conse- quently, when it is day to the one, it is night to the other ; and when summer to the one, winter to the other. Arcadians. A pastoral people, said to have ameliorated their original savage condition by the cultivation of music. They appear to have been a branch of the great Pelasgic nation, which at one time seems to have extended from the Italian penin- sula to Asia Minor. Assassin. This word is supposed to be a corruption of Al Hassan, the name of a certain prince of the family of the Arsacidse, who insisted upon his subjects paying a blind obedience to his com- mands ; and employed them in murdering the princes with whom he was at enmity. In the year 1192 they destroyed Conrad, Marquis of Montserrat, a zealous Crusader ; and in 1213, Lewis of Bavaria. The whole race of the Assassins were put to the sword by Heligan Khan, a Persian chieftain, in 1261. Athletae. The name given to persons of great strength or agility, who distinguished themselves by contending for the prizes at the Olympic, Pythian, and other games of Greece and Home. The victors were held in high honour, and all foreigners were disqualified for sharing in the contest. Augurs. Among the ancient Romans, persons who pretended to foretell events, by every species of divination, as the flight and song of birds, dreams, terrestrial and celestial phenomena, &c. These predictions were regarded as having an equal influence upon public and private affairs. Aztecs. The name of a tribe of Indians who last settled in that part of America now called Mexico. They were extremely superstitious, and worshipped a number of deities. They also indulged in a variety of fantastic theories and grotesque fancies in connection with art, science, and internal government. They became extinct as a people in 1521. 148 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Banditti. The name of organized bands of robbers -which have been fostered in Italy by the mountainous nature of a great part of the peninsula. Their principal haunts in recent times have been the country about the frontiers of the Roman and Neapolitan states. Several of the bandit chiefs have been men of education and originally high position; and, in every case, the men occupying this position have been enabled to exercise considerable influence and power. Barbarians. A collective term employed in connection with ancient history to designate all the world, except the inhabitants of Greece and Rome. Bards. Among the Druids, these were professional poets; and with all ancient people such employments were recognised and connected with religion, rhapsody, prophecy, and music. Bayaderes. A Portuguese name for Indian dancing girls. They are partly employed to dance at the festivities of the Indian chiefs, and partly to perform the office of priestesses. Bedouins. A tribe of wandering Arabs, who live in tents, and rove from place to place, existing to some extent upon plunder, much the same as the Gripsy tribe. Bosjesmen. Natives of Africa, whose precise locality is the hills contiguous to the Orange River, which forms one of the boundaries of the British settlements, at the Cape ot Good Hope. Bravos. Hired assassins in various parts of Italy, who on payment of a certain sum, undertake to kill any person who is obnoxious to another, and whose death is desired. Buccaneers. A general name for the pirates who formerly made war on the Spaniards in their West Indian possessions. Caffres. A race of negroes, whose physical characteristics more nearly approach those of Europeans than any other African tribe. They live on the confines of Cape Colony. The name Caffre was given them by the Portuguese, from the word Cqfir, signifying heretic, unbeliever, or one far removed from the knowledge of Christianity. Cagots. An unfortunate and degraded race of human beings who are found in the south of France near the Pyrenees. RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 149 They are mostly beggars, depending upon casual charity and performing the meanest offices for a subsistence. They are afflicted with various diseases, and are shunned, despised, and abandoned to their misery. In former ages they were shut out from society as lepers, cursed as heretics, and abhorred as cannibals. In churches they had a separate place set apart for them, to which they were admitted by a private entrance. Their feet were bored with an iron, and they were forced to wear an egg-shell on their clothes by way of distinction. Their origin is uncertain some tracing them to the Goths, and others to the Saracens. Castes. Among the Hindoos the division of the people into classes, with fixed occupations and certain social rank. A strong line of demarcation is drawn between the various castes, to venture beyond Avhich is deemed intrusive, and to recede from which is considered degrading. Caucasian Race. A term applied to the white race of man- kind, supposed to have originated from the regions of the Caucasus, and which now covers the whole of Europe, and a part of Asia. Celtae. The Celts, a great people of Gaul, a portion of the Indo-Germanic race, who at a very early period spread from east and west across Central Europe. The Celts swarmed into Gaul and Germany; and afterwards overran Spain, Portugal, Britain, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Centumviri. A hundred judges appointed by the prsetor to de- cide common causes amongst the Roman people. They were made up of the most learned in the laws and elected out of the thirty- five tribes of the people. They were in process of time increased to one hundred and eighty, yet still retained their original name. Cherokees. An Indian tribe in the northern parts of the State of Georgia, formerly of great note, but now on the decline. They are the most enlightened of all the Indian tribes, and are generally occupied in agricultural pursuits. Children of the East. A name given to the Arabians. Choctaws. One of the aboriginal tribes still inhabiting the southern States of the North American Union ; they are now 150 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : entirely restricted to the State of Mississippi, of which they occupy the middle portion. Formerly they were a powerful tribe, but their number has been reduced by war and emigration, and they are now represented by less than ten thousand individuals, subsisting chiefly by the rearing of cattle and swine. Cinibri. A Teutonic race, who originally occupied Jutland and part of Denmark. Circassians. The inhabitants of a country situated on the northern declivity of Mount Caucasus, and now nominally em- braced within the limits of the Russian empire. They are re- markable for their love of warlike expeditions. Clergy, Regular. A designation implying the ecclesiastical orders which existed under some religious rule (regula), such as abbots or monks. In contradistinction were the secular clergy, namely, those who did not live under a religious rule, but had the care of souls, as bishops and priests. Colporteurs. In France, a body of men who travel for the purpose of distributing or vending small books, religious tracts, &c. The transactions of these persons are very extensive, and the rural and remote districts of France almost wholly rely upon them for their supply of literature. Conscript Fathers. A title originally given to those senators of Rome who were elected after the expulsion of Tarquin, and whose names were inscribed (conscripti) in the register of the senate. The term came to be afterwards applied to all the senators. Coptic. Relating to the descendants of the ancient Egyptians, called Copts or Coptlii, as distinguished from the Arabians and other inhabitants of modern Egypt. Cossacks. A warlike people, who inhabit the Ukraine, or the countries bordering on Russia, Tartary, the north of Turkey, Mongolia, and China. They are subjected to Russia, but are governed by their own laws, and have usages peculiar to them- selves. They form the irregular troops of Russia, and in times of war it is estimated that they can supply that power with a force of nearly 100,000 men. Cree Indians. A numerous and widely-extended nation of the RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. aboriginal inhabitants of North America, inhabiting the shores of Hudson's Bay, from Moose river to the mouth of Churchill river, and thence extending westward to the Athabasca Lake, and to the plains which lie between the forks of the Saskatchewan. Creek Indians. A tribe of the native inhabitants of the United States of America, occupying formerly all the countries lying north of latitude 31 between the Flint river,' the eastern branch of the Chutahooch.ee, and the western branch of the Mobile river. Creoles. The offspring of a black woman by a white father, or of a white woman by a black father. When the negroes were introduced into Spanish America, they called their own children born in bondage Creoles; and this term was taken up by the Europeans, and applied to the issue of the copper-coloured natives with the negresses. Croats. Inhabitants of Croatia, a territory comprising several districts and countries in the southern part of Austria, the greater part of which is incorporated with the kingdom of Hungary, of which it forms the south-western division. The Croats are a warlike people, and furnish some of the best corps in the Austrian army. Dames des Halles. The market-women of France ; they form a kind of corporation among themselves, in which capacity they receive a semi-recognition on state occasions and on the celebra- tion of public solemnities. Danes. The general designation given by the English to all the northern piratical adventurers who attacked England from time to time during the eighth and ninth centuries, and succeeded in establishing sovereign power in England during a portion of the eleventh century ; in this country, however, they Ifffet their power in 1049, and their subsequent history is connected with the kingdom of Denmark. Decuriones. A name anciently given to certain persons who corresponded to the senators of Rome, in the Roman towns and Italian colonies which enjoyed free municipal rights ; the whole administration of the internal affairs of such places being in their 152 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: hands. At the head of the body were two presidents, who were chosen by the citizens. Dragomans. The interpreters attached to the European con- sulates and embassies in the Levant are so called. At Constan- tinople they are the chief, and in most cases the sole, medium of communication between Christian ambassadors who are ignorant of the Turkish language, and the Ottoman Porte. They are natives of the country, and are chiefly descended from former Genoese or Venetian settlers. Esquimaux. The name of the inhabitants of Greenland, a diminutive race of people, living in rude habitations, clothing themselves in the skins of animals, and subsisting principally by hunting and fishing. Faithful, The. The religious title which the followers of Mohammed apply to themselves ; and in contradistinction from the Christians and other creeds, whom they regard as heretics and infidels. Familiars of the Inquisition. The title of those officers who assisted in the apprehension of suspected persons brought before the Inquisition. They were so called because they be- longed to the family of the Inquisitor. Fanaristes. A name given to the inhabitants of the Fanar, or Greek quarter of Constantinople. Fantees. A nation inhabiting a part of the Gold Coast of Western Africa. They are a people of primitive habits, and principally employed in fishing. Fins. The name of a portion of the population of Russia, and of the countries adjacent to the Gulfs of Finland and Bothnia and the Frozen Ocean. Flattens. In Roman antiquity, the title of certain priests devoted to the service of any particular deity, and who received distinguishing epithets from the deity administered to. The most eminent were the Flamen Dialis, Flamen Martialis, and Flamen Quirinalis. Franks. A German tribe, the members of which first appeared about the second century, when they lived between 'the Weser and the Lower Rhine. As early as the fourth century they RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 153 made incursions into Gaul, and at length succeeded in esta- blishing a small kingdom, which in 987, under Hugh Capet, became France. Fuggers and Welsers. Families of this name who flourished at Augsburg about 1528, and who were the great capitalists and speculators of their age. When the discovery of the south-west passage began to act injuriously upon the old and beaten line of commercial intercourse with India, they opened an establish- ment in Antwerp for trading to the East, and joined with some merchants of Florence and Genoa in the outfit of three vessels to Calcutta. Galley Slaves. The name given to condemned criminals, who were formerly punished by being employed as rowers on board the galleys, a species of large-sized vessel propelled by oars and sails, and extensively employed in the Mediterranean until the end of the eighteenth century. These criminals, although still retaining their original name, are no longer employed in the same manner, but are set to labour in the docks and militaiy harbours of France, Spain, and Italy, where they have gained an unhappy notoriety for misery, filth, and vice, and the utter degradation of human nature. Galway, Tribes of. This was an expression used by Crom- well's forces, as a term of reproach against the natives of the town of Galway, in Ireland. It was meant to deride the loyalty and attachment which existed between the townsmen during the time of their troubles and persecutions, but was afterwards adopted by the oppressed as an honourable mark of distinction between themselves and their oppressors. These tribes or families, who colonised Galway in the thirteenth century, were thirteen in number, according to the following distich : Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Deane, Darcy, Lynch, Joyes, Kirwan, Martin, Morris, Skerrett, French. Gentoo. A native of India or Hindostan, a follower of the religion of the Brahmins. Giaour. A word applied by way of contempt in Turkey to an unbeliever in the Mohammedan faith, especially to a Christian. 154 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Gipsies. These peculiar people are said to have migrated from the East about the beginning of the fifteenth century. They appeared in Paris as pilgrims in 1427, in a troop of more than a hundred, representing themselves as Christians driven out of Egypt by the Mussulmans. The common notion that they are descended from the Egyptians has been disproved ; there is little doubt that they migrated originally from Hindostan, at the time of the invasion of Timur Beg. Gladiators. Persons who fought in the public arena at Rome for the amusement of the populace. They were usually slaves, and were expected to continue the combat until one of them was killed. Gondoliers. The name of the boatmen, or rowers of the gondolas, of Venice. Owing to their numbers, they form an important body of the people. They are famed for their wit and good humour, and for the skill with which they manage their craft. Homerides. The inhabitants of the Isle of Chios, who pretended to be descended from the poet Homer ; and who, on this account, received marks of distinction from their fellow- citizens. Hong Merchants. The name given in China to the European merchants settled chiefly at Canton, whose transactions are conducted on a large scale, and who form among themselves an important commercial community. Hordes. Migratory companies of people occasionally dwelling in tents or waggons, and seldom locating themselves in any one spot. Their chief occupation consists of invading neighbouring territories for the purposes of rapine and plunder ; such were the Scythian and Tartar hordes of early history. Huns. The name given by historians to several nomadic Scythian tribes who devastated the Roman empire in the fifth century. These people inhabited the plains of Tartary near the borders of the Chinese empire for several centuries before the Christian era. After committing ravages and making incursions both to the East and the West, they were finally dispersed and overthrown. RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 155 Icini. The ancient appellation of the people of Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire. Imaii. A term applied, by way of excellence, to the four chiefs or founders of the four principal sects of the Mohammedan faith. Jacques Bonhomme. A name given in derision by the ancient French nobles to the peasants whom they held in serfdom, and whom they roused to rebellion by their cruelties and systematic oppression. Jurisconsult. In ancient Rome, a person skilled in Roman jurisprudence, and who was consulted on the interpretation of the laws and customs, and on the difficult points in law-suits. Jutes. An old Teutonic or Scandinavian tribe, which, in the fifteenth century appears to have been settled in the northern part of the Chersonesus Cimbrica, which is still called after their name, Jutland. The first Germanic invaders of Britain, after the departure of the Romans, were the Jutes, under their leaders Horsa and Hengist, in the year 455. They landed on the Island of Thanet, and settled in Kent. Kshatri. One of the mixed classes of the Hindoos, which sprang from the marriage of a Kshatriya woman with a man of inferior rank. Kshatriyas. One of the four castes recognised as pure in the Hindoo writings. Kurds. Natives of Kurdistan, a country comprehending the larger portion of that mountainous region which divides the elevated table-land of Persia from the low plains of Mesopotamia. Lampadaiy. An officer in the ancient church of Constanti- nople ; so called from his employment, which was to take care of the lamps, and carry a taper before the emperor or patriarch when they went to church, or walked in procession. Lascar. The name given to the native sailors of India, many of whom are in the employ of our East India merchantmen. Latins. The inhabitants of the oldest known nations of Italy, who are said to have come down at some remote period, long before the building of Rome, from the central Apennines into the lower country, which was afterwards called Latium. 156 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: Lazzaroni In Naples, the vagrant population and the lowest orders of the inhabitants. They amount to some thousands ; many of them have neither settled occupation nor home, living by day in the open air, and at night huddled together under porches, in narrow alleys, in boats, or wherever shelter can be found. The Lazzaroni form themselves into an organized body, having chiefs, whom they follow in times of political agitation or warfare. They are thus enabled to exercise a certain amount of influence, and are courted or feared accordingly. Literati. An epithet applied at the present day to men of letters as a class. Among the Romans, however, it had a very different signification, and denoted those criminals upon whom some ignominious letter or mark was branded. Lombard. An ancient name in England for a banker. It was derived from the Lombards, a company of Italian merchants, who were the great money-changers and usurers of the thirteenth century ; they appear to have settled in England before the year 1274, and to have taken up their residence in a street of London still known as Lombard Street. Lords Spiritual and Temporal. This term applies to the members of the House of Lords. The " Lords Spiritual " are the archbishops and bishops of the English Church, and one archbishop and three bishops of the Irish Church. The " Lords Temporal " are all the peers of England of full age and sane mind, sixteen peers of Scotland, and twenty-eight of Ireland. The number of peers of Ireland and Scotland is fixed, but that of England is variable, depending upon the casualties of minorities and the will of the sovereign. Luceres. In Roman antiquity, the third in order of the three tribes into which Romulus divided the people, including all fo- reigners, and so called from the lucus, or grove, where he opened an asylum for them. Magi. The ancient priests of Persia ; the date of whose origin is uncertain. They professed an utter aversion to images, and worshipped their god under the form of fire. They were super- seded by the Mohammedans, and sank into obscurity at the end of the tenth century. RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 157 Magyars. The original name of the Hungarians, and one which they still use in preference to any other. Maroons. The designation given to revolted negroes in the West Indies and in some parts of South America. Matadores. The name of the men who in Spanish bull-fights are employed to worry and finally kill the bull. Minnesingers. German lyric poets of the middle ages, whose name arose from love being the chief subject of their poems ; the ancient German word minne being used to denote a pure and faithful attachment. Minstrels. Poets and musicians who, in the early ages, wandered from place to place and from castle to castle ; they were suffered to travel unmolested by the numerous marauders of the time, and were welcomed with delight in the halls of the rich and the noble. Their custom was to entertain the company upon long winter evenings with the recitals of deeds of arms, and tales of love, interspersed with song, and accompanied upon the harp. Moors. The name generally given to the Arabs who subdued Spain at the beginning of the eighth century, and retained possession of it until the end of the fifteenth. Their designation is derived from their having come from a part of Africa called Mauritania by the Romans. Muscovites. Another name for the people of Russia. Nazarites. A peculiar people among the ancient Jews. They took a vow of abstinence, and used neither wine, strong drink, vinegar, nor grapes. They lived in tents, and imitated the pas- toral life of the old patriarchal families. They allowed their hair to grow its full length, and would never touch a dead body. Nomades. In antiquity a name given to several nations whose sole occupation was the feeding and tending of their flocks. Novemviri. The Latin name for nine magistrates of Athens, whose government lasted but one year. The first was called Archon, or prince ; the second, Basileus, or king ; the third, Pole- marchus, or general of the army ; and the other six Thesmothetce. Novi Homines. A Latin phrase signifying literally new men. Among the ancient Romans such persons as by their individual 158 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : merit and influence had raised themselves to magisterial dignity without the assistance of family connections. Nubians. Natives of Nubia, a country in Africa between Egypt and Abyssinia. Ostrogoths. A division of the great Gothic nation, settled in Pannonia in the fifth century, whence they extended their dominion over Noricum, Rhsetia, and Illyricum. Palmer.---In the time of the crusades a pilgrim bearing a staff, or one who returned from the Holy Land, carrying branches of palm. The palmer was distinguished from other pilgrims by his extreme poverty, and by his living on the charitable contributions of those among whom he journeyed. Pariahs. The lowest class in some parts of Hindostan ; in a general sense, persons without caste. Parsees. The name given to those Persian refugees who were driven from their country by Mohammedan intolerance and per- secution. Partheniae. About 740 B.C. the Spartans were at war with the Messenians, and with a view to utterly subduing the latter, the soldiers of the Spartan army, consisting of the greater part of the citizens who had attained the military age, bound them- selves by a solemn oath not to return home till they had conquered their enemies. The war being protracted beyond expectation, and the Senate fearing that the Spartan race would become extinct, invited the young men who had not assumed the obliga- tion to return home. This they did, but the children born from this source were not looked upon with favour, and became a separate community, to which the name of Parthenise was given. Pelasgi. The name of the aboriginal inhabitants of Greece. Picts. An ancient people of North Britain, whose origin is obscure, and whose history is uncertain. They are first mentioned by a Roman author, towards the close of the third century, and are said to have been extinguished as a nation by Kenneth the Second, who, in 483, conquered this people and united the whole of North Britain under one monarchy. Pilgrim Fathers. Certain English Puritans, who, in the year 1620, landed at Massachusetts Bay, North America, and who thus RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 159 became the founders of what were afterwards called the United States of America. Pinnarpi. A class of gladiators at Rome, who were commonly pitted against the Samnites. They derived their name from the pinnce that adorned the Samnite helmet, which they used to aim at, and endeavour to bear away in triumph. Potitii. An order of Roman priests, instituted by Evander in honour of Hercules, after he had slain the giant Cacus, who had stolen some of his cattle ; they were always clad in the skins of beasts. ProveiUjal Poets. Another designation for troubadours, so called because the southern portions of France and Spain, whence they originated, bore in common the name of Provence. Publicans. The name of the Roman agents who collected the revenues and taxes from the Jews. They took their stations at the gates of cities, and in the public ways, for the " receipt of custom." They examined the goods that passed, and levied the duties that were payable. These tax-gatherers, by their extortions and insults, rendered themselves objects of hatred. In Judea they were reckoned in the same class with notorious sinners ; and, although they were Jews, the Pharisees would hold no com- munication with them. Pundit. The title of learned Brahmins in Hindostan. Quadroon. Quarter-blooded, that is to say, the offspring of a mulatto woman by a white man. Kapparee. A name formerly given to certain armed plunderers in Ireland, from the rapery or species of half-pike which they carried. Bed Men. A name sometimes given to "the North American Indians. Rhinoculura. The name of a colony of criminals who were transported to a spot near the desert between Egypt and Syria. These people having been found guilty of certain crimes, were punished by Actisanes, an early king of Ethiopia, by cutting their noses off, and then banishing them to this spot. Ryots. The name in India, by which the renters of the land are distinguished. They hold their possessions by a lease, which 1GO THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : may be considered as perpetual, and at a rate fixed by ancient surveys and valuations. SaMnes. Originally the allies of Rome and afterwards their enemies ; they were defeated and made subject to Rome 290 B.C. Samnites. An ancient nation or confederacy of nations, in Central Italy, known in history for its bravery and long straggle against Rome. The Samnites were also a sort of Roman gladiators, so called because they were armed after the manner of that people. Saracens. The ancient people of Arabia, supposed to have originated from the obscure wandering tribes of the desert. Sbirri. A police force which existed in the Papal and other Italian states. They lived in their own houses, were furnished with arms, and held themselves in readiness to sally out for the purpose of tracing bad characters or suspected persons. In the kingdom of Naples this force rendered itself particularly odious to the people by its numerous acts of petty tyranny, cruelty, and fraud, and in obedience to the popular voice it was on the deposi- tion of the king of Naples in 1860 suppressed. Scalds. Poets or bards of the northern nations of Europe. Scots. This people appear to have been descended from the Britons of the south, or from the Caledonians, both of Celtic origin. Serfs. Slaves employed to cultivate the soil, and in most cases attached to and transferred with it. Such were the Russian serfs who have now obtained their freedom. Shem, Ham, and Japhet, Descendants of. From Shem, the nations of Asia are said to be derived ; from Ham, those of Africa ; and from Japhet, those of Europe. Sibyls. Certain womeu of antiquity who pretended to be endowed with a prophetic spirit. They resided in various parts of Persia, Greece, and Italy, and were consulted on all important occasions. Socii. A name given by the ancient Romans to those states, which were suffered to retain their own laws and governors on condition that they assisted the Romans in their wars. Squatters. A term applied to colonists who settle on waste lands which they have not purchased from the government. RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 161 Suevi. A people of ancient Germany, who made frequent incursions into the territories of Rome, when under the emperors. Sybarites. The name of a people who dwelt at Sybaris, a town in Great Greece, near the southern extremity of Italy. Its inhabitants were noted for their luxurious and indolent habits, combined with an extravagance which displayed itself in giving costly entertainments. Teutonic Eace. A people represented to have emigrated originally from Asia into Europe at different periods unknown to history. In the days of Julius Caesar, Northern Germany, Holland, Belgium, and a part of the countries on the middle Rhine appear to have been inhabited by Teutonic nations belong- ing to the northern or Saxon branch. Thetss. The lowest class of people among the Athenians. They were excluded from office, were not liable to pay taxes nor to serve in heavy armour ; they were employed generally as light-armed soldiers. Thugs. The name given to a class of robbers and murderers in India, who are banded in a sort of association, and are animated by a variety of superstitions. They usually move in large gangs and attach themselves to travelling parties. At a given signal a sudden attack is made, one division of these wretches strangling their victims, while the others prepare their graves ; by this means the work of assassination is accomplished with fearful celerity, and all traces of it effaced. This murderous system has of late years received a great check by the energetic steps taken to detect the offenders and bring them to justice. The name implies literally deceivers, from a Hindoo word, thugna, to deceive. They are also named Phansegars, from plianma, to strangle. Troglodytes. In ancient history several races of men, repre- sented as living in caves, feeding on serpents, and expressing their ideas by unconnected sounds. Troubadours. A class of minstrels who made their appearance in Provence in the eleventh century. They were the founders of modern versification, frequently singing their own songs to the music of their harps, and when they were not able to do the latter, minstrels accompanied them, who recited the lays the G 162 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : troubadour composed. Their most flourishing period Avas from about 1200 to 1250; Vandals. An ancient people composed of various tribes of Teutonic and also of Sclavonic origin, and who inhabited Eastern Prussia, or Pomerania. From the tierce character of this people, the word is used in a modern sense to signify barbarians, or ferocious cruel persons. Varinghians. The name given to certain Norman adventurers, with whom originated the name of Russia, given to an empire founded by them from various Sclavonic and Finnish populations. Vavassor. A term applied in the ancient records of England, Scotland, France, Lombardy, and Arragon, to persons holding fiefs not immediately under the king, or other persons possessing regal power, but under some intermediate lord. Vestals. A name given to six virgins, who took a vow of perpetual chastity, and were employed to watch the sacred fire, which was kept incessantly burning on the altar of the goddess Vesta. Visigoths, or Westward Goths, formed a separate division from their brethren the Ostrogoths, or Eastern Goths, in 330. After various incursions into neighbouring states, they formed the Gothic kingdom in Spain, and were finally overthrown by the Saracens in 711. Volscii An ancient people of Italy, among the early Latin enemies of Rome. For many years they made war against Rome with varied success, and were absorbed as a Roman province, 33$- B.C. Walloons. The name of the inhabitants of the southern districts of the Netherlands in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They were celebrated for the art of dyeing. MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. 163 . SEOTIOIT MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. Baildes Noires. An appellation given in the first instance to a body of German foot-soldiers who were employed in the Italian wars by Louis the Twelfth, of France. They ueceived their name from carrying black ensigns after the death of a favourite commander. Another body of troops, formed of Italians, after- wards took the same name from the same cause. Beef-Eaters. The yeomen of the guard of the sovereign of Great Britain, vulgarly so called. The term is a corruption of the French buffctiers (from -buffet, meaning .sideboard), it being one of the duties of this guard to stand by the sideboard during royal dinners of state. Black Brunswickers. The name given to a military corps com- manded by the Dukes of Brunswick. Charles William Ferdinand commanded the Prussian army in the war with France ; he was defeated at Jena, September 14th, 1806, and died of his wounds, at Altona, November 10th, of the same year. Napoleon refused to allow him to be interred in the ancestral vault of the family ; and for this indignity, the regiment he commanded vowed to take signal vengeance on their enemies, and that for the future they would fight to the death, and neither take nor give quarter. This threat was put into execution, and the Black Brunswickers became the terror of their foes, more especially at the Battle of Quatre Bras, fought on the 16th of June, 1815, and in which Louis Ernest, son of the preceding duke, was killed. Bowmen, English. That part of the English army which existed before the invention of fire-arms, the men being furnished with the cross-bow and long-bow as offensive weapons. a 2 164 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : The English bowmen were long noted for their sturdiness, the strength of their arm, and the precision of their aim. Captain-General. Formerly the highest rank in the English army, answering to the more recent field-marshal. Cent-Suisses. A select infantry corps instituted by Louis the Eleventh in 1471, comprising one hundred men, 'all natives of Switzerland. It formed a part of the royal household, and was always about the person of the king. It was suppressed during the first Revolution, but was re-established in 1830. Centurion. A Roman officer who had the command of a centuria or division of one hundred men. They were chosen from among the common soldiers according to their merit. Chasseurs d'Afrique. A French body of cavalry destined specially for service in Africa. Coldstream Guards. In the English army, a regiment of infantry, so named from Coldstream, a town of Scotland, in Berwickshire. Here, General Monk first raised the regiment in question, and with it marched into England to restore Charles the Second. Condottieri In Italian history, a class of military mercenary adventurers, who, during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries had followers amounting to armies, which were hired out to sovereign princes and states. They were well armed and equipped, and many of their leaders evinced considerable bravery and military skill. Cuirassiers. Heavy cavalry, armed with cuirasses. Most of the German powers, especially Austria and Prussia, have regiments of cuirassiers. They also form a portion of the French cavalry. Dragonnades. Expeditions of dragoons under Louis the Fourteenth against the Protestants of France, to endeavour to force them to become Papists. Enfants Perdus. A military fraternity which has been asso- ciated with the arms of France from the introduction of infantry. These soldiers volunteered their services for every sort of perilous expedition and daring enterprise ; and from time to time their MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. 165 name has been recorded in connection with several brilliant military achievements. Their designation, enfants perdus (lost children), is obviously in allusion to the dangei'ous and almost hopeless nature of the services they undertook. Ferentarii. Among the Romans, auxiliary troops, lightly armed ; their weapons being a sword, arrows, and a sling. There was also another corps of the same name, whose business was to carry arms after the army, and to be ready to supply the soldiers therewith in battle. Garde Mobile. A corps created in Paris, in 1848, for the reception of the young men thrown out of employment by the revolution. Gendarmerie. From gens d'armes, men-at-arms ; under the old French monarchy, a chosen corps of cavalry. The gendarmerie were afterwards formed into a body of soldiers intrusted with the duties of police all over France ; it furnishes patrols, arrests cri- minals, examines the passports of travellers, and contributes to- the maintenance of good order. The gendarmerie form a distinct corps in the army, under their own superior officers, who are subject to the'orders of the ministers of the interior and of police ;: in case of war they may be called into active service, like the other portions of the army. This corps is mostly recruited from old and deserving soldiers of other regiments. General Commander-in-Chief. The head of the English army has this title when the post is filled by a field-marshal ; in other cases he is called general commanding -in-chief. Gentlemen-at-Arms. A corps instituted by Henry the Eighth,, the persons selected being gentlemen of noble blood. They were for some time called Gentlemen Pensioners, but in 1834 received their present title. The duty of this body is to attend upon the sovereign on all great state occasions. Grenadiers. These foot-soldiers were so called from their making use of hand-grenades, which they flung into the enemy's works previous to the assault. Hoplitae. The heavy-armed horse-soldiers of Athens : they were always free citizens. Hussars. Originally Hungarian and Polish horsemen. They 166 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : were chiefly employed in making sorties and sudden onsets, and by some are supposed to have derived their name from the shouts or huzzas with which they rushed to the charge. Another supposition is that they are named from hussar, a Hungarian word meaning twentieth, because every twentieth man drawn in the conscription was obliged to enter the military service. In the earliest times they were attired in the most grotesque fashion, having the skins of tigers or other wild animals hanging on their backs, and wearing a fur cap with a cock's feather in it ; hence the apparent incongruity of the modern uniform. Immortals. In antiquity, the name of a body of ten thousand troops, constituting the guard of the King of Persia ; so called because they were always of the same number ; for, as soon as any of them died, the vacancy was immediately filled up. They were distinguished from all other troops by the richness of their armour, and still more for their bravery. The same term was applied to the life-guards of the Roman emperors. Infantry. This word takes its origin from one of the Infantas of Spain, who, hearing that the army commanded by the king, her father, had been defeated by the Moors, assembled a body of foot-soldiers, and with them engaged and defeated the enemy. In memory of this event, and to distinguish the foot-soldiers, who were not before held in much esteem, they received the name of Infantry. Janisaries. These were originally called " Yenghicheri," a Turkish word, meaning new soldiers. They were a military body first raised in 1359, by order of Amurath the First, who com- manded his officers to seize annually the most vigorous and comely of the captive Christian youth. They were then educated in the Mohammedan religion, inured to obedience by severe dis- cipline ; and, in order to arouse their martial ardour, they had conferred upon them every possible mark of honour or distinc- tion. This corps became irresistible in war, and were accounted the terror of all nations. After a time, they began to exercise a despotic power in their own country, revolted against their rulers, and at length becoming intolerable, they were suppressed and massacred, June 14, 1826. MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. 167 Kirk's Lambs. An epithet derisively applied to a military corps commanded by Colonel Kirk in the time of James the Second. They rendered themselves infamous by their ferocious bearing towards persons whose loyalty was suspected, and especially for the unscrupulous missions which they performed at the bidding of Cruel Judge Jeffreys. Landwehr. The military of any country, especially that of Austria and of Prussia. The former are a sort of reserve to each regiment of the line ; they serve under the same colonel, and are drilled once a year with the line regiment. The Prussian land- wehr h more completely organized. Every Prussian subject com- mences military service in the standing army, a force composed of the youth of the nation from twenty to twenty-five years old. After two or three years' service, the soldier proceeds to his home, but is liable to be called upon to join his regiment. At the expiration of five years from the date of enlistment, the men are drafted into the first class or levy of the landwehr, remaining in it until their thirty-second year. In time of war, they are liable to be called upon to serve with the regiment of the line of a corresponding number. From their thirty-second to their thirty- ninth year the men belong to the second levy, and are called out occasionally in tme of peace, but in war they garrison the fortresses. Legion. Among the ancient Romans, a body of infantry, con- sisting of different numbers of men at different periods. Each legion was divided into ten cohorts, each cohort into ten compa- nies, and each company into two centuries. Mamelukes. A species of military aristocracy, having its origin in Egypt, and possessing great power and influence in that country. As a military body, the Mamelukes greatly distinguished themselves, and especially on the occasion of the French invasion of Egypt. During the stay of Bonaparte in Egypt, he created a corps of Mamelukes from among the natives of the country ; they were formed into a company, dressed in the oriental costume, and were recognised as a portion of the French army. After the ab- dication of Napoleon, they were dispersed, and in part massacred. Marines. Soldiers on board a ship of war. They perform 168 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : none of the duties of sailors. They are trained to fight both at sea and on land, and are generally considered the most gallant troops the country possesses. MOSS Troopers. The name given to a set of military ma- rauders and lawless soldiers, who had for places of concealment the mosses on the borders of Scotland. They were driven out and extirpated in 160^. Municipal Guard. A corps formed for the city of Paris in 1802, and in 1813 re-named the Gendarmerie of Paris ; it was also called the Eoyal Guard during the first [Revolution. In 1830, a new municipal guard was created, and subsisted until the revo- lution of 1848, when it was suppressed. Myrmidons. The name of a people who are said to have inhabited the borders of Thessaly, and who accompanied Achilles to the war against Troy ; hence the name became synonymous with desperate soldier or ruffian. National Guard. A popular armed force of France, instituted in 1789, and composed of citizens. Oxford Blues. A regiment of horse-guards formed by Charles the Second in 1660. It was the first corps established of the present English regular army. They were raised at Oxford, and were clad in a blue uniform, hence the designation. Peace Establishment. The number of effective men required in the army and navy during the time of peace. Phalanx. Among th'e Macedonians, a large compact body of about 16,000 heavy-armed pikemen, who formed a solid square, and were always placed in the centre of the battle. The phalanx was divided into ten battalions, each of which was usually drawn up a hundred men in front, and sixteen deep. Pindarics. A set of freebooters in India, who formerly made continuous aggressions upon the British possessions, and who were encouraged in their acts by the Mahratta princes. They were at first bodies of mercenary horse, serving different princes for hire during war, and living on plunder in the time of peace. They were annihilated in 1817, by the British forces. Praetorian Guards. A body of picked soldiers who formed the guards of the Eoman Emperors. They numbered about MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. 169 10,000 and were divided into nine or ten cohorts. Their pay was double that of the rest of the army. They generally took a part in all revolutions, and by reason of their numbers, prowess, and influence, became a power in the state. Prussian Giants. A celebrated infantry corps established in Prussia by Frederick the Great. The monarch devoted much time and attention to the collection of this company, and sent agents throughout the countiy to secure the tallest men that could be found. Not content with this, he married them to women of corresponding stature with a view of perpetuating a gigantic race. Razzia. An Arabic word much employed in connection with Algerinc affairs, to signify an incursion made by military into an enemy's-- country, for the purpose of carrying off cattle and destroying the standing crops. It always conveys the idea of pillage. Its meaning is sometimes extended to other sorts of incursions. Sacred Battalion. A band of infantry composed of 300 young Thebans united in the closest friendship, who were engaged under a solemn oath, never to fly, but to defend each other to the last drop of their blood. At the battle of Leuctra, in which the Spartans were signally defeated, the Sacred Battalion mainly contributed to the success of the day. Sepoys. The name given to the Hindoo troops in the service of the Lite East India Company. Train Bands. A species of Volunteer Corps which first started into existence in 1585 in connection with the London Artillery Company, and at the time when the Spanish Armada, threatened to invade England. On the breaking out of the civil wars the train-bands were again mustered, and at the Restoration they were incorporated with the Artillery Company. The mem- bers of the corps consisted for the most part of merchants and tradesmen of the City of London, and other well-to-do citizens. mans. A species of light eavalry of Tartar origin. From the Tartars it was introduced into Poland. The Austrian s adopted it next ; the Prussians in the Seven Years' War ; and at the present day almost all armies have some of this cavalry, THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : whose chief weapon is a lance, to which is generally attached a small flag for the purpose of frightening the horses of the enemy. They are always light troops, and are particularly useful in attacking squares. Walloon Guard. The body-guard of the Spanish monarch, they receive their name from the Walloons, a people in the Low Countries so called. The Duke of Alva, who was governor of the Netherlands for Philip the Second of Spain, in order to flatter tfhose whom he ruled, selected a body-guard from among the Walloons for the Spanish monarch, and gave it the appellation of the Walloon Guard. Zouaves. An infantry corps, originally created in Algeria in 1831 to replace the Turkish troops in the service of the regency. This armed force received into its ranks the outcasts and restless spirits of Africa and France, but after a time the Africans disappeared from the corps, which thenceforward comprised Frenchmen only. The Zouaves rendered great service in the Crimean war, and are on all occasions conspicuous for their reck- less courage and. deeds of daring. SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 171 SEOTIOIT ixrv. SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. Abracadabra. A magical formula employed in superstitious ages as a charm against ague, fever, and other diseases. It was usually written on a piece of paper or vellum in the following manner : ABRACADABRA ABRACADABR ABRACADAB ABRACADA ABRACAD ABRACA ABRAC ABRA ABR AB A This triangle of letters was then suspended about the neck by a linen thread, in the belief that the wearer would thus escape the ills incidental to human nature. Abraxas. The supreme god of the religious sect of the Basi- lidians. It is a mystical or cabalistic word,, composed of the Greek letters a /3 p a a e, which, together, according to the Grecian mode of enumeration, make up the number 365. For Basilides taught that there were 365 heavens between the earth and the empyrean ; each of which heavens had its angel or intelligence who created it ; each of which angels likewise was created by the angel next above it ; thus ascending by a scale to the Supreme Being, or first Creator. Abvaasas stones are very 172 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : numerous, and represent * human body with the head of a cock and the feet of a reptile. They are supposed to have been used partly as a means to inculcate doctrines, partly as symbols, and partly as amulets or talismans. Agnus Dei " The Lamb of God." A cake of wax stamped with the figure of a lamb supporting the banner of the Cross. It is supposed by the Romish Church to have miraculous powers for preserving the faithful. A part of the Mass is also so called, from the circumstance of its beginning with these words. Al Borak. The name of an imaginary animal on which, according to the Mohammedan tradition, the Arabian Prophet performed his journey from the temple at Jerusalem, through the heavens. It is conceived to have been an animal between the mule and the ass, and to have been of a shining white colour. Alectryomancy. An ancient method of prophesying through the agency of a cock. The twenty-four letters of the Greek alpha- bet were laid on the floor, and a. barleycorn on each ; the bird was then allowed to pick up the grains, and the letters under the grains thus selected, were supposed to foretell the event which might be expected. Amulets. These have been used by all nations as a charm or preservative against mischief or disease. The Persians adopted from the Egyptians the custom of suspending from the neck small cylinders, adorned with figures and hieroglyphics. The Jews were extremely superstitious in the use of them, as also the Greeks. Among the early Christians, amulets were made of the wood of the Cross, or ribbons with a text of Scripture written on them. In the sixteenth century, amulets were worn around the neck, against pestilence, made of arsenic, and used in large quantities. Apotheosis. In antiquity, a heathen ceremony, whereby emperors and distinguished persons were placed among the gods. After the apotheosis, temples, altars, and images were erected to the new deity ; sacrifices were offered, and colleges of priests were instituted. It was one of the doctrines of Pythagoras, that virtuous persons, after their death, were advanced into the order of SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 173 gods. Hence, the ancients deified all the inventors of things useful to mankind, as well as those who had rendered signal service to their country. Arcanum. An epithet applied to a secret remedy, or a medicine of which the ingredients and preparation are kept hidden. Such medicines, on account of numerous abuses, have been made, in some countries, an object of medical police. Augury. The ancient practice of consulting the gods, and learning their supposed will by divers kinds of omens. Augu- ries were sought from the appearance of the heavens ; from the feeding, singing, and flight of birds ; from the entrails of animals, and from various accidental circumstances ; among these latter may be mentioned some superstitions which are regarded by the vulgar at the present day, as, the stumbling up stairs; the spilling of salt ; the meeting of cross-eyed persons, &c. Avatar. 'A Sanscrit word, which properly signifies a descent, or the act of descending. It is particularly applied to the incar- nation of the Hindoo deities, or their appearance in some manifest shape upon earth, as a fish, a tortoise, a boar, &c. Bacon's Brazen Head. A popular legend in connection with Roger Bacon, a monk of the thirteenth century. The tradition says that Bacon conceived the idea that if he could only make a head of brass which should speak, and which he should hear speak, he might be able to surround all England with a wall of brass. It was further pretended that ahead was made, which was warranted to speak within a month, but without any definite time being fixed. Bacon's man was accordingly set to watch, with orders to arouse his master if the head should speak. This man, at the expiration of half an hour, heard the head say " Time is ; " at the end of another half-hour, " Time was ; " and, at the end of a third half-hour, " Time's past ;" when the head fell down with a tremendous crash ; but the foolish servant neglected to wake his master, thinking he would be angry to be disturbed for such trifles, and Bacon thus missed the opportunity of executing his design. Banshee. An Irish fairy, formerly believed to appear in the shape of a diminutive old woman, and to chant in a mournful ditty, under the windows of the house, the approaching death of some THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : one in the families of the great. In Scotland, the Benshi was called the fairy's wife, and was alike zealous in giving intimation of coming dissolution. Behemoth. An animal mentioned in the Book of Job, gene- rally supposed to be the hippopotamus. Brownie. A species of fairy, which, in some parts of Scot- land, is believed to make itself particularly busy in household and rural affairs. Cabbala. A mysterious kind of science among Jewish Rabbins, pretended to have been delivered to the ancient Jews by revela- tion, and afterwards transmitted by oral tradition, and employed for the interpretation of difficult passages of Scripture. The science consists in understanding the combination of difficult letters, words, and numbers, which are asserted to be significant. Each of these is supposed to contain a mystery ; and the Cabbalists pretend to foretell future events by the study of this science. Cabiri. The name given by the Phoenicians to their deified heroes, or sacred priests, venerated as the founders of their religion. Cock-Lane Ghost. A deception practised by a young girl, in 1762, in Cock Lane, near Srnithfield, London. From the artful manner in which this affair was conducted, many believed in its truth, and a great deal of public excitement was created. So deep a sensation did it occasion, that it was at length considered expedient to hold a sort of commission of inquiry into the matter composed of clergymen, and men of repute and eminence, of whom the celebrated Dr. Johnson was one ; by this means, the Imposition was in a very short time detected. Dragon. The name given to a species of fabulous monster having the body and head of a serpent, and furnished with wings and feet. The head also bristled with a long, rough, and thick mane, and from the jaws issued a flame of fire. These monsters are associated with the earliest history of Christianity, and much celebrated ia the romances of the middle ages. Many countries have a peculiar legend of some famous dragon, represented as committing great devastation the dragon killed by St. George, for instance, the history of which is well known. SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 170 Dodo. The name given to an extinct bird, said to have existed in the Mauritius previous to the seventeenth century. A head and leg are preserved in the British Museum ; also a drawing, apparently somewhat fabulous, made by an artist named Edwards, who says, " The original picture was executed in Holland from the living bird, brought from St. Maurice's Island, in the East Indies, in the early time of the discovery, by way of the Cape of Good Hope." Much difference of opinion has existed ( among naturalists as to the real character of the Dodo ; the most general belief being that the bird represented, was made up by joining the head of a bird of prey, of the vulture family, to the legs of a gallinaceous bird. Eddas. The Northern mythology is so called, and is contained in two collections of traditions, fables, &c., of the wildest .imagina- tion, but of the sublimest conception. These have been handed down from time immemorial by the Scalds, or ancient minstrels of Demark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. The word Edda signifies mother of poetry. In the beginning, these mythological records were communicated from mouth to mouth, and afterwards written in Runic characters. El Dorado. Literally, the golden country. The name given by the Spaniards of the sixteenth century, to an imaginary region somewhere in the interior of South America, where gold and precious stones were supposed to be had for the merely picking them up. Sir Walter Raleigh published an account of this mythical country, and from these representations, an expedition was fitted out under his command ; it arrived at the Orinoco ; the delusion was discovered ; and the adventurers believed that they were betrayed ; Raleigh was hurried home to answer for his conduct, and expiated his folly 'and rashness by an untimely death on the scaffold. Elixir of Life. A nostrum professed to have been discovered by Paracelsus, a famous alchemist who flourished about 1520. He promised longevity to all who should make use of this elixir, but these pretensions proved injurious to his interests, while he himself, despite his elixir, died at the .comparatively early age of forty-eight. Evil Eye. A superstition existed among the ancients that 176 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST : certain persons possessed the power of injuring those on whom they cast a look of hostility or envy. This power was supposed to reside in the noxious rays which the eyes of such persons darted on every object on which they were fixed. The same superstition prevails to the present day in several parts of the world, even in Ireland, and the northern parts of England. In Italy it is believed in under the name of Malocchio. Exorcism. An opinion prevailed in the ancient church that a class of persons, those particularly who were afflicted with certain diseases, especially madness and epilepsy, were possessed by evil spirits. Over such persons, forms of conjuration were pronounced, and this act was called exorcism. There were even certain men who adopted this as a regular profession, and were called exorcists. Fata Morgana. A singular atmospheric refraction, frequently observed in the Straits of Messina, between the coasts of Calabria and Sicily, and occasionally but rarely on other coasts. It is called the " Castle of the Fairy Morgana," and consists of an optical illusion, in which the images of houses, castles, and other objects in the adjoining landscapes are fantastically and magnifi- cently represented, sometimes in the water, and sometimes in the air; not unfrequently two images of the objects are visible, the one in a natural position, the other inverted. Faust, Doctor. A celebrated dealer in the black art, who lived in the beginning of the sixteenth century. Dr. Faust has become in Germany one of those standing national characters which represent a whole class of persons, and to whom every new in- vention and strange adventure is persistently attributed. Accord- ing to tradition, Faust entered into a contract with the Devil for twenty-four years. A spirit called Mephistopheles was given him as servant, with whom he travelled about, enjoyed life in all its forms, and surpiised people by working wonders. The pi'obable explanation of the fable is, that Faust was a chemist in advance of his age. Fetich. A word said to be of Portuguese origin, and intended to signify an object of worship not representing a living nor perhaps a human figure. Among the negroes on the western coast of Africa, SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 177 Bribes, families, and individuals have their particular fetiches, generally chosen or selected under the influence of some particular superstitious notion. They consist of stones, weapons, vessels, plants, &c. Flying Dutchman. The name given by the superstitious to a phantom-ship manned by a spectral crew. Most mariners believe it to haunt the seas, and its supposed appearance is regarded as an onen of tempestuous weather, calamity, and shipwreck. Genii. Among the Arabs, these are supposed to represent a race of beings created from fire, capable of assuming any form and becoming invisible at pleasure. They are divided into good and evil genii, and as such are believed to take an active interest in human affairs, and to be the authors of much happiness and misery to mankind. Glamour. An old term of popular superstition in Scotland, denoting a kind of magical mist formerly believed to be raised by sorcerers, and which deluded the spectators with visions of things having no real existence. Glastonbury Thorn. The name of a famous hawthorn tree which formerly grew at Glastonbury, in Somersetshire. The remarkable feature of this tree was said to be its putting forth leaves and blossoms upon every anniversary of Christmas Day ; and so notorious did the representation become, that it was cus- tomary for thousands of persons to assemble, during the night previous to Christmas, round about the thorn to watch its coming into bloom. The tree was ultimately destroyed during the period of the civil wars by some Parliamentarian soldiers, but slips of the same tree grown in the neighbourhood are said to fulfil the same condition as the parent plant. The probable explanation of this remarkable circumstance is, that the monks of Grlastonbury may have procured this tree from Palestine, where numbers of the same sort grew ; that in its adopted soil it still preserved its idiosyncrasy of blooming in the winter, about the time of Christmas, and more or less upon Christmas Day itself. Gnomes. A name anciently given to certain invisible beings which were believed to inhabit the inner part of the earth. They were represented as small in stature, but tractable and friendly 178 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : to man ; and they were looked upon as the guardians of mines, quarries, and hidden treasures. Goddess of Reason, A deity which was set up for public worship in France during the time of the first Revolution. She was personified by a young woman of abandoned character, and was enshrined with profane rites on the altar of Notre Dame. Griffin. A fabulous monster of antiquity, commonly represented with the body, feet, and claws of a lion, the head and whigs of an eagle, the ears of a horse, and instead of a mane, a comb of fishes' fins : the back was covered with feathers. The ancients believed that this bird came from Asia into Greece in the train of Bacchus. He was therefore the symbol of learning and wisdom. HoTiris. The name of the virgins in Mohammed's paradise ; they are described as of dazzling beauty, and with languishing glances directed towards individual admirers. They are said to dwell in blooming gardens, beautiful beyond description, where they are to be found reclining amidst bowers in perpetual youth and loveliness. Juggernaut. Literally Lord of the World. The most cele- brated and sacred temple in Hindostan, containing an idol carved from a block of wood, with hideous and distorted features, and a blood-red mouth. The image is gorgeously dressed, and on festival days the throne of the image is placed upon a high tower, which moves on wheels, and is drawn along by the people. The priests and their attendants stand around the throne on the tower, and occasionally turn towards the worshippers with ribald songs and uncouth gestures. While the tower moves along, numbers of the devout worshippers throw themselves upon the ground in order to be crushed by the wheels, the act being applauded by the multitude as one of sacrifice to the idol. Kami. The name given in Japan to certain spirits, the belief in which is the foundation of the Javanese religion. Kobold. A German word, probably the origin of our gollin, with which it is nearly synonymous. Almost every peasant's house has, in German superstition, its attendant Jcobold, presiding over all the domestic operations, many of which they are supposed to perform. SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 179 Lamia. In antiquity, an imaginary being represented as a monstrous animal, a spectre or vampire. It was usually de- picted -with the face and head of a woman, and the tail of a serpent. Laocoon. A subject forming one of the most exquisite groups of sculpture in ancient art. It is derived from fabulous history, representing the priest of Apollo or Neptune during the Trojan war, who, while engaged in sacrificing a bull to Neptune, was, with his two sons, crushed to death by an enormous serpent sent by Minerva to revenge his having endeavoured to dissuade the Trojans from admitting the famous Avooden horse within their walls. Lares. The domestic deities of the Romans, and sup- posed to be the souls of deceased ancestors. The Lares familiares presided over the house and family. The Lares parvi were so called because they were small in size and worshipped without any pomp. The Lares prcestites kept everything in order. Lemures. The name given to male and female genii, or infernal deities, believed by the ancient Romans to haunt solitary rooms and silent places. They were propitiated by having some beans cast to them. Leviathan. A Hebrew word signifying a great fish. Some have supposed, from the desci - iption given in the Book of Job, that it is the whale ; while others assert that it is the crocodile. Mammoth. The primitive elephant, a very large species of that animal, the bones of which are found fossil : an entire carcass preserved in ice was discovered in the north of Russia towards the end of the eighteenth century. Maraboots. In certain parts of Northern Africa, a class of saints or sorcerers, who are held in high estimation, and who exercise, in some villages, a despotic authority. They distribute amulets, affect to work miracles, and pretend to exercise the gift of prophecy. The rich presents which they receive from a superstitious people, enable them to live with a good deal of pomp, and to maintain an armed force, and a numerous train of followers. Mastodon. An extinct animal, allied to the elephant, and exceeding it in size. Its remains are chiefly found in a fossil state. 180 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Megatherium. A quadruped of enormous size, now extinct. It is considered to be allied to the sloth family, and to be peculiar to America. Mermaids. Fabulous inhabitants of the sea, represented as half-fish and half- woman ; they were supposed to lure mariners by their charms and fascinations, and then to destroy them. Millennium. A term intended to signify the imaginary thousand years during which Christ will reign on earth with the faithful, when the power of Satan will be extinguished and unanimity and happiness will prevail. Mithras. One of the names under which the sun was anciently worshipped among the Eomans. Mithras is also said by some writers to have been one of the most powerful of good spirits created by Ormuz. The mysteries of Mithras were celebrated with much pomp and splendour, on the revival of the Persian religion under the Sassanidse. Morana. The old Bohemian goddess of winter and death ; the Maryana of Scandinavia. A grand yearly festival used to be held in her honour in the month of March, when her image was conveyed solemnly to the nearest brook or river, and thrown into it amidst the rejoicings of the people, the act being symbolical of the departure of winter and the return of spring. Mundus Patens. A festival among the Romans, observed on the 24th of August, 4th of October, and 27th of November. Hell was supposed to be open on those days ; and accordingly, men would not enlist, engage in battle, put to sea, or marry. Music of the Spheres. An hypothesis of Pythagoras and his school, according to which the motions of the heavenly bodies produced a music imperceptible to the ears of mortals. Nepenthe. The name given by the ancients to a magic potion, supposed to have the power of mitigating all pain, and obliterating sorrow from the memory. Oracle. Among the ancients, an imaginary divinity, who was invisible, and who upon being consulted gave replies more or less appropriate, and almost always ambiguous. It was in point of fact a deception by which the priests imposed upon the supersti- tions and credulity of the people SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 181 Patagonians. A gigantic race said to have existed in the neighbourhood of the Straits of Magellan, but of whom the accounts are vague and unsatisfactory. The men are represented as measuring between eight and nine feet high, and the women and the children in proportion. They are mentioned by Sir Francis Drake in one of his voyages, and were subsequently spoken of as having been seen by Commodore Byron. Peri. In Persian mythology, the descendants of fallen spirits, excluded from Paradise until their allotted penance is accom- plished. Phoenix. A fabulous bird regarded by the ancients as the emblem of immortality. It was described as of the size of an eagle, the head crested, the body covered with a beautiful plumage, and the eyes sparkling like stars. It was said to live in the wilderness for 500 or 600 years, at the termination of which, it built itself a funeral pile of wood and aromatic gums, which it kindled with the fanning of its wings, and thus apparently consumed itself, but not really, inasmuch as by this process it was supposed to endow itself with new vitality. Philosopher's Stone. An imaginary object much sought after by the ancient alchemists, who believed that it possessed the power of transmuting into gold everything it touched. Philter. A drug or preparation, supposed by the ancients to have the power of exciting love. Phylactery. The name anciently given to all kinds of spells, charms, or amulets that were supposed by their possessors to act as a preventive against the approach of danger or disease. Among the Jews, it took the form of a slip of parchment on which some text of Scripture was inscribed, and was worn by devout persons on the forehead, breast, or neck, as a mark of their religion. Pigmies. The name of a fabulous people represented as inhabiting Central India. They are described as dwarfed in stature, and as wearing immensely long hair and beards. They are said to excel as hunters and archers. Procrustes, Bed of. According to fabulous history, Procrustes was a notorious robber of Attica, who had two bedsteads, one 182 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: short and the other long. The monster placed his short guests in the long bed, and then under pretence of fitting the bed to the occupant, stretched the latter till he died. If his victim was tall, Procrustes placed him in the short bed, and reduced him to fitting dimensions by cutting and clipping. Puranas. Compositions generally recognised by the Hindoos, and with them exercising an extensive and practical influence upon society. They are of a legendary nature, interspersed with fantastic theories of the origin of all things, the creation, destruc- tion, and renovation of worlds ; religious doctrines, rites, &c. Purgatory. According to the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, a place of purification, in which, after death, those souls are cleansed which are not sufficiently pure to enjoy the happiness of heaven. Romulus and Remus, Fable of. The tradition in connection with the founding of Rome is, that the twin sons of Rhea were, by the order of Amulius, son of Procas, king of Alba, thrown into the Tiber. As the flooding of the river subsided, they were left uninjured at the foot of the Palatine Hill. Here they were suckled by a she-wolf, until they were dis- covered by the wife of Faustulus, a shepherd of the king. They were brought up at the shepherd's cottage, and named Romulus and Remus. After a while the parentage of the children was discovered. By this time they had grown up and were enabled to raise a party in their favour. They deposed Amulius, and placed their grandfather, Numitor, on the throne. For themselves they built a city on the Palatine Hill : but a quarrel arose between them, Remus was slain, and the city was named Rome from the surviving brother, Runic Wands. Willow wands inscribed with mysterious characters, and used by the heathen tribes of the north of Europe in the performance of magic ceremonies. Such wands were also employed by the ancient inhabitants of Sweden and Norway to note the succession of time. Sacred House of Mecca. According to the Arab legend, God commanded a temple to be built to commemorate the miraculous preservation of Ishmael. Its shape and substance SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 183 were an exact type of Adam's Oratory, which was believed to have been constructed in heaven, and preserved from the Deluge to serve as a model for this occasion. The black stone encased in the wall, and still pressed with devotion by the lips of eveiy pilgrim, was that on which Abraham stood when he prayed at the consecration of the temple ! This famous stone was said to have descended from heaven, and served as a scaffold at the erection of the temple, rising and falling of its own accord, as it suited the convenience of Abraham, who officiated as master-mason. The temple thus became an object of attraction. The Arabs conceived it a duty to adore Providence on the spot which bore such visible tokens of the Divine goodness. From the celebrity of the place, a vast concourse of pilgrims flocked to it from all quarters. Such was the commencement of the city and super- stitious fame of Mecca. Sainte-Ampoule. A phial or flask of oil which was pretended to have been brought from heaven by a dove, for the crowning of Clovis, king of France. Second Sight. A superstition fostered in the Highlands of Scotland, and some other places, which supposes certain persons endowed with the power of descrying future or distant events as if actually present. Sideromancy. A species of divination performed by burning straws, &c., on red-hot iron, on which operation conjectures were formed from the manner of their burning. Suttee. A custom formerly existing in Hindostan, the Hindoo widows burning themselves alive with the bodies of their deceased husbands. This species of barbarity arose originally from the too literal interpretation of a text in the Vedas, that " The woman who dies with her husband shall enjoy life eternal with him in heaven." This custom has given way to the progress of civiliza- tion, and is now all but extinct. Tophet. An epithet for hell, from a place so named, east of Jerusalem, where the Jews were accustomed to throw the car- casses of beasts, the dead bodies of human beings to whom burial was refused, and all kinds of filth ; and where a fire was per- 184 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: petually kindled to consume all that was deposited, in order to prevent any offensive smell. Touching for the Evil. A custom which formerly existed in England, and observed by persons afflicted with scrofula, vulgarly called king's evil. From the time of Edward the Confessor to the reign of Queen Anne, a superstition prevailed that the royal touch was efficacious in the cure of this disease ; and in accordance with such belief, numbers of persons were admitted into the royal presence upon certain days, to be touched by the sovereign's hand. Translation of Saints. The origin of the translation of saints is said to have been as follows : In the year 359, the emperor Constantinus, out of a presumed respect, caused the remains of St. Andrew and St. Luke to be removed from their ancient place of interment to the temple of the Twelve Apostles, at Constanti- nople ; and from this example, the practice of searching for the bodies of saints and martyrs increased so rapidly, that in a few years the whole of the devotees were engaged in that pursuit. Relics then became of considerable value ; and as they were all alleged to possess peculiar virtues, no expense or labour was spared to provide such treasures for every public religious foun- dation. Transmigration of Souls. The Egyptians held the belief that when the soul quitted the body after death, it transmigrated into the bodies of all kinds of animals ; and that after the space of three thousand years the soul again returned to the body it had left, provided that body were found to be .in a state of preserva- tion. Hence, the custom of embalming, so prevalent among the Egyptians. They further believed, that the gods took refuge in the bodies of animals to escape the wickedness and violence of men ; they therefore regarded such animals as sacred, and paid them divine honours. Unknown Tongues. A fantastic theory put forth by the Eev. Edward Irving, in 1826, in connection with the " Unknown Tongues " referred to in the Scriptures ; he professed to have dis- covered the interpretation and intent of these, succeeded in attracting a number of followers, and for a time" created a sensation. SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 185 Utopia. The title of a work written by Sir Thomas More, describing an imaginary republic. The word has been adopted in the same sense to signify whatever is unreal or visionary. Vampire. A demon, which was supposed to prowl about some parts of Germany and Hungary, sucking human blood, and after- wards possessing itself of the bodies. Virgilian Chances. A species of divination practised by the ancients, by opening the works of Virgil, and remarking the lines beneath the fingers the instant the leaves were parted ; thus drawing conclusions from the applicability of the words to a person's present circumstances, or future fortune. Vishnu. The second person in the Triad or Trinity of the Hindoos, and the personification of the preserving principle. He is fabled to have made nine descents on earth in various shapes, the tenth being yet to come, when he will establish a perfect system of righteousness on earth. Walhalla. In Northern mythology, the palace of immortality, inhabited by the heroes of Scandinavia. Walpurges Night. The night of the 1st of May, a festival of St. Philip and St. John. Saint Walpurga was an English lady, sister of Boniface, the apostle of the Germans. Her festival falls upon the same day with that of the above-mentioned saints ; and is an anniversary in Germany resembling Lady-day in England. According to the popular tradition, it is the witch-festival held on the summit of the Brocken, in the Hartz mountains ; a superstition supposed to have originated in the rites performed by the pagan remnants of the Saxons in honour of their gods, when their nation was converted to Christianity, which worship, being secretly celebrated in remote places, was suspected by the vulgar to take the form of supernatural orgies. Wandering Jew. An imaginary person of tradition, who, for some insult that he offered our Saviour just previous to his Cru- cifixion, was condemned to wander upon the face of the earth until Christ's second coming. It is pretended that a person answering this description has been seen fjrom time to time, bearing only the marks of ordinary old age, and still living out his sentence. THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST Waters of Jealousy. Among the Jews, .a test given to a woman suspected of infidelity to her husband, in order to demon- strate her innocence, or confirm her guilt. White Lady. An apparition, which, in Germany and some other countries, is believed to appear to persons who are about to die. This imaginary personage is said to be clothed wholly in white, with the hair dishevelled, &c. ROMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. 187 2CV. ROMANCE, LEGEND, IMAGINARY AND MYSTERIOUS PERSONAGES. Abelard and Heloise. The hero and heroine of a romantic tale of love in the early part of the twelfth century. Abelard was the most remarkable man of his age as a philosopher, logician, and divine ; no branch of study or mental acquirement appeared beyond the reach of his exertion and capacity. So celebrated did he become as a public teacher, that persons of all ranks nocked to him to receive his instruction or listen to his eloquence. Among these was Heloise, a beautiful girl of eighteen, who con- ceived an ardent passion for Abelard, and in a short time they were all in all to each other. When Fulbert, the uncle of Heloise, became aware of the disgraceful connection that had been formed, he avenged the dishonour of his family by having Abelard waylaid and mutilated in a most horrible manner. The unhappy wretch immediately withdrew from the world, and retired to a convent ; while Heloise became a nun. He died in 1142 ; she survived him twenty years ; but she buried him in a magnificent sepulchre, and at her death left instructions for her body to be laid beside that of her lover, which injunction was complied with. Amadis de GauL The hero of an old romance of chivalry, written in Spanish prose, by Vasco Lobeira, towards the end of the. twelfth century ; it was afterwards corrected and translated, and became a universally popular book in Italy and France. The story alludes to fabulous feats between the Welsh and the English, previous to those of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table ; the Romans and Saxons are united against the Prince of Gaula or Wales, and the Saxons are represented as treacherous and 188 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : faithless. This work is considered as one of the most interesting in the whole library of chivalry and romance. Arthur's Round Table. According to the popular tradition, there reigned in Britain, towards the end of the fifth century, a Christian king, the British Uther-Pendragon, who had for coun- sellor a powerful and benevolent enchanter, named Merlin. Merlin advised the king to assemble all his knights, who were distin- guished for piety, courage, and fidelity, at feasts about a round table, which was calculated to receive fifty knights, and was to be occupied for the present by forty-nine only, one place remaining empty for a guest yet unborn. This was Arthur, son of the king, who was instructed by Merlin in all the accomplishments of knighthood, and at a later period occupied the vacant seat at the round table, which, under his presidency, became the resort of all valiant, pious, and noble knights. Barmecide's Feast. This circumstance, so frequently alluded to, forms one of the narratives of the Arabian Nights' Entertain- ment. It is related that one Schacabac, being reduced to great poverty and hunger, paid a visit to a noble Barmecide in Persia, who was very hospitable, but withal a great humorist. . The Barmecide was seated at a table ready-covered for an entertain- ment, and upon hearing Schacabac's complaint, he desired him to sit down and begin. The humour of the story now consists in the host setting before his famished guest a variety of imaginary dishes ; and Schacabac being a man of ready wit and complaisance, fell in with the fantastic notion, and pretended to eat the phantom- viands with considerable zest. When the cloth was removed, imaginary wines were placed on the table, and a pretence was made to fill the glasses from an empty decanter. After feigning to drain two or three bumpers, Schacabac becoming somewhat vexed at the persistency of the jest, gave the Barmecide a smart box on the ear, but immediately recovering himself, he apologised for what he had done, alleging as an excuse that wine always made him quarrelsome. The Barmecide appreciated the wit manifested in the retaliation, and instead of being angry, feasted Schacabac in reality. ROMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. 189 Blue Beard. The reputed original of this repulsive hero of romance was Giles de Laval; Lord of Raiz, who was made Marshal of France in 1429. He rendered his country distinguished service, but made his name infamous by murders, impieties, and de- baucheries. He is accused of having encouraged and maintained sorcerers to corrupt young persons of both sexes, that he might attach them to himself, and afterwards kill them for the sake of their blood. At length, for his crimes, he was sentenced to be burnt alive in a field at Nantes, in 1440. Cid. A Castilian hero, whose exploits are so largely mingled with fable and romance as to render it difficult to determine how much of his life is true. His real name was Don Roderigo Dias de Bivar, and he was reared in the court of the kings of Castile. On account of his early martial prowess, he received the honour of knighthood while yet a youth. Nearly the whole of his life was passed in expeditions against the kings of Arragon, in which he performed prodigies of valour. He died in 1099. Doe, John, and Roe, Richard. Formerly, two well-known names representing a species of legal fiction. They originated in the custom of finding two sureties on arresting a person, who were bound over in heavy penalties that the Pursuer should prove the justice and the legality of his claim ; otherwise, that the Pursued should receive indemnity from the parties thus bound over. This custom, however, in process of time, degenerated into the mere nominal recognizances or sureties of " John Doe and Richard Roe." In 1852, these two celebrated characters ceased to have any legal existence ; and it was enacted, that henceforward the persons really concerned should be mentioned by name, and described with reasonable certainty. Fish and the Ring. A tradition having reference to a monu- ment in Stepney Church, and which runs as follows : In the olden time, a knight entered a cottage, where he saw an infant, of whom he had an immediate presentiment that she was destined to be his wife. Dreading to form so unworthy an alliance, he several times attempts the life of the child, but is frustrated. At length he conducts the maiden to the sea-shore with the intention of drowning her, but relents. He then throws a ring into the 190 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : sea, and commands her never to see him again unless she can produce the ring. Thus banished from the presence of the knight, she enters a gentleman's family as cook, and one day while dressing a cod-fish for dinner, she discovers the identical ring. Furnished with this gage cTamour, she seeks out the knight, presents it to his astonished eyes, and he, being persuaded of the futility of opposing any further the decrees of fate, marries her. Gog and Magog. The names of two warriors noticed in different parts of the sacred writing, and which, since the Christian era, have been regarded as nearly synonymous with Antichrist. These names are given to two warlike figures in the Guildhall of London, but why they are so called has not been explained. Guy, Earl of Warwick. A famous personage, of whose actual existence there are strong doubts. He is represented as living in the earlier part of the fourteenth century, and his chroniclers attribute to him numerous combats with giants, and other warlike achievements. Hauser, Caspar. A mysterious youth, who was found, in 1828, wandering the streets of Nuremberg, by a citizen of that place. He held in his hand a letter addressed to a cavalry officer in garrison at Nuremberg, in which it was stated that he was born in 1812, and that his father belonged to a regiment of Bavarian cavalry. Hauser was unable to give any information respecting his person or his history. He seemed to have passed his days in seclusion, and was scarcely able to speak. Received by public charity, he was confided to the care of a professor at Nuremberg, who undertook his educa- tion. Afterwards he was under the protection of Lord Stanhope, who placed him in the offices of the tribunal at Anspach. Several times his life was assailed. One of these attacks proved successful in 1833, and the murderer remained unknown. Iron Mask, the Man with the. An historical personage, respecting whom the greatest amount of mystery, doubt, and uncertainty prevail. All that can be certainly said of him is that he was confined for many years in different prisons of France, and died in the Bastile in 1703. During the whole period of his imprisonment his face was hidden by a mask of black velvet, ROMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. 191 strengthened with whalebone, fastened behind the head with a padlock, and further secured by a seal ; thus permitting him to eat, drink, and breathe, but at the same time effectually concealing the features. His manners, his carriage, even his voice went to prove that he was a person of superior birth and breeding ; but beyond this all is conjecture. It has been variously stated that he was a twin brother of Louis the Fourteenth ; the Duke of Mon- mouth, who was supposed to have been beheaded in London, but who had been withdrawn from punishment ; the offspring of a criminal intercourse between Ann of Austria and the Duke of Buckingham ; and a patriarch of the Armenians, named Awediks, removed from Constantinople at the instigation of the Jesuits. When Laborde, a confidant of Louis the Fifteenth, endeavoured to gain from his master some intelligence of this mysterious per- sonage, the king replied, " I pity him, but his detention injures only himself, and has prevented great misfortunes ; you cannot Jcnow him." The monarch himself had not learned the history of the iron mask till his majority, and he never intrusted the secret to any one. Joan, Pope. A female Pope, respecting whose identity there is considerable doubt among historians. She was called John the Eighth, was said to have been of English extraction, and having disguised herself as a man, set out on her journey to Rome. Arrived in that city, she, by reason of her great learning, was chosen Pope in room of Leo the Fourth. The prevailing belief is, that Pope Joan was a merely fictitious character invented for the purposes of controversy. Lancelot of the Lake. The name of one of the Paladins celebrated in the traditions and fables i-elating to King Arthur and the Hound Table. He distinguished himself by his extraordinary deeds and great heroism, and was placed in many marvellous and dangerous situations from which, however, he always extricated himself by his valour, and invariably with the assistance of the Lady of the Lake . Loknian. A name that figures in the proverbs and traditions of the Arabians. The period at which Lokman lived is doubtful. According to tradition, he was sent with a caravan from Ethiopia 192 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : to Mecca to pray for rain in a time of great drought. But God's anger destroyed the whole family from which he was descended, except himself, the only righteous one ; whereupon the Creator of the world decreed that Lokman should live for a period equal to the lives of seven successive vultures, and thus he remained upon earth for an incalculable length of time. Mazeppa, The story of this unfortunate person has been made generally familiar through the medium of poetry and the drama ; the facts, as related by a contemporary historian, are as follows : Mazeppa was the son of a Polish gentlemen in Podolia, and served for some time as a page at the court of King John Casimir, Avho reigned from 1G48 to 1688. Early in life he was engaged in carrying on an intrigue with the wife of one of his neighbours ; one day he was intercepted by the offended husband, and as a punishment was bound to the horse upon which he rode. The animal being turned loose, carried its master back to his own house, whose shame at being thus exposed and humiliated, in- duced him to leave his native country and retire among the Cossacks. In this new situation he soon distinguished himself by his strength, courage, and general abilities, and by way of acknowledgment was appointed to various posts of honour and distinction, until he attained the office of Hetman, or commander- in-chief. He died in the year 1687. Munchausen, Baron. The original of this well-known narrator of wonders was a German officer who served several campaigns against the Turks in the Russian service. He told the most extravagant stories of his adventures, till at length his fancy so completely got the better of his memory, that he really believed his most improbable and impossible fictions. He was in the habit of relating these waking dreams to the poet Burger, who afterwards published them with his own embellishments. Orlando or Roland. A celebrated hero of the romances of chivalry, and one of the Paladins of Charlemagne, of whom he is represented as the nephew. His character is that of a brave, unsuspicious, and loyal warrior, but somewhat simple in his dis- position. Peeping Tom of Coventry. A popular legend connected with ROMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. 193 Coventry to the following effect : Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and lord of this place, had laid heavy taxes on the citizens, and would not remit them. To the repeated entreaties of his wife, Lady Godiva, he made answer that he would grant her prayer on one condition, namely, that she should ride through the city in a state of nudity ; this the earl did to rid himself of the importunities of his Avife, thinking that she would surely not perform such a task. She, however, determined to do so ; proclamation was made to that effect, and all citizens were ordered to withdraw into their houses, and close their doors and windows as Godiva passed by. The tradition is that all cheerfully obeyed this command save a tailor, who could not overcome his curiosity, and looking out, was struck blind. This event is commemorated by an effigy of the peeper inserted in a niche of a house in High Street, Coventry. Petrarch and Laura. With these two names is associated one of those tales of love which sound more like romance than a sober reality of life. Francesco Petrarch, one of the greatest of the Italian poets, was born in 1304. In 1327 he first saw at the church of St. Clara, Laura, daughter of Audebert de Noves, syndic of Avignon, and the wife of Hugh, son of Paul de Sade. The poet was immediately inspired with a passion as hopeless as it was inextinguishable ; from that moment Laura absorbed his whole thoughts for a long course of years, kept his mind in agitation, and influenced the tenor of his life. To combat this passion Petrarch had recourse to travel, and afterwards settled down in a retreat at Vaucluse, in Provence ; here he poured out his soul in song to the object of his adoration, and some of the most beautiful and pathetic love-verses ever penned have been thus handed down to posterity. In 1348 Laura fell a victim to a plague which ravaged all Europe ; and although twenty-one years had elapsed since Petrarch first beheld the object of his affection, the circumstance of her death acted as a terrible blow to him. In 1374 Petrarch died, and to the latest moment of his life he retained the tenderest recollection of her who had exercised so extraordinary a spell over him. Robin Hood. The name of the captain of a band of robbers B 194 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : who infested the forest of Sherwood in Nottinghamshire, and from thence made excursions to many parts of England in search of booty. Some historians assert that this was only the name assumed by the then Earl of Huntingdon, who was disgraced and banished the court by Eichard the First at his accession, but there is no good authority for this tradition. He died 1247. Robinson Crusoe. The interesting and popular work of De Foe bearing this title is based upon the actual history of Alex- ander Selkirk, a seaman of Fife, who, while engaged in a piratical enterprise in the American seas in 1704, mutinied against his captain (Stradling), by whom he was put on shore on the solitary island of Juan Fernandez. Here he remained till February, 1709, when he was taken off by Captain Woocles Rogers, with whom, as mate of his vessel, he returned to England in 1711. Robsart, Amy. The real Christian name of this unfortunate lady, whose ill-usage has formed the subject of romance, was Anne. She was the daughter of Sir John Robsart, and was married to Lord Robert Dudley, afterwards Earl of Leicester, and Queen Elizabeth's favourite. When Dudley became aware that he had found so much favour in his royal mistress's eyes, he formed the plan of contracting a royal alliance, and with this view determined first of all to secrete his wife, and afterwards to murder her. Amy or Anne Robsart was accordingly induced by her husband to withdraw to the retired mansion of Cumnor, near Abingdon, and here she was found dead at the foot of the stairs, September 8th, 1560. There is little doubt that the Earl or one of his creatures procured the death of the unhappy lady, and the body was placed where it was found to favour the idea that she had fallen down stairs. Schlmmel, Peter, " The Man without a Shadow." The hero of a modern German romance which has attracted extraordinary attention from the singular nature of the main incident on which the whole story turns. Peter having sold his v shadow to the Devil for certain valuable considerations, the deprivation of this opacity proves the curse of his life, for he finds that nobody can tolerate a man without a shadow ; the ladies shriek and withdraw from his society, and when he appears in the streets ROMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. 195 the little boys shout after him. In short, he very soon repents of his bargain, and would gladly give the Evil One his substance to get back his shade. Seven Sleepers. One of the fables of history relates that, in the time of the emperor Decius, when the Christians were per- secuted, seven noble youths of Ephesus concealed themselves in a neighbouring cavern, the entrance to which was closed by order of the emperor. The persecuted youths immediately fell into a deep slumber, from which they were accidentally awakened after a period of 187 years. The sleepers were found still bearing the bloom of youth. They related their stoiy to the multitude, gave them their benediction, and expired. Stella and Vanessa. The feigned names of two ladies with whom the personal history of the celebrated Dean Swift is intimately associated. During Swift's residence in Ireland he invited a young lady named Johnston (Stella), with whom he had become acquainted in England, to come and reside near him. The invitation was accepted, and the lady, accompanied by a friend, took up her abode in the village where Swift resided.. When he was there they lived in the village, and during his absence they occupied the parsonage-house. lie afterwards, when in London, made the acquaintance of Miss Hester Vanhomrigh (Vanessa), a woman of fortune and literary taste, to whom he acted as tutor. She became greatly attached to him, and even offered him her hand in marriage. He avoided giving her a direct answer, but carried on a long correspondence with her under the feigned names of Cadenus and Vanessa. She even followed him to Ireland. Meanwhile Stella's jealousy appears to have been excited, and to satisfy her, he offered to marry her on condition that they lived still on the same terms as they had done for the last sixteen years. They were accordingly married privately in 1716, and Stella continued to superintend Swift's household as she had done before, but the union was never acknowledged. After some time, Miss Vanhomrigh discovered the affair ; she never recovered the blow, and died fourteen months afterwards. Swift's wife also died heart-broken by his neglect and coldness. It is said that when her health was quite H 2 196 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: broken he offered to acknowledge their union, but she replied that it was too late. Valentine and Orson. A well-known romantic legend said to have the following origin : Bellisant, the wife of Alexander, emperor of Constantinople, having been falsely accused by the prime minister, was banished the court. She fled for refuge to the forest of Orleans, and there gave birth to male twins ; one of these was taken from her by a she-bear, and suckled by it for some time, hence called Orson. The other, being discovered by King Pepin of France, Bellisant's brother, during the search after Orson, was brought up at the court of his uncle. Orson still continued to live in the forest, and became a terror to the neighbourhood from his savage and ferocious deeds ; subsequently he was overcome by his brother, and was tamed so far as to be brought to court. Under these influences his habits and bearing became gradually refined, he became attached to one of the orders of knighthood, and ultimately married one of the king's daughters. White Doe of Rylstone. A family named Norton, consisting of a father and nine sons, residing at Rylstone, in the north of England, were condemned to death for being concerned in a conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth. The legend relates that Emily Norton, a young maiden, determined upon procuring the royal pardon for her father and brothers, and with this view set out on foot for London, accompanied only by a, white doe. To this pet animal is attributed such extraordinary sagacity as to render it an important actor in the scenes that followed. The queen's presence was gained, the pardon procured, but it arrived in time to save only one of the brothers, the remaining eight, with the father, having been executed just before the arrival of the pardon. PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 197 SEOTICXLT XVT. PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, DISTINGUISHING TITLES, ETC. A'Kempis, Thomas. A monk, born about 1380, at Kempen (whence his name), in the diocese of Cologne ; died in 1471. He is the author of several religious works, the most celebrated of which is " De Imitatione Christi" (on the imitation of Christ). This work has appeared in above a thousand different editions. Alonzo the Brave. A well-known name in romantic legends. It Avas borne by many kings and warriors, particularly Alonzo the Fourth, King of Portugal, who ascended the throne 1325, and whose whole life was passed in military adventures and personal encounters, in which he displayed great bravery. Ancient Comedy, Prince of. An epithet applied to Aristo- phanes, a Greek author who flourished about 435 B.C. AristarchllS. An appellation for a person who criticises literary performances too severely ; from a Greek critic of this, name, who passed severe strictures upon the works of Pindar and other poets. Aristides the Just. The Athenian Archon and general, flourished about 480 B.C. He gained this illustrious appellation by his strict impartiality in judicial decisions, by his unimpeach- able probity, and by the sacrifice of all personal considerations, for his country's good. He died so poor, that the state was obliged to supply the means for his interment. Attic Bee. Xenophon was so called, for his mellifluous style ; he combined simplicity of language with sagacity of observation. Aunmgzebe. That is " Ornament of the throne ;" his proper name was Mohammed ; he was the third son of Shah Jehan, and was born in 1619. He was the last powerful and energetic 198 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : sovereign that reigned over the Mogol Empire of Hindostan. He carried on many wars, conquered Golconda and Visiapour, and drove out the Mahrattas from their country. He died in 1707, and with his death, the brilliant epoch of the Mogol power in India was terminated. Avon, Swan of. A designation for Shakspeare, who was bora at Stratford-upon-Avon. Ayrshire Ploughman. Robert Burns, the poet, was so called, it being in the humble capacity of a ploughman, and in Ayrshire, that he gave indications of his extraordinary genius. Barbarossa. A famous pirate, otherwise called Horush. From a very humble origin he rose by his skill, cunning, and bravery, to lay the foundation of the Turkish dominion in Algiers, and was eventually proclaimed Sultan, about the year 1500. The name of Barbarossa is said to have been given to this adventurer by the Christian sailors, on account of his red beard. Barebones, Praise-God. A fanatic of the time of Cromwell, who assumed this extraordinary name upon his joining the Puritans. He was originally a leather-seller of London ; was afterwards Member of Parliament, and became notorious for his religious exhortations, sermons, and other exercises, which were of extreme length, and delivered in public. Bavins and Maevrns. The names of two wretched poets in Virgil's days, and who have been regarded as the representatives of poetasters of succeeding generations. Bede, Venerable. An ancient English writer, whose fame for learning spread over the whole of Europe. He devoted the whole of his life to the writing of his " Ecclesiastical History," and other works, and in instructing the young monks. Born 672 ; died 735. An English council directed his works to be publicly read in churches. Belisarius, Blind, This is an historical tradition, the truth or falsity of which has given rise to many disputes among the different authorities. Belisarius was consul of Rome in the year 536. For many years he was one of their most successful generals, and particularly distinguished himself in his expeditions against the Groths and Vandals. In 562, a conspiracy against the PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 199 Emperor Justinian was discovered, in which Belisarius was accused of being concerned ; one account says that he was acquitted of this charge : but the popular tradition is, that he was deprived of his eyes, and reduced to beg his bread, ex- claiming to the passers-by, " Give a penny to Belisarius the general." Belted Will. The familiar name of a celebrated warrior and local legislator, whose real appellation was Lord William Howard. As Warden of the Western Marches, the particular office assigned to him was " keeping the Border," which in those lawless times demanded considerable vigour, energy, and tact. In addition to his military prowess and administrative ability, he possessed great literary talent, and wrote much under the signa- ture of "Will. Howard." Altogether he was probably one of the most extraordinary men of the period in which he lived. Bentinck, Dutch. William Bentinck, first Earl of Portland, was born in Holland, became the devoted friend of William, Prince of Orange ; accompanied him in his expedition into England, and contributed to place him on the throne. He was loaded with favours by William, who conferred the earldom upon him, sent him ambassador to France, and employed him in several important negotiations. This partiality so incensed the English, as to give rise to the invidious nickname. Bien Aime'. An epithet signifying " well-beloved," and applied to Louis the Fifteenth of France, who, at the commence- ment of his reign, possessed the affections of his people to an extraordinary degree. This love, however, gradually changed to hatred when the king gave himself up to selfish pleasures, debaucheries, and orgies of the lowest description. Black Prince. A name given to Edward, Prince of Wales, son of Edward the Third, King of England ; because, in battle, he was equipped in a complete suit of black armour. Bluff King Hal. Henry the Eighth of England, who was remarkable for his unpolished manners, and curt mode of speaking. Boanerges. Sons of thunder ; an appellation given by our Saviour to his two disciples James and John. 200 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Bomba. This name was given to Ferdinand the Second, King of Naples, by the Sicilians, after his bombardment of Messina, in 1848, in which the destruction of buildings and the slaughter of the inhabitants were immense, and contributed, more than any act of the king's, to the hatred entertained against him in that island. Borgia, Infamous. A profligate son of Pope Alexander the Sixth, who from jealous motives had a brother drowned, and also despatched several other persons, to gratify his avarice or revenge. He was sent a prisoner to Spain, made his escape, and died fighting as a volunteer in the service of his brother-in- law, the king of Navarre, under the walls of Pampeluna, in 1507. Braves, Le Brave des. An epithet which the soldiers of the French army bestowed upon Marshal Ney, who served with great distinction under Bonaparte in all his battles, and was con- spicuous for the gallantly and intrepidity which he displayed in the field. He was shot by order of the Bourbons, upon their being replaced on the throne, and met his death with the calmness and fortitude which were eminently characteristic of the man. Bray, Vicar of. A clergyman of the name of Pendleton, who, during the reigns of Henry the Eighth and his three successors, was Vicar of Bray, a parish of Berkshire, near Maidenhead. This time-serving priest managed to retain his appointment by accommodating himself to the several changes of doctrine, and conforming his faith agreeably to popular opinion. He defended this inconsistency, by declaring it to be his determination that, come what might, he would live and die " Vicar of Bray." British Solomon. An epithet applied by way of derision to James the First of England, who affected great wisdom and learning, but, in reality, possessed very little of the one and only a smattering of the other. Bronte. An estate and title bestowed by the king of Naples on Lord Nelson, 1798. Brooke, Rajah. Sir James Brooke, an enterprising English- man, who served for many years in India. In 1835, he landed at Sarawak, a province in the north-east of Borneo, and having assisted in suppressing a rebellion of the Dyaks, he received the title of Rajah. PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 201 Brown, Capability. Lancelot Brown, so called from his incessant usage of the terra " capability," as well as for the taste, and ability he displayed in rendering sterile land fruitful, and imparting beauty and attractiveness to grounds hitherto wild and unsightly. He was employed by the Court and the chief of the nobility, and succeeded in banishing from England that stiff and formal style of gardening which had so long prevailed. Byzantine Historians. The collective title of a series of Greek historians who lived under the Eastern Empire, between the sixth and fifteenth centuries. They number nearly thirty, and their works constitute almost the only authentic record of that period. Csesar. The title of Caesar with the Romans took its rise from the cognomen of the dictator Caius Julius Csesar, which, by a decree of the senate, all the emperors were to bear. Under his successor, Augustus, the first emperor, the appellation Augustus was appropriated to the emperors, in compliment to that prince ; and that of Csesar was given to the second person in the empire, though it still continued also to be applied to the first ; hence the difference between Csesar used simply, and Csesar with the addi- tion of " Imperator Augustus." Capet, Louis. The name given in derision by the republican party of France to the unfortunate Louis the Sixteenth. When brought before the revolutionary tribunal he was addressed as Bourbon, at which he protested that he was no more a Bourbon than a Capet. " Capet be it then," was the derisive reply ; and henceforward the monarch was arraigned as Louis Capet. Captivity, Prince of the. After the destruction of Jerusalem and the consequent dispersion of the Jews, many of them volun- tarily remained at Mesopotamia, where they constituted for several centuries a pretty large community, alternately under the Parthian and Roman dominion, and ruled by a chief with the title of Prince of the Captivity. Carthaginian Lion. An appellation commonly bestowed on Hannibal, the famous Carthaginian general, whose military prowess, bravery, and energy are matters of historical notoriety. Cato the Censor. An illustrious Roman, born 235 B.C. He 202 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : was distinguished alike for his valour and temperance. After serving for many years in the Koman army, he was elected Censor, and exercised the functions of that office with a stringency which passed into a proverb. Charlemagne. A name which, in the French-Latin of the earliest periods, signified " Charles the Great." It was given to Charles, the son of Pepin the Short, who, from the year 768 to 814, a period of forty-seven years, held a glorious reign over the united kingdoms of France and Germany. Charlie, Prince. The familiar title which was conferred Upon Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, by his adherents. Chevalier sans Peur et sans Reproche (without fear and with- out reproach). A designation bestowed upon Peter Bayard, a French warrior, born 1476. From the age of eighteen until his death he was engaged in a constant succession of battles, and in all of them displayed remarkable courage and gallantry. He was also conspicuous for his humanity, courtesy, and gentle bear- ing, and was esteemed even by his enemies. He died in battle in the forty-eighth year of his age, and when fatally wounded, desired that he might be placed with his back against a tree, to enable him to watch the varying fortunes of the fight ; in this situation he expired from his wound. Citizen King. An epithet for Louis Philippe, King of the French, who at times laid aside the external emblems of royalty, and mingled with the people of Paris and of other places as an ordinary citizen. Cloota, Anacliarsis. A leader of the French Revolution, whose real Christian name was John Baptist, but who assumed the cognomen of Anacharsis, that being the name of a famous Greek sage. This extraordinary individual distinguished himself by his impiety and extravagance. He denied the authority of all rulers, performed various feats of madness, and was at guillotined by order of Robespierre, 1794. Cobham, Good Lord. Sir John Oldcastle. who inherited the peerage of Cobham in the reign of Richard the Second, was so called. He distinguished himself by his patriotism and indepen- dent spirit, and chiefly by denouncing the abuses of the Govern- PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 203 ment and the corruption of the clergy. He was excommunicated and imprisoned in the Tower. He effected his escape, was re- taken, and hanged in chains over a fire, which consumed him. Cockpen, Laird of. The name of the person thus designated was one Mark Caross, to whom belonged the lands of Cockpen, situated about seven miles from Edinburgh. The Laird accom- panied Charles the Second in his wanderings, and is said to have cheered the heart of that monarch by his good-humoured sallies, but especially by the inimitable manner in which he could play favourite tune of the king's, called " Brose and Butter." Cceur-de-Lion. " Lion-hearted," an epithet applied to EicharA the First of England, whose military skill and valour formed the most conspicuous part of his character. Cologne, Three Kings of. A name commonly given to the kings of the Magi, who were led by the star to the cradle of our Saviour in Bethlehem, and to whom a shrine in Cologne Cathe- dral is dedicated. Conde, the Great. Louis the Second, Prince of Conde, was so called. He was born in 1621, and in early years displayed great military genius. At the age of twenty-two, he gained a decisive victory over the Spaniards, and followed this up with a series of other achievements against France and Holland. He died in 1686. Corn-law Rhymer. The popular title of Ebenezer Elliot, who was born at Masborough, Yorkshire, 1781. He was a self-taught man, and made himself chiefly known by several poems, in which he assailed the odious corn-laws with considerable vigour and power of expression. He died in 1849. Cornwall, Duke of. A title which the eldest son of the so- vereign of England inherits with his birth. The first duke was the son of Edward the Third, created in 1337. Cotton Lords. An epithet applied to the large dealers in cotton and cloth stuffs in Manchester, Liverpool, and other places. They are so called on account of their great wealth, commercial powei*, local influence, &c. Crichton, Admirable. The popular cognomen of a celebrated Scotchman, James Crichton, who was born in 1550. He was so called from the great reputation he acquired not only for all kinds 204 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: of learning, but for his skill in every sort of game, and his prowess and address in martial exercises. At Paris, Rome, Venice, and other places, he became noted among the eminent professors as a successful disputant. While at Mantua, he slew a famous fencing- master in a duel. The Duke of Mantua admired him so much, as to appoint him tutor to his son, a licentious young man, by whom, it is said, he was assassinated in the public streets during the carnival, 1583. Crooked-Back Tyrant. An epithet applied to Richard the Third of England, who by a series of foul murders became possessed of the throne, and who exercised a cruel and despotic sway over his subjects. He is popularly represented as being misshapen, and especially as having a hump on his back ; but recent investigations go far to prove this portrayal to be not so much a deduction from fact as an association of bodily distortion with moral deformity. Culloden, Butcher of. A designation given by way of reproach to the Duke of Cumberland, who commanded the forces employed to put down the rebellion in Scotland, and who signalized his command by the great and unnecessary slaughter committed after the victory of Culloden, in 1746. Daim, Oliver le. The son of a Flemish peasant. He obtained a situation in the household of Louis the Eleventh, who made him his barber, and caused him to change his name from u Oliver le Diable," by which he was previously known, to that of Oliver le Daim (the deer). He had great influence with Louis, whose confidant and prime adviser he became. After the death of that monarch, Daim was accused of treason, and suffered death in 1484. Dancing Chancellor. An epithet for Sir Christopher Hatton, who attracted the notice of Queen Elizabeth by his graceful dancing in a masque, and was therefore, without any legal qualification, made Lord Chancellor. His fondness for dancing was such that he was continually practising it ; he disported himself in his favourite amusement before the public upon every opportunity, and was noted as being the most elegant dancer of his time. He died in 1591. PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 205 Delight of Mankind. A title conferred upon Titus, the Roman emperor, who ascended the throne in the year 79. He was amiable, just, generous, and brave. Diable, Robert le. A name given to Robert Damiens, who was born near Artois in 1715. He is accused of being guilty of every kind of vice and crime : he poisoned one employer, robbed another, and committed a variety of depredations ; finally he attempted to assassinate Louis the Fifteenth, and did succeed in wounding that monarch, but not mortally. For this crime he was doomed to suffer the most horrible tortures, and was torn to pieces by horses. The execution took place in 1757. Dieu-Donne. The name given in his infancy to Louis the Fourteenth ; the French people regarding him as a gift from Heaven ; the queen, his mother, having been childless for twenty- three years previously. Dog, The. A surname earned by Antisthenes, an Athenian philosopher, born about 420 B.C. He studied under Socrates, and rendered himself notorious by his snarling censures of the age. Dliml) Atys. Atys, the son of Croesus, king of Lydia, was born dumb. Being in battle, he saw a soldier raise his sword against his father ; he exerted himself so greatly, that the bands of his tongue were loosened, and he cried out, " Soldier, kill not Croesus ! " Duns Scotus. A name commonly given to John Duns, a cele- brated theologian of the order of St. Francis, who flourished towards the end of the thirteenth century ; he distinguished himself by his acuteness and subtlety in religious disputations. Egalite. French for " equality ; " a name assumed by the Duke of Orleans, brother of the unfortunate Louis the Sixteenth. This dissolute nobleman, forgetting the ties of kindred, and Betting aside the instincts of his order, joined the revolutionary party, and in deference to their principles ceased to acknowledge his ducal rank, and styled himself " Citizen Egalite." This base and bad man was ultimately beheaded by the very party to which he had attached himself. Elia. The signature under which Charles Lamb wrote his admirable essays. The name was that of a fellow-clerk of the 206 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : author's at the South Sea House ; it was prefixed to the first essay, which was on the " Old South Sea House ; " the editor of the periodical to which Lamb contributed, afterwards used it to distinguish Lamb's articles, and the author himself finally adopted it. Empecinado. An appellation acquired by a famous Spanish chief of the guerilla bands, which, by their peculiar mode of warfare, worked so much mischief to the French troops, when they invaded Spain. The real name of this person was Juan Martin Diez, and his surname is supposed to have been given him from the darkness of his complexion. Epic Poetry, Father of. Homer is so styled, and he is thus acknowleged to this day. His poems were the principal founda- tion of the whole literature of the Greeks. Essayists. The title customarily given to a class of English writers, who produced periodical essays upon subjects of general interest, as morals, criticism, manners, &c. The works include the "Tatler," "Spectator," "Guardian," "Rambler," "Idler," " Mirror," " Lounger," " Connoisseur," &c. ; and the authors com- prised Addison, Steele, Johnson, Cumberland, Hawkesworth, Moore, and others. Est-il Possible. A nickname gained by Prince George of Denmark, who was son-in-law of James the Second, by his marriage with Princess Anne, afterwards Queen Anne. At the time when the desertions of the English nobility from the cause of James the Second were hourly taking place, Prince George, on the receipt of every item of intelligence, uttered an invariable exclamation of " Est-il possible ? " (Is it possible ?) At length, the prince himself deserted the royal cause, and left England ; upon hearing which, the unhappy monarch asked, grimly, " What ! is ' Est-il possible ' gone too ? " Ettrick Shepherd. James Hogg, a Scotch poet so called, born at Ettrick in 1772, died at the same place, 1835. While still tending his flocks, he wrote songs and other poems betraying great natural talent, and considerable graphic power. He attracted the notice of Sir Walter Scott, Professor Wilson, and others, and finally emerged from his obscure station, and became a successful author. PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 207 Farmer George. An epithet applied to George the Third, who was conspicuous for his bucolic predilections and his agricultural tastes. It was said that England owning him as a king had sacrificed one of her best farmers. Father Thoughtful. A nickname given to Napoleon Bona- parte, from a habit which he had of relapsing into fits of deep thought and total abstraction. Finality John. A political nickname given to Lord John Eiissell, who, upon Mr. Hume introducing a measure for " further reform," declared that it was not needed, and that the bill passed a short time previously ought to be regarded as final. First Gentleman in Europe. George the Fourth of England was so called, for, in spite of his many failings and blemishes of character, he undoubtedly possessed a distinguished address, elegant manners, and a refined taste. Fletcher of Saltoun. A conspicuous member of the Scotch parliament, who excited violent debates in that assembly, by his motion respecting the Hanoverian succession, May 6th, 1703. Fools, Prince of. An epithet applied to a celebrated jester, in the court of Henry the Fourth of France, named Angoulevant. He had a curious law-suit with the comedian of the Hotel de Bourgogne, touching the right belonging to his princedom. Forwards, Marshal. A name given to the celebrated Field- Marshal Blucher, who was remarkable for the celerity and promptitude of his movements in the field. Fra Diavolo. Italian for " Brother of the Devil," an epithet bestowed upon a person whose real name was Michael Pozzo, born 1769. Originally a stocking-maker, lie became a friar, and while belonging to a pious brothei-hood was connected with a Calabrian banditti. As bandit and priest, he assisted the cause of the Bourbons of Naples, for which he was liberally rewarded. When Joseph Napoleon became King of Naples, Pozzo again engaged in political strife, and with a targe body of bandits and recruits, entered the city, threw open the prisons, liberated their inmates, and made war upon the partisans of Joseph. After a severe contest, he was totally defeated, taken prisoner, tried and executed in 1806. 208 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : French, King of the. It was decreed by the National Assembly in 1789, that the title of King of France should be changed in the person of Louis the Sixteenth to that of " King of the French." Under this style Louis Philippe was invited to the monarchy. Fritz. A diminutive and familiar name given to Frederick the Great of Prussia. Geoffrey of Monmouth, An ecclesiastic and historian of the twelfth century. He was educated in a convent at Monmouth, and was afterwards made archdeacon of the same place. His historical chronicles are regarded as a mixture of fact and fiction. Glorious John. A popular name for the poet John Dryden, given on account of the comprehensiveness and grandeur of his poetical compositions. Godfrey de Bouillon. Son of Eustace, Earl of Boulogne, and Ida, sister of Godfrey the Fourth, Duke of Lower Lorraine, joined the first Crusade, 1096, and was elected king of Jerusalem,. 1099. Died July 18, 1100. Great Unknown. An epithet popularly applied to the author of the Waverley novels when they originally appeared, Sir Walter Scott having then studiously withheld his name from the public. Hamilton, Single Speech. A name given to the Right Hon. William Gerrard Hamilton, Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ireland, and at one time member of Parliament for Wilton, Wilts. He earned this singular title from the circumstance of his having made one speech which created a great sensation, and with the exception of this single effort, never, either before or after, mani- festing the slightest oratorical ability. The speech in question was delivered 1 on the opening of the session of 1755. Hampden, Patriot. John Hampden, so called from his patriotic opposition to the tyrannical measures of Charles the First, and especially the impost known as ship-money, which the king sought to demand of the people. He took a prominent part in the contest between the Crown and the Parliament, and com- manded a regiment in the Parliamentarian army. Harry, Blind. A famous Scottish minstrel popularly so called, who lived towards the close of the fifteenth century. Blind PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 209 Harry's most celebrated performance is a poem in eleven books on the adventures of Wallace. Heaven-Born Minister. An epithet applied to the celebrated statesman William Pitt, who at the early age of twenty-three became Chancellor of the Exchequer, and was thus popularly said to have been born a minister. Herbert of Cherbury. Edward, Lord Herbert, a courtier and politician in the time of James the First, but who is best known to posterity as a writer upon moral philosophy, and a profound and original thinker. Some of his theories are remarkable for their fanciful and eccentric character ; but as a whole, his specula- tions manifest a vast amount of intelligence and research. History, Father of. The title bestowed upon Herodotus, a celebrated Greek historian. The history written by him consists of nine books, having for their principal subjects the wars waged by the Persians against Greece ; he is said to have recited parts of this history to the Greeks themselves at the Olympic meetings, being enthusiastically applauded for his performance, and munifi- cently rewarded. Died about 406 B.C. Holy Maid of Kent. A name given to a young woman of humble origin, who acted in the capacity of servant at an inn at Aldington in Kent, in the year 1525. She was subject to epileptic fits, and during the paroxysms gave utterance to in- coherent phrases and exclamations, which the ignorance and superstition of the times attributed to inspiration and the gift of prophecy. She appears to have been made the tool of certain monks, and under their tuition ventured upon various predictions, some of which were by accident fulfilled. She was at length bold enough to prognosticate the death and downfall of the king, Henry the Eighth, and for this offence she and her accomplices were executed at Tyburn, April 21, 1534. Hotspur. The surname of Henry Percy, son of the Earl of Northumberland. The name was conferred upon him for the energy and gallantry he displayed in battle ; among other deeds he slew the redoubtable Earl of Douglas. He was slain at the Battle of Shrewsbury, in 1403. Hunt, Orator. Henry Hunt, an English Kadical, born 1773, 210 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : died 1835. He made it his business to travel through the principal towns of England, lecturing and speaking against the abuses of Government and in favour of reform. In the course of his political career he was arrested and condemned to a year's incarceration. In 1831 he entered the House of Commons. Iron Duke. A name bestowed upon the great Duke of Wellington, whose constitution appeared to defy the influences of climate, the fatigues of warfare, and the cares of office ; also on account of his stern and inflexible will, which knew no cliange from the line of duty marked out. Isaak, Old. The familiar name of Isaak Walton, the author of several writings of a religious character, but whose fame chiefly rests upon a work entitled " The Complete Angler," in which lie invests the pursuit of angling with an irresistible charm and fascination. His peaceful and blameless life commands personal respect and esteem. He died in 1720. Italy, Liberator of. A term conferred upon Garibaldi, who by his courage and address rescued a portion of the Italian people from the tyrannical rule of the king of Naples, and was the chief instrument by which the scattered states were incorporated into one kingdom, and placed under a constitutional monarchy. Jabal. Mentioned in the Scriptures as the " father of all such as dwell in tents." A tent in the ancient Hebrew signified any rude sort of dwelling. Possibly Jabal was the inventor of such imperfect domestic architecture as was known to the earliest of the Antediluvians. Jeffreys, Cruel. The distinguishing title of Jeffreys, a judge in the time of Charles the Second and James the Second, making himself the especial tool of the latter monarch, and in the name of Justice perpetrating the most barbarous cruelties. Died in the Tower in 1689. Jennings, Sarah. The name by which the celebrated Duchess of Marlborough was distinguished by the political party which she served. Assisted by the Whig administration, this able woman ruled her mistress, Queen Anne, and directed the counsels of England for many years, Until she was undermined by her rival Mrs. Masham. PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 211 Joe Miller. Joseph Miller, an eccentric comedian and com- piler of a famous book of jests, which jests have been since designated by the name of the author. He died in 1738. Jones, Boy. An impudent and daring urchin who, on several occasions, gained access to Buckingham Palace and secreted himself behind the hangings, furniture, &c. It appears that he was prompted to do this by idle curiosity alone. Judicious Bottle-Holder. A title playfully applied to Lord Palmerston, who has been for many years mixed up with the policy of the various courts of Europe, and who is supposed to be able by his influence, talents, and position to control to a considerable extent the elements of peace and war. Julian the Apostate. The emperor Julian, so called because he professed the Christian religion before he ascended to the throne, and afterwards, having embraced Paganism, endeavoured to abolish Christianity. King-Maker. A name given to the Earl of Warwick, a famous general and statesman, who acquired this title from the versatility of his conduct, and the success that attended it, in the civil war between Henry the Sixth and Edward the Fourth, in which he for some time espoused the cause of Henry, and then went over to Edward, whom he seated on the throne. He afterwards revolted against Edward, took him prisoner in battle, and aided Henry to re-ascend the throne. Died 1471. Lake Poets. The title given to a school of English poets which included Southey, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and others. For a time they took up their residence in the neighbourhood of the lakes of Westmoreland, and formed a sort of poetical brotherhood. Laughing Philosopher. Democritus, a celebrated Greek philosopher, born 460 B.C., was so called by reason of his ordi- narily manifesting contempt for the follies of mankind by unre- strained laughter. Letters, Father of. An appellation given to Francis the First, who was the great means of introducing science, art, and litera- ture into France. Lexicographer, The Great. A designation by which the learned Dr. Johnson is indicated. His remarkable compilation of 212 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : the English dictionary legitimately gives him a right to the appellation. Liberty, Captains of. The title assumed by two citizens of Genoa, named Oberto Spinola and Oberto Doria, who, from 1270 to 1291, usurped the supreme power. Lille, Comte de. The name which the Comte de Provence (afterwards Louis the Eighteenth) adopted when he emigrated, during the life of Louis the Sixteenth. Lin, Commissioner. A celebrated Chinese officer, appointed " High Commissioner " in 1839, for the purpose of putting a stop to the contraband traffic in opium between the British and the people of China. Lin conducted matters with remarkable decision and firmness, and succeeded in effecting the object that he was deputed to accomplish. Little Corporal. A name given to Napoleon Buonaparte by his army, after the Battle of Lodi, in which he fought hand to hand, like one in the ranks, and displayed great personal bravery. Loretto, Our Lady of. One of the names of the Virgin Mary, because at Loretto, a town in Italy, there is a rich and magnificent church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and in which there is the chapel of Nazareth, which had been transported from Palestine to Loretto. This chapel, to which pilgrimages are made, has within it a statue of the Virgin Maiy, the particular object of veneration by the pilgrims. Maecenas of Literature. Maecenas was the name of an illustrious Roman, who flourished in the reign of Augustus. He was eminent for his patronage of learned men, and specially encouraged the early efforts of Virgil, Horace, and other illus- trious men of letters. Persons who have subsequently displayed a similar interest, have each been denominated the " Maecenas of Literature." Mantuan Bard. An epithet applied to the poet Virgil, who was born in the neighbourhood of Mantua, 70 B.C. Idaro. The cognomen of the poet Virgil ; whose designation in full in Latin was Publius Virgilius Maro. Martel. This surname was given to Charles, one of the ancient rulers of the Franks ; it means " hammer," and it was PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 213 thus applied because, in 724, he saved Christendom, by his victory at Tours, at which, by force of arras, he displayed himself to be "the hammer of the Saracens." Masham, Mrs. One of the ladies of the court of Queen Anne, whose name is intimately connected with the political history of that period. The maiden name of this person was Abigail Hill, and she was a poor relative of the Duchess of Marlborough, who obtained for her the appointment of " cradle rocker " to the infant Duke of Gloucester. She afterwards became chamber-woman'; and, finally, by the exercise of deceit and unscrupulousness, became prime favourite with the queen, supplanting her former benefactress, and annihilating her power at court. For a long period, this woman exercised a most extraordinary ascendancy over the mind of Anne, directing her in all state affairs, plotting witli and against ministers, and virtually ruling the kingdom. She subsequently became Lady Masham, by the elevation of her husband to the peerage ; and died in 1734. Maximus the Greek. A celebrated personage in Russian church history, born towards the end of the fifteenth century. He undertook the translation of the writings of the early Greek Church into the Sclavoriian language, and in the execution of his task displayed remarkable industry and intelligence. He was .also the writer of a great number of works upon religion and philosophy, from which much information of the early ages has been derived. His very merits gained him numerous enemies ; and at their instigation he was, some years previously to his death, confined in a monastery and treated with great cruelty. Merchant Princes. The most eminent merchants of England are so termed, from their possessions, munificence, and princely style of living. Merry Monarch. A title of Charles the Second of England, who treated even the most serious affairs with levity, and made jesting the chief occupation of his life. Middleton, Memory. Mr. Middleton was a civil servant of the East India Company during the rule of Warren Hastings. When called upon to give evidence against his late chief, his " memory failed to serve him " on so many points pressing 214 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : against the accused, that he acquired and retained the sobriquet of " Memory Middleton." Monarque, Grand. A name conferred upon Louis the Four- teenth of France, whose notions respecting the kingly dignity were on the grandest and most exalted scale. Monk Lewis. Mathew Gregory Lewis, a romance writer, so called from a famous work he wrote entitled " The Monk," a story displaying great power, but sullied by licentiousness. Monmouth, King. A title conferred upon the Duke Monmouth, in the western counties of England, upon the occasion of his seeking possession of the British throne. This strange appellation was given him to prevent any confusion which might have arisen if they had called him Jam.es the Second. Morley, Mrs., and Freeman, Mrs. Two names assumed, Mrs. Morley by Princess afterwards Queen Anne, and Mrs. Free- man by Lady Churchill, afterwards Duchess of Marlborough. Lady Churchill had been for many years the companion of the princess, and attended her latterly as Lady of the Bedchamber. The prin- cess conceived a romantic fondness for her attendant, and, impa- tient of the restraint which etiquette imposed, invented two names by which they might address each other without ceremony ; and under these feigned appellations was carried on during twenty years a correspondence on which at last the fate of administrations and dynasties depended. Motion-Maker. A political epithet applied to Lord Sandys, who, in 1741, brought forward a motion in the House of Commons, for the dismissal of Sir Eobert Walpole from his post of Chan- cellor of the Exchequer. The motion was lost, but Walpole soon after resigned, and Sandys succeeded him in his office. Murray, Good Regent. The name which Scottish history assigns to James Stuart, Earl of Murray, who, during the infancy of the young prince, afterwards James the Sixth, and the im- prisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots, was appointed regent of Scot- land. He was a man of considerable energy and vigour, and rendered especial service to the cause of the Reformation. Nero. This term is rendered synonymous with any ruler con- PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 215 spicuous for wickedness, crime, and cruelty. Among other crimes, Nero put to death his mother and his wife ; Lucan, the poet ; Seneca, the philosopher ; and several other persons of eminence and distinction. He came at length to be regarded as a monster, was deserted by all his friends, and terminated his life by suicide in the year 68. Netherby Knight, A name given to Sir James Graham, one of the most eminent associates of the great Sir Robert Peel. He owns an estate at Netherby, near Carlisle, and in that remote dis- trict holds somewhat of the chivalric dignity of one of the knights of former times. Nile, Hero of the. One of the epithets by which the name of Lord Nelson is handed down, who, at the Battle of the Nile, dis- played an amount of gallantry and heroism that served to raise the naval prowess of Great Britain to the very highest standard. Nimrod, "a Mighty Hunter before the Lord."- Nimrod, according to the Scriptural account, was the founder of the As- syrian empire. Hunting was then not so much a diversion as a useful occupation, by which the wild beasts of the forests were subdued. This employment required great courage and address, and thus opened a career for the ambition of an aspiring man, and marked out the course for an enterprising conqueror. Nostradamus. A person born in 1503, and descended from a noble family in Provence. His name has been handed down as the author of the most celebrated predictions of modem times. He represented himself to be inspired and endued with the gift of prophecy, and with these pretensions published predictions of events connected with public affairs. What most particulaily brought him into notice, and rendered him famous, was his pre- dicting, not only the death of Henry the Second of France, but the manner of it ; that monarch being wounded in a tournament, of which wound he died. He also predicted the execution of Charles the First of England, and foretold the persecutions of the Christian Church, in connection with the French Revolution. Old Hickory. A nickname given to General Jackson. The hickory is an American tree, producing a timber valuable for 216 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : its hardness and toughness. Hence its application to Jackson, who possessed firmness and inflexibility in an eminent degree. Old Man of the Mountain. The title of the Mohammedan prophet Hassan who, about the time of the first Crusade, formed the fanatical sect of the Assassins, who dwelt in the mountainous heights of Syria. These men paid the blindest devotion to their chief, served him with unswerving courage and fidelity, and undertook with zest every murderous deed that was intrusted to them. Old Masters. A name given collectively to the most celebrated painters of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries ; the most famous being Leonardo da Vinci, Michael Angelo, Titian, Ra'ffaele, Sebastian 'del Piombo, Correggio, Parmigiano, Paul Veronese, Annibale Caracci, Claude Lorraine, Rembrandt, and Salvator Eosa. Osnaburg, Bishop of. This Bishopric partakes of both a tem- poral and ecclesiastical jurisdiction. It is an hereditary office belonging to the House of Brunswick, being held by that family alternately with others of the German empire. Sometimes the Bishop is a Roman Catholic, and at other times a Protestant. In the former case he is Suffragan to the Archbishop of Cologne; in the latter instance he has merely temporal power without any ecclesiastical functions. Outre-Mer. A name under which Louis the Fourth of France was known, because, after the death of his father, Charles the Simple, his mother conducted him to the court of his brother Athelstan, in England, which was relatively beyond the sea (outre mer). t .- Pacificator. Octavio Ferrari, historiographer of Milan, in the seventeenth century. He was so called on account of his affable and conciliatory temper, and for a happy way he had of reconciling persons who were at variance with each other. Painters, Prince of. An epithet applied to Apelles, a famous Greek artist, who flourished in the beginning of the fourth, cen- tury. His most celebrated work was "Venus rising from the sea." Palissy the Potter. Bernard Palissy, born in 1524, was so PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 217 called. His original trade was that of a potter ; but, being a man of an artistic and ingenious character, he was inflamed with an earnest desire to discover the method of applying enamel to stone- ware. In the pursuit of this discovery he wasted his fortune, and even injured his health without attaining his object. Nothing daunted, he earned further means, by several years of hard labour and frugality, and employed these in the prosecution of his darling project ; in his second essay he Avas more successful, and, gradually improving upon his discoveries, he gave to the world those exquisite specimens of stone-ware which are now placed within reach of the humblest individuals. Parr, Old. A labourer in Shropshire remarkable for his longevity ; he is said to have been born in 1483, and to have died 1635, having thus lived to 152 years of age. Patient Grisel or Griselda. The ever-patient wife of the Mar- quis di Saluzzo, the subject of one of Boccaccio's tales of the Decameron. The marquis endeavours to find for a wife a woman of all-enduring patience. He chooses Griselda, the daughter of one of his tenants, ill-treats her in a variety of ways, takes away her two sons, and makes her believe that they are killed. At last he turns her out of doors in her night-dress, and celebrates a marriage with a noble lady. But, finding that Griselda endures everything patiently, he takes her back, restores her two sons, and treats her as Marchioness. Peace, Prince Of. A title given to Don Manuel Godoy, Prime Minister of Spain, under Charles the Fourth. He was so called from a hasty and somewhat discreditable peace, which he con- cluded with France in 1795, and by which he resigned half of the Island of St. Domingo. Peter Pindar. The assumed name of Dr. John Walcot, who wrote a number of humorous and satirical pieces in verse, chiefly directed against the king, George the Third, the court, and persons of eminence and celebrity. Peter the Hermit. An enthusiastic monk of Amiens, who about the close of the eleventh century roused Europe to the first Crusade. He conceived the wild project of driving the Moham- medans from Jerusalem, and incessantly preached this project to 218 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : all Avho would hear him. Peter succeeded in imparting his enthusiasm to others, and in a short time he led the way towards the Holy City, at the head of an undisciplined army of 300,000 men. In the events which afterwards occurred, this extraor- dinary man displayed great personal courage ; and having witnessed the accomplishment of his undertaking, he returned to his native country, and founded the Abbey of Noirmoutier, and died its first superior. Petre, Father. The ecclesiastical cognomen of Edward Petre, the chief representative of the Jesuits at the court of James the Second. He was taken into the closest confidence by the misguided monarch, and by his mischievous counsels bore the largest part in the ruin of the House of Stuart. Pilot that weathered the Storm. The minister Pitt is thus alluded to in a celebrated political song, written in honour of his natal day, May 29, 1802, by his coadjutor, George Canning. Piom.be, Sebastian del. A Venetian painter of the sixteenth century, who afterwards settled at Rome, embraced a religious life, and was made keeper of the Papal seal. From this office he derived the cognomen Del Piombo, which referred to the lead around the seal. His real name was Luciano. Plon-plon. A diminutive of "Napoleon," and used towards the members of that family in childhood as a term of endearment. It is now derisively applied to Prince Napoleon, cousin of the present emperor, who resembles Buonaparte in personal appearance more nearly than any other descendant of the family. For this reason and for certain characteristic traits, he is called in banter Plon-plon, or a small Napoleon. Prester John. Under this name a Christian prince is said to have reigned in the interior of Asia during the middle ages. Who Prester John really was it is not easy to decide, nor do any of the etymological explanations that have been proposed prove satisfactory. A ludicrous mistake on this subject was made by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, who picked up a story of a Christian prince in the interior of Africa whose name was Ogan, and in consequence of the resemblance of the names Ogan and PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 219 Ung khan they transferred the throne of Prester John from Asia to Africa, and gave the name to the Abyssinian prince. Pretender. The name given by the people of England to James Francis Edward Stuart, son of the deposed monarch James the Second, and who, on his father's death, was called by Louis the Fourth, James the Third, King of Great Britain, and in support of this claim to the British throne, attempted to invade England. The Yowng Pretender was the name given to Charles Edward, the son of the former ; he also attempted to make good his pretensions in England in 1745, but without success. He died without issue in 1765. His brother Henry, becoming a priest and afterwards cardinal, was the last descendant of an unfortunate 'and unhappy race of kings. Protestant Pope. An epithet bestowed upon Clement the Fourteenth, who was raised to the pontificate in 1769. He owes the name given to him to the tolerance of his views, and the con- ciliatory spirit with which he treated those who differed from the Catholic faith, especially Englishmen. The great public event of his pontificate was the suppression of the order of Jesuits. Psalmanazar. The assumed name of a man of letters who is chiefly known as a literary impostor. He was born in 1679, and for many years led the life of a wanderer and a vagrant. He at length hit upon the idea of adopting the character of a heathen native of the island of Formosa, and in order to support his pre- tensions, he contrived a new language which he called the For- mosan. He afterwards repaired to London, suffered himself to be converted to the Church of England, and was formally intro- duced to some of the bishops. A great interest was now created in his favour, and by the kindness of several gentlemen he was furnished with the means of studying at the Oxford University. Some persons, however, were not satisfied of the truth of the representations of the new convert. A controversy arose, and in a short time the imposture was made clearly manifest. Deserted by his former friends, Psalmanazar was allowed to make the best of his position ; he then became a writer for the booksellers, and in this employment continued till he died in 1763. Ramsay, Chevalier. Andrew Michael Kamsay, frequently so 220 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : styled. He was a Scotch historian, and political and moral phi- losophical writer. Died, 1743. Rene, Good King. A monarch who governed between the years 1435 1444. He was nominally King of the Two Sicilies and Jerusalem, Duke of Anjou and Lorraine, and Count of Provence ; but in reality, Provence alone was in Rene's posses- sion. He was remarkable for his amicability and goodness, and displayed such kindness of heart and- graciousness of demeanour as to win the hearts of all who approached him. He was an artist, poet, and musician, and was possessed of the greatest refinement and the most exquisite sensibilities. He was totally unfitted for rule, or to cope with the arts and hollowness ot courts. His life was one of misfortune, poverty, and neglect ; nevertheless, he preserved his innocence of heart and buoyancy of temper, and lived to a good old age in his beloved and sunny country of Provence. Restorer of Cities. Sancho the First, one of the early kings of Portugal, was so called by reason of his firmly establishing his kingdom, and devoting himself to its glory, security, and embellishment. Rob Roy. A celebrated Highland chief, whose true name was Robert Macgregor, but who assumed that of Campbell, on account of the outlawry of the clan Macgregor by the Scotch Parliament in 1662. Like other Highland gentlemen, Rob Roy was a cattle owner previous to the rebellion of 1715, in which he joined the ad- herents of the Pretender. On the suppression of the rebellion, he involved himself in a quarrel with the Duke of Montrose, against whom he made war for the remainder of his life, and in numerous skirmishes and engagements displayed remarkable energy and courage. During the whole of the period he subsisted by levying black mail from his enemies, and he made himself dreaded in all the surrounding country. He died in 1743. Robinson, Prosperity. The name given to Mr. Robinson, afterwards the Earl of Ripon. He was Chancellor of the Exche- quer in 1823, and on bringing forward his budget, adduced a greatly increased consumption since 1816, as a proof of the prosperity of the country. His facts were questioned by Mr. PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 221 Joseph Hume, and from this controversy originated the above epithet. Hois Faineants. A name given to the earliest race of Frank kings, the term signifying " do-nothing ; " for as these monarchs laid aside their ferocity, they became dull, luxurious, and indolent. Romans, Last of the. Cato, commonly known as the Censor, of Home, was so call'ed. He made use of his severity, eloquence, and exemplary life, to give a check to the luxury and growing vices of the Romans. Romans, King of the. The son of Napoleon Buonaparte was styled King of Rome, which title originated from that of King of the Romans. The emperors of Germany, to bring in their sons as their successors, politically procured their election as King of the Romans, which was part of the sovereignty ; and on some occasions great efforts were made and large sums expended to achieve this end. Rome, Sword of. A designation for Marcellus, a daring and active Roman leader, who frequently conquered the Carthagi- nians, and even Hannibal himself, but was at last surprised by an ambush, and slain. Roscius. The term " a Roscius " is frequently employed to- signify an actor of eminence. It was originally the name of a Roman actor, who excelled all others of his time, and who had the highest reputation among all classes of men. The celebrated Garrick was styled the British Roscius ; and Master Betty, who appeared in tragedy when but a boy, was called the Infant Roscius. Ross, Man of. The name of the person who was celebrated by Pope as the " Man of Ross," was John Kyrle. He possessed a small estate at Ross, in Herefordshire, and literally became, as the poet sings, a blessing to the whole country. He died in 1724 T at the age of ninety. Rowley, Old. A nickname applied to Charles the Second ,- supposed to be derived from Roland, in reference to the pro- verbial saying of " A Roland for an Oliver ;" the former name being given to Charles, in contradistinction to the Protector's- name of Oliver. 222 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Kumford, Count. A person whose name was Thompson, a natural philosopher and philanthropist. He went into the service of Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria, introduced many excellent administrative reforms, and was created, by the Elector, Count Rumford, after the name of the place in the United States where he was born in 1752. Rupert of Debate. An epithet applied to the present Earl of Derby ; so called, because, in debate, he is said to resemble Prince Rupert in war, who was energetic, impetuous, impatient of control and advice, endowed with great natural abilities, and possessing a quick perception. Sailor King. The popular name of William the Fourth, of England, who, when Duke of Clarence, adopted the sea as a pro- fession, and served through the various grades of the royal navy. Saint Germain, Count de. An adventurer, whose real name and family were never known. He was introduced to the French Court by the Marquis of Belle Isle, who had met him in Germany. He soon succeeded in winning the favour of the king, Louis the Fifteenth, and acquired riches and honours. After a long residence in France, he visited England, Italy, Hamburg, and the Court of Hesse-Cassel, and died at Schleswig in 1784. This mysterious man pretended to have lived for many centuries, and to have been on terms of familiarity with the most eminent personages of former times. He also gave out that he was in possession of all sorts of secrets. It is believed that the Count de St. Germain was a spy in the service of different ministers ; and this supposition accounts for his wealth and mystery According to some he was son of a Portuguese Jew ; others believed him to be a natural son of the King of Portugal. Sans Souci, Philosopher of. A name sometimes applied to Frederick the Great, who upon every possible occasion withdrew to the beautiful palace of Sans Souci, near Potsdam, in order that he might pursue uninterrupted his literary and philoso- phical studies, for which he had a strong predilection. Saragoza, Maid of. A young woman of humble station, who signalized herself by an act of great intrepidity at the siege of Saragoza in 1808. Having occasion to visit the battery with PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 223 refreshments, she discovered all the gunners to be killed ; she snatched a match from the hand of a dead artilleryman, and served one of the guns herself. At the sight of this deed of daring, the Saragozans became inspired with renewed courage, they rushed forward to the battery, opened out a fresh fire upon the French, and continued it with such vigour as to repulse the enemy with fearful loss. Scipio Africanus. Africanus was the agnomen bestowed upon Scipio, the famous Roman general, who carried his conquests into Africa, gained a memorable victory over the Carthaginians, and upon his return home was honoured with a magnificent triumph, and received the surname of Africanus, to commemorate his achievements still further. Scourge of God. A name given to Attila, king of the Huns, who ascended the throne in 433. He was so called on account of his whole career being one of invasion and rapine on neigh- bouring states. Sea Captains. This name is given to those illustrious naval commanders who, about the time of Elizabeth, achieved conquests at sea, and otherwise contributed to England's maritime great- ness. The list comprises, Sir Francis Drake, the first Englishman who circumnavigated the globe ; Sir John Norris ; Martin Frobisher, who sailed towards the North Pole, and discovered the Straits which bear his name ; Sir John Hawkins ; Sir Walter Raleigh ; Captain Lancastei-, who commenced the English trade to the East Indies; and Howard, who so effectually directed the ever-memorable defeat of the Armada. Sea Kings, or Vikings. A name anciently given to the Northern pirates, who swarmed upon the ocean, and plundered every district to which they could approach. These bands of robbers established among themselves a law of equality ; each man was considered as good as his fellow, and they divided their booty in equal shares. They had an utter contempt for danger, and engaged in enter- prises of the greatest hazard with a determination to accomplish their end. They used their shields to carry their dead to the grave, for a shelter in bad weather, to swim on in danger, or to lock them in one another for a rampart. They despised the 224 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : shelter of a roof, and the comforts of a home. Their sole object in life was plunder on the sea, and depredations on its shores, and they sometimes amassed so much booty, and enlisted so many followers, as to be enabled to assault provinces for perma- nent conquest. Semiramis of the North. A name given by historians to Margaret, Queen of Denmark and Norway, who ascended the throne in 1388, and in whose reign, 1 Sweden was joined to Denmark and Norway as one kingdom. Margaret was dis- tinguished by many personal qualities of the highest excellence, and by a marked capacity for rule. Sentences, Master of. Peter Lombard ; a scholastic theolo- gian was so called, born about 1100 in Lombardy ; died in 1164. There is extant from his pen a theological course of great repute, under the title of the " Four Books of Sentences," in which are collected the various opinions of the Fathers of the Church on each point in theology. This book has furnished inexhaustible food for scholastic dispute, and has had a crowd of commentators. Seven Bishops. These were the Bishops of St. Asaph, Bath and Wells, Ely, Chichester, Peterborough, London, and the Archbishop of Canterbury. They were confined in the Tower by James the Second, for refusing to read the " declaration for liberty of conscience " after service. Their cause was espoused by the whole population, and after a short imprisonment, they were liberated amidst public rejoicings. Seven Wise Men of Greece. This name is commonly applied to seven philosophers, several of whom were legislators of an early period of Grecian history. They were, Periander of Corinth (in place of whom some give Epimenides of Crete), Pittacus of Mitylene, Thales, Solon, Bias, Chilo, and Cleobulus. Sharpe, Conversation. Granville Sharpe, a learned and pious man. He was critically conversant with the Greek and Hebrew languages ; and as his name implies, distinguished himself by his colloquial talent. Shepherd Kings. The name given to certain monarchs belong- ing to an early period of Egyptian history. They were probably the leaders of the wandering tribes on the frontiers of Egypt PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 225 who made incursions into the fertile valley of the Nile, as soon as the inhabitants of that region had settled themselves in perma- nent communities. Son of Heaven, Brother of the Moon, etc. These extrava- gant titles are assumed by the Emperor of China, implying that he is absolute lord, not only of China, but of the whole world representative and vicegerent of the Deity, who centres within himself all earthly power and greatness. The vast extent of the Chinese empire favours such an illusion ; and the ignorance and superstition of the people encourage the belief. Spartan Lawgiver. The name given to Lycurgus, regent of Lacedsemon, about 850 B.C. The legislation of Lycurgus aimed at ensuring the continuance of Sparta as a dominant military caste, by perpetuating a race of athletic and warlike citizens. Consequently his laws referred rather to domestic life and phy- sical education than to the constitution of the state or the forms of government. Stanhope, Citizen. A title assumed by the Earl of Stanhope, who was an ardent supporter of the principles of the French Revolution ; he laid aside his rank, and openly avowed republican sentiments. Died in 1816. Stenny or Steenie. The familiar name by which James the First addressed his favourite, the Duke of Buckingham. Stewart, Walking. John Stewart, born in London, 1763, was commonly so called. He was sent as a writer to Madras, but disliking his employment he left, and set out upon his travels on foot. He walked through part of Hindostan, visited Delhi, Persepolis, and other parts of Persia. He then went to the Carnatic, and entered the service of the Nawaub. Strongbow. The Earl of Pembroke, so named, who in 1169, crossed over to Ireland at the head of an army of adventurers, with the avowed object of restoring Dermot, King of Leinster, to his throne. Dermot dying, Strongbow assumed possession of the crown, but after reigning a year he returned to England and submitted to the king. Stuart, Athenian. An epithet given to James Stuart, a i 226 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : celebrated traveller and delineator of Athenian architecture, on which subject he published an invaluable work. Died 1788. Sword of God. A title conferred upon one of Mahomet's bravest captains named Caled. He had at first taken part against the Prophet, and mainly contributed to his defeat at Ohod. He afterwards embraced the new religion, and was chiefly instru- mental in the conquest of Syria. Taylor the Water Poet. An English poetical writer of the seventeenth century, who, being a London waterman, obtained his living during a part of his poetical existence by rowing on the Thames. He was afterwards in the habit of taking long trips in a small boat up the Thames and other rivers of England, and describing in rhyme the manner of his passages, and the various objects he had seen. Thaddeus of Warsaw. The national appellation of Thaddeus Kosciusko, the celebrated Polish general, who died in exile in 1817. He received his name for the gallant and desperate resist- ance he made at Warsaw, against the combined armies of Russia and Prussia, whose numerical strength was thrice that of his own forces. At this encounter he was wounded and taken prisoner ; the Poles were routed, and Poland ceased to exist as a kingdom. Timon the Misanthrope. An Athenian, who lived some time before the Peloponnesian War. After experiencing the falseness and ingratitude of mankind, he withdrew altogether from society and went to live in solitude ; or, if he occasionally returned to Athens, it was by a cruel irony to applaud the errors and follies of his fellow-citizens. His death was worthy the latter part of his life ; he fell, broke his leg, and carried his aversion to men so far, as to refuse all aid. Timour the Tartar. A celebrated Tartar chief, who lived towards the latter part of the fourteenth century, and who 'distin- guished himself by courage and talent of the highest order. He conquered the whole of Western Asia, excepting China, and penetrated farther into India than Alexander. Tubal Cain. A Scriptural name distinguishing an eminent artificer in brass and iron, or an instructor in that art. PERSONAL EPITHETS,, SURNAMES, ETC. 227 Turnip Hoer. A nickname which the adherents of the Stuarts k \ gave to George the First of England. It was said that when his Majesty first came to England, he talked of turning St. James's Park into a turnip-field. The grovelling nature of this monarch, his utter want of taste, and his indifference to the happiness of the people whom he was called to rule, favour this assertion. Veronese, Paul. The name by which Paul Cagliari, an eminent painter, is best known. He was so called from Verona, where he was born about 1530. Virgin Queen. Queen Elizabeth of England, who, when marriage was proposed to her, declared that she would live and die a " virgin queen." Weeping Philosopher. An epithet given to Heraclitus, the founder of a philosophic sect ; he was born at Ephesus, 500 B.C. He is reported to have been so concerned for the follies of man- kind, as to have wept immoderately ; and determining to mingle no more with his own species, he withdrew into the mountains, and subsisted upon roots and hei'bs. William of Malmesbury. An historian of the early English period, whose chronicles are held in the highest esteem for their remarkable truth and fidelity. Born about 1095 ; died about 1143. Witch Finder. An infamous character, named Hopkins, who, in the reigns of James the First and Charles the First, pretended to extraordinary powers in the art of detecting those who were guilty of sorcery. For each of his convictions he was allowed a handsome reward ; and he perambulated the country as the accre- dited agent of Government, preferring indiscriminate accusations, especially against the* aged, the helpless, and the infirm. His deeds became at length so notorious, that he was suspected by his employers, and in the end drew upon himself that punishment which his crimes deserved. Yvetot, King of. Yvetot is a town in France, near Rouen. It was formerly the capital of a lordship, the possessors of which, in the middle ages, had the title of King ; and it has been affirmed that they were in their own little territory really independent sovereigns. The title of " King of Yvetot " has been employed by the French satirists in their attacks upon the rulers of France. i 2 228 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : SECTIO1T 2CVTI. NATIONAL EPITHETS, POLITICAL, CLASSICAL, AND LOCAL ALLUSIONS, ETC. Albion. England was so named by the Greeks ; the word in the Phoenician tongue signifying either white or high mountains, from the whiteness of its shores, or the high rocks on the^western. coast. Alpha and Omega. These being the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet are designed in the Divine writings to signify the beginning and end of all things ; and in the early ages, these two letters were made the symbol of Christianity, and engraved on the tombs of Christians to distinguish them from those of idolaters. Alter Ego." My other self," a formula used in the chancery of the kingdom of Sicily, whereby the king intrusted to a commis- sion the full exercise of all the powers and prerogatives of royalty. Antichrist. A name given by St. Paul, by way of distinction, to the " man of sin and son of perdition," L e. a great tyrant and adver- sary to Christianity, who is to reign on earth towards the end of the world. Among many Protestant writers, the Pope is treated as the Antichrist. As soon as a Slave sets foot on English Territory he becomes Free. This important legal axiom was laid down by Lord Mansfield, when delivering his judgment in favour of the negro Somerset, whose case was tried in the Court of King's Bench, 1772. Somerset was claimed by his owner, from whom he had fled, and sought protection in England. Athens, Modern. An epithet applied to the city of Edinburgh, and conferred upon it on account of the resemblance it bears to ancient Athens. NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 229 Bear the Bell. A little golden bell was the reward of victory in 1607 at the York races ; whence arose the phrase to " bear away the bell," in allusion to being eminently successful, or outstripping every other competitor. Bell the Cat. A sobriquet of Archibald Douglas, fifth Earl of Angus, which originated as follows : In 1482, the Scotch nobles resolved to get rid of the court minions of James the Third. When they met to decide on measures, Lord Gray related the fable of the mice who proposed to protect themselves from the cat by hanging a bell round his neck. " Who then," said his lordship, " is to bell the cat ? " "I will," replied Archibald Douglas. The promise was duly executed, the favourites were secured, and were hanged over the bridge of Lauder. Hence the term of " bell the cat " came to signify the performance of an ungracious and perilous service. Britain. The etymology of this word is " the country of tin," as there were great quantities of that metal found on the adjacent islands. Britannia. This name was given to the island of Britain by the Romans. The country is personified on their medals under the figure of a female, resting her left arm on a shield. British Dominions, the Sun never sets on the. A saying indicative of the British possessions being so vast and extensive that the sun, in its diurnal motion, is always shining upon one portion or the other. Brother Jonathan. A nickname for the United States of America ; it is said to have originated as follows : When General Washington was in command of the revolutionary army, he was in the habit of consulting the then governor of the State of Connecticut, named Jonathan Trumbull, and when any diffi- culty arose, the general was accustomed to say " We must con- sult Brother Jonathan ;" and this soon became a by-word, and eventually an adopted name. Brown Bess. The name given to the musket borne by the English foot-soldiers previously to the introduction of the rifle ; it was ridiculed for its inefficiency, which was rendered more glaringly apparent during the Crimean war. 230 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Bucephalus. A famous horse belonging to Alexander the Great, by whom he was purchased for the sum of 13 talents, about 2500. This steed, previous to passing into the possession of Alexander, was notoriously unmanageable, and would not obey any rider ; but immediately his new master offered to mount him, he willingly submitted to his guidance, and was as docile as he had before been vicious. Alexander, from this circumstance, conceived such an affection for him, that he never rode upon any other horse ; and Bucephalus, when caparisoned for battle, would endure no other rider. He died of a wound, and Alexander caused him to be buried near the Hydaspes, and built over his grave a city, which he called Bucepala. Burleigh Nod. A habit said to be peculiar to Lord Burleigh, treasurer to Queen Elizabeth, who signified assent or evaded argument by simply nodding his head. Caesar's Wife above Suspicion. This proverb is accounted for as follows : The name of Pompeia, the wife of Julius Caesar, having been mixed up with an accusation against P. Clodius, a profligate patrician, her husband divorced her ; not, he said, because he believed the charge against her, but because he would have those belonging to him as free from suspicion as from crime. Caledonia. The ancient name of Scotland. The termination ia signifies a country, and was added by the Romans. Caledon signifies probably the hill or town of the Gaels or Gaels, the primitive inhabitants. Calembourg. A French expression equivalent to the English word^zm. It took its name from a certain^ Westphalian, Count Calemberg, who visited Paris in the reign of Louis the Fifteenth, and became notorious for the blunders he committed in the French language. Caligula's Horse. An animal rendered celebrated in history for the extravagant kindness and care lavished upon him by his owner Caligula, the Roman emperor. This horse was named Incitatus ; a marble stable was built for him with an ivory manger ; and there were appointed to him a house, furniture, kitchen, &c. Sometimes he was invited to the Emperor's table ; NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 231 and it is said that Caligula would have appointed him to the consulship, had he not been prevented by death. Cambria. The name which the Romans gave to Wales. Canterbury Tale. A term implying any fabulous or exagge- rated narrative : so called from the " Canterbury Tales " of Chaucer. Catching a Tartar. This phrase is said to have originated as follows : An Irish soldier, under Prince Eugene, called out to his comrade, in a battle against the Turks, that he had caught a Tartar. " Bring him along then," said the other. " He won't come," was the reply. " Then come yourself." " But he won't let me," was the answer. Caucus. A word used in the United States of America to denote a meeting held by a political party for the purpose of secu- ring the election of candidates for any office, or for the purpose of carrying any measure in a general meeting. The name origi- nated in a dispute which occurred at Boston between a party of English soldiers and some Caulkers of the town, and for the set- tlement of which numerous meetings were held, called " Caulkers' Meetings," an expression soon corrupted to " Caucus." Christendom. The whole Christian world. Literally "Christ's kingdom." Church Militant. From militans, fighting : a term applied to the Church of Christ on earth, being still engaged in warfare with, sin. The Romanists divide the Church into militant, patient, and triumphant : the militant is on earth ; the patient or passive, they place in purgatory ; and the triumphant in heaven. Cocker, According to. A phrase which has allusion to one Edward Cocker, who is said to have taught the arts of writing and arithmetic with remarkable success. In 1660 he published " The Pen's Transcendancy" as a proof of his skill in the art of penmanship. Coffee-House Politician. From the reign of Charles the Second down to that of George the First, the Coffee-House became a species of institution in England. The dearth of newspapers, and the difficulty of obtaining accurate information of the current events of the day, led persons of all ranks to resort to coffee-houses for the purpose of obtaining the news, and taking 232 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : part in or listening to political discussions. Each coffee-house, therefore, had its regular frequenters, who were associated by uniform political sentiments ; and among these frequenters were one or more orators, to whose eloquence the crowd listened with admiration, and who soon became what the journalists are in our own day. So great was the influence which coffee-houses exer- cised upon party, that an attempt was made by the Government to close them, but was abandoned owing to the universal outcry that was raised. Colophon, Putting to it. The cavalry of the city of Colophon in Asia Minor was so excellent, that it was thought to ensure the victory to the side on which it fought. Another author explaining this expression, says that, in the council of the twelve Ionian cities, Colophon had the casting vote. In either case, the meaning is, to put the finishing or decisive touch to anything. In the early periods of printing, before the introduction of title- pages, the Colophon represented the final paragraph of a volume, which generally combined the printer's name, the date, &c. Columbus and the Egg. This famous story is as follows : Dining, on his return from his first voyage, with a party of courtiers who had rallied him on the ease with which such discoveries as his might be achieved, Columbus, taking an egg from one of the dishes on the table, challenged any one of the company to make it stand on its smaller end. They tried in vain and gave up the attempt. The great navigator performed it by breaking the lower part of the shell. " We could have done the same," cried they. " Yes," replied Columbus, " but not before I showed you how." Cote Droit, Cote Gauche. The names given to the two great divisions of the Chamber of Deputies, or French representative assembly. The former take their seats on the right of the President's chair, and espouse the royalist or monarchical cause ; the latter are seated to the left of the President's chair, and profess popular or liberal sentiments. Cousin, Our Trusty and Well-beloved. This appellation is used by the sovereign when he has occasion to mention a peer of high degree in any public instrument. The custom is traced to NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 233 Henry the Fourth, who being either by his wife, his mother, or his sisters, actually related or allied to every earl in the kingdom, artfully acknowledged that connection in all his letters and public acts. Croesus, as Rich as. Crossus was the last king of Lydia, 560 B.C. He was proverbially celebrated for his vast wealth. His votive gifts to the oracle of Delphi prove at once his munificence and opulence. These offerings consist of 117 large tiles of gold, the statue of a lion of pure gold, two large cisterns one of gold, the other of silver and a female figure of gold four and a half feet high. Dacian. A native of Dacia ; the ancient name of a country north of the Danube, and south of Sarmatia. Damocles, Sword of. A figurative expression conveying the idea of imminent danger, which may happen to a person in the moment of fancied security, enjoyment, or power. The origin of this phrase is as follows : Damocles, one of the flatterers of Dionysius the Elder, of Sicily, openly admired the tyrant's wealth and pronounced him the happiest man living. Dionysius there- upon prevailed on Damocles to assume for a while the sovereign power, and thus convince himself of regal happiness. Damocles ascended the throne, and gazed with pleasure on the wealth and splendour by which he was surrounded, but in the midst of it, he perceived a sword hanging over his head by a horsehair : at the sight of this, all his imaginary felicity vanished, and he begged of Dionysius to remove him from a position of so much hazard and danger. Damon and Pythias, Friendship of, These two p.ersohs were subjects of Dionysius the Elder, of Syracuse, and were remarkable for the inviolable attachment which subsisted between them. One of them being condemned to die by the tyrant, petitioned for permission to journey a distance, to settle his affairs, leaving his friend as a hostage. The day fixed for his return approached, and the people awaited the result with curiosity ; the hostage, however, expressed his conviction that his friend would return at the appointed time, and so he did to the very hour. The tyrant, softened by an instance of such 23"4 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : strict fidelity, revoked his decree of condemnation, and desired to be admitted a third into their friendship. De Courcy Privilege. This privilege is an hereditary one in the family of the De Courcys, or Earls of Kinsale. It consists of standing before the sovereign covered, and was granted by King John in 1203 ; in consequence of one of that family having vanquished a foreign knight, who had challenged every court in Europe, and up to that period had carried off every laurel. Delicate Investigation. The term applied to the inquiry instituted into the conduct of Caroline, queen of George the Fourth, commencing September 20th, 1806. Diamond Necklace Affair. Cardinal Rohan was persuaded by certain intriguers, that he would secure the good graces of Queen Marie Antoinette, by purchasing for her a magnificent diamond necklace, which that princess had previously refused as being too high in price. Rohan bought it, and put it into the hands of rogues, who made him believe that it had been accepted by the Queen ; but as he was unable to pay the enormous sum (80,000) that the jewel cost, the affair became noised about and reached the ears of the king, who had the Cardinal arrested and brought to trial. He was exiled, but after a time allowed to return to his diocese. Divine Eight of Kings to govern wrong. The claim thus set up on behalf of royalty is very old, and its precise origin cannot be determined. In the sixteenth century, modern royalty had assumed throughout Europe that form and consistency which immediately led to the promulgation of " Divine Right." In England, it made considerable progress under the Tudor dynasty, as it did in France under the latter princes of the House of Valois. But it was under the fostering hands of the Stuarts in England, and the three first Bourbon kings in France, that it reached its highest elevation in the political firmament. From the date of the execution of Charles the First, the sentiment of " Divine Right " as applied to European sovereigns has ceased to be acknowledged. Doves. A term of derision applied to the members of the Peace NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 235 Society, who employed themselves upon missions of peace, and thus resembled the dove of Noah's Ark. Duke Humphrey, Dining with. This saying is said to be in allusion to persons who, instead of making a meal, used to walk in St. Paul's Church during dinner-time ; Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, being a man of great hospitality, and supposed to have been buried in St. Paul's. Erin. The Irish name of Ireland. Every Man has his Price. A political axiom enunciated by Sir Robert Walpole, the celebrated statesman, implying that there existed no such thing as political honesty or patriotism, and that the voice and interest of every person may be purchased either for money, place, or some other consideration. Fabian Policy. A term signifying those peculiar tactics in military, political, or other affairs, by which advantage is sought to be gained by delay and temporising. The origin of the term is from Fabius Maximus, a Roman general, who gained an im- portant victory by declining to risk a battle in the open field, but harassing the enemy by marches, countermarches, and ambuscades. Faith, Defender of the. A title conferred by Pope Leo the Tenth upon Henry the Eighth, for writing against Luther ; and since borne by every English monarch. Falernian. A wine so called by the Romans from Falernum, situated between Sinuessa and Calene ; it was valued as the second best wine in Italy. Fourth Estate. The constitution of England is composed of three estates, king, lords, and commons. The term fourth estate is popularly conceded to the newspaper press generally ; the in- fluence it exercises for the public good, and upon the councils of the nation, rendering it a distinct power or estate. Gallic Neighbour. A term by which England indicates France. Gasconade. A French term signifying immoderate boasting of wit, wealth, or valour. The word has its origin in the in- habitants of the ancient province of Gascony, in France, who were said to be addicted to this exaggerated and extravagant kind of talk. The following will serve as illustrations : A Gascon officer hearing some one celebrating the exploits of a 236 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : prince who, in two assaults upon a town, had killed six men with his own hand, " Bah !" said he, " I would have you know that the very mattresses I sleep upon are stuffed with nothing else but the whiskers of those whom I have sent to slumber in the other world !" Again, a Gascon, in proof of his nobility, asserted that in his father's castle they used no other firewood than the batons of the different mareschals of France of his family. Gauntlet, Throwing down the. The gauntlet was a large iron glove with fingers covered with small plates, formerly worn by cavaliers, and which used to be thrown down in token of challenge. Hence to thrown down the gauntlet signifies figuratively to challenge ; and to take up the gauntlet is to accept the challenge. Godwin's Oath. This is iised in allusion to the taking of a voluntary or intemperate oath, or making violent protestations, and originated as follows : Godwin, brother of Edward the Confessor, was tried for the murder of Prince Alfred, his brother, and pardoned, but died at the king's table while protesting with oaths his innocence of the murder ; the historians of those times assert that he was choked with a piece of bread which he prayed might stick in his throat if he were guilty of the murder. Good Old Times. A term referring indefinitely to some former period, when a happier state ot things is supposed to have existed than at present. The phrase had, however, a special signification in the time of Cromwell, it being used by the royalists as a convenient pledge, which, while being understood among themselves, could be made to apply to a remoter period than the Stuarts. Gordian Knot. Gordius, one of the early kings of Phrygia, is said to have ascended from the plough to the throne. It is related that, one day while he was ploughing, an eagle perched upon the yoke of his oxen, and remained there the whole day. This remarkable circumstance induced him to consult the oracle, and the answer was, that he would one day be elevated to the throne. Some time after this, a sedition broke out in Phrygia ; the people consulted the oracle as to the choice of a king, and were directed to choose the first man who passed the temple of Jupiter in an ox-cart : this happened to be Gordius, who was, therefore, im- NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 237 mediately crowned king of Phrygia. To commemorate his elevation, Gordius consecrated his cart in the temple. He fastened a knot to the beam of the cart so dexterously involved and complicated, that the oracles promised the dominion of the world to the man who should untie it. Great numbers attempted this in vain ; at last came Alexander, and cut it through with his sword. Hence, " to cut the Gordian knot " is to overcome obstacles by taking summary action. Gorham Controversy. The Eev. G. C. Gorham, for his opinion on baptismal regeneration, was refused admission to the living of Bamford Speke by the Bishop of Exeter ; proceedings were instituted, and the decision given against him. This was reversed by the Privy Council in 1850. The bishop endeavoured to upset this decision, but was unsuccessful, and was compelled to admit Mr. Gorham to his living. Mr. Gorham died in 1857. Great Powers of Europe. A term of modern diplomacy, by which are meant England, France, Austria, Russia, and Prussia, and latterly Italy. Greek Calends. A phrase referring to a time that will never come. The Greeks, in their division of the month, had no calends, these being used by the Eomans only ; hence, the allusion. Heroes. Among the Greeks and Romans, demi-gods, or persons whose nature was supposed to be partly human and partly divine ; and who, though mortal, had a kind of immortality conferred upon them by being placed after death among the gods. Hibernia. The ancient name of Ireland, first so called by Julius Csesar. It is derived by some, from hibernum tempus (winter time), because in that season the nights are long there. But it appears more probable that it has been derived from Erin, the name given to the island by the original inhabitants. Hk. An epithet still retained in Scotland and some parts of the North of England. It denotes the clan of the same name, as " Macleod of that illc" meaning a gentleman whose surname and title of his estate are the same, as " Macleod of Macleod." Jean Crapaud. A nickname for Frenchmen collectively. The 238 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : origin of the term is traced to the circumstance of three frogs (crapauds) being the ancient arms of France. John Bull. A nickname for an Englishman and for the English nation. The origin of this term is traced to a satire written in the time of Queen Anne, by Dr. Arbuthnot, entitled the History of John Bull. The object of the satire was to throw ridicule on the politics of the Spanish succession. John Bull is the Englishman ; the frog is the Dutchman ; and Charles the Second of Spain, and Louis the Fourteenth of France, are called Lord Strut and Louis Baboon. John Company. An eccentric title given to the East India Company. Juste Milieu. A term commonly employed in connection with European politics, and signifying that system which is as equally removed from a blind adherence to the past, as it is from an undue haste in adopting changes. It is regarded by its advocates as the height of wisdom, while its antagonists denounce it as a cowardly compromise between right and wrong. Kentish Fire. A peculiar manner of expressing applause, consisting of cheers, hurrahs, or clapping hands, given with precision and in regular order. The Earl of Winchelsea, about the year 1834, attended a monster meeting in Dublin of Pro- testants, who met to consider the then political state in which the kingdom was placed, and a mode of expressing applause was invented in honour of the earl, whose principal estates lay in the county of Kent. King Ad, Old as. Lokman, a celebrated king of the Adites, an Arabian tribe, is said to have lived to the age of seven vultures. The name of Ad came therefore to mean among the Arabs any- thing of extreme antiquity, and the proverb has passed into other countries. King can do no Wrong. This pernicious sentiment was uttered by Anaxarchus, a Greek philosopher, with a view of reconciling Alex- ander the Great to the crime committed by him in killing Clitus. King de Jure and King de Facto. Terms employed in allusion to a king by right (dejure) and by possession (de facto). Thus, although Charles the Second of England did not become NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 239 king de facto till the 29th of May, 1660, he was king dejure from the death of his father, 30th January, 1648 ; so that the year of his restoration is called the twelfth of his reign. This was de- cided under an opinion of the judges. Knight winning his Spurs. Anciently, the difference be- tween the knight and the esquire was, that the knight wore gilt spurs and the esquire silver ones. Hence the phrase " winning his spurs," implying the performance of some chivalric action, which entkled the performer to wear the spurs of a knight. Laconism. A brief sententious phrase or expression, so called because it was the mode adopted by the Lacedaemonians. Last Argument of Kings. Cannon is thus alluded to ; a Latin motto to this effect being engraved on the French cannon by order of Louis the Fourteenth. Lettres de Cachet. The name given to secret warrants, which were put in force in France during the eighteenth century, and by means of which the king or his minister could have anybody arrested and imprisoned, and even banished, without assigning any reason for the outrage. They originated, it is said, with the Capuchin, Pere Joseph, in the time of Richelieu. It was the custom to place a number of these warrants in the hands of the chief of the Parisian police, who filled up the blanks as occasion required. Levee-en-Masse. A military expression for the rising of a whole people, including all capable of bearing arms, who are not otherwise engaged in the regular service. Liberia. The name which, in 1824, was given to the territory purchased by the American Colonization Society, on the western coast of Africa. Liberty of Conscience. The name of an insidious declaration promulgated by James the Second, ostensibly for the purpose of conciliating the Nonconformist Dissenters, but really with a view of promoting the interests of the Catholics. Magnificent Distances, City of. An epithet applied to Washington, United States, which is a great city rather in plan and prospect than in fact. It is artificially laid out in a ro- mantic situation. The plan of the city consists of straight streets 240 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : of considerable width, crossing each other at right angles ; but to break the sameness and formal appearance of such an arrange- ment, diagonal streets or avenues are constructed, leading from one national edifice to another. Public buildings and establishments have been erected in different localities, and these have drawn around them a number of residences, while the intermediate spaces are unoccupied. Thus one town is collected round the President's house, another round the Capitol, a third round the navy-yard, each of which is about a mile distant -from the other. Majesty of the People. A celebrated toast proposed by the Duke of Norfolk, at a public entertainment in 1798 in these terms. " Our sovereign's health the majesty of the people." For this, the duke was deprived of his ofiices, and disgraced. And for repeating this toast upon a subsequent occasion, Fox was struck out of the list of Privy Councillors. Manlian Order. Titus Manlius, Consul of Home, put his own son to death for having engaged in single combat against one of the enemy contrary to his orders. Hence, any edict or order unnaturally severe is termed a " Manlian Order." Marriage by Proxy. Among sovereigns and princes, a marriage has been sometimes concluded through the medium of a deputy or proxy, on behalf of one of the contracting parties. In this peculiar betrothal, it was formerly the custom for the proxy to introduce his right leg up to the knee into the bed of the princess whom he married. The object of the ceremony was to render the marriage more certain ; it being supposed that the princess who had submitted to this kind of approach on the part of man, could not depart from her engagement and take another husband. Milesian. A native of Ireland is so called, such being the name of the people who originally invaded that country. Napoleon, Dotations of. Gifts from the national domains,, which Napoleon bestowed on his generals in the countries which he conquered. Nation of Shopkeepers. A name which Napoleon Bonaparte applied by way of contempt to England ; intending thereby to NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 241 undervalue her military genius, and to impute to her a grovelling predilection for commercial pursuits. Needy Knifegrinder. The hero of one of George Canning's political squibs, written in mock heroics, and published in the Anti-Jacobin. It was aimed at a political association known as the " Friends of the People," which undertook to redress the social and political wrongs of the lower classes. Nepotism. A word used in the languages of the European continent to signify, originally, the undue patronage bestowed by the Popes upon their younger relatives (nepotes) by appoint- ing them to high offices in the church, or making them important grants. It was not uncommon for a Pope, when elected, to elevate his whole family, so that ever after, the family belonged to the richest nobility in Rome. The term has been latterly used in a more general sense, to denote any patronage bestowed in consideration of family connection and not of merit. Nero Fiddling while Rome was Burning. The burning of the greater part of the city of Rome took place in the year 62 A.D. It began in a shop filled with combustibles, and spread with unexampled rapidity. After raging for six days, the flames were stopped at the foot of the Esquiline Hill. The emperor Nero was suspected of being the author of this conflagration. He was at Antium when it broke out, and is said to have mounted the stage of his private theatre, and to have amused himself by singing the destruction of Troy. New Zealander, Macaulay's. This refers to a conception of Lord Macaulay's in his History of England, and which fore- shadows that at a distant day, when the glories and power of England have departed, " Some solitary traveller from New Zealand shall take his stand upon a broken arch of London Bridge, to sketch the ruins of St. Paul's." Ninnacus, To weep like. Ninnacus is the first king of Phrygia of whom any account is preserved. He is said to have lived to an extreme old age, and upon consulting the oracle as to how much longer his life was to last, was answered that at his deatli all things should perish. On receiving this intelligence he im- mediately repaired to the temple accompanied by the chief persons 242 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : among his subjects. They uttered the most lamentable cries and groans to procure a change of this awful decree. From this circumstance originated the expression "to weep like Ninnicus." No Bishop, no King. The Puritans of the time of James the First, petitioned that monarch to purify the tenets and reform the ceremonies of the Established Church ; they particularly oojected to recognise the ecclesiastical government as constituted. James appointed a conference to be held between the Puritans and the Episcopalians, at which he himself presided. In the course of this conference he displayed his prejudice against the Puritan cause by repeatedly exclaiming "No bishop, no king,'' and at length peremptorily ordered the petitioners to withdraw. Ogygian. A term applied to traditions of the primitive world, or to events which happened at the remotest periods. So called from Ogyges, king of Bceotia, in whose time, 1764 B.C., a memo- rable flood desolated that country. Pale, Within the. A phrase which, in connection with Irish history, is applied to that portion of Ireland to which for some centuries after its invasion by the English under Henry the Second in 1172, the dominion of the latter was confined. The limits of the pale seldom extended beyond the modern province of Leinster, and were frequently much less considerable. Parthian Treachery. The Parthians were looked upon by the Romans as peculiarly faithless, and in that respect occupied the same place in their estimation that the Carthaginians had formerly done. Partington, Mrs., and her Mop. This phrase is made use of to express stupendous toil and effort thrown away. It originates in an anecdote related by Sydney Smith by way of illustrating the attempt of the House of Lords to stop the progress of Reform in 1831. Mrs. Partington resided on the sea-shore at Sidmouth, and upon the occasion of an inundation from the sea which visited that town, she endeavoured to stay the flood from the ocean by mopping it up. Pasquinade. A satirical kind of libel so named from one Pasquin, a cobbler at Rome, who was celebrated for his method of representing the actions of public or private persons in a NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 243 ludicrous or unfavourable light. Upon his decease, the maimed statue of a gladiator which had been found in his house was set up at a corner near his shop, and called after him, Pasquin ; and from that time it became customary for those who indulged in satirical writings to affix them to this figure, whence they received the name of Pasquinades. They were sometimes answered by another statue called Marfario. Philip Drunk and Philip Sober. This phrase has reference to Philip of Macedon, who, when under the effects of Avine, un- justly condemned a woman who appealed from his judgment. " To whom, then, do you appeal?" said the enraged king. "From Philip," she replied, " drunk and slumbering, to Philip sober and wakeful." Philippic. A term originating in an oration of Demosthenes, the Grecian orator, against Philip, king of Macedon ; hence applied to any discourse or harangue deeply imbued with satirical allusion or acrimonious invective. Pinch of Curry. At a time of great scarcity in England, the Duke of Norfolk suggested that the poor should mix " a pinch of curry " with their food for the purpose of eking it out, and im- parting a relish ; the remedy suggested was considered so incon- sequential and impracticable as to excite a considerable degree of ridicule. Pouring Oil on the Troubled Waters. This phrase is employed as an equivalent for the efforts made to restore peace and harmony where dissension prevails ; to adjust quarrels ; to still the angry passions. There is an anecdote of Franklin stilling the sea, to the astonishment of the uninitiated, by stretching his cane over the side of the ship, the cane having a small phial of oil in the end of it ; and other experiments of a similar nature are said to have been tried with a like result. But a contrary conclusion has been arrived at from an experiment made by a commission of the Royal Institute of the Pays Bas in 1844, when several gallons of oil were poured upon the restless waves without having the effect of diminishing their motion. The popular belief, however, still prevails, as is shown by the frequent recurrence of the above phrase. 244 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: Pride's Purge. An epithet given to a violent measure put forth by Colonel Pride to exclude the Presbyterian members from the House of Commons, December 6, 1648. Primate of All England. The Archbishop of York is styled in formal documents Primate of England, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all England. The distinction arose from a fierce dispute in respect of precedence, which occurred at a Synod held at Westminster in the reign of Henry the Second, and in which blows are said to have passed between the rival ecclesiastics. Next day an appeal was made to the Pope, and the dispute was settled by the respective titles being assigned as before mentioned ; the precedence being given to the see of Canterbury. Punic Faith. This was a common proverb among the ancients, and was applied by the Romans to the Carthaginian (Pceni) people, who, according to their enemies, were noted for perfidy and cunning. Quarter, Giving. The custom of asking and giving quarter in warfare, had its origin, it is said, in an agreement entered into between the Dutch and Spaniards, that the ransom of an officer or soldier should be the quarter of his year's pay. Hence, to beg quarter was to offer a quarter of their pay for personal safety ; and to refuse quarter was to decline to accept the proffered ransom. Ratting. A term used to signify the changing sides in politics, and which has been thus accounted for : In Spain, when the Duke of Lerma was overthrown, all his party disappeared in a few days. James the First having expressed his surprise at this circumstance, Gondemar replied by an apologue, to the effect that two rats having found their way into a palace, multiplied so that their num- bers and rapacity became troublesome, and in order to extirpate them wholesale poisoning was resorted to. Kigbyism. In politics, a term signifying a principle of action governed alone by sordid or interested motives ; such as disposing of votes for place, pay, or power ; acting the part of a paid advo- cate in an unworthy cause, &c. The term is derived from one Mr. Rigby, a creature of the Bedford family, and Paymaster-General of the Forces, during the American war. While holding this office, NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 245 he is said to have accumulated upwards of 50,000 a year ; and to have been a general trafficker in pensions and state emoluments, in every direction where his pleasures, vanity, or interest were concerned. Eights of Women. A cry got up by a section of the women of America, who claimed to be allowed the same political privileges as men, and to occupy an unfettered and independent social position. Conventions were held with this view in several parts of America ; but without achieving any definite result. Riot Act. An act passed, July 20th, 1715, by which it is rendered illegal for persons to assemble for seditious purposes. When a mob is noisy or unruly, the custom is, for a magistrate to read the Act aloud; and if after that, the crowd does not disperse, it may be compelled to do so by force. Robbing Peter to pay Paul. This proverb is said to have had its origin in the time of Edward the Sixth, when a considerable portion of the lands of the Abbey of St. Peter at Westminster were invaded by the great men of the court, who, therefore, allowed somewhat out of them towards the repair of St. Paul's Cathedral. Roland for an Oliver. This phrase is said to bear reference to two pages at the court of Charlemagne, so named, and posses- sing equal recommendations ; hence " I'll give you a Roland for an Oliver " was tantamount to " I'll give you as good as you send." St. James's, Court of. A diplomatic term signifying the royal and ministerial jurisdiction of the British Court. At St. James's Palace are held the drawing-rooms, levees, and other state ceremonies. Sardonic Grin. This term is said to arise from a plant which anciently grew in the island of Sardinia, and which, if eaten, con- tracted the muscles of the face, and produced painful and involun- tary fits of laughter, frequently terminating fatally. Hence arose the name of " Sardonic grin," for a hideous laugh. Saxon. A political term of contempt and reproach made use of by the people of Ireland in reference to the English. It was a favourite word of the Irish Agitator, Daniel O'Connell, and by employing it he sought to impart an idea of estrangement and oppression. 246 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Scaramouch. One of the grotesque characters of the Italian stage, usually represented in an entire suit of black, a colour commonly worn in Naples by courtiers and magistrates. The original Scaramouch was a person named Fiorelli, a native of Naples, who distinguished himself on the stage by his jests and his skill in mimicry. Scotland, Curse of. The " nine of diamonds " is so called, because it was on the back of that card that the Duke of Cumber- land wrote the cruel order to give no quarter to the Scots who fought on the side of the Pretender at the Battle of Culloden. Seius, Horse of. Cneius Seius, a Roman citizen, possessed a horse of singular size and beauty. Seius was put to death by Antony, and the horse was bought for a large price by Cornelius Dolabella. He in his turn was conquered by Cassius, and fell in battle ; upon which the horse came into the hands of Cassius. He slaying himself on being defeated by Antony, the horse came into Antony's possession, who was afterwards defeated by Augustus, and put himself to death. The possession of this horse was considered so disastrous to its owner, that " the horse of Seius " became a proverbial expression for a thing that was supposed to bring ill-fortune to the possessor. Seven Hills, City of the. A name given to Rome from the circumstance of it being built upon seven hills ; namely, the Capitoline, Aventine, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Coelian, and Palatine. Shibboleth. In Scripture, a word which was made the criterion by which to distinguish the Ephraimites from the Gileadites, the former of whom could not correctly pronounce the first consonantal soimd sh, and called the word sibboleth ; hence the criterion of a party, or that which distinguishes one interest or faction from another. Sick Man. A name given to the empire of Turkey by the Emperor Nicholas of Russia. The idea intended to be conveyed was, that Turkey, like a sick man, was in imminent danger of dissolution ; and that it was, therefore, a favourable opportunity for the great Northern power to extend its conquests to the East. Sidonian. This was an epithet applied to anything elegant, NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 247 attractive, or pleasing to the eye in apparel, utensils, ornaments, toys, &c. It originated from the ancient people of Sidon, who were remarkable for their taste, invention, and design. Sinews of War. An unlimited supply of money for the purposes of warfare, thus named by Cicero, who says, " Nervi belli pecunia infinita," endless money supplies the very sinews of war. Solecism. This'word, signifying impropriety of language, or inaccuracy of expression, is said to be derived from the Soloeci, a people of Attica, who, being transported to Cilicia, lost the purity of their language. The term is distinguished from a barbarism, for the latter may be in one word, but a solecism must be of more. Swom Brothers. In former times, upon any expedition or invasion being undertaken, it was the custom among the foremost soldiers, to engage themselves by reciprocal oaths to share the reward of their service. Thus, the term " sworn brothers " came to mean those who committed acts of iniquity in concert, because of their dividing the proceeds of their guilt. Syloson, Scarf of. Syloson gave to King Darius a rich scarf or mantle, and in return received the sovereignty of Samos. Hence, this term is applied to small presents which are made for the purpose of obtaining larger gifts. Tartuffe. The name of the chief character in Moliere's best comedy. Tartuffe is the embodiment of hypocrisy and cant ; and so truthfully is this depicted, that the word " Tartuffe " is synonymous with hypocrite not only in French but in many other languages. There is hut one God, and Mahomet is His Prophet. This sentence forms the foundation of Mahometan theology, and the sentiment is amalgamated with a variety of extraordinary doc- trines. Thunders of the Vatican. An epithet for the anathemas and denunciations of the Pope, whose palace the Vatican is. Transatlantic Cousins. The name which, in England, is applied to the inhabitants of the United States, who dwell on the other side of the Atlantic ; and being descended from the same common stock as Englishmen, may be regarded as their cousins. Tripartite Empire. Jean Paul Richter said, that the French, 248 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : had the dominion of the land, the English of the sea, and the Germans of the air. Turncoat. This political term of derision is said to have arisen as follows : The Duke of Savoy took, indifferently, some- times part with France, and sometimes with Spain ; for that purpose he had a corps attired in coats which were white on one side and scarlet on the other ; so that when he meant to declare for France he wore the white outside, and when for Spain, the red. Ultra, A prefix in modern politics used to denote the straining party sentiments beyond their limits. Thus, ultra-liberal, some- thing more than liberal, and verging on radical ; ultra-radical, desiring still greater latitude than that which the radical party party has marked out for itself. Vattel, According to. Emer de Vattel was a celebrated writer on the Law of Nations, and the principles which he lays down in connection with this subject being generally accepted as the best authority, it is customary to strengthen a position by a reference to Vattel. He died in 1767. Venetian Republic. A state which has no political existence in the present day, but which figured for more than a thousand years among the independent states of Europe, and acted a considerable part in modern history. It comprehended the con- tinental territory of Venice, in Italy. Vicars of the Empire. The name given to certain princes who, in the German constitution, had the right of representing the emperor in case of absence or interregnum. The King of the Romans, when such existed, was perpetual vicar. If there were none, the office was divided into two : the Elector of Saxony exercised the vicariate in the two Saxon circles ; the Electors Palatine and of Bavaria, alternately in the remainder of the empire. Vienna, Court of. The Austrian court, which has been esta- blished in Vienna, the metropolis of the Austrian empire. Vow of the Swans. At a royal banquet given by Edward the Second, just previously to his expedition into Scotland, in 1306 T he took an oath to God and to two swans, which were brought in NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 249 and set upon the table, that he would have vengeance upon Robert Bruce, and punish the treachery of the Scots. The swan, about that period, was a royal device adopted in connection with war. Wise Men of Gotham. Thejmen of Gotham, in Northampton- shire, appear to have been proverbial in the middle ages. for their stupidity ; and, on account of their displaying the reverse of wisdom, were generally ridiculed as the " Wise Men of Gotham." Wooden Walls of Old England. A name given until very recently to the war-ships of the British navy, which by a figure of speech were said to form walls around the Island of Britain, as a protection against the invader. World, Head of the. The designation of ancient Rome in the days of her splendour. It is still applied by Roman Catholics to modern Rome, as the see of the head of their religion. Yankee. A cant term now used to designate a native of any of the United States of America, but originally applied to the inhabitants of New England only. The term is an Indian corruption of the word English, and is said to have originated thus : About the year 1713, one Jonathan Hastings, a farmer of Cambridge, New England, was in the habit of using " Yankee " as a cant word to express excellence, as a Yankee (good) horse, Yankee cider, &c. The students at the college having frequent intercourse with this man, and hearing him employ the word upon so many occasions, applied it sarcastically to its author, and called him Yankee Jonathan. It thus soon became a cant phrase among the collegians to designate a simple, weak, awkward person ; from college it spread over the country, till from its currency in New England, it was at length taken up and applied to the New Englanders generally, as a term of reproach. 250 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : SECTION 2CVIII. MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, PARTY CRIES, NATIONAL SONGS, HYMNS, ETC. A la Lanterne. A kind of sentence of condemnation uttered by the French people at the time of the first Revolution, against any one whom they considered obnoxious to the republican cause. The lanterns which lighted the city were at that time suspended across the streets by cords, and from these, it was customary to hang persons thus condemned. Abstain from Beans. An admonition of Pythagoras, equi- valent to saying, " Have nothing to do with elections." The Athenians at the election of their public magistrates balloted with beans. It is also worthy of remark that the Pythagoreans had a superstitious belief that the souls of the dead were harboured in the centre of the bean. After me the Deluge. A saying attributed to many persons of eminence : its significance is, " When my career is closed, I care not what becomes of mankind, or what may be the fate of the world, even if it be destroyed by a deluge." All is lost save Honour. The words contained in a letter which Francis the First wrote to his mother after the Battle of Pavia, February 24th, 1525. This battle was particularly dis- astrous to Francis, and he himself was taken prisoner. Am I not a Man and a Brother? Words which Lord Brougham, in one of his anti-slavery speeches, put into the mouth of a negro, supposed to be appealing to an Englishman for his liberty. Another such Victory and I am undone. An exclamation of Pontius, an able Samnite general, who in 279 B.C. gained MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 251 several victories over the Romans, but not without sustaining severe losses himself. Ant Caesar ant Nnllns. " Either Caesar or nobody." I will attain supreme eminence or perish in the attempt. A saying of Julius Ca3sar. Calais written on my Heart. During the reign of Mary, Queen of England, she was engaged in a war with France, as the ally of the Spaniards. In this war, Calais was taken by the French, after it had been in the possession of the English 200 years. The loss of this place so affected Mary, that she declared " When I am dead, you will find ' Calais ' written on my heart." Ca-Ira. These famous revolutionary couplets were written on the occasion of the celebration of the capture of the Bastile, July 14th, 1790, when the civic oath was taken before the altar of the country. The ga-ira was directed chiefly against the domestic enemies of the republic. Cold Shade of the Aristocracy. This phrase was first employed by Sir W. Napier in his History of the Peninsular War, and refers to the gallantly of the friendless English officers and soldiers who fought and bled for their country, although conscious that they durst not hope for reward, from want of interest with the authorities at home, fighting as they did " under the cold shade of the aristocracy." Come and Take them. The answer which Leonidas the Spartan general made to the herald who was sent by Xerxes, with an order for the Greeks to deliver up their arms. Dei Gratia. " By the grace of God ; " a formula which sovereigns add to their title. The expression is taken from an Epistle of the Apostle Paul, and was used first by the clergy in the time of Constantine the Great. Under the Carlovingian dynasty, the secular princes also assumed it. The high clergy of the Roman Catholic Church used it with an addition, " By the grace of God and the apostolic see." Delenda est Carthago. " Carthage must be destroyed," an expression with which Cato the Censor invariably terminated his speeches in the Senate. It implied that Carthage was 252 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : becoming so powerful and dangerous a rival, that its destruction was necessary to ensure the safety of Rome. D. M. For Dis Hanibus, " To the divine Manes," or shades of the dead. The usual commencement of Roman sepulchral inscriptions. Dies Iras. The first words of a celebrated Latin hymn, de- scribing the final judgment of the world. It is ascribed to Thomas de Cselano, who lived in the thirteenth century. It is a beautiful poem, belonging to those early Christian compositions which combine the smoothness of rhyme with the gravity of Latin verse. It constitutes a part of the Requiem, or Mass for the souls of the dead, and commences as follows : " Dies irse, dies ilia, Saeclum solvet in favilla ; Teste David cum Sibylla." The day of wrath, that dreadful day, The world shall crumble to decay ; This David and the Sibyl say. Dieu et mon Droit. " God and my right," the motto of the sovereigns of England, and first assumed by Richard the First, intimating that he held the empire from God alone, and was subject to no other power. Doxology. This is said to have been in use in the time of the Apostles, and was first directed to be said or sung at the end of the Psalms by Pope Damasus, about the year 382. The words originally were " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost." The response, " As it was in the beginning," &c., was added by the fifth canon of the Council of Vaison, held in 529, to refute the heresy of those days in which it was con- tended, that the Son of God had his beginning in time. The term implies literally " giving glory." Dulce Domum. " Sweet home." A Latin song is thus called which is sung at Winchester College, on the evening preceding the Whitsuntide holidays. Ego et Rex metis. " I and my king," an expression which MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 253 Cardinal Wolsey was accused of uttering, and which was one of the charges brought against him, as manifesting his arrogance, and his belief that he was greater than the king. The order ot the words in Latin is strictly correct ; therefore, if the story be true, Wolsey was a good grammarian, but unwise courtier. Either with this, or upon this. The words of a Spartan mother on presenting her son with his shield, enjoining him either to bring it back from battle, or to be brought home, slain, upon it. England and St. George. This ancient battle-cry of the English was first used by Henry the Second, in Ireland. An injunction was given to the old English soldiery that, upon entering into battle, assault, skirmish, or other passage of arms, they should have for their common cry, " St. George, forward," or, " Upon them, St. George," so that the soldier might be comforted and the enemy dismayed, by calling to mind the ancient valour of England, which, with the associations of that name, has been so often victorious. England expects every Man to do his Duty. The celebrated signal which Nelson gave to the English fleet, just previous to the Battle of Trafalgar ; a sentiment which was answered with a responsive shout, and which animated every man with a desire to emulate the example of his illustrious commander. Et tu Brute ! "And thou, too, Brutus !" These are said to have been the last words of Caesar, who had already been stabbed by several conspirators, and who noticed among the rest, Brutus, in the act of aiming a dagger at him. With this exclamation he fell dead to the earth, wounded in twenty-three places. Brutus was the personal friend of Cajsar, and owed his life to his clemency after the Battle of Pharsalia ; but he professed to sink the friend in the patriot, and to become the assassin of one whose ambitious schemes he considered to be injurious to his country. Eureka. " I have found it," the exclamation of Archimedes, the philosopher, when he discovered the means of ascertaining the purity of the golden crown made for his cousin Hiero, king of Syracuse, from the space which it should occupy in water. Excelsior. This word is derived from the Latin, and is the com- parative degree of the adjective excelsus, high, lofty. Its meaning, therefore, is " still higher ;" and in Longfellow's beautiful poem, it 254 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : is adopted as the motto of a genius whose world-experience is thus illustrated. Fear Nothing : you carry Caesar. When Caesar was pursuing Pompey, for the purpose of waging war with him, he crossed the Adriatic in a fisherman's boat. The frail vessel was caught in a storm, and the fisherman exhibited fear for his safety. Csesar, to encourage him, made use of the above expression. Festina Lente. " Hasten slowly." Be on your guard against impetuosity. A favourite saying of the Emperors Augustus and Titus. It forms the punning motto of the Onslow family. Follow me, I will be your Leader. Words addressed by the young King Kichard the Second to the mob, upon the occasion of their ringleader, Wat Tyler, being struck down and killed. These words acted as a charm on the unruly multitude, and they mechanically followed the intrepid young king. Forty Centuries are gazing at us from these Pyramids. Words which Bonaparte addressed to his army on the occasion of invading Egypt in 1798. His design was to inspire the soldiers with martial ardour, by reminding them that they were in the presence of so many heroes of antiquity. Fuit Hium. " Ilium was." So said in reference to the former greatness of Ilium or Troy, and the complete destruction which had befallen it. Commonly said of a thing long past, or of that which has left only a wreck of its former self. Gaude, Maria Virgo. " Rejoice, Virgin Mary." The begin- ning of an anthem chanted by the monks of the Romish Church at nightfall, from which the particular period of time obtained the name of Godemarre. God Save the Queen. This, the National Anthem of England, was composed by Dr. Bull, organist to Queen Elizabeth. It is said to have been first sung in Merchant Tailors' Hall in the presence of King James the First, after his escape from the Grun- powder Plot. Had I but served my God as faithfully as I have served my Prince, He would not have deserted me in my Old Age. A plaint uttered by Cardinal Wolsey when his last moments were approaching, and when he was left to die, neglected and im- MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 255 poverished, by Henry the Eighth, whom he had served with a fidelity as unscrupulous as it was unswerving. H. R. R. An abbreviation for Heiliges Romisclies Reich (Holy Eoman empire) ; it is to be met with in many manuscripts, diplo- mas, and books printed during the existence of the German empire, which was, in theory, the continuation of the old Roman empire. I glory in the Name of Briton. Memorable words which George the Third addressed to the British Parliament upon the occasion of its first meeting after his accession. I have lost a Day. The exclamation of the Emperor Titus, on finding at night that he had done nothing worthy of recollec- tion during the day. I. H. S. An ecclesiastical monogram, " lesu Hominum Salvator," Jesus the Saviour of men. Ich Dien. " I serve ;" the motto of the Prince of Wales, and first adopted by Edward the Black Prince, who took it from the king of Bohemia, who was killed at the Battle of Crecy. If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes. This ex- clamation was made use of by Alexander the Great upon the occa- sion of his paying a visit to the Cynic in his tub. The monarch stood between Diogenes and the sun, while asking if he could confer any favour upon him. " Stand out of my sunshine," was the reply, upon which Alexander made use of the foregoing words. Imprimatur. Latin for "Let it be printed;" the word by which the licenser allows a book to be printed in countries where the censorship of literature is exercised in its rigour. I've passed the Rubicon. An expression made use of by Julius Caesar upon the occasion of his marching against the Senate on Ms return from Gaul, and immediately he had reached the opposite banks of the Rubicon. Caesar meant to imply that, having now crossed the river in the character of an invader, it was too late to think of retreating. In this sense the phrase has been since applied to any movement or action of an irrevocable nature. Know Thyself. This precept was inscribed in golden letters over the portico of the Temple at Delphi. It has been ascribed to Pythagoras, Chilo, Thales, Cleobulus, and Socrates. It has 256 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: also been attributed to Phemonoe, a mythical Greek poetess of the ante-Homeric period. Knowledge is Power. An expression derived from Lord Bacon. In his " Proficience and Advancement of Learning," he employs two pages in demonstrating that knowledge is the highest of all powers. La Propriete c'est le Vol. That is, " Property is theft ;" a mischievous assertion made use of by a notorious Socialist named Proudhon at the time of the French Eevolution in 1848. The implication was, that the property possessed by one section of the community had been stolen from the less fortunate or deserv- ing portion of mankind ; that by consequence, the holder of such possessions had no greater right to them than the robber has to his plunder ; and that, such being the case, it would be but equitable to steal from the stealers. In short, a new reading of the old Socialist doctrine, that no man has a right to be better off than his neighbour. Inconsistently enough, M. Proudhon a few years since maintained an action at law for infringement of copyright ! Le Eoi est Mort -Vive le Roi ! French for " The king is dead long live the king!" A phrase embodying the assertion that " the king never dies," and supposed to be the terms in which the death of the departed monarch and the advent of his suc- cessor are simultaneously announced. L'Empire c'est la Paix. That is to say, " The empire ! peace is the empire ;" a famous exclamation made by the Emperor Louis Napoleon, and implying that peace is the only sure foun- dation upon which the Imperial Government of France rests. L'Etat c'est moi. " I am the state," a principle enunciated by Louis the Fourteenth of France, who meant thereby to uphold kingly absolutism, and to ignore that responsibility which a con- stitutional monarch owes to his ministers and his people. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite. The motto adopted by the republican party on the various occasions of the French revolu- tions. Lillibullero. A song which created an immense sensation in the time of James the Second, and which was said to have been greatly instrumental in driving that monarch out of the kingdom. MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 257 It was written in ridicule of Popery, and of the Irish people, who were then extremely unpopular in England. The verses were in no respect above the ordinary standard of street poetry, and had for their burden some gibberish which was said to have been used as a watchword by the insurgents of Ulster in 1641. The verses and the tune caught the fancy of the nation. From one end of England to the other all classes were constantly singing, humming, or whistling it. It was especially the delight of the English army. This song was written by Thomas Wharton, who at one period represented Buckinghamshire in Parliament, and who was conspicuous for his antagonism to James the Second. Marseillaise. The hymn of this name has played an important part in continental revolutions ; it was the production of a French officer of engineers named Rouget de Lille, who was quartered in Strasbourg in the year 1791. Marshal Luckner who commanded the army, inquired if there was any one who could compose a soul-inspiring song to animate his soldiers, who consisted chiefly of young conscripts. Captain Rouget de Lille was mentioned, and he was prevailed upon to undertake the task. He retired to his quarters, and during the night composed and wrote the song in question. On the following morning the army marched to its tune, and carried everything before them with an enthusiasm only to be equalled by absolute frenzy. The name " Marseillaise " was given to it long after its original production, when a body of troops entered Paris from Marseilles playing the air. Mea Cnlpa, Deus. " My fault, God." A mediaeval expres- sion, like our " God forgive me," used by a person when sensible of having done or said anything profane. Miserere. In the Roman Catholic Church, the 51st Psalm, otherwise called the Psalm of Mercy, usually appointed for penitential acts. Montjoie St. Denys. The battle-cry of the ancient kings of France ; it was the name of the convent of St. Denys, which was under the special protection of the Kings of France. Nec Pluribus Impar. " Xo unequal match for many." The motto assumed by Louis the Fourteenth, when he formed his project for the subjugation of Europe. 258 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : No Royal Road to Geometry. Ptolemy the Third, of Egypt, wishing to master Geometry without the toil of learning, inquired of Euclid whether he could not arrive at the desired end by a shorter method ; to which Euclid made answer, that there was " No royal road to Geometry." Non Angli sed Angeli forent, si essent Christiani. " They would be, not Angles, but Angels, if they were Christians." A celebrated remark made by Pope Gregory the Great, on per- ceiving in the slave-market at Rome some English children of great beauty. Non mi Ricordo. The celebrated answer reiterated by an Italian named Majocchi, who was one of the witnesses in the investigation into the conduct of Queen Caroline, Consort of George the Fourth, and who, when called iipon for his evidence, replied to nearly every question " Nan mi ricordo " (I do not remember). The absurdity of this evasion on the part of a material witness in so important an inquiry, gave to the words the significance of a sort of party-cry among the queen's adherents. Non NoMs Domine. " Not unto us, Lord." The beginning of the 115th Psalm. Some verses of the Psalm commencing as above, have been used for ages as a grace after dinner, and are still chanted at public festivals. Liberty ! what Crimes are committed in thy Name. This exclamation was made by Madame Roland, one of the victims of the first French revolution. When arrived near the scaffold upon which she was to suffer, she bent toward the statue of Liberty which stood there, and uttered the remarkable words above quoted. Oh, my Country. The dying words of the celebrated states- man, William Pitt, whose death 'was accelerated by the failure of his plan for delivering Europe from French tyranny. Oh, Sir Harry Vane ! Sir Harry Vane ! the Lord deliver us from Sir Harry Vane ! An exclamation of Cromwell when he entered the House of Commons with a body of soldiers, for the purpose of expelling the members, and upon which occasion he was resisted by Sir Henry Vane, member for Kingston-upon-Hull. Sir Henry Vane persisted in his hostility MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 259 to Cromwell's government during the whole of the Protectorate, and was imprisoned for some time in Carisbrook Castle. Having afterwards incurred the displeasure of the Parliament and the king, he was accused of treason, and beheaded June 14th, 1G62. Oil that the People had but one Neck, that they might be despatched at a single Blow! This blood-thirsty wish was given utterance to by the Roman emperor Caligula, whose name is rendered infamous, by the delight he took in practising refined cruelties, and tortures of the most horrible description. Orange Boven. A rallying cry to which the people of Amsterdam rose in a body, at the same time displaying the orange colours, when the independence of Holland was declared in opposition to French rule. Oratorio. A species of dramatic representation connected with sacred history and set to music. The origin of this class of entertainment has been traced by many to the ancient plays called Mysteries. But the particular kind of sacred music known in England under the name of Oratorio, is so called from its having been first performed in the oratory or chapel of Filippo Neri, a nobleman of Florence, about the year 1550 ; it afterwards became fashionable throughout Europe, and was introduced on the English stage during Lent in the year 1730, at the recommendation of Handel, the famous composer. Paean. In antiquity, a song of triumph, or a song of rejoicing in honour of Apollo. Partant pour la Syrie. A national air recently adopted by France ; it was the composition of Hortense, Queen of Holland, the mother of Louis Napoleon, Emperor of the French. Point d' Argent, point de Suisse. A French proverb signify- ing " No money, no Suisse," and having reference to the Swiss mercenaries formerly in the pay of states who preferred them to native troops. Quand Meme. An ultra-royalist phrase in France, taken from a common cry in La Vendee, during the first French revolution : Vive lc Hoi, quand mcme, that is, Long live the King, even though (or at all .events). The application of it made by the ultras, was that they would adhere to the principles of ultra-royalism, though K 2 260 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : the king himself should recede from them ; and the phrase has become quite common, being used in such connexions as the quand meme principle. Qui Vive? Literally, "Who lives?" the challenge of the French sentries to those who approach their posts ; equivalent to the English " Who goes there ? " Ranz des Vaches. The name given to a simple melody of the Swiss mountaineers played upon Alpine horns. It is said that the French government forbade this tune to be played to the Swiss troops upon pain of death, as it immediately drew tears from their eyes and occasioned them to desert, or die of what was called maladie du pays, or home-sickness, so ardently did it make them wish to return to their native country. Register! Register! Register! An injunction which Sir Robert Peel laid down to those who were entitled to vote for members of Parliament ; by following which, individual politi- cal privileges were secured, and party was strengthened. Remember ! The last word spoken by Charles the First, when on the scaffold, and addressed by way of injunction to Bishop Juxon, who attended him. Much importance was attached by Cromwell and his party to this farewell word, and Juxon was- afterwards commanded to declare the precise import of it. The bishop informed them that the king only impressed upon him a former and particular request to deliver his decorations of St. George to the Prince of Wales, and at the same time to urge the command of his father to forgive his murderers. Remember the Athenians. These words, Darius, King of Persia, commanded one of his officers to repeat to him every evening. It bore reference to a party of Athenians having just previously set fire to Sardis, the capital of Lydia an act which greatly exasperated the king, and which he determined to avenge. Right Man in the Right Place. A favourite term used to express the appointment of a person to a post for which he is eminently fitted. The origin of this phrase has been traced to the following extract from the writings of Bishop Berkeley : " The world is like a board, with holes in it, and the square men have got into the round holes, and the round into the square." MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 261 Rogue's March. An air played by the regimental band upon the occasion of an incorrigible military offender being dismissed the service. Rule Britannia.- The words of this celebrated national anthem or song, were taken from the poet Thomson's Masque of Alfred, and the air was composed by Dr. Arne. Sagas. The general name of those ancient compositions which comprise at once the history and mythology of the northern European races ; they are, however, interesting rather as narra- tives than valuable as historic records. Those composed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries are the most highly esteemed. Sauve qui peut. " Save himself who can." The exclamation uttered by Napoleon Bonaparte, as he fled from the field of Waterloo. Semper Eadem. " Always the same." First used as the motto of the arms of England in 1702. Shall Cromwell have a Statue ? When arrangements were made for placing the statues of the several English rulers in the new Houses of Parliament, a fierce controversy arose as to whether Cromwell should be admitted among them. The dispute lasted a long time, and the words above quoted formed a species of text upon which to conduct the argument for and against. It was at length decided that, inasmuch as Cromwell must, to a certain extent, be regarded as an usurper, and could not take rank as a legitimate ruler, the statue should be denied him. Si Ctuis. Latin for " If any one ; " the words with which the advertisements commenced that formerly were posted on the doors of St. Paul's Cathedral. Soho. A famous war-cry, by which the insurgents under the Duke of Monmouth agreed to recognise each other in the dark- ness of the night, July 5th, 1685, when an attempt was made to surprise and put to rout the forces of James the Second, which lay encamped at Sedgmoor, near Bridgwater. The word is supposed to have been selected in allusion to Soho Fields, in London, where Monmouth's palace stood. Stabat Mater. A celebrated Latin hymn, which is sung in the Roman Catholic Church, particularly on the festival of the Seven 262 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: Sorrows of Mary, and generally during the services of Lent. It commences " Stabat mater dolorosa " There stood the mother, bathed in tears. It is supposed to have been -written by a monk of the thirteenth century, and it has been set to music in various styles by the most eminent composers of sacred harmony. Star-Spangled Banner. An American national song, bearing reference to the flag of the United States. It was composed by Francis Key, in 1812, on the occasion of the unsuccessful attack made upon Baltimore by the British. It was written on the spur of the moment, and was hastily struck off ; it was immediately received with favour, and has ever since occupied the place of the national song. Strike, but hear me. When the abandonment of Salamis was being discussed in the synod of the Peloponnesian chiefs, Adei- mantus reproved Themistocles for his precipitancy, saying, " Themistocles, those who in the public games rise up before the proper signal are scourged." " True," answered the Athenian, " but those who lag behind win no crowns." At this, Adeiman- tus raised his etaff to strike Themistocles ; upon which, the latter addressed to his antagonist the celebrated words quoted above. Take away that Bauble. Words uttered by Cromwell, in allusion to the Speaker's mace, when he entered the House of Commons, for the purpose of dismissing the members. Te Deum. A hymn of the Romish Church, beginning with the Latin words, " Te Deum Laudamus "We praise Thee, God ! It is sung on extraordinary occasions, in giving thanks to the Almighty for a victory, or any other propitious occurrence. The Athenians understand what is good, but the Lacedae- monians practise it. In a public assembly at Athens, a vene- rable old man came too late for a place. The Athenian youths, seeing the confusion he was in, and bent on mischief, made signs that they would accommodate him if he came where they sat : the old man bustled through the crowd accordingly ; but when he came to the seats to which he was invited, the occupants set themselves close together, and thus kept the object of their jest, standing out of countenance, in the face of the whole audience. MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 263 The old man then approached the seats appointed for the Lacedaemonians, who immediately rose in a body, and, with the greatest respect, received him among them. The Athenians, being suddenly touched with a sense of the Spartan virtue, and their own degeneracy, gave a thunder of applause ; upon which, the old man made use of the above exclamation. The King shall enjoy his own again. A celebrated Jacobite song, always sung with the greatest enthusiasm by the adherents of the Stuart cause, and in which composition was prophesied the happy state of things that would exist, when the exiled Stuart once more gained possession of the throne. The Schoolmaster is abroad. This saying, implying the happy influence which instruction is calculated to exercise on the morals and welfare of the people, originated with Lord' Brougham, and is thus reported in one of his speeches : " Let the soldier be abroad, if he will ; he can do nothing in this age. There is another personage abroad a person less imposingin the eyes of some, perhaps, insignificant. The schoolmaster is abroad ; and I trust to him, armed with his primer, against the soldier in full military array." These are my Jewels. A famous expression made use of by Cornelia, daughter of Scipio . Africanus, and mother of the Gracchi. She carefully directed the education and moral training of her sons, and was greatly admired for her virtues. Upon the occasion of a lady displaying her jewels in Cornelia's house, and entreating her to favour her with a sight of her own, Cornelia produced her two sons, saying " These are my jewels ; I can boast of no others." This Hand has offended! When Cranmer was brought to the stake, he bewailed his previous apostacy, namely, his signing a recantation of the reformed faith ; and in the midst of the flames, he held forth the hand that had signed the recan- tation until it was consumed ; exclaiming as he did so, " This hand has offended ! " This shall henceforth be my Music. When Charles the Twelfth of Sweden was in his first engagement, he inquired of an officer what occasioned the whistling sound which he 264 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: heard, and being informed that it was the noise of the bullets rushing through the air, he said, " This shall henceforth be my music." To your Tents, Israel A seditious -watchword of the Jews of old ; applied by the Puritan mob to Charles the First, when he appeared in public, during the time of his unpopularity. True Blue. Blue is a party-colour adopted by the Liberals in political warfare. It has always been the distinguishing colour of the anti-Court section in England; and was first assumed by the Covenanters in opposition to the scarlet badge of Charles the First. Vae Victis ! " Woe to the conquered ! " The exclamation of Brennus the Gaul, when he threatened extermination to the Romans 365 B.C. Veni, Vidi, Vici. Latin for I came, I saw, I conquered. The words in which Julius Caesar announced a victory gained over Pharnaces, at a place called Zela, in Asia Minor. Vox Populi Vox Dei. " The voice of the people is the voice of God." A maxim put forward by the opponents of the " divine right of kings." It is quoted as a proverb of William of Malmesbury, who lived in the early part of the twelfth century. When you go to Home, do as Some does. This saying originated with some of the early Fathers of the Church respect- ing the day of the week upon which a fast should be observed ; the answer of St. Ambrose, of Milan, when appealed to, being, " When I go to Rome, I fast on the Saturday as they do at Rome, but when I am here, I do not. Wilkes and Liberty! The party-cry of those who espoused the cause of the notorious John Wilkes ; who affected to repre- sent in his own proper person, the cause of liberty, and gave himself out to be a martyr for the sake of the people. Would to God, Night or Blucher were come. An exclama- tion uttered by the Duke of Wellington, towards the termination of the Battle of Waterloo, when he was being hard pressed by the enemy, and was anxiously awaiting the reinforcement under the command of Blucher the Prussian general. BOOKS OF FAITH, RECORDS, ETC. 265 SEOTIO3ST XIX. BOOKS OF FAITH, RECORDS, REMARKABLE PUBLICATIONS. ActaPopuli. Among the Romans, journals or public registers, in which were noted, the daily occurrences, assemblies of the people, trials, fires, buildings, births, marriages, deaths of illus- trious persons, and other events of general interest and import- ance. They differed from the national annals in being rather a record of social events than political occurrences. Acta Sanctorum. A name sometimes applied to all collections of accounts of ancient martyrs and saints, both of the Greek and Roman Churches. It is used more particularly as the title of a voluminous work of this character, which was commenced at the instigation of the Jesuits, in 1643, and continued to 1794. Alcoran. In Arabic, " The Book," a title given by way of emi- nence to the Mahometan Gospel, which the Mahometans state was delivered to Mahomet by the Archangel Gabriel, in small portions, only a verse at a time, and in different places, during a period of twenty-three years. There are seven principal editions of the Alcoran, two at Medina, one at Mecca, one at Cufa, one at Bassora, one in Syria, and the common or Vulgate edition. The Koran is universally allowed to be written with the utmost elegance and purity of language, and is confessedly the standard of the Arabic tongue. Amber Witch. The name of a book written by Meinhold, a German author ; it is pure fiction, but was written with the view of convincing some German Biblical critics of their folly in pretending to decide that whole chapters or whole books of the Bible are spurious from internal evidence. Several of the 266 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : would-be critics fell into the trap, and then the author avowed the work to be his own. Anti-Jacobin. A political publication which appeared in 1797-8, the object of which was to attack the journalists and other writers of the day who advocated or were supposed to advocate the doctrines of the French Eevolution. This periodical i s remarkable for the numerous pieces of wit and lively satire, chiefly contributed by George Canning and his friends. Apologies of the Fathers. Writings in defence of Chris- tianity; composed from the beginning of the second to the sixth century. They were put forth with a view of refuting the doctrines of heathenism, and the false accusations against the followers of Jesus. They were mostly addressed to all well- informed heathens, and on particular occasions appealed to Emperors, in order to convince them of .the injustice and folly of persecutions. Balancing Letter. The name of -a renowned treatise, written by Earl Somers, Lord Chancellor, in 1697. It bore reference to a Parliamentary conflict which was then raging as to the expediency or inexpediency of having a standing army in Eng- land. The letter in question was so artfully worded, as to demonstrate alike the evil of having regular soldiers, and the evil of not having them. The object was to recommend, with a pretended absence of bias, the keeping of a standing army, only giving it a different name and organization. Battel Eoll. An ancient English record containing the names of 629 Norman chieftains, among whom the lands of Harold, the king, who was killed at the battle of Hastings, were confiscated and divided. Bead-roll. Previous to the Reformation, the catalogue of those who were to be mentioned at prayers ; as well as the king's enemies, who were cursed by name in the bead-roll of St. Paul's. Bees, Fable of the. A work published in 1714, by an author named Mandeville, and which, on account of the startling theory it propounded, created for a time a considerable sensation. The sub-title of this book was " Private Vices made Public BOOKS OF FAITH, RECORDS, ETC. 267 Benefits," which at once affords a clue to the line of argument taken up by the author. The tendency of the book was thought to be so immoral, that it was " presented " by the grand jury ot Middlesex, within a few months after its publication. Beza's Codex. A celebrated manuscript, containing the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles written in Greek, with a corresponding Latin text on every opposite page. It was presented to the University of Cambridge by Theodore Beza, in 1581, whence its name. Bishop's or Parker's Bible. So called from Mathew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury ; and first appearing in 1568. Parker employed learned men to review the previous translation, and compare them with the originals. This edition exhibits, in consequence, some material variations. Black Book. The black book of the Exchequer of England is said to have been completed in 1175. It contains a description of the Court of Exchequer, its officers, their ranks and privileges, remuneration, perquisites, and jurisdiction, with the revenues of the Crown in money, grain, and cattle. A black book was also compiled by order of Henry the Eighth, containing a detailed account of the enormities practised in religious houses. Breeches Bible. An old edition of the Bible, in which the passage " They sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons " is printed " and made themselves breeches." From this circumstance, such copies are held to be rare and curious. Breviary. A book of holy ordinances and offices in an abridged form. Breviaries had their origin from the little religious books carried about by the ancient monks in their journeys, which were generally written in a short or abbreviated style, a whole period being expressed by a few syllables. Candide. The name of a famous tale written by Voltaire, forming an epoch in French literature. In this work the author launches all his powers of sarcasm and irony against the system of optimism, while he attacks revelation with plausible but super- ficial arguments. Catholic Epistles. These Epistles, so called because they were addressed to Christians in general, are, the Epistle of St. James, 268 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : written at Judea ; the two Epistles of St. Peter, at Rome ; St. John's first, second, and third Epistles, at Ephesus ; and the Epistle of St. Jude. Common Prayer. The liturgy of the English Church, so called, was originally composed in 1547, and brought into general use the following year : it was revised in the year 1553, having the Confession and Absolution added to it, and the introduction of the Ten Commandments at the commencement of the com- munion service, whilst many prayers favouring the Roman super- stition were omitted. In this state it continued, except during the short period of Mary's reign, until the accession of James the First ; that part of the Church Catechism which treats of the Sacraments was then introduced. In the reign of Charles the Second, some few alterations took place, since which no change worthy of notice has been attempted. Counterblast to Tobacco. The title of a treatise written against tobacco by James the First, who Considered its con- sumption to be prejudicial to the health of his subjects, and endeavoured to abolish its use by heavy imposts. Coverdale's Bible. This is represented to have been printed at Zurich in 1535, and was dedicated by Miles Coverdale to Henry the Eighth. It was favourably received at Court ; and in the following year it was enjoined that a copy of this translation should be laid in the choir of every parish church in England, for every one to read at his pleasure. Cranmer's Bible. An edition of the Holy Scriptures, prepared under the direction of Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and published in 1539. Decade. A word used by some old writers in a general sense for the number ten, or an enumeration by tens ; but more par- ticularly appropriated to the number of books into which the history of the Roman Empire, by Livy, is divided, each division consisting of ten books, or decades. It was also the name given to the space of ten days, which, in the French republican calendar, was substituted for the ordinary week. Decameron. The name given by Boccaccio to his celebrated collection of tales. They are supposed to be narrated in turn, BOOKS OF FAITH, RECORDS, ETC. 269 during teii days, by a party of guests assembled at a villa in the country to escape from the plague which raged at Florence in 1348. Divina Commedia. A celebrated Italian poem, written by Dante, and first published in 1300. It is a vision of the realms of eternal punishment, of expiation, and of bliss, in the invisible world beyond death ; and, as a work of imagination, is conceived never to have been surpassed in any age or language. Numerous editions of the work have appeared from time to time, and it has been translated into almost every language of Europe. Dome Book. An ancient work, compiled by Alfred the Great, supposed to comprise the local customs of the several provinces of the kingdom, the penalties for offences, and the forms of judicial procedure. Domesday Book. An ancient record made in the time of William the Conqueror ; it consists of two volumes, a greater and less : the greater containing a survey of all the lands in England, except the northern counties ; and the lesser volume the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. It was begun in 1081 and finished in 1086. The question whether lands are ancient demesne or not is decided by this record, from whence there is no appeal. Douay Bible. The English translation of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church. So called from Douay, a town in France, where the Old Testament was translated. Durham Letter. The name of a famous epistle addressed by Lord John Russell to the Bishop of Durham, at the period of the Papal Aggression ; in which letter, the writer expresses a determi- nation in forcible language to preserve and protect the rights and privileges of the Established Protestant Church. Geneva Bible. A Bible prepared by certain divines, who, during the reign of Mary, took refuge in Geneva, and thus employed themselves ; it appeared in 1560. This edition is identical with the " Breeches Bible," which see. Golden Ass. The title of a celebrated work written by Apuleius, a Platonic philosopher, who lived in the second century. This work is a running satire on the absurdities of magic, the crimes of 270 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : the pagan priesthood, the intrigues of debauchees, and the syste- matic outrages of thieves and robbers. The stories are so graphically told, that many persons have believed as truth that which the author intended only as romance. The work has been printed innumerable times, and has been translated into all the European languages. Golden Legend. A celebrated work by Jacques de Voraigne, archbishop of Genoa, who died in 1298. This- book has gone through a large number of editions, on account of its peculiar style, and the beauty of the lives of the saints-. It is, however, full of errors and absurdities. Hobbes's Leviathan. The Leviathan was a work produced by the celebrated philosophical' and political writer Thomas Hobbes, who died in 1676. This production is remarkable for its profun- dity and research, and is also notorious for the scepticism with which it is tinged . Homilies, Book of. The homilies of the Established Church of England are contained in two books ; the former of which was published in the reign of Edward the Sixth, and the latter in the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth. They were ordered to be read in such churches as were not provided with a sufficiently learned minister, in order to prevent unsound doctrine being taught in remote places. The authors of these homilies were the great reformers Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, and Jewel. Icon Basilicon. An apologetic and laudatory work on the con- duct of Charles the First, which appeared shortly after the death of that monarch, and was by many supposed to have been written by him. If. The name of a castle famous as one of the state prisons of France. It is situated on a small island' ini the Mediterranean, close to Marseilles. The appellation signifies a yew-tree. Junius's Letters. A series of political epistles remarkable for their brilliancy and trenchant satire ; they were published origi- nally in the Public Advertiser in 1770, the proprietor of which was prosecuted but virtually acquitted. The author of these celebrated letters has not been ascertained with certainty ; they have been attributed to various persons, but the weight of evidence BOOKS OF FAITH, KECORDB, ETC. 271 seems to preponderate in favour of Sir Philip Francis, a man of great abilities, and a conspicuous member of the Whigs. Killing no Murder. The title of a pamphlet written by Colonel Titus towards the close of Cromwell's Protectorate, 1057. Colonel Titus had been formerly an ardent supporter of Cromwell, but regarding his latter acts as despotic he denounced him as a tyrant, and declared that in such a case assassination would be no crime. This pamphlet is said to have redoubled the fears which Cromwell already entertained for his personal safety, and to have contributed to embitter his last days. Liber Regis. The name of a book of the time of Henry the Eighth, containing an account of the whole of the ecclesiastical property of England and Wales, in the state in which it stood at the eve of the Reformation. Maccabees. Five Scriptural books containing the history of the Jews during an interval of forty years, ending 135 B.C. Opinions are divided as to the authorship of this book ; but it is accepted as the best authority for the history of the period to which it relates. Mathewe's Bible. This was printed abroad in 1537 by two English printers, who assumed the name of Thomas Mathewe ; the real editor was John Rogers, who was theiirst person burned for heresy in the reign of Mary. Menu, Institutes of. In Hindoo mythology, the code of Indian civil and religious law, founded by Menu, the son of Brahma. 'These institutes are of a most comprehensive nature, embracing .all that relates to human life, the creation of the world and of man, the nature of God and spirits, and a complete system of moral government and religion. Though a system of despotism 'and priestcraft, many of its moral maxims have all the sublimity and bear a close resemblance to those of Christianity. Mischna and Gemara. The Mischna was an ancient Jewish code of traditional law, in which was embodied all the authorized interpretations of the Mosaic law, the traditions, the decisions of the learned, and the precedents of the courts or schools. The Gemara was another work of authority among the Jewe, in which the strangest traditions are mixed up with wise precepts, -profound allegories, and moral apologues. 272 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : North Briton, No. 45. The forty-fifth number of a publi- cation so called, issued in April, 1763, by John Wilkes, M.P. for Aylesbury; in which George the Third is charged with falsehood, and other accusations are made against the ministers of the day. This obnoxious publication was burnt in front of the Royal Exchange by the common hangman, and Wilkes was arrested and imprisoned. Much popular excitement was caused by these proceedings ; " Number Forty-five " became a rallying cry among the adherents of Wilkes ; and that gentleman was not only set at liberty, but obtained 1000 damages from the Secretary of State. Ossian. A celebrated Scotch bard of the third century, is reputed to have been the son of Fingal, King of Morven, whom he accompanied on his expedition to Ireland, and eventually succeeded in the command. Old age and infirmity unfitting the bard for service, he relinquished the sword for the lyre, and sang the exploits of his father Fingal, of his son Oscar, and of other warriors. The name of Ossian has obtained much celebrity in English literature, on account of the translation of his works reputed to be made by Macpherson, and respecting the genuineness of the original of which, there has been considerable controversy. Polyglot. A term derived from two Greek words signifying " in several languages." The application of the word is re- stricted to the Bible. The idea of Polyglot Scriptures appears to have been first conceived in the third century by Origen, who spent many years in forming the Old Testament into such a work. Ragman's Roll. So called from one Ragimund, a legate in Scotland, who, summoning before him all the beneficed clergymen of that kingdom, compelled them on oath to render an account of the true value of their benefices ; according to which they were afterwards taxed by the Court, of Rome. Reynard the Fox. The title of a famous satire in the epic form, written in Low German, and published in 1498. It is- believed to have been produced by Nicholas Beaumanor, who- was engaged in various public employments ; and who is supposed BOOKS OP FAITH, RECORDS, ETC. 273 to have been induced to write this poem from the wrongs he suffered at the court of the Duke of Juliers. The whole satire is directed against the intrigues practised at a weak court: the characters are represented by animals, and the arch-rogue, the fox, called Reynard, is the hero. The work abounds with wit and humour, and has been translated into several modern languages, and also into Latin. Eights of Man. The title of a political work written by the notorious Tom Paine. It appeared at the time of the French Revolution, 1790, and advocated certain principles of conduct inimical to society, and subversive of order and good government. Paine was prosecuted for this work, but escaped to France. Rochefoucauld's Maxims. A popular and oft-quoted collection of maxims, produced by the Due de Rochefoucauld, a celebrated French writer, born at Paris, 1605. This work is distinguished as much by the boldness of its paradoxes as by the perfection of its style. Its leading idea is, that self-love is the sole moving power in all men's acts. Bolls or Records. In England, memorials or authentic testi- monies in writing generally inscribed in rolls of parchment, and preserved in courts of record, under the custody of the Master of the Rolls. Roman de la Rose. The title of the most celebrated French production of the Middle Ages. It is a kind of didactic allegorical poem, which professes to teach the art of love, and embraces the most varied subjects. It presents an extraordinary mixture of divinity and profound science, and was considered in France for three centuries as a masterpiece. Septuagint. A Greek version of the Old Testament, so called because it was the work of seventy or rather seventy-two inter- preters. This translation from the Hebrew is supposed to have been made in the reign and by the order of Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, about 270 B.C. Talmud. The traditionary or unwritten law of the Jews. It is, in fact, the interpretation which the rabbins affix to the law of Moses, which embodies their doctrine, policy, and ceremonies, and to which many of them adhere more than to the law itself. 274 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Utopia. A name invented by Sir Thomas- More, and intended to signify " No place," applied by him to an imaginary island which he represents as discovered in 1514, and describes as being governed by laws and political axioms, which are perfection. By contrasting this imaginary state with those actually existing, More contrives to satirize keenly the vices, absurdities, and corruptions of Europe. Vedas. The name of four religious books, considered to be the most ancient compositions known in India ; they are respec- tively entitled the Yagur, Rig, Sama, and Atharva, and are appropriated to four different classes of the Brahmins. They are known only to a few learned persons. Vulgate. A very ancient Latin version of the Scriptures, which was translated from the Greek of the Septuagint. It is the only one acknowledged as authentic by the Church of Rome. Zendavesta. Among the Parsees, a sacred book ascribed to Zoroaster, and reverenced as a Bible or sole rule of faith and practice. It is sometimes called Zend, by contraction. LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 275 SECTION LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, DISCOVERIES, INVENTIONS, ETC. Academy, Royal. An institution established iii London in 1768. it comprises forty of the most distinguished artists, with a president, and is under the patronage of the sovereign. Aldine Editions. The name given to the works which pro- ceeded from the press of Aldus Manutius and his descendants, Italian printers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They are recommended for their intrinsic value, as well as then- splendid exterior, and have gained the respect of scholars, and the attention of book collectors. To Aldus Manutius is attri- buted the invention of Italic types. Alexandrian Library. A celebrated collection of books, formed and maintained by the first Ptolemy, king of Egypt, and his successors ; it derived its name from Alexandria, the quarter in which it was situated. This library was burnt in the siege of Alexandria by Julius Cassar, in the year 48 B.C., when 500,000 volumes were destroyed ; it Avas afterwards restored, and, as generally asserted, was finally destroyed by the Caliph Omar, 640. Alexandrian School. A school for literature and learning in every department, instituted at Alexandria by Ptolemy, son of Lagus, and supported by his successors. The grammarians and mathematicians of this school were particularly celebrated. Alexandrine Verse. A species of verse so called from having been first employed, according to some authorities, in a French translation by Alexander de Paris, of a Latin poem called the Alexandriad ; according to others in an original work in the former language on the life of Alexander the G-reat, composed principally by the same poet. It consists of twelve syllables, sub- 276 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST! ject to the rule that its sixth syllable shall always terminate a word. Alphonsine Tables. Celebrated astronomical tables, composed under the direction of Alphonso, king of Castile, in 1252. He is stated to have expended 400,000 crowns in completing them. The principal object of this production was to correct the astrono- mical tables found in Ptolemy's Almagest, which then no longer agreed with the course of the planetary system. Anacreontic Verse. A name given to poetry written in the style of the Greek poet Anacreon, whose subjects are usually love, pleasure, and wine. The name is also given to such verses as are composed in the ordinary measure of Anacreon, consisting of seven syllables. Anson's Voyage round the World. Commodore Anson was appointed to the expedition in 1740. In the September of that year he set sail, doubled Cape Horn in March, 1741, touched at Juan Fernandez, approached the Spanish coast, set sail across the Pacific, and arrived at the Ladrone Islands, thence proceeded to Macao, steered back to the Straits of Manilla, returned to China, and proceeded by the Cape of Good Hope to England, where he arrived June 15, 1744, thus completing the circum- navigation of the world. Aqua Toffania. The name of a celebrated poison prepared by a woman of the name of Tophana, who resided first at Palermo, and afterwards at Naples. It is generally supposed to have been a preparation of arsenic. This infamous woman, when put to the rack before her execution, confessed that she had destroyed upwards of six hundred persons with it. She sold it chiefly to women who wished to get rid of their husbands. Arabesque. This name is intended to mean simply in the Arabian manner, and is a French form of that expression. The mode of enrichment which it refers to, was practised in the decoration of their structures by the Moors, Saracens, or Arabians of Spain. The term " Arabesque " is more applied to painted than to sculptured ornament, though it is not restricted to the former. Arabic Figures. The numeral characters, now commonly used in Europe, were so called from the supposition that they originated LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 277 with the Arabian astronomers ; the honour of the invention, however, appears to belong to the Indians. It is generally ad- mitted that the Arabic figures were introduced into Europe by the Moors during their occupation of Spain ; but there seems to be considerable uncertainty as to the time when they became known in France and the neighbouring countries. Arabic figures are supposed to have been first used in England in the tenth century. Archimedes' Screw. An apparatus employed by Archimedes, the famous Greek geometer, for raising water and draining land in Egypt. It consists of a large tube coiled round a shaft of wood to keep it in place, and give it support. Both ends of the tube are open, the lower one being dipped into the water to be raised, and the upper one discharging it in an intermittent stream. The shaft turns on a support at each end, the upper support being elevated in the air, the lower being hidden beneath the water. Arrow-headed Characters. A name given to those characters which have been discovered at Babylon and Nineveh, and which in many cases are found so as to present a figure not unlike a very open barbed arrow-head. Belles Lettres, or Polite Literature, as it is denominated in English, embraces grammar, logic, rhetoric, poetry, music, mathematics, and the learned languages. Black Letter. The name applied to the old English or modern Gothic letter, which was introduced into England about the middle of the fourteenth century, and became the character generally used in manuscript works before the art of printing was publicly practised in Europe. Blue Stocking. This term, applied to literary ladies, originated from a society denominated the " Blue Stocking Club," in which females were admitted ; and so called owing to a Mr. Benjamin Stillingfleet, one of its acting members, wearing blue stockings. Bodleian Library. A celebrated public library, founded by Sir Thomas Bodley, and established at the University of Oxford in 1612. Buskin. A term often used synonymously with tragedy. It 278 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : originated in a kind of stocking or boot which actors anciently wore when performing tragedy. Cardinal Points. The four points or divisions of the horizon ; namely, North, East, West, and South. Classics. A term applied to the writings of Greek and Roman authors, generally acknowledged as standard authorities. Cottonian Library. A library collected in London by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton, and secured to the public by a statute in 1700 ; after being impaired by conflagrations and political dis- turbances, it was deposited in the British Museum. Dead Languages. Those languages, which are no longer spoken or in common use by any nation or community of people, and which are known only in writings. Under this name are principally included the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Death, Dance of. An allegorical picture, in which are repre- sented the various figures and appearances of death in the different relations of life, as a dance where Death takes the lead. The idea appears to be originally German, and to belong to poetiy. In later times, it was used also in England and France by poets and artists. The most celebrated composition of this name is a piece painted by or ascribed to the celebrated Hans Holbein. Delphin Classics. A name given to the edition of the Latin classics, prepared and commented upon by thirty-nine of the most famous scholars of the day, at the suggestion of Louis the Four- teenth, for the benefit of his young son, the Dauphin (in usum Delphini), under the superintendence of his preceptors. Doric Dialect. One of the four dialects employed among the Greeks : first used by the Lacedaemonians, particularly those of Argos. Dutch School. A style of painting remarkable for its fidelity to nature, and at the same time notably deficient in elegance and refine- ment. The subjects are usually commonplace ; the ideas vulgar, and the figures local and wanting in comprehensiveness. Its great merit is the truthfulness both of drawing and colouring of what was before the eye of the artist. Rembrandt was at the head of the school ; and among other eminent names, may be LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 279 enumerated Heemskirk, Wouvermans, Gerard Dow, Mieris, and Vandervelde. Elizabethan. Pertaining to Qneen Elizabeth of England, or to the period in which she reigned. Elzevir Editions. A name given to certain editions of the classics printed by a family named Elzevir, residing at Amsterdam and Leyden, and principally published from 1595 to 1680. These works are celebrated for the careful manner and elegant style in which they are printed. Etruscan Ware. Pottery ware produced by the Etruscans from twenty-five to thirty centuries, and remarkable for its completeness and exquisite finish. These specimens belong to three different periods of art, each exhibiting its peculiar style. Fescennine Verses. So called from the town of Fescennia, in Etruria, where they were first used. They were in the form of a dialogue between two persons, who satirize and ridicule each other's failings and vices. Flemish School. Took its rise from Schoreel, a pupil of Albert Durer, born 1495. It excels in colouring and imitation of nature. Florentine School A school of painting founded by Giovani Cimabue, who was born 1240. It is characterized for boldness and elevation of style ; but is deficient in colouring and grace. Franklin's Expedition. The unfortunate expedition to the Arctic Seas, under the command of Sir John Franklin, set sail March 23rd, 1845, and never returned ; Franklin's remains and .those of his companions have been since discovered. Galvanism. The discovery of this interesting branch of science is generally attributed to Lewis Galvani, professor of anatomy, at Bologna. It appears that some skinned frogs happened to be lying on a table in Galvani's laboratory, on which was placed an electrical machine, when the point of the scalpel being brought in contact with the nerves of the animal, it became immediately convulsed, and exhibited the same phenomena upon being sub- mitted to repeated experiments. An account of this was pub- lished by Galvani in 1791. Gazette. It is related that the first news-pamphlet, published at Venice, was called Gazetta, from a coin then current of 280 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : that name, which was the ordinary price paid for it ; the period of the publication of this paper is not precisely known, the earliest gazette noticed being one published at Paris, 1631, by Theophrast Eenaudot, in his office of Court Newsman. The first gazette published in England was the Oxford one, dated Novem- ber 7, 1665, where the Court then was. On the removal of the Court to London, the title was changed to the " London Gazette," first published February 5, 1666. The " Oxford Gazette " was published on Tuesdays, and the " London Gazette " on Saturdays ; and this continued till June, 1826, when the " London Gazette " was ordered to be published for the future on Friday, and after- wards on Tuesday and Friday. The " London Gazette " is published under the direction of Government, and all notices and proclamations in it are considered as official. Georgics. The name of Virgil's pastoral poems, and one applied generally to themes treating of husbandry. Giotto's O. This proverbial expression has arisen as follows : When Pope Benedict the Ninth determined upon decorating the Church of St. Peter, he sent a person to the various Florentine painters, for the purpose of procuring from each some specimen of his art. When Giotto was thus applied to, he drew a circle upon a sheet of paper, at one stroke, and with geometrical accuracy. The messenger objected to this as a design ; but the painter persisted in sending it, and nothing else. The Pope understood something of painting, and, when the circumstance was made known to him, he easily comprehended by this, how greatly Giotto excelled the other painters of his time. He was accordingly sent for to Eome, and executed many pieces for St. Peter's Church. From that time, it became customary to express perfect rotundity by the proverb of " as round as Giotto's Q." Greek Fire. This destructive compound was invented by Calli- machus, an engineer of Heliopolis, in Syria, and first made use of in a naval engagement with the Saracens, in 660. This fire is described as a kind of liquid, forced out of a pump, through pipes, against the enemy, and as possessing the power of burning with greater violence under water than above it. The Greeks, by various precautions, were enabled to keep the secret of its LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 281 composition to themselves for a period of 400 years, till, at length, it was either discovered by or communicated to the Mohammedans, who, during the Crusades, employed it with such success against the Christians, that it then assumed the new appellation of Saracen Fire. It was, however, finally superseded by the still more destructive discovery of gunpowder ; and the composition of the ancient Greek Fire is now totally unknown. Guillotine. This instrument derives its name from a Dr. Guillotin, a distinguished physician in Paris, and a person who embraced with ardour the cause of the Revolution, and was elected one of the deputies of the National Assembly. After it had been decided that crimes were personal, Guillotin proposed to substitute decapitation for other punishments, on the ground that, in the opinion of Frenchmen, that species of death did not attach infamy to the family of the criminal. The proposition was adopted ; its author then pointed out a machine, which had long been known, as proper for the infliction of death without giving protracted pain to the sufferer. The name of Guillotin thus became associated with the machine which he had recommended, but of which he was certainly not the inventor. After the termination of his political career, Guillotin resumed the functions of a physician, and died in 1814, aged seventy-six. Hahnemann, Disciples of. Those who practise or place faith in the system of medicine called Homoeopathy. The founder of this system was Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician. In 1810, he produced a work explanatory of his method, and followed it up by visiting Paris and other large cities, where he carried on an extensive practice, and succeeded in procuring for Homcoopathy a recognition as a distinct branch of the healing art. He died in 1843. Harleian MSS. A valuable and extensive collection of manu- scripts, made by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, who died in 1724. The collection is now deposited in the British Museum. Heroic Verse. Verse written in hexameters (six feet), and so called because it was used by the ancient poets to celebrate the achievements of their heroes. Hieroglyphics. These consist in certain symbols which are 282 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : made to stand for invisible objects, on some analogy which such symbols were supposed to bear to the objects : Egypt was the country where this kind of writing was most practised. In it was conveyed all the boasted knowledge of their priests. According to the properties which they ascribed to animals, they chose them to be the emblems of moral objects. Horse-Power. This term, applied relatively to steam-power was first adopted by Watt, the inventor of the steam-engine. He ascertained that the average force exerted by the strongest horse in one of the London breweries, was sufficient to raise 33,0001bs. one foot high in a minute. In modern practice, however, owing to various modifications and allowances made for friction and other causes, the term " horse-power " has ceased to bear its original definite meaning. It now refers rather to the size of the cylinder than to the power exerted ; and the value of the unit of force has been so varied, that a horse-power may imply 52,0001bs., 60,0001bs., or even 66,0001bs. raised one foot high per minute. Hudibrastic. Pertaining to Hudibras, or doggerel verse, like that in which Butler's " Hudibras " was composed. Iliad. The name of an ancient epic poem on the subject of the taking of Troy, being the first and best of the epics composed by Homer. The Iliad is divided into twenty-four books or rhapsodies, which are marked with the letters of the alphabet. Ionic Dialect. The softest of the four written varieties of the Greek language, and was spoken in the Ionian colonies of Asia Minor, and in several of the islands of the jEgean Sea. Jesuit's Bark. A valuable medicine introduced into Europe about the year 1643, and, being strongly recommended by the Cardinal de Lugo, of the Order of Jesuits, was, from him, named Jesuit's bark. The use of it as a cure for intermittent and other fevers, had been long known to the inhabitants of Peru, and it was therefore called Peruvian bark ; but it was not in much repute among European settlers, till its efficacy had been fully esta- blished in the cure of the Countess del Cinchon, the wife of the Spanish Viceroy, from a dangerous fever ; from which circum- LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 283 stance it was for some time called the Cinchona baric. It was brought to England in the year 1650. Keri-Cetib. In Biblical literature, a word used to denote various readings : Ken signifying that which is read, and Cetib that which is written. "Where any such wrong readings occur, the wrong reading is written in the text, and that is called cetib; and the supposed true reading is written in the margin with ^f under it, and called Kerl. Leonine Verses. A kind of measure much in vogue during the Middle Ages, in which the middle of the verse generally rhymed with the tinal syllable. The term is said to be derived from Leoninus, a monk of the twelfth century. Leyden Jar. The accumulation of the electric power by means of coated jars, was discovered by M. Von Kleist, Dean of the Cathedral of Commun, in 1745. An experiment of a similar kind, though under improved circumstances, was aftei*wards made at Leyden, by Mr. Cuneus, which being attended with signal success, procured for it the name of the Leyden Jar. Lingua Franca. A dialect made up of corrupt Italian mixed with other words ; the language spoken between the inhabitants of the coast of North Africa and the Levant and the Europeans. Lombard and Bolognese Schools. These schools, generally regarded as one, were founded by Correggio, who flourished about 1520. The distinguishing characteristics are a seductive and voluptuous, though perhaps somewhat overcharged grace in the figures and attitudes, and an exquisite harmony in the colouring. Longitude, Discovery of the. In 1762, John Harrison received the Parliamentary reward of 10,000 for this discovery. It consisted of an improvement upon the previously existing balance or pendulum spring, by forming it of different metals, which, by opposing each other, checked the alteration on its rate of motion which would otherwise arise from the change of climate, and thus first established a regular horological machine of such perfection, as to determine the difference of longitude of places with great accuracy. Low Dutch and High Dutch. Terms used improperly for 284 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Dutch and German. The two languages are quite distinct, and the confusion probably arises from the circumstance, that the proper name of German is Deutsch, i.e. Teutonic ; which led to the Germans and Dutch being considered as one nation. Lydian Measure. In ancient music, the order of the sounds forming what may in modern language be termed the scales. Lyrics. The name given to those verses which are commonly used in lyrical poetry, and were formerly adapted for accompani- ment upon the lyre. Such are those of Pindar, of Horace's odes, and of the tragic and comic choruses. Macaronic Verse. A kind of burlesque poetry in which the words of a modern language are ludicrously distorted into Greek or Latin inflections. Mercator's Chart. A projection of the globe of the earth wherein the degrees upon the meridian increase towards the poles in the same proportion that the parallel circles of latitude decrease towards them ; so called from Gerard Kaufmann (who Latinised his name to Mercator), a German geographer, its inventor. Moresque. A term used in architecture and painting to denote the style of the Moors. It consists of numerous grotesque em- bellishments and compartments, apparently associated promis- cuously, but displaying no figure of either man or animal. Mosaic Work. This beautiful method of cementing various kinds of stones, glass, &c., seems to have originated in Persia, whence it found its way into Greece in the time of Alexander, and into Rome about 170 B.C. Napier's Bones. The name given to a contrivance put forth by Napier, a celebrated Scottish mathematician, to facilitate the performance of multiplication and division. These so-called bones were rods of a certain length, and with figures disposed upon them in such a manner that, when placed in proper order, side by side, they would show certain results. Neck Verse. The name formerly given to the verse which prisoners were called upon to read, when they pleaded Benefit of Clergy. It is the first verse of the Fifty-first Psalm, Miserere met Deus. The meaning of the term was, that it spared the neck of the accused from the halter. LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 285 Nicotiana. A name formerly given to tobacco, from Jean Nicot, the French ambassador at the Portuguese court, who, in 1559, sent some seeds of tobacco to his own country, which were cultivated under the above name. Niger Expedition. A naval expedition to explore the African river Niger, sent out from Great Britain in 1841. Normal Schools. Schools for the education of persons intended to become instructors, teachers, or professors in any department. Normal schools (i.e. proceeding on first principles, from Latin norma, a rule) form a regular part of the establishments for education in many continental states, especially Germany. North-West Passage, Attempt to discover the. Undertaken by Captain Cook, in 1776, for the purpose of discovering a north- west passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. He arrived at the Friendly Islands in the spring of 1777, and having thence proceeded northward, he discovered the Sandwich Islands. He then reached the west coast of North America; thence he pro- ceeded to the extreme north point of the Pacific, and from thence sailed for Behring's Straits, where he ascertained the position of the most westerly point of America ; proceeding northward, he was stopped by the ice, returned to winter in the Sandwicli Islands, and was there treacherously murdered by the natives. Odyssey. The name of the celebrated epic poem written by Homer about 900 years before Christ, so called from Ulysses, or Odysseus, being the hero whose adventures after the siege of Troy are therein related. Opisthographum. Among the ancients, a roll of parchment or paper, or a set of tickets, answering the purpose of a memorandum book to enter notes or other matters to be revised afterwards. Orrery. In the year 1715 George Graham invented a machine for Prince Eugene, which represented the annual and diurnal motions of the earth, and the synodic period of the moon. One Rowley, a workman, constructed from its model a similar machine, with the addition of the planetary movements for the Earl of Orrery ; hence its name. Overland Route. A mail route between England and India, established by the energetic Lieutenant Waghorn, in 18-17, 286 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : by which a saving of thirteen days was effected iu the whole journey. Parian Chronicle. So called from the Island of Paros, where it was found. It forms one of the Arundel collection, and is remarkable for containing a register of the principal events in the history of Ancient Greece. Pentingerian. An epithet applied to designate a map of the roads of the ancient Eoman world, found written on parchment in a library at Speyer, in the fifteenth century ; so called by the proprietor, Conrad Cettes, after his friend Conrad Pentinger, who began to prepare a copy of it for publication, but died in 1547 before he could effect his purpose. Pepysian Library. The valuable collection of manuscripts of naval memoirs, prints, and ancient English poetiy, bequeathed to Magdalen College, Cambridge, by Samuel Pepys, secretary to the Admiralty in the reigns of Charles the Second, and James the Second. Phoenician Language. This was a dialect of the Hebrew, and the same with that of the ancient Canaanites. Their alphabet consisted of the same number of letters as the Hebrew. The letters were the same with the most ancient form of Hebrew, and from these originated all the alphabets of the countries in the West. Pindaric Poetry. Poetry replete with force and fire, but irregular in its numbei's. It derives its name from Pindar, a celebrated Greek poet. PortEoyal. The name of a once-celebrated convent in France ; with it were connected several persons eminent for learning, and under its name and supervision numerous educational works were published, which were translated into all the languages of Europe, and obtained a wide circulation. Pre-Raphaelite. The name for a school of artists which has recently arisen in England, who profess to imitate the style of art which characterized the painters before the time of Raphael ; from which circumstance they have assumed that name. Raphael's Cartoons. Certain large drawings executed by LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 287 Eaphael d'Urbino, and sent to Flanders in the reign of Pope Leo the Tenth, to be copied in tapestry in two sets. These cartoons, twenty-five in number, after the tapestries were finished, were left neglected at Brussels, and most of them were either lost or destroyed. Seven of them were rescued and sent to England, and are now to be seen at Hampton Court Palace. Renaissance. Literally the revival of anything which has long lain dormant or extinct. In the fine arts it is specially applied to the style of architecture and decoration which prevailed in the early part of the sixteenth century. Roman School. Commenced with Raphael, who was born 1482. It fails in colouring, and in light and shade ; but, by the study of nature and the antique, it carries invention and design to a high standard. Its heads are justly admired for their sublime beauty. Romance. Upon the return of the Crusaders, a new species of literature was introduced into England. This consisted of the history of Charlemagne and his twelve peers, and similar other works. It was called Romance because it was originally written in the Gallic idiom, a barbaric corruption of the ancient language of Rome. Ross's Voyages. Undertaken by Sir John Ross to discover a north-west passage ; the first from 1816 to 1818, the second from 1829 to 1833. Runic Alphabet. This alphabet, peculiar to the ancient Northern tribes of Europe, is considered by some authorities to have existed before the Christian era, by others to have originated later. Saturnian Verses.- A form of verse employed by the Romans in their early satirical compositions, consisting of six feet and a syllable additional. They were so called because they were usually composed to afford entertainment at the Saturnalia. Scandinavian Language. A dialect of the Gothic, once common to the whole north-western portion of Europe beyond the Baltic, but now confined to Iceland, where it has undergone little change since the ninth century. Science, The Five Follies of. These are usually said to be 288 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : the following : The squaring of the circle ; the establishment of perpetual motion ; the philosopher's stone ; charmation, or the discovering of secrets by magic ; and judicial astrology. Sclavonic Language. A dialect spoken by the Sclavi, a people who inhabited the country between the rivers Save and Drave : hence the term is applied to the language spoken by the Poles, Russians, Hungarians, Bohemians, &c. Semitic Languages. One of the great families of languages, comprising, the Aramaean, the Babylonian, the Syriac, the Arabic, &c. Seven Liberal Arts. Another name for Belles Lettres. Silhouette. A term for the representation of the outlines of an. object filled with black colour, in which the inner lines are sometimes slightly drawn in white. The name is derived from Etienne de Silhouette, French minister of finance in 1759. He endeavoured, by severe economy, to remedy the evils of a war which had just terminated, leaving the country in a state of extreme exhaustion. At the end of nine months, he was obliged to resign his office. During this period, all the fashions in Paris took the character of parsimony. Coats without folds were worn, snuff-boxes were made of plain wood, and instead of painted portraits, outlines only were drawn in profile, and filled in with Indian ink. All these fashions were called a la Silhouette; but the name remained only in the case of the profiles, because the ease with which they may be drawn or cut out of black paper made them popular till they were superseded by photography. Sock. A word which sometimes stands for comedy, from the name of a high shoe worn by actors in the ancient drama, when representing comic characters. Spinning Jenny. Sir Richard Arkwright, the inventor of the improved spinning machinery, named it " Jenny," after his wife Jane. Troy Weight and Avoirdupois. Troy weight was intro- duced into England by William the Conqueror, from Troyes, a town in the province of Champagne, France. The English were dissatisfied with this weight, because it did not weigh so much as the pound in use at that time in England. Hence, arose LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 289 the term avoir du poids, which was a medium between the French and English weights. Tyrian Dye. The purple fabrics of the Tyrians were cele- brated from very remote antiquity. The Tyrian purple was not a single colour, but was a general name for all the shades of purple and scarlet. Vandyke. A style of personal decoration, characterized by indentations and points, as seen in the portraits of persons painted by Van Dyck, a celebrated artist of the time of Charles the First. Variorum Editions. Certain editions of ancient and modern Latin and Greek authors, published mostly in Holland in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and containing the notes of many commentators. These editions are more sought for by the curious than valued by the scholar. Varronian Satire. So called from the learned Varro, who first composed it. It was written freely, without any restraint of verse or prose, consisting of an admixture of both. Venetian School. The head of this school Avas the great Titian, born in 1478. It forsook the study of the antique, and excelled in its imitation of nature, and its richness of colouring. Virgilian Husbandry. A system of agriculture practised by the Romans, and described in the Georgics of Virgil. It con- sisted in taking two or three crops in succession, and afterwards allowing the land to lie fallow for several years, when it was' broken up again, and sometimes prepared by paring and burning. This kind of agriculture was pursued in Great Britain until the middle of the eighteenth century, when it was supplanted by the system now generally adopted, of keeping arable land con- tinually under culture, by alternately growing corn and pulse. Watteau, & la. A phrase indicative of the style of painting peculiar to Anthony Watteau, a French painter, who was re- markably successful in depicting balls, masquerades, out-of-door fetes, and pastoral subjects. His touch and colouring set the fashion, and he had a crowd of imitators, who painted after the manner of, or a la Watteau. 290 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : SECTION INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD, ETC. Apocalyptic Knights. A society formed in 1693, professedly for the defence of the Roman Catholic Church against Anti- christ. There were about eighty knights belonging to this order, most of whom were tradesmen and labourers ; they wore con- stantly a sword by their side and a star upon their breast. This star had a tail, representing the sword spoken of by St. John in the Apocalypse. The eccentricities and fanaticism of these men led to their being regarded as maniacs ; they were at length placed in confinement, and the order was suppressed. Banneret. An ancient order of knighthood, being the pro- motion of the knight bachelor by honouring him with a square banner instead of a streamer, and thus placing common knights and esquires under his command : part of the ceremony consisted in cutting off the end of the streamer, thereby making it a square banner. A knight banneret created by the king in person ranked next after barons, and had precedence of the younger sons of viscounts. Bath, Order of the. The institution of the " Order of the Bath " originated in the custom of the Franks, who, when they conferred knighthood, bathed before they performed the cere- mony ; and from this habit came the title of " Knights of the Bath." Henry the Fourth instituted a degree of knighthood of the Bath ; and on his coronation, in the Tower, he conferred the order upon forty- six esquires, who had watched during the night before and had bathed. Bays. An honorary garland or crown, bestowed as a prize for victory or excellence, anciently made or consisting of branches of the laurel. INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 291 British Lion. The national emblem of England, in honour of the strength and power of the country. From the time of William the Conqueror to the reign of Henry the Second, the standard of England displayed two lions ; after that three. Broad Arrow. This mark, placed on Government stores, &c., represents the Pheon, the well-known arms of the Sydney family. Henry, Viscount Sydney, was master-general of the Ordnance from 1G98 to 1702. Cap of Liberty. This symbol is of very ancient origin. When Saturninus took possession of the Capitol of Rome in 100 B.C., he raised a cap on the point of a spear, as a token of Liberty to all slaves who would join him. Marius used the same expedient to gain the assistance of the slaves in his expe- dition against Sylla : and upon the assassination of Julius Csesar, the conspirators marched out in a body, with a cap, as the ensign of Liberty, carried before them on a spear. Slaves were doomed to go bareheaded as one of the marks of bondage ; hence the wearing of a cap was regarded by them as a privilege. Cap of Maintenance. One of the insignia of royalty, carried before the sovereign of Great Britain at the coronation, and on other solemn occasions. Chivalry. The name anciently given to knighthood, a military dignity ; also the martial exploits and qualifications of a knight. The origin of chivalry may be traced to the people of the northern nations who settled in Europe on the decline of the Roman empire, and whose martial tastes and habits led them to make valour and prowess the only sources of honour and distinction. Cincinnati, Order of. An association established at the termination of the American war, among the officers of the revo- lutionary army, in allusion to the transition made by most of them from agricultural to military pursuits ; the order took its name from Cincinnatus, the Roman Dictator, 456 B.C. The society was styled an " Order," and an external badge was provided, of a character similar to those worn by the knights and other privileged orders of Europe. It was, moreover, provided that the eldest son of every deceased member should be a member also ; and that the ^privilege should be transmitted by descent for ever. In spite of L 2 292 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : this idea of perpetuation, the society gradually declined, and is now almost if not quite extinct. Civic Crown. A garland composed of oak-leaves, which was bestowed upon a Roman soldier when he saved the life of a citizen. Crescent. This was the symbol of the city of Byzantium, now Constantinople, which device the Turks have adopted. This device of the Ottoman empire is of great antiquity, as appears from several medals, and took its rise from an event related by Stephanus the geographer, a native of Byzantium. He tells us that Philip, the father of Alexander the Great, meeting 'with great difficulties in carrying on the siege of that city, set the workmen, on a very dark night, to undermine the walls, that his troops might enter the city without being perceived ; but, luckily for the besieged, the moon appeared, and the design was thereby frustrated. In acknowledgment of this deliverance, the Byzantines erected a statue to Diana ; and thus, the crescent became their symbol. Crosier. A staff surmounted by a cross, borne before an archbishop. The pastoral staff, or bishop's staff, with which it is often confounded, was in the form of a shepherd's crook, intended to admonish the prelate to be a true spiritual shepherd. Cross and Ball. A symbol usually associated with Egyptian statues and figures. It is compounded of the circle, signifying preserver of the world ; while the wisdom which governs it is represented by the monogram of Mercury, Thoth, or Pthah. The archetype of this symbol is supposed to have been a key ; which has been termed the " Key of the Nile." Dannebrog. The name of an ancient Danish order of knight- hood, supposed to have been founded in 1219. It was revived in 1693, and re-constituted in 1808. Eagle. The origin of the device of the eagle on national and royal banners may be traced to very early times. It was the ensign of the ancient kings of Persia and Babylon. The Romans made the eagle the ensign of their legions. From the Romans, the French, under the Empire, adopted the eagle. Almost every state that has assumed the designation of an empire, has taken INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 293 the eagle for its ensign, as Austria, Russia, Prussia, Poland, and France. The two-headed eagle signifies a double empire. The emperors of Austria and Eussia, who claim to be considered the successors of the Csesars of Rome, use the double-headed eagle, which is that of the Eastern emperors combined with that of the Western. Equestrian Order. Among the Romans, a body of mounted guards or knights, who were favoured with peculiar privileges. They received from the State a horse, a gold ring, and a narrow strip of purple on the tunic ; they were assigned particular seats upon public occasions. At first, their duty was, to serve the Republic in time of war ; but, at a later period, they became judges, as well as " farmers" of the public revenues. Every fifth year, the Censor held a review of the Equites, as they were termed, on which occasion they passed before him, leading their horses. If any one of their number had been guilty of an offence, even if it was only the neglect of his horse, the Censor ordered it to be sold, which was equivalent to degrading the knight from the Order. Others, who had committed slighter offences, for which they were to be deprived of their rank, were omitted in the list which was read aloud by the Censor. Fleece, Order of the. One of the oldest and most honourable orders in Europe ; was established by Philip the Third, of Bur- gundy, at Bruges', 1430, on the occasion of his marriage with his third wife,- Isabella, daughter of King John the First, of Portugal. The name Avas taken from the golden fleece of the Argonaut Jason ; and the object of the order was, the .'protection of the Church. Fleur-de-Lis. The lily of France, represented in gold on a blue ground ; supposed to typify the flower sacred to the " Blessed Virgin," and in its three-fold form recalling the greatest mystery of the Christian faith. Fruitful Palm, Order of the. A species of chivalrous insti- tution founded in Germany in 1617, for the preservation and culture of the German language. This body is said to have ^.effected considerable advantages, but at length defeated its ends by 294 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : attempting innovations of too radical a nature. It was dissolved in 1680. Garter, Order of the. This order, according to ancient authors, was instituted by Richard Coeur de Lion, who, accompa- nied only by twenty-six knights, was surrounded by a large party of Saracens near Acre, and but for this faithful and valiant band, would have fallen into the enemy's hands. To commemorate this exploit, the king directed that these knights should be distin- guished by a thong of blue leather below the knee, which he himself also wore, and afterwards the company received the name of the Knights of the Blue Thong. In the year 1344, Edward the Third made a solemn feast in honour of the order, and gave to it the motto, " Honi soit qui mal y pense." This order was thenceforward known under the title of the Order of St. George till the time of Edward the Sixth, who changed it to that of the Garter, and made several alterations in the ritual of it, which are still extant. It is considered the most ancient and noble order in the world. The college of the order is held at Windsor Castle, within the chapel of St. George, the Bishop of Winchester being its prelate, the Bishop of Salisbury its chan- cellor, and the Dean of Windsor its registrar. George. A figure of St. George on horseback, worn by Knights of the Garter. Golden Rose. This is a rose made of gold, which the Pope, after having blessed, sends on certain occasions to sovereigns and other-royal personages. It is, in the first instance, presented to the Pope himself a custom which dates from the pontificate of Leo the Ninth. That pontiff, who was elected in 1048, entered into a compact with the monastery of Sainte Croix, in Alsace, by which the monastery was bound to send a " golden rose " every year to the head of the Roman Church. The ceremony of the benediction of the rose takes place on the fourth Sunday in Lent. Gnelphic Order. A military order instituted in 1815, entitled the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order. Harp of Ireland. The origin of the harp in the arms of Ireland, is said to be as follows : On Henry the Eighth being presented by the Pope with the harp of Brian Borhu, he was INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 295 induced to change the arms of Ireland, by placing on her coins a representation of the relic of her most celebrated native king. Honour, Legion of. An order instituted by Napoleon, while consul, in 1802, for civil and military merit. It consists of different grades of merit, as grand crosses, crosses, commanders, officers, and legionaries, all of whom received pensions with this mark of distinction. Iron Crown of Lomfoardy. A celebrated and ancient crown with which the emperors of Germany are crowned. It consists of a broad circle of gold set with large precious stones ; the sacred iron rim, from which it has its name, was intended to protect the monarch in battle. Labarum. In Roman antiquity, the standard or bearer borne before the emperors. It consisted of a long lance with a staff on the top, crossing it at right angles, from which hung a rich streamer of a purple colour, adorned with precious stones. An eagle was painted on it previously to the time of Constantine, who added a cross and a cypher, expressing the name of Jesus. Laurel and Myrtle. Among the Romans, the laurel was employed in the celebration of triumphs ; and the myrtle, upon the occasion of an ovation. Liveries For servants and dependants are first noticed under the If oman emperors-. The royal liveries of England were, under the Plantagenets, white and red ; the house of Lancaster, white and blue ; of York, murrey and blue ; of Tudor, white and green ; of the Stuarts, yellow and red ; and. of Hanovei> scarlet and blue. Main de Justice, French for hand of justice; one of the French insignia of royalty, consisting of a staff, at the upper end of which, a raised hand is fastened. Napoleon had it among the imperial insignia. Manipulus. Among the ancient Romans, a sub-division of the cohort, so named from the handful of grass or straw which formed their original standard. Military Knighthood. An order of knighthood, which the ancient knights acquired by high feats of arms. They are called Milites in ancient charters and titles, by which they were distin- guished from mere bachelors, &c. These knights were girt with 296 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: a sword, and had a pair of gilt spurs ; whence they were called equites aurati. Mural Crown. Among the Romans, a crown given to him who first scaled the walls of an enemy's city. Napoleon's Bees. Napoleon Bonaparte, desirous of having some original regal emblem, adopted the Bee, under the follow- ing circumstances : When the tomb of Childeric, the father of Clovis, was opened, there were found among other things numerous models of what the French heralds mistook for bees ; and these were accordingly sprinkled over the imperial robe, as emblema- tical of enterprise and activity. It afterwards transpired, that the ornaments mistaken for bees were only what in French are called fleurons, supposed to have been attached to the harness of the war-horse. Naval Crown. A crown which the ancient Romans conferred upon him who first boarded an enemy's ship. Obsidional Crown. This was esteemed the highest military reward among the Roman soldiery : it was bestowed only for the deliverance of an army when reduced to the last extremity. The materials from which it was made, were of the humblest, being the common grass found growing on the scene of action. Olive Branch. The emblem of peace and good-will ; from the olive-branch which the dove bore in its mouth, when despatched by the Almighty to Noah's Ark, in token of forgiveness. Oriflamme. A banner of a gold and red colour which be- longed to the abbey of St. Denys, near Paris. The King of France, as protector and champion of this abbey, had the Oriflamme carried before him at his coronation procession, and in time of war. Palmetto Flag. The party ensign of the Southern or Seces- sion States of America. It was originally the arms of the State of South Carolina, and received its name from the Palmetto tree, which grows abundantly in that district. Phrygian Bonnet. This, among the ancients, was the same covering now known as the " Cap of Liberty." Bed Cap as an Emblem of Revolution. In the first French Revolution, the wearing of a red cap was originally adopted by the INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 297 chief members of the Jacobin Club, and was subsequently -worn by the republicans generally. The precise origin of the red cap has never been clearly accounted for ; the every-day explanation is, that the ancients regarded the cap as an emblem of freedom, and red was recommended as the most cheerful colour. One authority says, that it first came into use after the release from the galleys of the Swiss soldiers of the regiment of Chateau Vieux ; the soldiers as galley-slaves wearing red caps, which became the symbols of freedom, upon their release. Red Hand of Ulster. The tradition respecting the adoption of the blood-red hand as the bearing of Ulster is, that on an ancient expedition of some adventurers to Ireland, their leader declared that whoever first touched the shore should possess the territory which he reached. O'Neale, from whom descended the princes of Ulster, bent upon obtaining the reward, and seeing another- boat nearing the land, cut off his hand and cast it ashore. Red, White, and Blue. This tri-coloured flag, which consists of a stripe of red, white, and blue, owes its rank as a national em- blem to accident. At the first French Revolution a distinguishing sign was wanted, and the readiest which occurred was that of the colours borne by the city of Paris, blue, and red ; this was forth- with adopted, but, to conciliate certain influential members of the National Guard who were not hostile to the King, white, the colour of the Bourbons, was afterwards added. Louis the Eight- eenth did not continue it at the restoration, but the obligation to maintain the tri-colour was subsequently engrossed in the charters. Regalia. The name given to the costly specimens of jewellery belonging to the Crown. In England, the regalia properly so- called are, the crown, the sceptre royal, the virge, or rod with the dove, St. Edward's staff, the orb or mound, the sword of mercy,, called Curtana, the two swords of spiritual and temporal justice, the ring of alliance with the kingdom, the armillse or bracelets, the spurs of chivalry, and sundry royal vestments ; all of which, with the exception of the vestments, are preserved in the Jewel Office of the Tower of London. Regular Knighthood. Applied to all military orders, which 298 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : profess to wear some particular habit, to bear arms against the infidels, to succour and refresh pilgrims in their passage to the Holy Land ; such were the Knights Templars, and such still are the Knights of Malta. St. Catherine, Order of. This order in modern history belongs to ladies of the first quality in the Russian Court. It was insti- tuted in 1714, by Catherine, wife of Peter the Great, in commemo- ration of his signal escape from the Turks in 1711. St. Denis. The patron saint of France, who is said to have been beheaded in the year 252, near Paris. The grotesque legend in connection with this saint is that, after the act of decapitation, the body rose to its feet, took up the head, and walked with it for about two miles, till the saint met with a good woman, into whose hands he placed his head. St. George of England. The history of the patron saint of England is involved in the profoundest obscurity. Some writers identify him with an Arian bishop, in the reigns of Constantinus and Julian, who is said to have expiated by martyrdom a life of error and cruelty ; while others assert him to have been a native of Cappadoeia, and an officer of rank in the army of Diocletian, and who, professing Christianity, suffered martyrdom in the year 290. The cause of his being considered the patron saint of England, is said to be his having miraculously appeared at the head of a numerous army clothed in white, with a red cross for their banner, and putting the Saracens to flight at the siege of Antioch, during the first Crusade. St. James of Spain. The patron saint of Spain, and called by the -Spaniards, Santiago ; he is said to have been seen on a white horse with a banner in his hand, waving them on to victory in a battle with the Moors. St. James Of the Sword. A military order in Spain, instituted in 1170, by Ferdinand the Second, king of Leon, to stop the incursions of the Moors. The knights must prove their descent from families that have been noble on both sides for four generations, and that their ancestors have been neither Jews, Saracens, nor heretics, nor called in question by the Inqui- sition. Their vows are those of poverty, obedience, conjugal INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 29ft; fidelity, and the defence of the immaculate conception of the Holy Virgin. St. Mark, Winged Lion of. The heraldic bearing of the republic of Venice, from St. Mark, the patron saint, whose relics were brought to Venice from Alexandria. St. Patrick, Order of. An Irish order of knighthood instituted by George the Third in 1783. It consists of the sovereign, a prince of the blood royal, a grand master, and fifteen knights, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland being grand master. St. Patrick. The patron saint of Ireland, who, according to one account, was a shepherd born in Scotland, at Kirkpatrick, on the Clyde, or according to another tradition at Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the year 373. He undertook the conversion of the then pagan Irish, and succeeded in converting the kings of Dublin and Munster, and the seven sons of the king of Connaught. He fixed his metropolitan see at Armagh, where he founded monas- teries and schools. Sceptre. Originally a staff, the emblem of sovereign power. In the Greek assemblies a person who wished to speak received a sceptre from the herald, and the judges also bore it while in the exercise of their authority. Kings swore by the sceptre. By degrees it became the emblem of supreme power alone. From ' the Roman emperors it passed to the Western monarchs. The sceptre and ball now form the two most important emblems of royal and imperial power. Seraphim, Order of the. An ancient Swedish order of knight- hood, instituted in 1334, but dormant from the period of the Reformation until 1748. The number of knights, beside the king and members of the royal family, is limited to twenty-four. Shamrock. The shamrock is a wild trefoil, growing in many parts of Ireland. The origin of it becoming the Irish badge of honour has been variously stated ; the following tradition is, however, the most popular : When St. Patrick landed near Wicklow to convert the Irish, in 433, the pagan inhabitants were about to stone him ; he requested to be heard, and endeavoured to explain God to them as the Trinity in Unity, but they could not understand him, till plucking a trefoil, or shamrock, from the 300 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : ground, he said, " Is it not as possible for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to be one and the same, as it is for these three leaves to grow upon a single stalk?" This illustration carried such conviction with it, that the Irish were immediately convinced, and became converts to Christianity at the same time, in memory of the event, adopting the shamrock as a badge of honour. S. P. d. R. The initials for Senatus Populusque Romanus, the Senate and People of Rome ; another explanation is Senatus Populi Quiritium Romanonim, the Senate of the Quiritian Roman People. Letters which were inscribed upon the Roman standards and other national insignia. S S, Collar of. This collar, which is worn on certain occasions by distinguished persons, is said to be derived from Saints Simpli- cius and Faustinas, two Roman senators, who suffered martyrdom under Diocletian. The religious fraternity of St. Simplicius wore silver collars of S S ; between which the collar contained twelve small pieces of silver, on which were engraven the twelve articles of the Creed, together with a simple trefoil. The image of St. Simplicius hung at the collar, and from it seven plates, repre- senting the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. This chain or collar was worn because these two brethren were martyred by attaching a stone with a chain about their necks, and then throwing them into the Tiber. Stars and Stripes. The standard of the United States ; the flag of the thirteen united colonies was originally symbolised by thirteen stripes, alternately white and red ; and the Union by thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new galaxy. For some time subsequently a fresh stripe was added for each new State admitted to the Union, until the flag became too large, when, by act of Congress, the .stripes were reduced to the old thirteen, a star being added to the Union at the accession of each new State. Strawberry Leaves. An allusive reference to the coronet of a duke, which has eight strawberry-leaves disposed about its rim. Thistle, Order of the. An order founded by Achaius, king of Scotland, in 809, upon forming a league of amity with Charlemagne. The ensign of the knights is a gold collar composed of thistles, INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 301 linked together with annulets of gold, having pendant thereto the image of St. Andrew, and hence also called the Order of St. Andrew. The origin of this order is variously stated, but it can be only traced back to James the Fifth, who borrowed the emblem of the thistle and its. motto from the Bourbons of France in 1540. Tiara. The term applied to the head-dress of the Pope, which is worn on solemn occasions, and which consists of a triple crown encircling a mitre. It is used in a figurative sense to designate the papal dignity. Tree of Liberty. At the time of the disturbances excited in the American colonies by the Stamp Act, a large elm was used in Boston, upon which to hang obnoxious characters in effigy, and to make known the intentions of the revolutionary party. The example was imitated in other parts of the country, nearly every town having its tree of liberty. On the breaking out of the first French Revolution the same emblem was adopted, a tree of liberty being planted by the Jacobins in Paris ; and many other cities of France followed their example. In the revolution of 1848, trees of liberty were planted in the most frequented streets of Paris, but these have been since removed. Union Jack. The etymology of the term Union Jack has never been precisely ascertained. It would appear, however, that the word " union " arose from the union of the three king- doms into one great political power. As an alteration in the banner of St. George occurred in the reign of James the First, it may, with great probability, be supposed to have been a render- ing of the word " Jacobus," abbreviated into Jack. Vallar Crown. Among the Romans, a crown bestowed on the general who first entered an enemy's camp. Welsh Leek. The date of the adoption of the leek as the national emblem of Wales is uncertain. It appears, however, to have been assumed at the Battle of Bosworth, by the body-guard of Henry the Seventh, which was mainly composed of Welshmen. The Tudor colours were green and white, and were well repre- sented by the leek ; but, beyond this, no explanation is given why the leek should have been specially adopted as the emblem of Wales. 302 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : White Elephant, Order of the. A very ancient Danish order of knighthood, supposed to have been instituted by Canute the Second, Bang of Denmark, in 1084. The knights of this order are restricted to thirty, besides the members of the royal family. Windsor, Knights Of. A company of military knights, com- posed of superannuated officers, who are allowed certain accom- modation in- "Windsor Castle, and receive a daily sum for suste- nance. The institution was founded by Edward the Third, under the designation of " Poor Knights." NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 303 SECTIOTsT NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS; ETC. Arena. The literal meaning of this word is sound or grit. In the Latin authors, it is used to designate the place where the gladiators who engaged with swords, fought. It received its name from being covered with sand, in order to prevent the com- batants slipping ; and to absorb the blood. Atelier de Charite. A benevolent institution, established at Ghent in 1817, for the purpose of giving employment to persons who are in a state of indigence, and deprived of work elsewhere. Invalids and infirm persons are here put to suitable employment ; while the remuneration they receive is in proportion to their wants, rather than the produce of their labour. Athenaeum. A place at Athens, sacred to Minerva, where the poets, philosophers, and rhetoricians were in the habit of de- claiming and repeating their compositions. Auto da Fe. Spanish for act of faith. In the Romish Church, a solemn day formerly held by the Inquisition, for the punish- ment of heretics, and the absolution of the innocent accused. On such occasions, the persons condemned to death were habited in a certain costume, and led in procession to the place of execution ; and, being placed upon stakes, were burnt to death with circum- stances of great cruelty, amidst the acclamations of the sur- rounding multitude. The auto da fe was chiefly confined to Spain and Portugal. The first took place at Valladolid, 1559 ; the last at Goa, in 1787. Bed of Justice; The name of the seat or throne formerly occupied by the French monarchs when they attended parliament : the term came, in course of time, to signify the parliament itself. The old French constitution laid it down as a 304 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : principle that, when the king was present, parliament ceased ; consequently, all ordinances enrolled at a Bed of Justice were acts of the royal will, and of greater authority and effect than the ordinary enactments of parliament. The last Bed of Justice was assembled by Louis the Sixteenth, August 5th, 1788, and was intended to enforce upon the parliament the adoption of certain obnoxious taxes. The resistance to this measure led to the assembling of the States-General, and ultimately to the Revolution. Bell, Book, and Candle, Swearing by. This originated in the manner of the Pope blessing the world yearly, from the balcony of St. Peter's, at Rome. He holds a wax taper, lighted ; a cardinal reads a curse on all heretics, and, no sooner is the last word uttered, than the bell tolls, and the Pope changes the curse into a blessing, throwing down his taper among the people. Benefit of Clergy. A privilege in law, at first peculiar to the clergy, but in after-times made common to the laity. When any one was convicted of certain crimes, he had a book placed in his hands to read, and, if the ordinary or deputy pronounced these words, " Legit ut clericus " he reads like a clergyman or scholar he was only burnt in the hand and set free for the first offence, for which he would otherwise have suffered death. Bicetre. A village near Paris, in which a building was erected in the fifteenth century, for disabled soldiers. For many years, it was used as a military asylum and retreat, till a larger hospital was built at Paris, when it became by turns, and sometimes simultaneously, a surgical hospital, a lunatic asylum, and a prison. Borough English. A customary descent of land, in some parts of England, to the younger sons. Bounds, Beating the. An annual custom which takes place in London, and some other places, on Ascension Day. The minister, churchwardens, and other officers, together with the parochial scholars, perambulate the several parishes, armed with long rods or canes, with which they strike the boundaries, upon arriving at them. It supposed to be derived from the ancient custom called Terminalia, held in honour of the god Terminus, NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 305 who was supposed to preside over bounds and limits, and to punish all unlawful usurpations of land. Boy-Bishop. It was an ancient custom in such churches as had cathedral service, for the little choristers, on St. Nicholas's Day, December 6th, to elect one of their number to preside over the rest, with some degree of episcopal authority, until the 28th of December, or Innocents' Day. In 1554, an edict was issued to all the clergy, to have a boy-bishop in procession, and it was not till the reign of Elizabeth that the custom was abolished. In the cathedral church of Salisbury, is a monument of a boy- bishop, who died in the exercise of his pontifical office, and whose funeral exequies were solemnized with the same pomp and ceremony as was customary on the death of a bishop. Bucentaur. The state-galley of the republic of Venice, remarkable for its costliness and gorgeous decorations. It was used by the Doge in the annual ceremony of espousing the Adriatic. Calumet of Peace. Upon all occasions when American Indian chiefs or warriors meet in peace, or at the close of a war with an- other nation, in their negotiations and treaties with the whites, or even when a single person of distinction comes among them, the calumet is handed round with ceremonies peculiar to each tribe, and every member of the company draws a few whiffs. To accept the calumet is to agree to the terms proposed ; to refuse it, is to reject them. The stem of this pipe is decorated in various ways, and the bowl is made of different kinds of marble. The calumet-dance is of a peaceful character, and seems to be intended by a series of movements to represent the power and utility of the calumet. Canonization. The act or ceremony of declaring a deceased person a saint. In ttie Eoman Catholic Church, this ceremony is preceded by beatification, and an examination into the life of the deceased, or the miracles performed by him. Caravanserai. A lavge building in the East, representing a species of inn, for thft reception of travellers and caravans. The building commonly forms a square, in the middle of 306 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : which is a spacious court, and beneath the arches or piazzas which surround it, there runs a bank, raised some feet above the ground, where the merchants and travellers take up their lodgings, the beasts of burden being tied to the foot of the bank. Ceramicus. A portion of the city of Athens which was walled off, and made the receptacle of statues, temples, theatres, and porticoes ; it was used as a public promenade. The same name was given to a place in the suburbs, in which wen erected tombs and monuments to Grecian patriots. Chairing. It was an ancient custom among the Northern nations to elevate their :king upon his election, on the shoulders of his senators ; and the Anglo-Saxons carried their king upon a shield when crowned. Priests on being appointed bishops, were elevated in their cathedral ; and, until recently, ne^vly-elected members of parliament were carried round the town, elevated in a chair. Championship of England. An office of greet antiquity, probably coeval with the Conquest, the duty attached to which office is to challenge any one who may dispute the title of the sovereign at his coronation, in Westminster Hall. It is an here- ditary post belonging to the Dymocke family. Cicisbeo. A name given in the seventeentli century to the professed gallant of a married lady. It is the fashion among the -higher ranks in Italy, for the husband, from the day of marriage, to associate with his wife in his own house only. In society, or places of public amusement, she is accompanied by the cicisbeo, who even attends at her toilet to receive her commands for the day. The custom is, however, much on the decline. Cloaca Maxima. The great common sewer of Ancient Rome ; it was remarkable for its extent, stability, arid efficacy. It lasted many centuries without being affected by time or accident. It has been quoted by several historians as one of the most conspicuous evidences of the energy and power of the Roman people. Conge d'Elire. In ecclesiastical affairs, the sovereign's licence or permission to a dean and chapter to choose a bishop. The NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 307 monarch of Great Britain, as sovereign patron, had formerly the appointment of all ecclesiastical dignities, investing by crosier and ring, and afterwards by letters patent. But now the sove- reign, on demand, sends a conge, d'elire to the dean and chapter, with a letter missive, containing the name of the person lie would have them elect ; and if they delay the election twelve days, the nomination devolves upon the sovereign, who may appoint by letters patent. Curule Chair. A state chair among the ancient Romans, in which the chief magistrates had a right to sit and be carried. Tlu's chair was richly adorned and fitted to a kind of chariot (cwrrus), whence it received its name. It was also used by successful generals in a public triumph. Curule Magistracy. An affair of the highest magisterial dignity in tlie Roman State : it was distinguished from all others, by the privilege enjoyed by the person who held the office of sitting on ani ivory seat, called the curule chair, when engaged in his public functions. The curule magistrates were the consuls, praetors, censors, and chief sediles ; which last, on account of this privilege, were called curule sediles, to distinguish them from the plebeian. Dunmow Flitch of Bacon. An annual ceremony which takes place at Dunmov, in Essex; it was established by Robert de Fitzwalter, in 1244, for the purpose of presenting a flitch of bacon to any married couple, who, "Kneeling on two sharp-pointed stones, swear that they have not quarrelled nor repented of their marriage within a year and a day after its celebration." EpitlialainiUHl.-^Among the ancients, a nuptial song or other composition in verse, sung or recited on the occasion of a marriage between persons of eminence. The themes touched upon were the pleasures of matrimony, the virtues and good qualities of the parties espoused ; concluding with prayers to the gods for prosperity, happy offspring, &c. Eraili. Clubs or societies which existed during the Roman empire, for charitable, convivial, commercial, or political purposes. Estafette. A term made use of originally for a military courier, but now used in all the modern countries of Europe to THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : denote an " express," consigned to the care of postilions, who are changed with every relay of horses till the express reaches the place of destination. Eton Montem. A triennial custom formerly observed by the students of Eton College, who on Whit-Tuesday of every year proceeded to a tumulus (ad montem) near the Bath road, where they exacted money for salt, as it was called, from all who passed ; the term originating from an early monkish superstition, when the friars used to sell their consecrated salt for medical purposes. The Montem was abolished in 1847. Feet, Washing. Among the ancient Jews and some other Eastern nations, the host showed his welcome to a guest by washing his feet, and hence it is accounted a symbol of hos- pitality. When sandals were the only covering for the feet, and when the hot and sandy roads of those districts are remembered, it is not difficult to understand that the washing of the feet would be the most grateful and refreshing office which a host could perform for his guest. Fleet Marriages. Marriages which were formerly permitted to be performed in England in the Fleet Prison, or within its boundaries. By an unaccountable laxity of the law. persons in holy orders, and officiating within the prescribed limits, were allowed to marry, without licence or previous notice, any persons who came before them for that purpose. Under these circumstances not only did the most extraordinary unions take place, but a great amount of immorality was practised, and the event was made the occasion of licentiousness and debauchery. GavelMnd. A custom prevailing in Kent and some other parts of England, by which family estates are equally divided among all the sons. God's Gift. Another name for Dulwich College, bestowed upon it by its founder, Edward Alleyne, a player. The college is designed for the support and maintenance of a master, warden, and four fellows ; also six poor men, six poor women, and twelve boys, to be educated in good literature. One singular condition is, that no person shall be eligible for master whose name is not either Alleyn or Allen. Alleyn was an actor of great repute in NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 309 the time of Elizabeth, and of James the First. He amassed a large fortune on the stage, and expended a considerable portion of it in the endowment of this college, as some sort of propitia- tion for the profanity of his career, as he in after-life regarded the vocation of a stage-player. Gretna-Green Marriages. The first person who performed a marriage at Gretna-Green, was named Scott, who resided in the neighbourhood between 1750 and 1760. He was succeeded by one Gordon, an old soldier, who gave out that he had a licence from Government to perform such marriages. Upon his death many successors arose, the chief of whom was Joseph Paisley, known as the " Old Blacksmith." Gretna-Green was chosen as the place for runaway matches on account of its being the part of Scotland nearest to England, thus permitting the contracting parties to be married with the least delay according to the Scottish law. Hanaper Office. One of the offices belonging to the Court of Chancery, and which takes its name from the writs and other documents being originally kept in a hamper (in hanaperio). Hasta Pura. A spear bestowed by the Romans upon him who slew an enemy hand to hand. By way of disgrace or punishment, this spear was sometimes taken from its possessor ; this was termed censio hastaria. Heralds' College. A corporation founded by Richard the Third, consisting of three kings-at-arms, six heralds, and four pursuivants, and having the regulation and control of matters connected with armorial bearings, heraldic devices, royal ceremo- nials, creation of peers, funerals, marriages, and all other public solemnities. Holy Office. The name of the ecclesiastical tribunal otherwise known as the Inquisition. Janus, Opening and Closing of the Temple of. The temple of Janus, one of the primitive deities of the Romans, was opened at the beginning of every war, and remained open so long as the war lasted, and until peace was established in all the countries subject to Rome. The temple Avas shut only three times in the long space of 700 years. 310 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Jew-Bail. An opprobrious term for men without either money or character, who used to hire themselves out as sureties for persons arrested for debt. Kaland. A German word signifying the name of a lay frater- nity instituted in the thirteenth century, for the purpose of doing honour to deceased relatives and friends. Kit-cat Club. An association of about thirty noblemen and gentlemen of distinguished merit, formed in 1703, for the purpose of uniting their zeal in favour of the Protestant succession of the House of Hanover. The name was derived from Christopher Kat, a pastry-cook, who lived near the tavern where they met, in King Street, Westminster, and supplied them with pastry. Sir Godfrey Kneller painted their portraits of a size which is still distinguished by the name of Kit-cat. Khotbah. A particular kind of prayer used in Mohammedan countries at the commencement of public worship in the great mosques on Friday at noon. It consists chiefly of a confession of faith, and a petition for the prosperity of the Mohammedan religion. Knight's Service. A species of tenure by which lands were held from the time immediately succeeding the Norman Conquest, in the eleventh century, to the period of the civil war in the seventeenth. This kind of tenure obliged the holder to follow his superior to the wars, and, under certain restrictions, to remain with him forty days in every year, or to send some other knight duly qualified to perform the service. This thraldom fell to the ground during the existence of the Commonwealth. Lazzaretto. The name given to certain buildings and enclo- sures which are annexed to sea-port towns, chiefly in the Mediter- ranean, for the purpose of keeping confined therein the crews of ships and passengers arriving from Turkey, or other places where the plague or epidemic diseases of any kind are known to prevail. Levee and Drawing Room. A levee consists of gentlemen only ; a drawing-room is attended by ladies as well as gentlemen. Libertini. The freed-men of Rome, classed into four tribes, 220 B.C. Manse. Anciently, an inn on a public road, usually at the NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. distance of eighteen miles from each other. In the middle ages, it was used to express an encampment for one night. Metronomii. The name given by the Athenians to five officers in the city and ten in the Piraeus, whose duty it was to inspect all sorts of measures, excepting those only of corn. Mont de Piete. A benevolent institution, which originated in Italy in the fifteenth century ; the object of which was to advance loans to necessitous persons at a moderate interest. These establishments lent money upon pledges somewhat after the manner of pawnbrokers, but with this difference, that the benefit of the borrower was regarded rather than the profit of the lender. This institution was introduced into other countries, especially into the Netherlands ; and Monts de Pie"te were established at Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, and other places. In Spain there were similar establishments, also at Madrid, and other large towns. Morganatic Marriage. Otherwise termed a left-handed mar- riage, between a man of superior and a woman of inferior station ; in which it is stipulated that the woman and her children shall not enjoy the rank nor inherit the possessions of her husband. Such marriages are not uncommon in the families of the sovereign princes and of the higher nobility, in Germany ; but they are restricted to personages of these exalted classes. Oscillatory. In Church history, a tablet or board with the picture of Christ, the Virgin, &c., which is kissed by the priest, and then delivered to the people for the same purpose. Ovation. Among the Romans, an inferior kind of triumph which was granted to military leaders. The word is said to be derived from ovare, to cry O ! the cry of soldiers on this occasion ; or from ovis, a sheep, the animal sacrificed at such triumphs. Palace Court. A court of justice created by Charles the First, and made a court of record, witli power to try personal actions between party and party within a liberty extending to the distance of twelve miles round Whitehall. This court became notorious for its abuses, and was ultimately abolished. Passing Bell. The ringing of the passing bell anciently served two purposes ; one of which was engaging the prayers of all good 312 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : people for departing souls ; and the other was, driving away the evil spirits which were supposed to haunt the bed and house, and ready to seize their prey, but kept at a distance by the ringing of this bell. Phylarch. An Athenian officer appointed by each phyle, or tribe, to superintend the registration of its members, and other common duties. The office corresponds with that of the Roman tribune. Pledging Healths. The custom of persons pledging one an- other while they were drinking, is said by some to have had its origin in England soon after it had been reduced by the Danes, who would sometimes stab a native in the act of drinking ; the Saxons, therefore, would not drink in company, unless some one present would be their pledge or security that they should receive no hurt. Others date it from the death of King Edward, son of Edgar, who was by the contrivance of Elfrida, his step-mother, treacherously stabbed in the back as he was drinking. Poet Laureate. The title given to a poet, whose duty it formerly was to compose birthday odes and other poems of rejoicing for the monarch in whose service he was. These duties are now dispensed with, although the office and its emoluments still exist. Polarium. Among the Eomans, a piece of ground exposed to the sun, made very level, and occupying an elevated situation, usually the top of the house. Such walks were used for air and exercise. Polemarch. A magistrate at Athens, who had under his care all the strangers and sojourners in the city, over whom he had the same jurisdiction as the archon had over the citizens. Also the name of a military officer in Lacedsemon. Polytechniqiie, Ecole. An establishment which ranks among the first in the history of education. The school was established by a decree of the National Convention of March 11, 1794 ; its object being to diffuse a knowledge of the mathematical, physical, and chemical sciences, and to prepare the pupils for the artillery service, and the various departments of engineering, military, naval, and civil. The origin of this establishment, and the high NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 313 character of the course of instruction, has always inspired the students with an ardent love of their country. In 1814, they fought bravely against the allies ; and in the revolution of 1830, the students immediately took part with the people, and rendered the greatest service to the popular cause, as well by their military knowledge as by their heroic enthusiasm. Praetorium. The name of that part of a Eoman camp occupied by the general's tent ; it was raised a few feet higher than the rest of the camp. The hall or court where the Prsetor administered justice also went by this name. Prefet. In France, a chief magistrate or governor, invested with the general administration of a department. The head office of such official is termed the prefecture. Begins Professor. A reader of lectures in the universities, founded by Henry the Eighth, who established five lectureships in each university of Oxford and Cambridge ; namely, of Divinity, Greek, Hebrew, Law, and Physic. Religious Houses. Convents, monasteries, nunneries, and similar establishments of the Romish Church, where persons live under certain rules, and are bound by their vows to observe a religious life. The religious houses which existed in England at the time of the Reformation were dissolved, and their possessions appropriated by Henry the Eighth. Rialto. The name of the exchange at Venice, so called from Rivo alto, " the deep river," which runs between the Venetian islands. It was built upon the chief island as the most appro- priate spot, in a purely commercial and maritime state, and in order to preserve the popular resort and influence to it. Rostrum. Literally, the beak or bill of a bird. In ancient Rome, the elevated platform in the Forum, so called from its basement being decorated with the beaks or prows of ships. Royal Progresses. A custom which formerly prevailed among the sovereigns of England of proceeding periodically to the various parts [of their dominions, and travelling in great state from place to place. These journeyings were undertaken with a view of observing the state of the kingdom, and of inquiring into the wants and wishes of the people. Upon such occasions peti- 314 THE HISTORICAL FINGEE-POST : tions were presented, grievances were stated, and requests were made by the people of the neighbourhood through which the monarch passed. In the mean time the king and his court sojourned at the residences of his most powerful subjects, and the most costly entertainment was provided. Running a Muck. A phrase derived from the Malays, in whose language amock signifies to kill. Applied to desperate persons who intoxicate themselves with opium ; then arming themselves with a dagger, rushing wildly forth into the public ways, and killing and wounding every one they meet. Sagamore. Among certain tribes of American Indians, the name given to a king or chief. Sanctuary, Eight of. An ancient English custom, denoting an asylum or place privileged by the sovereign for the protection of the lives of persons who were guilty of capital crimes. Till the time of Henry the Eighth, all English churches and church- yards were sanctuaries ; and persons accused of any crime except treason who fled to them, and who, within forty days after, went in sackcloth, and confessed themselves guilty before the coroner, and declared all the particular circumstances of the offence and who thereupon took an oath that they abjured the realm, and would depart thence forthwith, and would never return without leave from the king by this means saved their lives. They were then expected to hasten to the nearest port, bearing a cross in their hands ; and if during the forty days' privilege assigned, or on their way to the sea-side, they were apprehended, they might plead privilege of sanctuary. But by this abjuration their blood was attainted, and they forfeited all their goods and chattels. During this interval, if any layman expelled such persons he was excommunicated ; if a clerk, he was made irregular ; but after forty daygj no man might relieve them. Scape Goat. In Jewish antiquity, the goat which was set at liberty on the day of solemn expiation, typically to bear away the sins of the people. Hence, any person who is made respon- sible for the faults of another, or receives the punishment which is due to another, is called a scape-goat, i.e. escapergo&t. Scouring of the White Horse. In White Horse Vale, Berk- NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 315 shire, there is to be seen the figure of a horse in a galloping posture, cut in the side of a chalky hill as is supposed, in memory of a great victory gained by Alfred over the Danes. A custom has existed from time immemorial among the villagers of the neighbourhood, of assembling about Midsummer for what they term " scouring the horse," when they remove every weed or obstacle that may have obstructed this figure, and retire to spend the evening in various rural sports. Sheriffs, Pricking for. An annual English custom in the appointment of sheriffs, and which consists in the sovereign piercing, with a punch, the parchment upon which is written the names of the persons chosen to serve as sheriffs in each county. A distinct puncture is made opposite each name, such being deemed the royal approval of the choice made. Taboo. A term expressive of a peculiar custom prevalent among the South-Sea Islanders, and used in general to denote something consecrated, sacred, forbidden, or set aside for particular uses or persons. It is applied both to persons and things, and both to the object prohibited and to the persons against whom the prohibition extends. Thus, a consecrated piece of ground is taboo ; the act of consecrating it is called taboo, and the persons who are excluded from entering are also said to be tabooed. A particular article of food is sometimes tabooed at certain seasons, in order to preserve it against a time of scarcity. Tomahawk. The tomahawks or hatchets of Indian manufacture are headed with stone, but the ordinary metal blades or heads are of European manufacture, and made expressly for Indian use. The tomahawk is the constant companion of the Indian, used by him for innumerable purposes, and kept by his side day and night. Treasure Trove. By the laws of England, a branch of the revenue of the crown. When coin, plate, or precious metals are found hidden in the earth or any private place, and the owner or person who deposited* them is unknown, the property becomes vested in the sovereign by virtue of the royal prerogative. But if the owner be ascertained after the treasure is found, the property belongs to him, and not to the sovereign. 316 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Tribune. In the French houses of legislature, the pulpit or elevated place from which the members deliver or read their speeches. Trinity House. A kind of college, incorporated by charter, in 1514; re-incorporated and extended in 1685. The corporation, originally a company of pilots for the royal navy, consists of a master, deputy, four wardens, eight assistants, and seventeen brethren. Eleven of the thirty-one brethren are usually men of high station, and twenty experienced commanders of merchant ships ; the master and deputy are chosen annually. The chief functions of the Trinity corporation consist in examining and licensing pilots, in erecting seamarks and lighthouses, in super- intending the navigation of the River Thames, and in the appoint- ment of the harbour-masters. Tripod. The name applied to the chair or altar from which the priestess of Delphi gave her oracles. It was generally made of metal, and often of exquisite workmanship. Triumph. Among the Romans, a military procession through the city to the Capitol, where the victorious general exhibited the trophies of his success, and solemnly sacrificed to Jupiter, to whom he dedicated part of his spoils. Unction, Extreme. In the Roman Catholic religion, a solemn anointing of any person at the point of death. Veto. Latin for " I forbid." Among the Romans, the solemn word used by the tribunes of the people, when they inhibited any decree of the senate, or law proposed to the people, or any act of other magistrates. Wager of Battel. A mode of trial between an accused person and his accuser, and which formerly was one of the statutes of the criminal law of England. According to this law, the accused could challenge the accuser to single combat, and unless the latter could plead a , legal exception, he must either give up his charge against the defendant, and be liable to him in damages, or a day of battle must L be appointed. The battle must be in the presence of^the court, in the following form: At sunrise, the parties assemble ; the lists are set by the court ; the accuser and the accused are to be bare-armed, bare- NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 317 legged, and each furnished with a wooden truncheon an ell long, and a square wooden target. They then take each other's hands, and each swears the accuser that the accused did kill the deceased, and the accused swears that he did not. They then both swear that they have about them " neither bone, stone, nor charm of any sort, whereby the law of the devil may be exalted, or the law of God depressed." They then fight it out. If the accused can make good his defence till the stars appear in the evening, it is an acquittal ; but if he be beaten, or cries " Craven" the infamous word of surrender, he is to be hanged. This barbarous mode of appeal was taken advantage of, in the case of a murder in Ireland, in 1817. A compromise was effected, the prisoner's sentence was commuted to transportation, and the statute was repealed. War, Honours of. Stipulated terms which are granted to a vanquished enemy, and by which he is permitted to march out of a town, from a camp, or line of entrenchments, with all the insignia of military etiquette. Wassail-Bowl. The name of a large silver cup or bowl, in which the Saxons at their entertainments drank a health to one another, in the phrase of wees-heal, " health to you." In religious houses, this bowl was set at the upper end of the table for the use of the abbot, who began the health to strangers, or to his fraternity. Wedding of the Adriatic. A preposterous ceremony, which was made the occasion of an annual festival at Venice ; and at which the Doge went out to sea in a sumptuous barge, and " wedded" the Adriatic, by throwing a ring to the waves. This curious custom is said to have originated in the following event. In 1178, the Pope, Alexander the Third, took refuge from the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, among the Venetians, whose fleet became triumphant in his cause, and brought a number of the enemy's vessels into their port. The Pope meeting the victorious Doge gave him a ring, and said, " Take this ring and give it to the sea, in testimony of your dominion, and of your having sub- jected this element, even as a husband subjecteth his wife." 318 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : SECTION" OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, INTEREST, AND WONDER. Albero d'Oro. That is " Golden Tree/' The name of one of the most beautiful palaces of Venice. The tradition is, that one of its ancient possessors had an intense passion for gaming, and in the course of his career lost the whole of his possessions with the exception of this palace ; this, he at length also staked, but by way of caprice reserved to himself one of the trees which grew in the garden. The palace followed his previous losses, and the gamester now determined that the excepted tree should be staked. This done, a sudden change of fortune followed, and gradually all that had been lost was regained. The tree was very appropriately called the Golden Tree, and the palace itself was named after it. Alhambra. The name assigned to the vestiges of a palace which was erected and occupied by the Mohammedan Sultans or 'Kings of Granada, in Spain. When in its perfect state, the interior of the Alhambra was deemed the most superb specimen of Moorish architecture and fanciful adornment ever called into existence. Apollo Belvedere. A celebrated statue of Apollo, found at Capo d'Anzo, in the ruins of ancient Antium. It was purchased by Pope Julius the Second, and was placed by him in the Belvedere of the Vatican, whence it derives its present name. Arundel Marbles. Certain pieces of sculpture, consisting of ancient statues, busts, mutilated figures, altars, inscriptions, &c., the remains of a more extensive collection, formed in the early part of the seventeenth century by the Earl of Arundel, and presented to the University of Oxford by his grandson. Barberini Palace. A palace at Rome, of vast dimensions and costly appointments. It contains a library, comprising numerous OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, ETC. 319 rare manuscripts, a valuable museum, and an extensive gallery of paintings. Bayeux Tapestry. A web or roll of linen cloth or canvas, preserved at Bayeux, upon which a continuous representation of the events connected with the invasion and conquest of England by the Normans is worked in coloured woollen thread after the manner of a sampler. It is 20 inches wide, and 214 feet long ; and is divided into seventy-two compartments, each of which bears an explanatory Latin inscription. It is stated traditionally to have been worked by or under the superintendence of Matilda, the Conquerorls queen, and presented by her to the Cathedral of Bayeux. Blenheim. The name of a noble mansion and estate at Wood- stock, near Oxford. Presented by the British Parliament to the Duke of Marlborough, in commemoration of the victory achieved by him at the Battle of Blenheim, August 13th, 1704. Buen Eetiro. A royal summer residence, on an elevated ground, near Madrid, built with much splendour by the Duke of Olivarez, at the beginning of the seventeenth century. In 1808, when the French attacked Madrid, it was the centre of the conflict, and was plundered. The French afterwards fortified it, and used it as a citadel. Capitol. A celebrated citadel and temple at Rome, dedicated to Jupiter, and thence called Jupiter Capitolinus. It was built on the highest part of the city, called the Tarpeian Rock, and was strongly fortified. Here the senate assembled, and in the temple they made the vows and took the oath of allegiance. Catacombs. Grottos or subterraneous passages for the recep- tion of the dead, frequently found in Egypt and in Italy. Colossus. A statue of immense proportions, such as that of the Sun anciently in the harbour of the island of Rhodes. It was placed at the centre of the harbour, with the right foot planted on one side of the shore, and the left foot on the other. Ear of Dionysius. The name of a cave of great depth in a rock in the neighbourhood of Syracuse. It was in the form of a human ear. Here the tyrant Dionysius imprisoned those persons who fell under his suspicion ; and by means of a winding tube, 320 THE HISTORICAL FINGEK-POST : leading from the cave to a private apartment above, he was enabled to listen to the conversation of his victims, of which, it is said, not a whisper escaped him. Elgin Marbles. These precious relics of ancient art were named after Thomas, Earl of Elgin, who brought them from Athens to England, with incredible pains and toil, when they were purchased by Government, and deposited in the British Museum. These sculptures were imagined and directed by Phidias, and executed in part by his chisel. Escurial. A vast edifice near Madrid, built by Philip the Second of Spain. It was commenced on the anniversary of St. Lawrence, 1563, and is made to assume the shape of a gridiron, the instrument upon which that saint is recorded to have suffered martyrdom. It is the country palace and mausoleum of the Spanish sovereigns. Fairlop Oak. A noted tree in Hainault Forest, Essex,,forty- eight feet in girth, and said to have been the growth of 500 years, beneath which a fair was established in modern times ; injured by an accidental fire, 1806 ; blown down, 1820. Fountain of Tears. Pedro the Severe of Portugal, when prince, had become enamoured of one of his wife's ladies, the beautiful Ines de Castro, and on the death of his wife, he secretly married her. His father, Alfonso the Fourth, was extremely dis- pleased on the discovery of the marriage ; and while Pedro was absent on a hunting expedition, went to Coimbra, where Ines had been left, and in spite of her tears and entreaties, caused his attendants to murder her. Her beauty and grace had made a great impression on the people of Coimbra ; they never forgot her ; and the fountain at which she was slain is still called the " Fountain of Tears." Gobelin Tapestry. So called from a noted house in Paris, in the suburb of St. Marcel, formerly possessed by famous wool- dyers, whereof the chief Avas Giles Gobelin, who lived in the reign of Francis the First, and who is said to have discovered the secret of dyeing scarlet. This house was purchased by Louis the Fourteenth, for a manufactory of all manner of curious works for adorning the royal palaces, under the direction of Monsieur OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, ETC. 321 Colbert, especially tapestry, designs for which were drawn by the celebrated Le Brun, by appointment of the king, 1666. Golden Palace. The name given to the royal residence which the Roman emperor Nero had built for himself. This building was remarkable for the immense quantity of gold and other pre cious materials employed in its decoration, and also for its magnitude. When Nero surveyed its costliness and immense extent, he declared that he should now " be lodged like a man." Great Harry. The name given to the first ship of war belong- ing to the English navy, and which was built in the reign of Henry the Seventh in 1485. It was 1000 tons burthen, 128 feet in length, and 48 feet in breadth ; it had three flush decks, a fore- castle, half-deck, quarter-deck, and round-house, and carried 176 guns of various calibre. The ship was accidentally burnt in 1554. Grotto del Cane. A remarkable grotto in the vicinity of Naples, hollowed out of a sandy soil to the depth of ten feet and the breadth of four. A light vapour, resembling the smoke from coal, is always seen rising about six inches in height. No smell is emitted except such as is generally connected with a subterra- neous passage. A dog is most commonly chosen to exhibit the effects of this vapour. The animal held in it at first struggles considerably, but loses all motion in about two minutes, and would immediately die if it were not withdrawn into the open air. Holyrood House. The name of an ancient palace and abbey, which stands at the eastern extremity of the old town of Edin- burgh. The Holy Eood, or Holy Cross, is the name of an abbey contiguous to the palace. Koh-i-noor. A celebrated diamond, the name of which signi- fies " mountain of light." It was found in the mines of Golconda, 1550, and passed in the train of conquest as the emblem of dominion from G olconda to Delhi, from Delhi to Mushed, Mushed to Cabul, Cabul to Lahore, and thence became a trophy of English valour. Kremlin. The palace at Moscow, standing on a central and elevated part of the city. It was built in the fifteenth century, and miraculously escaped the general conflagration that followed the entry of the French in 1812. 322 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: Labyrinth. One of the wonders of ancient Egypt. It con- sisted of twelve palaces, beneath which were vast subterraneous excavations, equal in size to the palaces above, in which were preserved the bodies of the kings who constructed them, and the sacred crocodiles which the Egyptians worshipped as deities. Laura. The name given to a collection of little cells at some distance from each other, in which the hermits in ancient times lived together in a wilderness or desert place. Lion of Bastia. A singular rock at the entrance of the port of Bastia, in the island of Corsica. It has the appearance of a lion in repose ; the shoulders and neck are covered with creeping plants, resembling a bushy mane ; the fore-legs are thrown for- ward, the neck is raised, and the head is characterized by an air of fierceness. Louvre. One of the most ancient palaces of France. In the time of the earlier kings, it served as a sort of hunting seat. It has been altered and added to by various monarchs, and immense sums have been expended upon it. It contains some of the finest pictures in the world, and a choice collection of sculpture, anti- quities, and other valuable specimens of art. Lyceum. A celebrated place near the banks of the Ilissus, in Attica, where Aristotle taught philosophy. Malinaison. A chateau two and a half leagues from Paris, and one and a half from Versailles. It is charmingly situated and interspersed with beautiful walks, in which Napoleon sought recreation from the cares of state. It received its name from it* having been erected on the spot where the Normans landed on one of their incursions in the ninth century. Martello Towers. So called by corruption, from Martello, in Corsica, where a strong tower maintained a determined resistance to a superior English force, in 1794. In consequence of the great strength exhibited by this fort, the British Government erected twenty-seven similar towers on the Kentish coast, at intervals of about a quarter of a mile, as a defence against the threatened invasion of France. Mausoleum. A sepulchral building, so called from Mausolus, King of Caria, to whose memory it was raised, by his widow OBJECTS OP CURIOSITY, ETC. 323 Artemisia, about 353 B.C. ; hence, all sepulchral structures of im- portance have obtained the name of Mausoleums. From its extraordinary magnificence, it was esteemed the seventh -wonder of the world. Morgue. In Paris, and other cities of France, a place where dead bodies that have been found are deposited, for the purposes of recognition by the relatives or friends of the deceased. Notre Dame. The old French expression for the Virgin Mary, similar to the English term Our Lady, and the German phrase Unsere Lielte Frau hence, it is the name of many churches in France, and particularly of the great cathedral at Paris. Odeon. In ancient architecture, a building "wherein the poets and musicians contended for the prizes, both in vocal and instru- mental music. Osborne House. The marine residence of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, situated in the Isle of Wight. Palladium. A celebrated statue of Pallas, representing the goddess as sitting and holding a pike in her right hand, and in her left a distaff and spindle. This statue, it was alleged, was the guardian of Troy ; hence, the term came to signify any security or protection. Parthenon. The temple of Minerva, in the Acropolis of Athens, so called in honour of the virginity of that goddess ; from partlienos, a virgin. Penetralia. In Roman antiquity, a sacred apartment or chapel in* private houses, set apart for the worship of the Penates, or household gods. Pharos of Ptolemy. The wonderful lighthouse named Pharos from the Island of Pharos on which it stood, was surrounded by water. It was a magnificent tower, of great height, surmounted by a lantern, which was kept burning continually, and which could be seen for many miles at sea, and along the coast. It was built for the benefit and direction of mariners, by one of the Ptolemies, in the year of the world 3670. How long this light- house stood is not very certain ; but it was of such universal esteem, that the ancients called all lighthouses after it, by the common name of Pharos, M 2 324 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Phigaleian Marbles. Certain marbles discovered near the site of Phigalei% a town of Arcadia, in Greece. They are deposited in the British Museum. Picts' Wall. One of the barriers erected by the Romans across the northern part of England, to restrain the incursions of the Scots. Pitt Diamond. A precious stone brought from India by a gentleman named Pitt, and sold by him, in 1720, to the Eegent, Duke of Orleans, by whom it was placed among the crown jewels of France. It is now set in the handle of the sword of state of Bonaparte. Portland Vase. A famous, specimen of antique art which was discovered in 1550. For more than two centuries it formed the principal ornament of the Barberini palace, in a marble sarco- phagus within a sepulchral chamber under Monte del Grano, two and a half miles from Rome. It afterwards became the property of the Duke of Portland, who, in 1810 deposited it in the British Museum. It was wilfully broken to pieces in 1845, but the fragments were collected, and the vase successfully repaired. Round Towers. Curious remnants of antiquity existing chiefly in Ireland. Notwithstanding many investigations, the precise purpose for which they were constructed has not yet been satis- factorily determined. St. Cloud. A royal residence of France intimately associated with the history of that country. It is situated on the banks of the Seine between Paris and Versailles. The palace is remark- ably beautiful ; it was originally the property of the Dukes of Orleans, and for a long period was the summer residence of the kings of France. Sans Souci. French for " without care." The name of a palace near Potsdam where Frederic the Great was fond of residing, and which has been since the favourite retreat of the Prussian monarchs. Seraglio. The palace of the Turkish sultan in Constantinople. It stands in a beautiful situation on a point of land projecting into the sea. Its walls embrace a circuit of about nine miles, including- OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, ETC. 325 several mosques, spacious gardens, and buildings capable of ac- commodating 20,000 persons. Seven Wonders of the World. These were anciently, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Tomb of Mausolus, King of Caria, the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, the Walls and Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of the Sun at Rhodes, the Statue of Jupiter Olympus, and the Pharos of Ptolemy Philadelphus at Alex- andria. Sistine Chapel. A chapel in the Vatican, so called from Pope Sixtus the Fourth, who erected it and destined it for the religious services performed during Passion Week, for which it is still used. Its dimensions are very large, and the walls are adorned by a number of fine paintings. Strawberry Hill. The name of the celebrated residence ot Horace Walpole, situated near Twickenham, Surrey. It is re- markable as being the depository of some of the most exquisite specimens of vertu, and bijouterie, collected by the refined possessor ; and also for the establishment of a private printing- press, from which several rare and valuable works issued, under the immediate direction of Walpole himself. Vatican. The ancient palace of the Popes, and the most mag- nificent in the world, built upon one of the hills of Rome, on the right bank of the Tiber. Its extent is enormous, containing,, at the lowest computation, 4400 rooms ; and its riches in marbles,, bronzes, and frescoes, in ancient statues and gems, and paintings, are unequalled in the world. It also possesses a library with a large and choice store of manuscripts. Venus de' Medici. A celebrated relic of ancient art, consisting of a figure of Venus of small but beautiful proportions, and universally regarded as the most exquisite model of the human female figure. It is said to have been found in a villa near Tivoli about the year 1680. Versailles. A splendid palace within a few miles from Paris, built by Louis the Fourteenth in 1687, and said to have cost more than a million of money. The fountains with which it is embellished are considered the most perfect specimens of their kind. 326 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : SECTIOUST EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, SPORTS, ETC. Aguillaneilf. A form of rejoicing among the ancient Franks on the first day of the year, from the Druidical custom of cutting the miseltoe upon that day, and consecrating it by the cry of Aguillajieuf. Ancient History. This includes the history of all nations, from the earliest records of the world till the fall of the Western Empire A.D. 476. Asses, Feast of. An anniversary formerly held in France, in honour of Balaam's ass ; Christmas was the time usually chosen; and the clergy walked in procession, dressed to resemble the prophets. It was suppressed early in the fifteenth century. Augustan Age. An epithet in connection with English literature, applied to the sixty or seventy years that elapsed from the middle of Elizabeth's reign to the period of the Restora- tion. It implies that during that interval there flourished numerous persons eminent for their attainments, as, Shakspeare, Bacon, Sydney, Raleigh, Napier, Hobbes, Milton, &c. The term Augustan refers especially to the Roman Emperor Augustus, whose reign was rendered remarkable for the rapid strides made in science and literature. Basket, Procession of the. A ceremony performed by the Athenians on the fourth day of celebrating the Eleusinian mysteries. The basket was placed upon an open chariot drawn by horses, and followed by a long train of Athenian women, who carried in their hands, mysterious baskets, filled with several things which were carefully concealed. The ceremony was supposed to represent the basket into which Proserpine EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 327 put the flowers she was gathering when she was seized by Pluto and carried off. Basset. A game of cards, invented by a noble Venetian, for which it is said, he was banished. Upon its introduction into France, Louis the Fourteenth issued severe laws against it, to elude which, it was attempted to be played under new names. Bear Baiting. A common amusement in England during the reigns of the earlier kings. Bear Gardens were established in London, and noblemen retained servants called bear-wards, who had the care of these animals. Bengalee Year. This appears to have once been identical with the Hegira ; but the solar computation having been subse- quently adopted, of which the years exceeded those of the Hegira, by eleven days, it has lost nearly eleven days every year, and is now about nine years later, the year 1245 of the Hegira having commenced in July, 1829, and the Bengalee year 1236 having begun 13th of April, the same year. The number 593 must be added to bring this to the Christian era. Black Assize. A commission of jail delivery, which was held at Oxford, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and so called from the circumstance of judges, jurymen, officers of the court, and the majority of the persons present, to the number of nearly three hundred, sickening and dying in less than forty-eight hours after they quitted the court. Black Monday. Easter Monday in the year 13G1, so called because it was remarkably dark and misty, Avhile coldness pre- vailed to such a degree, that men died as they sat on horseback. Boeuf Gras. One of the ceremonies in connection with the Carnival, celebrated at Paris. This fete takes place ordinarily during the vernal equinox when the sun enters the sign of the Zodiac called Taurus (the Bull). A bull, symbolical of this sign, is decorated by the people of Paris, and is led in procession through the public streets. It is evidently one of the many ceremonies which were formerly practised in connection with religious worship. Bnimaire. According to the calendar established during 328 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : the first French revolution, this was the second month of the year ; it commenced on the 22nd of October, and ended on the 20th of November. But in the year which immediately followed the bissextile year, this month commenced October 23rd and terminated November 21st. Building of Rome. An epoch which most chronologers date from 753 B.C. Sir Isaac Newton, however, states that Eome was built in the fifteenth age after the destruction of Troy, and allowing twenty-one years to each of the fourteen kings who reigned in Alba, previous to the building of Rome, it would bring forward the epoch to 627 B.C. Calendar. A distribution of time into months, weeks, and days throughout the year, together with an account of the festivals and other occurrences serving to mark the course of events. Calends. In Roman chronology, the first day of each month, so called from the old Latin calare, to proclaim : it being custo- mary on those days to proclaim the number of holidays in each month. The calends were reckoned backwards: thus, the 1st of May began the calends of May ; the 30th of April was the second of the calends of May, the 29th, the third, and so on to the 13th, where the Ides of April commenced. Calippic Period. In chronology, a period of 76 years con- tinually recurring, after which it was supposed by Calippus that the lunation, &c. of the moon would return again in the same order. Calinar, Union of. A national union which took place in 1397, by which Sweden, Denmark, and Norway were formed into a single elective monarchy, each country retaining its parliament, laws, and customs. Capitoline Games. Annual games celebrated at Rome in honour of Jupiter, by whom it was supposed the Capitol was saved from the Gauls. Carnival. A season of mirth and festivity, particularly ob- served by the Italians, from Twelfth Day until Lent. Christian Era, An era now almost universally recognized in EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 329 Chr'dtian countries, and even observed by some Eastern nations. It is usually supposed to begin with the year of the birth of Christ ; but there are various opinions with regard to the year in which that event took place. Civil Year. A space of time which, for convenience' sake, consists of 365 days, each of twenty-four hours. Confusion of Tongues. The incident in the building of the Tower of Babel, by which the dialects of those employed were confounded ; and hence originated what is termed the " confusion of tongues," or the different languages which now diversify the speech of man. Cycle. In chronology, a certain period or series of years which regularly proceed from the first to the last, and then return again to the first, and circulate perpetually. From the Greek kuklos, a circle. Days of September. A term applied to the interval occurring from the 2nd to the 7th of September, 1792 ; during which period, nearly 3000 human beings were slaughtered in the various prisons of France, by bands of murderers in the pay of the Kevolutionary Government. Diocletian Era. Established in celebration of the accession of Diocletian, the Roman emperor ; it commenced on the 29th of August, in the year 284. Eglintoun Tournament. A mimic revival of the ancient tournament, which took place at Eglintoun Castle, under the auspices of the Earl of Eglintoun. It began on the 28th of August ; but the sports were discontinued after two days, on account of the inclement weather. Eleusinian Mysteries. In Grecian antiquity, festivals ob- served in honour of Ceres, by some states every fourth, but by others every fifth year. The Athenians celebrated them at Eleusis, a town of Attica ; and hence arose the name. Epoch. A term or fixed point of time, whence years are numbered ; such as the Creation, the Taking of Troy, the Building of Rome, the Birth of our Saviour, the Flight of Mo- hammed, &c. Era. In chronology, a definite point of time, from which any 330 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: number of years is begun to be counted. It differs from epoch in being a point of time fixed by some nation or denomination of men ; epoch is a point fixed by historians and chronologists. Falconry Hawking. The practice and art of taking wild fowl by means of hawks or falcons, trained for the purpose. It is supposed to have been practised in England from remote ages, and was thence first introduced into Europe. It was the principal amusement in England of the sovereign and nobility, from the Heptarchy to the time of James the First. Persons of rank seldom went abroad without a hawk upon the hand. From the reign of James the First, the sport gradually declined, and is now almost obsolete. Fandango. A quick, lively dance, universally in vogue in Spain, and said to be of Moorish origin. Fasti. In Roman antiquity, the calendar in which were expressed the several days of the year, with their games, and other ceremonies ; also, a register of time, in which the several years were denoted by the respective consuls, called the fasti consulares. Fools, Feast of. Festivals under this name were regularly celebrated, from the fifth to the sixteenth century, in several countries of Europe, by the clergy and laity, with the most absurd ceremonies. Geagh. A Turkish chronological cycle of twelve years, each year being denoted by a different animal, namely : the mouse, bullock, lynx or leopard, hare, crocodile, serpent, horse, sheep monkey, hen, dog, and hog. Generation. This is the interval of time elapsing between the birth of the father and the birth of his son, and was generally used in computing considerable periods of time, both in sacred and profane history. The duration of a generation is, conse- quently, of uncertain length, and depends on the standard of human life, and whether the generations are reckoned by eldest, middle, or youngest sons. Thirty-three years has usually been allowed as the mean length of a generation, or three generations for every hundred years. EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 331 Glorious First of June. The name given in history to the 1st of June, 1794, when the English squadron, under the command of Lord Howe, totally vanquished one of the most powerful fleets that France ever equipped for sea. Golden Age. In history, an indefinite and somewhat fabulous period, when the arts and sciences flourish, when civilization is at its highest, and when universal harmony prevails among mankind. Golden Number. In chronology, a number showing the year of the moon's cycle ; so called from its having been formerly written in golden letters in the almanacks. To find it, add one to the year of the Christian era, and divide by 19 ; the remain- der is the golden number of the year ; and when it happens that there is no remainder, then 19 is the golden number. Grus. A dance annually performed by the yoiing Athenians round the temple of Apollo, on the anniversary of the Delia. This dance was characterized by difficult movements and intricate windings, thus intended to present the labyrinth, wherein the Minotaur was slain by Theseus. Historical Year and Legal Year. Down to 1752, the Historical year in England, commenced January 1st ; while the Civil, Eccle- siastical, and Legal year, began March 25th. These different dates led to much confusion ; and thus, many events are recorded by one author as happening in a certain year, while another author assigns the date to the year succeeding. As instances of these discrepancies, may be mentioned the execution of Charles the First, variously stated to have taken place on the 30th of January, 1648, and the 30th of January, 1649. Also the Revolution which drove James the Second from the throne, which according to the testimony of two distinct authorities occurred in February, 1688, and February, 1689. Holocaust. A solemn sacrifice among the ancients, in which the whole of the victim -was consumed upon the altar, in contra- distinction to the usual custom, which enjoined that only a portion thereof should be consumed. Ides. In the ancient Roman calendar, eight days in each month, the first day of which fell on the 13th of January, 332 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-PbST : February, April, June, August, September, November, and December ; and on the loth of March, May, July, and October. From old Latin iduare, to separate, because the Ides divided the month into two nearly equal parts. Indiction. A mode of computing time by the space of fifteen years, instituted by Constantine the Great.* Interregnum. The time in which a throne is vacant between the death or abdication of a sovereign, and the accession of a successor. An interregnum, in strictness, can only happen in governments where the sovereign is elective ; for in hereditary kingdoms, the reign of the successor commences at the moment of the predecessor's death. The word, however, is used with more latitude. Irish Night The night of the 12th of December, 1688, so called from an alarm raised throughout England, that a general massacre was intended by the disbanded Irish troops in the pay of James the Second. The panic which this report caused, dis- played itself in a remarkable manner in London. At the dead of night the militia were called out. Candles were blazing at all the windows ; the public places were as bright as at noon-day. All the great avenues were barricaded. Daybreak found the city still in arms, and for many years a vivid recollection was retained of what was called the Irish night. The rumour was supposed to have been the consequence of a plot concocted among a few persons, who, either out of pure mischief, or from some ulterior motive, thus sought to work upon the fears of the people. Isthmian Games. Games formerly celebrated by the Greeks at the Isthmus of Corinth, every three, four, or five years. Jewish Era. Before the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, their year commenced at the autumnal equinox ; but in order to solemnize the anniversary of their deliverance, the month of Nisan or Abib in which that event .took place, and which falls about the time of the vernal equinox was afterwards re- garded as the beginning of the ecclesiastical or legal year. In civil affairs, and in the regulation of the jubilees and sabbatical years, the Jews still adhere to the ancient year, which begins with the month of Tisri, about the time of the autumnal equinox. EPOCHS; ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 333 Jousts. In the age of chivalry, private combats, or martial exercises between knights and other persons distinguished by rank or military prowess. They generally took place with spears, on horseback, and differed from tournaments in being confined to single encounters. - Jubilee. Among the Jews, a festival formerly celebrated every fiftieth year, in commemoration of their deliverance out of Egypt. In the Romish Church, a solemnity instituted by Pope Boni- face, to be observed every hundredth year, or, as enjoined by Pope Sixtus the Fourth, every twenty -fifth year. Julian Calendar. The civil calendar, introduced at Rome by Julius Csesar, and used by^all the Christian countries, till it was reformed by Pope Gregory the Fourteenth, in 1582. By it the year was to consist of 365J days ; and the vernal equinox, the time of which had been previously much disturbed, was again restored to the 25th of March. Julian Period. A chronological period, consisting of 7980 Julian years. The number 7980 is formed by the continual multiplication of the three numbers, 28, 19, and 15 ; that is the cycle of the sun, the cycle of the moon, and the cycle of in dic- tion. Now, the only number less than 7980 which on being divided successively by 28, 19, and 15, leaves the respective remainders 10, 2, and 4, is 4714 ; hence, the first year of the Christian era corresponded with the year 4714 of the Julian period. Lanterns, Feast of. The most solemn of all the festivals observed in China. On the day of this solemnity every place is decorated and illuminated with lanterns, painted in every variety of colours, and fancifully designed ; the size of some of them being as large as balloons. A display of fireworks of the most brilliant and ingenious description always accompanies the celebration of this festival. Liberalia. A sacred festival with games, observed by the Romans : so called from Liber, a Latin name of Bacchus, in honour of which god they were celebrated at Rome. It was on occasion of this festival that the Roman youths who had attained the age of puberty, assumed the toga, or manly dress. 334 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : T Lord of Misrule. In former times the master of the revels in any nobleman's house, or other great establishment. He was also called " Christmas Prince," because at Christmas and other festive seasons, he had the devising and management of the various sports and pastimes, masques, mummeries, &c. The Lord of Misrule held a sort of sovereign sway in the household, during the twelve days of Christmas, and on Candlemas Day. Lunisolar. A term applied to a period of 532 common years, formed by multiplying the cycle of the sun with that of the moon. Lupercal. A festival celebrated by the ancient Romans in honour of the god Pan. These feasts were abolished by Pope Gelasius, in the year 496, on account of the many irregularities they occasioned. Lustrum. Among the ancient Romans a space of five years. At such times the ceremony of purification was performed. Mai, Champ de. A ceremony which took place in France in the Champ de Mars, June 1st, 1815, at which a new constitu- tion framed by Napoleon Bonaparte was sworn to. Maid Marian. A kind of dance, so called from a buffoon dressed like a maid, who played tricks before the populace. Middle Ages. In history, a term used to denote several cen- turies of European annals, intervening between what are called the ancient and modern historical periods, comprehending the ninth to the fifteenth centuries inclusive. Minuet de la Cour. An elegant and stately dance peculiarly adapted to the decorum of a court; it originated in the province of Poictou, at the close of the sixteenth century. It was formerly the etiquette in the British Court that none could join in\i country-dance unless they had previously walked a minuet. Miracles and Mysteries. A kind of rude drama, which was a favourite spectacle in the Middle Ages, represented at solemn festivals. The subjects were of a religious character, and the ecclesiastics were at first the peiibrmers and authors. They were called mysteries and miracles, because they taught the mysterious doctrines of Christianity, and represented the miracles of the first founders of the faith of the saints and martyrs. EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 335 Modern History. The record of those events that have taken place among the nations of the earth subsequently to the fall of the Western Empire, A.D. 476. Morris Dance. A peculiar kind of dance in imitation of the Moors, practised in the Middle Ages, in which bells were fixed to the feet of the dancer, whose great art was to move the feet so as to produce concord from the various bells. Nemean Games. First celebrated by Adrastus, king of Argos, to commemorate Archemorus, the infant son of Lycurgus, king of Nemea, about 1230 B.C. Nones. In the Roman calendar, one of the three divisions of the month, and so called because they fell on the ninth day, reckoned inclusively, before the Ides. The Nones of March, May, July, and October, fell on the 7th, and on the 5th in the other months. Old Style and New Style. These terms have reference to the adoption of the new or Gregorian style in Great Britain ; which took place in the year 1752 ; September 3rd being reckoned as September 14th, and the eleven intervening days being omitted. For some time after this innovation, it was customary to append to dates, old style (O.S.) or new style (N.S.) to mark more certainly the period meant. Olympiad. A famous epoch in ancient history, having its origin in the Olympic Games, celebrated at the beginning of every fifth year, to commemorate the victories of Hercules and other fabulous heroes. The precise time at which the Olympiads began has not been agreed upon. Chronologers, however, in all their computations, commonly reckon downwards from that Olympiad, in which Corselus the Elean was conquered ; the first year of which was 776 B.C. Olympic Games. Among the ancient Greeks, solemn games which lasted five days, and were held at the beginning of every fifth year, on the banks of the Alpheus, near Olympia, a city of Elis. This celebrated institution maintained its reputation for a long period, and actually subsisted for more than 1000 years. Pall-Mali. A sport in which a ball is driven through an iron 336 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : ring by a mallet ; formerly played in England, in the place named after the game. Phiditia. In Grecian antiquity, feasts celebrated with great frugality at Sparta. They were held in the public squares, and in the open air. They were intended to keep up peace and friend- ship among the citizens, and were attended by all classes of the people each individual, it is said, bringing wine, food, and money as a contribution to the feast. Pyrrhic Dance. A species of warlike dance practised by the Romans ; it embraced the various movements necessary for attack and defence, and was regarded as a kind of training for the field of battle. Pythian Games. Games celebrated in Greece every five years, in honour of the Pythian Apollo at Delphi. Quintain. A Roman military sport or exercise by men on horseback, formerly practised in England to test the agility and prowess of the country youth. It consisted in tilting at a mark, made in the shape of a man, having a shield in the left hand, and a wooden sword in the right ; the figure was made to turn round, so that if it was struck with a lance in any other part but full in the breast, it turned with the force of the stroke, and hit the horseman with the sword which it held in its right hand. Ramadan. The ninth month in the Turkish year. As the Mohammedans reckon by lunar time, it begins each year eleven days later than the preceding year, so that in thirty-three years it occurs successively in all the seasons. In this month the Mohammedans have their great fast daily from sunrise to sunset. Red Letter Day. A term signifying a fortunate or auspicious day ; so called because the holy days or saints' days were marked in the old calendars with red letters. Reformation. The name generally given to that change in religious sentiments and practices, which had the effect of sepa- rating a large number of the population of Europe from the Church of Rome. The Reformation in England dates from the schism of Henry the Eighth, who set himself up in opposition to the Papal authority because it refused to connive at his wayward deeds. The Reformation produced not only a change of religious EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 337 principles, but a national revulsion of feeling and opinion. Before the breach, the authority of the Church of Rome was regarded as infallible, b/it with the suppression of the Papal supremacy the blind faith of a former time was exchanged for the exercise of private judgment. The true principles of the Reformation were fully established during the reign of Edward the Sixth, and the great work was completed by Elizabeth in 1559. Regatta. A public diversion at Venice, in which boats race each other on the canals that intersect the city. Each boat con- tains one person only, and the boat which first reaches the goal is awarded a small prize in money. This name has been given to a similar sport in England. Restoration. In English history, a term applied by way of eminence to the accession of Charles the Second to the throne after an interregnum of eleven years and four months, from the 30th January, 1649, when Charles the First was beheaded, to the 29th May, 1660. Ridotto. In Italy, a masquerade attended with music and dancing, and other amusements ; it commonly takes place on fast-eve, in those places where the carnival is celebrated. Rose Feasts. A peculiar kind of festival formerly celebrated in several of the French provinces, and still observed in a partial degree in some few places. It is commemorated on the 8th of June. A girl is selected from three most distinguished for female virtues. Her name is then pronounced, to afford an opportunity of objections being made to her. She is afterwards conducted in procession to the church, where she hears the vesper service, kneeling in a place of honour. After this she opens a ball in the evening with the seigneur, or chief person of the place. Gifts are then made to her ; she is adorned with roses, and receives a kind of homage as La Rosiere. It is said that a great moral influ- ence is exercised by these feasts in the localities where they are celebrated. Saraband. A Spanish tune and dance, said to have been introduced by the Saracens. Secular Games. In antiquity, games which took place once 338 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : in a hundred years. They lasted three days and three nights. They were celebrated in all, eight times. Tennis Court. A place set apart for playing the game of tennis, the ball being struck with a racket. Many of these places existed formerly in England, and were encouraged by the monarchs of the time, who partook of the sport, and sometimes excelled in it. Thermidor, 9th, Year 2 (July 27th, 1794). Celebrated in the French Revolution for the overthrow of Robespierre and the Mountain party, which circumstance put an end to the Reign of Terror. Three Days of July. A phrase having reference to the 27th, 28th, and 29th of July, 1830. Signalized by a revolution begun and completed against Charles the Tenth of France, in consequence of that monarch attempting to subvert the liberty of the press. Year of Confusion. A name given to the year 47 B.C. Csesar made it consist of 445 days ; in adding to the lunar year of 355 days, as it then existed, three months, one of twenty-three days, and the others of sixty-seven days, he gave a year of fifteen months. By this means he established an agreement between the two years, solar and civil. Year of our Lord. The first sovereign who adopted this designation was Charles the Third, the Emperor of Germany, he adding " in the year of our Lord" to his reign, A.D. 879. It was followed by the French kings, and afterwards by the English ; and is the mode of designating the year from the birth of the Redeemer in all Christian countries. PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 339 SECTIOItT PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, TAXES, ETC. Aid or Aide. A tax or tribute, which in the feudal ages was payable to the king or chief lord on some customary occasion or pressing emergency. Thus, on the knighting of the eldest son of a king or lord, or upon the marriage of his daughter, he might lay an aide on his tenants. An aide might also be levied for ran- soming a chief lord, or to redeem a chief lord's wife or daughter. Aides were also imposed for the building and fortifying of castles. Bastile. A former state prison of France, similar to the Tower of London. Within the walls of this once famous prison have been confined persons of all ranks from the highest to the lowest. The kings and ministers of France made it the common receptacle of all persons whose liberty was distasteful to them ; and some of the greatest atrocities that ever stained the annals of history were committed there. The Bastile was taken by the people and razed to the ground, July 14th, 1789. Bastinado. A mode of punishment adopted in Turkey, Persia, China, and some other countries, and which consists in beating the soles of the feet with sticks. The victims of this cruel inflic- tion are constrained to crawl about on their hands and knees for many days afterwards, and are sometimes crippled for life. Black Hole of Calcutta. A dungeon so called in Fort William, at Calcutta, in the East Indies. It measured only eighteen feet square, and within it were confined, in the year 1756, 146 English- men, by order of the viceroy of Bengal. The sufferings endured by these poor men were the most horrible that can be conceived ; during the night numbers died one after the other, and in the 340 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : morning only twenty-three persons were brought forth alive, and these never recovered their former state of health. Black-Mail. A certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other valuable, anciently paid in the north of England to persons who were allied with robbers and plunderers, in order to be by them protected from pillage. This compromise with the protec- tors and supporters of thieves was prohibited in the reign of Elizabeth, and it seems to have been early checked in the English border counties. But in the Highlands of Scotland the exaction of black-mail from the Lowland borderers continued, in spite of every effort to put it down, till after the rebellion of 1745. Boot. An instrument of torture formerly employed in England, by which the leg was squeezed with great pressure for the pur- pose of extorting confession. Botany Bay. Situated on the east coast of New South Wales, and so named on account of the great variety of plants found upon its shores. It Avas originally fixed on as a penal settlement for Great Britain. Bow-String. A mode of punishment frequently practised in Turkey, and which consists in drawing a bow-string around the throat of a victim so tightly as to cause death by strangulation. Bridewell. The common name for a house of correction. The original, which served as a hospital as well as a prison, took its name from St. Bride's Well adjoining. Burgh-Mails. The ancient practice of yearly payments made to the Crown of Scotland, introduced by Malcolm the Third, and resembling the fee-farm rents of boroughs in England. Cayenne. An island of South America, belonging to the French, and to which political and other offenders are commonly transported. The situation is low and marshy, and the air singu- larly unhealthy. Chairibre Ardente. Formerly, in France, a chamber in which state prisoners of high rank were tried by torch-light. The cham- ber was hung with black cloth. When Francis the Second, in the sixteenth century, established a court to try Protestants, who were usually condemned to be burnt, this court, in allusion to its sentences, was likewise called cJiambre ardente. PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 341 Church-Scot. Oblations paid to priests in the Middle Ages. The religious sometimes purchased exemption from this duty for their tenants and themselves. Crown of Hot Iron. In Hungary, regicides and other criminals were formerly punished, by placing upon their heads a crown of iron, heated red-hot. Danegelt. An annual tax laid upon the ancient inhabitants of England, first of one shilling, and afterwards two shillings on every hide of land throughout the realm, for maintaining a force sufficient to clear the seas of Danish pirates, which harassed the English coasts. D'Enghein, Duke, Murder of In 1792, the Duke D'Enghein took arms against the French Republic. In 1796, he served in the army of Prince Conde. In 1801, he retired and lived in privacy with his family. Napoleon suspecting him to be plotting to make himself master of the French throne, caused him to be taken prisoner by night, in defiance of the neutrality of the district where he lived. At four o'clock in the morning he was condemned to death, and was immediately shot. This atrocious murder raised a cry of universal execration against Napoleon ; he endeavoured to exonerate himself, but did not succeed ; the crime was constantly urged against him, and it continued to weigh upon his mind to the last moment of his life. Don Gratuit. A free gift bestowed by the subject on the sovereign, in extraordinary cases, especially in countries where the prince can levy no new tax without the consent of the estates. For example, the ancient French provinces, in which the representation of the estates existed, namely, Burgundy, Provence, Languedoc, Brittany, Artois, and the kingdom of Navarre, granted the king a tax as a don gratuit. This used to be the case formerly in the Austrian Netherlands, and in the German ecclesiastical principalities having similar representative governments. Excise. A tax upon the commodities forming the necessaries of life, was first resorted to by the Romans, in the time of Augustus. The Earl of Bedford recommended a similar tax to 342 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : Charles the First, which was carried into effect in the year 1643, when it first took the name of Excise. Fifteenths. A tribute or tax which was anciently laid upon English cities, boroughs, &c., throughout the whole realm. It amounted to the fifteenth part of that which each city or town was originally valued at, or the fifteenth of every man's personal estate, according to an equitable valuation. Fleet. A long-noted prison in London, and so called from a stream or ditch that formerly flowed uncovered in front of it. It was a place of considerable antiquity, and was the receptacle for the victims of the Court of Star Chamber. When that tribunal was abolished, the Fleet was appropriated to debtors, and persons committed for contempt of the Courts of Chancery, Common Pleas, and Exchequer. Furca et Fossa. In the feudal ages, a privilege granted by English sovereigns of summarily punishing felons men by hanging, and women by drowning. Gabelle. A French term for a duty or tax, but the word has been variously used to express rent, custom, service, &c. In the French customs, the gabelle or tax on salt, was computed to produce one fourth of the whole revenue of the kingdom. Originally public granaries were established, and officers ap- pointed, who were alone permitted to trade in salt. This oppressive tax was abolished by the National Assembly. Garotte. A mode of punishment in Spain, consisting ot strangulation. The criminal is seated with his back to an upright post, to which is affixed an iron collar with a screw ; this collar is made to clasp the neck of the criminal, and is drawn tighter by means of the screw, until life becomes extinct. The term garotte has been also applied to a mode of assault for the purposes of robbeiy, practised some time since in England. In such cases, the throat of the attacked person was suddenly and firmly compressed from behind, by the hands of an unseen assailant, until unconsciousness was pro- duced, permitting the robbery to be then perpetrated without resistance. Glencoe, Massacre of. In 16G2, an order was issued by the PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 343 English Government, to treat the Highlanders who still held out for James the Second with " letters of fire and sword." All the Jacobite chiefs submitted but one Macdonald of GUencoe who, with his wife and his adherents, were put to death while asleep, at midnight. This horrible massacre excited universal execration, and rendered the government of William the Third odious to the Highlanders. Godfrey, Sir Edmondbury, Murder of. This notorious affair is surrounded with mystery ; Sir Edmondbury was found dead, pierced with his own sword, and with many marks of violence, 17th October, 1678. His death was imputed to the resentment of the Papists, he having actively exerted himself in the discovery of the " Popish Plot." His funeral was performed with great pomp, no fewer than 72 clergymen preceded his corpse, and 1000 person of rank attended the procession. Gyara, Island of. A small island in the ^Egean Sea, which the Romans used as a place of transportation for criminals. Hearth. Tax. An impost levied in England by Charles the Second, 1GG2, upon every fireplace. It was abolished by William and Mary at the Revolution. Impressment. A mode of compelling men to enter into any service, and especially a custom which formerly prevailed in England, of seizing upon persons, and obliging them to enter the royal navy. In those times, bodies of men, termed press- gangs, lurked about the waterside of London, and various seaport towns, forcibly carrying off such persons as they considered eligible for the service. Jews, Massacre of the. The massacre of the Jews in London was occasioned by an edict of Richard the First, who, on the day of his coronation, gave orders that no Jews should approach the Abbey while the solemnity was being performed, " for fear of the enchantment they are wont to practise." Some of the Jewish merchants having failed to obey this command, the populace committed great outrages upon their persons and pro- perty, burned their houses, and slew many of the owners. Largesse. Among the Romans, a free donation of corn, pro- visions, or clothes. The giving of largesses commenced with 344 THE HISTORICAL FINGEE-POST : Tiberius Gracchus, when he was tribune, with a view to ingratiate himself with the people. In some agricultural districts of England, this species of tax is demanded by the labourers. Knout. An instrument of punishment used in Kussia, and some other Northern countries ; it is a knotted bunch of thongs made of hide, and is applied to the back in the same manner as the English cat-o'-nine-tails. Lemnian. A term applied by the ancients to any horrible murder or massacre. It arose from a story narrated by Herodo- tus, and other ancient writers, of the women of the Island of Lemnos having murdered all the men, except the king Thoas, who was concealed by his daughter. Lynch. Law. Soon after the revolutionary war in America, many lawless acts were committed by the disbanded soldiers, especially in the Southern States, and in parts where, from the remoteness of circuit towns, it was impossible to bring offenders to justice. Under these circumstances, the constituted authorities were often obliged to connive at the infliction of summary punish- ment by the inhabitants on notorious delinquents. The people of the mountainous parts of Carolina deputed a man of the name of Lynch, to act for them in such cases ; and hence, offenders punished in this summary way, are said to have been judged by Lynch law. Mamertine Prisons. Horrible places of confinement, in which the ancient Romans placed their state prisoners. They con- sisted of two apartments, one built over the other, and the only entrance afforded was by a small aperture in the roof of the upper apartment, and a similar hole in the floor which led to the lower cell. The upper prison was 27 feet long, by 20 wide, and the lower was 20 feet by 10 ; the height of the former was 14 feet, of the latter 7 feet. The whole construction was of large uncemented stones. Minage. An ancient English toll or duty, fixed at a certain rate per mina, a measure by which corn was sold. Noyad.es. A mode of punishment employed during the first French Revolution, inflicted by drawing out a plug inserted in the bottom of a boat in which the victims were launched. PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 345 Octroi. An old French term signifying a grant or privilege from Government, and particularly applied to a person, or to a company. Ir. the like sense, the term is applied to the con- stitution of a state granted by a prince, in contradistinction from a compact between a ruler and the representatives of the people. Octroi also signifies a tax levied at the gates of some cities ot France, upon all articles of food. Ostracism. In ancient Athens, an arrangement by which any citizen who was so superior to his fellows in power, influence, authority, or other qualities, as to endanger the civic equality, or the democratic constitution of the state, might be banished for a term of years (usually ten). The term was derived from the Greek word for the shell (ostracori), on which the name of the accused citizen was written. Outlawry. The putting one out of the protection of the law. Anciently, in England, an outlawed felon was said to have a wolf's head, and might be knocked on the head like a wolf, by any one who should meet him ; for, having himself renounced or evaded the law, he was to lose its protection, and be dealt with as in a state of nature, where every one that should find him might slay him. But the inhumanity of the law has become considerably ameliorated in this respect ; and hence, the legal disabilities of an outlaw are, that any person may arrest him with or without warrant, and that he cannot bring any suit or process in his own name ; he is thus deprived of the benefit of the law, and is consequently stripped of all his civil rights. A defendant is outlawed, in England, upon certain proceedings being had, when he does not appear to answer to an indictment or process. Panopticon. The name given by Jeremy Bentham to a prison recommended by him, the cells of which were to be so constructed that the inspector could see each prisoner at all times without being seen himself. Peine Forte et Dure. " The strong and hard pain." A punish- ment formerly inflicted upon accused persons who remained mute, or refused to plead when put upon .trial. In such case, the prisoner was conducted to a low dark chamber, and laid on his back on the bare floor ; as great a weight of iron as he could bear was next 346 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: placed upon him, and in this situation he was sparingly supplied with bread and water till he died, or submitted to answer. By suffering this terrible punishment, the possessions of the criminal were not forfeited to the Crown ; and thus instances have been known where it has been endured rather than plead guilty, in order that the sufferer might not deprive his children of their inheritance. Petalism. A custom somewhat similar to ostracism ; it took its name from the decree being written on an olive-leaf; it was in force among the Syracusans, and the banishment under its operation lasted five years. Peter Pence. An annual tribute of one penny on each house throughout England, formerly paid to the Pope on the feast of St. Peter. It was at first given as a pension or alms by Ina, king of the West Saxons, in 727, who was then in pilgrimage at Eome, and it was chiefly meant for the support of the English school or college at Rome ; the Popes, however, appropriated it to them- selves. This tribute continued to be generally paid till the reign of Henry the Eighth, when it was prohibited ; it was revived under Philip and Mary, but was finally abolished by Queen Elizabeth. Subscriptions and levies in aid of the Pope at the present day still retain this name. Phalaris's Brazen Bull. Phalaris was a tyrant of Agrigentum, in Sicily ; he was infamous for his cruelty, and, according to tradition, especially so for the device of burning the victims of his savage tyranny in a bull of bronze, in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of hearing their cries. Phalaris was deposed and put to death in the same manner as he had practised upon others. Pillory, A scaffold for persons to stand in for the purpose of exhibiting them to public scorn and ridicule. It was contrived so as to admit of the arms and head being thrust through, so that the person under punishment exposed himself to any missiles that might be thrown at him by the crowd, without the power of protecting himself or warding off the blow. Poll-Tax. A tax imposed on the person or head (poll), either on all indifferently, or according to some recognizable mark or distinction, as quality, calling, &c. This tax when first levied in England, 1378, caused the rebellion of Wat Tyler. It was again PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 347 levied in 1513. In the reign of Charles the Second every subject was assessed by the head, namely, a duke, 100 ; marquis, 80 ; baronet, 30; knight, 20; esquh-e, 10; and every private person 12d. This impost was abolished by William the Third. Rack. An engine of torture furnished with pulleys, cords, &c., employed for the purpose of extorting confessions from criminals. It produced a most painful sensation upon the muscles and nerves of the body, and frequently induced the sufferer to accuse inno- cent persons in order that his own torments might be abridged. Eelegatio. A species of banishment with which the Komans punished certain criminals. It differed from exile, properly so called, for although the offender was sent to a certain place for a definite period, or even for life, he was not deprived of the privileges of a Roman citizen. Under this name the Emperor Claudius devised a restraint for suspected persons, who were forbidden to stir three miles from the city. St. Bartholomew, Massacre of. One of the most horrible events in history, took place August 24th, 1572, at the instigation of Charles the Ninth of France. Previous to this occurrence the number of Protestants, or, as they were called, Huguenots, had long been increasing in France, and the utmost animosity pre- vailed among the Catholics against them. The hatred between the two parties increased, and extended to all parts of the kingdom. After several obstinate and bloody battles being fought without either party being subdued, Charles determined upon concluding a mock peace with the Huguenots, to enable him to carry out the execrable design he conceived of annihilating the Protestant party. In order to cloak his intentions, he offered his sister Margaret in marriage to the young king of Navarre, and invited all the most influential persons of the Protestant party to Paris to assist in the celebration of the nuptials. The invitation was cheerfully accepted, and in the midst of the rejoicings, on the memorable eve of St. Bartholomew, the Huguenots were set upon and indiscriminately slaughtered. The king himself directed this horrible butchery, firing on the fugitives, and shouting incessantly, " Kill ! kill !" Five hundred gentlemen and ten thousand inferior persons were slain in Paris alone, and sixty 348 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : thousand Protestants in different parts of France were victi- mised. Salt-Silver. In the feudal ages one penny paid at the feast of St. Martin, by the tenants of some manors, as a commutation for the service of carrying their lord's salt from market to his larder. Sheep-Silver. A sum of money paid by feudal tenants as a compromise for the service of washing their lord's sheep. Sicilian Vespers. A horrible massacre, which took place at Palermo on the 20th of March, 1282, and so named because it commenced at the moment when the vesper bell was ringing. The account says that on Easter Monday, the 20th of March, 1282, the people of Palermo, according to their usual custom on a holiday, were proceeding to hear vespers at the church of Monreale, about three miles from the town, when a French soldier among the crowd offered an insult to a young maiden, who was walking with her betrothed and her brothers. These young men, incensed at the act, wrested the Frenchman's sword from him and slew him ; the surrounding Sicilians, whose minds had long been brooding over the remembrance of many such wrongs, fell upon the other French who were dispersed among them, and put them all to death. Their fury increasing with their success, they returned to the town of Palermo, and continued the work of slaughter, killing every one of French or Provencal birth, men, women, and children, without pity. The other inhabitants of Sicily followed their example, and every one of the hated French throughout the island was murdered, excepting the family of one Proven9al knight, who had been so kind to the people of his fief, that they defended him from the other Sicilians, and sent him in safety to Italy. Silent System. A mode of punishment by which prisoners are confined in separate cells, and deprived of the privilege of holding conversation with any one. It has been adopted in America with some success, but in England it signally failed, inducing insanity and other serious results not contemplated when the punishment was awarded. Swarf-Money. A feudal tribute of one halfpenny, paid to the lord before the rising of the sun. PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 349 Tarring and Feathering. A peculiar kind of punishment inflicted by the populace on persons who have rendered them- selves obnoxious by some political or social misdeed. It is ex- tensively practised in America, and among seamen of all nations, and is of European origin, dating as far back as Eichard Cceur- de-Lion. The mode of proceeding is to immerse the head and sometimes the whole body in pitch or tar, and then to shake feathers over it, which, of course, immediately adhere ; the person thus punished is rendered so conspicuous as to be at once re- cognizable as a public enemy. Taxation Direct and Indirect. Direct taxation is that which is levied upon a person's income or earnings. Indirect taxation, that which is charged on articles of consumption or use. Temple, Palace of the. An edifice in Paris, built in 1222, as a residence for the Templars, whence its name. On the suppression of the order it was given to the Knights of Malta, and after the destruction of the Bastile, the tower was converted into a prison of state. Louis the Sixteenth was confined there, with his family, previous to his execution. Tribute. The original meaning of this term was the money paid by each tribe to defray the public expenses, and afterwards extended to signify a sum of money which one prince or state was obliged to pay to another as a token of dependency, or in virtue of a treaty, and as the purchase-money of peace. Trinoda Necessitas. " A three-fold necessity." The name ot a three-fold tax among the Saxons, being levied for the repair of bridges, the maintenance of garrisons, and the repelling of in- vaders. No person was exempted from it. Troughs. A punishment inflicted among the Persians, usually on state offenders. The criminal was placed upon his back in a trough, and firmly fastened to the four corners of it ; another trough was placed over this, with holes in it, so that the head, hands, and feet were exposed. In this situation food and drink were supplied to him from time to time ; honey was also smeared over the face, which being continually exposed to the sun attracted a multitude of flies, and gave the victim horrible torture. In this 350 THE HISTOPJCAL FINGER-POST : manner he sometimes lingered for fifteen or twenty days, enduring the most dreadful agony. Vade in Face. The name of a species of punishment anciently adopted in monastic communities, sometimes taking the form of perpetual solitary imprisonment, and at others starvation to death in prison The punishment acquired this name from the words iu which the sentence was pronounced, Vade in Pace (go in peace). Wolf S-Head. Among the Saxons the condition of such as were outlawed, who, if they could not be taken alive to be brought to justice, might be slain, and their heads brought to the king ; they being no more accounted of than the head of a wolf, a beast then considered the greatest enemy of man. See OUTLAW. Wyte. Among ancient English customs a pecuniary penalty or mulct for various offences ; it was not limited to any certain sum, but was varied at discretion according to the merits of the case. Zealot Massacre. In the year 67 a contest began between the Jews and Romans as to whom the city of Csesarea belonged to, and this was the immediate cause of a war between the Jews and the Syrians. The Jews maintained that the city belonged to them, because it had been built by Herod. The Syrians', on the other hand, claimed it as a Greek city. At length Nero, the Roman emperor, decided against the Jews. This incensed the latter to- such a degree that a party of "Zealots" was formed, who arose and massacred 12,000 Romans of noble extraction, in the flower of their age. PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, ETC. 351 SEOTIO1T PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, LEGAL AND COMMERCIAL PHRASES, ETC. Adjournment. The continuation of the Parliamentary session from one day to another day, named at the time of adjournment ; the House may thus suspend its sittings for a fortnight or a month together. African Company. An association of traders established by Act of Parliament in 1754. The charter -was recalled in 1821, and the company's possessions annexed to the colony of Sierra Leone. Angel. A piece of money anciently coined and impressed with an angel. It was originally a gold coin of France, where it was first circulated in 1340. It appears to have been introduced into England by Edward the Fourth, in 1465. Charles the First was the last English sovereign who coined the angel. Assignats. A species of paper-money issued during the first French Revolution, based on the security of lands belonging to the State. The notes thus issued were equivalent to 100 francs (4) each, and were called assignats, as representing lands which might be transferred or assigned to the holder. Assize of Bread. From the year 12GG, in the reign of Henry the Third, the price at which bread should be sold had been deter- mined from time to time by the magistrates, according to the current price of com, which was called " setting the assize." Assuming the Purple. Among the Romans, the accession to sovereign power or high office was thus alluded to. Purple was considered the rarest and most beautiful dye, and thus became the distinguishing colour of power and rank ; upon the accession of Julius Caesar it was prohibited to be worn by any private 352 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : person. Garments of purple colour were also worn by princes and potentates in Judea and in Greece. Balance of Trade. A term in commerce, denoting the equality between the value of the commodities bought of foreigners, and the value of the home productions exported to other countries. Bank of England. This institution, which exercises an incalculable amount of influence in a variety of ways, was projected by a merchant named Patterson. It was incorporated by William the Third, in 1694, when the whole of its capital was lent to Government. The profits of the company arise from the interest of the Government debt, their annual advances on exche- quer bills, and many other sources. Bawbee. A word used in Scotland, and in the northern coun- ties of England, for a halfpenny. The Scottish coin " sixpennies " was struck in the reign of James the Second, who came to the tin-one when only six years of age ; his portrait, therefore, was naturally that of a baby, from which circumstance it was termed a bawbee, which, in some parts of Scotland, is the pronunciation for baby. Bezant. Round, flat pieces of pure gold, without any impres- sion, supposed to have been the current coin of Byzantium. Blue Books. The name given to those volumes of statistics, commissions, official inquiries, enactments, and orders of the day, which are printed for the especial use of the members of the Houses of Parliament. They are so called from the blue covers in which they are bound. Broad Piece. A denomination which has been given to some English gold pieces broader than a guinea, particularly Caroluses and Jacobuses. Budget. In Parliamentary language, to open the budget, is to lay before the legislative assembly a statement of the finances and ways and means of the kingdom, which is done annually by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, comprehending a general view of the National Debt, income and expenditure, the proposed plan of taxation for the ensuing year, remission of imposts, and a general view of the actual income and expenditure of the by-gone year. PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, ETC. 353 Call of the House. In Parliamentary proceedings, the calling over the names of the members, each member answering to his name, and leaving the House in the order in which he is called. Chiltern Hundreds. Takes its name from a ridge of chalky hills traversing a portion of the county of Bucks. The office oi " Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds " was established for the purpose of suppressing bands of depredators, who, in former times, infested the forests in the neighbourhood of these hills ; and as members of the House of Commons cannot literally resign their seats, this institution has been retained to enable them to accomplish their resignation in a constitutional manner, inasmuch as acceptance of office under the Crown, renders a seat vacant. The office itself is a mere sinecure ; the duties are nominal, and the remuneration nothing. Committee of the Whole House. AVhen the whole House resolves itself into a committee, the functions of the Speaker are temporarily suspended ; he vacates the chair ; the mace, the ensign of his authority, is removed from the table, and another member is appointed to preside. While the House is thus in committee, each member may speak as often as he pleases ; whereas, when the House is not in committee, no member may speak more than once on the same question, unless to explain himself. Count Out. In order to form a Parliamentary sitting, it is necessary that forty members should be present. It is competent for any member to desire that the House be counted ; the Speaker does this, and if there be less than forty members, he declares the sitting to be at an end ; but if the House be made up to forty members, even while he is counting, the House resumes business. Crockards. Foreign coins of base metal, which obtained cir- culation in England in the thirteenth century. They were prohi- bited under severe penalties. Crown of the Sun, A French coin, first struck by Louis the Eleventh, in 1475, and by a proclamation of Henry the Eighth, ordered to be received as current coin in England.. Daric. A Persian gold coin, of about 130 grains. It was so N 354 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : called by the Greeks from Darius, the name of several of the Persian monarchs. Dead- Weight. The name given in the Bank of England to the advance made by it to the Government on account of the half-pay and pensions of retired officers of the army and navy. Denarius. In ancient Rome, the chief silver coin among the Romans, worth 8d. As a weight, it was the seventh part of the Roman ounce. Denier. A French coin now out of use. It consisted of twenty sous. Dissolution of Parliament. The extinction of the existing Parliament, which takes place by order of the new monarch on the death of his predecessor, or at the expiration of the term granted by law for its continuance, or by command of the sovereign before it has accomplished the full legal term of seven years. Doit. The ancient Scotch penny-piece, of which twelve were equal to a penny sterling. East India Company. An association originating from the subscriptions of a few private individuals, formed into a company in 1599. In the following year a charter was obtained granting certain privileges for a term of years. The first title of the com- pany was " The Governor and Company of Merchants of London, trading to the East Indies." Their second title, " The United Joint Stock." Charters were from time to time granted, which gave the company exclusive right to trade to certain places. In 1833, the charter was renewed for twenty years, with certain restrictions, and the company is now finally abolished. Ex Mero Motu. A phrase employed in charters and letters patent, to signify that they are granted by the sovereign of his own free will and motion, that is, without petition. Exchange, Bills of. This kind of negotiable security for money originated with the Jews, who, being banished from France for some heinous crimes charged upon them, returned into Lombardy about the twelfth century, and found means to with- draw their effects, which they had lodged in the hands of friends, by secret letters and bills conceived in short precise terms like the modern bills of exchange, and this by the assistance of merchants PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, ETC. 355 and travellers ; and the practice soon spread throughout Europe. Bills of exchange are first mentioned as being negotiated at Hamburg in 1188 ; they were in use in England, 1307. Exchange, Course of. The current price or rate at which the coin of one country is exchanged for that of another ; and which, depending as it does upon the balance of trade, political relations, and domestic affairs, is always fluctuating. Exchequer Bills. The Government securities, so called, were first issued in 1697, and first circulated by the Bank in 1796. These bills are, in effect, accommodation notes of Government, that are issued in anticipation of taxes, at daily interest ; and being received for taxes, and paid in lieu thereof by the Bank in its dealings with the Exchequer, they usually bear a premium. Florin. A coin first used by the Florentines, whence its name. Gangway, Below the. That part of the House of Commons where are usually seated the " independent members," or those who are not pledged either to support the ministry or to join the opposition. Gaol Delivery. A judicial process for clearing gaols of criminals by trial and condemnation, or by acquittal. The com- mission of gaol delivery is a patent or authority in the nature of a letter from the sovereign, directed to the justices of assize of each circuit, and others, constituting them his justices, and authorizing them to deliver his gaol at a particular town of all the prisoners in it, whenever or before whomsoever indicted, or for whatever crimes committed. Great Seal. The office of Lord Chancellor of England is con- ferred by the sovereign simply delivering the Great Seal to the person who is to hold it, addressing him by the title which he is to bear. The great seal is considered the emblem of sovereignty ; and is the only instrument by which, on solemn occasions, the will of the sovereign can be expressed. Absolute faith is univer- sally given to every document purporting to be under the great seal, as having been duly sealed with it by the authority of the sovereign. Guinea. An English coin of the value of twenty-one shillings, N 2 356 THE HISTOEICAL FINCHER-POST : so called because it was first coined with gold brought from the coast of Guinea, in Western Africa. Hilary Term. The term of coitrts in England, which begins January llth, and ends January 31st. It derives its name from St. Hilary, whose festival takes place about this period. Hudson's Bay Company. An association established for the express object of procuring furs, chartered by Charles the Second in 1670. This remarkable trading company has succeeded in founding several settlements, and forming numerous establish- ments from the persons employed by them. Their latest acqui- sition was Vancouver's Island, which was granted them by the British Government in 1848. Trrnf! of Chancery. These are eight in number, and are societies subordinate to the Inns of Court, and are principally occupied by the lower branches of the profession ; they are, Clifford's Inn, Clement's Inn, Lyon's Inn, New Inn, Furnival's Inn, Thaives Inn, Staple Inn, and Barnard's Inn. Inns of Court. Four societies in London for students-at-law, qualifying them to be called to the Bar ; namely, the Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Lincoln's Inn, and Gray's Inn. Knight of the Shire. An appellation given to the representa- tive in Parliament of English counties at large, as distinguished from such cities and towns as are counties of themselves, and the representatives of which, as well as the members for other cities and towns, are denominated citizens or burgesses. Lac of Rupees. An East Indian term denoting 100,000 rupees, or about 12,000 sterling. Lloyd's last. A publication in which the shipping news received at Lloyd's is published, and which, on account of the special and important information contained in it, is of the greatest service to merchants, shippers, and others. Lloyd's was formerly a coffee-house in London, on the northern side of the Royal Exchange, resorted to by eminent merchants, insurance brokers, under-writers, &c. A place of meeting in connection with the Exchange still exists, retaining the name of Lloyd's. Louis d'Or. A gold coin in the old system of France, first struck under Louis the Thirteenth, in 1641. Louis d'Ors passed PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, ETC. 357 as current coin in most parts of the Continent, their value fluctuating from 18s. 6d. to 21s. sterling. Upon the return of the Bourbon family, the twenty-five franc pieces struck by Louis the Eighteenth, received the name of Louis d'Or; a designation -which is likewise given occasionally to the same coin struck by Louis Philippe. Mina. A money of ancient Greece equal to 100 drachmas, or about 2 17s. There was a less mina valued at seventy-five drachmas. Napoleon. A French gold coin, bearing the effigy of Napoleon Bonaparte. There were two kinds, those of forty francs and those of twenty francs. National Debt. The aggregate amount of sums owing by a State to persons who have lent money to it for the purpose of carrying on war and other operations ; and upon which a stipulated interest is paid to the lenders. The national debt of England owes its origin to William the Third, who being destitute of funds, became a large borrower to defray the expenses attendant upon the prosecution of his claim to tho throne of England. Nisi Prills. A phrase in English law signifying literally " unless before," such words being contained in the ancient writ, and still used in the present day. This phrase came afterwards to be adopted as a general term descriptive of a large class of judicial business which is transacted before the judges of the supreme courts, and the law relating to the various matters which thus arise, is somewhat indefinitely called the law of Nisi Prius. Noble. An ancient English coin of the value of 6s. 8d. It was first struck in the reign of Edward the Third, and being stamped with a rose, was thence called a rose noble. Opposition Party. That party in the House of Commons which is opposed to the ministiy and their supporters. It is regularly organized, and has a recognized leader. Order of the Day. In parliamentary usage one method of superseding a question, already proposed, is to move " for the order of the day to be read." This motion, to entitle it to 358 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: precedence, must be for the order generally, and not for any particular order; and if this be carried, the orders must be read and proceeded with in the course in which they stood. But it can in its turn be superseded by a motion to adjourn. Oyer and Terminer. In law, a commission under the great seal, directed to certain persons, among whom two common law judges are usually appointed, empowering them to hear and determine treason, felonies, robberies, and criminal offences in general. Yes. A law term corrupted from the French oyez, hear ye. It is used by the crier of a court, in order to enforce silence when any proclamation is about to be made. Faduan Coins. Coins, holding the first rank in imitation of ancient medals, for their masterly execution ; they were forged by Cavino and Bassiano, celebrated natives of Padua. Paper Currency. A substitute for coin issued on the credit of Government in the shape of bank notes. Pin-Money. A term commonly used to signify the pecuniary allowance made in favour of a wife for her separate use. It is derived from the custom which formerly prevailed of presenting pins to ladies as new year's gifts ; pins being at the time articles of some little value. These gifts were sometimes compounded for by a certain sum, which was hence called " pin-money." Previous Question. This in parliamentary practice can only be moved in "a house," and not in committee; its object is to summarily dispose of some other question at the time being, under debate. Privilege of Parliament. A term denoting the various privileges and immunities which attach to Members of Parliament by virtue of their seats. They comprise, freedom of speech in debate ; freedom from arrest in civil suits ; exemption from serving on juries; together with other ancient privileges which are not defined. Privy Seal. All charters, pardons, &c., which require the affixing of the great seal, pass first through the hands of the Keeper of the Privy Seal ; and other instruments of less import- ance pass the privy seal only. The Keeper, is an officer of state, styled Lord Privy Seal. PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, ETC. 359 Prorogation. The continuance of the parliament from one season to another, notified generally by the royal proclamation. Protest. A peculiar privilege of the House of Lords. Each peer, when a vote passes which is not in accordance with his sentiments, has a right to enter his dissent upon the journals of the House, called his protest. Queen Anne's Farthing. The erroneous opinion that only three of these farthings were struck in Queen Anne's reign, is founded on the circumstance that these were some pattern or proof coins, which got into circulation, in addition to the coin which was actually in use. On this account, these coins are scarce among collectors, and are valued at from one to five pounds. South Sea Bubble. This term is applied to a company instituted in 1710, and incorporated in 1716. Under cover of its legality, enormous frauds were carried on ; and thousands of persons were ruined by it. By cunning and misrepresentation, shares originally valued at 100 rose to the enormous price of 1000. The scheme fell through in 1720; when the directors' estates were seized, and several persons high in power were . fined and others were punished. Standing Orders. A series of regulations adopted by way of resolutions of the House of Lords at various periods, from 1685 to the present time, relating partly to the internal order, &c., of the House, partly to certain preliminaries and forms required on the introduction of particular bills, both public and private, and to the promulgation of statutes. Sterling. A designation applied to the coin of the realm, supposed to be derived from easterling, the name of a money coined by Richard the Second. Superior Courts. The three superior common law courts of England, are the Courts of Queen's Bench, of Common Pleas, and of the Exchequer. Third Night Awn-Hinde. By the laws of Edward the Con- fessor if any man lay a third night at an inn, he was called a Third Night Awn-Hinde, for whom his host was answerable if he committed any offence; the first night he was reckoned a stranger; the second night, a guest; the third night, an awn- hinde, or domestic. 360 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : This Day Six Months. A parliamentary terra for an indefinite period of postponement ; thus, when it is proposed to read a bill " this day six months," it is tantamount to a final dismissal. Tontine. A peculiar mode of investment invented by Lorenzo Tonti, an Italian of the seventeenth century, and from whom this method took its name. The operation is as follows : A certain capital is borrowed at the usual rate of interest. This interest is divided equally among the members of equal age, and among those of unequal ages it is divided in proportion to their age. This interest is paid as long as one of the society remains alive, and when one of the members dies, his portion of the income is inherited by the surviving members, so that the last survivor enjoys during his life the whole income. At his death the interest ceases, and the borrower obtains his capital. The same principle may be applied to a variety of schemes in connection with survivorship. Treasury Bench. A designation for the officers collectively who have the management of the civil list and other revenues. The duties are executed by a board of five lords commissioners, the chief of whom is generally the prime minister for the time being, and associated with him the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The other officers are termed junior lords. Whipper-in. A semi-official functionary in connection with Parliament, whose duty it is to bring together the members of the party for whom he acts when their votes are required. lie is otherwise expected by the exercise of judgment and tact to maintain harmony and loyalty in the political ranks. White Bait Dinner. An annual festival celebrated by the members of the English cabinet. It generally takes place just before the close of the parliamentary session. The dinner is usually partaken of at a tavern at Greenwich, or some other water-side place, the delicate fish known as white bait forming the principal comestible ; each diner contributes his quota to the entertainment ; all ceremony is for the occasion laid aside ; and the officials regard the whole affair very like a schoolboy's holiday. Abb's head 131 Albinos 14G Anson's voyage 27G Abdera 131 Albion 228 Antediluvians 147 Abelard and Heloise ... 187 Al Borak 172 Antichrist 228 Abhorrers and petitioners 29 Alcoran 265 Anti-Jacobin 266 Abii 146 Aldine editions 275 Antipodes 147 Abjuration, oath of 106 Alectryomancy 172 Antipope 57 Aborigines 146 Alexandrian library ... 275 Apocalyptic knights ... 290 Abracadabra 171 Alexandrian school ... 275 Apollo Belvedere ... 318 Abraharaites ... 4 79 Alexandrine verse ... 275 Apologies of the fathers 266 Abraxas 171 Algeria '... 131 Apostolic church ... 80 Absolutists 29 Alhambra 318 Apostolic fathers ... 80 Abstain from beans 250 All is lost save honour ... 250 Apotheosis 172 Academy, royal 275 Alliance, holy 71 Appian way ... ... 131 According to Cocker ... 231 Alliance, quadruple ... 74 AquaToffania 276 Achasan league 67 Alonzo the brave ... 197 Aquitaine, province of ... 49 Acre, siege of 1 Alpha and Omega ... 228 Arabesque 276 Acrobates 146 Alphabet, Runic ... 287 Arabia Felix 132 Act of settlement 128 Alphonsine tables ... 276 Arabic figures 276 Act of uniformity 130 Alter ego 228 Arcadians 147 Acta populi 265 Am I not a man and a Arcanum 173 Acta sanctorum ... 265 brother? ... ... 250 Arch-Duke 57 Actium, battle of 1 Amadis de Gaul ... 187 Archimedes' screw ... 277 Acts of sederunt 127 Amazons 146 Archon ;. 57 Adamites 79 Amber witch 265 Afrcola, battle of 2 Adjournment 351 Amende honorable ... 106 Arena ... 303 Admirable Crichton 203 America, British ... 133 Argentine republic ... 49 Adriatic, wedding the ... 317 American Congress ... 69 Argonautic expedition ... 2 -Edile 57 American democrats ... 31 Argument of kings, last 239 Affghan war 1 American independence, Arians 80 Afflches 106 declaration of Aristarchus, the critic ... 197 Africa, central 131 American republicans ... 37 Aristides the just ... 197 African company 351 American Stamp Act ... 107 Aristocracy, cold shade of Africanus, Scipib 223 Amiens, peace of ... 67 the 251 After me the Deluge ... 250 Amphictyon council ... 67 Aristocracy 49 Age, Augustan 326 Amulets 172 Aristotelian philosophy... 98 Age, golden 331 Amy Kobsart 194 Armada, Spanish ... 1 1 Ages, middle 334 Anabaptists 79 Armenian church ... 80 Agincourt, battle of 1 Anacharsis Cloots ... 202 Arragon, kingdom of ... 49 Agitation, repeal 25 Anacreontic verse ... 276 Arrow, broad 291 Agnus Dei 172 Anak, sons of 146 Arrow-headed characters 277 Agrarian laws 106 A ncient comedy, prince of 197 Arthur's round table ... 188 Aguillaneuf 326 Ancient history 326 Articles, six 129 Aid or aide (tax) 339 Andalusia 131 Articles, thirty-nine ... 129 Aird's Moss 131 Angel (coin) 351 Arundel marbles ... 318 Aix-Ia-Chapelle, treaty of 67 Anglican church 79 As rich as Croesus ... 233 A'Kempis, Thomas 197 Anglo-Saxons 146 As soon as a slave sets AlaLanterne 250 Anjou, province of ... 49 foot on English terri- Albero d'Oro 318 Another such victory and tory, he becomes free 220 Albigenses 79 I am undone 250 Ass, golden 269 362 INDEX. Assam 132 Barricades of Paris ... 16 Belvedere, Apollo ... 318 Assassin 147 Basket, procession of the 326 Benedictines 80 Assent, royal 126 Basque roads, cutting- Benefit of Clergy ... 304 Asses, feast of 326 out in 2 Bengalee year 327 Assiento 107 Basset 327 Benthamites 98 Assignats 351 Bastia, lion of 322 Bentinck, Dutch 199 Assize, black 327 Bastile 339 Berlin, decrees of ... 108 Assize of bread 351 Bastinado 339 Bermudas 132 Assuming the purple ... 351 Bath, order of the ... 290 Berwick-upon-Tweed ... 132 Asturias 132 Battelroll 266 Bey 58 Atelier de charite" ... 303 Battel, wager of 316 Bezant 352 Ateliers nationaux ... 50 Battle of Actium ... 1 Beza's Codex 267 Athenaeum 303 Battle of Agincourt ... 1 Bible, Bishop's or Parker's 267 Athenian Stewart ... 225 Battle of Arcola 2 Bible, Breeches 267 Athenians, remember the 260 Battle of Bannockburn ... 2 Bible, Coverdale's ... 268 Athens, modern 225 Battle of the Boyne ... 3 Bible, Cranmer's ... 268 Athletae ... 147 Battle of Brandywine ... 3 Bible, Douay 269 Attache" 57 Battle of Bunker's Hill ... 3 Bible, Geneva 269 Attainder 107 Battle of Chseronea ... 3 Bible, Mathewe's ... 271 Attic Bee ... 197 Battle of Corunna ... 4 Bicetre 304 Atys, dumb ... ... 205 Augurs 147 Battle of Flodden Field... 5 Biens nationaux ... *68 Augury 173 Battle of Hastings ... 6 Bill of exceptions ... 114 Augustan age 326 Battle of Lodi 6 Bill of exclusion 114 Aulic council 67 Battle of Malplaquet ... 7 Bill of rights 125 Aurungzebe 197 Battle of Marathon ... 7 Bills of exchange ... 354 Austrian succession, war of Battle of Marston Moor... 7 Bills of pains & penalties 122 Auto da fe 303 Battle of Pavia 8 Birman empire 50 Autocracy 50 Battle of Pharsalia ... 9 Bishop of Osnaburg ... 216 Autocrat 57 Battle of Philippi ... 9 Bishop's bible 267 Aut Caesar aut nullus ... 251 Battle of Poictiers ... 9 Bishops, the seven ... 224 Avatar ... 173 Battle of Pultowa ... 9 Black act 108 Avoirdupois weight ... 288 Battle of the Spurs ... 11 Black assize 327 Avon, swan of 198 Battle, tearless 12 Black book 267 Awn hinde, third night 359 Battle of Vinegar Hill ... 14 Black Brunswickers ... 163 Ayrshire Ploughman Bavins and Maevius ... 19 Black forest 132 (Burns) 198 Bawbee 352 Black hole of Calcutta ... 339 Aztecs 147 Bayaderes 148 Black letter 277 Bayeux. tapestry ... 319 Black mail 340 Babington's conspiracy... 15 Bays 290 Black Monday 327 Back woods 132 Bead roll 266 Black mountain ... ... 140 Bacon's brazen head ... 173 Beans, abstain from ... 250 Black Prince 199 Balance of trade 352 Bear the bell 229 Black rod 58 Balancing letter 266 Bear baiting 327 Blenheim ... 319 Ban (title) 58 Beating the bounds ... 304 Blind Belisarius 198 Ban (interdiction) ... 107 Bed of justice 303 Blind Harry 208 Bandes noires 136 Bede, Venerable 198 Blood, court of 108 Banditti 148 Bangor controversy ... 15 Bank charter 108 Bedford level 132 Bedouins 148 Beef-eaters 163 Blood's conspiracy ... 16 Blue and green ribbons 37 Bluebeard 189 Bank of England ... 352 Banneret ... 290 Bannockburn, battle of... 2 Bees, fable of the ... 266 Beguines ... 80 Behemoth 174 Blue books, parliamentary 352 Blue stocking 277 Bluff King Hal 199 Banshee 173 Barbarians ... . 148 Belisarius, blind ... 198 Bell, bear the 229 Board of green cloth ... 71 Bodleian library . ... 277 Barbarossa 19S Bell, book, and candle, Bosotia 133 Barberini palace 318 swearing by 304 BosufGras 327 Bards 148 Barebones, Praise-God ... 198 Bark, Jesuit's ... ... 282 Barmecide's feast . 188 Baron Munchausen ... 192 Barons, assembly of ... 68 Barons, revolt of 15 Bell, passing ... ... 311 Bell the cat 229 Belles lettres ... ... 277 Bell's system 98 Below the gangway ... 355 Belt, Great and Little ... 136 Belted Will 199 Bohemia 50 Bolognese school of painting 283 Bomba ... - 199 Boanerges 200 Bonapartists 29 Bonnet, Phrygian ... 296 INDEX. 363 Bonnet, war of 16 Budget, parliamentary ... 352 Captain-general 164 Book of homilies ... 270 Buen retiro 319 Captains of liberty ... 212 Boot (torture) 340 Building of Rome ... 328 Captivity, prince of the . 201 Borough English ... 304 Bull, golden 116 Caravanserai 305 Borghese family 41 Bulwer-Clayton treaty ... 109 Carbonari .., ... 30 Borgia, infamous 20' Bunker's Hill, battle of... 3 Cardinal points 278 Borsholder ... ... 5< Burgh-mails 340 Carlists ... ... ... 30 Bosjesmen 14 Burghmote 109 Carlovingian line ... 42 Boston tea-party ... 1< Burleigh nod 230 Carmelites ... ... 81 Botany Bay 34 Burning of Moscow ... 8 Carnatic 133 Bottle-hoklerjudicious... 21 Burns, Ayrshire plough- Carnival 328 Boulogne flotilla ... ; man 198 Carracci family 42 Bounds, beating the ... 30' Buskin 277 Cartesians 98 Bounty, mutiny of ... 1' Butcher of Culloden ... 204 Carthaginian lion ... 201 Bourbon family ... 4 Byzantine empire ... 51 Cartliago, delenda est ... 251 Bow-string (punishment,) 34 Byzantine historians ... 201 Carthusians 81 Bowmen, English ... 16' Cartoons, Raphael's ... 286 Boy bishop 30 Cabal ... 29 Caspar Hauser 190 Boy Jones 21 Cabbala 174 Castile, kingdom of ... 51 Boyne, battle of the ... ! Cabinet council 68 Castes 149 Brahe" Tycho, system of... 9: Cabiri 174 Cat, bell the 229 Brandywine, battle of ... ; Cade, Jack, insurrection of 2 Catacombs 319 Brave, le, des braves ... 200 Cadi 58 Catalonia 133 Bravos 14* Cajsar 201 Catching a Tartar ... 231 Bray, Vicar of 200 Csar, aut, aut nullus ... 25] Catechumens 82 Brazen bull, Phalaris's ... 346 Csesar's wife above suspi- Catholic epistles 267 Breeches bible 267 Caffre war 3 Cato the censor 201 Brehon laws 108 Caffres 148 Cato-street conspiracy ... 18 Bretagne, province of ... 50 Cagots 148 Caucasian race 149 Brevet ... 108 Ca-ira 251 Caucasus 138 Breviary 267 Calais written on my Caucus . 281 Bridewell 34( heart 251 Cavaliers 30 Bristol riots 1" Calcutta, black hole of ... 339 Cayenne ,.. 340 Britain 229 Caledonia 23C Celtae 149 Britannia 229 Calembourg 23C Cenci family ... ... 42 British America 133 Calendar 32S Cent Suisses 164 British constitution ... 108 Calendar, Julian 333 Central Africa 131 British dominions, sun Calends 328 Centumviri 149 never sets on 229 Calends, Greek 237 Centurion 164 British lion 291 Caligula's horse 230 Ceramicus 306 British Solomon 200 Caliph 58 Chteronea, battle" of ... 3 Brittany, province of ... 50 Calippic period 328 Chairing 306 Broad arrow 291 Call of the House ... 353 Chamber of deputies ... 70 Broad bottom ministry .... 50 Calmar, union of... 68, 328 Chambre ardente . ... 340 Broad piece 352 Calumet of peace ... 305 Champ de Mai 334 Broglie family 41 Calvinists 81 Championship of England 306 Bronte" (Lord Nelson) ... 200 Camarilla 68 Chancellor, dancing ... 204 Brooke, Rajah 200 Cambria 231 Chancery, Inns of ... 356 Brother Jonathan ... 229 Sameronians 81 Churgi d'affaires ... 58 Brother of the moon ... 225 3amisards 29 Charlematrne 202 Brown Bess 229 Dandide 267 Charlie, Prince 202 Brown, Capability ... 201 2anon law 109 Chart, Mercator's ... 284 Brownie 174 Canonical hours ... ... 109 Chartist riots ... ... 18 Brownists 81 Canonization 305 Chasseurs d'Afrique ... 164 Brumaire 327 Canterbury tale 231 Chat-Moss 133 Brunswick, house of ... 41 Dap of liberty 291 Cherbury, Herbert of ... 209 Brnnswickers, black ... 163 Dap of maintenance ... 291 Cherokees 149 Brunnens 133 Daps and hats 32 Chersonesus 133 Bubble, South Sea ... 359 Capability Brown ... 201 3 lesapeake Civil year 329 Conspiracy, Blood's ... 16 Croats 151 CivitaVecchia 133 Conspiracy, Catiline ... 18 Crockards 3o3 Clarendon, constitutions Conspiracy, Cato-street 18 Croesus, as rich as ... 23$ of .! 110 Conspiracy, Despard's ... 19 Cromwell, shall he have a Classics 278 Conspiracy, Georges' ... 19 statue? 261 Classsics, Delphin ... 278 Constitutions of Clarendon 1 1 Crooked-back tyrant ... 204 Clergy, benefit of ... 304 Consul 58 Crosier 292 Clergy, regular 150 Consulate, French ... 51 Cross and ball 292 Cloaca Maxima 306 Contarini family 43 Crown, civic 292 Cloots, Anac'iarsis ... 202 Continental system ... 52 Crown of hot iron ... 341 Cloth of gold, field of ... 70 Controversy, Bangor ... 15 Crown of the Sun ... 353 Coalition ministry ... 51 Controversy, Gorham ... 237 Crown, obsidional ... 296 Cobham, good Lord ... 202 Conventicle act Ill Crown, mural 226 Cocker, according to ... 231 Convention, national ... 69 Crown, naval 296 Cock-lane ghost 174 Conversation Sharpe ... 224 Crown, vallar 301 Cockpen, laird of ... 203 Cockpit, Westminster ... 133 Copernican system ... 98 Coptic 150 CruelJeffreys 210 Crusades 5 Code Frederick 110 Cordeliers (political) ... 30 Cuirassiers 164T Code Napoleon 110 Code, Theodosian ... 129 Cordeliers (religious order) 82 Cork, Cove of 134 Culloden, butcher of ... 204 Curfew 112 Code Valentinian ... 130 Corn-law riots 19 Curiatii and Horatii j ... 44 Ccenr-de-lion 203 Coffee-house politician... 231 Cold shade of the aristo- Corn-laws Ill Corn-law rhymer ... 203 Cornwall, duke of ... 203 Currency, paper 358 Curry, pinch of 244 Curule chair 307 cracy ... ... if 251 Coldstream guards ."[ 164 Coronation oath Ill Corpora], the little ... 212 Cnrule magistracy ... 307 Curse of Scotland ... 246 Collar of SS 300 Cologne, three kings of... 2ns Corporation and test acts 112 Corunna, battle of ... 4 Cycle : ... 329 Cynics 99 Colombia ... .., . 134 Cortes 69 Cyrenaic philosophy ... 9ft Colomes J34 Colonna family 42 Colophon, putting to it ... 232 Cossacks 150 Cote droit, cotd gauche... 232 Cotton lords 203 Czar 59 Dacian 233 INDEX. 365 Daim, Oliver le 204 Diocesan 59 Ecclesiastical titles bill 113 Dames des Halles ... 151 Diocletian era 329 Eclectics 99 Damocles, sword of ... 233 Dionysius, ear of ... 319 Ecole polytechnique ... 312 Damon and Pythias, Directory, French ... 52 Economists 99 friendship of 233 Discovery of thelongitude 283 Eddas 174 Dance, Morris 335 Dissenters 82 Eden of the Pyrenees ... 135 Dance of death 278 Dissolution of Parliament 354 Edict 113 Dance, Pyrrhic 336 D. M. (Dis Manibus) ... 252 Editions, Elzevir ... 279 Dancing chancellor ... 204 Divan, Turkish 70 Editions variorum ... 289 Dandini family 43 Divina commedia ... 209 Egalite' (Duke of Orleans) 205 Dandolo family 43 Divine right of kings ... 234 Eglintoun tournament ... 329 Danegelt 341 Doctor Faust 176 Ego et rex meus ... 252 Danes 151 Doctrinaires 31 Eisteddfod 70 Dannebrog 292 Dodo 175 Either this, or upon this 253 Dardanelles 134 Doe, John, and Roe, El Dorado 175 Daric 353 Richard 189 Eleatic philosophy ... 99 Dauphin 59 Dog (Antisthenes) ... 205 Elector 59 Day, red letter 336 Doge 59 Eleusinian mysteries ... 329 Days of September ... 329 Dogmatists 99 Elgin marbles 320 Dead, city of the ... 134 Doit 354 Elia 205 Dead languages 278 Dolgorouki family ... 43 Elixir of life 175 Dead Sea 135 Dome book 269 Elizabethan 279 Dead weight 354 Dominicans 82 Elzevir editions ... 279 Debate, Rupert of ... 222 Domesday book ... ... 269 Embargo 113 Decade 268 Don 59 Emigre's 31 Decameron 268 Donatists 83 Emir 60 Deccan territory ... 136 Don gratuit 341 Empecinado 206 Decemviri 52 Doria family 43 Encratites ... ... 83 Declaration of American Doric dialect 278 Encumbered estates ... 113 independence 70 Dort, synod of . 70 Encyclopedists 99 Declaration of the French Dotations of Napoleon ... 240 Enfants perdus 164 clergy 116 Douay bible 269 England and St. George 253 Declaration of war ... 112 Douglas family 43 England expects every De Courcy privilege ... 234 Doves (Peace Society) ... 235 man to do his duty ... 253 Decretals 113 Downs, the 135 English bowmen . ... 163 Decuriones ... ... 151 Doxology 252 Epic poetry, father of ... 206 Defence of Kars 6 Draconian laws 113 Epicurean philosophy ... 100 Defender of the faith ... 234 Dragomans 152 Ephori 60 Dei gratia 251 Dragon 174 Episcopalians 84 Delenda est Carthago ... 251 Dragonnades 164 Epistles, catholic ... 267 Delicate investigation ... 234 Drawing room (ceremony Epithalamium 307 Delight of mankind ... 205 of) 310 Epoch 329 Delphin classics 278 Druids 83 Equestrian order ... 293 Democracy 52 Druses 83 Era 329 Democrats, American ... 31 Dudley family 43 Era, Christian 328 Denarius 354 Duke Humphrey, dining Era, Diocletian 329 D'Enghien, duke, murder with 235 Era, Jewish 332 of 341 Duke, the iron 210 Erani 307 Denier 354 Dulce domum 252 Erastians 84 Deputies, chamber of ... 70 Dulwich college ... 308 Erin 235 Despard's conspiracy ... 19 Dumb Atys 205 Escurial 320 Detenu 113 Dunmow flitch of bacon 307 Esquimaux 152 Dey 59 Duns Scotus 205 Essayists, the ... ... 206 Diable, Robert le ... 205 Durham letter 269 Estafette 307 Dialect, Ionic 282 Dutch Bentinck 199 Este family 43 Diamond necklace affair 234 Dutch, high and- low ... 283 Est-il possible 206 Dictator 59 Dutch school of painting 278 Et tu Brute ! 253 Dies irse 252 Duumviri 53 Eton Montem 308 Diet, German 70 Etruscan ware ... ... 279 Diet of Worms 7& Eagle (insignia) ... 292 Ettrick shepherd ... 206 Dieu-donne" 205 Ear of Dionysius ... 319 Eureka 253 Dieu et mon droit ... 252 Early reformers ... 83 Europe, great powers of 237 Dining with Duke Hum- East India Company ... 354 Evangelical 84 phrey 235 Eastern empire 53 Every man has his price 235 366 INDEX. Evil eye 175 Figures, Arabic ... 276 Fulmination lift Evil, touching for the ... 184 Filibusters 31 Fuit Ilium 254 Excelsior 253 Finality John 207 Furca et fossa 342. Exceptions, bill of ... 114 Fins 152 Exchange, bills of ... 354 Fire, Greek 280 Gabelle 342 Exchange, course of ... 355 Firman 115 Gall & Spurzheim's sys- Exchequer bills 355 First fruits 115 tem 100 Excise 341 First gentleman in Gallican church 85 Exclusion, bill of ... 114 Europe 207 Galley slaves 153 Ex mero motu 354 First of June, the glo- Gallic neighbour... ... 235 Exorcism 176 rious 331 Galvanism 279 Expedition, Argonautic 2 Fish and the ring ... 189 Galway, tribes of ... 153 Expedition, Franklin's ... 279 Five articles of Perth ... 1 16 Game laws 116 Expedition, Niger ... 285 Five follies of science ... 287 Games, Capitoline ... 328 Expedition, Walcheren ... 14 Five-mile act 115 Games, Isthmian ... 332 Extra vagantes 114 Flag, palmetto 296 Games, Nemean 335 Extreme unction ... 316 Flagellants 85 Games, Olympic 335 Flamens 152 Games, Pythian 336 Fabian policy 235 Fleece, order of the ... 293 Games, secular 337 Faineants, rois 221 Fleet marriages ... 308 Gangway, below the ... 355 Fairlop oak 320 Fleet prison 342 Gaol delivery 355 Faith, confession of ... Ill Flemish school of paint- Garde Mobile 165 Faith, defender of the 234 ing 279 Garotte 342 Faithful, the 152 Fletcher of Saltoun ... 207 Garter, order of the ... 294 Fakirs 84 Fleur-de-lis 293 Gasconade 235 Falconry hawking ... 330 Flitch of bacon, Dun- Gaude, Maria Virgo ... 254 Falernian wine ... ... 235 Gauntlet throwing down 236 Familiars of the Inquisi- Flodden field, battle of ... 5 Gavelkind 308 tion 152 Florentine school of Gazette 279 Family compact ... 70 painting 279 Geagh 330 Fanaristes 152 Florin 355 Gemara and Mischna ... 271 Fandango 330 Flotilla, Boulogne ... 3 Gendarmerie 165 Fantees ... 152 Flotsam, jetsam, and General commander-in- Far west 135 ligan 115 chief 165 Farmer George 207 Flying Dutchman ... 177 Generation 330 Farnese family 43 Follow me, I will be your Geneva bible 269 Farthing, Queen Anne's 359 leader .... 254 Genii 177 Fasti 330 Fools, feast of 330 Gentlemen-at-arms ... 165 Fata Morgana 176 Fools, prince of 207 Gentoo 153 Father of history ... 209 Father of letters ... 211 Forty centuries are gaz- ing at us from these Geoffrey of Monmouth ... 208 George (insignia) ... 294 Father of epic poetry ... 206 pyramids 254 Georges' conspiracy ... 19 Father Petre 218 Fountain of tears ... 320 Georgics 280 Father Thoughtful ... 206 Four hundred, council of 116 German Spas 136 Fathers, apologies of the 266 Fourierism 100 Germanic confederation 71 Fatimite dynasty ... 43 Fourth estate 235 Geysers 136 Faust, doctor 176 Fear nothing, you carry Forwards, Marshal ... 207 Fra Diavolo 207 Giant's causeway ... 136 Giaour 158 Csesar 254 Franche Comtd 135 Giotto's ... .,. 280 Feast of fools 330 Franciscans 85 Gipsies ... ... ... 154 Feast of lanterns ... 333 Franks 152 Girondists ... ... 32 Feasts, rose 337 Feet washing 1 , custom of 308 Franklin's expedition ... 279 Free-traders 31 Giving quarter ... ... 244 Glaciers ... 136 Ferentarii ... ... 165 Freeman, Mrs 214 Gladiators 154 Ferrari family 44 Freethinkers 85 Glamour ... ... ... 177 Fescennine verse ... 279 Festinalente 254 French clergy, declara- tion of lie Glastonbury thorn ... 177 Glencoe, massacre of ... 342 Fetich .'. 176 Feudal system 114 French, king of the ... 208 French republic 53 Glorious first of June ... 331 Glorious John 208 Feuillants 84 Field of falsehood ... 135 Field of the cloth of gold 70 Fifteenths (tax) ... 342 Fifth monarchy men ... 84 Fritz 208 Fronde, war of 5 Frontier, military ... 140 Fruitful palm, order of the 293 Fuggers and Welsers ... 153 Glorious revolution ... 25 Gnomes 177 Gnostics 85 Gobelin tapestry ... 320 God save the Queen ... 254 INDEX. 367 Goddess of reason ... 178 Habeas corpus 117 Homerides 154 Godfrey de Bouillon ... 20S Had I but served my God, Homilies, book of .. 270 Godfrey, Sir Edmondbury, &c 254 Hong merchants .. 154 murder of 343 Hague 137 Honour, legion of .. 295 God's gift SOS Hague, treaty of ... 71 Honours of war 317 Godwin's oath 236 Halmemann, disciples of 281 Hoplitse 165 Gog and Magog 190 Hamilton Single-Speech 203 Horatii and Curiatii .. 44 Golconda 136 Hampden, patriot ... 208 Hordes 154 Golden age 331 Haiiiiper office 309 Horse of Seius 246 Golden ass ... ' ... 269 Hanoverian succession ... 44 Horse power 282 Golden bull 110 Hanse towns ... ... 137 Hospitallers 86 Golden legend 270 Hanseatic league ... 71 Hospodar 61 Golden number 331 Hapsburg, house of ... 44 Hot iron, crown of ... 341 Golden palace 321 Harleian MSS 281 Hotspur 209 Golden rose 224 Harp of Ireland 294 Houris 178 Golden stick 60 Harry, blind 208 House, call of the ... 353 Gondoliers 154 Hartz mountains ... 137 Houses, religious ... 313 Good king Rend 220 Hastapura ... ... 309 Howard family 45 Good Lord Cobham ... 202 Hastings, battle of ... 6 H. R. R 255 Good old times 236 Hats and caps 32 Hudibrastic verse ... 282 Good Regent Murray ... 214 Hatti-Scherif ... ... 117 Hudson's Bay Company 356 Goodwin sands 136 Hauser, Caspar 190 Hue and cry 117 Gordian knot 236 Hawking, falconry ... 330 Huguenots 86 Gordon riots 19 Head of the world ... 249 Huissier 61 Gorham controversy ... 237 Health, pledging ... 212 Humanitarians 86 Gotham, wise men of ... 249 Hearth-tax 343 Hundred days, the ... 53 Gowrie's plot 20 Heaven-born minister ... 209 Hungarian insurrection... 21 Gracchi family 44 Hebrides ... 137 Huns 154 Grace, act of 116 Hegelianism 100 Hunt, orator 209 Grainmont family ... 44 Helvetic republic ... 53 Huntingdon's Connection, Grampian Hills 136 Heptarchy 53 Lady 88 Grandee ... GO Herald's college 309 Husbandry, Virgilian ... 289 Grand monarque ... 214 Herbert of Cherbury ... 209 Hussars 165 Grand pensionary ... 60 Herculaneum 137 Hussites 87 Grand Seignior 60 Hercules, pillars of ... 137 Great Belt and Little Heriot 117 Iceland 138 Belt 136 Hero of the Nile ... 215 Ich Dien 255 Great Harry 321 Heroes 237 Icini 155 Great lexicographer, the 211 Heroic verse 281 Icon Basilicon ... ... 270 Great plain of Europe ... 136 Hesse 137 Iconoclasts ... ... 87 Great powers of Europe 237 Hetraan 60 Ideology 100 Great rebellion 25 Hibernia 237 Ides 331 Great seal 355 Hickory, old 215 If, Chateau d' 271 Great unknown 208 Hidage 117 If I were not Alexander, Greek calends 237 Hierarchy 53 I would be Diogenes ... 255 Greek Church 86 Hieroglyphics 281 I glory in the name of Greek fire 280 High church 86 Briton 255 Green cloth, board of ... 71 Highlands 137 I have lost a day ... 255 Greenland 137 Hilary term 356 I. H. S 255 Grenadiers 165 Himalaya 138 Iliad 282 Gretna-Green marriages 309 Hispania ... ... ... 138 Ilk 237 Griffin 178 Historical year and legal Illuminati 32 Grisel, Patient 217 year ... ... . . 335 Inmn ... ... ... 165 Grotto del Cane 321 History, father of ..-. 209 Immortals 166 Grub street 137 History, modern ... 335 Impressment 343 Grus 331 Hobbes's leviathan ... 270 Imprimatur 255 Gueiphic order 294 Hohenzollern, house of... 44 Incas 61 Guelphs and Ghibelins ... 32 Holland's mob 20 Indemnity bill 117 Guerilla warfare (i Holocaust 331 Independents 87 Guillotine ... ... 281 Holy alliance 71 Index expurgatorius ... 117 Guinea 355 Holy maid of Kent ... 209 Indiction 332 Guise, house of 44 Holy office 309 Infamous Borgia ... 200 Gunpowder plot 20 Holyrood House ... 321 Infanta 61 Guy, Earl of Warwick ... 190 Holy wars 5 Infantry ... 166 368 INDEX. Inns of Chancery ... 356 John o' Groat's house ... 13f Kurds 155 Inns of court 356 Jewels, these are my ... 26' Inquisition 72 Jones, boy 21 Labarum 295 Inquisition, familiars of Jousts 333 Labyrinth 322 the 152 Jubilee 333 Lac of rupees 356 Institutes 118 Judicious bottle-holder 21 Laconism 239 Institutes of Menu ... 271 Juggernaut 17! Lady Huntingdon's con- Instrument of government 11 nection ... ... ... 88 Insurrection, Hungarian 21 Julian calendar 33: Laird of Cockpen ... 203 Insurrection, Jack Cade's 21 Julian period ... ... 33i Lake poets 211 Insurrection, Masianiel- Julian the apostate ... 211 Lama ... ... ... 61 lo's 22 July, three days of ... 33f Lamarck's theory ... 101 Insurrection, Perkin War- Junius's letters 27( Lambeth articles ... 118 beck 24 Junta 72 Lamia 179 Insurrection, Wat Tyler's 28 Jurisconsult 155 Lampadary 155 Interim 118 Juste milieu 23S Lancaster, house of ... 45 International law ... 118 Justice, bed of 303 Lancasterian system ... 101 Interregnum 332 Justices in eyre ... 61 Lancelot of the lake ... 191 Ionian republic 138 Justice, main de ... 295 Landgrave 61 Ionic dialect 282 Justinian code 118 Landwehr 167 Ionic sect . 101 Jutes 155 Land's end ... ... 138 Ireland, ancient kingdom Languages dead ... 278 of 53 Kaland 310 Language, Phojnician ... 286 Irish harp ... ... 294 Lan^ua^e Scandinavian 287 Irish night 332 Kantism 101 Languages, Semitic ... 288 Irish rebellion 21 Kars, defence of 6 Language, Slavonic ... 288 Irishmen, united 39 Kentish fire 238 Lanterne, a la 250 Iron crown of Lombardy 295 Kepler's laws 101 Lanterns, feast of ... 333 Iron duke 210 Keri-Cetib 283 Laocob'n 179 Iron musk, the man with 190 Khan 61 Laplace's theory ... 101 Isaak, old 210 Khotbah 310 La propricte" c'est le vol 256 Island of Gyan 343 Killing no murder ... 270 Lares 179 Isle of Man 139 King Ad, old as 238 Largesse 343 Islamism ... ._ ... 87 King can do no wrong ... 238 Lascar 155 Isthmian games 332 Italy, liberator of ... 210 King de jure, and kingde facto 238 Last argument of kings 239 Last of the Romans ... 221 I've passed the Rubicon 255 King Hal, Bluff 199 Latitudinarians 88 King maker 2H Latin church 97 Tabal ... 210 King Monmouth ... 214 Latins ... ... ... 155 Jack. Cade's insurrection 21 King of the French ... 208 Latter-day Saints ... 88 Jacobins 33 Jacobites 33 King of the Romans ... 221 King of Yvetot ... ... 227 Laughing philosopher ... 211 Laura (Hermitage) ... 322 Jacques, Bonhomme ... 155 King, the sailor 222 Laura and Petrarch ... 193 Jaghire 118 Kings, divine right of ... 234 Laureate poet 312 Janisaries 166 Jansenists 87 Kings, shepherd ... 224 Kinsale privilege ... 234 Laurel and myrtle ... 395 Law, unwritten 130 Janus, temple of ... 309 Jealousy, waters of ... 186 Kirk's lambs 167 Kit-cat club 310 [.ay brothers 88 Lazzaretto ... ... 310 Jean Crapaud 237 Knight of the shire ... 356 Lazzaroni ... ... 156 Jeffreys, cruel 210 Jennings, Sarah . 210 Jesuits 87 Jesuit's bark 282 Jew bail 310 Jew, wandering ... 185 Knight winning his spurs 239 Knighthood, military ... 295 Knighthood, regular ... 297 Knight's service 310 Knights apocalyptic ... 290 fnights of Windsor ... 302 Legend, golden 270 Legion 167 Legion of honour ... 295 Legislative assembly ... 72 Legitimists ... ... 33 Lemnian ... ... ... 344 Jews, massacre of ... 343 Jewish era 332 fnout 344 vnow thyself 255 [/empire c'est la paix ... 256 Lemures ... ... ... 179 Joan, pope 191 Jonathan, brother ... 229 Joe Miller 211 Cnowledge is power ... 256 vobold 178 voh-i-noor 321 Jeonine verse 283 Le roi est mort vive le rni 0".". John Bull 238 John Company 238 John Doe and Richard Roe 189 Cremlin 321 fshatri 155 Cshatriyas 155 Kent, weald of 145 1 Ul ... ... ... J-!. l.'e'tat c'est moi 256 Betters, father of ... 211 Otters of marque ... 119 ..ettres de cachet ... 239 INDEX. 369 Levant 138 Luddites 34 Marriage by proxy 240 Levee 310 Lunenburg 139 Marriage, morganatic ... 311 Levee i-n masse 239 Lunisolar... 334 Marriages, Fleet 308 Levellers 33 Lupercal 334 Marriages, Gretna-Green 309 Leviathan 179 Lustrum 334 Marseillaise ... ... 257 Leviathan. Hobbcs's ... 270 Lutherans 88 Marshal Forwards 207 Lewis, monk 214 Lyceum 322 Marsian war 11 Lexicographer, the great 211 Lydian measure 284 Marston Moor 7 Leydenjar 283 Lynch law 344 Martel, Charles 212 Liber regis 271 Lyrics 284 Martello towers 322 Liberalia 333 Martial law 119 Liberal arts, seven ... 288 Macaronic verse 284 Masham, Mrs 213 Liberals 33 Macaulay's New Zea- Massacre, Peterloo 24 Liberator of Italy ... 210 lander 241 Massacre of Glencoe ... 342 Liberia 239 Maccabees 271 Massacre of Jews 343 Liberte, egalite, fraternite 25fi Machiavelian policy 102 Massacre of St. Bartholo- Libertine 310 Mad Parliament 72 mew 347 Liberty, cap of 291 Maecenas of literature ... 212 Massacre, Sicilian Vespers 348 Liberty, captains of ... 212 Magi 156 Massacre, Zealot ... 350 Liberty of conscience ... 239 Magistracy, cnrule 307 Masaniello's insurrection 22 Liberty, tree of 301 Magna charta 119 Master of sentences ... 224 Library, Alexandrian ... 275 Magnificent distances, Masters, the old ... 216 Library, Bodleian ... 277 city of 239 Mastodon 179 Library, Cottonian ... 278 Magyars ... 157 Matadorcs 157 Library, 1'epysian ... 28G Mahratta war 7 Materialists 89 Lictor 62 Mai, champ de 334 Mathewe's bible 271 Lille, comte de ... ... 212 Maid Marian 334 Matrons, jury of 119 Lillibullero 256 Maid of Saragossa 222 Mauritius 140 Lin, commissioner ... 212 Main de justice 295 Mausoleum 322 Lingua Franca 283 Maine law 119 Maximus the Greek 213 Linnsean system 102 . Majesty of the people ... 340 Maynooth grant 119 Lion, British 291 Malebranchism 102 Mazeppa 192 Lion of Bastia 322 Malmaison 322 Mea culpa, Deus 257 Literati l/iii Malplaquet, battle of ... 7 Meal-tub plot 22 Little corporal 212 Malthusian doctrines ... io-> Mecca, sacred houss of... 182 Liveries 295 Mamelukes 167 Medes and Persians, laws Lloyd's list 356 Mamertine prisons 344 of 120 Loco-loco 33 Mammoth 179 Medici family 45 Lodi, battle of 6 Man, Isle of 139 Medici, Venus de 325 Lokman 191 Man of lioss 221 Megarian school 102 Lollards 88 Man with the iron mask 190 Megatherium 180 Lombard 156 Manchester school 34 Mendicant friars 89 Lombard school of paint- Mandarin 62 Menu, institutes of 271 ing 283 Manfredi family 45 Mercator's chart 284 Lombardy, iron crown of 295 Manichojans 89 Merchant princes 213 Lone star society ... 34 Manipulus 295 Mermaids 180 Longitude, discovery of [ 283 Mankind, delight of 205 Merovingian dynasty ... 45 Lord keeper 62 Manlian order 240 Merry monarch 213 Lord of misrule ... 334 Manse 310 Mesmerism 102 Lords spiritual and tem- Mantuan bard 212 Methodists 89 poral 15G Maraboots 179 Metronomii 311 Loretto, our lady of ... 212 Marathon, battle of 7 Metropolitan 62 Louis Capet 201 Marble, city of 139 Middle ages 334 Louis d'or ... ,... 356 Marbles, Arundel 318 Middleton, memory 213 Louvre ... 322 Marbles, Elgin 320 Milesian ... 240 Lover's leap 138 Marbles, Phigaleian 324 Military frontier 140 Low church 88 Marches 139 Military knighthood 295 Low countries 139 Marian, maid 334 Military roads ... 140 Low Dutch and High Marines 167 Millenium 180 Dutch ... 283 Maro 212 Mina 357 Lower empire 139 Maronites 89 Minage 334 Lowlands 139 Maroons ... 157 Minister, heaven-born ... 209 Luceres 156 Marque, letters of 119 Minnesingers 157 Lucknow, relief of ... 7 Mar's rebellion 21 Minstrels 157 370 INDEX. Mint 140 Murray, good Regent ... 214 Non Angli, sed angeli, &c. 258 Minuet de la cour ... 334 Muscovites 157 Novi homines 157 Miracles and mysteries... 334 Music of the spheres ... 180 Non-jurors 35 Mischna and Gemara ... 271 Mutiny act 121 Non mi ricordo 258 Miserere 251 Mutiny at the Nore ... 23 Non nobis Domine ... 258 Misrule, lord of 334 Mutiny of the Bounty ... 17 Nonconformists 91 Missouri, compromise of 72 Myrmidons 168 Nones 335 Mithras 180 Myrtle and laurel ... 295 Nore, mutiny at 23 Mithridatic war 7 Mysteries and miracles... 334 Normal schools 285 Mob, Holland's 20 Mysteries, Eleusinian ... 329 Norman rule 46 Mob, Porteous 24 Normandy, province of... 54 Monarque. Grand ... 214 Nabob 63 Norroy 63 Modern Athens 228 Nantes, edict of 121 North Briton, No. 45 ... 272 Modern history 335 Nantes, revocation of the North-west passage, at- Modendos 34 edict of 121 tempt to discover ... 2?5 Mogul, Grand 62 Napier's bones 284 Norway law 122 Mohammedans iiO Napoleon (coin) 357 Nostradamus 215 Mohocks 34 Napoleon, dotations of ... 240 Notables of France, as- Monachism 102 Napoleon's bees 296 sembly of 73 Monboddo's theory ... 103 Nation of shopkeepers ... 240 Notre Dame 323 Monk Lewis 214 National assembly ... 73 Novemviri ... ... 157 Monks of St. Bernard's... 93 National convention ... 69 Noyades 344 Monmouth, King ... 214 National debt 357 Number, golden 331 Monmouth's rebellion ... 22 National guard ... ,.. 168 Nubians 158 Mont de piete" 311 Nations, county of ... 110 Montem, Eton 308 Naval crown 296 Oases 141 Montenegro 140 Navarre, province of ... 54 Oates'splot 23 Montjoie St. Denys ... 257 Nazarites 157 Obsidional crown ... 296 Montmorency family ... 45 Ne exeat regno 121 Octroi 345 Moorish kings 46 Nee pluribus impar ... 257 Odeon 323 Moors 157 Neck verse 281 Odyssey 285 Morana 180 Needy knife-grinder ... 241 Ogygian 242 Moravians 90 Nemean games 335 Oh my country 258 Moresque 284 Nepenthe 180 Oh, Sir Harry Vane ! Sir Morganatic marriage ... 311 Nepotism 241 Harry Vane ! 258 Morgue 322 Nero 214 Oh that the people had Morley, Mrs 214 Nero fiddling while Rome but one neck 259 Mormonites 90 was burning 241 liberty! what crimes Morris dance 335 Netherby knight ... 215 are committed in thy Mortmain act 120 New style 335 name ... 218 Mortality, bills of ... 120 New world 140 Old as King Ad 238 Mortuary 120 New Zealander, Macau-- Old Hickory 255 Mosaic laws 120 lay's 241 Old Isaac 210 Mosaic work ... ... 284 Newport riots 22 Old man 141 Moscow, burning of ... 8 Moss troopers 168 Newtonian philosophy ... 103 Ney, Marshal, le brave Old man of the mountain 216 Old masters, the ... 21 G Motion maker 214 des braves 200 01d.Parr 217 Mountain, old man of the 216 Nice, council of 73 Old Rowley 221 Mountain party 34 Nice, treaty of 73 Old Sarum ' 142 Mrs. Freeman 214 Nicotiana 285 Old style 335 Mrs. Masham 213 Niger expedition ... 2R5 Oleron 122 Mrs. Morley 214 Mrs. Partington and her Night, Irish 332 Nile, hero of the ... 215 Oligarchy 54 Olive branch 296 mop 242 Muck, running a ... 314 Nimrod, " a mighty hun- ter before the Lord "... 215 Oliver le Daim 204 Olympiad 335 Mufti 62 Muggletonians 90 Ninnacus, to weep like ... 24 1 Nisi prius 357 Olympic games 335 0. P. riots 23 Multoco 120 Munchausen, Baron ... 192 Mundus Patens 180 Municipal guard 16S No bishop, no king ... 242 No royal road to geo- metry 258 No. 45, North Briton ... 272 Opis.thographnm ... 285 Opposition party ... 357 Optimism 103 Oracle 180 Mural crown 296 Murder of Sir Edmond- Noble (coin) 357 Nomades 157 Orange boven 259 Orange, house of ... 46 bury Godfrey 343 Nominalists 103 Orangemen 35 INDEX. 371 Orator Hunt 209 Palatine ... 63 Peter Pindar 217 Oratorio 259 Pale, within the 242 Peter, robbing, to pay Ordeal, trial by 122 Palissy the potter ... 216 Paul 245 Order of the Bath ... 290 Pall-mall 385 Peter Schlmmel, " the Order of St. Catherine 298 Palladium 323 man without a shadow" 194 Order of Cincinnati ... 291 Palmer 158 Peter the hermit ... 217 Order of the day ... 357 Palmetto flag 296 Peterloo massacre ... 24 Order, equestrian ... 293 Pampas 141 Petition of right 123 Order of the Fleece ... 293 Pandects 122 Petitioners and abhorrers 29 Order of the Fruitful Panopticon 345 Petrach and Laura ... 193 Palm 293 Pantheists 91 Petre, father 218 Order of the Garter ... 294 Paper currency 358 Phalanx 168 Order, Guelphic 224 Pariahs 158 Phalaris's brazen bull ... 34G Order of St. Patrick ... 299 Parian chronicle ... 286 Pharos of Ptolemy ... 323 Order of the Seraphim 299 Parker's bible 267 Pharsalia, battle of ... 9 Order of the Thistle ... 300 Parliament, dissolution of 354 Phidelia 336 Order of the White Ele- Parliamentarian ... 35 Phigaleian marbles ... 324 phant 302 Parr, old 217 Philip drunk and Philip Orders, standing ... 359 Parsees 158 sober 243 Oregon treaty 73 Partant pour la Syrio ... 259 Philippi, battle of ... 9 Oriflamme 296 Partheniaj 158 Philippic 243 Orlando, the brave ... 192 Parthenon 323 Philosopher's stone ... 181 Orleans family 46 Parthian treachery ... 242 Philosopher of Sans Souci 222 Orrery 285 Partidas, las siete ... 123 Philter 181 Osborne house ... ... 323 Partington, Mrs., and her Phoenician language ... 286 Osculatory 311 mop ... ' 242 Phcenix 181 Osnaburg, bishop of ... 21G Partition of Poland ... 73 Phrygian bonnet ... 296 Ossian 272 Pasquinade 242 Phylactery 181 Ostracism 345 Pass of Thermopylae ... 13 Phylarch 312 Ostrogoths 158 Passing bell 311 Pyrrhic dance 336 Oswald's Lane 122 Patauonians 181 Piccolomini family ... 46 Our lady of Loretto ... 212 Patient Grisel 217 Picts' wall 324 Our Lord, year of ... 338 Patriarch 63 Picts 158 Our trusty and well- Paul Veronese 227 Pie-poudre court ... 123 beloved cousin ... 232 Pavia, battle of 8 Pigmies 181 Outlawry 345 Peace, calumet of ... 305 Pilgrim fathers 158 Outre-mer 216 Peace establishment ... 168 Pillar saints 95 Ovation 311 Peace of Amiens 67 Pillory 34G Overland route 285 Peace party 35 Pilot that weathered the Oxford blues ... ... 168 Peace, prince of 217 storm 218 Oxford, provisions of ... 124 Peace of Versailles ... 77 Pin money 358 Oyer and terminer ... 358 Peelites 35 Pinch of curry 243 Oyes 358 Peep o' day boys 36 Pindar, Peter ..'. ... 217 Peeping Tom of Coventry 192 Pindaric poetry 286 Pacha ... 63 Peine forte et dure ... 345 Pindaries 168 Pacificator 216 Pelasgi 158 Pinnarpi 159 Paduan coin 358 Peloponnesian war ... 8 Piombo, Sebastian del ... 218 Paean 259 Penal settlements ... 141 Pitt, diamond 324 Pagans ... 91 Penetralia 323 Fix, trial of 123 Pains and penalties ... 122 Peninsula war 8 Plantagenet dynasty ... 46 Painters, prince of ... 216 Penitents 91 Plate river 141 Painting, Dutch school of 278 Pentingerian 886 Platonic philosophy ... 104 Painting, Flemish school Pepysian library 286 Plebiscitum 123 of 279 Pere la Chaise 141 Pledging healths 312 Painting, Florentine Peri 181 Plenipotentiary 63 school of 279 Period, Julian 333 Plon-plon 218 Painting, Roman school Peripatetic philosophy ... 103 Plot, Gowrie's 20 of 287 Pi-rkin Warbeck's insur- Plot, gunpowder 20 Painting, Lombard and rection 24 Plot, meal-tub 22 Bolognese schools of ... 283 Peronne, treaty of ... 73 Plot, Oates's 23 Painting, Venetian school Perth, five articles of ... 115 Plot, Rye House 25 of 289 Pestalozzian system ... 103 Plot, Waller's 27 Palace court 311 Petalism 346 ?oet laureate 312 Paladin 63 Peter pence 346 ?oetry, Pindaric ... 28(> 372 IXDEX. Poictiers, battle of ... 9 Provincial constitutions 124 Red letter day 336 Point d'argent, point de Provisional government, Red men ... ... ... 159 Suisse 259 French 54 Red tapists 37 Poland, partition of ... 73 Provisions of Oxford ... 124 Red, white, and blue ... 297 Polarium 312 Prud'-hommes 36 Reformation 336 Polemarch 312 Prussian grants 169 Reformed Church ... 93 Poles, the 141 Psalmanazar 219 Reformers, early 83 Poll-tax 346 Ptolemaic system 104 Refugees 37 Polyglot 272 Ptolemy, pharos of 323 Regalia 297 Polynesia 141 Public safety, committee Regatta 337 Polyteclmique, ecole ... 312 of 54 Regency of England ... 55 Pontiff 63 Publicans 159 Regicides 37 Pontine marshes 141 Pultowa, battle of 9 Register, register, register 260 Pope Joan 191 Pundit ... ... ... 159 Regium donum 125 Pope, the Protestant ... 219 Punic faith 244 Regius professor 313 Pope's brass band ... 36 Punic wars ... . ... 9 Regular knighthood ... 297 Port-royal 286 Puranas 182 Regular clergy 150 Porte, sublime 76 Purgatory 182 Relegatio 347 Porteous mob 24 Puritans 92 Relief of Lucknow ... 7 Portland vase 324 Purple, assuming the ... 351 Religious houses ... 313 Potosi silver mines ... 142 Puseyites 92 Remember (Charles I.)... 260 Potitii 159 Pythagorean system 104 Remember the Athenians 260 Pouring oil on the Pythagoreans 104 Remonstrants 93 troubled waters ... 243 Pythian games 336 Renaissance 287 Poyning-'s law 123 Rene", good king" 220 Praemunire, statutes of... 124 Quadroon 159 Repeal agitation 25 Praetorian guards ... 168 Quadruple alliance 74 Republic 55 Prajtorium 313 Quakers 92 Republicans, American... 37 Pragmatic sanction ... 124 Quand mme 259 Restoration 337 Praise-God Barebones ... 198 Quarantine 125 Restorer of cities ... 220 Prayer, common 268 Quarter giving 244 Retreat of ten thousand.. 12 Preset 313 Quaestor 63 Revolt of the barons ... 15 Pre-Raphaelite 286 Quebec, taking of 10 Revolt, Sepoy 26 Prerogative, royal ... 126 Queen Anne's farthings 359 Revolution, glorious ... 25 Presbyterians " 91 Qui vive ... ... ... 260 Reynard the fox 272 Prester John 218 Quietists 93 Rhine, confederation of... 74 Pretender, the 219 Quintain 336 Rhinoculura 159 Previous question ... 358 Rhodes, Colossus of ... 319 Pricking for sheriffs ... 315 Rabbi 64 Rialto 313 Pride's purge 244 Rack 347 Ribbonmen 37 Primate of all England ... 244 Radicals 36 Ribbons, blue and green . 37 Primitive Christians ... 92 Ragman's roll 272 Ridings 142 Prince Charlie 202 Rajah 64 Ridotto 337 Prince of the captivity ... 201 Prince of painters ... 216 Rajah Brooke Ramadan 200 336 Rigbyism 244 Right man in the right Prince of peace 217 Ramsay, Chevalier 219 place 260 Privilege of parliament... 358 Ranters 93 Right of sanctuaries ... 314 Privy council 74 Ranz des vaches 260 Right of search 125 Privy seal 358 Raphael's cartoons 286 Rights, bill of 125 Proces verbal 124 Procession of the basket 326 Rapparee Ratting 159 244 Rights of man 273 Rights of women 245 Procrustes, bed of ... 181 Razzia 169 Riot act 245 Professor, regius 313 Realists 104 Riot, Spa Fields 27 Progresses, roval ... 313 Rebellion, Irish 21 Riot, tailor's 27 Progressistas " 36 Rebellion, Mar's 21 Riots, Bristol 17 Propaganda 92 Rebellion, Monmouth's ... 22 Riots, Chartist 18 Prorogation 359 Rebellion, Servian 26 Riots, corn-law ... ... 19 Prosperity, Robinson ... 220 Protectionists 36 Rebellion, the great ... Rebecca riots ... 25 24 Riots, Gordon ... ... 19 Riots, O. P 23 Protectorate 54 Records or rolls 273 Riots, Newport 22 Protest 359 Recusants 93 Riots, Rebecca ... ... 24 Protestant pope 219 Provencal poets 159 Red cap, emblems of re- volution 2% Rising at St. Domingo ... 26 Ritual 126 Provence, province of ... 54 Red hand of Ulster 297- River of silver 141 INDEX. 373 Roads, military 140 Ryots 159 Scaramouch 246. Robbing Peter to pay Paul 245 Ryswick, treaty of ... 74 Scarf of Syloson ... 247 Rob Roy 220 Sceptics 105 Robert le Diable 205 Sabbatarians 93 Sceptre 29& Robinson Crusoe 194 Sabines 160 Schism bill 127 Robinson, Prosperity ... 220 Sacred battalion 169 Schlmmel Peter, "the Robsart, Amy 194 Sacred house of Mecca ... 182 man without a shadow" 194 Rochelle, siege of ... 10 Sacred war ... ... 10 Sclileswig-Holstein ... 143 Rochefoucauld's maxims . 273 Sagamore 314 School, Alexandrian ... 275 Rogue's march 261 Sagas 261 Schoolmaster abroad ... 263- Rohan, house of 47 Sahara 142 Schoolmen 94 Rois Faine'ants 221 Sahib 64 Schools, normal 285- Roland for an Oliver ... 245 Sailor king 222 Science, five follies of ... 287 Roland the brave ... 192 St. Bartholomew, mas- Scipio Africanus ... 223. Rolls or records 273 sacre of 347 Scot and lot 127 Roman de hi Rose ... 273 St. Bernard's, Monks of 93 Scotland, curse of ... 246- Roman school of painting 287 St. Catherine, order of... 298 Scots 160 Romanhoff, house of ... 47 St. Cloud 324 Scotus, Duns 205 Romanco 287 St. Denis of France ... 298 Scourge of God 223 Romans, king of 221 St. Domingo, rising of ... 26 Scouring the white horse 314 Romans, last of 221 Saint Germain, Count de 222 Scythian 143 Rome, building of ... 328 St. George of England... 298 Sea captains 223 Rome, sword of 221 St. James of Spain ... 298 Sea kings 223 Rome, when you go to, St. James of the sword 298 Search, right of 125 do as Rome does ... 2G4 St. James's, court of ... 245 Sebastian del Piombo ... 218 Romulus and Remus, St. Mark of Venice ... 2u9 Secessionists 38 fable of 182 St: Patrick, order of ... 299 Second sight 18S Root and branch bill ... 126 St. Patrick of Ireland ... 2'J9 Secular games 337 Roscius 221 Sainte-Ampoule 183 Sederunt, acts of ... 127 Rose feasts 337 Saints, translation of ... 184 Seius, horse of 246- Rose, golden 294 Salic law 127 Selkirk, Alexander ... 194 Roses, wars of 10 Salt silver ' 348 Semiramis of the north 224 Rosicrucians 104 Samanides dynasty ... 47 Semitic languages ... 28& Ross, man of 221 Samnite war 10 Semper eadem 126! Ross's voyages 287 Samnites 160 Senatus-consulta ... 128 Rostrum 313 Sanctuary, right of ... 314 Seneschal 64 Roundheads 37 Sanguinetto 142 Sentences, master of ... 224 Round table, Arthur's ... 188 Sanhedrim , 75 Sepoy revolt 26 Round towers 324 Sansculottes 38 Sepoys 1G9 Route, overland 285 Sans Souci 324 September, days of ... 529 Rowley, old 221 Sans Souci, philosopher of 222 Septuagint 273 Royal academy 275 Saraband 337 Seraglio 325 Royal assent 126 Sarabites 94 Seraphim, order of the... 299i Royal marriage act ... 126 Saracens 160 Serene highness ... 64 Royal prerogative ... 126 Saragoza, maid of ... 222 Serfs 160 Royal progresses 313 Sarah Jennings '210 Servian rebellion ... 26 Royal road to geometry, Sardonic grin 245 Servites 94 no .".. 2o8 Sarum, old 14^ Settlement, act of ... 128 Royalists 38 Satire, Varronian ... 289 Seven bishops 224 Rubicon, I've passed the 255 Satrap 64 Seven hills, city of the ... 246 Rubric 127 Saturnian verses ... 287 Seven liberal arts ... 2S Rule Britannia 261 Sauve qui peut 2G1 Seven sleepers 195 Rumford, Count ... 222 Savannahs 142 Seven united provinces... 143 Rump parliament ... 74 Save honour, all is lost ... 250 Seven wise men of Greece 224 Runic alphabet 287 Savoy 142 Seven wonders of the Runic wands 182 Saxe 142 world 324 Running a muck ... 314 Saxon 245 Seven years' war ... 11 Rupees, lac of 356 Saxon rule 47 Shah 64 Rupert of debate ... 2:'2 Sbirri 160 Shakers 94 Rural dean 64 Scalds 100 Shall Cromwell have a Rurik dynasty 47 Scan. mag. 127 statue?... 261 Russias, all the 55 Scandinavia 142 Shamrock 299 Rye House plot 25 Scandinavian language... 287 Shannon and Chesapeake 4 RyJstone, white doe of ... 19G Scape goat 314 Sharpe, conversation ... 224 374 INDEX. Sheep-silver 348 Shem, Ham, and Japhet, Spencean system ... 105 Spinning jenny 288 Tabernacle connection ... 95 Tables, Alphonsine ... 276 descendants of ... 160 Spurs, battle of the ... 1 1 Taboo 315 Shepherd kings 224 Sheriffs, pricking for ... 316 Spurs, knight winning his 239 Tailor's riot 27 Take away that bauble... 262 Shibboleth 246 Spurzheim and Gall's sys- Taking of Quebec ... 10 Ship-monev 128 tem 100 Talents, all the 55 Shire, knight of the ... 356 S. P. Q. R 300 Talmud 273 Shopkeepers, nation of ... 240 Squatters 160 Tanist 65 Sibyls 160 SS, collar of 300 Tapestry, Gobelin ... 320 Sicilies, the two 143 Stabat mater 261 Tarpeian rock 144 Sicilian vespers 348 Stallholder 65 Tarring and feathering... 349 Sick man (Turkey) ... 246 Stamp act, American ... 107 Tartar, catching a ... 231 Sideromancy 183 Standing orders ... 359 Tartuffe 247 Sidmouth circular ... 128 Stanhope citizen ... 225 Tax, hearth 343 Sidonian 246 Stannaries 143 Tax, poll 346 Siege of Acre 1 Star chamber 75 Taxation, direct and in- Sign manual 128 Star-spangled banner ... 262 direct 349 Signet, writers to the ... 361 Stars and stripes ... 300 Taylor, the water poet ... 226 Siege of Rochelle ... 10 States general 76 Tea party, Boston ... 16 Sikh war 11 Stella and Vanessa ... 195 Tearless battle 12 Silent system 348 Stenny (Duke of Buck- TeDeum 262 Silhouette 288 ingham) 225 Templars 95 Silver mines of Potosi ... 142 Steppes 143 Temple of Janus ... 309 Silver stick 60 Sterling 359 Temple, palace of the ... 349 Simonians 94 Stewart walking ... 225 Ten hours' bill 129 Sinews of war 247 Stoics 105 Ten thousand, retreat of Single-speech Hamilton 208 Stonehenge 143 the 12 Siquis 261 Strawberry Hill 325 Tenant-right 129 Sisters of charity ... 94 Strawberry leaves (insig- Tennis court 338 Sistine chapel 325 nia) 300 Terror, reign of ... ... 55 Six articles 129 Strike, but hear me ... 262 Terrorists 38 Six months, this day ... 360 Strongbow ... ... 225 Test and corporation acts 112 Slave, freedom of, as soon Stuart, Athenian ... 225 Tetrarch 65 as he sets foot on Eng- Stuart dynasty 48 Teutonic race 161 lish territory 228 Style, old and new ... 335 Texas, republic of ... 85 Slavonic language ... 288 Stylites 95 Thaddeus of Warsaw ... 226 Sliding scale 129 Sublime porte 76 Thane 65 Social war 11 Succession, Austrian war The Athenians under- Socialism 105 of 12 stand what is good, &c. 262 Socii 160 Succession, Spanish war The king shall enjoy his Socinians 95 of 12 own again- 263 Sock 288 Suevi 161 Theodosian code 129 Socratic method 105 Suffragan 65 There is but one God and Soft 95 Sumptuary laws 129 Mahomet is his prophet 247 Soho 261 Sun never sets on British Thermidor 338 Soldan 64 dominions 229 Thermopylae, Pass of ... 13 Solecism 247 Sunny south 144 Thetes .... 161 Solemn league and cove- Superior courts 359 These are my jewels ... 263 nant 75 Suttee 183 Third night awn-hinde... 359 Solomon, the British ... 200 Swainmote 76 Thirty-nine articles ... 129 Son of Heaven 225 Swan of Avon 198 Thirty tyrants 56 Sonderbund 75 Swans, vow of the ... 248 Thirty years' war ... 13 Sophi 64 Swarf-money 348 This day six months ... 360 Sophists 105 Swearing by bell, book, This hand has offended... 263 Souls, transmigration of 184 and candle 304 This shall henceforth be South sea bubble ... 359 Swedenborgians ... 95 my music 263 Spa Fields riot 27 Sword of Damocles ... 233 Thistle, order of the ... 300 Spanish armada 11 Spanish main ... ... 143 Sword of God 226 Sword of Rome 221 Thomas A'Kempis ... 197 Thomists 96 Spanish succession, war Sworn brothers 247 Three days of July ... 338 Of 12 Spartan law-giver ... 225 Sybarites 161 Synod 76 Three kings of Cologne 203 Throwing down the Spas, German 136 Synod of Dort 70 gauntlet 236 INDEX. 375 Thugs 161 True blue 264 Verse, Alexandrine 275 Thunders of the Vatican 247 Tubal Cain 226 Verse, Anacreontic 276 Tiara 301 Tudor dynasty 48 Verse, Fescennine 279 Tiers e'tat 38 Turncoat ... 248 Verse, heroic 281 Tilsit, treaty of 76 Turnip hoer 227 Verse, Hudibrastic 282 Timon the misanthrope 226 Twelve tables 130 Verse, Leonine 283 Timour the Tartar ... "226 Tycho'Brahu'g system ... 98 Verse, Macaronic 284 Titus Oates's plot ... 23 Tyler's, Wat, insurrec- Verses, Saturnian 287 To your tents, Israel... 264 tion 28 Vespers, Sicilian 348 Tobacco, counterblast to 268 Tyrant 65 Vestals 162 Toffania aqua 276 Tyrian dye 289 Veto 316 09 Vicar of Bray ... ... 200 Tomahawk 315 Vicars of the empire ... 248 Tongues, confusion of ... 329 Ubiquists 96 Victory, another such, Tongues, unknown ... 184 Ukase 130 and I am undone 251 Tontine 3GO Ukraine ... 144 Vienna conference 77 Tophet ... 183 Ulans 169 Vienna, court of 248 Tories 38 Ulster, red hand of 297 Vikings 223 Touching for the evil ... 184 Ultimatum 130 Vinegar Hill, battle of ... 14 Tournament, Eglintoun 329 Ultra 248 Virgilian chances 185 Tractarianism 96 Ultramontane party ... 39 Virgilian husbandry 289 Trade, balance of ... 352 Utilitarianism 105 Virgin queen 227 Train bands 169 Unction, extreme 316 Vishnu 185 Transalpine 144 Uniformity, act of 130 Visigoths 162 Transatlantic cousins ... 247 Union Jack SOI Vistula 144 Translation of saints ... 184 Union of Calmar... 68, 328 Vizier 66 Transmigration of souls 184 Unitarians 96 Volsci 162 Transylvania 144 United Irishmen 39 Vow of the swans 248 Trappists 96 Unknown, the great 208 Vox populi, Vox dei 264 Treasure trove 315 Unknown tongues 184 Voyage, Anson's 276 Treasury bench 360 Unwritten law 130 Voyages, Ross's 287 TreatyofAix-la-Chapelle 67 Ursulines 96 Vulgate 274 Treaty of Nice 73 Uti possidetis 130 Treaty of Oregon ... 73 Utopia 274 Wager of Battel 316 Treaty of Peronne ... 73 Utrecht, treaty of 77 Walcheren expedition ... 14 Treaty of Tilsit 76 Waldenses 97 Treaty of Utrecht ... 77 Vade in pace 350 Walhalla 185 Tree of liberty 301 VK victis 264 Walking Stewart 225 Trent, council of. 76 Valentine and Orson ... 196 Waller's plot 27 Trial by ordeal 122 Valentinian code 130 Walloon guard 170 Trial of the pix 123 Vallar crown 301 Walloons 162 Tribes of Galway ... 153 Valois dynasty 48 Walpurges night 185 Tribune 316 Vampire 185 Wandering Jew 185 Tribunes, military ... 65 Vandals 162 Wapentake 56 Tribunes of the people ... 65 Vandyke 289 War, Affghan 1 Tribute 349 Varinghians 162 War of Austrian succes- Trimmers.,, 39 Variorum editions 289 sion 12 Trinity House 316 Varronian satire 289 War of the bonnet 16 Trinoda necessitas ... 349 Vatican S25 War, Caffre 3 Tripartite empire ... 247 Vattel, according to 248 War, council of 78 Triple alliance 77 Vavassor 162 War, Crimean 5 Tripod 316 Vendas 274 War, declaration of 112 Triumph 316 Vendean war 13 War, Fronde 5 Triumviri 56 Vendde, la 144 War, honours of 317 Troglodytes 161 Vendetta 14 War, Jugurthine 6 Trojan war 13 Venerable Bede 198 War, Mahratta 7 Tropics 144 Venetian republic 248 Wur, Mithridatic ... 7 Troubadours 161 Venetian school of paint- War, Peloponnesian 8 Troubled waters, pouring ing 289 War, Peninsular 8 oil upon 243 Veni, vidi, vici 264 War, sacred 10 Troughs 349 Venus de Medici 325 War, Samnite ... ... 10 Troy weight 288 Veronese, Paul 227 War, seven years' ... 11 Truce of God 77 Versailles 325 War. Sikh 11 Truck system 130 Versailles, peace of 77 War, sinews of 247 376 INDEX. War, social or Marsian ... 11 AVar of Spanish succes- sion 12 War, thirty years' ... 13 War, Trojan 13 War, Vencle"an 13 Warbeck, Perkin, insur- rection 24 Ware, Etruscan 279 Wars, civil 4 Wars, holy 5 Wars, Punic 9 Wesleyans 97 West, far 135 Western church 97 AVestern empire ... -56 AVestminster assembly ... 78 Whigs 39 Whipperin 360 AVhitebait dinner ... 360 White boys 39 AVhite doe of Rylstone ... 196 AVhite elephant, order of 302 White horse, scouring the 314 AVooden walls of old Eng- land 249 AVood's halfpence (insur- rection) 28 Work', head of the ... 249 AVorms, diet of 78 AVould to God night or Blucher were come ... 264 AA'yte 35* Yankee 249 Year, Bengalee 327 AVarwick, the king-maker 2 1 1 Washing feet, custom of 308 AVassail-bowl 317 AVat Tyler's insurrection 28 AVater poet, Taylor ... 226 Waters of jealousy ... 186 Watteau, ilia 289 AVay, Appian 131 Weald of Kent 145 AVedding, the Adriatic ... 317 Weeping philosopher ... 227 AVelsers and Fuggers ... 153 AVelshleek 301 AVhite lady 186 AVindsor, knight of ... 302 AVine, Falernian 235 Wilkes and liberty ... 264 William of Malmesbury... 227 Wise men of Gotham ... 249 AVise men of Greece, the seven 224 AA'itch finder 227 Witenagemote 78 Within the pale 242 AVolfshead (outlawry)... 350 Year of confusion ... 338 Year, historical and legal 331 Year of our Lord ... 338 York, house of 48 Young England 39 Young Ireland 40 Young Italy 40 Yvetot, king of 227 Zealot massacre 350 Zendavesta 274 Zollverein 78 Zouaves 170 [Erratum. 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