Thomas Pynchon Wiki - User contributions [en]

Chapter 56: 554-561

2011-07-29T19:52:34Z

Joneall:

__TOC__

==Page 554==
'''Field-Journals of Mason and Dixon''' 
See [http://www.mdlpp.org/?page=library HERE] for link to a .pdf of the Journal.

'''Warrior Path''' 
The Great Indian Warpath (GIW) — also known as the Great Indian War and Trading Path, or the Seneca Trail — was that part of the network of trails in eastern North America developed and used by Native Americans which ran through the Great Appalachian Valley. The system of footpaths (the Warpath branched off in several places onto alternate routes and over time shifted westward in some regions) extended from what is now upper New York state to deep within Georgia. Various Indians traded and made war along the trails, including the Catawba, numerous Algonquian tribes, the Cherokee, and the Iroquois Confederacy. The British traders' name for the route was derived from combining its name among the northeastern Algonquin tribes, "Mishimayagat" or "Great Trail", with that of the Shawnee and Delaware, "Athawominee" or "Path where they go armed". From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Indian_Warpath WIKI]

'''Eleven Missing Days''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_19:_190-198#Page_190 190].

==Page 555==
'''Eurydice''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_14:_146-157#Page_147 147].

'''''Vis centrifuga''''' 
Centrifugal force

c.1721, from centrifugal. Used in Mod.L. 1687 by Newton in ''Principia'' (vis centrifuga). From [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=c&p=14 OED]

==Page 556==
'''Vorticist''' 
Anachronism and joke: Vorticism was a short lived British art movement of the early 20th century. It is considered to be the only significant British movement of the early 20th century but lasted fewer than three years... Though the style grew out of Cubism, it is more closely related to Futurism in its embrace of dynamism, the machine age and all things modern (cf. Cubo-Futurism). However, Vorticism diverged from Futurism in the way it tried to capture movement in an image. In a Vorticist painting modern life is shown as an array of bold lines and harsh colours drawing the viewer's eye into the centre of the canvas. The name Vorticism was given to the movement by Ezra Pound in 1913, although Lewis, usually seen as the central figure in the movement, had been producing paintings in the same style for a year or so previously. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorticism WIKI]

'''''Tempus Incognitus''''' 
Unknown Time (as in, Musical Time)

from L. tempus (gen. temporis) "time." Extended to non-musical senses 1898. From [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=tempus&searchmode=none OED]

Also, Cf. page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_53:_511-524#Page_519 519].

'''Transhalation''' 
Forcible pulling or dragging through, crossing beyond, etc.

==Page 557==
'''Bradley''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_16:_167-174#Page_173 173].

'''Macclesfield''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_19:_190-198#Page_190 190].

'''Chesterfield''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_19:_190-198#Page_193 193].

'''Mr. Pelham''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_21:_207-214#Page_209 209].

==Page 558==
'''Jacobite Persistence''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_23:_228-237#Page_232 232].

'''''Bonhomie''''' 
Friendly atmosphere. From [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bonhomie WIKI]

'''Faust''' 
Faust or Faustus (Latin for "auspicious" or "lucky", but also German for "fist") is the protagonist of a classic German legend who makes a pact with the Devil in exchange for knowledge. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical works, such as those by Christopher Marlowe, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Thomas Mann, Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt, Charles Gounod, Gustav Mahler, Mikhail Bulgakov, F. W. Murnau and Jan Švankmajer. The meaning of the word and name has been reinterpreted through the ages. "Faust" (and the adjective "Faustian") has taken on a connotation distinct from its original use, and is often used today to describe an unsavory, ultimately self-destructive arrangement; the proverbial "deal with the devil". From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust WIKI]

'''Mr. Bodley''' 
Sir Thomas Bodley (2 March 1545 – 28 January 1613), was an English diplomat and scholar, founder of the Bodleian Library, Oxford... Bodley's greatest achievement was the re-founding of the library at Oxford, later named the Bodleian Library in his honour. He determined, he said, "to take his farewell of state employments and to set up his staff at the library door in Oxford." In 1598 his offer to restore the old library was accepted by the university. Bodley began his book collection effort in 1600, using the site of the former library above the Divinity School, which was in near ruin. Even though Bodley lived over 400 years ago, modern libraries are still benefiting from some of his early ideas and practices. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bodley WIKI]

==Page 559==
'''Aristotle on Comedy''' 
Reference to Aristotle's ''Poetics'': Aristotle's ''Poetics'' (Greek: Περὶ ποιητικῆς, c. 335 BCE) is the earliest-surviving work of dramatic theory and the first extant philosophical treatise to focus on literary theory. In it, Aristotle offers an account of what he calls "poetry" (a term which in Greek literally meant "making" and in this context includes drama—comedy, tragedy, and the satyr play—as well as lyric poetry, epic poetry, and the dithyramb). He examines its "first principles" and identifies its genres and basic elements; his analysis of tragedy constitutes the core of the discussion. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetics_%28Aristotle%29 WIKI] 
Pynchon refers here to several works which have been lost, including Aristotle's treatise on comedy. This work is also at the core of Umberto Eco's book, "The name of the rose".

'''Thomas... Infancy Gospel''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_50:_484-490#Page_486 486].

'''Shakespeare's ''Tragedy of Hypatia''''' 
Couldnt find that this was an actual work by Shakespeare, so could be fiction for this: Hypatia of Alexandria (born between 350 and 370 – 415) was a Greek scholar from Alexandria in Egypt, considered the first notable woman in mathematics, who also taught philosophy and astronomy. She lived in Roman Egypt, and was killed by a Christian mob who falsely blamed her for religious turmoil. Some suggest that her murder marked the end of what is traditionally known as Classical antiquity, although others such as Christian Wildberg observe that Hellenistic philosophy continued to flourish until the age of Justinian in the sixth century. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypatia_of_Alexandria WIKI]

==Page 560==
'''the Bodleian''' 
The Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library. Known to Oxford scholars as “Bodley” or simply “the Bod”, under the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 it is one of six legal deposit libraries for works published in the United Kingdom and under Irish Law it is entitled to request a copy of each book published in the Republic of Ireland. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodleian WIKI] Also, see page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_56:_554-561#Page_558 558].

'''Duke Humfrey's''' 
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (3 October 1390 – 23 February 1447) was "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV Bolingbroke, King of England by his first wife, Mary de Bohun, brother to Henry V of Monmouth, King of England, and uncle to the latter's son, Henry VI, King of England... His name lives on in "Duke Humphrey's Library", part of the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Duke Humphrey was a patron and protector of Oxford, donating more than 280 manuscripts to the University. The possession of such a library did much to stimulate new learning. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey,_Duke_of_Gloucester WIKI]

'''Keys and Seals of Gnosis''' 
Gnosis (from one of the Greek words for knowledge, γνῶσις) is the spiritual knowledge of a saint or mystically enlightened human being. In the cultures of the term (Byzantine and Hellenic) gnosis was a special knowledge or insight into the infinite, divine and uncreated in all and above all, rather than knowledge strictly into the finite, natural or material world which is called Epistemological knowledge. Gnosis is a transcendential as well as mature understanding. It indicates direct spiritual experiential knowledge and intuitive knowledge, mystic rather than that from rational or reasoned thinking. Gnosis itself is obtained through understanding at which one can arrive via inner experience or contemplation such as[ an internal epiphany of intuition and external epiphany such as the Theophany. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosis WIKI]

'''his Abdominal Spheroid''' 
his Tummy

'''the vortickal Emprise''' 
This whole entry and exit from the Eleven Days is extremely Lovecraftian.

==Page 561==
'''Noctambulation''' 
Night walking

'''rum''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_52:_499-510#Page_504 504].

==Annotations Index==

{{MD PbP}}

Chapter 37: 371-381

2011-07-25T09:44:47Z

Joneall:

==Page 371==
'''Amphibia''' 
"plural of amphibian" – [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/amphibia Wiktionary]

'''''Blanquette de Veau''''' 
Blanquette de veau is a French veal dish. The term 'blanquette' comes from the French word for "white" (blanc), being a ragout (stew) with a white sauce... In a typical recipe, pieces of veal meat (shoulder, breast) and aromatic vegetables (onion, celery, carrot etc) are simmered at length in water or stock. The vegetables may then be discarded and the cooking liquid is thickened and enriched with flour, butter, cream and egg yolks. Mushrooms, rice, pasta and potatoes are common accompaniments to this dish, which is served hot. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanquette_de_veau WIKI]

==Page 372==
'''''un Accés de Cuisinier''''' 
"an attack from the chef" -– [http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/f.html#French HyperArts entry: French]

or morely "the Approach of the Chef"? In other words, someone that shouldnt be in the kitchen, one would "deploy" this to get them out quickly (ie. stopped in their tracks)? Or on the otherhand, they may be sneaky with whomever it is to avoid the Chef, to keep them there.

'''Jacques de Vaucanson''' 
Jacques de Vaucanson (February 24, 1709 – November 21, 1782) was a French inventor and artist with a mechanical background who is credited with creating the world's first true robots, as well as for creating the first completely automated loom. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_de_Vaucanson WIKI]

"He actually did make a mechanical Duck that could eat and excrete. Perhaps his most significant automata were his automatic looms, because years later, Jacquard would invent the punched card so as to program Vaucanson's looms" -- [http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/v.html HyperArts entry: Vaucanson, Jacques de (1709-82)]

See also, [http://www.stanford.edu/group/SHR/4-2/text/mazlish.html Bruce Mazlish’s ''the man-machine and artificial intelligence''] and [http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/pynchon_essays_luddite.html Pynchon’s ''Is it O.K. to be a Luddite?''].

'''the mechanickal Duck''' [[Image:MechanicalDuck.jpg|thumb|Mistaken representation of how the Digesting Duck worked|right]]The Canard Digérateur, or Digesting Duck, was an automaton in the form of a duck, created by Jacques de Vaucanson in 1739. The mechanical duck appeared to have the ability to eat kernels of grain, and to metabolize and defecate them. While the duck did not actually have the ability to do this - the food was collected in one inner container, and the pre-stored feces was 'produced' from a second, so that no actual digestion took place - Vaucanson hoped that a truly digesting automaton could one day be designed. Voltaire wrote that "without [...] the duck of Vaucanson, you have nothing to remind you of the glory of France." ("Sans...le canard de Vaucanson vous n'auriez rien qui fit ressouvenir de la gloire de la France.") From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digesting_Duck WIKI]

"an actual historickal figure; ‘account of the mechanism of an automaton, or image playing on the German-flute: as it was presented in a memoire, to the gentlemen of the Royal academy of sciences at Paris, by Vaucanson, inventor and maker of the said machine. Together with a description of an artificial duck, eating, drinking, macerating the food, and voiding excrements, pluming her wings, picking her feathers, and performing several operations in imitation of a living duck’ (Translated out of the French original, by J.T. Desaguliers. London, Printed by T. Parker, and sold by S. Varillon, 1742)" -- [http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/v.html HyperArts entry: Duck, Vaucanson's mechanickal]

See also [http://music.calarts.edu/~sroberts/articles/DeVaucanson.duck.html Elaboration & Illustration], [[C#chain|Great Chain of Being]].

'''Prometheus''' 
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Ancient Greek: Προμηθεύς, "forethought") is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of human-kind known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals. Zeus then punished him for his crime by having him bound to a rock while a great eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day. His myth has been treated by a number of ancient sources, in which Prometheus is credited with – or blamed for – playing a pivotal role in the early history of humankind. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus WIKI]

==Page 373==
'''Man in the Iron Mask''' 
The Man in the Iron Mask was a prisoner held in a number of prisons, including the Bastille and the Chateau d'If, during the reign of Louis XIV of France. The identity of this man has been thoroughly discussed, mainly because no one ever saw his face as it was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth, which later re-tellings of the story have said to have been an iron mask -- From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_in_the_iron_mask Wikipedia]

'''Atelier''' 
An atelier is an artist's studio or workroom. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atelier WIKI]

'''Madame la Marquise de Pompadour''' 
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour (29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), was a member of the French court, and was the official maîtresse-en-titre of Louis XV from 1745 to 1750. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_de_Pompadour WIKI]

'''''faisons le Dejeuner''''' 
Do lunch

'''the Gallic miniature''' 
Squire Haligast

More likely to be Armand, non?

'''''Hubris''''' 
Hubris (/hjuːbrɪs/) (ancient Greek ὕβρις) is a term used in modern English to indicate overweening pride, haughtiness, or arrogance, often resulting in fatal retribution or Nemesis. In ancient Greece, hubris referred to actions which, intentionally or not, shamed and humiliated the victim, and frequently the perpetrator as well. The word was also used to describe actions of those who challenged the gods or their laws, especially in Greek tragedy, resulting in the protagonist's downfall. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubris WIKI]

'''the Academy of Sciences''' 
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research. It was at the forefront of scientific developments in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is one of the earliest academies of sciences. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Academy_of_Sciences WIKI]

'''Thousand Toises per Minute''' 
Noun: toise, f. = a former French unit of length, corresponding to about 1.949 metres 
Etymology: Old French teise (cognate with Italian tesa), from Latin tesa (brachia) ‘outstretched (arms)’, from tendere ‘stretch’. 
Pronunciation: /twaz/
# a toise.
# a height gauge.
Retrieved from "[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toise Wiktionary]"

This translates to approximately 72.66 miles per hour.

==Page 374==
'''''cher Maitre''''' 
Dear Master

'''''Canard au Pamplemousse Flambé''''' 
Grapefruit Duck Flambé

Flambé (also spelled flambe; pronounced /flɒmˈbeɪ/) is a cooking procedure in which alcohol (ethanol) is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames. The word means flamed in French (thus, in French, flambé is a past participle; the verb is flamber). It is typically done to create an impressive visual presentation at a dramatic point in the preparation of a meal. The flames result from the partial combustion of the flammable alcohol, which is quickly consumed, subsequently extinguishing the flames (some alcohol content remains). From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamb%C3%A9 WIKI]

'''''Canard avec Aubergines en Casserole''''' 
Duck and Eggplant Casserole

'''''Fantaisie des Canettes...''''' 
The Ducklings' Fantasy

==Page 375==
'''…began to speak, in a curious Accent, inflected heavily with linguo-beccal Fricatives…''' 
Seems to describe the way Daffy Duck (the cartoon duck from Looney Tunes) speaks, including his spit-spraying esses ("a fine Mist of some digestive Liquid").

'''Bluebeard''' 
"Bluebeard" (French: "La Barbe bleue") is a French literary fairy tale written by Charles Perrault and is one of eight tales by the author first published by Barbin in Paris in January 1697 in Histoires ou Contes du temps passé. The tale tells the story of a violent nobleman in the habit of murdering his wives and the attempts of one wife to avoid the fate of her predecessors. Gilles de Rais, a 15th-century artistocrat and prolific serial killer, has been suggested as the source for the character of Bluebeard as has Conomor the Accursed, an early Breton king. "The White Dove" and "Fitcher's Bird" are tales similar to "Bluebeard". From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebeard WIKI]

'''"I am provided with extensive Alarms... but 'twill trigger Consequences disagreeable."''' 
The duck is sort of similar to Emerson's watch, which would basically blow up if someone tried to take it apart (to figure out how it worked)

==Page 376==
'''''Attend, Flatteur''''' 
Wait, Flattering

'''Cocks of Strasbourg and Lyon''' 
The Strasbourg astronomical clock is located in the Strasbourg Cathedral, in the city of Strasbourg, Alsace, which was annexed by France in the late 17th century... A popular feature of the new clock was the golden cockerel, a relic of the first clock, which perched on the top of the cupola and entertained the onlookers at noon every day until 1640, when it was struck by lightning. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbourg_astronomical_clock WIKI]

Lyon Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Lyon, France, the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon... The cathedral also has an astronomical clock from the 14th century. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyon_Cathedral WIKI]

'''''bien entendu''''' 
Naturally

==Page 377==
'''Galuppi''' 
Baldassare Galuppi (18 October 1706 – 3 January 1785) was an Italian composer from Venice, noted for his operas, and particularly opera buffa... He was born on the island of Burano in the Venetian Lagoon, and as a result, he became known as Il Buranello. His first attempt at opera, La fede nell'incostanza ossia gli amici rivali (1722), was a spectacular failure, having been hissed off the stage. He subsequently studied music with Antonio Lotti, and after a brief period in Florence working as a harpsichordist, returned to Venice for another attempt at opera. This time, his opera seria Dorinda (1729) was a success and launched his theatrical career. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galuppi WIKI]

Duck seems to have made up the name of the opera, as well as the restaurant, etc, all a part of his "plot"

'''L'Appeau''' 
The Decoy

'''''Insectes d'Etang a i'Etouffee''''' 
Pond Bug Étouffée

Étouffée or etouffee is a Creole and Cajun dish typically served with shellfish or chicken over rice and is similar to gumbo. It is most popular in New Orleans and in the bayou country of the southernmost half of Louisiana. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etouffee WIKI]

'''''"Calmati, Mio Don Aldo irascibile"''''' 
"Calm down, my irascible Don Aldo"

'''Mme. la Marquise de Pompadour''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_37:_371-381#Page_373 373].

'''Jansenists''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_22:_215-227#Page_227 227].

'''Prussian Military''' 
The Prussian Army (German: Preußische Armee) was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War. Elector Frederick William developed it into a viable standing army, while King Frederick William I of Prussia drastically increased its size. King Frederick the Great led the disciplined Prussian troops to victory during the 18th century Silesian Wars and increased the prestige of the Kingdom of Prussia. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_Army WIKI]

'''missions Bourbon and Orleanist''' 
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right political faction or party which arose out of the French Revolution, and ceased to have a separate existence shortly after the establishment of the Third Republic in 1870. It took its name from the Orléans branch of the House of Bourbon, who were its leaders. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orl%C3%A9anist WIKI]

'''Corsican Adventurers''' 
The Age of Enlightenment overthrew signorial and colonial rule and brought some measure of self-rule to the island. Corsica is distinguished by having staged the first enlightenment revolution, being upstaged only by the English Revolution of the preceding century. It was the first of a trio: Corsican, American, French, and as such had some influence on the American Revolution. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Corsica WIKI]

'''Martinist Illuminati''' 
Martinism is a form of mystical or esoteric Christianity, which envisions the figure of Christ as "The Repairer" who enables individuals to attain an idealised state such as that in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. As an informal practice, Martinism dates back to late 18th Century France. In the late 19th Century it was established in France and elsewhere as a formal order meeting in lodges. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinist WIKI] - Related to the Elect Cohens mentioned previously in the novel, see page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_35:_349-361#Page_358 358].

==Page 378==
'''''Grand Melange'' of Motive''' 
Grand Conglomeration (or Mixture) of Motive

'''Hepatomachy''' 
Closest to Hepatomancy (Hepatomachy could be the hierachy practicing many different strange divinations): In Roman practice, inherited from the Etruscans, a haruspex (plural haruspices) was a man trained to practise a form of divination called haruspicy, hepatoscopy or hepatomancy. Haruspicy is the inspection of the entrails of sacrificed animals, especially the livers of sacrificed sheep and poultry. The rites were paralleled by other rites of divination such as the interpretation of lightning strikes, of the flight of birds (augury), and of other natural omens. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatomancy WIKI]

'''wayward Barouches''' 
A barouche, developed from the calash of the 18th century, was a fashionable type of horse-drawn carriage in the 19th century. It was a four-wheeled, shallow vehicle with two double seats inside, arranged so that the sitters on the front seat faced those on the back seat. It had a collapsible half-hood folding like a bellows over the back seat and an outside box seat high in front for the driver. The entire carriage was suspended on C springs. It was drawn by a pair of high-quality horses and was used principally for leisure driving in the summer. A light barouche was a barouchet or barouchette. The word barouche is an anglicisation of the German word barutsche, via the Italian baroccio or biroccio and ultimately from the Latin birotus, "two-wheeled". The name thus became a misnomer, as the later form of the carriage had four wheels. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barouche WIKI]

'''Soupcon de Trop''' 
The Overly Suspicious 
In French, "de trop" means too much or too many. So a "soupçon de trop" is a suspicion too many, presumably the one which finally convinces you that whatever you suspect is indeed true... Another Pynchonian reference to paranoia?

'''''Repaire''''' 
Lair

'''announced only by that distressing Hum''' 
The arrival of the duck resonates with the sound before the rockets in ''Gravity's Rainbow''

'''"Duress? Duress is not an Issue,- for Life is Duress."''' 
Wonderful aphorism by the duck

'''"the Lotus"''' 
The lotus position is a cross-legged sitting posture originating in meditative practices of ancient India, in which the feet are placed on the opposing thighs. It is an established posture of the Hindu Yoga tradition. The position is said to resemble a lotus, to encourage breathing proper to associated meditative practice, and to foster physical stability. Famous depictions of the lotus position include Shiva, the meditating ascetic god of Hinduism, and Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_position WIKI]

==Page 379==
'''Time, however, had acquir'd additional Properties.''' 
Brings to mind Emerson's quote from pg. 326, "Time is the Space that may not be seen."

'''Anatine''' 
Of the family of duck, swan, and geese

'''sub-scullion''' 
A scullion is one that does menial jobs around a kitchen, so a sub-scullion would be even lower in rank than that, a substitute for a kitchen lackey

==Page 381==
'''Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle''' 
Aachen (French, and, historically, English: Aix-la-Chapelle, Ripuarian: Oche, Dutch: Aken) is a historic spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the medieval Kings of Germany. It is the westernmost city of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km (40 mi) west of Cologne. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aix-la-chapelle WIKI]

'''Martinique''' 
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of 1,128 km2 (436 sq mi). It is an overseas department of France. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia. As with the other overseas departments, Martinique is also one of the twenty-six regions of France (being an overseas region) and an integral part of the Republic. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinique WIKI]

'''New Castle''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_26:_257-265#Page_258 258].

'''''Hachoir''''' 
A mezzaluna (or hachoir) is a chopping instrument consisting of a single or double curved blade with a handle on each end. It is often used for chopping herbs or very large single blade versions are sometimes used for pizza or pesto. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachoir WIKI]

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}

Chapter 31: 302-314

2011-07-23T15:49:02Z

Joneall:

==Page 302==
''''One morning in late December...' [[1763#December|December]] 28? or 29?, 1763 [see note for page 304]''' 

==Page 303==
'''the Adonis''' 
The allusion to extreme physical attractiveness is apparent in the psychoanalytical Adonis Complex which refers to a body image obsession with improving one's physique and youthful appearance. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adonis WIKI]

'''Market-place Drolls''' 
Drolls are short comical sketches that originated during the Puritan Interregnum in England. With the closure of the theatres, actors were left without any way of plying their art. Borrowing scenes from well-known plays of the Elizabethan theatre, they added dancing and other entertainments and performed these, sometimes illegally, to make money. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drolls WIKI]

==Page 304==
'''The Restless Bee''' 
a block and a half from where they are staying...must been near New Market...

'''Susurrus''' 
A whispering, rustling, murmuring sound

''''At Lancaster,-day before yesterday...''' 
this puts the date of this section in question. The Massacre occured on Tuesday [[1763#December|December]] 27, 1763, which would make the date of the page December 29th. However, Dixon says its "odd for Wednesday market" that it would be so quiet. This suggests Wednesday, December 28th as the correct day for this passage.

Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America, is a county located in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States... The fourteen survivors of the tribe were placed in protective custody in the county workhouse, but the Paxton Boys returned on December 27, broke into the workhouse, and butchered the remaining Susquehannocks. The widespread sympathy in the frontier counties for the perpetrators of these acts made their discovery and arrest futile. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancaster_County,_Pennsylvania WIKI]

'''Conestoga''' 
Conestoga Township is a township in west central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conestoga_Township,_Lancaster_County,_Pennsylvania WIKI]

'''Colonel Robertson''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_50:_484-490#Page_489 489].

'''Paxton Vermin''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_31:_302-314#Page_305 305].

==Page 305==
'''Matt Smith''' 
Matthew Smith (also spelled Mathew Smith)—the dates of his birth and death apparently unknown—was a Pennsylvania politician. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Smith_(Pennsylvania_statesman) WIKI]

'''Revd. Stewart''' 
John Stewart (1786-1823) was a missionary to the Wyandot Indians of Ohio and founder of what is often considered the first Methodist mission in America. Stewart was born in Powhatan County, Virginia to free Negro parents who were of mixed ancestry; a mix of white, black, and Indian. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart_(missionary) WIKI]

'''fuliginous''' 
Fuliginous refers to a sooty, obscure or murky color (Merriam-Webster). As used by the author Gene Wolf in his books involving Severian the torturer, who wears a fuligin cape, the word refers to a color darker than black.

'''Paxton Boys''' [[Image:PaxtonMassacre.jpg|thumb|Paxton Massacre|right]]
The Paxton Boys was a vigilante group that murdered at least twenty Native Americans in events sometimes called the Conestoga Massacre. Backcountry Presbyterian Scots-Irish frontiersmen from central Pennsylvania, near Paxton Church, Paxtang, Pennsylvania, now Dauphin County, formed a vigilante group in response to the American Indian uprising known as Pontiac's Rebellion. The Paxton Boys felt that the government of colonial Pennsylvania was negligent in providing them protection. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paxton_Boys WIKI]

==Page 306==
'''Moravian Brethren''' 
The Moravian Church is a mainline Protestant denomination. Its religious heritage began in Kunvald late 14th century Bohemia (modern Czech Republic). Its official name is Unitas Fratrum meaning Unity of the Brethren (not to be confused with the small Unity of the Brethren church based in Texas). It is also occasionally referred to as the Bohemian Brethren. It places a high premium on Christian unity, personal piety, missions and music. The church's emblem is the Lamb of God with the flag of victory, surrounded by the Latin inscription: Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur; or in English: "Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow Him." From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_Church WIKI]

'''In fact, when word arriv'd...''' 
this paragraph is a flashback to [[1763#December|December]] 16, 1763. 

==Page 307==
'''Time of Bushy Run''' 
The Battle of Bushy Run occurred on August 5-6, 1763, in western Pennsylvania, between a British relief column under the command of Colonel Henry Bouquet and a combined force of Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo, and Huron warriors during Pontiac's Rebellion, 1763-65. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushy_Run WIKI]

'''General Bouquet''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_28:_275-288#Page_277 277].

'''General Gage''' 
Thomas Gage (1719 – April 2, 1787) was a British general, best known for his role in the early days of the American Revolution... From 1763 to 1775 he served as commander in chief of the North American forces, including the direction of the British response to the 1763 Pontiac's Rebellion. In 1774 he was also appointed the military governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, where his actions played a role in sparking of the American Revolutionary War in April 1775. After his failure to resolve the Siege of Boston he was replaced by General Howe in October 1775, and returned to England. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gage WIKI]

'''Hospital Blankets us'd 'to convey the Small-pox to the Indians'...''' 
As it turned out, officers at the besieged Fort Pitt had already attempted to do what Amherst and Bouquet were still discussing, apparently without having been ordered to do so by Amherst or Bouquet. During a parley at Fort Pitt on June 24, 1763, Ecuyer gave representatives of the besieging Delawares two blankets and a handkerchief that had been exposed to smallpox, hoping to spread the disease to the Natives in order to end the siege. William Trent, the militia commander, left records that clearly indicated that the purpose of giving the blankets was "to Convey the Smallpox to the Indians." From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac%27s_Rebellion WIKI]

==Page 308==
'''Brown Besses''' 
Brown Bess is a nickname of uncertain origin for the British Army's Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Bess WIKI]

'''Mantua-Maker''' 
A Mantua (from the French Manteuil ) is an article of women's clothing worn in the late seventeenth century and eighteenth century. Originally a loose gown, the later mantua was an overgown or robe typically worn over stays, stomacher and a co-ordinating petticoat. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantua_(clothing) WIKI]

'''Peggy Shippen''' 
Peggy Shippen, or Margaret Shippen (July 11, 1760 - August 24, 1804 or February 14, 1836), was the second wife of General Benedict Arnold (following Margaret Mansfield, who died in 1775)... When she was very young, she learned that she could get anything she wanted from her sister, Elizabeth, by throwing a tantrum. Either her mother or father would give in and allow her to have what she wanted. She used this to her advantage throughout her life. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Shippen WIKI]

'''poor young Andre''' 
John André (May 2, 1750 – October 2, 1780) was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American Revolutionary War. This was due to an incident in which he assisted Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British Army... During Peggy Shippen's visits to her home, she met British Major John Andre, after the British took control of Philadelphia. They became good friends, some even say there were mild flirtations. When he left, he gave her a lock of his hair in a golden locket. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Andre WIKI]

'''Veins and Reins''' 
"reins" is the French word for "kidneys," carried over into early modern
English.
"Reins (rànz) pl.n.: 1. The kidneys, loins, or lower back."
http://www.answers.com/topic/reins

==Page 309==
'''Braddock''' 
General Edward Braddock (January 1695 –13 July 1755) was a British soldier and commander-in-chief for North America during the actions at the start of the French and Indian War (1754–1763). He is generally best remembered for his command of a disastrous expedition against French Canada in 1755, and the Battle of the Monongahela, in which he lost his life. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Braddock WIKI]

'''Hibernia''' 
Hibernia is the Classical Latin name for the island of Ireland. The name Hibernia was taken from Greek geographical accounts. During his exploration of northwest Europe (circa 320 BC), Pytheas of Massilia called the island Ierne (written Ἰέρνη). In his book Geographia (circa 150 AD), Claudius Ptolemaeus called the island Iouernia (written Ἰουερνία). It is likely that the Romans saw a connection between these historical names and the Latin word hibernus meaning wintry. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibernia WIKI]

==Page 310==
''''Tis too cloudy for Obs tonight...''' 
this happened the night of [[1763#December|December]] 29, 1763, supporting the 29th as the date for page 302. "Wednesday Market" is a mistake on Dixon's part.

'''Forks of Brandywine''' 
The tributaries (themselves, colloquially, forks) of Brandywine Creek
drain the whole area, so it's a district.

Brandywine Hundred is that portion of New Castle County that lies north of the Christina River and east of Brandywine Creek, excepting that portion in the south included in Wilmington Hundred. Its northern boundary follows a portion of the 12 mile arc drawn around the town of New Castle. It was one of the original hundreds in Delaware created in 1682 and was named for Brandywine Creek that flows along its western boundary. When created it included some of the area now in the Wilmington Hundred, which was split off 1833. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandywine_Hundred WIKI]

'''Harris's Ferry''' 
John Harris, Sr., (1673 - December 1748) emigrated from Britain to America late in the 17th century... In 1733 he was granted the right to operate a ferry across the Susquehanna and for more than half a century "Harris's Ferry" was the funnel through which much of the Scottish, Irish and German migration trickled west. In the same year Harris acquired, through grants, two tracts of land adjacent to his ferry, totaling 800 acres. Today, the area has been developed into downtown Harrisburg. John Harris Sr. Had 7 sons and 2 daughters who spread out and whose descendants are spread through the US. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harris,_Sr. WIKI]

==Page 311==
'''Perfumes of Celebes''' 
Sulawesi Toraja Kalossi (coffee) — Grown at high altitudes on the island of Sulawesi (formerly known as Celebes) in the middle of the Malay archipelago in Indonesia. Kalossi is the small town in central Sulawesi which serves as the collection point for the coffee and Toraja is the mountainous area in which the coffee is grown. Celebes exhibits a rich, full body, well-balanced acidity (slightly more than Sumatra) and is multi-dimensional in character. It has dark chocolate and ripe fruit undertones. It is an excellent coffee for darker roasting. Because of its semi-dry processing, it may roast a bit unevenly. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_varieties WIKI]

'''Delphic Vapors''' 
The priestess of the oracle at Delphi was known as the Pythia. Apollo spoke through his oracle, who had to be an older woman of blameless life chosen from among the peasants of the area. The sibyl or prophetess took the name Pythia and sat on a tripod seat over an opening in the earth. When Apollo slew Python, its body fell into this fissure, according to legend, and fumes arose from its decomposing body. Intoxicated by the vapors, the sibyl would fall into a trance, allowing Apollo to possess her spirit. In this state she prophesied. It has been postulated that a gas high in ethylene came out of this opening that is known to produce violent trances, though this theory remains debatable. While in a trance the Pythia "raved" - probably a form of ecstatic speech - and her ravings were "translated" by the priests of the temple into elegant hexameters. People consulted the Delphic oracle on everything from important matters of public policy to personal affairs. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi WIKI]

==Page 312==
'''Wolfe's Men''' 
General James Wolfe (2 January 1727 – 13 September 1759) was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada and establishing British rule there... In 1745, Wolfe's regiment was recalled to Britain to deal with the Jacobite rising. Wolfe served in Scotland in 1746 as aide-de-camp under General Henry Hawley in the campaign to defeat the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart. In this capacity, Wolfe participated in the Battle of Falkirk and the Battle of Culloden. At Culloden, he famously refused to carry out an order of the Duke of Cumberland to shoot a wounded Highlander by stating that his honour was worth more than his commission. This act may have been a cause for his later popularity among the Royal Highland Fusiliers, whom he would later command. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wolfe WIKI]

==Page 313==
'''the White People... Eden''' 
Cf. the White City in Against the Day and especially the 'reality' revealed around the White City with the 'reality' adumbrated in this whole paragraph as well.

'''front of the Arras''' 
Arras (Dutch: Atrecht) is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France... The ownership of the town was, however, repeatedly disputed along with the rest of Artois. During the Middle Ages, possession of Arras passed to a variety of feudal rulers and fiefs, including the County of Flanders, the Duchy of Burgundy, the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg and the French crown. The town was the site of the Congress of Arras in 1435, an unsuccessful attempt to end the Hundred Years' War that resulted in the Burgundians breaking their alliance with the English. After the death of Duke Charles the Bold of Burgundy in 1477, King Louis XI of France took control of Arras but the town's inhabitants, still loyal to the Burgundians, expelled the French. This prompted Louis XI to besiege Arras in person and, after taking it by assault, he had the town's walls razed and its inhabitants expelled, to be replaced by more loyal subjects from other parts of France. In a bid to erase the town's identity completely, Louis renamed it temporarily to Franchise. In 1482, the Peace of Arras was signed in the town to end a war between Louis XI and Maximilian I of Austria; ten years later, the town was ceded to Maximilian and was bequeathed to the Spanish Habsburgs as part of the Spanish Netherlands. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arras WIKI] 
More to the point, though, is probably the Arras behind which Polonius hides in Act III, Scene IV of Shakespeare's play. Saying, "How now? a rat?", Hamlet stabs him through the arras.

'''hydraulick Looms''' 
See Pynchon's essay [http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/pynchon_essays_luddite.html ''Is it O.K. to be a Luddite''] for more on this topic.

'''expell'd from Paradise by Wolfe and his Regiment''' 
See page [http://masondixon.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_31:_302-314#Page_312 312].

==Annotation Index==

{{MD PbP}}