Difference between revisions of "Chapter 62: 608-617"

Revision as of 15:15, 26 October 2009

Page 608

Sylvan
See page 81.

Page 610

Proscenium
A Proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch (called the proscenium arch even though it is frequently not a rounded archway at all), which is located at or near the front of the stage. The use of the term "proscenium arch" is explained by the fact that in Latin, the stage is known as the "proscenium", meaning "in front of the scenery." From WIKI

Page 611

Penns
See page 335.

Riot Act
The Riot Act (1713) (1 Geo.1 St.2 c.5) was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which authorised local authorities to declare any group of more than twelve people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action. The Act, whose long title was "An act for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the rioters", came into force on 1 August 1715, and remained on the statute books until 1973. From WIKI

Mr. Whitefield
See page 260.

Page 612

Royal Library in Copenhagen
The Royal Library in Copenhagen (Det Kongelige Bibliotek) is the national library of Denmark and the largest library in the Nordic countries. It contains numerous historical treasures; all works that have been printed in Denmark since the 17th century are deposited there. Thanks to extensive donations in the past the library holds nearly all known Danish printed works back to the first Danish book, printed in 1482. From WIKI

Vellum
Vellum (from the Old French Vélin, for "calfskin") is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books. It is generally smooth and durable, although there are great variations depending on preparation, the quality of the skin and the type of animal used. The manufacture involves the cleaning, bleaching, stretching on a frame, and scraping with a hemispherical knife of the skin. To create tension, scraping is alternated by wetting and drying. A final finish may be achieved by abrading the surface with pumice, and treating with a preparation of lime or chalk to make it accept writing or printing ink. From WIKI

Fetches
A fetch is a supernatural double or apparition of a living person in Irish folklore. It is largely akin to the doppelgänger. Francis Grose associated the term with Northern England in his 1787 Provincial Glossary, but otherwise it seems to have been in popular use only in Ireland. A sighting of a fetch is generally taken as a portent of its exemplar's looming death, though John Banim reports that if the double appears in the morning rather than the evening, it is a sign of a long life in store. From WIKI

Capes of Delaware
See page 258.

Pillars of Hercules
The Pillars of Hercules was the phrase that was applied in Antiquity to the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar is the Rock of Gibraltar in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. A corresponding North African peak not being predominant, the identity of the southern Pillar has been disputed through history, with the two most likely candidates being Monte Hacho in Ceuta and Jebel Musa in Morocco. From WIKI

Philadelphia Irredempta
"Irredempta" is Latin for "unredeemed" and in the context (national claims of territory and the fact that the name "Philadelphia" is a Latin formation, calling for a Latin adjective) almost certainly is intended to evoke "Italia Irredenta" (Italian for "Unredeemed Italy"), the mid-19th century Italian nationalist catchphrase for the areas on which the new nation of Italy had a claim but which were under foreign (Austro-Hungarian or French) control.

Elect Cohens
See page 358.

Bavarian Rosicrucians
The Rosicrucians were a secret society of intellectuals and scientists from the 17th century; Francis Bacon was believed to have been a member.

Rosicrucianism (symbol: the Rose Cross) is the theology of a secret society of mystics, allegedly formed in late medieval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on esoteric truths of the ancient past", which, "concealed from the average man, provide insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm." Between 1607 and 1616, two anonymous manifestos were published, first in Germany and later throughout Europe. These were Fama Fraternitatis RC (The Fame of the Brotherhood of RC) and Confessio Fraternitatis (The Confession of the Brotherhood of RC). The influence of these documents, presenting a "most laudable Order" of mystic-philosopher-doctors and promoting a "Universal Reformation of Mankind", gave rise to an enthusiasm called by its historian Dame Frances Yates the "Rosicrucian Enlightenment". From WIKI

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