Q. How long was the Long Parliament?
A. From October, 1640, to April, 1653.
Q. Which is the oldest town in the United States?
A. St. Augustine is said to be the oldest town. A fort was built there
in 1565. It is not known when Santa Fé was settled by the Spaniards,
though they visited it in 1542, and the town was then a populous Indian
pueblo; but the actual settlement was not made until some time later.
Q. What is the exact area in square miles of Europe?
A. 3,733,008 square miles.
Q. Were the Kimmerian Kelts mentioned in History of Russia for October
the same as the Celts mentioned by Prof. Sherman?
A. The latter tribe were of the Aryan race, and settled England and
parts of the continent. The origin of the Kimmerians has never been
decided. For further information see the authority given by Mrs.
Robinson.
Q. Who is the author of the German Reader and Grammar used by Prof.
Worman?
A. Prof. Worman is the author. Information concerning text-books can
be best obtained from him—Adelphi Academy, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Q. What is the period of the moon’s revolution?
A. Her mean sidereal revolution is accomplished in 27.32 days; the
synodical revolution, or lunar month, in 29.53 days.
Q. What legend or story has fastened the scallop, or cockle-shell, as
an accessory to the pilgrim’s dress, and made it an emblem of St. James?
A. Pilgrims formerly went in great numbers to the tomb of St. James, at
Compostella, in Spain. They were often poorly provided with utensils,
and, as the adjacent sea shore was covered with the scallop-shell, they
gathered them to use as spoons, cups, saucers, etc. Naturally, upon
their return, they carried the shell as a relic, often fastening it
in their hats; and thus it became part of a pilgrim’s outfit, and the
token of St. James.
Q. What is the best work on Florida?
A. A good work is “Florida: Its History, Growth, Condition, and
Resources,” by S. A. Drake. Published by Messrs. Little, Brown & Co.,
Boston, Mass.
Q. What is the origin of St. Valentine’s Day?
A. It is said by some that St. Valentine was so lovable a man that the
custom of choosing valentines upon his festival took its rise from his
character. Others derive the custom from a Roman fashion of placing the
names of young women in a box, from which they were taken by the youth,
by chance. This always was done during the festival of the Lupercal, in
February, and afterward the day fixed was the 14th of February. This
account declares the connection of the day with St. Valentine to be
accidental.
Q. What is the meaning of the word fjord?
A. It is a Scandinavian word for arm of the sea—the bays or inlets
extending into the land from the sea.
Q. Who was Froebel?
A. A German educator: born 1782, died 1852. The inventor of the
kindergarten.
Q. Pronounce Cœur-de-Lion; Hengist.
A. Kur-de-Lī´on; Hĕng´gĭst.
Q. Correct the sentence, “The crafty king asked time to consider of it.”
A. The crafty king asked time to consider the request.
Q. In the sentence, “If it is time,” is the verb correct for
subjunctive mood?
A. It is not. If subjunctive, the sentence should read, “If it be time.”
Q. Are the “Golden Fleece” and “Gideon’s Fleece” identical?
A. They are not. The Golden Fleece is said to have been taken from a
ram which Phryxos sacrificed to Zeus, in Colchis. The fleece was given
to the King of Colchis, and afterward stolen by Jason.
Q. How came Greek to be the language of the New Testament?
A. At the time the New Testament was written, Hellenistic Greek was
used by most Jews, owing largely to the number of Greek cities in
Palestine. It was the language of Christ and the disciples, and,
naturally, the language of the disciples’ writings.
Q. What brought out the difference of the Greek language that existed
at the time of Christ’s advent?
A. We suppose the question to mean what caused the difference between
the Greek of the New Testament and classic Greek. As spoken by the
Jews, Greek was modified by Syro-Chaldaic, which had been spoken by
them since the Babylonish captivity. The changes were in orthography,
the spelling of words, introduction of new words, and in rare and novel
construction.
Q. Who are the Roumanian peasants?
A. The peasants of Roumania—a country consisting of the Danubian
principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia. The country contains about
200,000 gypsies who constitute a large part of the peasantry.
Q. What are the epic poems of the different countries?
A. Greece, “The Iliad;” Rome, “The Æneid;” Italy, Tasso’s “Jerusalem;”
England, “Paradise Lost.” The above are recognized as the chief epic
poems.
Q. What is an agnostic?
A. One who professes to know nothing absolutely, neither asserts nor
denies; especially those who neither affirm nor deny the existence of
Deity.
Q. How much larger is the earth around the equator than around the
poles?
A. The equatorial diameter is 7,926 miles; the polar diameter is 7,898
miles.