P. 429, c. 1—“Carolinian.” Belonging to the age of Charles XII.
P. 429, c. 2—“Frithiof’s Saga,” freet´yof’s sä´ga.
P. 429, c. 2—“Böttiger,” böt´e-ger. A Swedish poet born in 1807. He
obtained his degree at Upsal, and was twice crowned by the Swedish
academy. He has published many short poems of superior merit, besides
translations from Tasso.
P. 429, c. 2—“Tegnaby,” teng´nabi.
P. 429, c. 2—“Lucas Esaiasson,” lū´cas es-ī´as-son.
P. 429, c. 2—“Ingeborg Mänsdotter,” ing´e-borg mens´dot-ter.
P. 429, c. 2—“Shot.” Referring to the shot which killed Charles XII.
“The shot” is the common reference in Swedish books to Charles XII.’s
death.
P. 429, c. 2—“Temple progeny.” The names being so common in the
Scriptures, the author calls the children a sacred or temple progeny.
P. 429, c. 2—“Aptitude,” apt´i-tude. Fitness.
P. 429, c. 2—“Wexiö,” wek´she-o. A town in the southern part of Sweden,
but northeast of Lund, where Tegnér attended the university.
P. 429, c. 2—“Having but one name.” The use of fixed surnames did not
extend much farther back than the latter part of the tenth century.
They first came into use in France, and by the Normans were introduced
into England. The adoption of surnames by the common people was much
later than by the nobility, and similarly the more remote and less
highly cultivated districts were slower to accept the fashion than more
advanced nations; thus in some parts of Wales it is said that surnames
are not yet fully adopted. Prior to the Reformation surnames were less
fixed than now. Younger sons particularly, dropped their patronymic and
often, instead, adopted the name of their estate or place of residence,
as did Tegnér.
P. 429, c. 2—“Kykerud,” chi´ker-ud. Near Millesvik.
P. 429, c. 2—“Crown bailiff,” or bailiff to the crown or sovereign. One
whose duties were to collect rents, taxes, fines, summon juries, etc.
P. 430, c. 1—“Ossian,” osh´yan. A Scottish poet, said to have lived in
the second or third century. The genuineness of his poetry is, however,
doubted. In the eighteenth century James MacPherson claimed that he
had translated fragments of Ossian’s poetry. He published these, and
soon afterward two long poems. These works caused a fierce war between
Scottish and English writers, the Highlanders maintaining their
authenticity, and the English disputing it. The general opinion now is
that they are to be classed with the literary forgeries of the day, and
MacPherson with Chatterton.
P. 430, c. 1—“Rämen,” ray´men. In the mountain region near Filipstad.
P. 430, c. 1—“Myhrman,” mir´man.
P. 430, c. 1—“Multifold.” A word derived from the Latin _multi_, many,
and the English fold; it signifies various, numerous.
P. 430, c. 1—“Patriarchic,” pa´tri-arch´ic. An adjective of the same
meaning as patriarchal, _i. e._, belonging to a patriarch, or the
father of a family.
P. 430, c. 1—“Homerus,” Homer (Latin). The book was written in Latin,
still to a wide extent the language of learning.
P. 430, c. 1—“Castelio,” käs-tāl´yo. A theologian, born 1515, died
1563. In 1540 he was invited by Calvin to Geneva, and became Professor
of Humanities. Unfortunately he afterward differed from his patron in
religious belief, and was expelled. He went to Basel, where he lived
in great poverty. Among his works is a translation of the entire Bible
into Latin.
P. 430, c. 1—“Basel,” ba´sel. A city of Switzerland lying in a canton
of the same name. Its history begins with the building of a fort there
by the Romans. In the middle ages it had become a flourishing city,
more populous than now, though it still numbers about 50,000 souls.
Basel boasts many ancient works, among which is a bridge built in 1226.
It has a library of 50,000 volumes. The Council of Basel was held there
in 1431, and in 1795 two treaties were ratified there between the
quarreling European States.
P. 430, c. 1—“Dialectic,” di=´=a-lect´ic. The word dialect comes from
two Greek words signifying to pick out, to choose; hence it means the
form of speech chosen in a certain locality, or peculiar to limited
regions; in distinction from others nearly related.
P. 430, c. 1—“Xenophon,” zĕn´o-phon. A Grecian historian, general, and
philosopher, born about 445 B. C. He joined the expedition which Cyrus
the Younger undertook against his brother, the King of Persia. Upon the
defeat of Cyrus, the Greeks made their famous retreat, Xenophon being
their chief counselor. Upon his return to Greece he began to write.
His “Anabasis; or, Retreat of the Ten Thousand,” is, perhaps, his
best known work, though the “Memorabilia,” or account of the acts and
conversation of Socrates, Xenophon’s former teacher, holds a high rank.
Died about 355 B. C.
P. 430, c. 1—“Lucian,” lū´shan. A Roman satirist, living in the second
century. Born in Syria, he spent his life, until forty years of age,
wandering through Italy, Greece, and Gaul. In the latter country he
taught rhetoric with success. Returning to Syria he began his literary
work, which included histories, biographies, criticisms, poems,
satires, etc. As a satirical and humorous writer he ranks very high.
P. 430, c. 1—“Homer,” hō´mer. The greatest of all epic poets. When
he lived is unknown; critics have disputed his existence, but the
best authority of the times is opposed to this. Homer was probably an
Asiatic Greek, born at Smyrna about 850 B. C. His most famous works are
the Iliad and Odyssey.
P. 430, c. 1—“Horace.” (Born 65 B. C., died 8 B. C.) The southern part
of Italy was the birth place of the poet Horace. At eighteen he was
sent to Athens to study, as was the custom then. When the civil wars,
which followed the death of Cæsar, broke out (44 B. C.) Horace joined
Brutus and Cassius. After their defeat he lost all his property and was
very poor until, through the influence of Varius and Virgil, Mæcenas
became his friend. After this his wants were provided for and he gave
his time to his writing. His work consists of two books of satires, one
book of epodes, two of odes, two of epistles, and a treatise on the art
of poetry.
P. 430, c. 1—“Rousseau,” rôus-sō´. See CHAUTAUQUAN for April—notes on
Sunday Readings.
P. 430, c. 1—“Voltaire,” vol-têr´. (Born 1694, died 1778.) The real
name of this celebrated Frenchman was Arouet. His early life was spent
in Paris until, because of his irregular conduct, he was obliged to
leave the country. In 1743 the French Government sent him on an embassy
to Frederick the Great, with whom he became intimate; but afterward,
quarreling with his royal friend, he retired to Switzerland. His belief
was strongly infidel and his mind wonderfully vigorous. The quantity
and wide range of his writings are surprising.
P. 430, c. 1—“Racine,” rä-seen´. (Born 1639, died 1699.) The most
famous of French dramatists. He began his career in Paris in 1662, and
for ten years achieved wonderful success; but at thirty-eight years of
age he suddenly decided to abandon the stage and become a Carthusian
monk. He was prevailed upon to modify his views and marry. Afterward
Racine became historiographer to the king. “Esther” and “Athalie,” the
only plays produced after his conversion, are deeply religious.
P. 430, c. 2—“Iliad.” Homer’s finest epic, treating of the anger of
Achilles, an episode in the Trojan war.
P. 430, c. 2—“Odyssey,” ŏd´e-se. An epic poem relating to the
adventures of Ulysses as he returned to Ithaca after the fall of Troy.
P. 430, c. 2—“Virgil,” ver´jil, (70 B. C.-19 B. C.) After Homer,
the greatest of epic poets. His life was mainly spent in Italy. At
thirty-four he began his “Georgics,” and worked seven years at them.
The rest of his life was given to his epic, the Æneid. In 19 B. C. he
went to Greece to revise this, but meeting the Emperor Augustus, then
on his triumphal march, he started back with him. On the voyage he
contracted a fatal illness and died a few days after reaching Italy.
P. 430, c. 2—“Ovid,” ŏv´id. (43 B. C.-18 A. D.) A Roman, educated for
the law, but most famous as a poet. He was banished by the Emperor
Augustus in 8 A. D., and died ten years later in the tower of Ovid, at
the mouth of the Danube, where he is supposed to have been confined.
P. 430, c. 2—“Mĕ-ta-mor´phō-ses.” One of Ovid’s best-known works,
treating of the transformation, or changes of form, which were so often
the subject of ancient stories and legends.
P. 430, c. 2—“Lund.” A town in the extreme south of Sweden. There are
two famous universities in Sweden, at Upsala and at Lund. The latter
was founded in 1628, and has thirty professors, about five hundred
students, and a library of fifty thousand volumes. In 1853 Lund erected
a colossal statue to the memory of Tegnér.
P. 430, c. 2—“Idyl,” ī´dyl. A short pastoral poem in a highly finished
style.
P. 430, c. 2—“Æsthetics,” ĕs-thet´ics. The theory of taste, or the
science of the beautiful.
P. 430, c. 2—“Dithyramb,” dĭth´e-rămb. The word comes from
_Dithyrambus_, an ancient name of Bacchus, and afterward applied to
lyric poetry of an enthusiastic and vehement style.
P. 430, c. 2—“Phosphoristic.” An unusual word of about the same meaning
as phosphorescent, but not as yet accepted by lexicographers. It is
applied to that school of poetry which may be said to seek its source
entirely from within, or from the spirit—a kind of transcendentalism.
P. 430, c. 2—“Whitsun Idyl.” A story of White-Sunday-tide, or,
contracted, Whitsuntide, the English name for the Pentecost. It is so
called from the white garments which were prescribed for those to wear
who were about to receive the Lord’s Supper for the first time.
P. 430, c. 2—“Gei´jer,” yi´er (1783-1847). A Swedish poet and
historian, who for many years held the chair of history at Upsala. His
influence was very strong.
P. 430, c. 2—“Goethe,” gö´tēh. (1749-1832.) The most famous of German
authors. He received the degree of Doctor of Laws, but soon began
to write. Being successful, the Grand Duke of Saxony invited him to
Weimar, his capital. He became a statesman, and rose to the position
of privy councilor. In 1782, Goethe received a patent of nobility,
after which time he traveled extensively. His works include his
autobiography, many essays and travels—“Iphegenia,” “Faust,” etc.
P. 431, c. 1—“Linnæus,” lin-ne´us. (1707-1778). A Swedish botanist. His
life was almost entirely devoted to the study of botany. He was held
in high repute at Upsala, where he was in turn professor of medicine
and of botany. He published a book on the “Flora of Lapland,” “Natural
System,” “Fundamental Principles of Botany,” and other works.
P. 431, c. 1—“Bishopric.” A district presided over by a bishop.
P. 431, c. 1—“Diocese,” dī´o-cese. The circuit of a bishop’s
jurisdiction.
P. 431, c. 1—“Unremitting.” Incessant, continuous.
P. 431, c. 1—“Diet.” An assembly or council. The etymology of the word
is probably the same as the word diet or food. Its peculiar _sense_ is
said to have risen from its being so similar to the Latin word for day,
_dies_. This word meant particularly a _set_ day, so that diet came to
mean a day set for deliberation; or, an assembly.
P. 431, c. 1—“Emanating.” Flowing forth.
P. 431, c. 1—“Schleswig,” sles´wick. A city in Denmark, at the head of
a narrow bay, and some twenty miles from the Baltic. It now belongs to
Prussia.
P. 431, c. 1—“Au-rō´ra bō-re-ā´lis,” the northern daybreak. A luminous
phenomenon, seen only at night and supposed to be of electric origin.
The light usually appears in streams rising from an arch a few degrees
above the horizon. When reaching beyond the zenith a corona is formed.
P. 431, c. 2—“Belles lettres,” bel-lĕt´ter. The French for polite
learning, including history, philology, poetry, criticism, and
language; the humanities.
P. 431, c. 2—“Runeberg,” run´e-berg.
P. 431, c. 2—“Romantic era.” That period in the history of literature
in which the materials were drawn from the stories of the Middle Ages,
and from imagination. The ideal in distinction from the real was
treated, the beautiful and not the base, the fantastical and wonderful
rather than the practical and common. The name was first used in
Germany. Tieck and the Schlegels are considered the founders of this
school. An essay translated from Heine, and published by Henry Holt &
Co., gives a masterly analysis of the “romantic school.”
P. 431, c. 2—“Realistic.” A school of literature holding principles
contrary to the romantic school. They contend that nature must be
followed in all cases and things represented exactly as they are. Many
of our first writers have followed these principles, though many have
treated life as though the only real part were the vice and misery.
The realistic school claims strength as its chief characteristic, that
is, a direct expression of facts and passions unchanged by fancies or
culture.
P. 431, c. 2—“Nadeschda,” nä-desch´da.
P. 431, c. 2—“Fjalar,” fyä´lar.
P. 431, c. 2—“Wirsén,” vir-sain´.
P. 431, c. 2—“Snoilsky,” snoil´ski.
P. 431, c. 2—“Viktor Rydberg,” vick´tor rid´berg.
P. 431, c. 2—“Kalevála,” kä-le-vä´la.