P. 26.—“Benignus,” be-nig´nus. The benign; generous.
“Contumax,” con-tu´max. The rebellious; stubborn.
P. 29.—“Theomisey,” the-om´is-ey. The author has coined the term from
the Greek words for “God” and “Hate,” and it means a hatred of God.
P. 32.—“Factitious,” fak-tish´us. Factitious ideas are those which have
been formed by the thinker, and are opposed to those which are simple
and natural; conventional, artificial.
P. 37.—“Criterion,” cri-te´ri-on. A rule or test by which actions,
facts and judgments are tried.
P. 38.—“Scythians.” The inhabitants of Scythia, a country whose borders
were never distinctly defined. As described by Herodotus it included
parts of eastern Europe and western Asia, its southern boundary being
a portion of the Black Sea. Scythia was afterward the name given to a
section of Asia north of the Oxus.
“Northmen.” The Scandinavian tribes, or the Swedes, Danes and
Norwegians.
P. 39—“Pope.” (1688-1744.) An English poet. From early boyhood he was
a student and writer. At thirteen he began a course of self-education,
and at twelve wrote his “Ode to Solitude.” The “Pastorals,” his first
published work, placed him at twenty-one among the first poets of his
time, and introduced him to literary circles. In 1711 his “Essay on
Criticism” appeared, and soon after the “Rape of the Lock.” Pope’s
translation of the Iliad was the first of his works which was a
financial success. In 1725 he edited an edition of Shakspere, and in
1728 produced “The Dunciad,” an attack on various contemporaneous
scribblers. Of his other writings the “Moral Essays” are best known.
Pope was never married. He was a little, weakly man, critical, narrow,
vain, and often untruthful, but withal generous, clear-minded, and true
to his friends.
P. 40.—“Fane.” A place dedicated to some deity; hence a place dedicated
for worship.
P. 41.—“Republic.” A work of Plato’s, in which he sets forth his ideas
of an ideal commonwealth. It treats of both Church and State, but is
impracticable for the existing conditions of society.
P. 42.—“Petronius,” pe-tro´ni-us. The period at which he lived is
uncertain, but he probably belonged to the age of the Emperor Nero. (A.
D. 37-68.) The work here quoted describes the adventures of several
young and dissipated men in southern Italy. Only fragments of it remain.
P. 42.—“Seneca.” See C. L. S. C. Notes in THE CHAUTAUQUAN for November.
P. 43.—“Bengal,” ben-gawl´. One of the ten political provinces of
India. It is in the extreme east of the peninsula, and includes the
regions lying about the mouth of the Ganges and Bramapootra rivers, and
the adjacent hill regions.
“Medhurst.” (1796-1857.) An English missionary who spent most of his
life in Java and China. Of the latter country and its people he wrote
much. He translated the Bible into Chinese, beside publishing the
“Chinese Repository,” a “Chinese and English Dictionary,” etc. “China,
its Fate and Prospects,” is still a book of high authority.
“Buddha,” bŏod´da. The name not of a particular teacher, but of a class
of deified teachers among the Buddhists. Great numbers of them have
appeared at different times as saviors of the race. The Buddha of the
present period is called Sākyamuni.
“Kalè,” ka´lee. The name of one of the many forms of _Doorgā_, a
terrible goddess, so popularly and variously worshiped in Hindoostan.
The goddess assumed the name Kalè on the occasion of a battle with a
thousand-headed giant-demigod whom she slew. Her most common image
is that of a black, or very dark colored woman, with four arms, the
upper left arm holding a cimeter, the lower left a human head by the
hair. Around her waist as a covering she wears a string of bloody
human hands, with an immense necklace of human skulls reaching below
the knees. Kalè is a _female Satan_, a most sanguinary goddess, and as
terrible as anything the imagination can picture. The ceremonies of her
worship require the sacrifice of animals and human beings, and are in
keeping with the terrible character they adore.
P. 44.—“Apotheosis,” a-po-the´o-sis. To place among the gods; to deify.
P. 46.—“Numa.” The first king of the Romans. His time is uncertain. He
was selected from among the Sabines, after the death of Romulus, and
introduced many valuable institutions and laws.
“Augustan Age.” That period in which the Roman mind reached its highest
point of culture and activity. Cicero, Ovid, Virgil, Horace, and many
others adorned this period. It was called Augustan from Augustus Cæsar,
the reigning emperor.
“Jahn,” Otto. (1813-1869.) A German philologist. He studied in the best
schools of Europe and held professorships in various universities. He
was very liberal in his views, and became famous as an archæologist and
philologist. Among his works are editions of Latin classics, a life of
Mozart, essays on art, and various miscellaneous papers.
P. 47.—“Allegories.” That is, that the teachings concerning the gods
were figurative stories, explaining the facts of human nature and the
mysteries of the external world.
“Dionysius.” See Notes in THE CHAUTAUQUAN for October.
“Tholuck,” to´lŏok. Friedrich August Gottreu. (1799-1877.) A German
theologian, educated in Berlin, and afterward a professor there. He was
transferred to Halle in 1826, where he spent the rest of his life. An
eminent Christian, his doctrine at first met with opposition from the
rationalism of the university, but changed the views of the majority of
the faculty. He left eleven volumes on theology and philosophy.
P. 50.—“Chaotic,” ka-ot´ic. Confused, disordered; like chaos.
P. 53.—“Consanguinity,” kŏn=´=san-gwīn´i-ty.
P. 56.—“Attrition,” at-trish´un. Wearing away, produced by constant
friction.
P. 57.—“Conservator,” con=´=ser-va´tor. A keeper, preserver.
“Tabularasa.” A blank tablet.
“Concatenation,” con-căt´e-nā=´=tion. A series of connected events,
depending upon one another.
P. 62.—“Concomitant,” con-com´i-tant. A companion; a person or thing
connected with another.
“Swedenborg.” (1688-1772.) A native of Sweden educated at Upsal. For
several years after leaving the university he was engaged in literary
work. Having been appointed Assessor of the College of Mines he
assisted the king, Charles XII., in his military operations, until
after the death of the latter. His life was spent in scientific
pursuits until 1745, when he claimed to have been called of God to
reveal a new system of truth. The remainder of his life was spent in
work upon the books which explained this system. Briefly, he claimed:
One God, revealed to man through Christ; a trinity of principles,
not persons; a redemption produced not by vicarious suffering, but
by the conquest of the powers of hell; this victory restored to
man his spiritual freedom, and gave him an opportunity to work out
his salvation; the necessary features of religion are faith and an
avoidance of sin. He claimed to reveal a new church—the New Jerusalem
of Rev. xxi:ii—and his followers call themselves members of the “New
Jerusalem.” His teachings concerning the future world are to be found
in “Heaven and Hell,” and his theology is explained in “True Christian
Religion.” Swedenborg claimed his writings to have been revealed in
communications with the spirit world, and to the last affirmed his own
honesty.
“Irvine,” Edward. (1792-1834.) A Scottish minister educated at
Edinburgh, and in 1822 ordained to preach. Having been called to a
small church in London he soon attracted, by his eloquence, an immense
congregation of the nobility, the learned, and famous. Soon a new
church was built for him. In 1825 he began to preach the second advent
of Christ as a near event, and also to teach that the nature of Christ
was one with ours, even in its infirmities and liabilities to sin, a
doctrine which led to much controversy. In 1830 it was reported that
supernatural phenomena were taking place in parts of Scotland. Irvine
became convinced that the manifestations were divine. Soon after they
appeared in his congregation and he published an account of them in
Fraser’s Magazine. As a result he lost his popularity, was driven
from his church, and set aside by the Scottish presbytery. Irvine’s
followers obtained a place of worship and established what is now known
as the Catholic Apostolic Church. Irvine claimed to have received
ordination from the spirit to preach to this body, and was made bishop,
a position he held until his death.
“Elymas,” el´y-mas. See Acts xiii; 6-7-8.
“Smith,” Joseph. (1805-1844.) The founder of the Mormons. He first
attracted attention by his “Book of the Mormons,” which he pretended
to have discovered and translated under angelic guidance. He founded a
church at Manchester, N. Y., which was soon moved to Kirtland, Ohio,
thence to Missouri, where the conduct of the leaders so incensed the
public that they were driven from the country. Smith next located his
band in Illinois, but attempting to introduce polygamy as a revealed
doctrine, the outraged inhabitants revolted, and in the raid Smith was
killed.
P. 67.—“Beelzebub.” The name of the supreme god among all the
Syro-Phœnician peoples was Baal, i. e., _lord_, or _owner_; and by
adding to it _zebub_, insect, the proper name Baalzebub was formed; the
fly-god, the averter of insects.
P. 68.—“Typhon.” In Egyptian mythology Typhon (or Set) was the
manifestation of the abstract principle of evil, and at first equally
honored with Osiris, the principle of good. Afterward he became the god
of sin, and so was at war with Osiris, and an enemy of men. It is said
that in the tenth dynasty the priesthood, fearing that Typhon was going
to conquer in the conquest between good and evil, obtained a royal
decree, ratified by sacerdotal order, to banish him out of Egypt.
“Serapis,” ser-a´pis. The worship of Serapis prevailed in the time of
the Ptolemies. It is fabled that in the contest of Typhon and Osiris
the latter was slain. He returned to earth in a second existence as the
god Serapis. The name is thought to be a compound of Osiris and Apis,
the soul of the former having entered the body of the bull. The worship
of Serapis continued in Egypt long after the Christian era, and was
even introduced into Italy.
P. 69.—“Isis.” Isis and Osiris were the only gods worshiped by all the
Egyptians. Isis was represented as the wife of Osiris, and with him,
one of the great benefactors of the people, he having introduced the
plow, and she having taught them how to cultivate grain. As the Greeks
influenced somewhat the religion of Egypt, she became the goddess of
the moon. The worship of Isis was introduced into Italy in the first
century, A. D., and a fine temple built to her at Rome. The ruins of a
temple of Isis have been unearthed at Pompeii. In works of art she is
represented with the face of Juno, wearing a long tunic, a lotus flower
on her head, and in her hand the peculiar Egyptian musical instrument
called the sistrum.
“Osiris,” o-si´ris. The husband of Isis. He was called “the king of
life,” “the king of gods,” and “ruler of eternity.” He introduced
civilization among the Egyptians and traveled through many countries,
helping the people. He was murdered by Typhon, his brother, and his
body thrown into the river Nile. He is represented as having a human
form, and always the head of a man. He is colored green, as the god of
vivification. His sacred symbols are the evergreen, the tamarisk, and a
sort of Ibis with two long plumes at the back of the head.
P. 89.—“Succinctly,” suc-sinct´ly. Briefly, concisely.
P. 99.—“Periphrasis,” pe-riph´ra-sis. A periphrase; several words used
to express an idea; a circumlocution.
P. 107.—“Holocaust,” hol´o-caust. A burnt offering, the whole of which
was consumed by fire.
P. 138.—“Poarch.” The disciples of the poarch were the stoics, or
followers of Zeno. See notes in THE CHAUTAUQUAN for November.
“Academy.” The disciples of Plato, who taught in a garden near the
academy.
P. 149.—“Tacitus.” See notes in THE CHAUTAUQUAN for October.
“Pliny.” See notes in THE CHAUTAUQUAN for November.
P. 148.—“Dulia,” dū´li-a. The word comes from the Greek word for slave,
and is applied to the worship of an inferior being, as of the saints.
“Juggernaut,” jŭg=´=ger-naut´. Meaning in Hindoo the lord of the world.
One of the most popular of Hindoo idols. His temple is at a town on the
Bay of Bengal, and the shrine is considered the most holy in Hindostan.
At least one million of people visit there every year. The temple
contains several idols. The great festival of Juggernaut occurs in
March of each year. The idol is taken from the temple on a ponderous
wheeled platform, and is drawn by a crowd of men and women. It is said
that votaries in their excitement have cast themselves under the wheels
and been crushed, but this has not occurred for several years.