P. 233.—“Jeffreys.” (1648-1689.) A lawyer of great ferocity. In 1685 he
caused 320 of Monmouth’s adherents to be hung, and 841 to be sold as
slaves.
P. 234.—“South Sea Bubble.” This scheme was proposed in 1711, by the
Earl of Oxford, in order to provide for the national debt. The debt was
taken by prominent merchants, to whom the government agreed to pay for a
certain time six per cent. interest, and to whom they gave a monopoly of
the trade of the South Seas. From 1711 to 1718 the scheme was honestly
carried out, but after that time all scruples were thrown aside, and the
rage of speculation here described followed.
P. 235.—“The Rue Quincampoix.” A street of Paris where John Law developed
his South Sea Bubble. He was a Scottish financier (1671-1729), who had
won a place in London society, and supported himself by gaming. In 1715
he persuaded the Regent of France to favor his schemes, obtained a
charter for a bank, and in connection with it formed this company, which
had the exclusive right of trade between France and Louisiana, China,
India, etc. The stock rose to twenty times its original value. He was
appointed minister of finance in 1720, but confidence was soon lost in
his plan, and notes on his bank rapidly fell. Law was obliged to leave
France, and finally died poor.
P. 236.—“Scire Facias.” Cause it to be known.
P. 237.—“Walpole.” (1676-1745.) Walpole had been prominent in politics
since the accession of George I., and in 1715 was made first lord of the
treasury.
P. 241.—“Lord Mahon.” The fifth Earl of Stanhope. He was prominent in
public affairs during his life, but his fame rests upon his historical
works, of which he published several. “A History of England, from the
Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of Versailles,” is the best known.
“Maxima rerum Roma.” Rome greatest of all things.
P. 242.—“Newcastle.” (1693-1768.) An English Whig.
P. 243.—“Pelham.” (1694-1754.) A brother of the above, who in 1742
succeeded Walpole as chancellor of the exchequer. He was one of the chief
ministers of state 1743-1744.
“Godolphin,” go-dolˈphin. An eminent English statesman, in the service of
Charles II., afterward retained in office under James II., and made first
lord of the treasury under William and Mary. Under Queen Anne he was
again put in this position, from which he had been removed in 1697, and
retained it until 1710. He died in 1712.
P. 244.—“Aix,” āks; “Rochefort,” rotchˈfort, or roshˈfor; “St. Malos,”
or St. Malo, mäˈloˌ; “Cherbourg,” sherˈburg, or sherˈboorˌ. See map of
France in THE CHAUTAUQUAN for March.
“Kensington.” A palace at Kensington, a western suburb of London, the
birthplace of Queen Victoria.
“Grand Alliance.” An alliance formed in 1689 by England, Germany, the
States-General, and afterward by Spain and Savoy, to prevent the union of
Spain and France.
“Goree,” goˈrāˌ. An island on the west coast of Africa belonging to
France.
“Guadaloupe,” gwăd-loop. The most important island of the French West
Indies.
“Toulon,” tooˈlōnˌ. A seaport of southern France, at the head of a bay of
the Mediterranean. It is the largest fort on the Sea, covering 240 acres.
“Boscawen,” bosˈca-wen. (1711-1761.) An English admiral.
“Lagos,” lâˈgoce. On the coast of Portugal.
P. 245.—“Conflans,” kon-flon. (1690-1777.) At this time marshal of France.
“Hawke,” hawk. (1715-1781.) An English admiral. In 1765 he became first
lord of the admiralty, and in 1776 was raised to the peerage.
“Chandernagore,” chanˌder-na-gōreˈ; “Pondicherry,” ponˈde-shĕrˌree.
“Clive.” The founder of the British empire in India.
“Coote.” A British general who distinguished himself in wars of India.
“Bengal,” ben-galˈ; “Bahar,” ba-harˈ; “Orissa,” o-risˈsa; “Carnatic,”
car-natˈic. Divisions of India at the time of the struggle of the English
for possession.
“Acbar,” ac-barˈ; “Aurungzebe,” ōˈrŭng-zābˌ. Emperors of Hindoostan.
P. 247.—“Guildhall,” guildˈhall. A public building of London which serves
as a town hall. All important public meetings, elections and city feasts
are held here. Monuments of several statesmen adorn the hall.
P. 248.—“Sackville.” The offense referred to was this: At the battle of
Minden, in 1759, Lord Sackville commanded the British troops under Prince
Ferdinand of Brunswick, but refused to obey orders. On return to England
he was tried for this and dismissed from service.
P. 251.—“Mecklenburg Strelitz,” meckˈlen-burg strelˈitz. The eastern
division of the two parts into which the territory of Mecklenburg is
divided.
P. 254.—“Landgravine,” lăndˈgra-vïne. The wife of a landgrave, a German
nobleman holding about the rank of an English earl or French count.
“Hesse Homburg,” hess homˈburg. A former German landgraviate now
belonging to Prussia.
P. 255.—“Les Miserables,” the poor. A popular novel by Victor Hugo.
“Austerlitz,” ausˈter-lits. A town of Moravia, where in 1805 Napoleon had
gained a brilliant victory over the Prussian and Russian forces.
“Waterloo.” A village of Belgium, about eight miles southeast of Brussels.
“Blucher,” blooˈker. (1742-1819.) A Prussian field-marshal, sent to the
aid of Wellington.
P. 256.—“Nivelles,” neˈvĕlˌ. A road running to Nivelles, a town about
seventeen miles south of Brussels.
“Genappe,” jāˈnäpˌ; “Ohaine,” ōˌhānˈ; “Braine l’Alleud,” brān läl-leuˈ.
“Mont St. Jean.” A village near Waterloo.
“Hougomont,” ooˌgō-mŏnˈ. A château and wood.
“Reille,” räl. (1775-1860.) A French general, who was at this time an
aid-de-camp of Napoleon. In 1847 he was made marshal of France.
“La Belle Alliance,” lä bĕl älˈleˌŏnsˌ. A farm near Waterloo.
“La Haye Sainte,” lä ai sānt. A farm house.
P. 258.—“Milhaud,” milˌhōˈ.
“Lefebvre Desnouettes,” lĕhˈfāvrˌ dāˌnoo-ĕtˈ. (1773-1822.) A French
general.
“Gendarme,” zhŏng-därmˈ. An obsolete name for heavy cavalry.
“Chasseurs,” shăsˈsûr. Light cavalry.
“Veillons au Sainte,” etc. Guard the welfare of the empire.
“Ney,” nā. (1769-1815.) One of the most prominent of Napoleon’s generals.
After Napoleon’s abdication Ney joined Louis XVIII., but on the return
of Napoleon, rejoined him. After the battle of Waterloo he was arrested,
condemned, and shot.
P. 259.—“Moskova,” mos-koˈva. A river of Russia, on which the French
defeated the Russians.
“Hippanthropist,” hip-panˈthro-pist. A fabulous animal whose body was
partly like a man and partly like a horse.
P. 262.—“Pibrock,” pīˈbrock. Bagpipe.
P. 263.—“Chevau-legers.” The French for light cavalry.
“Badajoz,” bad-a-hōsˈ. A fortified town, capital of a province of the
same name in Spain. Wellington carried it by assault in 1812, and sacked
the city.
P. 264.—“Alava,” äˈlä-vä, (1771-1843.) A Spanish general and statesman.
“Frischemont,” freshˈā-mŏnˌ.
“Grouchy,” grooˌsheˈ. (1766-1847.) A French general and marshal.
P. 265.—“Denouement,” de-nōōˈmong. The discovery of the end of a story,
the catastrophe of a drama or romance.
“Friant,” freˈōngˌ; “Michel,” meˈshĕlˌ; “Roguet,” rōˌguāˈ; “Mallet,”
mäˌlaˈ; “Pont de Morvan,” pon deh morˈvonˌ.
P. 266.—“Sauve qui peut.” Let each save himself.
“Vive l’Empereur.” Long live the emperor.
“Drouet d’Erlon,” droˌāˈ dĕrˈlōnˈ. (1765-1844.) Marshal of France and
governor-general of Algeria.
P. 267.—“Guyot,” gēˌoˈ; “Ziethen,” tseeˈten. A Prussian general.