XVI. A VILLAGE WITCH. 67. Motto: "Their visions are of their own making."— Virgil: Eclog. viii. 108 (Spectator, No. 117). ... 67 22. Witchcraft. The following extract is from an act passed in 1603 (1 James I. Cap. 12), which continued in force until 1736: " if any person or persons shall use, practice, or exercise any invocation or conjuration of any evil and wicked spirit; or shall consult, covenant with, entertain, employ, feed, or reward any evil and wicked spirit to or for any intent or purpose, or take up any dead man, woman, or child, out of his, her, or their grave, . ... or shall use, practice, or exercise any witchcraft... whereby any person shall be killed, destroyed, wasted, consumed, pined or lamed in his or her body, or any part thereof, that then every such offender or offenders . . . shall suffer pains of death as a felon or felons, and shall lose the privilege and benefit of clergy and sanctuary." For an interesting account of witchcraft, see John Ashton's The Devil in Britain and America (1896). 68 22. The following description in Otway. Thomas Otway, a celebrated English dramatist, was born in 1651. The extract given is from the second act of a tragedy called The Orphan. The first line should read: " Through a close lane etc." The next line, which is here omitted, is: "And meditated on the last night's vision." 68 31. Weeds, garments. XVII. SIR ROGER'S REFLECTIONS ON THE WIDOW. 71. Motto: “Fast sticks the deadly arrow in his side.” — Virgil: Æn. iv. 73 (Spectator, No. 118). 72 12. Impertinent, meddlesome, intrusive. 72 13. Pleasant, amusing. 72 15. Is a great fortune, i.e. possesses a great fortune. We have the colloquial expression, -"He's a great catch." 72 32. Addressed to, wooed. 72 32. Presented, courted by gifts. 74 22. This woman, the widow, of course. 75 8. Comes into the garden out of books, i.e. leaves her books to come into the garden. 75. Motto: "That city they call Rome, I, simple clown, Thought, Melibaus, like our country town." — (Ogilby.) VIRGIL: Eclog. i. 20 (Spectator, No. 119). 75 22. Several, various. 76 2. Conversation, social intercourse. 76 19. Them, i.e. the manners of the last age. 76 22. Never conversed in the world, i.e. never mingled in fashion able society. 78 18. Head-dresses. In No. 98 of the Spectator, Addison says, speaking of the head-dress: "About ten years ago, it shot up to a very great height, insomuch that the female part of our species were much taller than the men. The women were of such an enormous stature that we appeared as grasshoppers before them.” XIX. SIR ROGER AT THE ASSIZES. 79. Motto: “A pleasant comrade on the road is as good as a coach." — Publius Syrus (Spectator, No. 122). 79 27. County assizes, periodical sessions held in the county by the judges of the superior courts. 80 5. Yeoman. The yeomen in England are considered as next in order to the gentry. 80 5. Of about an hundred pounds a year, i.e. having an income of about a hundred pounds a year. 80 6. The Game Act. The act referred to, 3 James I. Cap. 14, clause 5, - declared that no one might shoot game who had not an income of forty pounds a year or two hundred pounds' worth of goods and chattels. The law was in force until 1827. 80 13. Petty jury. The petty (or pétit) jury consists of twelve men who are impaneled to try causes at court. It is so named in distinction from the grand jury, which may consist of a larger number. The functions of the two are distinct. 80 15. For taking the law of everybody, ¿.e. for bringing the law to bear upon everybody. 80 19. Ejectments, actions for the recovery of the possession of real property, and damages and costs for the wrongful withholding of it. 80 23. He has cast and been cast, ¿.e. he has gained lawsuits, and has lost them. 82 9. To do honor to his old master had... put him up in a signpost before the door. Mr. G. Gregory Smith says in his note: Portrait signs were not uncommon. Pontack, the famed purveyor, likeness of his father on his signboard." 82 32. Discovering, giving vent to. had a XX. THE EDUCATION OF AN HEIR. 83. Motto: "Learning improves native gifts, and wise discipline strengthens the character: degenerate morals are not redeemed by noble Od. IV. iv. 33 (Spectator, No. 123). 84 16. This makes me often think on a story I have heard. In a letter to Mr. Montague, written on the day that this number of the Spectator was published, Addison says: "Being very well pleased with this day's Spectator, I cannot forbear sending you one of them, and desiring your opinion of the story in it. When you have a son I shall be glad to be his Leontine, as my circumstances will probably be like his .. 85 2. The Gazette. The London Gazette is the official newspaper of the government. It was first published in 1642, but the first of the existing series was issued at Oxford in 1665, whither the court had gone to escape from the plague. Steele was appointed gazetteer in 1707. Turned of forty, i.e. a little over forty. In his essay on The Danger of Procrastination, Cowley says: "But there is no fooling with life, when it is once turned beyond forty." 85 10. 86 31. 87 11. The Inns of Court. See note referring to p. 7, 1. 6. 87 33. Closet, private apartment. XXI. MISCHIEFS OF PARTY SPIRIT. 89. Motto: "Your hearts to harden with dire war forbear, Nor with such force your country's bowels tear."— (Ogilby.) 89 4. Roundheads and Cavaliers. During the reign of Charles I. the nickname, Roundheads, was given to the Puritans, who wore their hair short. They were so called in opposition to the Cavaliers, or Royalists, who wore their hair long. 89 6. St. Anne's Lane. “Probably St. Anne's Lane, Great Peter Street, Westminster, where Purcell [an eminent musician and composer] lived." (Mr. Aitken's note.) 89 22. Make honest gentlemen hate one another. "Soon after this paper appeared, Swift wrote to Esther Johnson [See Journal to Stella]: 'I met Pastoral Philips and Mr. Addison on the Mall to-day, and took a turn with them; but they looked terribly dry and cold. A curse on Party!'" (Mr. Aitken's note.) 90 16. Plutarch, a Greek moralist, and the greatest biographer of ancient times, was born about A.D. 50. His Lives, - parallel lives of Greeks and Romans arranged in pairs,—and his Morals are the most widely read of his works. The passage quoted, or rather paraphrased, may be found in Professor Goodwin's translation of Plutarch's Morals, vol. i. How a Man may receive Advantage and Profit from his Enemies. 90 25. That great rule. Luke vi. 27-29, "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, etc." 91 9. Two different mediums. The mediums may be air and water. A pencil placed in a glass of water furnishes an illustration. 91 28. Postulatums. Postulata is the correct plural. A postulatum, or postulate, is a proposition or supposition which is considered selfevident, and which, consequently, needs no proof. 92 5. Guelphs and Ghibellines. Two great political parties whose conflicts lasted during the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries. The Guelphs supported the pope and the Ghibellines the German emperor. 92 6. The League. The Holy Catholic League, -the object of which was, to prevent the accession of Henry IV. of France, who was then of the reformed religion, -was formed in 1576, and lasted till Henry embraced Romanism, in 1593. 92 29. In great figures of life, ie. in conspicuous positions. XXII. MISCHIEFS OF PARTY SPIRIT Continued. 93. Motto: "Be he Trojan or Rutulian, it shall be the same to me." — Virgil: Æn. x. 108 (Spectator, No. 126). 94 17. Diodorus Siculus, a historian, born in Sicily, who lived in the first century B.C. The Historical Library of Diodorus, which was written in Greek, was a history of the world from the earliest times to 60 B.C. Fifteen books only have been preserved. The account of the ichneumon may be found in the Latin version: Bibliothecae Historicae, Liber I: xxxv., lxxxiii. 94 23. Finds his account in them, i.e. finds them of advantage to him. 95 8. Men of a politer conversation, ¿.e. men of greater social refine ment. 95 16. Whig jockeys and Tory fox hunters. See note referring to p. 4, 1. 4. 95 28. 96 1. His interest, i.e. his influence in the community. Bad cheer, bad food poorly cooked. 96 33. Fanatic. The word was sometimes applied to Dissenters of various kinds. 97 8. Their first principles, i.e. their beginnings. He was more 97 12. Dyer's Letter. "John Dyer, a Jacobite printer, issued manuscript news-letters to customers in the country. than once in trouble for spreading false news. . . . for truth, so long as he lashed the Whigs." — (From Mr. Aitken's note.) 97 15. Communicate, give. XXIII. GYPSIES AT COVERLEY. 97. Motto: "Still is it their delight to gain fresh booty, and by plunder live." —– Virgil: Æn. vii. 748 (Spectator, No. 130). 97 22. Exert the justice of the peace, i.e. use his authority as justice 98 31. Cassandra, a prophetess, daughter of King Priam of Troy. 98 31. 99 6. Line of life, a line on the inside of the hand, curving about the base of the thumb. By examining this line the palmister foretells the length of a person's life. 99 7. Baggage, a saucy girl. 99 19. The darkness of an oracle. Oracles were usually incoherent or susceptible of two or more interpretations. 99 30. Vermin, small noxious animals. 100 22. Gave him for drowned. "I give not heaven for lost." Milton. XXIV. THE SPECTATOR LOOKS TOWARD LONDON. 101. Motto: "Ye woods, once more farewell!"— Virgil: Ecl. x. 63 (Spectator, No. 131). 102 3. Spring. "To spring game" is to start it, so that it rises from its cover. 102 5. Put up, i.e. start from the cover. |