Black Republicans. The Republican party of U. S., so called when opposing the extension of slavery. Blarney Stone. Its supposed virtue when kissed is to impart a smooth and oily tongue. Profusion of compliments is called Blarney. This stone is in Blarney Castle, near Cork, Ireland. Bluebeard. A wife-killing tyrant, in a nursery story. Blue Laws. Some severe New England statutes were so called. Blue Stocking. A literary society at Venice in 1400, whose members wore blue stockings, is the origin of this name for a female pedant. Bohemian. As opposed to Philistine, an artist or literary man living loosely by his wits. Bois de Boulogne. A Parisian promenade. Border, The. Frontier of England and Scotland. Border Minstrel, The. Sir Walter Scott. Border States. Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri. Bourgeoisie. A class of the people of France mostly composed of traders and manufacturers. Boulevard. A wide street in Paris, in the place of the ancient ramparts. Bourse. Parisian stock exchange. Bow Bells. A set of bells in the Church of St. Maryle-Bow, London. One "born within sound of Bow Bells" is a Cockney. Bowery, The. A New York thoroughfare. Boycott. To refuse to have anything to do with a person. To let him severely alone. A trying ordeal passed through by Captain Boycott in Ireland in 1881. No one would sell to him, buy from him, work for him, or speak to him. Brandy Nose. Queen Anne of England. Breeches Bible, The. An edition in which "aprons" in Gen. iii. 7 is rendered "breeches.' Bride of the Sea. Venice. Bridge of Sighs. In Venice. Connects Doge's Palace and State Prison. Over this bridge the condemned passed when on their way to be executed. British Museum. Library and museum in London. Broadway. The principal business street of New York. Brook Farm. A Socialistic community to carry out the idea of Fourierism; was founded at West Roxbury, Mass., 1841. Brother Jonathan. America; an American. Some doubt as to its origin, but it is said to come from Gov. Jonathan Trumbull, of Connecticut, in speaking of whom Washington would say, "We must consult Brother Jonathan." Buncombe. Clap-trap speeches, to cajole constituents, more than for immediate effect. Buncombe is in North Carolina. A North Carolina member said a fiery speech was not delivered to the House, but to Buncombe. Bunker Hill Monument. An obelisk of granite marking the site of the battle of Bunker Hill, fought between the British and Americans, June 17, 1775. Cachet, Lettres de. (Sealed letters.) Blank warrants with the seal of the French King already affixed for imprisoning or releasing any person in the Bastile. Caledonia. Scotland. Calumet. An Indian pipe. In old times a treaty of peace with the red men would be ratified by smoking the calumet. Campagna. The plains around the city of Rome. Carbonari. A secret political society organized in Italy, 1820. Carmagnole. Song and dance in the French Revolu tion. Castle Garden. At New York City, the landing-place of emigrants. Catacombs. Subterranean sepulchers. About three miles from Rome in the Appian Way a vast number of long underground passages about three feet wide and ten feet high. On each side in niches were deposited the bodies of the martyrs and early Christians. These niches were closed with tiles or slabs of marble having proper inscriptions on them. During the persecutions the Christians concealed themselves in these caves. Cavalier Servente. The escort of a married woman. Cecilia, St. A martyr; patroness of music. Celestial Empire. China, whose first emperors were all divinities. Central Park. The great park of New York City; contains 863 acres. Champs Elysees. A promenade in Paris. Charter Oak. A tree in Hartford, Conn., in which the Colonial Charter was secreted in 1688. It was blown down in 1856. Chauvinism. 'Patriotism of the blatant kind, from Chauvin, one of Scribe's characters. Cheapside. A thoroughfare in London. Chiltern Hundreds, To Accept the. A member of the English Parliament cannot resign, and cannot hold office during membership. If he wishes to leave, he can vacate his seat by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds. Chiltern Hundreds. A tract in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England, to which is attached the nominal office of steward under the crown. Christ Church. The name of the largest college in the University of Oxford. Cid, The. The Spanish hero, Don Roderigo Laynez, Count of Bivar. Cincinnati, The. Society of American Revolutionary officers. Citizen King, The. Louis Philippe of France. Cockagne, Land of. An imaginary country of ease and pleasure; usually applied to London. Colossus of Rhodes. A brass statue, one of the wonders of the world, which stood astride the entrance to the port of Rhodes. Columbia. Poetical name of the United States. Column of Vendome. A stone pillar in Paris erected by Napoleon, commemorating the successes of the French armies. It was thrown down by the Communists in 1871. Confederate States. The eleven states which seceded in 1861, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Congressional Library. At Washington; it is the largest in the United States. Consols. English public securities. Copperheads. Northern sympathizers with the South in the Civil war. Corncrackers, The. Kentuckians. Corn Law Rhymer, The. Ebenezer Elliott. Credit Mobilier. An authorized stock company. The American Credit Mobilier formed for raising money for the Pacific Railroad raised a foul odor in 1873. Crocodile Tears. Counterfeit sorrow. A fable says the crocodile weeps as it eats its victim. Cumberland. A United States vessel sunk by the Confederate ram Merrimac in Hampton Roads, March 8, 1862. Curfew Bell. At 8 o'clock, the ringing of the curfew bell in old times in England, all lights were extinguished, the fires raked up and covered, and the people of the Kingdom retired to bed. This rule, made by William the Conqueror, lasted for a long time, and even yet there is some sign of its observance in the nine o'clock bell rung in many parts of New England. Damocles' Sword. Damocles, having commented upon the happiness which the tyrant Dionysius must enjoy, was invited by him to a feast where, whilst discussing the good things, he looked up and discovered a sword hanging by a single hair immediately over his head. Darby and Joan. The loving couple. Darwinian Theory. An explanation of the origin of species in animals, that they come from one or a few original forms, the present differences resulting from development and natural selection. De Profundis. The 130th Psalm; part of the burial service. Debatable Ground. Land on the western border of Scotland, disputed between England and Scotland. Defender of the Faith. Henry VIII. received this title from Pope Leo X., and his successors have borne it ever since. Directory, The French. By the Constitution of 1705 the executive power was vested in five Directors; it lasted only four years. Dixie, The Land of. The Southern States. Dizzy. The nickname of Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield. Doctors' Commons. The place where the Ecclesiastical Court sat in London. Doctrinaire. A cant term in French politics, given Eastern States, The. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Ecce Homo. A painting by Correggio representing the Saviour crowned with thorns. Ecole Polytechnique. A Parisian school, the graduates of which are given places in the public service. El Dorado. A fabulous region in South America, surpassing all other countries in the production of gems and precious metals. A name for any wealthy country. Elephant, Seeing the. Seeing the world. Elgin Marbles. A collection of Greek sculptures made by Lord Elgin. Now in the British Museum. Escurial, The. A royal residence built by Philip II.; it is the largest structure in Spain, and one of the most splendid buildings in Europe. It is 22 miles from Madrid and contains a palace, a church, a monastery, free schools, and a mausoleum. Eternal City, The. Rome. Eureka. (I have found it.) Exclamation of Archimedes when he discovered the method of proving that the sum of the squares of the sides of a right-angled triangle equaled the square of the hypotenuse. Evangelists, Symbols of the. Matthew has a scroll before him and holds a pen; Mark sits writing, with a winged lion by his side; Luke has a pen and a scroll, near him is an ox; John is a young man, behind whom is an eagle. Exclusion, Bill of. A bill which passed the English House of Commons in 1679, proposing to exclude the Duke of York from the throne because he was a Roman Catholic. Expounder of the Constitution, The. Daniel Webster. Fabian Policy. Delaying; dilatory. From Quintus Fabius Maximus, the Roman General who successfully opposed Hannibal, the Carthaginian, by avoiding a battle and continually harassing him. Fabius, The American. George Washington. Fairmount Park. In Philadelphia, where the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 was held; contains nearly 3,000 acres. Faineants, Les Rois. (Do-nothing Kings.) The last twelve Kings of the Merovingian Dynasty were so called. For about 100 years previous to 720, when Pepin dethroned Childeric III., they were mere puppets, and the supreme authority was exercised by the mayors of the palace. Falernian. A celebrated ancient Italian wine grown at Falernum. Faneuil Hall. In Boston, built 1742; called the "Cradle of Liberty," for there the Revolutionary patriots were wont to assemble. Farmer George. George III. of England; so called from his love of agriculture. Fata Morgana. A mirage in the Straits of Messina. Father of his Country. George Washington. Fathers of the Latin Church. St. Ambrose of Milan, St. Augustine, St. Bernard, St. Hilary, St. Jerome, Lactantius. The part of Paris where Faubourg St. Antoine. the workingmen live. Faubourg St. Germain. Aristocratic part of Paris. Fenians. A society of Irishmen formed in the United States in 1865 to free Ireland. Field of the Cloth of Gold. Plain in France where Francis I. and Henry VIII. met on a mutual visit. It is historical on account of the gorgeous display, both parties being most extravagant in their outfit. Fifth Avenue. A celebrated residence street in New York. Fighting Joe. The American General Joseph Hooker. First Gentleman in Europe. George IV. of England. Five Points. A once notorious locality in New York. Flagellants. Religious fanatics of the thirteenth century who went about naked and scourging themselves. Fleet, The. A London prison taken down in 1845. Flowery Kingdom, The. China. Flying Dutchman. A specter ship cruising about the Cape of Good Hope. Forebodes trouble to whoever sees it. Forte. Strong point. Fort Sumter. In the harbor of Charleston, S. C. Here were heard the first sounds of the cannons' thunder in the late Civil War. Fourierism. Charles Fourier, a French visionary, proposed a system of communism in which the world should be divided into "phalansteries" of four hundred families who were to live and work in common. Freshman. A student in his first year at college. Funk, Peter. A mock auction; a person employed to act as an apparent purchaser and bid up articles for sale. Gadshill. Near Rochester, in Kent, England. Place where Falstaff met so many men in buckram. Charles Dickens' residence was at Gadshill. Genre Painting. Represents ordinary domestic and rural scenes. George, St., and the Dragon. St. George, the patron saint of England, is said to have slain in Libya a hideous dragon whose daily food was a virgin. Gerrymander. The geographical apportionment of districts to give preponderance to one political party. Started in Massachusetts, and named from its Governor, Elbridge Gerry. Example, a shoestring district in Missouri. Ghetto. The quarter in Rome to which the Jews were formerly restricted. Ghibelline. One of a faction in Italy in the thirteenth century, which favored the German Emperors, in opposition to the Guelphs, adherents of the Pope. Girondists; The Gironde. Moderate "Constitutional" Republican party in the French Revolution in 1798. Glencoe. A pass in Argyleshire, Scotland. Here, February 13, 1691, were massacred thirty-eight of the McDonalds by one hundred and twenty soldiers under Capt. Campbell. Gobelins. A tapestry and carpet manufactory at Paris, founded by Gobelin, a dyer, about 370 years ago. Godiva, Lady. Wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, who offered to remit certain exactions to his tenants if she would ride naked through the streets of Coventry. She did so, all the people closing their doors and keeping within except one, "Peeping Tom," who was struck blind for peeping at her. Golconda. The neighborhood of some rich diamond mines in India. Gold Fever. 1849; peopled California. Golden Age. A period of innocence and prosperity. Nearly always refers to some past age. Golden Gate. The entrance to the harbor of Sar Francisco. Golden Horn. The estuary of the Bosphorus, upon whose banks Constantinople is built. Gordian Knot. A difficulty; an obstacle. Gordius, King of Phrygia, consecrated to Jupiter a wagon, the beam and yoke of which were tied together by such an intricate knot that no one could unravel it. An oracle having foretold that he who could untie this knot would be master of Asia, Alexander cut it asunder with his sword. Gordon Riots, The. In 1780, in London, the bill passed by the House of Commons for the relief of the Roman Catholics caused so much ill feeling that Lord George Gordon, a fanatic, incited the mob to try to force its repeal. Dickens in his Barnaby Rudge gives a vivid description of these riots. Gotham. A name sometimes applied to New York City. Gotham, The Wise Men of. Noted for their folly. Gotham was an English village. Great Commoner, The. William Pitt. Great Eastern. The largest vessel ever launched. She was built to carry 1,000 passengers and 5,000 tons of United States Treasury notes. So named from their color. Green Isle, The. Ireland. the Emerald Isle. Sometimes also called Greenwood. A cemetery in Brooklyn, N. Y. Gregorian Year. 1582; it being proved that the years were eleven minutes shorter than what they were counted at, Gregory XIII. took ten days of October out of that year and advanced the dates so as to correct the calendar. The reform has been accepted throughout Christendom, except in Russia. Example: George Washington, born February 11, O. S. Gretna Green. A Scotch village famous for runaway matches. Grub Street. In London; used to be noted for its literary denizens. Guelphs. The adherents in the thirteenth century of the Papacy against the German Emperors. They were the constant opponents of the Ghibellines, and between them Italy was kept in turmoil. Guildhall. The London town hall, Gunpowder Plot, The. A plot to blow up the English Parliament in its House, November 5, 1605. A cellar underneath was stored with gunpowder intended to be touched off during the session by Guy Fawkes. The discovery was made in time to prevent mischief. To use a modern but inelegant phrase, the plot was considered by some people to be "a put up job." Gyges' Ring. A ring which made the wearer invisible. Gyges, having found a man's corpse in a brazen horse that he discovered in a cave, took a ring from the finger of the dead that rendered him invisible. By using this ring he entered unseen the chamber of the King of Lydia and murdered him. He became King. Habeas Corpus Act, The. Was passed in the time | of Charles II. and provides that the body of any person restrained of his liberty must on proper application be brought before a judge and the reason of his confinement stated. The judge will then determine the amount of bail he shall furnish, or he will remand him to prison or allow him his freedom, as the case may require. Halcyon Days. A period of happiness; days of peace and tranquillity. The halcyon, as the kingfisher was anciently called, was said to lay her eggs in nests on rocks near the sea during the calm weather about the winter solstice. Handicap. Apportionment of the weights that must be carried in a race by different horses, considering their age and strength, to equalize their chances. Hansard. Name of the firm which prints the debates of the British Parliament. Hanse Towns. In the twelfth century some commercial cities in the north of Germany formed an association for the protection of commerce. To these other similar cities in Holland, England, France, Spain, and Italy acceded, and for centuries this confederacy commanded the respect and defied the power of kings. Hanseatic League. The name of the confederation of Hanse towns. There were seventy-two cities in the league, and they held triennial conventions called Hansa. It has long since fallen to pieces. Four of its members, Lubeck, Hamburg, Bremen, and Frankfort, are called free cities, but are really part of the German Empire. Hare, Mad as a March. The hare is wilder than usual in March. Harpies. Three ravenous and filthy monsters, each having a woman's face and the body of a vulture. Their names were Aello, Ocypete, and Celeno. Juno sent them to plunder the table of Phineus. Hari-Kari. (Happy dispatch.) suicide. Japanese official History, The Father of. Herodotus, the Greek historian. Hobson's Choice. Take what is offered or go without. Tobias Hobson, an English stable-keeper, made whatever customer came to hire a horse take the one nearest the door. Holborn. A street in London by which criminals used to be carried out to execution at Tyburn. Holy Alliance. Formed in 1816 by Austria, Prussia, and Russia. Holy Family, The. The name of pictures representing in group the infant Jesus, St. Joseph, the Blessed Virgin, John the Baptist, Anna, and St. Elizabeth. The most celebrated are by Michael Angelo at Florence, by Raphael in London, and by Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre. Holy Land, The. Palestine. Holy League, The. The alliance of Pope Julius II., France, Germany, Spain, and some of the Italian Republics in 1508, against Venice. Honi soit qui mal y pense. (Shame to him who evil thinks.) Motto of the highest order of knighthood in Great Britain, that of the Garter, instituted by Edward III. At a ball, a garter of the Countess of Salisbury, having fallen off, was picked up by the King, who expressed himself in the above phrase and fastened it around his own knee. This incident led to the formation of the order. Honors of War. Allowing a surrendered enemy to keep his arms. Hotel de Ville. The city hall in French and Belgian cities. Houris. Beautiful virgins of Paradise: promised by the Koran for the delight of the true believers. Hundred Days, The. From March 20, 1815, when Napoleon escaped from Elba, to June 22, 1815, when he abdicated. Iconoclast. (Image-breaker.) A radical reformer. Iliad. A Greek epic poem by Homer, relating the story of the siege of Troy by the Greeks. Independence, Declaration of. Issued July 4, 1776. Independence Hall. In Philadelphia, Pa., where Congress met and adopted the Declaration of Independence. Index Expurgatorius. A list of books forbidden to be read by the Roman Catholic Church. Inns of Court. The four London law societies which have the sole right of admitting candidates to the Bar. They are Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, the Inner Temple, and the Middle Temple. Inquisition. A tribunal established in some countries to try heretics. Irish Agitator, The. Daniel O'Connell. Iron City, The. Pittsburg, Pa. Iron Duke, The. The Duke of Wellington. Iron Mask, The Man in the. A mysterious French state prisoner. Jack Ketch. The hangman. The name of an English hangman. Jack Robinson. Before yon can say Jack Robinson: at once. Jack Robinson was noted for the shortness of his visits; the servant had scarcely time to repeat his name, before he would leave. Jack, The Giant Killer. A nursery hero. Jack, The American, or Union. The blue ground of the American flag with the stars but without the stripes. Jacobins. A revolutionary club, 1789, in Paris, held its meetings in what had been the Jacobin Monastery. They were violent and extreme in the measures they proposed. Their name spread to all similar organizations and to individuals acting with them throughout France. Jacobites. Adherents of James II. of England, and of the Stuarts, his descendants. Jardin des Plantes. Botanical and zoological garden in Paris. Jardin Mabille. Of world-wide notoriety. A Parisian resort where the can-can flourished. Suppressed in 1882. Jericho, Gone to. Disappeared; ruined. Jerusalem Delivered. An Italian epic poem by Torquato Tasso. Jingo, Jingoism. Expression applied in England to those who wanted the English Government to assume an aggressive foreign policy, 1874-1880. John Bull. England. Nickname for an Englishman. John Chinaman. The Chinese in America. Johnny Cakes. Made of Indian meal baked in the ashes. Jubilee, Year of. Among the Jews the jubilee came every fiftieth year, which was the year after one week of weeks of years had passed (seven times seven). All slaves who were of Hebrew blood were freed, all debts were canceled, and all lands returned to original owners during the jubilee. In the Roman Catholic Church it is observed every twenty-fifth year. Juggernaut. A Hindoo god who has a famous temple in India. There is an immense car in the service of this god, which, when moved about the country, causes the greatest excitement. The car resembles a large building, and its weight is very heavy. It is dragged along by the multitude, and their fanaticism is so great that crowds of devotees cast themselves under the wheels and are crushed to death, a fate which they believe insures paradise. Julian Era, The. A method of reckoning time from 46 B.C., when Cæsar reformed the calendar. Their Junius, Letters of. Some remarkable political letters written during the reign of George III. authorship is unknown. Langue d'Oc. Provence, a part of France so called from the dialect in use. Langue d'Œil. All of France except Provence. Laocoon, The. A celebrated statue in the Vatican representing Laocoon strangled by serpents. Laodicean. A person lukewarm in religion. Lares and Penates. The household gods. Last Judgment, The. The theme of a number of frescoes of the Renaissance period in Italy. Last Supper, The. Similar to the above. Leonardo da Vinci's best canvas is on this subject. Lateran Palace, The. One of the Papal residences at Rome. Laughing Philosopher, The. Democritus of Abdera, who believed that life was only to be laughed at. Leaning Tower, The. A celebrated structure at Pisa, Italy, which leans thirteen feet out of the perpendicular; 178 feet high. Learned Blacksmith, The. Elihu Burritt. Leonine Verses. Verses which rhyme at the middle and the end. Libby Prison. A Confederate jail for prisoners of war at Richmond, Va. Lilliput. The pigmy land in Gulliver's travels. Kansas, Bleeding. So called by Horace Greeley Arabic spoken on the Mediterranean Sea. A London Park near which during the Free Soil controversy. Kilkenny Cats, The. Disputing people; from the old verse: There once were two cats in Kilkenny, Who each thought there was one cat too many, So they howled and they fit, and they scratched and they bit, Until instead of two cats there wasn't any. King can do no wrong, The. Meaning that the Ministers and not the King are responsible for mistakes of government. King of Yvetot. The Seigneur of Yvetot was made king of his estate by the King of France as a recompense for the killing of his father. It was a kingdom of eight square miles. King Cole. A legendary king of Britain, who affected tobacco and spirits. King Cotton. A name given to the great Southern industry before the war. King's Evil. The scrofula. So called from the belief that a king's touch would cure the disease. King Log. A good-for-nothing ruler. The name comes from one of Esop's fables, wherein Jupiter puts a log to rule over the frogs. King-Maker, The. Richard Nevill, the Earl of Warwick, who set up and deposed kings at his will during the Wars of the Roses, in the fifteenth century. King Stork. A tyrant. The sequel to the Esop fable mentioned above. The frogs grew tired of King Log, whereupon King Stork was brought in at their request, who devoured the whole community. Kit Kat Club, The. A London club founded in 1688. It had many eminent members. Knickerbocker. A member of any old Dutch family in New York. Derived from Irving's immortal history. Knight of Malta. A chivalric and monastic order founded during the Crusades, also called the Knights Hospitallers of St. John. Know-Nothings. A political party in the United States, whose cardinal principle was opposition to foreign office-holders. Koh-i-Noor. A Golconda diamond, the largest in the world, now one of the crown diamonds of England. Value, $625,000. Koran, The. The Mohammedan Bible. Lion and Unicorn. The supporters of the British royal arms. Lion of the North, The. Gustavus of Sweden, the great leader of the Protestant forces during the Thirty Years' War. Lion's Share. The bigger portion in a division. So called from one of Esop's fables. Little Corporal, The. Napoleon Bonaparte. Long Parliament. The Parliament which sat for thirteen years at the beginning of the civil war in England. It sat from 1640 to 1653. Lorelei. A malignant but beautiful water-sprite of the Rhine. Lotus-Eaters. The. Homer in the Odyssey describes the effect of eating the lotus as making the eater forget his home. Louvre, The. The art palace of Paris. Low Church, The. A part of the Episcopal Church which is opposed to ceremonials. Lusiad, The. The Portuguese epic poem, written by Camoens, describing Vasco da Gama's adventures. Lynch Law. Mob law. The name comes from a Virginia farmer who instituted the first vigilance committee in America. Mab, Queen. The queen of the fairies. So called from an Irish fairy princess named Medh, who flourished in the night of time. Macadamize. Paving with broken stones. So called from the inventor, Sir John MacAdam. Macaronic Verse. A verse made by mixing different languages. Macchiavellism. Political trickery. Mad Poet, The. Nathaniel Lee, an insane English Maecenas. A noted patron of poets during the reign of Augustus of Rome. Magna Charta. The charter making the corner stone Kremlin, The. The Royal Russian residence in of English liberty, extorted from King John Lack-Land. Moscow. Labyrinth, The. A celebrated structure built by Minos, King of Crete, which consisted of a maze out of which no one who entered could find the way back. Laconic. Curt. So called from the brief speech in fashion in old Laconia, afterwards called Sparta. Lacrymal Christi. An Italian wine. Lake School, The. A society of English poets con- Land of Nod, The. Sleep; Dreamland. Land of Promise, The. Canaan, the goal of the Jewish wanderings in the wilderness. Lang Syne. Long ago. Mahomet's Coffin. The body of Mahomet is said to hang in mid-air over Medina. Maid of Orleans. Joan of Arc. Maid of Saragossa. Augustina Zaragoza, the hero- Malthusian Doctrine, The. The theory that the population of the world is growing faster than the food supply. Mammoth Cave. A cave near the Green River, Kentucky, the largest cave in the world. Man in the Moon. According to the legend the man who first broke the Sabbath. Man of Destiny. Napoleon Bonaparte. Man of Iron, The. Bismarck. Man of Straw. An irresponsible person. Mare's Nest. A matter which seems of importance but turns out to be nothing. Marriage a la Mode. The title of six satirical pictures by Hogarth. Marseillaise. The French national air, composed by Rouget de Lisle. Martinet. A strict disciplinarian. So called from a French officer of the seventeenth century. Mason and Dixon's Line. The north boundary of the Slave States, dividing Virginia and Maryland from Pennsylvania. Mausoleum. The tomb of Mausolus, built by Queen Artemisia, one of the seven wonders of the world. Mayfair. The west end of London. Mercator's Projection (or Mercator's Chart) is so called after Gerard Mercator, a Flemish geographer of the sixteenth century, the first to give an unbroken view of the whole surface of the earth. In it all the meridians are straight lines perpendicular to the equator, and all the parallels parallel to the equator, the effect being to greatly exaggerate the polar regions. Merry Andrew. A buffoon, from Andrew Borde, the whimsical physician of Henry VIII. Merry Monarch, The. Charles II. of England. Mesmerism takes its name from Mesmer, a German physician. Mezzo Relievo. Carved or cast figures projecting from the tablet a little more than basso relievo, and something less than alto relievo, are called mezzo relievo. Middle Ages, The. The period between the destruction of the Roman Empire and the revival of learning in Italy-476 to 1500. Middle States, The. New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Minnesingers. (Love singers.) The German lyric poets of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Miserere. The fifty-first psalm. Mississippi Bubble, The. A hollow financial scheme. Missouri Compromise, The. A measure that prohibited slavery north of 36° 30′ north latitude. Mistress of the Seas. England. Molly Maguires. A secret society in the United States. Many crimes were attributed to it, especially in Pennsylvania. Monarch, Le Grand. Louis XIV. of France. Monroe Doctrine. The United States is not to meddle in European affairs, nor to allow European Governments to meddle in the affairs of the American Continent. Mont de Piete. A pawnbroker's shop. Montmartre. A Parisian cemetery. Monumental City, The. Baltimore, Md. Morey Letter, The. A forged letter attributing to General Garfield anti-Chinese sentiments, 1880. Morganatic Marriage. A marriage between a man of high rank and a woman of a lower one. She does not take her husband's title. Mother of Presidents. Virginia; having produced seven Presidents of the United States. Mother Carey's Chickens. Stormy Petrels. Mother Goose. She lived near Boston, and was a nursery rhymer. She sang rhymes to her grandson, Thomas Fleet, who printed them in 1819. Mount Vernon. The home of Washington, in Virginia. Muscular Christianity. An expression of Charles Kingsley. "A sound mind in a sound body." Plato Music of the Spheres. Order, harmony. taught that each planet had a siren whose song harmonized with the motion of our sphere and with that of the others. Namby-Pamby. Childish. A term used for poor literary productions. Nantes, Edict of. A decree issued at Nantes, France, in 1508, by Henry IV., granting toleration to the Protestant religion. Revoked by Louis XIV., Octo ber 22, 1685. Nation of Shop-keepers. The name given to the English by Napoleon. Natural Bridge, The. A natural arch over Cedar Creek near James River in Virginia. It is two hundred feet high. Newgate. A London prison. New World. The Americas. Nibelungenlied. A German epic poem of the thirteenth century. Nine Worthies, The. Joshua, David, Judas Maccabæus, Hector, Alexander, Julius Cæsar, Arthur, Charlemagne, and Godfrey of Bouillon. Noctes Ambrosianæ. The title of a work by Professor Wilson (Christopher North). Noel. Christmas day. Non-Conformists. Dissenters from the Church of England. Northern Giant, The. Russia. Notre Dame. The Cathedral of Paris. Odyssey. Homer's narrative poem of the adventures of Ulysses on his voyage from Troy to Ithaca. Ogres. Giants who feed on human flesh. Oi Polloi. The multitude. Old Abe. Abraham Lincoln. Old Bailey. A London criminal court. Old Guard, The. A favorite regiment of Napoleon Old Probs. (Old Probabilities.) The United States Signal Service. President James Bu Old Public Functionary. chanan. Old South, The. A famous church in Boston, Mass. Orangeman. A Protestant Irishman. Member of an organization which cherishes the memory of William Prince of Orange. Orange Peel. Sir Robert Peel. Ordinance of 1787. An act fixing the government of the Northwest Territory of the United States. Orlando Furioso. An Italian poem by Ariosto. Ossian. The son of Fingal, a Scotch bard. Ossian's poems, published in 1760, were the work of James McPherson, a gifted Caledonian. Ostend Manifesto. Issued by the United States Ministers to England, France, and Spain during Pierce's administration, declaring that Cuba must be long to the United States. Ostracism. The Athenians expelled every public man against whom a sufficient number of votes were cast. The votes were written on oyster shells. Palimpsest. A parchment having the original writing erased and new writing substituted. Pall Mall. A street in London. Palladium. Something that affords defense, protection, and safety. A statue of Pallas was the palladium of Troy. Pantheon. A circular building in Rome erected in the time of Augustus. It is now a church, the Rotunda. Paradise Lost. A poem by John Milton, treating of the fall of man. Paradise Regained. Poem by Milton on the temptation and triumph of Jesus. Paris of America, The. Cincinnati. Parthenon. A temple of Minerva in Athens. Partington, Mrs. The American Mrs. Malaprop. The creation of B. P. Shillaber. Pasquinade. A lampoon or satirical writing. Political squibs used to be posted on an old statue that stood in Rome near the house of a sneering old cobbler named Pasquin. Peeler. A policeman. Sir Robert Peel founded the Irish constabulary. Peninsular War. The war between England and France in Spain and Portugal, 1808-1812. People's William. William E. Gladstone. Pere-la-Chaise. A cemetery near Paris. Philippic. An invective. The orations of Demosthenes against Philip of Macedon originated this word. Philistine. A word in use in the German universities for a person below caste. Philosopher's Stone, The. A substance supposed to have the property of turning anything else into gold. Phoenix. A mythical bird, without a mate, renews itself every five hundred years by being consumed in a fire of spices, whence it rises from the ashes and starts for a new flight. Pied Piper of Hamelin, The. Not being paid for having drawn, by the sound of his pipe, the rats and mice out of Hamelin into the river, he piped the children of the town into Koppelberg hill, where 130 of them died. Pigeon English. A mixture of English, Chinese, and Portuguese. Plon-Plon. Prince Napoleon J. C. Bonaparte. Plumed Knight, The. J. G. Blaine, American statesman. |