FRIENDSHIP

[231]Caratach(Caractacus) is a historical character in Fletcher's (1576-1625) tragedy ofBonduca(Boadicea).[232]Zoroaster, a Persian philosopher, founder of the ancient Persian religion. He flourished long before the Christian era.[233]"Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die."—Exodus, xx. 19. Compare also the parallel passage inDeuteronomy, v. 25-27.[234]John Locke.(See note18.)[235]Lavoisier(1743-1794), celebrated French chemical philosopher, discoverer of the composition of water.[236]James Hutton(1726-1797), great Scotch geologist, author of theTheory of the Earth.[237]Jeremy Bentham(1748-1832), English philosopher, jurist, and legislative reformer.[238]Fourier(1772-1837), French socialist, founder of the system of Fourierism.[239]Calvinism, the doctrines of John Calvin (1509-1564). French theologian and Protestant reformer. A cardinal doctrine of Calvinism is predestination.[240]Quakerism, the doctrines of the Quakers or Friends, a society founded by George Fox (1624-1691).[241]Emanuel Swedenborg(1688-1772), Swedish theosophist, founder of the New Jerusalem Church. He is taken by Emerson in hisRepresentative Menas the type of the mystic, and is often mentioned in his other works.[242]"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not."—Emerson,Art.[243]Thebes, a celebrated ruined city of Upper Egypt.[244]Palmyra, a ruined city of Asia situated in an oasis of the Syrian desert, supposed to be the Tadmor built by Solomon in the wilderness (II. Chr., viii. 4).[245]"Vain, very vain, my weary search to findThat bliss which only centers in the mind....Still to ourselves in every place consign'd,Our own felicity we make or find."Goldsmith(andJohnson),The Traveler, 423-32."He that has light within his own clear breastMay sit i' th' center, and enjoy bright day;But he that hides a dark soul, and foul thoughts,Benighted walks under the mid-day sun;Himself in his own dungeon."Milton,Comus, 381-5.Compare alsoParadise Lost, I, 255-7.[246]Vatican, the palace of the pope in Rome, with its celebrated library, museum, and art gallery.[247]Doric, the oldest, strongest, and simplest of the three styles of Grecian architecture.[248]Gothic, a pointed style of architecture, prevalent in western Europe in the latter part of the middle ages.[249]Never imitate.Emerson insists on this doctrine.[250]Shakespeare(1564-1616), the great English poet and dramatist. He is mentioned in Emerson's writings more than any other character in history, and is taken as the type of the poet in hisRepresentative Men."O mighty poet! Thy works are not as those of other men, simply and merely great works of art; but are also like the phenomena of nature, like the sun and the sea, the stars and the flowers,—like frost and snow, rain and dew, hailstorm and thunder, which are to be studied with entire submissionof our own faculties, and in the perfect faith that in them there can be no too much or too little, nothing useless or inert,—but that, the further we press in our discoveries, the more we shall see proofs of design and self-supporting arrangement where the careless eye had seen nothing but accident!"—De Quincy.[251]Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790), American philosopher, statesman, diplomatist, and author. He discovered the identity of lightning with electricity, invented the lightning-rod, went on several diplomatic missions to Europe, was one of the committee that drew up the Declaration of Independence, signed the treaty of Paris, and compiledPoor Richard's Almanac.[252]Francis Bacon(1561-1626), a famous English philosopher and statesman. He became Lord Chancellor under Elizabeth. He is best known by hisEssays; he wrote also theNovum Organumand theAdvancement of Learning.[253]Sir Isaac Newton.(See note53.)[254]Scipio.(See note205.)[255]Phidias(500?-432?b.c.), famous Greek sculptor.[256]Egyptians.He has in mind the pyramids.[257]The Pentateuch is attributed to Moses.[258]Dante(1265-1321), the greatest of Italian poets, author of theDivina Commedia.[259]Foreworld, a former ideal state of the world.[260]New Zealander, inhabitant of New Zealand, a group of two islands lying southeast of Australia.[261]Geneva, a city of Switzerland, situated at the southwestern extremity of Lake Geneva.[262]Greenwich nautical almanac.The meridian of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, near London, is the prime meridian for reckoning the longitude of the world. The nautical almanac is a publication containing astronomical data for the use of navigators and astronomers. What is the name of the corresponding publication of the U.S. Observatory at Washington?[263]Get the meaning of these astronomical terms.[264]Plutarch.(50?-120?a.d.), Greek philosopher and biographer, author ofParallel Lives, a series of Greek and Roman biographies. Next after Shakespeare and Plato he is the author most frequently mentioned by Emerson. Read the essay of Emerson on Plutarch.[265]Phocion(402-317b.c.), Athenian statesman and general. (See note364.)[266]Anaxagoras(500-426b.c.), Greek philosopher of distinction.[267]Diogenes (400?-323?), Greek cynic philosopher who affected great contempt for riches and honors and the comforts of civilized life, and is said to have taken up his residence in a tub.[268]Henry Hudson(—— - 1611), English navigator and explorer, discoverer of the bay and river which bear his name.[269]BeringorBehring(1680-1741), Danish navigator, discoverer of Behring Strait.[270]Sir William Edward Parry(1790-1855), English navigator and Arctic explorer.[271]Sir John Franklin(1786-1846?), celebrated English navigator and Arctic explorer, lost in the Arctic seas.[272]Christopher Columbus(1445?-1506), Genoese navigator and discoverer of America. His ship, the Santa Maria, appears small and insignificant in comparison with the modern ocean ship.[273]Napoleon Bonaparte(1769-1821), Emperor of France, one of the greatest military geniuses the world has ever seen. He was defeated in the battle of Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington, and died in exile on the isle of St. Helena. Emerson takes him as a type of the man of the world in hisRepresentative Men: "I call Napoleon the agent or attorney of the middle class of modern society.... He was the agitator, the destroyer of prescription, the internal improver, the liberal, the radical, the inventor of means, the opener of doors and markets, the subverter of monopoly and abuse.... He had the virtues of the masses of his constituents: he had also their vices. I am sorry that the brilliant picture has its reverse."[274]Comte de las Cases(not Casas) (1766-1842), author ofMémorial de Sainte-Hélène.[275]Ali, Arabian caliph, surnamed the "Lion of God," cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed. He was assassinated about 661.[276]The county of Essex in England has several namesakes in America.[277]Fortune. In Roman mythology Fortune, the goddess of fortune or chance, is represented as standing on a ball or wheel."Nec metuis dubio Fortunæ stantis in orbeNumen, et exosæ verba superba deæ?"Ovid,Tristia, v., 8, 8.FRIENDSHIP[278]Most of Emerson'sEssayswere first delivered as lectures, in practically the form in which they afterwards appeared in print. The form and style, it is true, were always carefully revised before publication; this Emerson called 'giving his thoughts a Greek dress.' His essay onFriendship, published in the First Series ofEssaysin 1841 was not, so far as we know, delivered as a lecture; parts of it, however, were taken from lectures which Emerson delivered onSociety,The Heart, andPrivate Life.In connection with his essay onFriendship, the student should read the two other notable addresses on the same subject, one the speech by Cicero, the famous Roman orator, and the other the essay by Lord Bacon, the great English author.[279]Relume.Is this a common word? Define it.[280]Pass my gate.The walk opposite Emerson's house on the 'Great Road' to Boston was a favorite winter walk for Concord people. Along it passed the philosophic Alcott and the imaginative Hawthorne, as well as famous townsmen, and school children.[281]My friends have come to me, etc.: Compare with Emerson's views here expressed the noble passage in his essay onThe Over-Soul: "Every friend whom not thy fantastic will but the great and tender heart in thee craveth, shall lock thee in his embrace. And this because the heart in thee is the heart of all; not a valve, not a wall, not an intersection is there anywhere in nature, but one blood rolls uninterruptedly in endless circulation through all men, as the water of the globe is all one sea, and, truly seen, its tide is one."[282]Bard.Poet: originally one who composed and sang to the music of a harp verses in honor of heroes and heroic deeds.[283]Hymn, ode, and epic.Define each of these three kinds of poetry.[284]Apollo.In classic mythology, the sun god who presided over music, poetry, and art; he was the guardian and leader of the Muses.[285]Muses.In classic mythology, the nine sisters who presided over music, poetry, art, and science. They were Clio the muse of history, Euterpe of music, especially the flute, Thalia of comedy, Melpomene of tragedy, Terpsichore of dancing, Erato of erotic poetry, mistress of the lyre, Polyhymnia of sacred poetry, Urania of astronomy, Calliope of eloquence and epic poetry.[286]Genius.According to an old belief, a spirit that watched over a person to control, guide and aid him.[287]"Crush the sweet poison," etc. This is a quotation fromComus, a poem by Milton.[288]Systole and diastole.(See note98.)[289]Friendship, like the immortality, etc. See on what a high plane Emerson places this relation of friendship. In 1840 he wrote in a letter: "I am a worshiper of friendship, and cannot find any other good equal to it. As soon as any man pronounces the words which approve him fit for that great office, I make no haste; he is holy; let me be holy also; our relations are eternal; why should we count days and weeks?"[290]Elysian temple.Temple of bliss. In Greek mythology, Elysium was the abode of the blessed after death.[291]An Egyptian skull.Plutarch says that at an Egyptian feast a skull was displayed, either as a hint to make the most of the pleasure which can be enjoyed but for a brief space, or as a warning not to set one's heart upon transitory things.[292]Conscious of a universal success, etc. Emerson wrote in his journal: "My entire success, such as it is, is composed wholly of particular failures."[293]Extends the old leaf.Compare Emerson's lines:"When half-gods goThe gods arrive."[294]A texture of wine and dreams.What does Emerson mean by this phrase? Explain the whole sentence.[295]"The valiant warrior," etc. The quotation is from Shakespeare'sSonnet,xxv.[296]Naturlangsamkeit.A German word meaning slowness. The slowness of natural development.[297]Olympian.One who took part in the great Greek games held every four years on the plain of Olympia. The racing, wrestling and other contests of strength and skill were accompanied by sacrifices to the gods, processions, and banquets. There was a sense of dignity and almost of worship about the games. The Olympic games have been recently revived, and athletes from all countries of the world contest for the prizes—simple garlands of wild olive.[298]I knew a man who, etc. The allusion is to Jonas Very, a mystic and poet, who lived at Salem, Massachusetts.[299]Paradox.Define this word. Explain its application to a friend.[300]My author says, etc. The quotation is fromA Consideration upon Cicero, by the French author, Montaigne. Montaigne was one of Emerson's favorite authors from his boyhood: of the essays he says, "I felt as if I myself, had written this book in some former life, so sincerely it spoke my thoughts."[301]Cherub.What is the difference between a cherub and a seraph?[302]Curricle.A two-wheeled carriage, especially popular in the eighteenth century.[303]This law of one to one.Emerson felt that this same law applied to nature. He wrote in his journal: "Nature says to man, 'one to one, my dear.'"[304]Crimen quos, etc. The Latin saying is translated in the preceding sentence.[305]Nonage.We use more commonly the word, "minority."[306]Janus-faced.The word here means simply two-faced, without the idea of deceit usually attached to it. In Roman mythology, Janus, the doorkeeper of heaven was the protector of doors and gateways and the patron of the beginning and end of undertakings. He was the god of the rising and setting of the sun, and was represented with two faces, one looking to the east and the other to the west. His temple at Rome was kept open in time of war and closed in time of peace.[307]Harbinger.A forerunner; originally an officer who rode in advance of a royal person to secure proper lodgings and accommodations.[308]Empyrean.Highest and purest heaven; according to the ancients, the region of pure light and fire.HEROISM[309]Title.Probably this essay is, essentially at least, the lecture onHeroismdelivered in Boston in the winter of 1837, in the course of lectures onHuman Culture.[310]Motto.This saying of Mahomet's was the only motto prefixed to the essay in the first edition. In later editions, Emerson prefixed, according to his custom, some original lines;"Ruby wine is drunk by knaves,Sugar spends to fatten slaves,Rose and vine-leaf deck buffoons,Thunder clouds are Jove's festoons,Drooping oft in wreaths of dreadLightning-knotted round his head:The hero is not fed on sweets,Daily his own heart he eats;Chambers of the great are jails,And head-winds right for royal sails."[311]Elder English dramatists.The dramatists who preceded Shakespeare. In his essay onShakespeare; or, the Poet, Emerson enumerates the foremost of these,—"Kyd, Marlowe, Greene, Jonson, Chapman, Dekker, Webster, Heywood, Middleton, Peele, Ford, Massinger, Beaumont and Fletcher."[312]Beaumont and Fletcher.Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher were two dramatists of the Elizabethan age. They wrote together and their styles were so similar that critics are unable to identify the share of each in their numerous plays.[313]Rodrigo, Pedro, or Valerio.Favorite names for heroes among the dramatists. Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, known usually by the title of the Cid, was the national hero of Spain, famous for his exploits against the Moors. Don Pedro was the Prince of Arragon in Shakespeare's play,Much Ado About Nothing.[314]Bonduca, Sophocles, the Mad Lover, and Double Marriage.The first, third and fourth are names of plays by Beaumont and Fletcher. In the case of the second, Emerson, by a lapse of memory, gives the name of one of the chief characters instead of the name of the play—The Triumph of Honorin a piece calledFour Plays in One. It is from this play by Beaumont and Fletcher that the passage in the essay is quoted.[315]Adriadne's crown.According to Greek mythology, the crown of Adriadne was, for her beauty and her sufferings, put among the stars. She was the daughter of Minos, King of Crete; she gave Theseus the clue by means of which he escaped from the labyrinth and she was afterwards abandoned by him.[316]Romulus.The reputed founder of the city of Rome.[317]Laodamia, Dion.Read these two poems by Wordsworth, the great English poet, and tell why you think Emerson mentioned them here.[318]Scott. Sir Walter Scott, a famous Scotch author.[319]Lord Evandale, Balfour of Burley.These are characters in Scott's novel,Old Mortality. The passage referred to by Emerson is in the forty-second chapter.[320]Thomas Carlyle.Carlyle was a great admirer of heroes, asserting that history is the biography of great men. One of his most popular books isHeroes and Hero-Worship, on a plan similar to that of Emerson'sRepresentative Men.[321]Robert Burns.A Scotch lyric poet. Emerson was probably thinking of the patriotic song,Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled.[322]Harleian Miscellanies.A collection of manuscripts published in the eighteenth century, and named for Robert Harley, the English statesman who collected them.[323]Lutzen.A small town in Prussia. The battle referred to was fought in 1632 and in it the Swedes under Gustavus Adolphus gained a great victory over vastly superior numbers. Nearly two hundred years later another battle was fought at Lutzen, in which Napoleon gained a victory over the allied Russians and Prussians.[324]Simon Ockley.An English scholar of the seventeenth century whose chief work was aHistory of the Saracens.[325]Oxford.One of the two great English universities.[326]Plutarch.(See note264.)[327]Brasidas.This hero, described by Plutarch, was a Spartan general who lived about four hundred years before Christ.[328]Dion.A Greek philosopher who ruled the city of Syracuse in the fourth century before Christ.[329]Epaminondas.A Greek general and statesman of the fourth century before Christ.[330]Scipio.(See note205.)[331]Stoicism.The stern and severe philosophy taught by the Greek philosopher Zeno; he taught that men should always seek virtue and be indifferent to pleasure and happiness. This belief, carried to the extreme of severity, exercised a great influence on many noble Greeks and Romans.[332]Heroism is an obedience, etc. In one of his poems Emerson says:"So nigh is grandeur to our dust,So near is God to man,When Duty whispers low, 'Thou must,'The youth replies, 'I can.'"[333]Plotinus.An Egyptian philosopher who taught in Rome during the third century. It was said that he so exalted the mind that he was ashamed of his body.[334]Indeed these humble considerations, etc. The passage, like many which Emerson quotes, is rendered inexactly. The Prince says to Poins: "Indeed these humble considerations make me out of love with my greatness. What a disgrace it is to me to remember thy name! or to know thy face to-morrow! or to take note how many pairs of silk stockings thou hast, that is, these and those that were thy peach-colored ones! or to bear the inventory of thy shirts, as, one for superfluity and another for use!" Shakespeare'sHenry IV., Part II. 2, 2.[335]Ibn Hankal.Ibn Hankul, an Arabian geographer and traveler of the tenth century. He wrote an account of his twenty years' travels in Mohammedan countries; in 1800 this was translated into English by Sir William Jones under the title ofThe Oriental Geography of Ibn Hankal. In that volume this anecdote is told in slightly different words.[336]Bokhara.Where is Bokhara? It corresponds to the ancient Sogdiana.[337]Bannocks.Thick cakes, made usually of oatmeal. What does Emerson mean by this sentence? Probably no person ever met his visitors, many of whom were "exacting and wearisome," and must have been unwelcome, with more perfect courtesy and graciousness than Emerson.[338]John Eliot.Give as full an account as you can of the life and works of this noble Apostle to the Indians of the seventeenth century.[339]King David, etc. See First Chronicles, 11, 15-19.[340]Brutus.Marcus Junius Brutus, a Roman patriot of the first century before Christ, who took part in the assassination of Julius Cæsar.[341]Philippi.A city of Macedonia near which in the year 42 B.C. were fought two battles in which the republican army under Brutus and Cassius was defeated by Octavius and Antony, friends of Cæsar.

[231]Caratach(Caractacus) is a historical character in Fletcher's (1576-1625) tragedy ofBonduca(Boadicea).

[232]Zoroaster, a Persian philosopher, founder of the ancient Persian religion. He flourished long before the Christian era.

[233]"Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die."—Exodus, xx. 19. Compare also the parallel passage inDeuteronomy, v. 25-27.

[234]John Locke.(See note18.)

[235]Lavoisier(1743-1794), celebrated French chemical philosopher, discoverer of the composition of water.

[236]James Hutton(1726-1797), great Scotch geologist, author of theTheory of the Earth.

[237]Jeremy Bentham(1748-1832), English philosopher, jurist, and legislative reformer.

[238]Fourier(1772-1837), French socialist, founder of the system of Fourierism.

[239]Calvinism, the doctrines of John Calvin (1509-1564). French theologian and Protestant reformer. A cardinal doctrine of Calvinism is predestination.

[240]Quakerism, the doctrines of the Quakers or Friends, a society founded by George Fox (1624-1691).

[241]Emanuel Swedenborg(1688-1772), Swedish theosophist, founder of the New Jerusalem Church. He is taken by Emerson in hisRepresentative Menas the type of the mystic, and is often mentioned in his other works.

[242]"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not."—Emerson,Art.

[243]Thebes, a celebrated ruined city of Upper Egypt.

[244]Palmyra, a ruined city of Asia situated in an oasis of the Syrian desert, supposed to be the Tadmor built by Solomon in the wilderness (II. Chr., viii. 4).

[245]"Vain, very vain, my weary search to findThat bliss which only centers in the mind....Still to ourselves in every place consign'd,Our own felicity we make or find."Goldsmith(andJohnson),The Traveler, 423-32."He that has light within his own clear breastMay sit i' th' center, and enjoy bright day;But he that hides a dark soul, and foul thoughts,Benighted walks under the mid-day sun;Himself in his own dungeon."Milton,Comus, 381-5.Compare alsoParadise Lost, I, 255-7.

[245]

"Vain, very vain, my weary search to findThat bliss which only centers in the mind....Still to ourselves in every place consign'd,Our own felicity we make or find."Goldsmith(andJohnson),The Traveler, 423-32.

"He that has light within his own clear breastMay sit i' th' center, and enjoy bright day;But he that hides a dark soul, and foul thoughts,Benighted walks under the mid-day sun;Himself in his own dungeon."Milton,Comus, 381-5.

[246]Vatican, the palace of the pope in Rome, with its celebrated library, museum, and art gallery.

[247]Doric, the oldest, strongest, and simplest of the three styles of Grecian architecture.

[248]Gothic, a pointed style of architecture, prevalent in western Europe in the latter part of the middle ages.

[249]Never imitate.Emerson insists on this doctrine.

[250]Shakespeare(1564-1616), the great English poet and dramatist. He is mentioned in Emerson's writings more than any other character in history, and is taken as the type of the poet in hisRepresentative Men."O mighty poet! Thy works are not as those of other men, simply and merely great works of art; but are also like the phenomena of nature, like the sun and the sea, the stars and the flowers,—like frost and snow, rain and dew, hailstorm and thunder, which are to be studied with entire submissionof our own faculties, and in the perfect faith that in them there can be no too much or too little, nothing useless or inert,—but that, the further we press in our discoveries, the more we shall see proofs of design and self-supporting arrangement where the careless eye had seen nothing but accident!"—De Quincy.

"O mighty poet! Thy works are not as those of other men, simply and merely great works of art; but are also like the phenomena of nature, like the sun and the sea, the stars and the flowers,—like frost and snow, rain and dew, hailstorm and thunder, which are to be studied with entire submissionof our own faculties, and in the perfect faith that in them there can be no too much or too little, nothing useless or inert,—but that, the further we press in our discoveries, the more we shall see proofs of design and self-supporting arrangement where the careless eye had seen nothing but accident!"—De Quincy.

[251]Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790), American philosopher, statesman, diplomatist, and author. He discovered the identity of lightning with electricity, invented the lightning-rod, went on several diplomatic missions to Europe, was one of the committee that drew up the Declaration of Independence, signed the treaty of Paris, and compiledPoor Richard's Almanac.

[252]Francis Bacon(1561-1626), a famous English philosopher and statesman. He became Lord Chancellor under Elizabeth. He is best known by hisEssays; he wrote also theNovum Organumand theAdvancement of Learning.

[253]Sir Isaac Newton.(See note53.)

[254]Scipio.(See note205.)

[255]Phidias(500?-432?b.c.), famous Greek sculptor.

[256]Egyptians.He has in mind the pyramids.

[257]The Pentateuch is attributed to Moses.

[258]Dante(1265-1321), the greatest of Italian poets, author of theDivina Commedia.

[259]Foreworld, a former ideal state of the world.

[260]New Zealander, inhabitant of New Zealand, a group of two islands lying southeast of Australia.

[261]Geneva, a city of Switzerland, situated at the southwestern extremity of Lake Geneva.

[262]Greenwich nautical almanac.The meridian of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, near London, is the prime meridian for reckoning the longitude of the world. The nautical almanac is a publication containing astronomical data for the use of navigators and astronomers. What is the name of the corresponding publication of the U.S. Observatory at Washington?

[263]Get the meaning of these astronomical terms.

[264]Plutarch.(50?-120?a.d.), Greek philosopher and biographer, author ofParallel Lives, a series of Greek and Roman biographies. Next after Shakespeare and Plato he is the author most frequently mentioned by Emerson. Read the essay of Emerson on Plutarch.

[265]Phocion(402-317b.c.), Athenian statesman and general. (See note364.)

[266]Anaxagoras(500-426b.c.), Greek philosopher of distinction.

[267]Diogenes (400?-323?), Greek cynic philosopher who affected great contempt for riches and honors and the comforts of civilized life, and is said to have taken up his residence in a tub.

[268]Henry Hudson(—— - 1611), English navigator and explorer, discoverer of the bay and river which bear his name.

[269]BeringorBehring(1680-1741), Danish navigator, discoverer of Behring Strait.

[270]Sir William Edward Parry(1790-1855), English navigator and Arctic explorer.

[271]Sir John Franklin(1786-1846?), celebrated English navigator and Arctic explorer, lost in the Arctic seas.

[272]Christopher Columbus(1445?-1506), Genoese navigator and discoverer of America. His ship, the Santa Maria, appears small and insignificant in comparison with the modern ocean ship.

[273]Napoleon Bonaparte(1769-1821), Emperor of France, one of the greatest military geniuses the world has ever seen. He was defeated in the battle of Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington, and died in exile on the isle of St. Helena. Emerson takes him as a type of the man of the world in hisRepresentative Men: "I call Napoleon the agent or attorney of the middle class of modern society.... He was the agitator, the destroyer of prescription, the internal improver, the liberal, the radical, the inventor of means, the opener of doors and markets, the subverter of monopoly and abuse.... He had the virtues of the masses of his constituents: he had also their vices. I am sorry that the brilliant picture has its reverse."

[274]Comte de las Cases(not Casas) (1766-1842), author ofMémorial de Sainte-Hélène.

[275]Ali, Arabian caliph, surnamed the "Lion of God," cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed. He was assassinated about 661.

[276]The county of Essex in England has several namesakes in America.

[277]Fortune. In Roman mythology Fortune, the goddess of fortune or chance, is represented as standing on a ball or wheel."Nec metuis dubio Fortunæ stantis in orbeNumen, et exosæ verba superba deæ?"Ovid,Tristia, v., 8, 8.

[277]Fortune. In Roman mythology Fortune, the goddess of fortune or chance, is represented as standing on a ball or wheel.

"Nec metuis dubio Fortunæ stantis in orbeNumen, et exosæ verba superba deæ?"Ovid,Tristia, v., 8, 8.

[278]Most of Emerson'sEssayswere first delivered as lectures, in practically the form in which they afterwards appeared in print. The form and style, it is true, were always carefully revised before publication; this Emerson called 'giving his thoughts a Greek dress.' His essay onFriendship, published in the First Series ofEssaysin 1841 was not, so far as we know, delivered as a lecture; parts of it, however, were taken from lectures which Emerson delivered onSociety,The Heart, andPrivate Life.In connection with his essay onFriendship, the student should read the two other notable addresses on the same subject, one the speech by Cicero, the famous Roman orator, and the other the essay by Lord Bacon, the great English author.

In connection with his essay onFriendship, the student should read the two other notable addresses on the same subject, one the speech by Cicero, the famous Roman orator, and the other the essay by Lord Bacon, the great English author.

[279]Relume.Is this a common word? Define it.

[280]Pass my gate.The walk opposite Emerson's house on the 'Great Road' to Boston was a favorite winter walk for Concord people. Along it passed the philosophic Alcott and the imaginative Hawthorne, as well as famous townsmen, and school children.

[281]My friends have come to me, etc.: Compare with Emerson's views here expressed the noble passage in his essay onThe Over-Soul: "Every friend whom not thy fantastic will but the great and tender heart in thee craveth, shall lock thee in his embrace. And this because the heart in thee is the heart of all; not a valve, not a wall, not an intersection is there anywhere in nature, but one blood rolls uninterruptedly in endless circulation through all men, as the water of the globe is all one sea, and, truly seen, its tide is one."

[282]Bard.Poet: originally one who composed and sang to the music of a harp verses in honor of heroes and heroic deeds.

[283]Hymn, ode, and epic.Define each of these three kinds of poetry.

[284]Apollo.In classic mythology, the sun god who presided over music, poetry, and art; he was the guardian and leader of the Muses.

[285]Muses.In classic mythology, the nine sisters who presided over music, poetry, art, and science. They were Clio the muse of history, Euterpe of music, especially the flute, Thalia of comedy, Melpomene of tragedy, Terpsichore of dancing, Erato of erotic poetry, mistress of the lyre, Polyhymnia of sacred poetry, Urania of astronomy, Calliope of eloquence and epic poetry.

[286]Genius.According to an old belief, a spirit that watched over a person to control, guide and aid him.

[287]"Crush the sweet poison," etc. This is a quotation fromComus, a poem by Milton.

[288]Systole and diastole.(See note98.)

[289]Friendship, like the immortality, etc. See on what a high plane Emerson places this relation of friendship. In 1840 he wrote in a letter: "I am a worshiper of friendship, and cannot find any other good equal to it. As soon as any man pronounces the words which approve him fit for that great office, I make no haste; he is holy; let me be holy also; our relations are eternal; why should we count days and weeks?"

[290]Elysian temple.Temple of bliss. In Greek mythology, Elysium was the abode of the blessed after death.

[291]An Egyptian skull.Plutarch says that at an Egyptian feast a skull was displayed, either as a hint to make the most of the pleasure which can be enjoyed but for a brief space, or as a warning not to set one's heart upon transitory things.

[292]Conscious of a universal success, etc. Emerson wrote in his journal: "My entire success, such as it is, is composed wholly of particular failures."

[293]Extends the old leaf.Compare Emerson's lines:"When half-gods goThe gods arrive."

[293]Extends the old leaf.Compare Emerson's lines:

"When half-gods goThe gods arrive."

[294]A texture of wine and dreams.What does Emerson mean by this phrase? Explain the whole sentence.

[295]"The valiant warrior," etc. The quotation is from Shakespeare'sSonnet,xxv.

[296]Naturlangsamkeit.A German word meaning slowness. The slowness of natural development.

[297]Olympian.One who took part in the great Greek games held every four years on the plain of Olympia. The racing, wrestling and other contests of strength and skill were accompanied by sacrifices to the gods, processions, and banquets. There was a sense of dignity and almost of worship about the games. The Olympic games have been recently revived, and athletes from all countries of the world contest for the prizes—simple garlands of wild olive.

[298]I knew a man who, etc. The allusion is to Jonas Very, a mystic and poet, who lived at Salem, Massachusetts.

[299]Paradox.Define this word. Explain its application to a friend.

[300]My author says, etc. The quotation is fromA Consideration upon Cicero, by the French author, Montaigne. Montaigne was one of Emerson's favorite authors from his boyhood: of the essays he says, "I felt as if I myself, had written this book in some former life, so sincerely it spoke my thoughts."

[301]Cherub.What is the difference between a cherub and a seraph?

[302]Curricle.A two-wheeled carriage, especially popular in the eighteenth century.

[303]This law of one to one.Emerson felt that this same law applied to nature. He wrote in his journal: "Nature says to man, 'one to one, my dear.'"

[304]Crimen quos, etc. The Latin saying is translated in the preceding sentence.

[305]Nonage.We use more commonly the word, "minority."

[306]Janus-faced.The word here means simply two-faced, without the idea of deceit usually attached to it. In Roman mythology, Janus, the doorkeeper of heaven was the protector of doors and gateways and the patron of the beginning and end of undertakings. He was the god of the rising and setting of the sun, and was represented with two faces, one looking to the east and the other to the west. His temple at Rome was kept open in time of war and closed in time of peace.

[307]Harbinger.A forerunner; originally an officer who rode in advance of a royal person to secure proper lodgings and accommodations.

[308]Empyrean.Highest and purest heaven; according to the ancients, the region of pure light and fire.

[309]Title.Probably this essay is, essentially at least, the lecture onHeroismdelivered in Boston in the winter of 1837, in the course of lectures onHuman Culture.

[310]Motto.This saying of Mahomet's was the only motto prefixed to the essay in the first edition. In later editions, Emerson prefixed, according to his custom, some original lines;"Ruby wine is drunk by knaves,Sugar spends to fatten slaves,Rose and vine-leaf deck buffoons,Thunder clouds are Jove's festoons,Drooping oft in wreaths of dreadLightning-knotted round his head:The hero is not fed on sweets,Daily his own heart he eats;Chambers of the great are jails,And head-winds right for royal sails."

[310]Motto.This saying of Mahomet's was the only motto prefixed to the essay in the first edition. In later editions, Emerson prefixed, according to his custom, some original lines;

"Ruby wine is drunk by knaves,Sugar spends to fatten slaves,Rose and vine-leaf deck buffoons,Thunder clouds are Jove's festoons,Drooping oft in wreaths of dreadLightning-knotted round his head:The hero is not fed on sweets,Daily his own heart he eats;Chambers of the great are jails,And head-winds right for royal sails."

[311]Elder English dramatists.The dramatists who preceded Shakespeare. In his essay onShakespeare; or, the Poet, Emerson enumerates the foremost of these,—"Kyd, Marlowe, Greene, Jonson, Chapman, Dekker, Webster, Heywood, Middleton, Peele, Ford, Massinger, Beaumont and Fletcher."

[312]Beaumont and Fletcher.Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher were two dramatists of the Elizabethan age. They wrote together and their styles were so similar that critics are unable to identify the share of each in their numerous plays.

[313]Rodrigo, Pedro, or Valerio.Favorite names for heroes among the dramatists. Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, known usually by the title of the Cid, was the national hero of Spain, famous for his exploits against the Moors. Don Pedro was the Prince of Arragon in Shakespeare's play,Much Ado About Nothing.

[314]Bonduca, Sophocles, the Mad Lover, and Double Marriage.The first, third and fourth are names of plays by Beaumont and Fletcher. In the case of the second, Emerson, by a lapse of memory, gives the name of one of the chief characters instead of the name of the play—The Triumph of Honorin a piece calledFour Plays in One. It is from this play by Beaumont and Fletcher that the passage in the essay is quoted.

[315]Adriadne's crown.According to Greek mythology, the crown of Adriadne was, for her beauty and her sufferings, put among the stars. She was the daughter of Minos, King of Crete; she gave Theseus the clue by means of which he escaped from the labyrinth and she was afterwards abandoned by him.

[316]Romulus.The reputed founder of the city of Rome.

[317]Laodamia, Dion.Read these two poems by Wordsworth, the great English poet, and tell why you think Emerson mentioned them here.

[318]Scott. Sir Walter Scott, a famous Scotch author.

[319]Lord Evandale, Balfour of Burley.These are characters in Scott's novel,Old Mortality. The passage referred to by Emerson is in the forty-second chapter.

[320]Thomas Carlyle.Carlyle was a great admirer of heroes, asserting that history is the biography of great men. One of his most popular books isHeroes and Hero-Worship, on a plan similar to that of Emerson'sRepresentative Men.

[321]Robert Burns.A Scotch lyric poet. Emerson was probably thinking of the patriotic song,Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled.

[322]Harleian Miscellanies.A collection of manuscripts published in the eighteenth century, and named for Robert Harley, the English statesman who collected them.

[323]Lutzen.A small town in Prussia. The battle referred to was fought in 1632 and in it the Swedes under Gustavus Adolphus gained a great victory over vastly superior numbers. Nearly two hundred years later another battle was fought at Lutzen, in which Napoleon gained a victory over the allied Russians and Prussians.

[324]Simon Ockley.An English scholar of the seventeenth century whose chief work was aHistory of the Saracens.

[325]Oxford.One of the two great English universities.

[326]Plutarch.(See note264.)

[327]Brasidas.This hero, described by Plutarch, was a Spartan general who lived about four hundred years before Christ.

[328]Dion.A Greek philosopher who ruled the city of Syracuse in the fourth century before Christ.

[329]Epaminondas.A Greek general and statesman of the fourth century before Christ.

[330]Scipio.(See note205.)

[331]Stoicism.The stern and severe philosophy taught by the Greek philosopher Zeno; he taught that men should always seek virtue and be indifferent to pleasure and happiness. This belief, carried to the extreme of severity, exercised a great influence on many noble Greeks and Romans.

[332]Heroism is an obedience, etc. In one of his poems Emerson says:"So nigh is grandeur to our dust,So near is God to man,When Duty whispers low, 'Thou must,'The youth replies, 'I can.'"

[332]Heroism is an obedience, etc. In one of his poems Emerson says:

"So nigh is grandeur to our dust,So near is God to man,When Duty whispers low, 'Thou must,'The youth replies, 'I can.'"

[333]Plotinus.An Egyptian philosopher who taught in Rome during the third century. It was said that he so exalted the mind that he was ashamed of his body.

[334]Indeed these humble considerations, etc. The passage, like many which Emerson quotes, is rendered inexactly. The Prince says to Poins: "Indeed these humble considerations make me out of love with my greatness. What a disgrace it is to me to remember thy name! or to know thy face to-morrow! or to take note how many pairs of silk stockings thou hast, that is, these and those that were thy peach-colored ones! or to bear the inventory of thy shirts, as, one for superfluity and another for use!" Shakespeare'sHenry IV., Part II. 2, 2.

[335]Ibn Hankal.Ibn Hankul, an Arabian geographer and traveler of the tenth century. He wrote an account of his twenty years' travels in Mohammedan countries; in 1800 this was translated into English by Sir William Jones under the title ofThe Oriental Geography of Ibn Hankal. In that volume this anecdote is told in slightly different words.

[336]Bokhara.Where is Bokhara? It corresponds to the ancient Sogdiana.

[337]Bannocks.Thick cakes, made usually of oatmeal. What does Emerson mean by this sentence? Probably no person ever met his visitors, many of whom were "exacting and wearisome," and must have been unwelcome, with more perfect courtesy and graciousness than Emerson.

[338]John Eliot.Give as full an account as you can of the life and works of this noble Apostle to the Indians of the seventeenth century.

[339]King David, etc. See First Chronicles, 11, 15-19.

[340]Brutus.Marcus Junius Brutus, a Roman patriot of the first century before Christ, who took part in the assassination of Julius Cæsar.

[341]Philippi.A city of Macedonia near which in the year 42 B.C. were fought two battles in which the republican army under Brutus and Cassius was defeated by Octavius and Antony, friends of Cæsar.

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