“That saved the dayBy carrying Sheridan into the fightFrom Winchester—twenty miles away.â€
“That saved the dayBy carrying Sheridan into the fightFrom Winchester—twenty miles away.â€
“That saved the dayBy carrying Sheridan into the fightFrom Winchester—twenty miles away.â€
“That saved the day
By carrying Sheridan into the fight
From Winchester—twenty miles away.â€
Mr. Murdock committed the lines to memory, and that evening, at a meeting of rejoicing over the victory, he recited them. An intense silence prevailed throughout the hall, broken only by the tones of the speaker. As the last words of the grand poem left his lips, storms of applause shook the building. Coming so soon after the victory, while the people were still flushed with their success, it wrought the audience up to an excitement which could not be controlled. Every one supposed that Mr. Murdock had composed the poem, and he was overwhelmed with expressions of congratulation and praise.But he, directing the attention of the crowd to the box where the poet sat, exclaimed, “There is the man who wrote the poem!â€
243. Which is the longest word in the English language?
Disproportionableness is the longest classified word in our language.
244. What gems are the emblems of the Twelve Apostles?
Andrew, the bright bluesapphire, emblematic of his heavenly faith.
Bartholomew, the redcarnelian, emblematic of his martyrdom.
James, the whitechalcedony, emblematic of his purity.
James the Less, thetopaz, emblematic of delicacy.
John, theemerald, emblematic of his youth and gentleness.
Matthew, theamethyst, emblematic of sobriety. Matthew was once a “publican,†but was “sobered†by the leaven of Christianity.
Matthias, thechrysolite, pure as sunshine.
Peter, thejasper, hard and solid as the rock of the church.
Philip, the friendlysardonyx.
Simeon of Cana, the pinkhyacinth, emblematic of a sweet temper.
Thaddeus, thechrysoprase, emblematic of security and trustfulness.
Thomas, theberyl, indefinite in lustre, emblematic of his doubting faith.
245. What is the origin of “bogus�
According to the BostonDaily Courierof June 12, 1857, this word originated as follows: “The word ‘bogus,’ we believe, is a corruption of the name of oneBorghese, a very corrupt individual, who, twenty years ago or more, did a tremendous business in the way of supplying the great West, and portions of the Southwest, with a vast amount of counterfeit bills, and bills on fictitious banks, which never had any existence out of the ‘forgetive brain’ of him, the said ‘Borghese.’ The Western people, who are rather rapid in their talk, when excited, soon fell into the habit of shortening the Norman name of Borghese to the more handy one of Bogus; and his bills, and all other bills of like character, were universally styled ‘bogus currency.’â€
246. Why is buckwheat so called?
The word “buckwheat†is a corruption of beechwheat. It is so called from the similarity of the shape of its grains to the mast or nuts of the beech-tree.
247. Who originated tarring and feathering?
Richard CÅ“ur de Lion seems to have originated tarring and feathering. Hoveden, quoted by Dr. Hook in his “Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury,†says that Richard, when he sailed for the Holy Land, made sundry laws for the regulation of his fleet, one of which enacted that “a robber who shall be convicted of theft shall have his head cropped after the manner of a champion, and boiling pitch shall be poured thereon, and then the feathersof a cushion shall be shaken out upon him, so that he may be known, and at the first land at which the ship shall touch he shall be set on shore.â€
248. What is the meaning of the phrase “By Jingo�
Jingo is a corruption of Jainko, the name of the Basque Supreme Being. “By Jingo!†or “By the living Jingo!†is an appeal to deity. Edward I. had Basque mountaineers conveyed to England to take part in his Welsh wars, and the Plantagenets held the Basque provinces in possession. This Basque oath is a landmark of these facts.
249. Who is “Old Nick�
This vulgar and ancient name for the devil is derived from that of theNeck, orNikke, a river or ocean god of the Scandinavian popular mythology. “The British sailor,†says Scott, “who fears nothing else, confesses his terrors for this terrible being, and believes him the author of almost all the various calamities to which the precarious life of a seaman is so continually exposed.†Butler, the author of “Hudibras,†erroneously derives the term from the name ofNicoloMacchiavelli.
250. Who was “Rare Ben�
This famous appellation was conferred upon Ben Jonson (1574–1637), the dramatic poet. It is said that soon after his death, a subscription was commenced for the purpose of erecting a monument to his memory; but the undertaking having advanced slowly, an eccentric Oxfordshiresquire took the opportunity, on passing one day through Westminster Abbey, to secure at least an epitaph for the poet by giving a mason eighteen pence to cut, on the stone which covered the grave, the words, “O, rare Ben Johnson.â€
251. What was the origin of Thanksgiving Day?
In 1621, the year after Plymouth Colony was founded, Gov. Bradford set apart a day for thanksgiving for the yield of the harvests. Two years after that, there was a great drought, and the people were devoting a day to fasting and prayer, when their sorrows were turned into praise and thanksgiving by a generous fall of rain. From that time it gradually became an established custom to have a day of praise and thanksgiving after harvests. When the Colonies became the New England States, the custom was kept up, the day being proclaimed by the governors of the several States. A day of prayer was recommended by Congress during the Revolution, and by Washington after the adoption of the Constitution. This was continued by some of the later Presidents. In 1863, Lincoln proclaimed that aNational Thanksgiving Dayshould be observed in remembrance of the recent victories and the general manifestation of God’s goodness and mercy. This has been annually issued since, and now custom has fixed it as the fourth Thursday in November.
252. Whose wife was Adam?
Adam’s. “Male and female created He them; and blessed them, and calledtheirname Adam, in the day when they were created.†Genesis v. 2.
253. Whose daughter was Noah?
Zelophehad’s. “Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah and Tirzah.†Numbers xxvii. 1.
254. Who are the “Hairy Men�
The Ainos, who are supposed to be the aborigines of Japan. They are distinguished by an exuberance of hair on the head and body, a circumstance which has given rise to their name of “Hairy Kuriles.†They are different in race and character from the ordinary Japanese. Legend says that the Japanese were originally Ainos, but became a separate race by intermarriage with the Chinese. They are now found chiefly in the island of Yesso.
255. Where was the Declaration of Independence written?
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in the second story, front room, of house No. 230 High Street, now 700 Market Street, Philadelphia.
256. What is the Golden Number of a year, and how determined?
The Golden Number for any year is the number of that year in the Metonic cycle, and as this cycle embraces nineteen years, the golden number ranges from one tonineteen. The cycle of Meton came into general use soon after its discovery, and the number of each year in the Metonic cycle was ordered to be engraved in letters of gold on pillars of marble—hence the origin of the name. Since the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, the point from which the golden numbers are numbered is 1 B. C., as in that year the new moon fell on the 1st of January; and as by Meton’s law, it falls on the same day (Jan. 1) every nineteenth year from that time, we obtain the following rule for obtaining the golden number of any particular year: “Add one to the number of years and divide by nineteen; the quotient gives the number of cycles, and the remainder gives the golden number for that year; and if there be no remainder, then nineteen is the golden number, and that year is the last of the cycle.†The golden number is used for determining the Epact and the time of holding Easter.
257. What were the causes of the American Revolution?
The most general cause of the American Revolution was theright of arbitrary government, claimed by Great Britain and denied by the Colonies. There were subordinate causes. First of these wasthe influence of France, which was constantly exerted so as to incite a spirit of resistance in the Colonies. Another cause was found inthe natural disposition and inherited character of the colonists.The growth of public opinion in the Coloniestended to independence. Another cause was found inthe personal character of the king. The more immediate cause was the passage by Parliament ofa number of acts destructive of colonial liberty.
258. How was the first colonial Congress constituted?
At Boston, James Otis successfully agitated the question of an American Congress. It was proposed that each Colony, acting without leave of the king, should appoint delegates, who should meet in the following autumn and discuss the affairs of the nation. The proposition was favorably received, nine of the Colonies appointed delegates, and on the 7th of October, 1765, the first Colonial Congress assembled at New York. There were twenty-eight representatives. Timothy Ruggles, of Massachusetts, was chosen president. After much discussion, a Declaration of Rights was adopted, setting forth in unmistakable terms that the American colonists, as Englishmen, could not and would not consent to be taxed but by their own representatives. Memorials were also prepared and addressed to the two Houses of Parliament. A manly petition, professing loyalty and praying for a more just and humane policy toward his American subjects, was directed to the king.
259. What were the terms of the Treaty of 1783?
The terms of the Treaty of 1783 were briefly these: A full and complete recognition of the independence of the United States; the recession by Great Britain of Florida to Spain; the surrender of all the remaining territory east of the Mississippi and south of the Great Lakes to the United States; the free navigation of the Mississippi and the Lakes by American vessels; the concession of mutual rights in the Newfoundland fisheries; and the retention by Great Britain of Canada and Nova Scotia, with the exclusive control of the St. Lawrence River.
260. What were the leading defects of the Confederation?
1. There was an utter want of all coercive authority in the Continental Congress to carry into effect any of their constitutional measures. 2. There was no power in the Continental Congress to punish individuals for any breach of their enactments. Their laws must be wholly without penal sanction. 3. They had no power to lay taxes, or to collect revenue for the public service. The power over taxes was expressly and exclusively reserved to the States. 4. They had no power to regulate commerce, either with foreign nations or among the several States. It was left, with respect to both, exclusively to the management of each particular State, thus being at the mercy of private interests or local prejudices. 5. As might be expected, “the most opposite regulations existed in different States, and there was a constant resort to retaliatory legislation from their jealousies and rivalries in commerce, in agriculture, or in manufactures. Foreign nations did not fail to avail themselves of all the advantages accruing from this suicidal policy tending to the common ruin.†6. For want of some singleness of power,—a power to act with uniformity and one to which all interests could be reconciled,—foreign commerce was sadly crippled, and nearly destroyed. The country was deeply in debt, without a dollar to pay, or the means even to draw a dollar into the public treasury, and what money there was in the country was rapidly making its way abroad. 7. Great as these embarrassments were, the States, full of jealousy, were tenaciously opposed to making the necessary concessions to remedy the great and growing evil. All became impressed with the fear, that, unless a much strongernational government could be instituted, all that had been gained by the Revolutionary struggle would soon be lost.
261. What were the Alien and Sedition Laws?
Two laws passed by Congress in 1798. The Alien Law empowered the President to send out of the country, at short notice, any foreigners whose presence might be deemed injurious or prejudicial to the interests of the United States, and lengthened the time requisite for becoming naturalized citizens of the United States to fourteen years. The Sedition Law limited the freedom of speech, and of the press when directed abusively against the government. Under this act it was a crime punishable with heavy fine and long imprisonment “to write, print, utter, or publish any false, scandalous, or malicious statement against either President or Congress.†These laws did much to defeat Adams’s re-election in 1800.
262. What were the principal causes of the late Civil War?
Theprincipalcauses of the Civil War were five in number: 1. The different construction put upon the national Constitution by the people of the North and the South. 2. The different system of labor in the North and in the South. 3. The want of intercourse between the people of the North and the South. 4. The publication of sectional books. 5. The evil influence of demagogues.
263. What is the title of the Czar of Russia?
Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, of Moscow, of Kieff, of Vladimir, of Novgorod; Czar of Kazan, of Astrakhan, of Poland, of Siberia, of Kherson-Taurida, of Grousi; Gosondar of Pskoff; Grand Duke of Smolensk, of Lithuania, of Volhynia, of Podolia, and of Finland; Prince of Esthonia, of Livonia, of Courland, of Semigalia, of the Samoyedes, of Bielostok, of Corelia, of Foer, of Ingor, of Perm, of Viatka, of Bulgaria, and of other countries; Master and Grand Duke of the lower countries in Novgorod, of Tchernigoff, of Riazan, of Polotsk, of Rostoff, of Jaroslaff, of Bielosersk, of Ondork, of Obdorsk, of Kondisk, of Vitelsk, of Mstilaff, and of all the countries of the North; Master Absolute of Iversk, of Kastalnisk, of Kalardinsk, and of the territory of Armenia; Sovereign of Mountain Princes of Tcherkask, Master of Turkestan, Heir-presumptive of Norway, and Duke of Sleswick-Holstein, of Stormarne, of Duthmarse, and of Oldenburg.
264. What was the origin of the phrase “To speak for Buncombe�
This phrase, which means to speak for mere show, or for purposes of political intrigue, originated in the Sixteenth Congress, near the close of the debate on the famous “Missouri Question.†Felix Walker, anaïveold mountaineer, who resided at Waynesville, in Haywood, the most western county of North Carolina, near the border of the adjacent county of Buncombe, arose to speak, while the house was impatiently calling for the “Question.†Several members gathered round him and insisted on his silence, but he continued to speak, declaring that the people of his district expected it, and that hewas bound to “make a speech for Buncombe.†Hence the phrases, “To speak for Buncombe,†“All for Buncombe,†etc.
265. What President was buried at the expense of his friends?
James Monroe, although he had received $350,000 for his public services, yet, on account of the free-handed hospitality so characteristic of his native State (Virginia) in her palmy days, together with his life-long occupation in public affairs to the neglect of his own estate, was so involved in debt, at the time of his death, that his funeral expenses were met by his friends.
266. What President married the same lady twice?
In the summer of 1791, Andrew Jackson married Mrs. Rachel Robards, a daughter of Col. John Donelson, of Virginia, one of the founders of Tennessee. Her first husband was Mr. Lewis Robards, of Kentucky. Robards and his wife were boarding with Mrs. Donelson, then a widow, when Jackson arrived at Nashville, and took up his residence in the same family. In 1790–1791, Robards applied to the Legislature of Virginia for an act preliminary to a divorce, stating that his wife was living in adultery with Andrew Jackson. The act was passed, under it a jury was summoned late in 1793, and the court of Mercer County, Ky., declared the marriage between Lewis Robards and Rachael Robards dissolved. Jackson and Mrs. Robards believed the act passed by the Legislature was itself a divorce, and they were married at Natchez two years before the action of the court. At the suggestionof their friend Judge Overton, who also was surprised to learn that the act of the Legislature had not divorced Robards, they procured a license in January, 1794, and had the ceremony performed again. When Gen. Jackson had become the chief of a great party, the circumstances of this marriage led to very serious misrepresentations. Robards was prone to jealousy without cause, and Jackson was not the first man of whom he was jealous. His statement to the Legislature of Virginia is believed to have been wholly unfounded. His relatives all sided with his wife, and never supposed her to be guilty of even an act of impropriety.
267. Why is Alaska so called?
In the dialect of the natives first encountered by the Russian explorers, the land was calledAl-ay-es-ka, “the great land.†From this the present name has become changed throughAliaskaandAlaksato its present form.
268. Who was the nearest common ancestor of nearly all the reigning monarchs of Europe?
John of Gaunt (1339–1399), fourth son of Edward III. of England, although he himself was never a king, nor were any of his brothers or sisters even sovereigns, was the common ancestor of nearly all the crowned heads of Christendom. The monarchs descended from him are Victoria, Queen of England, who is of the sixteenth generation; Louis I., King of Portugal, of the fifteenth generation; Alphonzo XII., the late King of Spain, of thesixteenth generation; Francis Joseph I., Emperor of Austria, of the fifteenth generation; Leopold II., King of Belgium, of the seventeenth generation; Christian IX., King of Denmark, of the sixteenth generation; Humbert, King of Italy, of the sixteenth generation; George I., King of Greece, of the seventeenth generation; Alexander III., Emperor of Russia, of the eighteenth generation; William I., Emperor of Germany, of the sixteenth generation; Dom Pedro II., Emperor of Brazil, is of the fourteenth generation, the nearest of kin to the English progenitor; the late Chambord (Henry V.), claimant of the French throne, was of the sixteenth generation; and Louis Philippe Albert, Prince d’Orleans, the Orleanist claimant of the French throne, is of the seventeenth generation.
269. Who was the “Red Prince�
Prince Frederick Charles Nicholas, of Germany (1828–1885), a nephew of Emperor William I., was so called from his favorite attire,—the scarlet uniform of his Brandenburg Hussars, which he loved far more than the full glitter of his highest honors.
270. Why is New Jersey called a foreign country?
In the early days of railways the New Jersey Legislature chartered the Camden and Amboy Railroad, but neglected to impose a tax upon its earnings or plant. A few years later, when it became a valuable property, the State, unable to modify the charter, levied a State tax upon each passenger carried. This tax fell upon travellers wholived outside the State as well as Jerseymen, and the former, because they were taxed to pass through it, facetiously termed New Jersey a foreign country.
271. Why is Canada so called?
Charlevoix says that this name is from an Iroquois wordKannata, a collection of huts. There is, however, a Spanish tradition that some Spanish explorers visiting the country in search of gold, and finding no mines, or other appearance of riches, said,Aca Nada, “Here is nothing,†which, being repeated by the natives to subsequent visitors from Europe, was supposed to be the name of the country.
272. Which is the “Railroad City�
Indianapolis, the largest city in the United States situated on non-navigable waters. The first railway entered the city in 1847. Now, twelve main lines converge in the Union Depot. About a hundred passenger trains, connected with every part of the country, enter and depart daily. The numerous tracks being on a level with the surface of the streets, the obstruction and danger at the numerous crossings became very great on account of the increase of railway traffic, so that in 1877 a loop line, called the “Belt,†had to be made, passing round the city, to connect the various railways. By means of it the “through freight-cars†are conveyed past the city without blocking the traffic.
273. Which is the “Sage Brush State�
The flora of Nevada is so scanty and so characterized by sage-brush, or Artemisia, that this State is often nicknamed the “Sage Brush State.†Artemisia is a low, irregular shrub, with thick crooked stems, growing in dry alkaline soils, which without irrigation will produce nothing else.
274. What ancient city brought about its own destruction by an ill-timed jest?
Antioch, the ancient capital of the Greek kings of Syria, was one of the most magnificent cities of the ancient world. The Antiochenes themselves brought about the destruction of their beautiful city. They were famous above all other people in ancient times for their biting and scurrilous wit, and for their ingenuity in devising nicknames; and when the Persians under Chosroes invaded Syria, in 538 A. D., the Antiochenes could not refrain from jesting at them. The Persians took ample revenge by the total destruction of the city, which, however, was rebuilt by Justinian. It was in this city that the followers of Christ were first called Christians.
275. Who was Washington’s wife?
Her maiden name was Martha Dandridge. She was born at Kent, Va., May 17, 1732. At the age of seventeen, she was married to Col. John Parke Custis, by whom she had three children. Within a few years she lost her eldest son and her husband. She was a charming widow of twenty-six when Washington first met her at the house of a Mr. Chamberlayne. After a short acquaintance, they were married Jan. 6, 1759. She died May 22, 1802.
276. What was the height of Goliath?
According to Samuel, he was “six cubits and a span.†Mr. Greaves gives the length of the cubit as twenty-one inches, and the span nine inches. This would make Goliath’s height about eleven feet three inches.
277. What is the balm of Gilead?
The balm of Gilead, also called balsam of Mecca and Opobalsam, is obtained from a low tree or shrub, thebalsamodendron Gileadense, which grows in several parts of Arabia and Abyssinia. To obtain the juice, the bark of the tree is cut at the time when the sap is in its strongest period of circulation. As the juices ooze through the wound they are received into small earthen bottles, every day’s produce being poured into large bottles and corked. When fresh, the smell of the balsam is exquisitely fragrant, but if left exposed to the atmosphere it loses this quality. The quantity of balsam yielded by one tree is said never to exceed sixty drops in a day. It is, therefore, very scarce, and can with difficulty be procured in a pure and unadulterated state, even at Constantinople.
278. What was the origin of the barber’s pole?
In former times barbers served the public in the capacity of surgeons, and performed the act of bleeding, that being a favorite remedy with our ancestors. The pole represented the staff held by the person being bled, and the spiral stripes painted around it were typical of the two bandages used for twisting around the arm previous to the bleeding and after the operation had been performed.The blue stripes and stars sometimes seen were probably introduced by some barber endowed with more patriotism than love of ancient customs.
279. Which is the “youngest Territory�
Wyoming. It was organized by the act of Congress approved July 25, 1868, from portions of Dakota, Idaho, and Utah. The first settlements within its limits were made in 1867, during the progress of the Union Pacific Railroad, although there had been a garrison at Port Laramie since 1834.
280. Why was the shamrock adopted as the emblem of Ireland?
The shamrock is said to have been first assumed as the badge of Ireland from the circumstance that St. Patrick made use of it to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity. The story as told by Lover is as follows: “When St. Patrick first preached the Christian faith in Ireland, before a powerful chief and his people, when he spoke of one God and of the Trinity, the chief asked how one could be in three. St. Patrick, instead of attempting a theological definition of the faith, thought a simple image would best serve to enlighten a simple people, and, stooping to the earth, he plucked from the green sod ashamrock, and holding up the trefoil before them, he bid them there behold one in three. The chief, struck by the illustration, asked at once to be baptized, and all his sept followed his example.â€
281. What was the origin of “April Fool�
How the custom of making fools on the first of April arose is not certainly known, but there are several accounts of its origin, viz.:—
1. It is, perhaps, a travesty of the sending hither and thither of the Saviour from Annas to Caiaphas, and from Pilate to Herod, because during the Middle Ages this scene in Christ’s life was made the subject of a miracle play at Easter, which occurs in the month of April.
2. As March 25 used to be New-Year’s Day, April 1 was its octave, when its festivities culminated and ended.
3. There is a tradition among the Jews that it arose from the fact that Noah sent out the dove on the first of the month corresponding to our April, before the water had abated. To perpetuate the memory of the great deliverance of Noah and his family, it was customary on this anniversary to punish persons who had forgotten the remarkable circumstance connected with the date, by sending them on some bootless errand, similar to that on which the patriarch sent the luckless bird from the window of the ark.
4. The custom refers to the uncertainty of the weather at this period.
5. It is a relic of some old heathen festival; and it is curious that the Hindoos practise similar tricks on the 31st of March, when they hold what is called the Huli Festival.
The custom, whatever is its origin, appears to be universal throughout Europe. In France the person imposed upon is calledun poisson d’Avril(an April fish). In England and the United States such a person is called an April fool; in Scotland, a gowk.
282. What was the origin of the phrase “getting into a scrape�
“The deer are addicted, at certain seasons, to dig up the land with their fore-feet, in holes, to the depth of a foot, or even half a yard. These are called ‘scrapes.’ To tumble into one of these is sometimes done at the cost of a broken leg; hence a man who finds himself in an unpleasant position, from which extrication is difficult, is said to have ‘got into a scrape.’â€
283. To what does the phrase “fitting to a T†refer?
This phrase refers to the T or Tee Square, an instrument used in drawing and mechanics; so called from its resemblance to a capital T.
284. What well-known hymn was composed in a few minutes?
The celebrated hymn, “From Greeland’s icy mountains,†etc., was composed at Wrexham in 1819. On Whitsunday in that year Dr. Shipley, Dean of St. Asaph and Vicar of Wrexham, preached a sermon in his church on behalf of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Heber was son-in-law to Dr. Shipley and was on a visit. The doctor on the previous Saturday asked Heber to “write something for them to sing in the morning,†and in a few minutes, without leaving the room, Heber produced the hymn now so well known all over the world. He was then in his thirty-sixth year, and was rector of Hodnet.
285. Why was the magnet so called?
The word “magnet†is derived from the name of the city of Magnesia, in Asia Minor, where the properties of the loadstone are said to have been discovered. So far one authority. Another derives it from the name of Magnes, a shepherd, who is said to have discovered the magnetic power through being detained on Mount Ida by the magnetism of the mountain attracting the nails in his shoes, so that he was unable to move from the spot.
286. What was the “Vinegar Bible�
This was a name given to an edition of the Bible, published in 1717 at the Clarendon Press, Oxford. By a ludicrous misprint, the title of the twentieth chapter of Luke was made to read “Parable of theVinegar†instead of “Parable of theVineyardâ€; hence the name.
287. What were the “Breeches Bibles�
This name was given to editions of the so-called Genevan Bible (first printed at Geneva, by Rowland Hall, 1560, in 4to), from the peculiar rendering of Gen. iii. 7.
288. Who is “Johnny Crapaud�
“This is a sportive designation of a Frenchman, or of the French nation collectively considered. The following account has been given of the origin of this name: ‘Whenthe French took the city of Aras from the Spaniards, under Louis XIV., after a long and most desperate siege, it was remembered that Nostradamus had said,—
‘Les ancienscrapaudsprendront Sara.’(The ancient toads shall Sara take.)
‘Les ancienscrapaudsprendront Sara.’(The ancient toads shall Sara take.)
‘Les ancienscrapaudsprendront Sara.’(The ancient toads shall Sara take.)
‘Les ancienscrapaudsprendront Sara.’
(The ancient toads shall Sara take.)
This line was then applied to this event in a very roundabout manner.Sarais Aras backward.By the ancient toadswere meant the French; as that nation formerly had for its armorial bearings three of those odious reptiles, instead of the three flowers-de-luce which it now bears.â€
289. Who is “Cousin Michael�
This is a sportive and disparaging designation of the German people, intended to indicate the weaknesses and follies of the national character, and especially the proverbial national slowness, heaviness, and credulity. The nameMichelis often used as a contemptuous designation of any simple, coarse rustic, and has probably acquired this signification through a mingling of the Hebrew with the old Germanmichel, gross.
290. Who is “Taffy�
This is a sobriquet for a Welshman, or for the Welsh collectively. The word is a corruption ofDavid, one of the most common of Welsh names.
291. Who is “Ivan Ivanovitch�
He is an imaginary personage, who is the embodiment of the peculiarities of the Russian people, in the same way asJohn Bullrepresents the English, andJohnny Crapaudthe French character. He is described as a lazy, good-natured person.
292. Who is “John Bull�
This is a well-known collective name of the English nation, first used in Arbuthnot’s satire, “The History of John Bull,†usually published in Swift’s works. In this satire, the French are designated as Lewis Baboon, the Dutch as Nicholas Frog, etc. The “History of John Bull†was designed to ridicule the Duke of Marlborough.
293. Who is “Peeping Tom of Coventry�
This epithet is given to a person of ungovernable inquisitiveness. The term is said to have arisen thus: “The Countess Godiva, bearing an extraordinary affection to this place (Coventry), often and earnestly besought her husband (Leofric, Earl of Murcia), that, for the love of God and the blessed Virgin, he would free it from that grievous servitude whereunto it was subject; but he, rebuking her for importuning him in a matter so inconsistent with his profit, commanded that she should thenceforth forbear to move therein; yet she, out of her womanish pertinacity, continued to solicit him; insomuch that he told her if she would ride on horseback, naked, from one end of the town to the other, in the sight of all the people, he would grant her request. Whereunto she answered, ‘But will you give me leave so to do?’ And he replying ‘yes’ the noble lady, upon an appointed day, got on horseback,naked, with her hair loose, so that it covered all her body but her legs, and thus performing the journey, returned with joy to her husband, who therefore granted to the inhabitants a charter of freedom, which immunity I rather conceive to have been a kind of manumission from some such servile tenure, whereby they then held what they had under this great earl, than only a freedom from all manner of toll, except horses, as Knighton affirms.†It is said by Rapin, that the countess, previous to her riding, commanded all persons to keep within doors and from their windows on pain of death; but, notwithstanding this severe penalty, there was one person who could not forbear giving a look, out of curiosity; but it cost him his life.
294. What was the “Battle of Spurs�
This name is given to the battle of Courtrai (1302), the first great engagement between the nobles and the burghers, which, with the subsequent battles of Bannockburn, Crecy, and Poictiers, decided the fate of feudalism. In this encounter the knights and gentlemen of France were entirely overthrown by the citizens of a Flemish manufacturing town. The French nobility rushed forward with loose bridles, and fell headlong, one after another, into an enormous ditch which lay between them and their enemies. The whole army was annihilated; and when the spoils were gathered, there were found 4,000 golden spurs to mark the extent of the knightly slaughter, and give a name to the engagement.
This name is also given to the affair at Guinegate, near Calais (1513), in which the English troops under HenryVIII. defeated the French forces. The allusion is said to be to the unusual energy of the beaten party inspurringoff the field.
295. What city is called “Auld Reekie�
This designation is given to Edinburgh on account of itssmokyappearance, as seen from a distance; or, according to others, on account of the uncleanliness of its public streets.
296. Which is the “City of Magnificent Distances�
This popular designation is given to the city of Washington, the capital of the United States, which is laid out on a very large scale, being intended to cover a space four miles and a half long and two miles and a half broad, or eleven square miles. The entire site is traversed by two sets of streets from seventy to one hundred feet wide, at right angles to one another, the whole again intersected obliquely by fifteen avenues from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and sixty feet wide.
297. Which is the heaviest metal?
Platinum was long considered the heaviest metal, but it is now an established fact that both osmium and iridium are heavier than platinum. The most recent authorities differ as to which of the two is the heavier, but there is only a very slight difference. Both metals are used for pointing gold pens. Osmium does not fuse at 2870 degrees Fahrenheit, the greatest heat yet produced, and is as yet infusible. In some of its combinations it is said to be the most poisonous substance known.
298. Which is the lightest metal?
Lithium. Its specific gravity is only 0.5936, but little more than half that of water. It is a soft, ductile, white metal, susceptible of being welded and drawn into wire, but has less tenacity than lead. It burns brilliantly, and floats upon water and naphtha. It was supposed to be a very rare substance, but Bunsen and Kirchhoff have shown by spectrum analysis that, though sparingly, it is widely distributed.
299. What was the origin of “Old Scratch�
It has been suggested that the origin of this term must be sought for in theScrat,Schrat,Schretel, orSchretlein, a house or wood demon of the ancient North.
300. Which is the “Prairie State�
Illinois is so called in allusion to the wide-spread and beautiful prairies, which form a striking feature of the scenery of the State.
301. What is the “Via Dolorosa�
The Via Dolorosa (the way of pain) is a name given, since the Christian era, to the road at Jerusalem leading from the Mount of Olives to Golgotha, which Jesus passed over on his way to the place of crucifixion. Upon this road are situated many of the objects consecrated by Christian traditions,—the house where the Virgin Mary was born, the church erected upon the spot where she fell, when she beheld Jesus sink under the weight of the cross, the house of St. Veronica, upon whose veil, employed towipe away his blood and sweat, the image of his face was miraculously impressed. The road, which is about a mile in length, terminates at the Gate of Judgment.
302. Which is the “Turpentine State�
North Carolina, which produces and exports immense quantities of turpentine.
303. Who is “Black Jack�
Gen. John Alexander Logan has been so called from his long, black hair and dark complexion.
304. What was the “Black Hole of Calcutta�
This name is commonly given to a certain small and close dungeon in Fort William, Calcutta, the scene of one of the most tragic events in the history of British India. On the capture of Calcutta, by Surajah Dowlah, June 20, 1756, the British garrison, consisting of one hundred and forty-six men, being made prisoners, were locked up at night in this room, only eighteen feet square, and poorly ventilated, never having been intended to hold more than two or three prisoners at a time. In the morning, of the one hundred and forty-six who were imprisoned, only twenty-three were found alive. In the “Annual Register†for 1758 is a narrative of the sufferings of those imprisoned, written by Mr. Holwell, one of the number. The “Black Hole†is now used as a warehouse.
305. How didStonewallJackson receive his sobriquet?
This famous appellation of Thomas Jonathan Jackson (1824–1863) had its origin in an expression used by the Confederate Gen. Bee, on trying to rally his men at the battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861,—There is Jackson standing like astone wall. From that day he was known asStonewallJackson, and his command as theStonewallBrigade.
306. Which was the “Battle of the Herrings�
This name is given by historians to an engagement which took place Feb. 12, 1429, in which Sir John Fastolfe, an English general, at the head of 1,500 men, gained a victory over 6,000 Frenchmen near Orleans, and brought a convoy of stores in safety to the English camp before that place. The stores comprised a large quantity of herrings.
307. Which is the “Land of the Incas�
Peru. The Incas were the ancient sovereigns of the country. Manco Capac, the first Inca, appeared according to the traditions, with his sister, Mama Oello, on Titicaca Island, a spot ever after held holy. These two, claiming to be children of the sun, were regarded as deities, Manco Capac proceeded northward, and, founding Cuzco at the spot where his golden staff sank into the ground, introduced civilization and art. A powerful kingdom arose and gradually absorbed the neighboring tribes.
308. What Presidential administration has been compared to a parenthesis?
“The administration of Van Buren,†said a bitter satirist, “is like a parenthesis: it may be read in a low tone of voice or altogether omittedwithout injuring the senseâ€!
309. Which was the first Bible printed in America?
The first Bible printed in this country was John Eliot’s Indian Bible, whose title was this: “Mamusse Wunneetupanatumwe Up-Biblum God naneswe Nukkone Testament kah wonk Wusku Testament. Ne quoshkinnumuk nashpe Wuttineumoh Christ noh osc∞wesit John Eliot.†This was printed in 1663. The Indian language in which it was made is extinct, and it is said that only one man now living—namely, J. Hammond Trumbull, LL. D., of Hartford, Conn.—can read it. The next Bible printed here was Saur’s, in German, in 1743; the first English Bible printed here was at Boston, in small quarto, in 1752.
310. What names are given by the Hebrews to the books of the Bible?
The Jews, or Hebrews, take the names of the sacred books from the first word with which each begins; but the Greeks, whom our translators generally follow, take the names from the subject-matter of them. Thus, the first book is called by the Hebrews,Bereshith, which signifies “In the beginning,†these being the first words; but the Greeks called it Genesis, which signifies “production,†because the creation of the world is the first thing of which it gives an account. Exodus, which signifies in the Greek “The going out,†was so called from the account which it gives of the Israelites going out of Egypt; but the Hebrews call itVelle Shemoth, that is, “These are the names,â€which are the words with which it begins. Leviticus they callVayicre, that is, “And he calledâ€; Numbers they callVayedavber, that is, “And he spakeâ€; Deuteronomy they callElle-haddebar, that is, “These are the wordsâ€; etc., etc.
311. What is the national emblematic flower of China and Japan?
The Chrysanthemum. It receives the most reverential care and attention, surpassing by far in devotion that accorded to the fleur-de-lis, lilies, roses, and thistles, the emblems of other countries. Each recurring year in November, in all the large cities in Japan, and in nearly every street, thousands of plants are sold, trained generally to one stem, with a solitary large flower of immense size, often ten to twelve inches across. A very ordinary flower of some six inches is sold for five cents, the very largest specimens being sold for twenty-five cents, pot included.
312. When and by whom was the first steamboat invented?
The first practical success in steam navigation was made by John Fitch, a native of Windsor, Conn., who had settled in New Jersey as a silversmith. The happy thought of propelling vessels by steam originated with him in 1784. He rapidly matured his plans, and in August, 1785, he petitioned Congress for aid in constructing his boat. The records of the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia show that “a model, accompanied by a drawing and description of a machine for working a boat against a stream by means of a steam-engine, was laidbefore the society by John Fitch on Sept. 27, 1785.†With the pecuniary assistance of several gentlemen, he immediately undertook to build a steamboat. In theColumbia Magazinefor December, 1786, he gave a description of this vessel and its machinery. A steam cylinder over three feet long and one foot in diameter was placed horizontally in the bottom of the boat; the steam was let in at each end of the cylinder alternately, and after moving a reciprocating piston was discharged into a condenser, which formed a vacuum in the cylinder behind the moving piston. The force of the piston was transmitted to cranks on each side of the boat; which by means of connecting bars, moved twelve paddles, three on each side being in the water and three out at the same time. On May 1, 1781, Fitch’s steamboat, “The Perseverance,†was put in motion on the Delaware River, and made three miles an hour. This speed did not satisfy Fitch, and various improvements were soon added. The boat, with its greatly increased power, was successfully tested in the fall of 1788. The late Dr. Thornton, long at the head of the United States Patent Office, and many other eminent men, certified that the steamer moved in dead water at the rate of eight miles an hour, or one mile in seven and a half minutes. With thirty passengers the boat left Philadelphia, and, moving against the current of the Delaware, reached Burlington, a distance of twenty miles, in three hours and ten minutes. Dr. Thornton stated that “The Perseverance†afterwards made eighty miles in one day. This speed will excite wonder when the difficulty of keeping the piston tight against the comparatively rough interior surface of the cylinder is taken into consideration. The steamboat was run for some time as a packet to Burlington, but after several mishaps it was burned in 1792. But more moneywas needed to introduce the invention, and the numerous stockholders could not be brought to respond to further assessments. Fitch himself was cramped for the necessaries of life. He repeatedly asserted that the passenger traffic of the great Western rivers would one day be carried on exclusively by steam, that ships of war and packet ships would navigate the Atlantic by steam, and that some one who came after him would reap fame and fortune from his invention. Fitch’s claim of invention was contested by James Rumsey, of Maryland, who, in 1786, drove a boat on the Potomac, near Sheppardstown, at the rate of four miles an hour by means of a water-jet forced out at the stern. But a careful examination of the evidence proves that the honor of bringing the invention to a successful completion belongs to Fitch. It may also be mentioned that a boat was propelled by steam on the Conestoga River in 1763 by William Henry, of Chester County, Penn., but this was only an experiment, although attended with flattering results, and had no permanent effect. It was from Fitch’s labors that Fulton first conceived the idea of steam navigation, which has made his name famous.
313. In what American city are burials made entirely above the ground?
One of the noted features of New Orleans is its cemeteries. Owing to the undrained condition of the subsoil, burials are made entirely above ground, in tombs of stuccoed brick and of granite and marble. Some of these are very elegant and costly, and many of the burial grounds, with their long alleys of these tombs of diverse designs deeply shaded by avenues of cedars and theMagnolia grandiflora, possess a severe but emphatic beauty.
314. Who were the “Three Kings of Cologne�
This name is given to the three Magi who came from the East to offer gifts to the infant Jesus. Their names are commonly said to be Malchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar. Gaspar means “the white oneâ€; Malchior, “king of lightâ€; Balthazar, “lord of treasures.†The first offered gold, symbolic of kingship; the second, frankincense, symbolic of divinity; the third, myrrh, symbolic of death, myrrh being used in embalming the dead. Their bodies are said to have been brought by the Empress Helena from the East to Constantinople, whence they were transferred to Milan. Afterward, in 1164, on Milan being taken by the Emperor Frederick, they were presented by him to the Archbishop of Cologne, who placed them in the principal church of the city, where, says Cressy, “they are to this day celebrated with great veneration.†Another tradition gives their names as Apellius, Amerus, and Damascus; another as Magalath, Galgalath, and Sarasin; and still another as Ator, Sator, and Peratoras.
315. Which is the highest spot inhabited by human beings?
It is said to be the Buddhist cloister of Hanie, Thibet, where twenty-one priests live at an altitude of sixteen thousand feet.
316. When was the “Dark Day�
May 19, 1780, was so called on account of a remarkable darkness on that day extending over all New England. In some places persons could not see to read common print in the open air for several hours together. Birdssang their evening song, disappeared, and became silent; fowls went to roost; cattle sought the barnyard; and candles were lighted in the houses. The obscuration began about ten o’clock in the morning, and continued till the middle of the next night, but with differences of degree and duration in different places. For several days previous the wind had been variable, but chiefly from the southwest and the northeast. The true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not known.
317. When was the “Day of Barricades�
May 12, 1588. On this day the Duke of Guise entered Paris, when Henry III., at his instigation, consented to take severe measures against the Huguenots, on the promise that the duke would assist him in purging Paris of strangers and obnoxious persons. No sooner, however, was an attempt made to carry out this plan, than the populace arose, erected barricades, and attacked the king’s troops with irresistible fury. Henry III., having requested the Duke of Guise to put a stop to the conflict, fled from Paris, and the moment the duke showed himself to the people, they pulled down the barricades.
This name is also given to Aug. 26, 1648; so called on account of a riot, instigated by the leaders of the Fronde, which took place in Paris on that day.
318. Why are the oceans so named?
When, on the 27th of November, 1520, Ferdinand-Magellan swept into the calm waters of that new sea on which he was the first to sail, he named it theMar Pacifico, on account of its peacefully rolling waters and its freedom from violent storms.
The Atlantic is so called from the Atlas Mountains near its eastern shores, or from the fabled island of Atlantis, which was situated in its bosom.
The Indian Ocean is so called because it lies about India and the Indies.
The Arctic Ocean lies directly under the constellation of the Bear. Greek ΑÏκτος, a bear.
The Antarctic Ocean lies opposite to the Arctic. Greek ’αντί, against.
319. What was the “El Dorado�
El Dorado, or the golden land, was a name given by the Spaniards to an imaginary country, supposed, in the sixteenth century, to be situated in the interior of South America, between the rivers Orinoco and Amazon, and abounding in gold and all manner of precious stones. Expeditions were fitted out for the purpose of discovering this fabulous region; and, though all such attempts proved abortive, the rumors of its existence continued to be believed down to the beginning of the eighteenth century. It is said that the name was at first applied, not to a country, but to a man, “el rey dorado.†Sir Walter Raleigh, in his “Discovery of the Large, Rich, and Beautiful Empire of Guiana,†gives a description of the rising of this gilded king, whose chamberlains, every morning after having rubbed his naked body with aromatic oils, blew powdered gold over it through longsarbacans. After the name came to be used as the designation of a country, it seems to have been variously applied, and the expeditions in search of the golden land had different destinations. Francisco Orellana, a companion of Pizarro, was the first to spread the account of this fabulous region in Europe.
320. What people formed the first temperance society?
The Rechabites. “But they said, We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye nor your sons forever.â€â€”Jeremiahxxxv. 6.
321. Where is the “Bridge of Sighs�
The “Bridge of Sighs†is a name popularly given to the covered passageway which connects the Doge’s palace in Venice with the state prisons, from the circumstance that the condemned prisoners were transported over the bridge from the hall of judgment to the place of execution. This bridge was built in 1589 by Da Ponte. Hood has used the name as the title of one of his poems.
322. In what country does grass grow upon trees?
The grass-tree is a native of Australia. It belongs to the orderLiliaceæ. These trees are especially distinguished by their crowns of long, pendulous, grass-like leaves, from the centre of which arises a long stalk bearing at its summit a dense flower spike looking somewhat like a large cat-tail. Some species have very short stems, while others have trunks six to eighteen feet high, which, with their singular tufts of leaves, form a striking feature in the Australian landscape. The grassy leaves are gathered as food for cattle, and their tender base is often relished by man.
323. What is the origin of the phrase “To row up Salt River�
This phrase has its origin in the fact that there is a small stream of that name in Kentucky, the passage of which is made difficult and laborious as well by its tortuous course as by the abundance of shallows and bars. The real application of the phrase is to the unhappy wight who has the task of propelling the boat up the stream; but in political or slang usage it was to those who arerowed up.
324. Who was the “American Pathfinder�
This title is popularly given to Major-General John Charles Fremont, who conducted four exploring expeditions across the Rocky Mountains. On one instance, when he was intercepted by a range of mountains covered with snows, which the Indians declared no man could cross, and over which no reward could induce them to attempt to guide him, Fremont undertook the passage without a guide, and accomplished it in forty days, reaching Sutter’s Fort on the Sacramento with his men reduced almost to skeletons, and with only thirty-three out of sixty-seven horses and mules remaining. He is also called the “Pathfinder of the Rocky Mountains.â€
325. Which is the largest locomotive in the world?
The largest locomotive in the world is called El Gobernador, built at the Central Pacific Railroad shops in Sacramento, Cal., in 1883. The engine and tender are sixty-five feet five inches long; there are five pairs of drivers, each four feet nine inches in diameter; the cylinders are twenty-one inches in diameter, thirty-six inch stroke; there are twenty-six wheels, and the weight of the engine is seventy-three tons.
326. Whence does the cravat obtain its name?
The cravat is so called from a French regiment of light horse called “the royal Cravate,†because they were attired in the fashion of the Cravates or Croats, as they are now called, inhabitants of an Austrian province, who largely composed the Austrian army. In 1636 the French regiment was uniformed in imitation, as the Zouaves were at a later day; and when the neckties worn by these troops became fashionable in civil as well as military ranks, the name of the regiment was given to the tie.
327. Who wrote the first English book?
Sir John Mandeville in 1356. In it he shows a correct idea of the form of the earth, and of position in latitude ascertained by observation of the Pole Star; he knows that there are antipodes, and that if ships were sent on voyages of discovery they might sail round the world. And he tells a curious story which he heard in his youth, how a worthy man did travel ever eastward until he came to his own country again. But, on the other hand, he repeatedly asserts the old belief that Jerusalem was in the centre of the world, whilst he maintains in proof of this that at the equinox a spear planted erect in Jerusalem casts no shadow at noon; which, if true, would only show that the city was on the equator.
328. Who was the first child born of English parents in America?
Virginia Dare, who was born at Roanoke, on the 18th of August, 1587. Her mother, Eleanor Dare, was the daughter of John White, the governor of the colony.
329. What are the “Horse Latitudes�
Seamen give this name to a bank or region of calms in the Atlantic Ocean, about the parallels of 30–35 degrees north. The name is said to be derived from the circumstance that vessels formerly bound from New England to the West Indies, with a deck-load of horses, were often delayed in this calm belt of Cancer, and, for want of water, were obliged to throw the animals overboard.
330. What city is called “Porkopolis�
Cincinnati, one of the greatest American pork markets, is popularly so called.
331. Who was the “Iron Duke�
Arthur Wellesley, K. G., Duke of Wellington. According to the Rev. G. R. Gleig, this sobriquet arose from the building of an iron steamboat, which plied between Liverpool and Dublin, and which its owners called the “Duke of Wellington.†The term “Iron Duke†was first applied to the vessel; and by and by, rather in jest than in earnest, it was transferred to the duke himself. It had no reference whatever, at the outset, to any peculiarities or assumed peculiarities in his disposition; though, from the popular belief that he never entertained a single generous feeling toward the masses, it is sometimes understood as a figurative allusion to his supposed hostility to the interests of the lower orders.
332. Where is the “Island of St. Brandan�
This marvellous flying island, the subject of many traditions, is represented as about ninety leagues in length, lying beyond the Canaries. This island appears on mostof the maps of the time of Columbus, and is laid down in a French geographical chart of as late a date as 1755, in which it is placed five degrees west of the island of Ferro, in latitude twenty-nine degrees north. The nameSt. Brandan, orBorandan, given to this imaginary island, is said to be derived from an Irish abbot who flourished in the sixth century, and concerning whose voyage in search of the Islands of Paradise many legends are related. Many expeditions were sent forth in quest of this mysterious island, the last being from Spain in 1721; but it always eluded the search. The Spaniards believe this lost island to be the retreat of their King Rodrigo; the Portuguese assign it to their Don Sebastian. “Its reality,†says Irving, “was for a long time a matter of firm belief. The public, after trying all kinds of sophistry, took refuge in the supernatural to defend their favorite chimera. They maintained that it was rendered inaccessible to mortals by Divine Providence, or by diabolical magic. Poetry, it is said, has owed to this popular belief one of its beautiful fictions, and the garden of Armida, where Rinaldo was detained enchanted, and which Tasso places in one of the Canary Isles, has been identified with the imaginary San Borandan.†The origin of this illusion has been ascribed to certain atmospherical deceptions, like that of theFata Morgana.
333. Where is the “Island of the Seven Cities�
This imaginary island is the subject of one of the popular traditions concerning the ocean, which were current in the time of Columbus. It is represented as abounding in gold, with magnificent houses and temples, and high towers that shone at a distance. The legend relates thatat the time of the conquest of Spain and Portugal by the Moors, when the inhabitants fled in every direction to escape from slavery, seven bishops, followed by a great number of people, took shipping and abandoned themselves to their fate upon the high seas. After tossing about for a time, they landed upon an unknown island in the midst of the ocean. Here the bishops burned the ships to prevent the desertion of their followers, and founded seven cities. This mysterious island is said to have been visited at different times by navigators, who, however, were never permitted to return.
334. Why has March 25 been adopted as “Moving Day†in many parts of our country?
Until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, in 1752, the English legal year began on the 25th of March. Consequently on that day all leases, etc., expired, lands changed hands, etc. This custom still survives in many parts of our own country, and March 25 is our “Moving Day.†Under the name of Lady Day, the 25th of March is still one of the regular quarter-days in England and Ireland for the payment of rent.
335. Who was Lalla Rookh?
This heroine of a poem of the same name by Moore is the daughter of the great Aurungzebe. She is betrothed to the young king of Bucharia, and sets forth, with a splendid train of attendants, to meet him in the delightful valley of Cashmere. To amuse the languor, or divert the impatience of the royal bride, in the noontide and night halts of her luxurious progress, a young Cashmerianpoet had been sent by the gallantry of the bridegroom, and recites, on these occasions, the several tales that make up the bulk of the poem. With him she falls desperately in love, and by the time she enters the lovely vale of Cashmere, and sees the glittering palaces and towers prepared for her reception, she feels that she would joyfully forego all this pomp and splendor, and fly to the desert with the youthful bard whom she adores. He, however, has now disappeared from her side, and she is supported, with fainting heart and downcast eye, into the presence of her tyrant; when a well-known voice bids her be of good cheer, and, looking up, she sees her beloved poet in the prince himself, who had assumed this gallant disguise, and won her affections without any aid from his rank or her engagement.
336. Which is the “Land of Steady Habits�
Connecticut is sometimes so designated, in allusion to the moral character of its inhabitants.
337. Which is the “Lumber State�
Maine. The inhabitants of this State are largely engaged in the business of cutting and rafting lumber, or of converting it into boards, shingles, scantlings, and the like.
338. What was the “Bible of the Greeks�
This name is sometimes applied to the works of Homer and Hesiod, as they put into writing the beliefs concerning the gods.
339. Who was the “Prince of Destruction�
This name was conferred upon Tamerlane, or Timour (1335–1405), one of the most celebrated of Oriental conquerors, who overran Persia, Tartary, and Hindostan, his conquests extending from the Volga to the Persian Gulf, and from the Ganges to the Archipelago. He was prevented only by the want of shipping from crossing into Europe. He died just as he was making vast preparations for the invasion of China. No conquests were ever attended with greater cruelty, devastation, and waste of life.
340. What was the “Luz�
This name was given by the old Jewish rabbins to an imaginary little bone which they believed to exist at the base of the spinal column, and to be incapable of destruction. To its ever-living power, fermented by a kind of dew from heaven, they ascribed the resurrection of the dead.
“Hadrian (whose bones may they be ground, and his name blotted out!) asked R. Joshua, Ben Hananiah, ‘How doth a man revive again in the world to come?’ He answered and said, ‘Fromluz, in the backbone.’ Saith he to him, ‘Demonstrate this to me.’ Then he tookluz, a little bone out of the backbone, and put it in water, and it was not steeped; he put it in the fire, and it was not burned; he brought it to the mill, and that could not grind it; he laid it on the anvil, and knocked it with a hammer, but the anvil was cleft, and the hammer broken.â€Lightfoot.
341. Who was the “Queen of Hearts�
Elizabeth, the daughter of James I., and the unfortunate queen of Bohemia, was so engaging in her behavior, that she was so called in the Low Countries. When herfortunes were at the lowest ebb, she never departed from her dignity; and poverty and distress seemed to have no other effect upon her but to render her more an object of admiration than before.
342. Why is New Jersey sometimes called “Spain�
New Jersey receives this sobriquet from the fact that Joseph Bonaparte, the eldest brother of Napoleon, and ex-king of Spain, once occupied the extensive grounds and mansion called Point Breeze, at Bordentown, in that State. Here he lived for some years under the title of Comte de Survilliers, endeared to the inhabitants by his liberality and gracious manners, and he was elected to many philanthropical and learned associations. An act was passed in 1817 by the Legislature of New Jersey to enable him, as an alien, to hold real estate.
343. Who were the “Roundheads�
In English history this nickname was given, in the reign of Charles I., to the Puritans or parliamentary party, who were accustomed to wear their hair cut close to the head. The term was soon extended in its application so as to include all the adherents of the Parliament, whether Puritans or not. The origin of the term is not certainly known. Some attribute it to the circumstance that staid and serious persons at the time of the civil wars were used to wear black skullcaps reaching down to the ears. Others say it was because the Puritans wore their hair short, while the opposite party, the Cavaliers, wore theirs in long ringlets. According to Haydn, the Puritans were in the habit of putting a round bowl or wooden dishupon their heads, and cutting their hair by the edge or brim. Still another account is, that Queen Henrietta Maria, at Stratford’s trial, asked “who thatround-headedman was,†meaning Mr. Pym, her attention having been directed to him “because he spake so strongly.â€
344. What was the origin of the expression “Simon Pure�
This expression, which means “the real man,†had its origin in the name of a Pennsylvania Quaker in Mrs. Centlivre’s comedy, “A Bold Stroke for a Wife.†Being about to visit London to attend the quarterly meeting of his sect, his friend, Aminadab Holdfast, sends a letter of recommendation and introduction to another Quaker, Obadiah Prim, a rigid and stern man, who is guardian of Anne Lovely, a young lady worth £30,000. Colonel Feignwell, another character in the same play, who is enamoured of Miss Lovely and her handsome fortune, availing himself of an accidental discovery of Holdfast’s letter and of its contents, succeeds in passing himself off on Prim as his expected visitor. The real Simon Pure, calling at Prim’s house, is treated as an impostor, and is obliged to depart in order to hunt up witnesses who can testify to his identity. Meantime Feignwell succeeds in getting from Prim a written and unconditional consent to his marriage with Anne. No sooner has he obtained possession of the document, than Simon Pure reappears with his witnesses, and Prim discovers the trick that has been put upon him.