MDMD (6)--Ch. 18 Notes & Queries

[RICHARD ROMEO]

Ch 18 Notes & Queries (AD=Andrew's Comments)

183.5  The Mitre--sorta the Grand Hyatt of the time?

183.5 `Ploughman's Lunch' n.b. this is a C20th term, if not indeed
concept. (AD)

183.6--"they address the Council of the Royal Society & find they have 
nothing but good to say of all they have met at St Helena & the Cape."
	Indeed.  keep that new commission to America in mind, perhaps?

183.13 Devoirs--paying one's respects, obilgation. 183.13 `pay his 
Devoirs' devoirs is duties. Presumably this means calling on people. (AD)

183.16  Rockingham Whigs--from 1760-90, two rival factions within Whig 
party dominated politics--some like Rockingham stood for ancient 
liberties and against secret influence, were rivalled by those who 
supported increased executive authority and stability (e.g. men like Pitt 
and Lord North)

183.16 `Kings Men' ??? 

183.18  "He is released into a City preparing for Night,-descending into 
Faith". Faith in what?  Rebekah's appearance as compared to his 
descending into Sin--visiting whores?

183.21 Cock Lane Ghost--A tale of terror without truth; an imaginary tale 
of horrors. In Cock Lane, Stockwell (1762), certain knockings were heard, 
which Mr. Parsons, the owner, declared
proceeded from the ghost of Fanny Kent, who died suddenly, and Parsons 
wished people (becuase he owed money) to suppose that she had been 
murdered by her husband, William Kent. All London was agog with this 
story; but it was found out that the knockings were produced by Parsons' 
daughter (a girl twelve years of age) rapping on a board which she took 
into her bed. Parsons was condemned to stand in the pillory.  Mason 
imagines Rebekah coming around to frighten the crowds gathered there or 
to investigate? see below

184.4  Mrs Woffington & Garrick--perhaps, ghosts, as well?

184.11 `bum-boat' a) a scavenger's boat removing rubbish and filth
from ships moored in the River Thames (and also bearing provisions) b)
a boat bearing fresh provisions to the ships.  (AD)

185.3 `He talks it over with himself' literally in the next few
paragraphs! (AD)

185.5-6  "Everybody knew everything,  except me..."  Mason's views of 
himself as a self-absorbed young man, quite harsh on himself actually.

186.6 `fiduciary' holding a position of trust wrt someone else; a
trustee. (AD)

185.17-18  ""Rebekah's Sweet Voice"--perhaps she like Molly Bloom is a 
singer?

185.22-23 "Was he fated for these terrible unending 4 door farces. They 
do not always end luckily, as at the Cape, with everyone's Blood 
unspilled".  Can Mason be that naive about the daily events at the Cape 
and the Vrooms.

186.25--Who are these pair of gentlemen who tell Rebekah "Here is the one 
you must marry?"  She doesn't know and at 186.36--morning tussah & 
braided hats imply what?  tussah is a coarse brown silk obtained from 
Asiatic silkworms.  Are they Chinese, "these Buzz Men" (187.1) Maybe she 
was a prostitute--Mason alludes to the fact when viewing her face later 
in Ch 18 upon the night sky where all observers can see her beauty and is 
apparently jealous.
One can speculate some sort of conspiracy as does Mason with Bradley and 
Susannah Peach in the next chapter.  Any ideas why some would want 
Charlie and Rebekah together?

186.36 `Tussah' cf MDMD(5) 169.25 (AD)

187.1 `Buzz men' ???

187.2 `having some difficulties with the English Tongue, which, given
my own, I may not judge' is Rebekah not a native English speaker? (AD)

187.8 `Prie-Dieux' M18 (f Fr, lit pray to God), a desk for prayer
consisting of a kneeling surface and a narrow upright front surmounted
by a ledge for book setc. Also (more fully prie-dieux chair) a chair
with a low seat and a tall sloping back, used esp as a prayer seat or
stool and fashionable in the M19. (AD)

187.29 `quotinoctian' presumably P's invention after quotidean meaning
each night or nightly. (AD)

188.1 perhelion--point nearest the sun in an object's orbit around the 
sun.


Richard Romeo
Coordinator of Cooperating Collections
The Foundation Center-NYC
212-807-2417
rromeo at fdncenter.org