The phrase "Against The Day" in Mason & Dixon

[David Payne]

You can search the text on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0312423209/ref=sib_dp_pt/002-1493772-3622406#
 
I cannot figure out how to search for phrases, just keywords--so it shows you every appearance of the words in the text (lots of false hits).
 
I found the phrase twice, but I seem to recall some related expressions appearing a few times.
 
p. 125: Mason nods, gazing past the little Harbor, out to Sea. None of his busi­ness where Maskelyne goes, or comes,— God let it remain so. The Stars wheel into the blackness of the broken steep Hills guarding the Mouth of the Valley. Fog begins to stir against the Day swelling near. Among the whiten'd Rock Walls of the Houses seethes a great Whisper of living Voice.
 
p. 683: This is the Gradient of Days in which the Party must work their way up to the Allegheny Crest, hastening as they may, the early Winter having caught them west of the Mountains. Here lie the most difficult Miles of the long Traverse, this ascent out of Ohio and out of the West. Unsettl'd by the abrupt Absence of Mohawks, with whom they have come to feel almost secure, as so seldom in this Continent of Hazard, the Skies, night upon night, too clouded over for Observations, both Surveyors, cast into Per­plexity, Drink and play Whist for Sums neither will ever see all in one place at the same time,— the Crew meanwhile deserting Day upon Day, their replacements taking ever more exorbitant Wages,— yet, whilst they bide in this Realm of the Penny-foolish and Pound-idiotick, till the Moment they must pass over the Crest of the Savage Mountain, does there remain to them, contrary to Reason, against the Day, a measurable chance, to turn, to go back out of no more than Stubbornness, and somehow make all come right...for, once over the Summit, they will belong again to the East, to Chesapeake,— to Lords for whom Interests less subjunctive must ever enjoy Priority.
 



> Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:25:42 -0600> From: fqmorris at gmail.com> To: g.i.s.pursey at reading.ac.uk> Subject: Re: The phrase "Against The Day" in Mason & Dixon> CC: pynchon-l at waste.org> > This list is unmoderarted and without rules.> > I don't know about the phrase "against the day" in M&D, but here are> some examples from the King James version of the Bible, where it's> used frequently:> > Esther 3:13&14> And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to> destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and> old, little children and women, in one day, [even] upon the thirteenth> [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and [to take] the> spoil of them for a prey. The copy of the writing for a commandment> to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they> should be ready against that day.> > Job 38:22&23> Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen> the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of> trouble, against the day of battle and war?> > John 12:7> Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she> kept this.> > Romans 2:5> But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself> wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous> judgment of God;> > 2 Timothy 2:12> For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not> ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is> able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.> > So, from the context of these verses, it seems that the phrase applies> to a form of preparation or storage of something to be used at a time> appropriate in the future.> > Is it listsed in the OED anybody?> > David Morris> > On Jan 23, 2008 8:47 AM, Guy Ian Scott Pursey> <g.i.s.pursey at reading.ac.uk> wrote:> >> > (And if anyone feels like advising me on the usual rules and customs of contacting this list, that would be great too. Perhaps, there's a webpage somewhere.)
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