absolution formal remission of sin after confession; in the Roman Catholic church, it is a part of the sacrament of penance.
abstruse difficult to understand; obscure.
Achilles the hero of Homer's Illiad.
Adonis in Greek mythology, a youth of astonishing beauty, favored by the goddess of love, Aphrodite.
Adrian Publius Aelius Hadrianus (76–138 A.D.), popularly known as Hadrian, or Adrian, Roman emperor (117–38 A.D.); had strong ties to Egypt and lost a close friend to drowning in the Nile.
affluence a plentiful supply of wealth or goods.
ague chills, or shivering.
alchemist one who tries to turn base metals into gold.
Although I joy . . . when next we meet a quote from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene 2, 116-22.
anchorite a religious recluse.
Anglomanie a combination of New Latin and French, the term indicates a mania for things English.
annihilated completely destroyed.
Apollo in Greek mythology, the god of the sun, music, and poetry; a young man of great physical beauty.
arbiter elegantiarum Latin, "judge of elegance."
Arden a forest in As You Like It, in which Sibyl performed the previous night.
argot specialized language used by a particular group.
Artemis in Greek mythology, the goddess of the hunt.
articles the articles of agreement, or contract, signed by James, to undergo the journey to Australia.
ascetic a person who renounces comforts to live a life of self-disci-pline, sometimes for a religious reason.
asphodel a Mediterranean plant that in Greek mythology is linked with death.
beater someone who is hired to flush wild game from cover for hunters; on some hunts, they beat percussion instruments.
Beatrice a leading character in William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), German composer.
bismuth a white, crystalline, metallic element used in alloys to form castings; here, used as powder.
blossoms of a laburnum a small, spreading tree with golden flowers and highly poisonous seeds.
Bologna a city in northern Italy.
brocade a heavy fabric interwoven with a raised design.
brougham a four-wheeled, closed carriage with an open driver's seat in front.
Buonarotti Michelangelo Buonarotti, better known as simply "Michelangelo" (1475–1564), Italian painter, sculptor, and architect.
Burgundy a wine, usually red, produced in the Burgundy ("Bourgogne") region of southeastern France.
Caliban a savage who is half-man, half-beast in The Tempest.
calumnies false statements meant to injure someone.
candor frankness, straightforwardness.
caprice something done impulsively or whimsically.
cassone Italian, "large cabinet."
censure an expression of blame or disapproval.
chaud-froid French, meaning "hot-cold"; a molded, jellied cold meat or fish dish with a jellied sauce.
Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (1810–49), Polish pianist and composer of works for piano and orchestra; resident of France from 1829 until his death.
Chopin Frédérick Francois Chopin (1810–49), Polish pianist and composer; resident in France from 1829 until his death.
coaling filling up with coal.
collieries coal mines.
conjugal having to do with marriage.
Cordelia a leading character in William Shakespeare's King Lear.
curate a clergyman in charge of a parish or one who assists a rector.
Cyril Tourneur (1575–1626), British dramatist and tragedian.
