The historical finger-posts: a handy book of terms, phrases, epithets, cognomens, allusions, &c. in connection with universal history including politics, theology, law ...

Preface

Every reader of general literature is aware that it is japossible to take up a newspaper, a periodical, or an ordinary volume, without meeting with numerous allusions of an historical character. These are frequently employed by the writer as illustrations of his theme, and the reader is supposed to be familiar with them, and capable of applyingthem accordingly.

In many instances the names, terms, or epithets emr ployed have never been met with before. In others, they have occurred in youthful studies long since forgotten, or in discursive reading only imperfectly remembered. When the eye of the partially informed reader lights upon these symbols, he is, generally speaking, content to guess at the meaning, and to pass on. In other cases, where the reader, more scrupulous, wishes to gain the clue, he has no alternative but to undertake a long and tedious search through histories, encyclopedias, and dictionaries. Thus, in the one case, error is perpetuated ; and in the other, research is discouraged and rendered irksome.

But the work which we now place before the reader will, so far as it goes, prevent misconception on the one hand,

IV PKEFACE.

and lighten the labour of investigation on the other ; inasmuch as any one of its passages may be referred to on the instant, with scarcely a halt or interruption to the subject under perusal.

Be it understood, however, that it is not sought to elevate this humble performance at the expense of weightier and more valuable authorities. Far from depreciating such important labours, the Compiler not only acknowledges his obligations to them in the preparation of this volume, but strongly recommends their study, and deems this a not inappropriate place to introduce a list of some of the various publications referred to ; viz. : —

Conversations-Lexicon ; Saint Laurent's Dictionnaire Encyclopedique Usuel ; Dictionnaire de la Conversation ; Encyclopedie des Gens du Monde ; Dezobry et Bachelet's Dictionnaire General de Biographie, Histoire, &c. ; Encyclopaedia Americana ; Dictionnaire des Dates ; Macaulay's History of England ; Hone's Year Book ; Hone's E very- Day Book; Blakey's History of Political Literature; Doubleday's Financial History of England ; Tooke's History of Prices ; Parry's Parliaments of England ; Oldfield's Representative History of Great Britain ; Godwin's History of the Commonwealth; Strutt's Manners and Customs; Hallam's History of the Middle Ages ; Hallam's Constitutional History of England ; Alison's History of Europe ; Hume's History of England; Keightley's History of England; Grote's History of Greece; Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ; Rollin's Ancient History ; Tytler's Elements of Universal History ; Russell's Modern Europe ; Arnold's History of Rome ; Smith's Dictionary of

PREFACE. V

Antiquities ; Tomlin's Law Dictionary ; Rose's Biographical Dictionary ; Clinton's Fasti Hellenici ; Bevington's History of the Middle Ages ; Aspin's Analysis of Universal History ; Wade's* British Chronology ; Heeren's Historical Researches; Robertson's Histories of Scotland, America, and Charles the Fifth ; Palgrave's History of Normandy ; Historical Register ; Cooke's History of Party ; Clarendon's History of the Rebellion ; Beatson's Political Index ; ^ Timbs's Things Not Generally Known; Selby's Events * to be Remembered ; History in all Ages ; Gleanings, v Historical and Literary ; Bartlett's Dictionary of Americanisms ; Dictionary of Familiar Sayings ; Hunt's Little^ World of Knowledge ; Stocqueler's Military Encyclopaedia ; Bartlett's New Tablet of Memory ; Robinson's Theological Dictionary ; Buck's Theological Dictionary, &c, &c.

The limited extent of this undertaking has necessarily rendered it one of selection ; for if all the items of information appertaining to any one of the sections comprised herein were included, they would of themselves have proved sufficient to fill a bulky volume. The principle adopted, therefore, has been, first, to include those allusions which are most frequently met with ; secondly, such as the general reader is least acquainted with ; and, thirdly, to reject such subjects as were assumed to be sufficiently obvious and familiar.

Doubtless, in endeavouring to carry out this view, there have been errors of omission and commission. Some things may have been rejected which might have been selected, and others may have been adopted which should have been excluded.

VI PREFACE.

These objections have been anticipated, and considerable pains taken to meet them. It is seldom, however, that individual judgment can cope with universal expectation; and it is trusted that, notwithstanding minor defects, the work, as a whole, will prove eminently useful, and in a great measure fulfil the purpose for which it has been designed.

Table Of Contents

Section Page I. Wars, Battles, Naval and Military Expeditions, &c. .«. 1 II. Conspiracies, Plots, Revolts, Riots, Tumults, Insurrections, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 15

III. Factions, Political Parties, Secret Societies, Cliques,

IV. Dynasties, Royal Houses, Noble and Illustrious Families,