No More Learning

'139 thrid':

a variant form of "thread. "



CANTO III

'3 a structure':

Hampton Court, a palace on the Thames, a few miles above London. It was
begun by Wolsey, and much enlarged by William III. Queen Anne visited it
occasionally, and cabinet meetings were sometimes held there. Pope
insinuates (l. 6) that the statesmen who met in these councils were as
interested in the conquest of English ladies as of foreign enemies.


'8'

Tea was still in Queen Anne's day a luxury confined to the rich. It
cost, in 1710, from twelve to twenty-eight shillings per pound.


'9 The heroes and the nymphs':

the boating party which started for Hampton Court in Canto II.


'17'

Snuff-taking had just become fashionable at this time. The practice is
said to date from 1702, when an English admiral brought back fifty tons
of snuff found on board some Spanish ships which he had captured in Vigo
Bay.

In the 'Spectator' for August 8, 1711, a mock advertisement is inserted
professing to teach "the exercise of the snuff-box according to the most
fashionable airs and motions," and in the number for April 4, 1712,
Steele protests against "an impertinent custom the fine women have
lately fallen into of taking snuff. "


'22 dine':

the usual dinner hour in Queen Anne's reign was about 3 P. M. Fashionable
people dined at 4, or later.
This allowed the fashionable lady who rose
at noon time to do a little shopping and perform "the long labours of
the toilet. "


'26 two . . . Knights':

one of these was the baron, see l. 66.


'27 Ombre':

a game of cards invented in Spain. It takes its name from the Spanish
phrase originally used by the player who declared trumps: "Yo soy
l'hombre," 'i. e. ' I am the man. It could be played by three, five, or
nine players, but the usual number was three as here. Each of these
received nine cards, and one of them named the trump and thus became the
"ombre," who played against the two others. If either of the ombre's
opponents took more tricks than the ombre, it was "codille" (l. 92).
This meant that the opponent took the stake and the ombre had to replace
it for the next hand.

A peculiar feature of ombre is the rank, or value, of the cards.