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Chapter 1
The Squire of Allington

Dale family scepter
Here Trollope describes the property and political status passed through the Dale family as the family's "scepter."  This may recall the scepter that represents Agamemnon's power in the Iliad (2.45), which has been passed down from his forefathers.  [EB]

Vestal fire
In Roman religion, Vesta was a goddess of hearth and community, and her temples contained a fire that was never extinguished.  Here Trollope compares the steadfastly maintained family traditions of inheritance in the Dale family to this eternal flame. The image is appropriate, given Vesta's correspondence to domestic settings.  The heightened religious connotations of the reference also have an effect of humorous exaggeration.
Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology  [EB]

To afford comfort, protection, and patronage
The Romans established a system of patron-client relationships in which powerful men gave financial, social, and political support to those of lesser status.  This system has been replicated in many other societies, as depicted in Trollope's description of Allington.
http://www.bartleby.com/65/pa/patron.html  [EB]

Profane vulgar
In Ode 3.1 Horace states, odi profanum vulgus et arceo, or "I hate and avoid the common crowd."  Here Trollope uses the Anglicized form of the Latin phrase profanum vulgus to describe the road used by the common inhabitants of Allington. [EB & RR]

Chapter 2
The Two Pearls of Allington

Damon to any Pythias
Damon and Pythias are legendary friends whose story was recorded by Valerius Maximus in De Amicitiae Vinculo.  Pythias was condemned to death by the ruler of Syracuse, Dionysius I, but was allowed to return to his home before the execution on the condition that his friend Damon would die in his place if he failed to return.  Damon was nearly executed since Pythias returned late.  When the ruler of the city saw their courageous loyalty to one another, he let them both live.  Here Trollope says that Bernard would not have shown the kind of extraordinary friendship exemplified by these mythical figures to any average clerk, signifying Crosbie's greater renown.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pwh/valmax-damon.html  [EB]

Apollo
This reference is the first instance of a recurring parallel made between the classical god Apollo and Adolphus Crosbie.  Apollo was the god of arts, music, prophecy, and healing, who was also associated with the sun and was typically portrayed as an idealized, beautiful young man.  Here Lily makes the comparison with irony, suggesting that Crosbie must think of himself as a glorious, Apollo-like figure.  These references continue, as Crosbie and Bernard Dale join the tail-end of Lily's conversation with Bell.  Later in the chapter Lily mentions that "Apollo can't get through the hoops," creating a humorous image of a god failing at a game of croquet.  Unfortunately, Lily later comes to truly admire Crosbie as an elevated Apollo.
Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology  [EB & RR]

Boundary of thick laurel hedge
The laurel was a plant often associated with Apollo.  This association can be traced to a myth recorded in Ovid's Metamorphoses (1.452-1.566), in which the nymph Daphne changed into a laurel in order to escape Apollo's advances, and the god then appropriated the laurel as his symbol. Its presence immediately after the extended introduction of the Apollo-Crosbie parallel may serve to heighten the effect of the allusion.  It may also serve as a subtle foreshadowing of the future romantic troubles that Crosbie will be involved in, since Apollo's romantic interests often turned out badly for the females he pursued.  [EB]

Tablets of his mind
Crosbie here takes note of Lily's sarcastic comment about Lady Hartletop.  This phrase is drawn from line 789 in Aeschylus' play Prometheus Bound, where Prometheus reveals Io's future to her.  There is a humorous contrast between the minor social comment that Crosbie commits to memory and the dramatic events of Aeschylus' play.  [EB]

Remnants of the haymaking
In this scene, Lily, Bell, Bernard, and Crosbie all take a slight part in assisting with the haymaking, creating an idyllic image of rural life like those found in classical pastoral poetry.  Theocritus' tenth Idyll, for instance, takes place during harvesting.  The scene's association with Crosbie is interesting and unusual, since in the rest of the novel it is usually John Eames who participates in moments reminiscent of pastoral love.  [EB & RR]

Quite after the manner of Apollo
Lily again refers to Crosbie as an "Apollo" in a somewhat derogatory fashion. See previous entry on Apollo.  [EB]

Chapter 3
The Widow Dale of Allington

Meo periculo
This Latin phrase means "at my own risk."  The narrator uses it here to qualify his assertion of the "fact" of Mrs. Dale's inherently lady-like nature in spite of the obscurity of her grandfather. This aside seems to heighten the sense of class-based tension between Mrs. Dale and Christopher Dale.  [EB]

This and that Apollo
Trollope here describes Mrs. Dale's potential for attraction to an Apollo-like man, continuing in a general way the allusion originally made by Lily earlier.  [EB]

Rhadamanthine moralists
This phrase refers to the Greek mythological figure Rhadamanthys.  He was the son of Zeus and Europa, and he became a ruler noted for his just nature.  After his death, he became one of the judges of the dead in Hades.  Rhadamanthys' unbending sense of justice suits Trollope's description of the social expectation that middle-aged women suddenly become harsh and joyless. 
Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology  [EB]

Music of the gods
Lily's voice is described as "sweet...as the music of the gods" to Mrs. Dale.  This refers to the perfect entertainments that the classical gods were thought to enjoy at their home on Mt Olympus, as depicted in the Iliad (e.g., 1.600).  [EB]

Phoebus Apollo
Lily revisits her earlier identification of Crosbie and Apollo.  She references the god's association with archery, here saying that she will replace the bow with a croquet mallet in her image of Crosbie as Apollo.  She continues the reference by mentioning how Crosbie's short visit did "not [give] one time even to count his rays," recalling the image of Apollo as the sun.
Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology  [EB]

Apollo with a gun
Mrs. Dale continues Lily's Apollo reference as she and Lily discuss Crosbie's plans to return to Allington for hunting in the fall, saying that Lily will have to change her image of an Apollo with a mallet to one of an "Apollo with a gun." [EB]

Mr Apollo Crosbie
Here Lily Dale compares Dr. Crofts to Crosbie, describing Crofts as a better man compared to "Apollo."  See above.  [EB]

[4-6]

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