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Chapter 16
Mr. Crosbie Meets an Old Clergyman on His Way to Courcy Castle

Nolo decanari
Latin for "I am unwilling to be dean."  Mr. Crosbie's Latin phrase is analogous to the Latin phrase Nolo espiscopari (meaning "I am unwilling to be bishop") which is the formal reply supposed to be returned to the offer of a bishopric.  Mr. Crosbie uses this Latin analogy to show that he is educated and quick-witted. This contributes the image of Crosbie as one who is concerned with his image.  [AM] 

Chapter 17
Courcy Castle

Shillings and pence…pence and shillings
Use of a Latin rhetorical device found in Roman poetry called chiasmus, in which the order of two elements in a sentence or line are repeated in reverse order, such as AB…BA.  [AM]

Paternal wines, paternal horses, maternal milliner
Latinate words are used for elevated speech with comic effect.  [AM]

Rumor
This is an allusion to Rumor in Book 4 of Vergil's Aeneid.  According to Aeneid 4.174-175, "no evil is swifter" than Rumor or Fama, who "flourishes in movement and gains strength by going."  Rumor in the Aeneid is the ill that spreads the word about the relationship between Dido and Aeneas.  Trollope uses this allusion to the Aeneid's Rumor to convey how the news of the break-off of Lady Alexandrina's engagement spread to others and became exaggerated in the process.  [AM & RR]

He believed himself to be a great man because the world fought for his wife's presence
This sentence may be alluding to the pride of Paris because the Trojan War was caused by his capture of and marriage to Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world.  In Homer's Iliad 3.156-158, the old men on the wall of Troy see Helen and state that no one could blame the Greeks and Trojans for fighting over such a woman.  In our text, Lady Dumbello's beauty has been taken great note of by the social circle at Courcy Castle.  In fact, it is her beauty that is greatly emphasized in any reference to her, just as beauty was Helen's primary feature.  The "world fighting" for the presence of a beautiful lady may recall the Trojan War.  Reference to the pride of Paris at the struggle over Helen occurred in a previous chapter regarding Cradell's internal joy that his close intimacy with Mr. Lupex's wife had generated chaos in Burton Crescent.  See commentary on Chapter 11.  [AM]     

By Jove
John De Courcy uses this interjection, referring to the king of the Roman gods, to stress his opinion that he would not have taken George De Courcy's wife as his wife even if she had "ten times thirty thousand pounds."  [AM]

Chapter 18
Lily Dale's First Love-Letter

Damon and Pythias
Damon and Pythias were legendary Greek figures from Syracuse whose friendship symbolized deep loyalty to one another.  When Pythias was condemned to death by Dionysius the Elder, he was released to make arrangements for his wife and children in preparation for his death, only because Damon stayed in his place and was ready to die if Pythias never returned.  Some time later Pythias did return, and amazed by this act of loyalty, Dionysius the Elder freed them both.  The countess uses this phrase in reference to how Mr. Crosbie must have stayed as long as he did at Allington because of his supposedly strong friendship with Bernard Dale.  The countess could be using this classical reference in a slightly mocking sense.
OCD [AM]

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