| Framley Parsonage Chapters 22 to 24 |
|
|
Chapter 22 |
|
|
Greek
Delectus This is the text which Grace Crawley is currently studying with her father, who is attempting to give her as much of a classical education as he is able. Lucy Robarts initially thought that these books belonged to Bob, Grace's brother, and she is surprised to find out that Grace herself is the one studying this subject. In the Victorian period it was rare for a woman to receive an education in Greek, and therefore Lucy is surprised to find out that Grace is becoming a scholar. [MD] |
|
|
Ode of
Horace Horace was an ancient Roman poet who was famous for his carmina, or odes. In this reference, Grace Crawley is described as knowing one of these odes, which was taught to her by her father, and she is therefore thought to be an intelligent little girl by Lucy Robarts, although Lucy says so in a playful tone. [MD] |
|
|
Chapter 23 |
|
|
The
triumph of the giants Throughout most of this chapter, Trollope draws a complex comparison between the political change going on in Britain and the myth in which the giants, monstrous children of Gaia (the Earth), make an attack on the gods and their home, Mount Olympus. Trollope makes no distinction between the giants and the Titans, who were also born from Gaia and also fought against the gods. Confusion between these two stories is not particular to Trollope. It is interesting to note that in none of the variations of the theme in antiquity do the giants actually win, but in Trollope's political analogy the giants come out as the winners, at least for a time. Typhoeus was, depending on the tradition, either the child of Hera alone or the child of Gaia and another monster. He was more monstrous in form than many of the other giant beings who attacked a god, with a hundred snake heads, fiery breath, wings, and a lower-half made of serpent's coils. He attacked Zeus, but lost. Mimas was one of the giants who attacked the Olympian gods; he was killed with molten metal thrown by Hephaestus, the smith of the gods. Porphyrion and his brother were the strongest of the giants; Zeus inspired Porphyrion with desire for Hera, and then destroyed him with lightening for attempting to rape her. Rhoecus was a centaur who tried to rape Atalanta, who was endeavoring to remain a virgin; she shot and killed him. Enceladus was a giant; the island of Sicily was thrown on top of him by Athena, and he was trapped under it eternally, causing earthquakes and volcanic activity with his tossing and turning. Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology [JM] |
|
|
Diana
of the Petty Bag and Orion Harold Smith, Lord of the Petty Bag, is being made to resign his office, along with the rest of the ministry; his job will be taken over by someone else. Orion was a giant and a hunter; Diana was an Italian goddess of the hunt who was later identified with Artemis, likewise a divine huntress. In some versions of Orion's death, Diana killed him for attempting to best her in a contest. Just as with the other giant-versus-god allusions in this chapter, Trollope's outcome is the reverse of the classical one: Diana is replaced by another hunter, like the gods are displaced by the giants, whereas the gods triumphed in the actual myths. Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology [JM] |
|
|
Hundred-handed Gyas supposed to be of the utmost importance to the
counsels of the Titans Gyes or Gyges was one of three giant hundred-handed children of Gaia and Uranus. Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology [JM] |
|
|
Bees
round a sounding cymbal Vergil discusses the behaviours and keeping of bees; the cymbals were used in the entrapment of bees. See Vergil's Georgics Book 4 line 64. [JM] |
|
|
Every son of
Tellus Tellus was the Roman equivalent of the Greek Gaia, goddess of the earth. The giants and Titans were children of Gaia. [JM] |
|
|
Piling Pelion
on Ossa Pelion and Ossa were two of the mountains the giants piled up in order to reach the heavens. Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology [JM] |
|
|
Briareus and
Orion Briareus was one of the three hundred-handed children of Gaia and Uranus. For Orion, see note earlier in this chapter. [JM] |
|
|
Herculean toils Hercules is the Roman name for the Greek hero Heracles. Heracles' was fathered by Zeus on a mortal woman and was persecuted throughout his life by the king of the gods' wife Hera. Her most notable act against the hero was inflicting him with insanity, causing him to kill his own children; in repentance for this he served king Eurystheus for 12 years, performing 12 tasks that are sometimes referred to as the Herculean labors. Here, the "gods" have suggested that the number of bishops in the Church should be increased, in order to share between them their "Herculean" labors. [JM] |
|
|
Chapter 24 |
|
|
Magna est Veritas: "Great is truth." A quotation from the apocryphal 3 Esdras 4:41. Miss Dunstable repeats these words (which she says she has learned from the bishop) to Mrs. Harold Smith when she is trying to induce Mrs. Harold Smith to be open with her. It also the title of the entire chapter. [JC] |
|
|
Old blood "[Mr. Sowerby] was proud of the old blood that flowed in his veins." It is interesting to note here that Trollope does not refer to Mr. Sowerby's blood as ichor as he has done in other novels, when mentioning other established families such as the Thornes. [JC] |
|
|
Breakdown of
the gods Another reference to one of the political parties as gods. [JC] |
|
|
If you go to
your Latin, I'm lost Mrs. Harold Smith says this to Miss Dunstable when she repeats the Latin phrase that she has learned from the bishop. Following the educational standards of the day, Trollope's women are not expected to have classical knowledge; notice that Miss Dunstable explains that she has only recently picked up the Latin phrase magna est veritas from the bishop. [JC & RR] |
|
| • home | |