The Last Chronicle of Barset
Chapters 61 to 63

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[58-60]   [64-66]

Chapter 61
"It's Dogged as Does It"

Meum and tuum
"Mine and yours."  Mr. Crawley, after receiving the letter from Dr. Tempest about his hearing, states to himself that the ecclesiastical commission will consider him crazy because he did not know the difference between "meum and tuum" in regards to the cheque.  [KD]

Terrible thoughts of the fate of Mr. Crawley's family
After Mr. Crawley receives the letter about his meeting with the ecclesiastical commission, he takes a walk and sits in the rain as "terrible thoughts" as to the fate of his family enter his mind.  This likely refers to Mr. Crawley's thoughts of Heracles killing his wife and children earlier in Chapter 41.  See commentary for Last Chronicle of Barset Chapter 41.  [KD]

Greek iambics
Mr. Crawley is said to make Greek iambics as he walks along the lanes of the street.  An iambic is an unstressed and then stressed syllable.  This is a pun that links metric feet with Mr. Crawley's actual feet.  [KD]

Justice though the heaven should fall
While sitting in the rain, Mr., Crawley decides that he will resign and do justice though the heavens should fall.  This phrase refers to the proverbial justice of Piso.  In this story, a man is sentenced to be executed for murder when the man supposed to be murdered comes forth.  A centurion returns to Piso and recounts the events, after which Piso declares that all three men should be executed.  The first man because he was already sentenced to death, the centurion because he did not follow orders, and the presumed murdered man because he is the cause of death for two innocent men.  Piso then declares that justice will be done though the heavens may fall.  This allusion is very fitting for Mr. Crawley because he decides to resign from his position even though the bishop thinks that is in not necessary.
www.bartleby.com  [KD]

 

Chapter 62
Mr Crawley' Letter to the Dean

Let justice be done, though the heaven may fall
Again Mr. Crawley states to himself that he will resign from his office and that justice shall be done, though the heavens may fall.  See Chapter 61 for further comments on the Latin phrase fiat iustitia, ruat coelum.  [KD]

Greek iambics
Mr. Crawley states to himself that the bishop (unlike himself) probably did not know the difference between an iamb and a trochee.  It appears that Mr. Crawley is using his knowledge of Greek to make himself feel better in his own eyes.  [KD]

The Greek poem about the agonies of the blind giant
Mr. Crawley makes Jane read this story before he writes his letters to the bishop and dean.  The story, from Book 9 of the Odyssey, is about the Cyclops, Polyphemus, who was blinded by Odysseus while he and his men were attempting to escape his cave.  This is an interesting link because Polyphemus was once a great giant who was utterly overcome. Trollope, by mentioning Mr. Crawley's interest in Polyphemus, implies that Mr. Crawley believes himself to be a tragic figure like Polyphemus.
Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology  [KD]

Fate/Necessity
Mr. Crawley considers the story of Polyphemus and declares that "Fate--Necessity, as the Greeks called her" is "the goddess that will not be shunned!"  The Fates were thought to determine the life of people in antiquity, and it appears that Mr. Crawley believes that the Fates are interfering with his life by causing the turmoil with the missing cheque.  [KD]

Mr. Crawley takes up the passage himself
Mr. Crawley begins to read the passage of the Odyssey himself.  As we have seen, Mr. Crawley only reads Greek when he is in a good mood.  In this instance, he must be very content because he takes over the reading from Jane.  [KD]

Nil conscire sibi, nulla pallescere culpa.
This means "to be conscious of no guilt, to turn pale at no blame."  This phrase is from Horace's Epistles I.1.61.  Mr. Crawley in his letter to the dean says that the dean, if he were not abroad, would probably give him this advice.  [KD]

My hair stands on end with horror
In his letter to the dean, Mr. Crawley states that his hair stands on end in horror when he thinks of the possibility that he stole the cheque.  Here Trollope is playing on the literal meaning of the verb horresco, horrescere which means to bristle or to have one's hair stand on end. 
OLD  [KD]

The dean as the patron of the living
In his letter to the dean, Mr. Crawley declares him his patron of the living.  This is reference to the patron/client system which Trollope commonly invokes in his novels. See commentary for Small House at Allington Chapter 22.  [KD]

 

Chapter 63
Two Visitors to Hogglestock

Greek and Latin
Major Grantly asks Jane to excuse herself from the room so he can talk to Mr. and Mrs. Crawley.  Trollope states that even though Jane has only studied Greek and Latin she knew that Major Grantly is about to ask Mr. Crawley's permission to marry Grace.  [KD]

Nil conscire sibi
"To be conscious of no guilt."  Mr. Crawley says this to himself after he realizes that Major Grantly is asking his permission to marry Grace.  The phrase is from Horace's Epistles.  See commentary for Chapter 62.  [KD]

Roman fortitude
Mr. Crawley tries to maintain a Roman fortitude when explaining to Major Grantly that Grace cannot marry him.  This fortitude likely refers to Stoicism which arose from the philosopher Zeno around 313 BC.  This school of thought was focused on logic, physics, and ethics and placed a strong emphasis on man's alignment with fate or providence.  Stoicism also taught that emotions were bad and without virtue.  Stoicism was further made popular by Seneca and Epictetus. However, Mr. Crawley was unable keep his Roman fortitude as he was unable to hold his emotions when he sobbingly rejects Major Grantly's proposal.  [KD]

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