• chapter list

[40-42]   [46-47]

Chapter 43
The Race of Scatcherd Becomes Extinct

Dies non
A Latin phrase literally meaning, "a day not," it is used here by Trollope to refer to the day of Sunday in regard to the operations of the Greshamsbury post office. Since mail isn't delivered on Sunday, it can be described as a "day without" mail, or a "dies non" in Latin.  [MD]

Mercury
Trollope uses the name of the ancient Roman messenger god to refer to the Greshamsbury post-boy.  [RR]

Chapter 44
Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning

Clouded brow
When Frank is gloomy over his situation with Mary, Trollope uses this expression to describe his mood.  Horace uses the same image in a different way in Epistles Book 1, where he says, "take the cloud from your brow."  Trollope uses the image of the clouded brow repeatedly in his novels.  [JC]

The Spartan matron
Trollope is referring here to a particular story in Book 3 of Plutarch's Moralia in which a grandmother whose grandson has died in battle notes that it is better that he has died honorably than if he'd survived through cowardice.  Trollope compares this story with Lady Arabella's wish for Frank to marry money.  It is an apt comparison in that in both cases it is a case of quid pro quo where the quid is family honor (which the Greshams stand to lose along with their property if Frank fails to marry money) and the quo is, in a sense, the son himself (although Frank's situation is certainly more figurative than the Spartan soldier's).  The reference to returning home on the shield is from another story also recorded by Plutarch in which the mother tells her son to either come back with his shield or on it.  [JC]

Chapter 45
Law Business in London

Into the middle
Horace in the Ars Poetica (line 148) advises that epic poets should hurry to the middle of the story (in medias res) where the action itself happens.  Otherwise, the writer will fall short of the audience's expectations.  When Frank goes to meet with Mr. Bideawhile he intends to "rush into the middle of his subject."  That is to say that Frank intends to go directly into the events that lead to his current predicament.  Frank is trying to take the advice of Horace.  [TH]

[40-42]   [46-47]

• home

• chapter list