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Full Glossary
sagacity the quality or an instance of being sagacious; penetrating intelligence and sound judgment; wisdom.
Sardanapalus's luxury Sardanapalus (also known as Assurbanipal) was an Assyrian king renowned for his lavish lifestyle.
seers people with the supposed power to foretell events or a person's destiny; prophets.
Sessions meetings of legal officials to transact court business.
shroud a cloth used to wrap a corpse for burial; winding sheet.
smelling salts an aromatic mixture of carbonate of ammonium and some fragrant scent used as an inhalant in relieving faintness, headaches, and the like.
Something of the awfulness Something of the impressiveness. "Awfulness"here means "inspiring awe"rather than "terrible."
sons and daughters of Gaul that is, French men and women.
spencer a short jacket that ends at the waist.
stand and deliver a highwayman's order to his victims to stand still and deliver their money and valuables.
surgeon someone who cared for external injuries such as broken bones or wounds. Surgeons were not physicians and were referred to as "Mr."rather than "Dr."
tergiversation the use of evasions or subterfuge.
tocsin an alarm bell.
Tower the Tower of London, a fortress made up of several buildings on the Thames in London, where the English government held criminals charged with high crimes.
trap a hinged or sliding door in a roof, ceiling or floor, which lifts or slides to cover an opening.
turnkey a person in charge of the keys of a prison; warder; jailer.
two score and twelve fifty-two (a score is twenty).
Tyburn public hangings in London took place at gallows called the Tyburn Tree until 1783.
Vauxhall Gardens London's first amusement park; the gardens, located on the south bank of the Thames River, opened in 1660 and closed in 1859. Visitors enjoyed not only the natural setting, but also food, drink, musical performances, fireworks, and balloon launches.
Westminster Hall Westminster Hall, located in London, was the chief law court of England until 1870.
Whitefriars a dostrict of central London between Fleet Street and the Temple area where criminals and fugitive debtors lived.
wicket a grated window in a door.
winding sheet a cloth in which the body of a dead person is wrapped for burial; shroud. Also refers to solidified candle drippings, signifying death.
the window of dormer shape a window set vertically in a sloping roof.
wore a red cap now, in place of his blue one French revolutionaries wore red caps.
Year One of Liberty the new government of France created a new calendar, based on the inception of the French Republic in 1792 rather than on the birth of Christ. Consequently, 1792 was Year One.