A Budget of Paradoxes - Volume II Part 52
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Volume II Part 52

[371] The spelling of these names is occasionally changed to meet the condition that the numerical value of the letters shall be 666, "the number of the beast" of Revelations. The names include Julius Caesar; Valerius Jovius Diocletia.n.u.s (249-313), emperor from 287 to 305, persecutor of the Christians; Louis, presumably Louis XIV; Gerbert (940-1003), who reigned as Pope Sylvester II from 999 to 1003, known to mathematicians for his abacus and his interest in geometry, and accused by his opponents as being in league with the devil; Linus, the second Bishop of Rome, the successor of Peter; Camillo Borghese (1552-1621), who reigned as Pope Paul V from 1605 to 1621, and who excommunicated all Venice in 1606 for its claim to try ecclesiastics before lay tribunals, thus taking a position which he was forced to abandon; Luther, Calvin; Laud (see Vol. I, page 145, note 7 {307}); Genseric (c. 406-477), king of the Vandals, who sacked Rome in 455 and persecuted the orthodox Christians in Africa; Boniface III, who was pope for nine months in 606; Beza (see Vol. I, page 66, note 6 {83}); Mohammed; [Greek: braski], who was Giovanni Angelo Braschi (1717-1799), and who reigned as Pope Pius VI from 1775 to 1799, dying in captivity because he declined to resign his temporal power to Napoleon; Bonaparte; and, under [Greek: Ion Paune], possibly Pope John XIV, who reigned in 983 and 984 during the absence of Boniface VII in Constantinople.

[372] The Greek words and names are also occasionally misspelled so as to fit them to the number 666. They are [Greek: Lateinos] (Latin), [Greek: he latine basileia] (the Latin kingdom), [Greek: ekklesia italika] (the Italian Church), [Greek: euanthas] (blooming), [Greek: teitan] (t.i.tan), [Greek: arnoume] (renounce), [Greek: lampetis] (the l.u.s.trous), [Greek: ho niketes] (conqueror), [Greek: kakos hodegos] (bad guide), [Greek: alethes blaberos] (truthful harmful one), [Greek: palai baskanos] (a slanderer of old), [Greek: amnos adikos] (unmanageable lamb), [Greek: antemos]

(Antemos), [Greek: genserikos] (Genseric), [Greek: euinas] (with stout fibers), [Greek: Benediktos] (Benedict), [Greek: Bonibazios g. papa x. e.

e. e. a.] (Boniface III, pope 68, bishop of bishops I), [Greek: oulpios]

(baneful), [Greek: dios eimi he heras] (I, a G.o.d, am the), [Greek: he missa he papike] (the papal brief), [Greek: loutherana] (Lutheran), [Greek: saxoneios] (Saxon), [Greek: Bezza ant.i.theos] (Beza antiG.o.d), [Greek: he alazoneia biou] (the illusion of life), [Greek: Maometis] (Mahomet); [Greek: Maometes b.] (Mahomet II), [Greek: theos eimi epi gaies] (I am lord over the earth), [Greek: iapetos] (Iapetos, father of Atlas), [Greek: papeiskos] (Papeiskos), [Greek: dioklasianos] (Diocletian), [Greek: cheina]

(Cheina = Cain? China?), [Greek: braski] (Braschi, as explained in note 10), [Greek: Ion Paune] (Paunian violet, but see note 10), [Greek: koupoks]

(cowpox), [Greek: Bonneparte] (Bonneparte), [Greek: N. Boneparte] (N.

Boneparte), [Greek: euporia] (facility), [Greek: paradosis] (surrender), [Greek: to megatherion] (the megathereum, the beast).

[373] James Wapshare, whose _Harmony of the Word of G.o.d in Spirit and in Truth_ appeared in 1849.

[374] The literature relating to the _Swastika_ is too extended to permit of any adequate summary in these notes.

[375] Henry Edward Manning (1808-1892), at first an Anglican clergyman, he became a Roman Catholic priest in 1851, and became Cardinal in 1875. He succeeded Cardinal Wiseman as Archbishop of Westminster in 1865. He wrote a number of religious works.

[376] John Bright (1811-1889), Quaker, cotton manufacturer, and statesman.

He worked with Cobden for free trade, peace, and reform of the electorate.

[377] "The fallacy of many questions."

[378] William Wilberforce (1759-1833), best known for his long fight for the abolition of the slave trade.

[379] Richard Martin (1754-1834), high sheriff of County Galway and owner of a large estate in Connemara. Curiously enough, he was known both for his readiness in duelling and for his love for animals. He was known as "Humanity Martin," and in 1822 secured the pa.s.sage of an act "to prevent the cruel and improper treatment of cattle." He was one of the founders (1824) of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He is usually considered the original of G.o.dfrey O'Malley in Lever's novel, _Charles O'Malley_.

[380] See Vol. I, page 149, note 1 {323}, also text on same page.

[381] See Vol. I, page 44, note 9 {34}, also text, Vol. I, page 110.

[382] "Penitential seat."

[383] "Well placed upon the cushion."

[384] See Vol. II, page 58, note 109.

[385] "He has lost the right of being influenced by evidence."

[386] "Hung up."

[387] "A few things to the wise, nothing to the unlettered."

[388] The fallacy results from dividing both members of an equation by 0, x - 1 being the same as 1 - 1, and calling the quotients finite.

[389] "If you order him to the sky he will go."

[390] _Similia similibus curanter_, "Like cures like," the homeopathic motto.

[391] "Without harm to the proprieties."

[392] "What are you doing? I am standing here."

[393] Lors feist l'Anglois tel signe. La main gausche toute ouverte il leva hault en l'aer, puis ferma au poing les quatres doigtz d'icelle et le poulce estendu a.s.sit sus la pinne du nez. Soubdain apres leva la dextre toute ouverte, et toute ouverte la baissa, joignant la poulce au lieu que fermait le pet.i.t doigt de la gausche, et les quatre doigtz d'icelle mouvoit lentement en l'aer. Puis au rebours feit de la dextre ce qu'il avoit faict de la gausche, et de la gausche ce que avoit faict de la dextre.--A. De M.

[394] _Suaviter in modo, fort.i.ter in re_, "Gentle in manners, firm in action."

[395] See Vol. I, page 101, note 4 {174}.

[396] See Vol. I, page 315, note 3 {686}.

[397] Henry Fawcett (1833-1884) became totally blind in 1858, but in spite of this handicap he became professor of political economy at Cambridge and sat in parliament for a number of years. He championed the cause of reform and in particular he was prominent in the protection of the native interests of India. The establishing of the parcels post (1882) took place while he was postmaster general (1880-1884).

[398] Of course the whole thing depends upon what definition of division is taken. We can multiply 2 ft. by 3 ft. if we define multiplication so as to allow it, or 2 ft. by 3 lb, getting foot-pounds, as is done in physics.

[399] Richard Milward (1609-1680), for so the name is usually given, was rector of Great Braxted (Ess.e.x) and canon of Windsor. He was long the amanuensis of John Selden, and the _Table Talk_ was published nine years after Milward's death, from notes that he left. Some doubt has been cast upon the authenticity of the work owing to many of the opinions that it ascribes to Selden.

[400] John Selden (1584-1654) was a jurist, legal antiquary, and Oriental scholar. He sat in the Long Parliament, and while an advocate of reform he was not an extremist. He was sent to the Tower for his support of the resolution against "tonnage and poundage," in 1629. His _History of Tythes_ (1618) was suppressed at the demand of the bishops. His _De Diis Syriis_ (1617) is still esteemed a cla.s.sic on Semitic mythology.

[401] See Vol. I, page 42, note 4 {24}.

[402] See Vol. II, page 249, note 398.

[403] John Palmer (1742-1818) was a theatrical manager. In 1782 he set forth a plan for forwarding the mails by stage coaches instead of by postmen. Pitt adopted the plan in 1784. Palmer was made comptroller-general of the post office in 1786 and was dismissed six years later for arbitrarily suspending a deputy. He had been verbally promised 2% on the increased revenue, but Pitt gave him only a pension of 3000. In 1813 he was awarded 50,000 in addition to his pension.

[404] Dionysius Lardner (1793-1859), professor of natural philosophy in London University (now University College). His _Cabinet Cyclopaedia_ (1829-1849) contained 133 volumes. De Morgan wrote on probabilities, and Lardner on various branches of mathematics, and there were many other well-known contributors. Lardner is said to have made $200,000 on a lecture tour in America.

[405] Thomas Fysche Palmer (1747-1802) joined the Unitarians in 1783, and in 1785 took a charge in Dundee. He was arrested for sedition because of an address that it was falsely alleged that he gave before a society known as the "Friends of Liberty." As a matter of fact the address was given by an uneducated weaver, and Palmer was merely asked to revise it, declining to do even this. Nevertheless he was sentenced to Botany Bay (1794) for seven years. The trial aroused great indignation.

[406] See Vol. I, page 80, note 5 {119}.

[407] See Vol. II, page 244, note 394.

[408] See Vol. I, page 352, note 1 {731}.

[409] See Vol. I, page 332, note 4 {709}.

[410] "The lawyers are brought into court; let them accuse each other."

[411] Samuel Rogers (1763-1855), the poet and art connoisseur. He declined the laureateship on the death of Wordsworth (1850). Byron, his pretended friend, wrote a lampoon (1818) ridiculing his cadaverous appearance.

[412] Theodore Edward Hook (1788-1841), the well-known wit. He is satirized as Mr. Wagg in _Vanity Fair_. The _John Bull_ was founded in 1820 and Hook was made editor.

[413] "On pitying the heretic."

[414] A term of medieval logic. Barbara: All M is P, all S is M, hence all S is P. Celarent: No M is P, all S is M, hence no S is P.

[415] "Simply," "According to which," "It does not follow."

[416]

"O sweet soul, what good shall I declare That heretofore was thine, since such are thy remains!"