Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-10
Interesting Facts
About 9tSir NIGEL"

This weeks installment of "Sir Nigel"
Conan Doyle's great serial story appearing
in the Sunday Magazine section, has fewer
terms likely to puzzle the reader than the
opening chapters contained. Following the
custom inaugurated last week herewith
are presented some definitions and explain
atory paragraphs which will SPAR, the
careful reader an hour or mores search
in reference library.
Pevensey, q village on the coast of Sus-
sex, is the reputed landing place of VIII
liam, the Conqueror. The well-preserved
remains of a Roman fortress inclose the
keep of the Norman Castle to which the
author refers.
Guildford, seventeen miles southwest of
London, Is the capital of the County of
Surrey. Its most interesting building is
the old Norman Keep of the royal castle
built about $50, with walls ten feet in
thickness
Bodmin Is in Cornwall 235 miles from
London. The town grew up in the neigh
borhood of a monastic building founded in
the tenth century, and at the time of the
conquest was an important place. Parts
of many ancient buildings remain. some of
them built into more modern structures
Windsor Castle is the most famous of
England's royal residences 1t was founded
by William the Conqueror, enlarged and
extended by his successors, notably Ed
ward III, and was restored, enlarged and
greatly beautified by Queen Victoria The
arated by the huge round tower or keep.
The upper ward is entered by the Nor
man gateway.
Marches is from marca, meaning border,
bound or frontier. The word is most COM
monty used with reference to the bounda-
ries between England and Wales, and be-
tween England and Scotland. The lat
ter were divided into two parts, the west
ern and middle marches, each with courts
peculiar to itself, and a kind of president or
governor who was called warden of the
marches.
Falconry, as most readers know, is the
sport OF pursuing wild fowl or game by
means of falcons or hawks. Falcons were
noble, when they rose above the quarry
and dashed down upon it from on high; and
ignoble when they captured the quarry by
direct chase after it. 1t was most popu-
lar and aristocratic sport for several CEN
turtles, and still has a few devotees. A
little later in the story the author devotes
considerable space to King Edward and
his retinue flying their falcons.
Cresset-lights were cups mounted upon
a pole or suspended from above, and con-
tanning some infiammable material for
lighting purposes. A coil of pitched rope
was often used. Many cressets were ar
tistically wrought In metal. The word is
derived from one Of the old forms of cruise,
meaning small cup, pot or pan.
The mangonel was a military engine
formerly used for hurting stones in time of
war. Some of them were of large size,
hurting great quantities of missiles at every
discharge.
Citole is our modern musical instrument,
the either, in Its middle English form.
Originally it was like the ancient Greek
Tyre. an upright instrument, rather than
a recumbent one as the either now is
1mping Is from the middle English word
impygne, and In falconry was the opera
ton or method of mending broken feathers.
The Dooln or Doom of Mayence is an
early French chanson relating the deeds of
Doolin the son of Guy OF Mayence, and
ancestor of Ogier. the Dane, one of the
paladins of Charlemagne. The Song of
Roland recorded the deeds of another PAL
manner of his death at the battle of Ronces-
wales in IT'S In like manner Sir Isum-
bras was tribute to the fame of another
medieval hero.
Sonlac is a hill in Sussex where was
fought October IA, 1906 the battle of Hast
ings, as 1t is sometimes called, in which
William the Norman defeated the English
under Harold. and thus became William
of England, and William the Conqueror in
history.
senere, the obsolete form of venery, was
the general term applied to beasts of the
chase, game, hunting, hunting trains, hunt
ing dog kennels. etc.
Household was a right enjoyed by some
tenants on English manors. insuring them
a SUFFICIENT allowance of wood to repair
the house and supply fuel. FfFe-bote was
q allowance of fuel only, ~