2
the passion for reforming the world: See Forsyth's
3
decorum, and dignity, etc. etc. etc.: We are not masters of the whole vocabulary. See any novel by any literary lady.
4
his Ahrimanic philosophy: Ahrimanes, in the Persian mythology, is the evil power, the prince of the kingdom of darkness. He is the rival of Oromazes, the prince of the kingdom of light. These two powers have divided and equal dominion. Sometimes one of the two has a temporary supremacy.-According to Mr Toobad, the present period would be the reign of Ahrimanes. Lord Byron seems to be of the same opinion, by the use he has made of Ahrimanes in 'Manfred'; where the great Alastor, or[16], of Persia, is hailed king of the world by the Nemesis of Greece, in concert with three of the Scandinavian Valkyrae, under the name of the Destinies; the astrological spirits of the alchemists of the middle ages; an elemental witch, transplanted from Denmark to the Alps; and a chorus of Dr Faustus's devils, who come in the last act for a soul. It is difficult to conceive where this heterogeneous mythological company could have originally met, except at a _table d'hote_, like the six kings in 'Candide'.
5
pensions: 'PENSION. Pay given to a slave of state for treason to his country.'-JOHNSON'S
6
…of a beautiful day: See Denys Montfort: Histoire Naturelle des Mollusques; Vues Generales, pp. 37, 38. (P.) The second half of this speech by Mr Asterias and the opening sentence of his previous speech are a paraphrase from Montfort, pp. 37-9.
7
Mr Burke's graduated scale of the sublime: There must be some mistake in this, for the whole honourable band of gentlemen-pensioners has resolved unanimously, that Mr Burke was a very sublime person, particularly after he had prostituted his own soul, and betrayed his country and mankind, for 1200
8
…vanishes in the smoke of death:
9
…and reaps the whirlwind:
10
… or to endure:
11
…whose gums are poison:
12
…exist only in himself:
13
sedet, oeternumque sedebit: Sits, and will sit for ever.