Quicksilver Reading CompanionIn 1661, at Trinity College, Cambridge, a young Daniel Waterhouse witnesses a violent confrontation between a Puritan student and a group of flamboyant, aristocratic “Cavaliers” during the early years of the Restoration.
“The Dissenters are destitute of all decorations that can please the outward Senses” — English Dissenters were Protestants who separated from the Church of England; their austere lifestyle and “probity of manners” stood in stark contrast to the flamboyant, often hedonistic culture of the Restoration court.
“ANONYMOUS, ATTRIBUTED TO BERNARD MANDEVILLE, 1714” — Bernard Mandeville was an Anglo-Dutch philosopher and satirist famous for The Fable of the Bees, which controversially argued that private vices like luxury and greed actually drive public benefits and economic growth.
“The tail of Ursa Major was like the hand of a cœlestial clock” — Before the widespread use of reliable pocket watches, scholars used the rotation of the “pointers” in Ursa Major around the North Star to determine the time at night using a nocturnal.
“a black coat and black breeches with no decorations… others were flounced and feathered” — This highlights the dramatic shift in Restoration fashion, contrasting the “Plain Style” of the Puritan Commonwealth with the extravagant, French-influenced styles that returned to England with the monarchy.
“divines who were fluent in Greek and Latin and Hebrew” — During this era, university education at Cambridge and Oxford functioned primarily as a seminary for the Church of England, focusing on classical languages and theology rather than modern scientific inquiry.
“a heavier spadroon” — A spadroon was a light, straight-edged sword used for both cutting and thrusting, commonly worn as a sidearm by 17th-century gentlemen.
“Some Phanatique—a Puritan, or possibly a Barker” — Puritan was often used as a derogatory term during the Restoration for non-conformist Protestants perceived as religious extremists or political radicals.
“show the dead body to the Justice of the Peace, and allow the coroner” — The Restoration legal system relied on a hierarchy where Justices of the Peace (unpaid local gentry) handled initial criminal accusations while coroners investigated the physical evidence of suspicious deaths.
“Academy of Monsieur du Plessis, near the Palais Cardinal” — The Academy of Monsieur du Plessis was a prestigious 17th-century Parisian school where young aristocrats were trained in the “arts of the courtier,” including riding and fencing.
“author of the recent Declaration of Uniformity” — The Act of Uniformity 1662 required all clergy to follow Anglican rites; its passage led to the “Great Ejection,” where thousands of Puritan ministers were forced out of their positions.
“jobless Ranters, Barkers, Quakers, et cetera” — Ranters were a radical antinomian sect known for pantheistic views that shocked traditionalists, while Quakers faced heavy persecution for refusing to swear oaths or recognize social hierarchies.
“spent rather a lot of time in the Dutch Republic” — During the 17th century, the Dutch Republic was a global power known for its maritime trade, scientific advancement, and a level of religious tolerance that made it a refuge for English exiles.
“isaac was pale and starlight” — From the original wiki (Ghash): “It is interesting to note that when Isaac was born he was so small that his mother commented that “he might haved been put into a quart mug” and so weak that no one thought he would live beyond a couple of days.
At the age of twelve he attended public school at Grantham but performed poorly with his prescribed studies instead showing keen interest in mechanical items such and waterwheels, clocks and such.
He lasted only two years at Grantham.”
“working their separate ways through Aristotle” — At this time, the Cambridge curriculum was still dominated by Aristotle and scholastic logic, which Newton famously began to reject in his private notebooks in favor of “modern” thinkers.
“They took out the Books of Common Prayer” — The Book of Common Prayer is the foundational prayer book of the Church of England; its mandatory use was a primary cause of friction between Anglicans and Dissenters.
“Daniel turned back to his Euclid” — Euclid was the ancient Greek mathematician whose Elements served as the standard textbook for geometry and the foundation for all mathematical education for centuries.
Original annotations by: ghash, sinder