Quicksilver Reading CompanionJack Shaftoe travels the road between Paris and Lyons in early 1685, acting as a courier for news of royal marriages and colonial gold while grappling with the physical and mental toll of his illness.
“King Looie has secretly married Mademoiselle de Maintenon” — Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon was the second wife of Louis XIV; though they wed in a private ceremony around 1683, she was never officially recognized as Queen, yet she wielded enormous influence over the King’s religious policies.
“the Jesuits have his ear now” — The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) were a Catholic religious order known for their influence as confessors to European monarchs; in 1680s France, they were seen as driving Louis XIV toward more militant anti-Protestantism.
“nerf du boeuf” — “Nerf de boeuf” is the French term for “bull’s pizzle” — a whip or club made from the dried and tanned penis of a bull. It also happens to be the name of a gambling card game.
“just another group of galley slaves on their way down to Marseille” — In the 17th century, France used convicts and religious dissidents to man the oars of its Mediterranean fleet; the journey to the port of Marseille was notoriously brutal and often fatal.
“Is this the effect of the English Pox?” — Syphilis was often named after rival nations; the French called it the “Neapolitan itch,” while the English called it the “French Pox.” Here, the Frenchman Arlanc reverses the insult.
“sell a horse at the Place Royale” — One of the oldest and most prestigious planned squares in Paris, the Place des Vosges was a center of aristocratic life and commerce during the 17th century.
“streaked with white quick-lime and speckled with human skulls and bones” — Quicklime (calcium oxide) was historically spread over corpses in mass graves to accelerate decomposition and control the stench of decay, particularly in pauper cemeteries.
“Quod, erat demonstrandum. Quod, erat demonstrandum…” — Latin for “which was to be demonstrated,” Q.E.D. is the traditional conclusion to a mathematical proof, highlighting the chapter’s theme of debating predestination versus free will.
“southbound column of galériens, obviously Huguenots” — Huguenots were French Protestants who faced severe persecution under Louis XIV; many were sentenced to be galley slaves following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.
“Slaves of Louis the Rex” — Louis XIV, the “Sun King” of France, maintained an absolute monarchy whose religious policies led to the mass exodus and enslavement of thousands of his own subjects.
“Jack’s life’s proves irrefutably Th’existence of Free Will” — Free Will is the philosophical counterpoint to predestination, arguing that humans have the agency to make choices; it remains a central tension in the Enlightenment’s religious and scientific discourse.
“young Papists wore to their first communion” — First Communion is a Catholic rite of passage where a child first receives the Eucharist; in the 17th century, it was a significant social milestone marked by specific white attire.
“Hôtel-Dieu—that colossal poorhouse just by Notre Dame” — The Hôtel-Dieu de Paris is the oldest hospital in Paris, which served as a catch-all institution for the sick, the poor, and the dying under Church administration.
“What’s the payoff? UNDESERVED GRACE!” — Divine Grace was a central theological concept in the friction between Catholicism and Protestantism regarding how a soul achieves salvation.
“canopy of brilliant fleur-de-lis-embroidered cloth” — The fleur-de-lis is the stylized lily symbol used by the French monarchy to represent their divine right to rule and their Catholic piety.
“planted atop the walls of Dutch or German or English cities” — This refers to the Franco-Dutch War, the aggressive expansionist conflicts of the 1670s that pitted France against a coalition of European powers.
“flew halfway to the next arrondissement” — An arrondissement is an administrative district of Paris, though the formal system of twenty districts was not established until long after the 17th century.
“that it belonged to John Churchill” — Later the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill was a brilliant English general and statesman who served under both James II and William III.
“Bob sends greetings from sunny Dunkirk” — Bob Shaftoe is Jack’s brother, serving as a soldier in the English forces on the continent.
Original annotations by: rpe, bornstein