In Burton. The anonymous dead expose the brevity and unequal distribution of military fame. In the attack on corrupt appointments, the related Latin term becomes an insult directed at those obstructing the Church and universities. The social contempt of the second passage is stronger than the descriptive military equivalent in the first.

The places. Common soldiers receive far less recognition than the general. (p. 32–33; DJR-010-05.) Proletariique joins Harpies in the attack on corrupt appointments. (p. 144 [sequence]; DJR-050-09.)

In this edition. “proletaries” → “common soldiers” (DJR-010-05); “proletariique” → “and low fellows” (DJR-050-09). The renderings follow the local distinction between soldiers drawn from ordinary people and a polemical label. Neither passage uses the later political category proletariat.

See also. Parasite.

Proper

Source forms: proper; propernes of person

The word. Proper can mean handsome or well formed. Properness of person describes physical appearance, rather than correctness of behaviour or ownership.

In Burton. A handsome man can be recognized readily, whereas learning takes time to acquire and recognize. Loyola’s handsome appearance then stands among the worldly advantages surpassed by the honour gained after his injury. Both examples distinguish bodily attractions from another kind of achievement.

The places. A proper man is a handsome man in the comparison with learning. (p. 131; DJR-047-08.) Properness of person names Loyola’s handsome appearance. (p. 313; DJR-088-01.)

In this edition. “a proper man” → “a handsome man” (DJR-047-08); “propernes of person” → “handsome appearance” (DJR-088-01). Handsome prevents the moral or possessive senses of proper from obscuring these physical descriptions.

See also. Honest.

Purging

Source forms: vomit; vomits; purging upwards

The word. Purging means evacuating bodily matter in the historical treatment of illness. It can act upwards by vomiting or downwards through the bowels. A vomit may name the emetic substance administered, rather than the material expelled.

In Burton. An emetic plays a part in the reported serpent cure, alongside a concealed object intended to change the patient’s belief. The pharmacological survey classifies melancholy-purging medicines by composition, strength and direction of evacuation. Laurel and asarabacca are called common vomits within that scheme.

The places. A vomit names the administered emetic in the serpent anecdote. (p. 298; DJR-084-34.) Two common vomits means two familiar emetics. (p. 376; DJR-101-34.) Purging upwards and downwards distinguishes the directions of evacuation. (p. 376; DJR-101-32.)

In this edition. “a vomit” → “an emetic” (DJR-084-34); “two common vomits” → “two common emetics” (DJR-101-34); “purging upwards or downward” → “upwards or downwards” (DJR-101-32). Emetic clarifies the medicinal noun. The modern description retains the directions of purging and explains them in the accompanying note, without reconciling historical doses or imposing a botanical identity.

See also. Alteratives; Clister; Flux and lask; Costiveness; Apophlegmatisms; Helleborism.

Quean and slut

Source forms: slut; Quean; queans

The word. Slut can mean a dirty or slovenly woman. Quean is an abusive term for a sexually disreputable woman and, in some contexts, a prostitute. These insults do not carry identical accusations.

In Burton. The marriage catalogues separate slovenliness from the accusation carried by harlot or wantonness. Heloise’s reported preference for Abelard turns the contrast between quean and queen into a contrast of personal attachment and rank. The later discussion attributes some women’s prostitution or retaliation to husbands’ deprivation and ill-treatment.

The places. Slut and harlot form separate items in the hostile catalogue. (p. 168; DJR-055-36.) Quean contrasts with queen in the report of Heloise’s preference. (p. 521; DJR-129-62.) Slut describes slovenliness in advice against marriage. (p. 569; DJR-139-09.) Queans refers to women driven to prostitution. (p. 629; DJR-150-54.)

In this edition. “a slut” → “a slattern” (DJR-055-36); “his Quean” → “his mistress” (DJR-129-62); “if she be a slut” → “if she is slovenly” (DJR-139-09); “turn queans by compulsion” → “are driven to prostitution” (DJR-150-54). The equivalents distinguish untidiness, sexual stigma and prostitution. Mistress in the Heloise passage accompanies the stronger whore in the translated Latin; the source’s quean/queen wordplay is explained in the note.

See also. Bawd; Mistress; Sodomy; Honest; Wittal and cuckold.

Quiddity and quodlibet

Source forms: quiddities; Quodlibetaries

The word. A quiddity concerns what a thing is, its defining nature. A quodlibetary disputation takes up questions on whatever subject is proposed. Burton uses the terms contemptuously within a catalogue of argumentative refinements.

In Burton. The passage attacks theological ingenuity that produces minute distinctions, objections, solutions and interpretations to explain away difficulties. Quirks and quiddities places a technical inquiry into essence beside the charge of verbal evasion; quodlibetary names the disputational form.

The places. The catalogue joins quiddities and unrestricted disputations to other scholastic techniques. (p. 675; DJR-160-07.)

In this edition. “quirks and quiddities” → “quirks and quiddities” (DJR-160-07); “Quodlibetaries” → “disputations on any subject whatever” (DJR-160-07). Quiddities remains as a marked term explained here and in the note; the more obscure Quodlibetaries receives an explanatory phrase. Burton’s hostile assessment remains his own.

See also. Equivocation.

Radical moisture

Source forms: cambium; ros; gluten; radicall moisture

The word. Radical moisture is the innate or rooted moisture imagined to sustain natural heat. Cambium, ros and gluten are technical names in the associated historical account of nourishment; gluten here is not the modern food protein.

In Burton. The definition of humour distinguishes innate from acquired bodily liquids and describes their replenishment. The later account makes innate moisture necessary to preserve the heat supporting vegetative life, in plants as well as people. Bodily constitution and management of the six non-natural conditions affect this preservation.

The places. Cambium, ros and gluten occur in the compressed account of nourishing innate humour. (p. 14; DJR-023-28.) Radical moisture sustains natural heat and prevents its exhaustion. (p. 21; DJR-024-35.)

In this edition. “Cambium” → “cambium” (DJR-023-28); “Ros and Gluten” → “ros and gluten” (DJR-023-28); “radicall moisture” → “innate moisture” (DJR-024-35). Innate explains radical directly. The technical Latin names remain, with ros and gluten glossed as dew and glue in the note. The difficult physiological sequence is preserved rather than silently harmonized.

See also. Concoction.

Reason

Source forms: Reason

The word. Reason is the capacity to deliberate and judge, here presented in conflict with appetite and will. Recognizing what ought to be done does not guarantee doing it.

In Burton. The first sentence sets reason’s counsel against lust’s. The related moral account then gives an obstinate will the power to pervert judgement even when the right action is known. Its image of Actaeon destroyed by his own dogs makes the passions appear as forces encouraged by the sufferer.

The places. Reason and lust offer competing advice. (p. 30; DJR-026-47.) The will perverts judgement despite knowledge of the right action. (p. 97 [scan p. 197]; DJR-040-05.)