Poetry · Chapter
Endnotes explained
The endnotes provide brief references to a Spectator article on laced coffee and to Bayle's Dictionary regarding Cham as the inventor of magic, with a note that Lucy copied a long Latin note from that work.
What happens
The endnotes provide brief references to a Spectator article on laced coffee and to Bayle's Dictionary regarding Cham as the inventor of magic, with a note that Lucy copied a long Latin note from that work.
Key passages
“Mr. Nisby is of opinion that laced coffee is bad for the head.”
Mr. Nisby believes that coffee with alcohol is harmful to one's mental faculties.
This quote from The Spectator reflects 18th-century concerns about the effects of adulterated beverages.
“Cham is said to have been the inventor of magic. Lucy learnt this from Bayle’s Dictionary, and had copied a long Latin note from that work.”
According to Bayle's Dictionary, Cham is credited with inventing magic; Lucy studied this and transcribed an extensive Latin note from the source.
This note indicates Lucy's scholarly engagement with esoteric and historical topics.