Around every stage of human life a variety of customs and superstitions have woven themselves, most of which, apart from their antiquarian value, as having been bequeathed to us from the far-off past, are interesting in so far as they illustrate4 those old-world notions and quaint5 beliefs which marked the social and domestic life of our forefathers6. Although, therefore, many of these may appear to us meaningless, yet it must be remembered that they were the natural outcome of that scanty7 knowledge and those crude conceptions which prevailed in less enlightened times than our own. Probably, if our ancestors were in our midst now, they would be able in a great measure to explain and account for what is often looked upon now-a-days as childish fancy and so much nursery rubbish. In the present chapter it is proposed to give a brief and general survey of the folk-lore[2] associated with birth and infancy9, without, however, entering critically into its origin or growth, or tracing its transmigration from one country to another. Commencing, then, with birth, we find that many influences are supposed to affect the future fortune and character of the infant. Thus, in some places great attention is paid to the day of the week on which the child is born, as may be gathered from the following rhyme still current in Cornwall:—
"Sunday's child is full of grace, Monday's child is full in the face, Tuesday's child is solemn and sad, Wednesday's child is merry and glad, Thursday's child is inclined to thieving, Friday's child is free in giving, Saturday's child works hard for his living"—
a piece of folk-lore varying, of course, in different localities. By general consent, however, Sunday is regarded as a most lucky day for birth, both in this country and on the Continent; and according to the "Universal Fortune-teller"—a book very popular among the lower classes in former years—"great riches, long life, and happiness" are in store for those fortunate beings born on Sunday, while in Sussex they are considered safe against drowning and hanging. Importance is also attached to the hour of birth; and the faculty10 of seeing much that is hidden from others is said to be granted to children born at the "chime hours," i.e., the hours of three, six, nine, or twelve—a superstition1 found in many parts of the Continent. There is, too, an idea prevalent in Germany[3] that when a child is born in leap-year either it or its mother will die within the course of the year—a notion not unknown in our own country. Again, from time immemorial various kinds of divination11 have been in use for the purpose of discovering the sex of an infant previous to its birth. One of these is by means of a shoulder-of-mutton bone, which, after the whole of the flesh has been stripped clean off, must be hung up the last thing at night over the front door of the house. On the following morning the sex of the first person who enters, exclusive of the members of the household, indicates the sex of the child.
We will next turn to some of the countless12 superstitions connected with the new-born child. A highly popular one refers to the caul—a thin membrane13 occasionally found covering the head at birth, and deemed specially14 lucky, as indicating, among other things, that the child will never be drowned. It has been, in consequence, termed the "holy" or "fortunate hood15," and great care is generally taken that it should not be lost or thrown away, for fear of the death or sickness of the child. This superstitious16 fancy was very common in the primitive17 ages of the Church, and St. Chrysostom inveighs18 against it in several of his homilies. The presence of a caul on board ship was believed to prevent shipwreck19, and owners of vessels20 paid a large price for them. Most readers will, no doubt, recollect21 how Thomas Hood wrote for his early work, "Whims22 and Oddities," a capital ballad23 upon this vulgar error. Speaking of the jolly mariner24 who confidently put to sea in spite[4] of the ink-black sky which "told every eye a storm was soon to be," he goes on to say—
"But still that jolly mariner Took in no reef at all; For in his pouch25 confidingly26 He wore a baby's caul."
It little availed him, however; for as soon as the storm in ruthless fury burst upon his frail27 bark, he
"Was smothered28 by the squall. Heaven ne'er heard his cry, nor did The ocean heed29 his caul!"
Advocates also purchased them, that they might be endued30 with eloquence31, the price paid having often been from twenty to thirty guineas. They seem to have had other magical properties, as Grose informs us that any one "possessed32 of a caul may know the state of health of the person who was born with it. If alive and well, it is firm and crisp; if dead or sick, relaxed and flaccid." In France the luck supposed to belong to a caul is proverbial, and être né coiffé is an expression signifying that a person is extremely fortunate. Apart from the ordinary luck supposed to attach to the "caul," it may preserve the child from a terrible danger to which, according to the old idea, it is ever exposed—namely, that of being secretly carried off and exchanged by some envious33 witch or fairy for its own ill-favoured offspring. This superstition was once very common in many countries, and was even believed by Martin Luther, if we are to rely on the following extract from his "Table Book:"—"Changelings Satan lays in the place of the genuine children, that[5] people may be tormented34 with them. He often carries off young maidens36 into the water." This most reprehensible38 of the practices attributed to the fairies is constantly spoken of by our old writers, and is several times mentioned by Shakespeare. In the speech of Puck, in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Act ii., sc. 1), that jovial40 sprite says of Titania's lovely boy—the cause of quarrel between the King and Queen of Elfland:—
"She never had so sweet a changeling."
In the Winter's Tale (Act iv., sc. 4) the Shepherd, on discovering the babe Perdita, tells the Clown, "It was told me I should be rich by the fairies. This is some changeling." As a preservation41 against this danger, sundry42 charms are observed. Thus, in the North of England, a carving-knife is still hung from the head of the cradle, with the point suspended near the child's face. In the Western Isles43 of Scotland idiots are believed to be the fairies' changelings, and in order to regain44 the lost child, parents have recourse to the following device:—They place the changeling on the beach, below high-water mark, when the tide is out, and pay no heed to its screams, believing that the fairies, rather than allow their offspring to be drowned by the rising waters, will convey it away and restore the child they had stolen. The sign that this has been done is the cessation of the child's crying. In Ireland, too, the peasants often place the child supposed to be a changeling on a hot shovel45, or torment35 it in some other way. A similar practice is resorted[6] to in Denmark, where the mother heats the oven, and places the child on the peel, pretending to put it in; and sometimes she whips it severely46 with a rod, or throws it into the water. The only real safeguard, however, against this piece of fairy mischief47 is baptism, and hence the rite39 has generally been performed among the peasantry as soon as possible after birth.
Another danger to which the new-born child is said to be exposed, and to counteract48 which baptism is an infallible charm, is the influence of the "evil eye;" certain persons being thought to possess the power of inflicting49 injury by merely looking on those whom they wish to harm. Although this form of superstition has been gradually dying out for many years past, yet it still retains its hold in certain country places. It is interesting to trace this notion as far back as the time of the Romans; and in the late Professor Conington's translation of the "Satires50 of Persius" we find it thus laughably spoken of:—"Look here! A grandmother or a superstitious aunt has taken baby from his cradle, and is charming his forehead against mischief by the joint51 action of her middle finger and her purifying spittle; for she knows right well how to check the evil eye." Confining ourselves, however, to instances recorded in our own country, we find that, even now-a-days, various charms are practised for counteracting52 the baneful53 influence of this cruel species of witchcraft54. Thus, in Lancashire, some of the chief consist in spitting three times in the child's face, turning a live coal in the fire, exclaiming, "The Lord be with us;" whilst in the neighbourhood[7] of Burnley "drawing blood above the mouth" was once a popular antidote55. Self-bored or "lucky stones" are often hung by the peasantry behind their cottage doors; and in the South of England a copy of the apocryphal56 letter of our Lord to Abgarus, King of Edessa, may occasionally be seen pasted on the walls. In many places, when a child pines or wastes away, the cause is often attributed to the "evil eye," and one remedy in use against this disaster is the following:—Before sunrise it is brought to a blacksmith of the seventh generation, and laid on the anvil57. The smith then raises his hammer as if he were about to strike the hot iron, but brings it gently down on the child's body. This is done three times, after which the child is considered certain to amend58. This superstition survives in Cornwall; and the late Mr. Hawker, of Morwenstow, a noted59 authority on such topics, tells us that two-thirds of the inhabitants of the Tamar side firmly believe in the power of the evil eye. In Scotland this piece of folk-lore has prevailed extensively from time immemorial, and one of the charms to avert60 it is the "gold and silver water." A sovereign and a shilling are put into water, which is sprinkled over the patient in the name of the Trinity. Again, in the Highlands of Scotland, ash-sap is given to new-born children, because, in common with the rowan, that tree is supposed to possess the property of resisting the attacks of witches, fairies, and other imps61 of darkness. The Irish think that not only their children but their cattle are "eye-bitten" when they fall suddenly sick.
[8]
Among other important items of folk-lore associated with birth may be mentioned the popular belief that a child should go up in the world before it goes down. On leaving its mother's room for the first time, it is considered absolutely necessary that it should be carried up-stairs before it goes down-stairs, otherwise it will always keep low in the world, and never rise in after-life either to riches or distinction. When, however, as often happens, the mother's room is on the top storey, the nurse overcomes the obstacle by placing a chair near the door, on which she steps before leaving the room. In Yorkshire it is further stated that a new-born infant should always be placed first in the arms of a maiden37 before any one else touches it. It has been aptly questioned by Mr. Henderson, in his "Folk-lore of the Northern Counties," whether we may not trace in this practice an outgrowth of the medi?val belief that the Virgin62 Mary was present at the birth of St. John the Baptist, and received him first in her arms. Some, too, will never permit an infant to sleep upon bones—that is, the lap—a piece of folk-lore founded on some degree of truth; for it has been pointed63 out that it is undoubtedly64 better for a child to support it throughout its whole length, than to allow its head or legs to hang down, as they might probably do if the infant was sleeping on the lap. Again, there is a common idea that a baby and a kitten cannot thrive in the same house; and should, therefore, as is not unfrequently the case, a cat have kittens at the time of a birth, these are immediately either destroyed[9] or given away. Few nurses, also, can be found courageous65 enough to weigh a young child, from a superstitious conviction that it is unfortunate so to do, the child often dying, or, at any rate, not thriving afterwards. Equally unlucky, too, is it considered to rock baby's empty cradle, it being an omen66 of its death—a belief which also prevails in Scotland. The same notion exists in many parts of the Continent, and the Swedish folk tell us that it should be avoided, as it is apt to make the child noisy and given to crying. It is also deprecated on another ground, that it is ominous67 of another claimant for that place of rest—a piece of folk-lore which the Sussex peasantry express in the following rhyme:—
"If you rock the cradle empty, Then you shall have babies plenty."
Many consider it a bad sign when the first tooth makes its appearance in the upper jaw68, denoting, it is said, that the child will not survive its infancy. Whilst speaking of teeth, it may be noted that they occupy an important place in the folk-lore of infancy. Many readers will no doubt recollect how the Duke of Gloucester, in 3 Henry VI. (Act v., sc. 6), when describing the peculiarities69 connected with his birth, relates that—
"The midwife wondered, and the women cried, 'O Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth!' And so I was, which plainly signified That I should snarl70, and bite, and play the dog."
In Sussex it is still customary for little children to wear a necklace of beads71 made from the root of the[10] peony, as this is supposed to act as a charm in assisting the cutting of their teeth. In the same county, too, the peasantry have a great dislike to throwing away the cast teeth of young children, believing that should any be accidentally found and gnawed72 by an animal, the child's new tooth would exactly correspond with the animal's which had bitten the old one. Once more, in Scotland and the North of England, when the first teeth come out, sundry precautions are taken, to make sure that the fresh ones may be sound and healthy. One of these consists in filling the cavity with salt, after which the tooth must be burnt, while the following formula is repeated:—
"Fire! fire! burn bone; God send me my tooth again."
This practice exists in Sweden, and likewise in Switzerland, where the tooth is wrapped up in paper, with a little salt, and then thrown into the fire. The teeth, however, are not the only objects of superstition in infancy, similar importance being attached to the nails. In many places, for instance, it is considered imprudent to cut them till baby is a year old, and then they should be bitten off, or else there is a likelihood of its growing up dishonest, or of its being, as the Sussex peasantry say, "light-fingered." Anyhow, special attention is to be paid to the day of the week on which the child's nails are cut, if there be any truth in a well-known proverb—
"Better a child had ne'er been born, Than cut his nails on a Sunday morn."
The same warning is given in Germany, and if it is[11] disregarded, it is said that the child will be liable to stammer73 as it grows up. A curious Northumberland belief affirms that if the first parings of a child's nails are carefully buried under an ash-tree, it will turn out in after-life a capital singer. It is also a popular fancy in nursery folk-lore that the child's future career in this world can be easily augured74 from the little specks75 on its nails, a species of palmistry still extensively credited by even educated persons, and one, too, not confined to infancy. Again, the infant's tiny hands are not free from superstition, and here and there, throughout the country, there is a notion that for the first few months after its birth the right one should remain unwashed, the reason assigned for this strange piece of eccentricity76 being that it may gather riches. According to another idea, children born open-handed are said to be of a bountiful disposition77. In Scotland, too, great attention is paid as to which hand a child uses when taking up for the first time a spoon to eat. If it should happen to be the left, then, alas78! he is doomed79 to be an unlucky fellow all through his life. Indeed, as far as we can judge from the numerous items of folk-lore still in vogue80, it would seem that the early period of infancy, in one way or another, furnishes countless opportunities for ascertaining81 what kind of life is in store for the child in years to come, almost every trivial action being regarded as indicative of something or other that shall befall it. Although many of these ideas may seem to us in this nineteenth century apparently82 senseless, yet it must be remembered they are frequently survivals[12] of primitive culture, and are interesting as having been handed down to us from the distant past. According to an old superstition, parents desirous of securing long life for their children should pass them through the branches of a maple. A few years ago one of these trees had long been resorted to for this purpose in West Grinstead Park, and as soon as a rumour83 spread through the parish that it was about to be demolished84, quite a consternation85 prevailed in the neighbourhood. Similar properties are supposed to belong to the ash, weakly infants that do not thrive being drawn86 through a cleft87 in its trunk. This charm, as performed in Cornwall, is thus:—A large knife is inserted into the trunk of a young ash, about a foot from the ground, and a vertical88 opening made for about three feet. Two men then forcibly pull the parts asunder89, and hold them so, whilst the mother passes the child through the cleft three times. The ceremony does not end here, as the child has to be washed for three successive mornings in the dew from the leaves of the "charmed ash." This supposed magical property of the ash has an additional interest, when we consider that some thousands of years ago our ancestors regarded it as one of their wonder-working trees, and associated it with some of their oldest traditions. At the present day, too, it is the subject of an extensive folk-lore, to which we shall have occasion to refer in a succeeding chapter.
Again, if a baby frets90 and does not appear to thrive, it is supposed by some to be "longing92." Thus, a Sussex nurse one day said to a lady, "Baby is so[13] uncommon93 fretty, I do believe he must be longing for something." When asked what he could be longing for, she replied, "Something that his mother longed for, but did not get, before he was born, and the best way to satisfy him would be, I think, to try him with a brandied cherry, or some hare's brains." This piece of superstition, however, is not confined to Sussex. Once more, in addition to the popular notion that cats suck the breath of infants and so cause their death—one, indeed, without a particle of truth—there is another in which poor pussy94 is the victim, an illustration of which we quote from "Rambles95 in an Old City," by a Norfolk author:—"Not long since a woman, holding quite a respectable rank among the working classes, avowed96 herself determined97 to 'drownd' the cat as soon as ever her baby, which was lying ill, should die. The only explanation she could give for this determination was that the cat jumped upon the nurse's lap as the baby lay there soon after it was born, from which time it ailed8, and ever since that time the cat had regularly gone under its bed once a day and coughed twice. These mysterious actions of poor 'Tabby' were assigned as the cause of the baby wasting, and its fate was to be sealed as soon as that of the poor infant was decided98. That the baby happened to be the twenty-fourth child of his mother, who had succeeded in rearing only four of the two dozen, was a fact that seemed to possess no weight whatever in her estimation." This strange antipathy99 to our domestic animal no doubt took its origin in the old belief that the cat's is one of the numerous forms[14] which witches are fond of assuming, and on this account, in days gone by, poor pussy was oftentimes subjected to gross ill-treatment at the hands of the ignorant classes. At the present day, in Germany, there is a deep-rooted belief that witches, when bent100 on doing mischief, take the form of a cat, and many stories are current of their frightening their victims by appearing as "the nightmare;" or, if dishonestly disposed, of their drinking their neighbour's beer. Returning, however, again to the subject of our present chapter, there is a superstitious fancy in the North of England that it is unlucky to walk over the graves of unchristened children, which is vulgarly called "unchristened ground," the person who does so rendering101 himself liable to catching102 the fatal disease of the "grave-scab." This complaint, we are told by Mr. Henderson, "comes on with a trembling of the limbs and hard breathing, and at last the skin burns as if touched with hot iron," in allusion103 to which an old ballad tells us—
"And it ne'er will be cured by doctor on earth, Tho' every one should tent him, oh! He shall tremble and die like the elf-shot eye, And return from whence he came, oh!"
There is, however, a remedy, though not easy of attainment—"It lies in the wearing a sark, thus prepared:—The lint104 must be grown in a field which shall be manured from a farmyard heap that has not been disturbed for forty years. It must be spun105 by Habbitrot, the queen of spinsters; it must be bleached106 by an honest bleacher, in an honest miller's mill-dam,[15] and sewed by an honest tailor. On donning this mysterious vestment, the sufferer will at once regain his health and strength." Unfortunately the necessary conditions for the successful accomplishment107 of this charm are so difficult, that he must be a clever man who can fulfil them. In the South of England, on the other hand, we do not find the same dread108 attaching to the graves of still-born children. Thus on a certain occasion, when one of the Commissioners109 of Devonport complained that a charge of one shilling and sixpence should have been made upon the parish authorities for the grave and interment of a still-born child, he added that "when he was a young man it was thought lucky to have a still-born child put into an open grave, as it was considered to be a sure passport to heaven for the next person buried there." According to another superstitious notion, if a mother frets and pines after her baby when it is dead, it is said that it cannot rest, and will come back to earth again. Various stories are on record of children thus visiting their mothers after death, an instance of which we quote from the "Dialect of Leeds:"—It appears that soon after the birth of the mother's next child, the previous one that had died entered her room with eyes deeply sunken, as if with much weeping, and on approaching the bed, said, "Mother, I can't rest if you will go on fretting110." She replied, "Well, lad, I wean't fret91 any more." He then looked upon the bed and said, "Let's luke at it, mother!" She turned down the coverlet and let him look at her new-born babe. "It'll die," he said,[16] and vanished. These, then, are some of the boundless111 dangers and difficulties that are supposed to beset112 the beginnings of life; and, taking into consideration the importance of that momentous113 crisis, when a fresh actor is introduced upon the world's great stage, it is not surprising that this event has, in most ages and countries, been associated with divers114 superstitions, and given rise to sundry customs, each of which has helped to invest man's entry into this world with all that grandeur115 which such a solemn occasion requires.
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1
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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ailed
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| v.生病( ail的过去式和过去分词 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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divination
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| n.占卜，预测 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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membrane
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| n.薄膜，膜皮，羊皮纸 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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inveighs
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| v.猛烈抨击，痛骂，谩骂( inveigh的第三人称单数 ) | |
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shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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WHIMS
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| 虚妄，禅病 | |
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ballad
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| n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲 | |
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mariner
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| n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者 | |
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pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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confidingly
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| adv.信任地 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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endued
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| v.授予，赋予（特性、才能等）( endue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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reprehensible
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| adj.该受责备的 | |
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rite
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| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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45
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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46
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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47
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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48
counteract
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| vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消 | |
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49
inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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50
satires
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| 讽刺，讥讽( satire的名词复数 )； 讽刺作品 | |
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51
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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52
counteracting
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| 对抗，抵消( counteract的现在分词 ) | |
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53
baneful
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| adj.有害的 | |
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54
witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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55
antidote
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| n.解毒药，解毒剂 | |
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56
apocryphal
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| adj.假冒的，虚假的 | |
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57
anvil
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| n.铁钻 | |
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58
amend
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| vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿 | |
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59
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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60
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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61
imps
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| n.（故事中的）小恶魔( imp的名词复数 )；小魔鬼；小淘气；顽童 | |
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62
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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65
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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66
omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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68
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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69
peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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71
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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72
gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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73
stammer
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| n.结巴，口吃；v.结结巴巴地说 | |
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augured
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| v.预示，预兆，预言( augur的过去式和过去分词 )；成为预兆；占卜 | |
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75
specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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76
eccentricity
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| n.古怪，反常，怪癖 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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78
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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79
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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80
Vogue
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| n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的 | |
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81
ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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82
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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83
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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84
demolished
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| v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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85
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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86
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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frets
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| 基质间片； 品丝（吉他等指板上定音的）( fret的名词复数 ) | |
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fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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92
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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93
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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94
pussy
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| n.(儿语)小猫，猫咪 | |
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95
rambles
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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96
avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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98
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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99
antipathy
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| n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物 | |
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100
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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101
rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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102
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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103
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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104
lint
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| n.线头；绷带用麻布，皮棉 | |
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105
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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106
bleached
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| 漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的 | |
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107
accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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108
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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109
commissioners
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| n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官 | |
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110
fretting
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| n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的, 焦虑的 | |
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111
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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112
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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113
momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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114
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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115
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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