Anabaptists
radical Protestants who rejected infant baptism because they thought only an active believer should be baptized; they emphasized free will. They historically have been considered to emphasize justification by works in addition to faith, but critics argue that this idea was circulated falsely out of misunderstanding or in order to discredit them.
arbiter
judge
besom
a broom made of twigs and a longer handle; a cleansing or sweeping-away force
commonplace-books
collections of interesting facts learned by reading or conversation; in the absence of the Internet, these were especially popular in Early Modern times, as people would write down meaningful lines and know where to find them
coxcomb
a fop; a vain and foolish person
deplorable
lamentable; worthy of harsh censure
dignities
the upper class of society
Dissenters
Protestants who separated themselves from the Church of England because they disliked the bishop structure and entanglement with government
emulation
imitation, often out of admiration
expedient
a solution or a means to an end
farrow
to give birth
fricassee
stewed dish often made with chicken
groat
a small-denomination British coin that has been discontinued
halfporth
a shortened form of “halfpennyworth,” a small amount of money
Jacobites
those who wanted the monarchy, in the form of the Stuart line, to be reinstated in Britain, and rejected the Revolution Settlement of 1689
papist
an offensive term for a Roman Catholic
paradox of the moderns
the Moderns, having returned to classical themes, are more ancient than the Ancients
periwig
the original word for wig; primarily an eighteenth-century fashion worn by both men and women, often powdered, and partly because people often shaved their heads to avoid lice
play
gambling
Privy Council
In England, a body responsible for declaring war and other administrative duties; in Ireland, a group primarily of bishops responsible for law-making. The Irish Privy Council had to first submit its proposals to the English Privy Council.
prodigious
marvelously great; inducing wonder
ragout
thick, well-seasoned stew served as a main dish
rudiments
basic principles or elements
scrupulous
careful, exacting, complying with strict morals
Scythians
an ancient eastern European and Asiatic Russian people, often nomadic, sometimes considered barbarians, who were often compared to the Irish for their supposed savagery
tenet
belief or principle; a component of a larger doctrine
Test Act
a law passed in England in 1673 that required potential office holders to take communion with the Church of England, which would demonstrate Anglicanism
viceroy
a governor, in Ireland called the Lord-Lieutenant
vintner
wine merchant
Whigs
a political party formed in 1679 whose members strongly supported the Resolution Settlement of 1689, believed in quelling domestic Catholic threats, and disapproved of monarchy
