Chapter Mohocks to Monastery of M by Brewer's Readers Handbook

“Mona” is the Latinized form of the British word môn-au (“remote isle”). The “Isle of Man” is Môn-au or mona (“remote isle”) corrupted by misconception of the meaning of the word.

Monaco (The king of), noted because whatever he did was never right in the opinion of his people, especially in that of Rabagas the demagogue: If he went out, he was “given to pleasure;” if he stayed at home, he was “given to idleness;” if he declared war, he was “wasteful of the public money;” if he did not, he was “pusillanimous;” if he ate, he was “self-indulgent;” if he abstained, he was “priest-ridden.”—Sardon: Rabagas (1872).

Monaco. Proud as a Monegasque. A French phrase. The tradition is that Charles Quint ennobled every one of the inhabitants of Monaco.

Monarch of Mont Blanc, Albert Smith; so called because for many years he amused a large London audience, night after night, by relating “his ascent up Mont Blanc” (1816–1860).

Monarque (Le Grand), Louis XIV, of France (1638, 1643–1715).

Monastery (The), a novel by sir W. Scott (1820). The Abbot appeared the same year. These two stories are tame and very defective in plot; but the character of Mary queen of Scots, in The Abbot, is a correct and beautiful historical portrait. The portrait of queen Elizabeth is in Kenilworth.

The plot of the novel: The hero and heroine of the novel are Halbert Glendenning and lady Mary Avenel, who become converts to the reformed religion and marry each other. The crux is about a Bible which belonged to lady Alice Avenel, a widow, and which the abbot of St. Mary’s Monastery tried to get hold of. He first sent father Philip to see what he could do. Father Philip succeeded in capturing the book, but in crossing a ford on his mule, the White Lady pushed him into the water, and captured his prize. The abbot next sent the sub-prior, who found that the book had been mysteriously restored, and that the lady Alice was dead; so he took possession of the Bible; but in crossing the ford he also was pushed into the water, and lost it. Halbert Glendenning now implored the White Lady to inform him where it was. She conveyed him through the earth, and showed it him on a “flaming altar.” He took possession of it. Both Halbert Glendenning and lady Mary Avenel now became converts to the reformed religion, and their marriage ends the tale.