Chapter Reason to Red Riding-Hood of R by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Reason to Red Riding-Hood

Reason (The goddess of), in the French Revolution, some say, was the wife of Momoro the printer; Lamartine says it was Mlle. Malliard, an actress; Michelet says it was Mlle. Aubray. Probably the foolery was repeated by different parties at different times—apparently thrice at least.

Chaumette, assisted by Lals, an actor of the Opera, had arranged the fête of December 20, 1793. Mlle. Malliard, an actress, brilliant with youth and talent, played the part of the goddess. She was borne in a palanquin, the canopy of which was formed of oak branches. Women in white, with tri-coloured sashes, preceded her. Attired with theatrical buskins, a Phrygian cap, and a blue chlamys over a transparent tunic, she was taken to the foot of the altar, and seated there. Behind her burnt an immense torch, symbolizing “the flame of philosophy,” the true light of the world. Chaumette, taking a censer in his hands, fell on his knees to the goddess, and offered incense, and the whole concluded with dancing and song.—M. de Lamartine.

Reason (The Age of), by Thomas Paine (1792-96).

(It was answered by Watson, bishop of Llandaff, in 1796.)

Reasonableness of Christianity (The), by John Locke (1695).

Rebecca, leader of the Rebeccaïtes, a band of Welsh rioters, who in 1843 made a raid upon toll-gates. The captain and his guard disguised themselves in female attire.

This name arose from a gross perversion of a text in Scripture, “And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, … let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them” (Gen. xxiv. 60).

Rebecca, daughter of Isaac the Jew; meek, modest, and high-minded. She loves Ivanhoe, who has shown great kindness to her and to her father; and when Ivanhoe marries Rowena, both Rebecca and her father leave England for a foreign land.—Sir W. Scott: Ivanhoe (time, Richard I.).

Rebecca (Mistress), the favourite waiting-maid of Mrs. Margaret Bertram of Singleside.—Sir W. Scott: Guy Mannering (time, George II.).

Rebecca and Rowena, “a romance upon a romance,” i.e. a satirical romance on Scott’s romance of Ivanhoe; by Thackeray (1850).

Rebellion and Civil Wars in England (History of the), by Edward Hyde, earl of Clarendon (1702).

(Bishop Sprat and dean Aldrich added a continuation in 1826.)

Record, noted for his superlatives, “most presumptuous,” “most audacious,” “most impatient,” as—

Oh, you will, most audacious… Look at him, most inquisitive. … Under lock and key, most noble… I will, most dignified.—S. Birch: The Adopted Child.

Recruiting Officer (The), a comedy by G. Farquhar (1705). The “recruiting officer” is sergeant Kite, his superior officer is captain. Plume, and the recruit is Sylvia, who assumes the military dress of her brother and the name of Jack Wilful, alias Pinch. Her father, justice Balance, allows the name to pass the muster, and when the trick is discovered, to prevent scandal, the justice gives her in marriage to the captain.

Red Book of Hergest (The), a collection of children’s tales in Welsh; so called from the name of the place where it was discovered. Each tale is called in Welsh a mabinogi, and the entire collection is the Mabinogion (from mab, “a child”). The tales relate chiefly to Arthur and the early British kings. A translation in three vols., with notes, was published by lady Charlotte Guest (1838-49).