Santa Filomena stands for Miss Florence Nightingale, who did remarkable work among the soldiers wounded in the Crimean War (1854-56). This poem was published in 1857 while the story of her aid was fresh in the minds of the world. 42. The palm, the lily, and the spear: St. Filomena is represented in many Catholic churches and usually with these three emblems to signify her victory, purity, and martyrdom. Sometimes an anchor replaces the palm. THE DISCOVERER OF THE NORTH CAPE King Alfred's Orosius. Orosius, a Spaniard of the fifth century A.D., wrote at the request of the church a history of the world down to 414 A.D. King Alfred (849-901) translated this work and added at least one important story, that of the voyages of Ohthere and Wulfstan. The part of the story used by Longfellow may be found in Cook and Tinkers's Translations from Old English Prose, in Bosworth's, and in Sweet's editions. 2. Helgoland: an island in the North Sea, belonging to Prussia. 42. Hebrides: islands west of Scotland. 90. a nameless sea. They sailed along the coast of Lapland and into the White Sea. 96-100. Alfred reports simply, "He says he was one of a party of six who killed sixty of these in two days." 116. The original says: "He made this voyage, in addition to his purpose of seeing the country, chiefly for walruses, for they have very good bone in their teeth--they brought some of these teeth to the king--and their hides are very good for ship-ropes." SANDALPHON Sandalphon: one of the oldest angel figures in the Jewish system. In the second century a Jewish writing described him as follows: "He is an angel who stands on the earth;.. he is taller than his fellows by the length of a journey of 500 years; he binds crowns for his Creator." These crowns are symbols of praise, and with them he brings before the Deity the prayers of men. See the Jewish Encyclopaedia for further particulars. 1. Talmud: the work which embodies the Jewish law of church and state. It consists of texts, and many commentaries and illustrations. 12. Refers to Genesis 28: 10-21. 39. Rabbinical: pertaining to Jewish rabbis or teachers of law. 44. welkin: poetical term for the sky. 48. nebulous: indistinct. THE LANDLORD'S TALE The "Tales of a Wayside Inn" were series of stories told on three separate days by the travelers at the Inn at Sudbury, Mass. It is the same device used by writers since the days of Chaucer, but cleverly handled furnishes an interesting setting for a variety of tales. Some of Longfellow's best-known narratives are in these series, among them the following selections. The story is self-explanatory. It is probably the best example of the simple poetic narrative of an historic event.