24. "vitaille." Observe how in pronunciation we still adhere to this form rather than to the Latin victualia to which our modern spelling pedantically conforms. Victualia is from vivere—things to live on.
28. "muys": measures. French muid; Latin modius.
66.
10. "awaits": hindrances.
62. "righter": a rare word exactly parallel to the German richter—one who does right, a judge or executioner.
69.
1. "royame kingdom. French royaume; pop. Latin regalimen.
20. "oil." The finding of an oily liquid of inoffensive or agreeable odour in the tombs of persons famed for sanctity is very frequently mentioned by their biographers. The subject is discussed and illustrated in the Catholic Encyclopædia (s. v. "Oil").
71.
2.5em
20. "quarfox," also written carfox, carefox, carfoukes, Carfax (at Oxford), etc., etc.: a cross-roads. Like French carrefour, it comes from the Latin, quadrifurcus, -a, -um. The etymologists, however, have not explained the persistent appearance of s (x) and absence of r in the final syllable of the English forms.
The events recorded of S. Nicholas are so few or so uncertain, and his local connections were so broken up among Greece, Asia Minor and Italy, that it is surprising how strong his cultus became, and how vigorously it survived. He is (either alone or with other saints) patron of Russia, Greece, Naples, Sicily, Lorraine and many cities and towns, e.g. Galway in Ireland. His name, everywhere famihar, has become pecuharly so in the form "Santa Claus" under which he is, for the children of Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and nowadays of England, the distributor of Christmas gifts. His selection for this office is doubtless owing to the records of his infantine sanctity and to his having worked famous miracles in favour of little children.
