Not one of your Werthers: The Romantic hero of Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther.
braving the Duke de Modena’s daggers: After marrying the Duke de Modena against her wishes, the daughter of the Regent for Louis XV, Charlotte-Aglaé d’Orléans, was visited by her former lover the Duc de Richelieu.
Monsieur de Jaucourt’s little finger: Surprised by the return of his mistress’s husband, the Marquis de Jaucourt hid himself in a cabinet. Jaucourt’s finger was crushed in the door, but he did not cry out.
Königsmarck’s mistress: Philip Christoph von Königsmarck was murdered shortly after attempting to elope with his mistress, the wife of the elector of Hanover. It was rumored that Königsmarck’s body was buried under the floorboards.
Mambrino’s helmet: In Cervantes’s novel, Don Quixote takes a barber’s bowl to be the Moorish king Mambrino’s golden helmet and wears it on his head, believing it will render him invincible.
Duchesse de La Vallière: Louis XIV’s first mistress, who became a Carmelite nun.
the way General Lamarque had conquered in the assault on Capri: General Lamarque led a surprise attack on the British (commanded by Sir Hudson Lowe—see the next note), who occupied Capri at the time.
Sir Hudson Lowe: The British general and governor of Saint Helena when Napoleon was exiled on the island. Lowe was criticized for his severe treatment of Napoleon.
SUB INVOCATIONE SANCTAE MATRIS THERESAE!: Under the invocation of the holy mother Theresa!
ADOREMUS IN AETERNUM: Let us adore [her] for eternity.
The Human Comedy: Selected Stories Page 49
