Research Results For 'TIE'

ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance (from the Latin alligare, to bind), according to Blackstone, is 'the tie or ligamen which binds the subject to the sovereign in return for that protection which the sovereign affords the subject,' or, generally, the obedience which every subject or citizen owes to the government of his country. It used to be the doctrine of the English law that natural-born subjects owe an allegiance which is intrinsic and perpetual, and which cannot be divested by any act of their own; but since at least the end of the 19th century this was no longer the case. Aliens owe a temporary or local allegiance to the government under which they for the time reside. A usurper in undisturbed possession of the crown is entitled to allegiance; and thus treasons against Henry VI were punished in the reign of Edward IV, though the former had, by act of Parliament, been declared a usurper.
Research Allegiance

FEUDAL

The Feudal System is that system by which land (known as a, fief) is held by a vassal on condition of fidelity, that is, in consideration of services to be rendered to his superior or feudal lord. The nature of the feudal system is to be explained by its origin amongst the Germanic tribes.

In the earliest times the relation of superior and vassal did not exist in connection with the ownership of land. Each freeman had his share of the tribe lands, which were held simply on condition of his fulfilling his public duties of attendance at the councils of the mark or township and performing his share of military service in the wars or musters decreed at such councils. The noble had, of course, more land and more influence than the simple freeman, but there need be no tie of vassalage between them. This seems to have been the primitive social organization of the Anglo-Saxons and other German tribes. The lands held by all freemen, whether noble or ordinary freemen, under this system, are said to be allodial, as distinguished from feudal lands, which imply service to a superior lord.

By the close of the 10th century, however, this system had undergone considerable modifications. The masses of Teutonic invaders who overran Gaul and England had necessarily to confer exceptional powers on their leaders; and as they were for long very much in the position of military in an enemy's country, these powers were naturally continued. Thus it was that kings, before unknown to the Anglo-Saxons, make their appearance immediately after their descent upon Britain. It was common for a chief or great man to have a retinue or body-guard composed of valiant youths, who were furnished by the chief with arms and provisions, and who in return devoted themselves to his service. These companions (Anglo-Saxon, Gesithas; German, Gesellen) originally received no pay except their arms, horses, and provisions, and the portion of the spoils which remained after the chieftain had taken his own share. But when conquered lands came to be apportioned and large districts fell into the hands of kings or dukes and their subordinates, they gave certain portions of the territory to their attendants to enjoy for life. These estates were called beneficia or fiefs, because they were only lent to their possessors, to revert after their death to the grantor, who immediately gave them to another of his servants on the same terms.

As the son commonly esteemed it his duty, or was forced by necessity, to devote his arm to the lord in whose service his father had lived, he also received his father's fief; or rather, he was invested with it anew. By the usage of centuries this custom became a right and the fief became hereditary. A fief rendered vacant by the death of the holder was at once taken possession of by his son, on the sole condition of paying homage to the feudal superior. Thus a feudal nobility and a feudal system arose and for a time existed alongside of the old allodial system. But gradually the greater security to be got by putting one's self under the protection of some powerful ruler or leader gave the feudal system the predominance. The free proprietor of landed property, oppressed by powerful neighbours, sought refuge in submitting to some more powerful nobleman, to whom he surrendered his land, receiving it back as a vassal.

Even the inferior nobility found it to be to their advantage to have themselves recognized as feudatories of the nearest duke or earl; and as the royal power steadily advanced, the offices of duke, ealdorman, gerefa, etc., were always bestowed by the king. Thus the crown became the source of all authority and possession in the country. The land which had once been 'folcland,' or the land of the people, became the land of the king, from whom all titles to it were held to be derived. Such at least was the development of feudalism in England, where its centralizing tendencies, especially in the matter of holding land from the crown, were strongly reinforced by the circumstances of the conquest under William The Conqueror. Under him and his immediate successors there was a struggle between royalty and the nobility, which ended in the power of the latter sinking before that of the kings.

On the other hand, in Germany, France, and elsewhere on the Continent, the disintegrating tendencies of feudalism as a system of government had full play. In these countries the weakening of the kingly authority encouraged the great feudal dukes and counts to set up in an almost absolute independence, which in France was afterwards gradually lost as the monarchy grew stronger, but in Germany continued to divide the land down almost to modern times into a number of petty principalities.

Among the chief agencies that overthrew the feudal system were the rise of cities, the change in modes of warfare, and the spread of knowledge and civilization. The spirit of the feudal system, grounded on the prevalence of landed property, was necessarily foreign to cities which owed their origin to industry and personal property, and founded thereon a new sort of power. The growth of this new class, with its wealth and industrial importance, has contributed more than anything else to a social and political development before which the old feudal relations of society have almost totally disappeared. Even yet, however, the laws relating to land still bear the stamp of feudalism in various countries.
Research Feudal

GRANNY'S-KNOT

Originally a nautical term, a granny's-knot (now popularly called a granny-knot) is a knot similar to the reef-knot but in which the second tie is across, whereas in the reef-knot the end and outer parts are in line.
Research Granny's-Knot

TIE

In weaving, the term tie describes any method of connecting the threads in a Jacquard loom to produce a desired pattern. The term is also applied to the arrangements of threads thus produced.
Research Tie

VALET

A valet is a domestic servant performing a general role as a man's personal attendant and also superintending the other servants, a lady employing a waiting-maid in a similar role. Within the hierarchy of domestic servants, the valet was almost at the top, receiving orders only directly from his master, dressing him, accompanying him on his journeys, being a confidant and generally 'right-hand man'. In her book 'Household Management', published in 1861, Mrs Beeton describes the duties of a valet as follows:

His day commences by seeing that his master's dressing-room is in order; that the housemaid has swept and dusted it properly; that the fire is lighted and burns cheerfully; and some time before his master is expected, he will do well to throw up the sash [open the window] to admit fresh air, closing it, however, in time to recover the temperature which he knows his master prefers. It is now his duty to place the body-linen on the horse before the fire, to be aired properly; to lay the trousers intended to be worn, carefully brushed and cleaned, on the back of his master's chair; while the coat and waistcoat, carefully brushed and folded, and the collar cleaned, are laid in their place ready to be put on when required. All the articles of the toilet should be in their places, the razors properly set and stropped, and hot water ready for use.

Gentlemen generally prefer performing the operation of shaving themselves, but a valet should be prepared to do it if required; and he should be a good hairdresser. Shaving over, he has to brush the hair, beard and moustache, where that appendage is encouraged, arranging the whole simply and gracefully, according to the age and style of the countenance. Every fortnight, or three weeks at the utmost, the hair should be cut, and the points of the whiskers trimmed as often as required. A good valet will now present the various articles of the toilet as they are wanted; afterwards, the body-linen. Neck-tie, which he will put on, if required, and, afterwards, waist-coat, coat, and boots, in suitable order, and carefully brushed and polished.

Having thus seen his master dressed, if he is about to go out, the valet will hand him his gloves, and hat, the latter well brushed on the outside with a soft brush, and wiped inside with a clean handkerchief, respectfully attend him to the door, and open it for him, and receive his last orders for the day.

He now proceeds to put everything in order in the dressing-room, cleans the combs and brushes, and brushes and folds up any clothes that may be left about the room, and puts them away in drawers.

Mrs Beeton goes on to describe how some gentlemen are indifferent to their clothes and appearance, and how it is the duty of the valet to select suitable clothes for his master and to check and ensure all clothes are clean, paying particular attention to collars which often become greasy and dirty. In addition, the valet liases with the tailor, perfumer and linen-draper.

The valet also dresses his master for dinner and any other occasion, and is awaiting his master's return to the house, ensuring that the master's drawing-room is properly ready with fire lit and candles prepared.
Research Valet

FRANCISCAN

The Franciscans are the members of the religious order established by St Francis of Assisi about 1210. They are also called Minorites, or Fratres Minores ('lesser friars'), which was the name given them by their founder in token of humility, and sometimes Gray Friars, from the colour of their garment. The order was distinguished by vows of absolute poverty and a renunciation of the pleasures of the world, and was intended to serve the church by its care of the religious state of the people. The rule of the order destined them to beg and to preach. The popes granted them extensive privileges, and they had an evil repute as spies, frequenting the courts of princes and the houses of noblemen, gentry, etc. Early in the 15th century they split up into two branches, the Conventuals and the Observants or Sabotiers. The former went barefooted, wore a long gray cassock and cloak and hood of large dimensions, covering the breast and back, and a knotted girdle. The Observants wore wooden sandals, a cassock, a narrow hood, a short cloak with a wooden clasp, and a brown robe. In France the members of the order not belonging to any particular sect are called Cordeliers, from the cord which they tie about them. The Capuchins, so called from the peculiar kind of hood or cowl (capuce) which they wear, originated in a reform introduced among the Observantists by Matthew of Baschi in the early part of the 16th century, and although it received the approbation of different popes within a short time after its foundation, it did not receive the right of electing a particular general and become an independent order until 1619.

St Francis himself collected nuns in 1209. St Clara was their prioress; hence they were called the nuns of St Clara. The nuns were also divided into branches, according to the severity of their rules. The Urbanists were a branch founded by Pope Urban IV; they revered St Isabelle, daughter of Louis VIII of France, as their mother. St Francis also founded in 1221 a third order, of both sexes, for persons who did not wish to take the monastic vows, and yet desired to adopt a few of the easier observances. They are called Tertiarians or Tertiaries, and were very numerous in the 13th century. From them proceeded several heretical fraternities, as the Fraticelli and Beghards. The whole number of Franciscans and Capuchins in the 18th century amounted to 115,000 monks, in 7000 convents. At the dissolution of the monasteries in England there were sixty-five houses of the Franciscans. The order has given five popes and more than fifty cardinals to the church.
Research Franciscan

FRANCIS I 3

Francis I was Emperor of Austria (previously Francis II, emperor of Germany). He was born in 1768 and died in 1835. He was the son of the Emperor Leopold II and Maria Louisa, daughter of Charles III, king of Spain. He succeeded his father in 1792. France declared war against him in 1792, and hostilities continued until the Peace of Campo-Formio in 1797. In 1799 he entered into a new coalition with England and Russia against the French republic; but in 1801 Russia and Austria were compelled to conclude the Peace of Luneville. France having been declared an empire in 1804, he assumed the title of hereditary Emperor of Austria; and on the establishment of the confederacy of the Rhine in 1806, he renounced the title of Emperor of Germany. In 1805 war again broke out between Austria and France. But after the battle of Austerlitz in 1805 the Peace of Presburg was signed. In 1809 he again took up arms against France, and in the Peace of Vienna was compelled to surrender 42,000 square miles of territory. The marriage of his daughter, Maria Louisa, with Napoleon promised to form a strong tie between the imperial houses, but in 1813 he entered into an alliance with Russia and Prussia against France, and was present to the close of the contest.
Research Francis I 3

GEORGE VI

George VI was king of Great Britain and Ireland from 1936 until his death in 1952. George VI was a conscientious and dedicated man, who worked hard to adapt to the royal role into which he was suddenly thrown by the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII. The King paid a State Visit to France in 1938, and to Canada and the United States in 1939, being the first British monarch to enter the USA. His dedication to duty, particularly during the Second World War, when he remained for most of the time at Buckingham Palace, and when he and his wife visited severely bombed areas in the East End of London and elsewhere in the country, gained him great popularity. The King developed a close working relationship with his wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, as most of Europe fell to Nazi Germany. Recognising the total nature of modern warfare, in 1940 the King instituted the George Cross and George Medal, to be awarded for acts of bravery by citizens.

Having served in the Navy during the Great War, including at the Battle of Jutland, the King was anxious to visit his troops whenever possible. He went to France in 1939 to inspect the British Expeditionary Force, and to North Africa in 1943 after the victory of El Alamein. In June 1944, the King visited his Army on the Normandy beaches ten days after D-Day, and later that year he visited troops in Italy and the Low Countries. In 1947, the King undertook a major tour of South Africa, accompanied by the Queen and their daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret - the first time a sovereign had undertaken a tour with his family. When India and Pakistan became independent in 1947, George ceased to be Emperor of India. Changes in the Commonwealth meant that its tie was no longer based on common allegiance to the Crown, but upon recognition of the Sovereign as Head of the Commonwealth.
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HENRY DAVIS

Henry Winter Davis was an American lawyer and politician. He was born in 1817 at Maryland and died in 1865. He attained considerable celebrity as a lawyer, and was elected to the Congress of the United States as a Democrat, serving from 1855 until 1861, and decided a tie vote for Speaker, in 1859, by voting for Pennington, the Republican candidate. He was again a member of Congress from 1863 until 1865, and served as chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs. Though representing a slave state, he was an ardent advocate of emancipation and black suffrage, but opposed the assumption of extraordinary powers by the executive.
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ANEURYSM

Aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge that forms in a weakened area of the wall of an artery or vein. The most dangerous aneurysms are those that form in arteries, especially the arteries of the brain and the aorta. Most aneurysms result from atherosclerosis, a disease caused by cholesterol build-up in artery walls. Other causes of aneurysms include genetic disorders or other defects present at birth. The symptoms of an aneurysm vary with its location and size. There may be no symptoms, or pain may develop at the site of the aneurysm. Shortness of breath occurs if the aneurysm interferes with the heart's pumping ability. Some aneurysms press on nearby structures, producing a cough, hoarseness, or difficulty in swallowing. An aneurysm may worsen without the patient knowing and then suddenly rupture, causing a coma, paralysis, or death. Many strokes result from the rupture of an aneurysm in an artery of the brain.
Aneurysms can be detected with X-rays and, in many cases, can repair them surgically. Surgeons remove the diseased portion of the blood vessel. If it is a minor vessel, they tie off the loose ends. In a major artery or vein, they replace the diseased portion with a plastic tube, a fabric patch, or a piece of another blood vessel.
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