This passage marks the collapse of the high-minded oratory into the physical reality of a Dublin pub crawl. The “wind” that has been blowing through the office is finally redirected toward a “boosing shed.”
“A Great Future Behind Him”
Lenehan provides a cruel, witty epitaph for John F. Taylor. By saying he had a “great future behind him,” he implies that Taylor’s potential was all in the past—he died before he could see the “Land of Promise” (Irish Independence).
* Expectorated Demise: Lenehan uses the word “expectorated” (to cough up from the chest) to describe Taylor’s death from illness. It’s a grisly pun on the “wind” and “breath” that fueled Taylor’s oratory.
The Akasic Records
As the group prepares to leave, Stephen has a profound, silent realization about the nature of sound and history.
* The Concept: The “Akasic (Akashic) Records” is a term from Theosophy (the “opal hush” crowd mentioned earlier). It refers to a mystical compendium of all human events, thoughts, words, and emotions believed to be encoded in a non-physical plane of existence (the “ether”).
* Stephen’s Cynicism: To Stephen, these grand speeches are just “Dead noise.” He imagines the words being “howled and scattered” by the wind. Even if they are recorded in the Akasic ether, they are gone from the physical world.
Etymology of Adjourn
Stephen suggests the house “do now adjourn.”
* Origin: From the Old French ajourner.
* Breakdown: À (to) + jour (“day”).
* Literal Meaning: To put off to another day.
* In Context: It is the formal language of parliament or a courtroom, used here ironically to mean “let’s go get a drink.”
Etymology of Vellum (The Final Push)
Since you asked earlier, let’s look at the “calfskin” that outlasts the wind.
* Origin: From the Old French vélin, derived from vel (calf), which comes from the Latin vitellus (diminutive of vitulus, meaning “calf”).
* The Connection: It is the same root as the word “Veal.” * Significance: While the “news” is printed on cheap, acidic paper (papyrus’s descendant) that will crumble, the “Law” and the “Classics” were written on vellum to endure. Stephen is worried his own “words” are just paper, not vellum.

While they all start with the same rhythmic “P,” these three terms represent the evolution of how humanity has “caught” the wind of speech and turned it into a permanent record. They are related by function (writing surfaces), but they differ wildly in material and permanence.
1. Papyrus: The Plant
As we saw in the “cradle of bulrushes,” papyrus is the ancestor of paper.
* Material: Made from the pith (the inner core) of the Cyperus papyrus sedge.
* Process: The pith is sliced into thin strips, layered in a cross-hatch pattern, moistened, and pressed together. The natural sap acts as a glue.
* Vulnerability: It is brittle and decays easily in damp climates. This is why most surviving papyri come from the dry sands of Egypt.
* Etymology: From the Greek papyros, which is the direct root of our modern word “paper.”
2. Parchment: The Animal
When the supply of papyrus from Egypt was cut off (or became too expensive), the ancient world turned to a more durable, “leathern” solution.
* Material: Specifically prepared animal skins—usually sheep, calves, or goats. Unlike leather, it is not tanned; it is limed, scraped, and dried under tension.
* Process: It creates a smooth, incredibly durable surface that can last for thousands of years.
* Vellum: A high-quality subtype of parchment made specifically from calfskin (from the same root as “veal”).
* Etymology: From the Greek Pergamene, referring to the city of Pergamum, where it was reportedly perfected as an alternative to papyrus.
3. Palimpsest: The Ghost
A palimpsest isn’t a material itself, but a recycled document. Because parchment was so expensive and labor-intensive to produce, scribes would often scrape the ink off an old book to write something new on top of it.
* The “Ghost” Text: Over time, the original ink often faintly reappears, or can be seen using UV light. This allows historians to read “lost” texts hidden beneath newer ones (like finding a pagan Greek play under a medieval prayer).
* Etymology: From the Greek palin (“again”) + psestos (“scraped”). It literally means “scraped clean again.”
* In Joyce: Stephen Dedalus’s mind is a palimpsest. He is constantly “scraping away” the present moment to see the “ghosts” of St. Augustine, Dante, or Shakespeare underneath.

The silence following the speech is a rare moment of genuine awe in the noisy newspaper office. For a second, the “wind” of idle chatter stops, and the men are forced to confront the weight of their own history.
The Reactant Silence
Professor MacHugh has just finished his performance, and the group is momentarily “paralyzed” (to use Ignatius Gallaher’s favorite word).
* Stephen’s Reaction: Stephen is impressed, but also wary. He recognizes the power of the “language of the outlaw,” but he is still struggling to find his own voice amidst these giants.
* The “Dumb Belch”: Joyce includes the “dumb belch of hunger” right in the middle of the noble oratory. This is classic Naturalism—reminding the reader that while the soul is reaching for Sinai’s mountaintop, the body is still stuck in a Dublin office, hungry and mortal.
Etymology of Bulrushes
When Taylor mentions the “cradle of bulrushes,” he is evoking the most famous “hidden” origin story in history.
* Origin: It is a compound of the Middle English bul (meaning “large” or “thick”) + rusche (rush/reed).
* The Meaning: A “bulrush” is essentially a “large reed.” In the context of the Nile, it specifically refers to Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus).
* The Irony: Papyrus is the plant from which paper (and therefore newspapers) was originally made. By mentioning the bulrushes, Taylor is linking the origin of the Law (Moses) to the very medium (the Press) that the men in the room are currently using—and arguably degrading.
Etymology of Outlaw
The speech ends on the powerful word “outlaw.”
* Origin: From the Old Norse útlagi.
* Breakdown: út (“out”) + lög (“law”).
* Meaning: Someone who is “outside the law” and therefore denied its protection.
* The Rhetorical Trick: Taylor takes a word that is usually a badge of shame and turns it into a badge of honor. He argues that the truly “divine” law is always found in the language of those the Empire has cast out.

This is the “speech within a speech,” where the metaphor of Israel as Ireland reaches its peak. Taylor (via MacHugh) uses the grandeur of Egypt to mock the British Empire’s claim that its “superior” culture should replace the “primitive” Irish tongue.
The “St. Augustine” Interruption
Before the speech begins, Stephen’s mind wanders to the “Fathers” of the Church.
> “It was revealed to me that those things are good which yet are corrupted…”
>
* The Source: This is from St. Augustine’s Confessions.
* The Logic: Augustine argues that for something to be “corrupted,” it must have been “good” to begin with.
* Stephen’s Reaction: “Ah, curse you!” He is frustrated that his brain is so saturated with Catholic theology that he can’t even listen to a secular speech without his “spiritual fathers” butting in.
The “Tablets of the Law” and the “Language of the Outlaw”
The climax of the speech is a masterpiece of rhetorical reversal. Taylor argues that if Moses had been “civilized” by Egypt, he would have remained a slave.
* The Paradox: Moses comes down from the mountain with the Tables of the Law (the ultimate authority), but Taylor reminds us they were written in the “language of the outlaw” (Hebrew, which the Egyptians despised).
* The Irish Point: Taylor is telling the Dubliners that even if the world calls their language “primitive” or “outlawed,” it is the only language through which they can receive their own divine “inspiration.”
Etymology of Polity
The Egyptian High Priest boasts of his “polity.”
* Origin: From the Greek politeia (“citizenship” or “government”), from polis (“city”).
* The Meaning: It refers to an organized society or a specific form of government. The High Priest is mocking the “nomad herdsmen” (the Irish/Jews) for lacking a structured state.
Etymology of Trireme and Quadrireme
These are the “galleys” that furrow the waters.
* Root: The Latin remus means “oar.”
* Trireme: Tri- (three) + remus. A ship with three banks of oars.
* Quadrireme: Quadri- (four) + remus. A ship with four banks of oars.
* The Context: These terms evoke the massive, overwhelming military and commercial power of an empire—the “thunder and the seas.”

This moment is the “high-water mark” of eloquence in the chapter. Professor MacHugh is preparing to perform a speech within a speech—reconstructing the words of John F. Taylor from memory.
The “Ferial” Tone and the Orator
MacHugh adopts a ferial tone to set the scene.
* Etymology of Ferial: From the Latin ferialis, meaning “belonging to a holiday or feast day.” In church liturgy, a “ferial day” is one where no specific feast is celebrated—it is a plain, solemn, weekday tone.
* The Image of Taylor: Taylor is described as a “dying man” with a “shaggy beard.” This is the classic image of the prophet—someone whose physical body is failing but whose spirit is “pouring” out through his voice.
The Egyptian Parallel
Taylor’s genius was in his use of analogy. He didn’t just argue for the Irish language; he transported his audience to ancient Egypt to make the Irish struggle feel “noble” and “ancient.”
* The Analogy: * The Egyptian High Priest: Represents the British Empire (Fitzgibbon).
   * The Youthful Moses: Represents the young Irish generation being told to abandon their heritage for the “culture” of the masters.
* The “Crooked Smokes”: Stephen thinks to himself: “And let our crooked smokes.” This is a quote from the final scene of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. It refers to the “smoke” of a sacrifice rising to the gods. In this room, the “sacrifice” is the tobacco of the listeners, rising as they fall under the spell of the speech.
Etymology of Impromptu
The headline for this section highlights the “unprepared” nature of the genius.
* Origin: From the Latin phrase in promptu.
* Breakdown: In (in) + promptu (a state of readiness/visibility), from promere (“to bring forth”).
* Meaning: To have something “in readiness.” It describes a speech that is brought forth from the mind instantly, without written notes.
Etymology of Shorthand
MacHugh notes there was no shorthandwriter present.
* Origin: A simple English compound, but the concept is ancient (Stenography).
* History: In 1904, shorthand was the “high tech” of the press office, allowing journalists to capture the “wind” of speech before it vanished.
* Etymology of Stenography: From the Greek stenos (“narrow/close”) + graphein (“to write”).

In the architectural and oratorical landscape of Ulysses, a parapet is both a physical boundary and a symbol of looking out over a city or a “lost cause.”
Etymology of Parapet
The word is a defensive one, born from the need to protect the heart and chest in battle.
* Origin: It comes from the Italian word “parapetto.”
* Root 1: Para- (from parare), meaning “to protect” or “to shield.”
* Root 2: Petto (from the Latin pectus), meaning “the breast” or “the chest.”
* Literal Meaning: A “breast-guard.”
* Evolution: Originally, it was a low wall built atop a rampart to protect soldiers from gunfire or arrows while they stood on a fortified platform. By 1904, it had evolved into the common architectural term for any low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge, or balcony.
The Latin Link
You can see the same root pectus in other English words like:
* Pectorals: The chest muscles.
* Expectorate: To cough up from the chest (very relevant for the “windy” and “coughing” atmosphere of the newspaper office).
In the Context of “Aeolus”
While we haven’t seen a literal parapet in the Freeman’s Journal office yet, the word looms large in Stephen’s memory from the first chapter (Telemachus), where he and Mulligan stand on the parapet of the Martello tower. In this chapter, the “parapet” is metaphorical; the men are shielded behind their desks and their “forensic eloquence,” looking down on the street and the “halfpenny” people below.

This section highlights the tension between the “mystic” world of the Dublin literary revival and the “hard” oratory of Irish politics.
The “Opal Hush” and the “Bag of Tricks”
J. J. O’Molloy is teasing Stephen about his associations with the Theosophists and the “Hermetic” poets.
* A.E. (George Russell): A famous Irish mystic, poet, and painter. He was a central figure in the Irish Literary Revival.
* “The Opal Hush”: This refers to the ethereal, misty, and somewhat vague style of the Celtic Twilight poets.
* Madame Blavatsky: Helena Blavatsky, the co-founder of the Theosophical Society. Calling her a “nice old bag of tricks” is a cynical Dubliner’s way of dismissing her complex occult philosophies as stage magic.
* Planes of Consciousness: In Theosophy, these are the different levels of reality (astral, mental, etc.). The joke is that Stephen—ever the joker—was likely mocking A.E. by asking serious questions about them at 3:00 AM.
The Contrast: John F. Taylor vs. Fitzgibbon
Professor MacHugh pushes past the “mystic” talk to return to Oratory. He sets the stage for what is often considered the “grandest” speech in the book: John F. Taylor’s defense of the Irish language.
* Gerald Fitzgibbon: Representing the “Establishment.” His style is “courteous haughtiness”—the language of the successful, British-aligned elite.
* “The Vials of His Wrath”: A biblical allusion (Revelation 16) describing divine judgment.
* “The Proud Man’s Contumely”: A direct quote from Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy. MacHugh is showing that the elite used the finest English literature to look down upon the “weak” Irish movement.
Etymology of Morale
J. J. O’Molloy calls Magennis a man of “high morale.”
* Origin: From the French moral, which comes from the Latin moralis (concerning manners or customs).
* Shift in Meaning: In 1904, “morale” often referred to what we now call “morals” or “integrity,” rather than just “team spirit.” It implies Magennis is a man of upright character.
Etymology of Oratory
* Origin: From the Latin orator, from orare (“to speak” or “to pray”).
* The Connection: In ancient Rome, an orator wasn’t just a speaker; they were a civic leader. MacHugh is mourning the loss of this “priest-like” power of the tongue.

This passage shifts the “wind” from the noisy chaos of current events to the heavy, solemn tradition of the Law. J.J. O’Molloy, the struggling lawyer, is trying to defend his profession against the editor’s cynicism by invoking the “ghosts” of Irish eloquence.
“Sufficient for the day…”
J.J. O’Molloy is quoting a famous biblical line (Matthew 6:34): “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
* The Twist: He changes “evil” to “newspaper.” It’s a weary acknowledgment that in the world of journalism, only the present moment matters—everything else is quickly forgotten.
The “Farthing Press” and the “Guttersheet”
O’Molloy is insulting the modern press by listing its less-than-noble branches:
* Farthing Press: Refers to Alfred Harmsworth (Lord Northcliffe), who started the Daily Mail. A “farthing” was the smallest British coin.
* Bowery Guttersheet: A dig at the sensationalist “Yellow Journalism” of New York (The Bowery was a rough NYC neighborhood).
* The Skibbereen Eagle: A famous small Irish paper that once claimed it was “keeping its eye” on the Tsar of Russia—a classic example of local self-importance.
The Law: Mosaic vs. Roman
J.J. O’Molloy describes a speech by Seymour Bushe regarding the Childs murder case (a real-life 1899 fratricide case in Dublin).
* Mosaic Code (Lex Talionis): The “Law of Retaliation”—an eye for an eye.
   * Etymology: Lex (Law) + Talis (Such/Like).
* Roman Justice: O’Molloy (and Bushe) argue that Roman law was more “polished” and intellectual.
* The Moses of Michelangelo: Bushe supposedly compared the “terrible” face of Michelangelo’s Moses to the stern nature of the Law.
Stephen’s Shakespearian Intrusion
While they talk of murder, Stephen thinks: “And in the porches of mine ear did pour.”
* The Reference: This is a quote from Hamlet. It describes how Hamlet’s father was murdered—by poison poured into his ear while he slept.
* The Connection: Stephen is obsessed with “poured” words. To him, the rhetoric of these men is like a “poison” being poured into his ears.
Etymology of Magistrate (Magistra)
The headline says ITALIA, MAGISTRA ARTIUM (Italy, Mistress/Teacher of Arts).
* Origin: From the Latin magister (master) or magistra (mistress).
* Root: Derived from magis (“more”). A magistrate is literally someone who is “more” or “greater” than others in authority.

Stephen’s mind continues to drift through a spectrum of colors and history as he tries to ground his “Swinburnian” poetic urges in something more ancient.
Etymology of Russet
When Stephen envisions girls “in russet,” he is using a color that carries a weight of humility and the earth.
* Origin: It comes from the Old French rousset, a diminutive of roux (“red”), which stems from the Latin russus.
* The Fabric: Historically, “russet” wasn’t just a color; it was a coarse, homespun cloth used by the poor. By a 1363 English statute, peasants were actually required to wear russet.
* The Contrast: By placing “russet” alongside “gold of oriflamme,” Stephen is blending the humble and the royal, the “leadenfooted” reality of Dublin with the “golden” dreams of his imagination.
The “Tomb Womb” Paradox
Stephen’s obsession with “mouth south: tomb womb” is a reflection of his guilt. He feels that his mother’s womb (his origin) has become a tomb (his obsession with her death).
* Etymology of Tomb: From the Greek tumbos (“burial mound”).
* Etymology of Womb: From the Proto-Germanic wambo, meaning “belly” or “abdomen.”
* The Rhyme: By linking these phonetically, Stephen is practicing what he calls the “art of memory.” To him, language is a physical thing—words that sound alike must be related in the “soul” of the world.
Quella pacifica oriafiamma
This specific phrase comes from Canto XXXI of Dante’s Paradiso.
* Meaning: “That peaceful oriflamme.”
* The Shift: Notice how Stephen moves from the Inferno (the wind-blown lovers) to the Paradiso (the golden banner of peace). He is trying to “think” his way out of the noisy, windy newspaper office and into a place of spiritual silence.

Leave a comment