Christian+Wallace

= The Scarlet Pimpernel  = "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is an adventurous, swashbuckling novel written in 1905 by Baroness Orczy. This story is set back during the French Revolution, the ‘Reign of Terror’ to be precise. It is about a hero named the Scarlet Pimpernel, who is famous among the British and infamous among the French for his quest to save the aristocratic fugitives in France by bringing them to England. Below is a list of the characters. For more information on the storyline go to []
 * **__Book Information __**
 * **Characters of “The Scarlet Pimpernel **
 * **Percy Blakeney (a.k.a the Scarlet Pimpernel)- **Percy Blakeney appears at first to be the dimwitted husband of Lady Blakeney. He is one of the richest, most fashionable men in England, but also a very slow individual. He has a sturdy body with big shoulders and muscles, but this only adds to his reputation as a bumbling fool. But Percy is secretly the Scarlet Pimpernel who raids the barricades of France to save condemned French aristocrats from execution by the guillotine.


 * **Marguerite St. Just / Lady Blakeney- **Lady Blakeney, was an actress back in France, was famous for her beauty, but even more for her energy, cleverness, and intelligence. She is even referred to as the ‘cleverest woman in all of Europe.’ When she marries Percy Blakeney, people are unsure why. Since he's considered a dull turkey and she a renowned socialite, the accord is that she's married down. But she discovers her husband's alter-ego and we see her husband's heroism through her eyes.


 * **Chauvelin- **Chauvelin, the novel's antagonist, is a French agent who has English diplomacy rights. He is in England trying to catch Pimpernel and anyone in the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel who is attempting to rescue French aristocrats. His 'hard-hearted, resentful' nature contrasts with the dashing Pimpernel.


 * **Armand St. Just- **Armand St. Just, Marguerite St. Just's brother, is in cooperation with the Scarlet Pimpernel. Chauvelin uses Armand to blackmail Marguerite in his attempt to get to the Pimpernel.


 * **Sir Andrew Ffoulkes- **Sir Andrew is one of the Scarlet Pimpernel's devoted followers. Marguerite goes to him when she first learns that Percy is the Pimpernel and is thus in danger of being arrested by Chevalier.


 * **Lord Antony Dewhurst- **Lord Antony is one of the members of the League of the Pimpernel who is captured by Chauvelin at the pub in Dover along with Sir Ffoulkes.


 * **Comtesse de Tournay- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Comtesse is a French aristocrat rescued by the Scarlet Pimpernel, but her husband is left behind, prompting the heroic rescue that dominates the novel's main plot. She does not like Marguerite St. Just because she thinks that she caused the death of the St. Cyr family by denouncing them to the tribunal.


 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Comte de Tournay- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Comte de Tournay is the Comtesse's husband, who is rescued from France by the Scarlet Pimpernel.


 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Lord Grenville- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Lord Grenville is an English governmental secretary who holds a grand ball after the opera. This is the setting for Chauvelin's and Marguerite's plan to catch the Pimpernel.


 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Mr. Jellyband- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Mr. Jellyband is the inn keeper of the Dover pub called The Fisherman's Rest, which the Scarlet Pimpernel and his league use for convocations.


 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Degas- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Degas is Chauvelin's most trusted henchman who is sent to retrieve soldiers to arrest the Pimpernel. He consistently arrives too late to trap Percy.


 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brogard- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brogard is the pugilistic owner of the Chat Gris inn in Calais. This is where Chauvelin and Percy meet for their face-off.


 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Marquis de St. Cyr- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Marquis de St. Cyr is a French noble who, along with his family, was condemned and executed because Marguerite made a statement about him to a French tribunal.[]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The author's real name was Emma Magdalena Maria Josefa Barbara Orczy. She was born in Tarna-Ors, Hungary on September 23, 1865 to father, Baron Felix Orczy, who was composer and conductor, and mother, Emma Orczy. She lived various places throughout her childhood including Brussels and Paris, until finally settling down in London in 1880, where she learned to speak English at 15. She attended West London School of Art, and later Heatherley School of Art where she met her future husband, Montagu Barstow. Her only son, John Montague Orczy Barstow, was born on February 25, 1899. She started writing soon after his birth. She first wrote detective stories that appeared in the "Royal Magazine." Even so, she didn't get any real recognition until her she wrote her most famous novel, which actually started off as a play, "The Scarlet Pimpernel." She sent it to 12 publishers who all rejected it until Fred Terry and Julia Neilson accepted the story as a play. She and her husband moved to Monte Carlo in the 1910's to avoid Nazi occupation. Her husband died in 1943, and Orczy spent her remaining years in England, until her death on November 12, 1947. For more information on her life go to []
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Author Information **__

The French Revolution was a very important and influential event in European history. Many key factors were involved in prompting this war. One was the profound psychological effect that the previous wars leading up to this one had on French citizens. Another important reason for this war was the economic crisis that the earlier wars had left France in. The most important cause though was the oppressive nature of the French government and the upper class. Those social classes put the French nobles in a position of great prosperity, even if some citizens had more wealth and a better reputation. They didn’t have to abide by certain laws as well as pay taxes like the rest of the citizens. When France’s legislature, the Estates-General, stated their convocation-made it clear that the French aristocrats weren’t going to sacrifice their privileges for the benefit of the country-that was what pushed the citizens over the edge. The first battle of the war was the storming of Bastille on July 14, 1799. The war lasted for ten years and after years of fighting; the French government fell, thus ending the war. Below is a timeline of all of the major events relating to the French Revolution. For more information on the French Revolution go to []
 * **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">French Revolution __**


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">October 18, 1598- Henry IV made the Edict of Nantes-a law allowing religious tolerance.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1661- Louis XIV built the Versailles Palace, which cost $100 million.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">April 13, 1685- Louis XIV abolished the Edict of Nantes which caused many Huguenots to flee France


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1715- Louis XIV died leaving his country in debt from his wages spent funding the arts


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1774- Louis XV died leaving an even more debt from all of the wars France was in during his reign.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1789- French peasants were mad because of an unfair tax system and a poor harvest in 1788.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">May 5, 1789- Louis XVI called Estates-General to a meeting in Versailles to approve a tax plan.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">June 17, 1789- The Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly and made the Tennis Court Oath.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">July 14, 1789- The storming of Bastille by the French citizens occurred


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">August 4, 1789- The National Assembly declared the end of feudalism and serfdom in France.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">August 27, 1789- The Declaration of the Rights of Man was emanate by the National Assembly


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">October 5, 1789- Paris women invaded Versailles.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1790- The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1791-The Constitution of 1791 was adopted.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">June 20, 1791-Louis XVI and his family tried to escape from France but failed and were arrested.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">April 20, 1792- France declared war on Austria.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">September 1792-The first meeting was held by the National Convention


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">January 21, 1793- Louis XVI sentenced to the guillotine.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">August 1793- A national draft declared that all able-bodied men to join the army.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">September 1793 to July 1794- The Reign of Terror court sentenced 20,000 to 40,000 people to death by the guillotine.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">July 27, 1794- Robespierre was arrested by the National Convention


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">July 28, 1794- Robespierre was beheaded.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1795- France adopted a new constitution.


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1799- The Directory fell and ended the French Revolution. []

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 * **__Geography of France and England

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">France is located in Western Europe. It is the second largest country in Europe with a population of 57.5 million people. Its capital is Paris, which is its largest city, and some of the other large cities located there are Lyon, Marseille, and Lille. Two-thirds of France is made up of mountains, including the Alps, Pyrenees, and Vosges mountain ranges. The Mont Blanc in the Alps is the tallest mountain not only in France, but in all of Europe. The Eiffel Tower, standing at 1,050 ft. high, is one of France’s most famous and prominent structures. Another one is the Cathedral of Notre Dame, which was made famous by the book “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo. Paris is one of France’s most popular tourist areas as well as one of the major cultural centers of the world. The Celtic tribe, the Parisii, established the city. The main attractions in Paris include the art gallery, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe. France’s economy was originally based around agriculture, but is now much more industrialized. Along with producing cars, aerospace products, and other goods, it is still one of the world leaders in wine production. Fashion and tourism also play a key role in stimulating France’s economy. France’s unique location between the equator and the North Pole gives it a very moderate climate. Most areas do reach extreme hot and colds in temperature though. The Mediterranean coast and the mountain ranges are different than most of the other regions in France. The coast experiences mild winters and warm, arid summers, while the mountainous parts of France undergo a colder climate with a significant amount of rain and snow. []
 * **France**



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">England is also located in Western Europe. It has a population of 58 million people. Its capital is London, and other major cities in the area include Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, and Nottingham. England has a brilliant history and many aspects of that history can still be seen to this day. For example, England still abides by a constitutional monarchy, with the Queen of England. It can also be seen in the cities as well as the environment. Most of England though is rolling hills with the occasional small field. England has many historical appeals. One of course is the Queen and the royal family, which are the idealistic symbol of England. The main tourist fascinations are Buckinham Palace and Changing the Guard. Other interesting spots include the London Bridge, Big Ben, the Saint Paul Cathedral, and the Tower Bridge. England’s economy specializes iron and steel production, coal mining, textiles, automobile manufacturing, electronics products, and chemicals. The country’s layout is great for farming in both the lowlands and the hills. England sustains a moderate temperature usually ranging from freezing to 75 degrees Fahrenheit with a substantial amount of rain. []
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">England **__



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The guillotine is an execution device that decapitated its victims. This machine was invented by Dr. Joseph Guillotine, who was said to be kind-hearted, as a way to make capital punishment more humane. Despite his vision, the machine of malice became the symbol of tyranny during the French Revolution. The way this device work was that the victim was to lay face down with his head in between the two poles that held the blade. Then, the blade was dropped on the person’s neck and in less than a second, the process was done. Some people didn’t believe it was humane, because they believed that the human head could still be conscious for up to thirty seconds. The guillotine (a.k.a. Madame de la Guillotine to the French) became famous during the French Revolution, where as many as 40,000 people were brought under the blade. []
 * **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">History of the Guillotine __**


 * **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Terms Used in “The Scarlet Pimpernel” __**
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Calais- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Calais is the port town across from Dover on the English Channel where travelers arrive when going from England to France. This is where Chauvelin chases Percy after they both flee Dover in search of the aristocrats.
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Citoyen- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Citoyen is the French word for citizen. Many characters are referred to as 'citoyen' by Chauvelin and his other French henchmen.
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Comtesse- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Comtesse is the French word for Countess. The Comtesse de Tournay, then, is married to a Count, who is the Vicomte de Tournay
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Dover- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Dover is a small town on the southernmost tip of England. The Strait of Dover is the way to cross from Dover to Calais.
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Madame de la Guillotine- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Madame de la Guillotine is the nickname that the French people gave to the guillotine, which was a device designed for executing people with a huge blade that drops from a pulley to decapitate its victims.
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Noblesse- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Noblesse is the French word for nobility.
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Place de la Greve- **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Place de la Greve is the square in front of the main government building in Paris. This is the place where the public guillotine executions were held during the 'Reign of Terror.'[]

> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Bastille was built in 1370-1383 as a fort to protect Paris. Later, in the 17th century Charles VI forcibly converted the structure into a prison. The prison was originally for minor offenders, such as religious and political prisoners. It obtained a poor reputation once it became the main prison for those taken under 'lettres de cachet,' which were issued by the King of France. Despite this reputation, there were worse prisons in the area, including the dreaded Bicetre. The various reasons for the French Revolution as well as the confrontation by the commoners prompted the storming of Bastille several days later on July 14, 1789. The prison had already cleared out by that point with only seven prisoners remaining. A crowd of 1,000 was demanding the surrender of the prison, the removal of the guns, and the release of the arms and gunpowder from the prison. Despite trying to negotiate, there was bloodshed on that day. Although the attackers lost 98 lives and the troops at Bastille lost one, the citizens won. With that victory freed the seven prisoners, and beheaded governor and the guards of the prison. This historic event marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The fate of Bastille was unknown, until Pierre-Francois Palloy gained a license for demolition and destroyed the establishment in November of 1789. For more information and pictures visit []
 * **__<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">History of the Versailles __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The <span style="color: #434343; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Château de Versailles is one of the most magnificent achievements of French 18th century art. It is located in the village of Versailles right outside of Paris, and was home to French kings from 1682 to 1789, which was the start of the French Revolution. It was originally a hunting lodge built by King Louis XIII in 1624. It expansion was brought upon by Louis XIV in 1669. He used the area as a secret refuge for him and the lovely Louise de la Valliere, and built a story-like park around the lodge. The king’s principal architect transformed the simple lodge into a marvellous palace, like from “A Thousand and One Nights.” He removed the terrace that overlooked the gardens to make the Hall of Mirrors. It was from this location that the ruler expressed his power for over a century. Most of the furnishings were removed during the French Revolution, and the palace is now a national museum. The palace was accompanied by beautiful surrounding gardens. For more pictures and information visit []
 * **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">History of the Bastille __**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens is key document of French Revolution that states the individual and collective rights every man has that are universal at any time under any circumstances. This document was prompted by the belief that all men are born and remain free and equal in rights. The Marquis de Lafayette prepared and proposed it. It was adopted by the National Constituent Assembly of the French government on August 26, 1789. The actual document and more information on it can be found at [] and []
 * **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens __**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Declaration of Rights of Woman and Citizens was published and adopted in 1791. It was written by French activist and playwright Olympe de Gouges, and was dedicated to Marie Antoinette, who Gouges claims to be ‘the most detested’ of women. It was written based off of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens. The actual document and more information on it can be found at [] and []
 * **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Declaration of Rights of Woman and Citizens __**