Brasiere=brasero. A tray for hot charcoal used for warming rooms
at Nice. Smollett practically introduced this word. Dried olives
were often used as fuel.
Calesse, calash, caleche. A low two-wheeled carriage of light
construction, with a movable folding hood; hence applied to a
hood bonnet as in Mrs. Gaskell's Cranford.
Cassine. Latin casa, cassa, cassina; the Italian cassina, A small
detached house in the fields, often whitewashed and of mean
appearance. Smollett uses the word as an equivalent for summer
cottage. Cf. bastide as used by Dumas. Cabane has practically
replaced cassine in modern French. See Letter XXIV.
Cambiatura. The system of changing chaises every post, common in
England, but unusual abroad except in Tuscany.
Cicisbeo. The word is used by Lady Mary Montagu in her Letters
(17I8) as cecisbeo. Smollett's best account is in Letter XVII.
See Introduction, p. xliii.
Conversazione. Gray uses the word for assembly in 1710, but
Smollett, I believe, is about the first Englishman to define it
properly.
Corinth. This was still used as a variant of currant, though
adherence to it was probably rather pedantic on Smollett's part
(cf. his use of "hough" for hoe). Boswell uses the modern form.
Corridore. This word was used by Evelyn, and the correct modern
spelling given by Johnson in 1753; but Smollett as often adheres
to the old form.
