"Paul Clifford", Chapter 9, by Edward Bulwer-Lytton

"Relate at large, my godlike guest," she said,
"The Grecian stratagems,-the town betrayed!"
DRYDEN: Virgil, AEneid, book ii.

Descending thence, they 'scaped! -Ibid.

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Some rather fierce commentary in this chapter on the politics of the day, recalling this was published in 1830. Although it would be fun to hear people compare these 200 year old observations against modern politics... :)

Also a rather rude remark there about the Scots...

Prisoner's Base is a team-based tag game. In the US it more often goes under the name of Darebase.

rout, obvious enough from context, is a fashionable gathering. It is interesting to me to hear it used this way, as I've never encountered this meaning for the word before.

There is no peerage of the Duke of Dashwell. One can easily imagine why the author would want a fictional Dukedom for purposes of this story.

cotillion, as you might expect from context, is a type of dance. Specifically an 18th century French style that was the forerunner to the modern square dance. Yeehaw!

Theseus is a mythical king and founder of Athens. Ariadne was a Cretan princess. Ariadne assisted Theseus in escaping the Minotaur, but upon fleeing the island of Crete, Theseus ditched Ariadne on the island of Naxos.

Gretna Green is a parish in the southern council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the Scottish side of the border between Scotland and England. Gretna Green is most famous for weddings. The Clandestine Marriages Act 1753 prevented couples under the age of 21 marrying in England or Wales without their parents' consent. As it was still legal in Scotland to marry without such consent, couples began crossing the border into Scotland to marry.

duns, in this context, are debt collectors

ordinary here means a public tavern or inn

Jack Ketch was a particularly barbaric executioner to King Charles II in the 17th century. His name is used as a proverbial name for death, Satan and executioners.

skirting board is also called a basebord, wainscoting, mopboard, or any of several other terms which you probably know at least one of.

The picture used is "Dick Turpin surrenders himself a prisoner" from "The Black Highwayman" (Being the second series of Black Bess.) [By Edward Viles.] Used here to represent Augustus Tomlinson being arrested for his highwayman antics.

To follow along: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7735/7735-h/7735-h.htm#link2HCH0009