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What is "the chapter of accidents"

The Collaborative International Dictionary
The chapter of accidents

Chapter \Chap"ter\, n. [OF. chapitre, F. chapitre, fr. L. capitulum, dim. of caput head, the chief person or thing, the principal division of a writing, chapter. See Chief, and cf, Chapiter.]

  1. A division of a book or treatise; as, Genesis has fifty chapters.

  2. (Eccl.)

    1. An assembly of monks, or of the prebends and other clergymen connected with a cathedral, conventual, or collegiate church, or of a diocese, usually presided over by the dean.

    2. A community of canons or canonesses.

    3. A bishop's council.

    4. A business meeting of any religious community.

  3. An organized branch of some society or fraternity as of the Freemasons.
    --Robertson.

  4. A meeting of certain organized societies or orders.

  5. A chapter house. [R.]
    --Burrill.

  6. A decretal epistle.
    --Ayliffe.

  7. A location or compartment.

    In his bosom! In what chapter of his bosom?
    --Shak.

    Chapter head, or Chapter heading, that which stands at the head of a chapter, as a title.

    Chapter house, a house or room where a chapter meets, esp. a cathedral chapter.

    The chapter of accidents, chance.
    --Marryat.

Usage examples of "the chapter of accidents".

Not finding Captain Clark, I knew not what calculation to make with respect to his halting, and therefore determined to proceed as though he was not before me and leave the rest to the chapter of accidents.

Under the present conditions it was impossible for her to do any more, so, after waiting for a while, still hidden in the shadow to see if she could catch another glimpse of the white frock, she determined to go on slowly towards Castra Regis, and trust to the chapter of accidents to pick up the trail again.

And as to the chapter of accidents which counts for so much in the book of success, I could only hope that it was closed.

He resolved to go in, trusting to the chapter of accidents, to a gracious Providence, and Monsieur Messurier upon the fore-yard, with a seaman with a pistol at each ear, to scatter his brains the moment the ship struck.