Bill DiNapoli, age 15, of Bennington, Vt., for his question:

WHAT IS A CABAL?

A cabal is a close knit group of persons whe work privately or secretly to carry out their own plans. The word has become a term of reproach and implies plotting, sccheming and conspiring to overthrow legitimate authority.

Cabal as a term is frequently associated with five memeber of the Privy Council under King Charles II of England. These men had widely differing points of view but they united their efforts to carry out certain of the king's more unpopular projects. By chance, the initials of their names    Clifford, Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington and Lauderdale    spelled cabal.

The Conway cabal was a famous group of American army officers and congressman who plotted to remove George Washington from his post as commander in chief in 1777. The cabal was named after Major General Thomas Conway.

Conway's letter to General Horatio Gates was intercepted. When the plot was made public, it aroused unfavorable reaction and strengthened Washington's position.