The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 403, December 5, 1829

There is another little circumstance which we would take the liberty of mentioning. It is, that she is much too scrupulous, much too delicate in naming individuals, unless they happen to be dead. When she mentions a civil thing said to her by a prince, a duke, or a marquess, we never get at the person. It is always the Prince of A–, or the Duke of B–, or the Marquess of C–, or Count D–, or Lady E–, or the Marchioness of F–, or the Countess of G–, or Lord H–, or Sir George I–, and so on through the alphabet. Now we say again, that we have no doubt all these are the initials of real persons, and that her ladyship is as familiar with the blood royal and the aristocracy of Europe, as "maids of fifteen are with puppy-dogs;" but the world, my dear Lady Morgan—an ill-natured, sour, cynical, and suspicious world, envious of your glory, will be apt to call it nil fudge, blarney, or blatherum-skite, as they say in your country; especially when it is observed that you always give the names of the illustrious dead, with whom you have been upon equally familiar terms of intimacy, at full length; as if you knew that dead people tell no tales; and that therefore you might tell any tales you like about dead people. We put it to your own good sense, my dear Lady Morgan, as the Duke of X– would call you, whether this remarkable difference in mentioning living characters, and those who are no longer living, does not look equivocal? For you know, my dear Lady Morgan, that Prince R– and Princess W–, by standing for any body, mean nobody.—Blackwood's Magazine.

CURE FOR SUPERSTITION

We find the following curious anecdote translated from a German work, in the last Foreign Quarterly Review:—

A poor protestant who had fallen from his horse and done himself some serious injury which had obviously ended in derangement, came to a Catholic priest, declaring that he was possessed, and telling a story of almost dramatic interest. In his sickness he had consulted a quack doctor, who told him that he could cure him by charms. He wrote strange signs on little fragments of paper, some of which were to be worn, some to be eaten in bread and drunk in wine. These the poor madman fancied afterwards were charms by which he had unknowingly sold himself to the devil. The doctor, he fancied, had done so before, and could only redeem his own soul by putting another in the power of Satan. "I know that this is my condition," said the poor madman, "by all I have seen and heard, by all I have suffered, by the change which has taken place in me, which has at length brought me to my present condition. All I cannot reveal; the little I can and dare tell must convince you. Often has my tormentor pent me up in the stove, and let me lie among the burning brands through the live long night. Then I hear him in my torment talking loud, I know not what, over my head. All prayer he forbids me, and he makes me tell whether I would give all I have or my soul for my cure. Then he speaks to me of the Bible; but he falsifies all he tells me of, or he tells me of some new-born king or queen in the kingdom of God. I cannot go to church; I cannot pray; I cannot think a good thought; I see sights of horror ever before me, which fill me with unutterable fear, and I know not what is rest; my one only thought is how soon the devil will come to claim his wretched victim and carry me to the place of torment." The poor creature had a belief that a Roman Catholic priest had the power of exorcism. The priest was most kind to the poor maniac, and tried to convince him of the power and goodness of God, and his love to his creatures. It need not be said that this was talking to the wind. In fine, he said, "Well, I will rid you of your tormentor. He shall have to do with me, and not with you, in future." This promise had the desired effect; and the priest followed it up by advising the maniac to go to a good physician, to avoid solitude, to work hard, to read his Bible, and remember the comfortable declarations of which he had been just reminded, and if he was in any doubt or anxiety, to go to his parish minister.

THE GATHERER

A snapper up of unconsidered trifles.

    SHAKSPEARE.

ADDISON

A certain author was introduced one day by a friend to Mr. Addison, who requested him at the same time to peruse and correct a copy of English verses. Addison took the verses and found them afterwards very stupid. Observing that above twelve lines from Homer were prefixed to them, by way of motto, he only erased the Greek lines, without making any amendment in the poem, and returned it. The author, seeing this, desired his friend who had introduced him to inquire of Mr. Addison the reason of his doing so. "Whilst the statues of Caligula," said he, "were all of a piece, they were little regarded by the people, but when he fixed the heads of gods upon unworthy shoulders, he profaned them, and made himself ridiculous. I, therefore, made no more conscience to separate Homer's verses from this poem, than the thief did who stole the silver head from the brazen body in Westminster Abbey."[3 - In Henry the Seventh's chapel.]

A furious wife, like a musket, may do a great deal of execution in her house, but then she makes a great noise in it at the same time. A mild wife, will, like an air-gun, act with as much power without being heard.

    L—W—R M.

ST. MARTIN S LITTLE SUMMER

In Time's Telescope for 1825, we are told that the few fine days which sometimes occur about the beginning of November have been denominated, "St. Martin's Little Summer." To this Shakspeare alludes in the first part of King Henry the Fourth (Act. I, Scene 2), where Prince Henry says to Falstaff, "Farewell, thou latter spring! farewell, All-hallowen summer!" And in the first part of King Henry the Sixth, (Act I, Scene 2), Joan La Pucelle says,

"Assign'd am I to be the English scourge—
This night the siege assuredly I'll raise:
Expect St. Martin's Summer, halcyon days,
Since I have entered into these wars."

    W.G.C.

SCRAPS

(For the Mirror.)

M.F. Cuvier has found that all marshy countries are remarkable for the small number of births in autumn, or the period when the influence of the marshes is most dangerous. Consequently, the marshes do not diminish the population by adding to the number of deaths alone, but by attacking the fecundity.

In Guiana balls are made of caoutchouc, for children to play with; and so elastic are they, that they will rebound several times between the ceiling and floor of a room, when thrown with some force.

In turtles' eggs, the yolk soon becomes hard on boiling, whilst the white remains liquid: a fact in direct opposition to the changes in boiling the eggs of birds.

WHEAT

There are 330 varieties and sub-varieties of wheat said to be growing in-Britain, perhaps scarcely a dozen of which are generally known to farmers.

DUTCH BUTTER

Is made with cream alone, and is best preserved in casks or tubs, with a pickle made of salt, which is removed from time to time.

SIAMESE COMMANDMENTS

The moral precepts of the Siamese are comprised in the following Ten Commandments:—

1. Do not slay animals.

2. Do not steal.

3. Do not commit adultery.

4. Do not tell lies nor backbite.

5. Do not drink wine.[4 - The punishment for drinking wine is to have a stream of melted copper poured down the throat; but wine is drunk, and all classes feed upon flesh.]

6. Do not eat after twelve o'clock.

7. Do not frequent plays or public spectacles, nor listen to music.

8. Do not use perfumes, nor wear flowers, or other personal ornaments.

9. Do not sleep or recline upon a couch that is above one cubit high.

10. Do not borrow, nor be in debt.

ANNUALS FOR 1830

The Supplement published with the present number contains a Fine Large Engraving of the Leaning Towers of Bologna; humorous cuts from the Comic Annual; and interesting Notices and Unique Extracts from the Keepsake, Landscape Annual, Forget-Me Not, Bijou, Emmanuel, &c. and with No. 400, forms the SPIRIT OF THE ANNUALS FOR 1830.

LIMBIRD'S EDITION OF THE

Following Novels is already Published:

Printed and Published by J. LIMBIRD 143, Strand, (near Somerset House,) London; sold by ERNEST FLEISCHER, 626, New Market, Leipsic; and by all Newsmen and Booksellers.

notes

1

Switzerland; or a Journal of a Tour and Residence in that country, in 1817, 1818, and 1819. By L. Simond, 2 vols. 8 vo. Second Edit. 1823 Murray.

2

The utility of such a Tour as the present is greater than may appear at first sight. Londoners are so absorbed with the wealth and importance of their own city, as to form but very erroneous notions of the extent and consequence of the large towns of the empire—as Liverpool, Manchester, &c.; find those who live in small country towns are as far removed from opportunities of improvement. The social economy of different districts is therefore important to both parties.

3

In Henry the Seventh's chapel.