The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 20, No. 565, September 8, 1832

The Gatherer

A true Abernethian.—"An old country curate," says Zimmerman, "who had all his life resided upon a lofty mountain in the Canton of Berne, was one day presented with a moor-cock. A consultation took place in what manner it should be disposed of—at last it was agreed to bury it in the garden!"

Epitaph on a notorious LiarI always lied and lied till death,But now I lie for want of breath.

Castanets are small wooden rattles, made in the shape of two bowls or cups, fitted together, and tied by a string, and then fastened to the thumbs. The fingers being rapidly struck upon them, a tremulous sound is produced, which marks exactly the measure of the dance. Something similar to this was the crotalon of the ancients, who also made use of small cymbals in their dances and festivals in honour of Bacchus. It is probable, however, that they had their origin in the East, and were brought by the Moors into Spain. Here too they received their name castennalas, from being commonly made of the wood of the chestnut, (castano) or from their colour. They are still common in Spain, and here and there in the South of France. In this country they are common in stage dances only.

Cannon were formerly dignified with great names. Twelve cast by Louis XII. were called after the twelve peers of France. Charles V. had twelve, which he called the Twelve Apostles. One at Bois-le-Duc is called the Devil; a sixty-pounder at Dover Castle, is named Queen Elizabeth's Pocket Pistol; an eighty-pounder at Berlin, is called the Thunderer; another at Malaga, the Terrible; two sixty-pounders at Bremen, the Messengers of Bad News.

Dripping Rock, in India.—Sansadhara or the dripping rock, is a singular phenomenon, situated at the head of a dell, through which a rapid stream runs, between two lines of hills towards the valley of the Dhoon. It is an overhanging rock, about 50 feet high, through which water pours from above, in innumerable little streams, like a perpetual shower of rain! The never-abating action of the water has worn the rock into many fantastic shapes; and, crusting round the moss and fibres of the roots of trees, has given to it almost the appearance of a spar cavern. In several places the water has worn little reservoirs for itself, which are always full. It is cool, clear, and pleasant to the taste.—Captain Skinner.

Catching Wild Ducks, &c. in India.—In the lower parts of Bengal, wild ducks, widgeon, and teal, are often taken by means of earthen pots. A number of these pots are floated amongst them in the lakes where they abound, to the sight of which they soon become reconciled, and approach them fearlessly. A man then goes into the water up to the chin, with one of these pots over his head, in the centre of which two small holes are made for him to see through; and when he gets into the midst of the birds, he pulls them by the legs under water, fastening them to a girdle round his waist.—T. GILL.

Hampden.—Lord Nugent, in his Memorials of John Hampden, relates the attack of Rupert's troops upon the village of Chinnor. A local tradition of the affair has been related to me by an old inhabitant. In the room of a house, until lately occupied as a boarding-school, two of Rupert's soldiers are said to have evinced great brutality. On entering the house, they demanded a flitch of bacon, hanging up in the room; one of them held up a child which he had taken from a cradle, and crossing a sword over it, threatened its immediate destruction if their demands were not instantly complied with. There appear to have been sharp hostilities in the vicinity of Chinnor, and more particularly on the hills, as military buttons, sword handles, &c. and other vestiges of war are frequently found there.—W.H.

Parody on Scott's Lines "Breathes there the Man," &cBreathes there a cit, with taste so dead,Who never to himself hath said,"This haunch surpasses all the rest;"Whose mouth hath ne'er within him burn'd,Whene'er his footsteps he hath turn'dFrom home, to Guildhall's civic feast?If such there breathe, go mark him well—For him no portly paunch can swell;Large though his shop, his trade the same,Boundless his wealth as wish can claim,Despite his shop, his trade, his cash,The wretch who knows not ven'son hash,Living, shall forfeit civic fame,And dying, shall descend with shame,In double death, to Lethe's pools,Despis'd by epicures and fools.REX.

Alchemy and Printing.—Antimony, once celebrated in the laboratories of the alchemists, who hoped to discover in it the philosopher's stone, is now employed in the casting of types for printing.—There is much food for reflection in this curious fact in the history of science. How has this simple substance originated dreams of spell-bound ignorance, and realities of godlike intelligence. Nay, we are almost persuaded that the hopes of the alchemists were not altogether unfounded—that antimony is indeed what they hoped to find it—that the invention of printing was the finding of the philosopher's stone; and that we are at this moment enjoying ten-fold the advantages which the alchemists anticipated from their secret.—J.T.

Printed and published by J. LIMBIRD, 143, Strand, (near Somerset House,) London; sold by ERNEST FLEISCHER, 626, New Market, Leipsic; G.G. BENNIS, 55, Rue Neuve, St. Augustin, Paris; and by all Newsmen and Booksellers.

1

Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia. H. Colburn, 4to., 1829.

2

See Memoir, and specimens of her Poetry, Mirror, vol. xiv. p. 340.

3

Arnott's Elements of Physics.

4

Objects, Advantages, and Pleasures of Science. In the first edition, the inventer is erroneously stated to be Edward Howard.

5

Lady Dacre visited her dear lord's tomb daily for several years; at the foot of the grave she was accustomed to kneel, and utter a fervent prayer. We can just remember seeing this devout lady on one of these pilgrimages. She usually rode from her mansion in the neighbourhood to the churchyard, on a favourite poney, and wore a large, flapping, drab beaver hat, and a woollen habit, nearly trailing on the ground. At home she evinced an eccentric affection for her deceased lord: his chair was placed, as during his lifetime, at the dinner-table; and its vacancy seemed to feed his lady's melancholy.

6

Surrey's accomplishments and political talents, and his bravery in the battle-field, cast additional splendour over the house of Howard; and his violent death, another stain on the tyranny of Henry VIII.

7

Several of these splendid emblems of the Roman Catholic faith the late duke gave to his worthy kinsman, the present possessor of C–y Castle; and they decorate his house in London, amidst some chef d'oeuvres of the old Italian masters, which his good taste selected in Italy.

8

The word pagoda is a corruption of Bhagavati, "holy house," one of the several names by which the Hindoo temples are known.

9

The outer wall is brick cased with stone: the inner is all of stone. The four sides are turned respectively to the four cardinal points,—Heeren, India, p. 74.

10

Fifty meilen.

11

These dimensions are not exact, even making allowance for Berlin feet.