historian of the thirteenth century, that the mouths of Christians used
to be supplied with 30, or in some instances, no doubt according to
their faith, with 32 teeth; but that _after_ the Cross was stolen by
the infidels no mortal has ever been allowed more than 23!
ORAEFA MOUNTAIN IN ICELAND.
This mountain, which is the loftiest in Iceland, has been rendered
celebrated by an eruption which took place about a century ago. Nothing
can be more striking than the account given of this calamity by the
aged minister of the parish. He was in the midst of his service on
the Sabbath, when the agitation of the earth gave warning that some
alarming event was to follow. Rushing from the church, he saw a peak of
the neighbouring mountain alternately heaved up and sinking; till at
last, the stone, of which this portion of the mountain was composed,
ran down in a melted state into the plain, like melted metal from a
crucible, filling it to such a height, that no more of the mountain,
which formerly towered to such a height, remains, than about the size
of a bird; volumes of water being in the meantime thrown forth in a
deluge from the crater, and sweeping away whatever they encountered in
their course. The Oraefa then broke forth, hurling large masses of ice
to a great distance; fire burst out in every direction from its side;
the sky was darkened by the smoke and ashes, so that the day could
hardly be distinguished from the night. This scene of horror continued
for more than three days, during which the whole region was converted
into utter desolation.
THE SETON SWORD.
[Illustration [++] Seton Sword.]
The two-handed sword, which was introduced later than the claymore,
though still so familiar to us, is perhaps the most interesting, in an
archaeological point of view, of all the military relics pertaining
to the Medieval Period. The huge, ponderous, and unwieldy weapon,
seems the fittest emblem that could be devised, of the rude baron of
the thirteenth century, who lived by "the good old rule" of physical
force, and whose hardy virtues, not unsuited to an illiterate age--are
strangely mistaken for a chivalry such as later ages have not seen.
Calmly reasoning from this characteristic heirloom, we detect in it the
evidence of just such hardy, skilless, overbearing power, as history
informs us was the character of the medieval baron, before the rise of
the burgher class readjusted the social balance by the preponderance
of rival interests. The weapon figured here is a remarkably fine and
unusually large specimen of the old Scottish two-handed sword, now in
the possession of George Seton, Esq., representative of the Setons of
Cariston. It measures forty-nine inches in the blade, five feet nine
inches in entire length, and weighs seven and a half pounds. But the
chief interest of this old relic arises from the well-authenticated
family traditions which associate it with the memory of its first
knightly owner, Sir Christopher Seton of that Ilk, from whom some of
the oldest scions of the Scottish peerage have been proud to trace
their descent. He was married to Christian, sister of King Robert
the Bruce, whom he bravely defended at the battle of Methven. He was
shortly after taken prisoner by Edward I., and basely hanged as a
traitor.
STYLE OF LIVING IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
The most perfect notion of the living and domestic arrangements of
the old English nobility and gentry will be found in the entries of
what were called the Household Books of the times. One of the most
celebrated of these records is the _Northumberland Household Book_,
being the regulations of the establishment of the fifth earl of
Northumberland, at his castles of Wrenill and Lekinfield, in Yorkshire,
begun in 1512. No baron's family was on a nobler or more splendid
footing. It consisted of one hundred and sixty-six persons, masters
and servants; fifty-seven strangers were reckoned upon every day; on
the whole two hundred and twenty-three. During winter they fed mostly
on salt meat and salt fish; and with that view there was a provision of
one hundred and sixty gallons of mustard per year; so that there cannot
be any thing more erroneous than the magnificent ideas formed of "the
roast beef of _Old_ England." On flesh days, (that is, when meat was
not forbidden by the Catholic religion), through the year, breakfast
for my lord and lady was a loaf of bread, two manchets, a quart of
beer, a quart of wine, half a chine of mutton, or a chine of beef
boiled. On meagre days (or when meat was forbidden), a loaf of bread,
two manchets, a quart of beer, a quart of wine, a dish of butter, a
piece of salt fish, or a dish of buttered eggs. During Lent, a loaf
of bread, two manchets, a quart of beer, a quart of wine, two pieces
of salt fish, six baconed herrings, four white herrings, or a dish of
sprats. There was as little variety in other meals, except on festival
days; and this way of living was, at the time, high luxury. There were
but two cooks to dress victuals for two hundred persons; and fowls,
pigeons, plovers, and partridges were prohibited as delicacies, except
at my lord's table. The table-cloth was washed about once a month; no
sheets were used; and only forty shillings were allowed for washing
throughout the year. The family rose at six in the morning, dined at
ten, and supped at four in the afternoon; and the castle gates were
shut at nine. Mass was said in the chapel at six o'clock, that all the
servants might rise early. The earl passed the year at three country
seats, but he had furniture only for one: he carried every thing along
with him, beds, tables, chairs, kitchen utensils; and seventeen carts
and one waggon conveyed the whole: one cart sufficed for all his
kitchen utensils, cooks' beds, &c. There were in the establishment
eleven priests, besides seventeen persons, chanters, musicians, &c.,
belonging to the chapel. No mention is made of plate, but only of the
hiring of pewter vessels. Wine was allowed in abundance for the lord's
table, but the beer for the hall was poor indeed, only a quarter of
malt being allowed for two hogsheads. The servants seem all to have
bought their own clothes from their wages. Every thing in the household
was done by order, with the pomp of proclamation; and laughable as it
may now seem, an order was issued for the right making of mustard,
beginning "It seemeth good to us and our council."
ANECDOTE OF A TERRIER.
A terrier, known to Professor Owen, was taught to play at hide and seek
with his master, who summoned him, by saying "Let us have a game;" upon
which the dog immediately hid his eyes between his paws, in the most
honourable manner, and when the gentleman had placed a sixpence, or a
piece of cake in a most improbable place, he started up and invariably
found it. His powers were equalled by what was called a fox-terrier,
named Fop, who would hide his eyes, and suffer those at play with
him to conceal themselves before he looked up. If his play-fellow
hid himself behind a window-curtain, Fop would, for a certain time,
carefully pass that curtain, and look behind all the others, behind
doors, etc., and when he thought he had looked long enough, seize the
concealing curtain and drag it aside in triumph. The drollest thing,
however, was to see him take his turn of hiding; he would get under a
chair, and fancy that he was not seen; of course, those at play with
him pretended not to see him, and it was most amusing to witness his
agitation as they passed. When he was ill he had been cured by some
homoeopathic globules, and ever after, if anything were the matter with
him, he would stand near the medicine box, and hold his mouth open.
CUTTING A WIFE OFF WITH A SHILLING.
In the year 1772, died at Lambeth, J---- G----e, Esq. In his will was
found the following remarkable clause:--"Whereas, it was my misfortune
to be made very uneasy by Elizabeth G----, my wife, for many years,
from our marriage, by her turbulent behaviour; for she was not content
with despising my admonitions, but she contrived every method to make
me unhappy; she was so perverse in her nature, that she would not
be reclaimed, but seemed only to be born to be a plague to me; the
strength of Sampson, the knowledge of Homer, the prudence of Augustus,
the cunning of Pyrrhus, the patience of Job, the subtlety of Hannibal,
and the watchfulness of Hermogenes, could not have been sufficient to
subdue her; for no skill or force in the world would make her good;
and, as we have lived several years separate, and apart from each other
eight years, and she having perverted her son to leave and totally
abandon me; therefore I give her one shilling only."
WEALTH OF THE JEWS.
About the year 1707, the Jews offered Lord Godolphin, Minister of Queen
Anne, to pay L500,000, (and they would have made it a million,) if the
government would allow them to purchase the town of Brentford, with
leave of settling there entirely, with full privileges of trade, &c.
Lord Godolphin did not comply with the request, and a curious reason
is assigned by Dean Lockier, because it would provoke two of the most
powerful bodies in the nation, the clergy and the merchants. The Jews
had better success with Oliver Cromwell: they offered him L60,000 to
have a synagogue in London. He took the money, and they had their
temple.
GAMBLING EXTRAORDINARY.
The following instance of frantic or drunken gambling appeared in the
_Times_ of April 17, 1812:--
"On Wednesday evening an extraordinary investigation took place at
Bow Street. Croker, the officer, was passing the Hampstead Road; he
observed at a short distance before him two men on a wall, and directly
after saw the tallest of them, a stout man about six feet high,
hanging by his neck from a lamp-post, attached to the wall, being that
instant tied up and turned off by the short man. This unexpected and
extraordinary sight astonished the officer; he made up to the spot with
all speed, and just after he arrived there, the tall man who had been
hanged, fell to the ground, the handkerchief with which he had been
suspended having given way. Croker produced his staff, said he was
an officer, and demanded to know of the other man the cause of such
conduct; in the mean time the man who had been hanged recovered, got
up, and on Croker interfering, gave him a violent blow on the nose,
which nearly knocked him backward. The short man was endeavouring to
make off; however, the officer procured assistance, and both were
brought to the office, when the account they gave was, that they worked
on canals. They had been together on Wednesday afternoon, tossed up
for money, and afterwards for their clothes, the tall man who was
hanged won the other's jacket, trowsers and shoes; they then tossed
up which should hang the other, and the short one won the toss. They
got upon the wall, the one to submit, and the other to hang him on
the lamp-iron. They both agreed in this statement. The tall one who
had been hanged said, if he won the toss, he would have hanged the
other. He said, he then felt the effects on his neck at the time he
was hanging, and his eyes was so much swelled that he saw double. The
magistrates expressed their horror and disgust, and ordered the man who
had been hanged to find bail for the violent and unjustifiable assault
upon the officer, and the short one for hanging the other. Not having
bail, they were committed to Bridewell for trial."
OLD BOOKS.
The Pentateuch and the history of Job are the most ancient books in
the world; and in profane literature the works of Homer and Hesiod.
The first book known to have been written in our own vernacular was
"The Confessions of Richard, Earl of Cambridge," _temp._ 1415; and the
earliest English ballad is supposed to be the "Cuckoo Song," which
commences in the following style:--
"Sumer is icumen in
Lhude sing cuccu,
Groweth sed, and bloweth med,
And springth ye wede nu:
Singe cuccu."
FOSSIL REPTILE; THE PTERODACTYLUS.
The pterodactylus was a flying animal. It had the wings of a bat, and
the structure of a reptile; jaws with sharp teeth, and claws with long
hooked nails. The power which it had of flying was not by means of its
ribs, nor by wings without fingers, as in birds, but by wings supported
by one very elongated toe, the others being short and furnished with
claws. The remains of this animal were brought under examination by M.
Collini, director of the Museum of the Elector Palatine at Manheim.
There was at first some discussion as to the actual character of the
animal. M. Blumenbach supposed it to be a bird, and M. de Soemmering
classed it among the bats. M. Cuvier, however, maintained that it was
a reptile, and showed that all its bones, from the teeth to the claws,
possessed the characters which distinguish that class of animals. But
still it differed from all other reptiles in possessing the capability
of flying. It is probable that it could at pleasure fold up its wings
in the same manner as birds, and might suspend itself on branches
of trees by its fore toes, though it possessed the power of sitting
upright on its hind feet. This is the most anomalous of all the fossil
reptiles.
TIGER CAVE AT CUTTACK.
The geographical distribution of the rock-cut caves of the Buddhists in
India is somewhat singular, more than nine-tenths of those now known
being found within the limits of the Bengal Presidency. The remainder
consist of two groups, those of Behar and Cuttack, neither of which
are important in extent, in Bengal; one only, that of Mahavellipore,
in Madras; and two or three not very important groups which have been
traced in Afghanistan and the Punjaub.
One of the most remarkable of these caves is that at Cuttack, which is
called the Tiger cave--being in fact a large mass of rock, carved into
a form intended to represent the head of that animal, whose extended
jaws form the verandah leading into a small apartment excavated in the
interior of the skull: our engraving is a correct representation of it.
[Illustration [++] Tiger Cave at Cuttack.]
Generally speaking, these single cells have a porch of two pillars
to protect the doorway, which leads into a small room, 10 or 12 ft.
square, constituting the whole cave. Buildings on precisely the same
plan are still very common in India, except that now, instead of being
the abode of a hermit, the cell is occupied by an image of some god or
other, and is surmounted by a low dome, or pyramidal spire, converting
it into a temple of some pretensions. The lower part, however, of these
small temples is very similar to the rock-cut hermitages of which we
are speaking.
THE JEWS IN ENGLAND.
William the Conqueror permitted great numbers of Jews to come over from
Rouen, and to settle in England in the last year of his reign. Their
number soon increased, and they spread themselves throughout most of
the cities and capital towns in England where they built synagogues.
There were fifteen hundred at York about the year 1189. At Bury, in
Suffolk, is a very complete remain of a Jewish synagogue of stone in
the Norman style, large and magnificent. Hence it was that many of the
learned English ecclesiastics of those times became acquainted with
their books and their language. In the reign of William Rufus, the Jews
were remarkably numerous at Oxford, and had acquired considerable
property; and some of their Rabbis were permitted to open a school
in the university, where they instructed not only their own people,
but many Christian students in Hebrew literature, about the year
1094. Within 200 years after their admission or establishment by the
Conqueror, they were banished from the kingdom. This circumstance was
highly favourable to the circulation of their learning in England. The
suddenness of their dismission obliged them for present subsistence,
and other reasons, to sell their moveable goods of all kinds, among
which were large quantities of all Rabbinical books. The monks
in various parts availed themselves of the distribution of these
treasures. At Huntingdon and Stamford there was a prodigious sale of
their effects, containing immense stores of Hebrew manuscripts, which
were immediately purchased by Gregory of Huntingdon, Prior of the abbey
of Ramsey. Gregory speedily became an adept in the Hebrew, by means
of these valuable acquisitions, which he bequeathed to his monastery
about the year 1250. Other members of the same convent, in consequence
of these advantages, are said to have been equal proficients in the
same language, soon after the death of Prior Gregory, among whom were
Robert Dodford, Librarian of Ramsey, and Laurence Holbech, who compiled
a Hebrew Lexicon. At Oxford a great number of their books fell into the
hands of Roger Bacon, or were bought by his brethren the Franciscan
friars of that university.
GAME PRESERVES AT CHANTILLY.
The establishment at Chantilly, which formerly belonged to the great
family of Conde, included 21 miles of park, and 48 miles of forest. The
horses, when the family were at that place, were above 500. The dogs,
60 to 80 couple: the servants, above 500. The stables the finest and
best in Europe. We shall now present to the sporting and un-sporting
reader, for both will lift up their eyes, a list of game killed, year
by year, through a series of thirty-two years--beginning with the year
1748, ending with the year 1779:--
_List of the Game._
54,878 24,029 37,209 19,932
37,160 27,013 42,902 27,164
58,712 26,405 31,620 30,429
39,892 33,055 25,994 30,859
32,470 50,812 18,479 25,813
39,893 40,234 18,550 50,666
32,470 26,267 26,371 13,304
16,186 25,953 19,774 17,566
Now let us give (of birds and beasts) their bill of mortality; that
is the numbers, in detail, of each specific description, registered
as below, and detailed to have been killed at Chantilly, in the
above-mentioned series of years. Hares, 77,750; rabbits, 587,470;
partridges, 117,574; red ditto, 12,426; pheasants, 86,193; quails,
19,696; rattles (the male quail), 449; woodcocks, 2,164; snipes, 2,856;
ducks, 1,353; wood-piquers, 317; lapwings, 720; becfique (small birds
like our wheatear), 67; curlews, 32; oyes d'Egypte, 3; oyes sauvage,
14; bustards, 2; larks, 106; tudells, 2; fox, 1; crapeaux, 8; thrushes,
1,313; guynard, 4; stags, 1,712; hinds, 1,682; facons, 519; does,
1,921; young does, 135; roebucks, 4,669; young ditto, 810; wild boars,
1,942; marcassins (young boars), 818. A magnificent list of animal
slaughter, carefully and systematically recorded as achievements.
BRITISH PEARLS.
The river Conway, in North Wales, was of considerable importance,
even before the Roman invasion, for the pearl mussel (the _Mya
Margaritifera_ of Linnaeus) and Suetonius acknowledged that one of his
inducements for undertaking the subjugation of Wales was the pearl
fishery carried forward in that river. According to Pliny, the mussels,
called by the natives _Kregindilin_, were sought for with avidity by
the Romans, and the pearls found within them were highly valued; in
proof of which it is asserted that Julius Caesar dedicated a breastplate
set with British pearls to Venus Genetrix, and placed it in her temple
at Rome. A fine specimen from the Conway is said to have been presented
to Catherine, consort of Charles II., by Sir Richard Wynne, of Gwydir;
and it is further said that it has since contributed to adorn the regal
crown of England. Lady Newborough possessed a good collection of the
Conway pearls, which she purchased of those who were fortunate enough
to find them, as there is no regular fishery at present. The late Sir
Robert Vaughan had obtained a sufficient number to appear at Court with
a button and loop to his hat, formed of these beautiful productions,
about the year 1780.
FUNERAL ORATION OF FRANCIS THE FIRST.
Pierre Duchatel, in a funeral oration on the death of Francis I.,
published 1547, took upon himself to affirm, that the soul of the king
had gone _direct to Paradise_. This passing over of purgatory gave
offence to the doctors of the Sorbonne, who sent a deputation to warn
him of his error. The prelate being absent, one of his friends received
them, and, in reply, gaily said--"Be not uneasy, gentlemen, every one
knows that the late king, my master, never stopped long in any one
place, however agreeable. Supposing, then, that he went to purgatory,
be assured that his stay would be very short." This pleasantry disarmed
the severity of the doctors, and the affair went no farther.
GRAVES OF THE STONE PERIOD.
Stone Chambers, which once formed places of interment, are frequently
discovered within large barrows of earth raised by the hands of man.
They are to be referred to the period of the Danish Invasion, which
is generally termed among antiquaries the "Stone Period," because the
use of metals was then in a great measure unknown; and while a few are
to be found in Great Britain, there are many more of them in Denmark.
These tombs, which are covered with earth, have most probably contained
the remains of the powerful and the rich. They are almost all provided
with long entrances, which lead from the exterior of the mound of
earth to the east or south side of the chambers. The entrances, like
the chambers, are formed of large stones, smooth on the side which
is turned inwards, on which very large roof-stones are placed. The
chambers, and even the entrances, which are from sixteen to twenty
feet in length, are filled with trodden earth and pebbles, the object
of which, doubtless, was to protect the repose of the dead in their
graves, and the contents which are found in them consist of unburnt
human skeletons (which were occasionally placed on a pavement of flat
or round stones), together with implements and weapons, and tools of
flint or bone, ornaments, pieces of amber, and urns of clay. In some
cases smaller chambers have been discovered, annexed to one side of the
passage which leads to the larger chamber, and one of these smaller
chambers we have engraved as a specimen of the sort of tombs we are now
describing.
[Illustration [++] Stone Chamber in a Barrow.]
The above sketch represents a chamber which was discovered in a barrow,
situated near Paradis, in the parish of the Vale, in the island of
Guernsey. On digging into the mound, a large flat stone was soon
discovered; this formed the top, or cap-stone, of the tomb, and on
removing it, the upper part of two human skulls were exposed to view.
One was facing the north, the other the south, but both disposed
in a line from east to west. The chamber was filled up with earth
mixed with limpet-shells, and as it was gradually removed, while the
examination was proceeding downwards into the interior, the bones
of the extremities became exposed to view, and were seen to greater
advantage. They were less decomposed than those of the upper part;
and the teeth and jaws, which were well preserved, denoted that they
were the skeletons of adults, and not of old men. The reason why the
skeletons were found in this extraordinary position it is impossible to
determine. Probably the persons who were thus interred were prisoners,
slaves, or other subordinates, who were slain--perhaps buried alive--on
occasion of the funeral of some great or renowned personage, who was
placed in the larger chamber at the end of the passage; and this view
of the case is considerably strengthened by the fact that the total
absence of arms, weapons, or vases, in the smaller chamber, denotes
that the quality of the persons within it was of less dignity or
estimation.
WAR CHARIOT OF ANCIENT EGYPT.
This chariot, which is mentioned in various parts of Scripture, and
more especially in the description of the pursuit of the Israelites
by Pharaoh, and of his overthrow in the Red Sea, was a very light
structure, consisting of a wooden framework strengthened and adorned
with metal, and leather binding, answering to the descriptions which
Homer has given of those engaged in the Trojan war.
[Illustration [++] War Chariot.]