In the reign of James I. the sober liverymen of London decked
themselves, on days of state, with chains of gold, pearl, or diamonds.
The wealthy merchant, Sir Paul Pindar, had a diamond valued at thirty
thousand pounds, which he lent to the king on great occasions, but
refused to sell. It was said by the Prince of Anhalt, in 1610, after
seeing "the pleasant triumphs upon the water, and within the city, which
at this time, were extraordinary, in honour of the lord mayor and
citizens," that "there was no state nor city in the world that did elect
their magistrates with such magnificence, except the city of Venice,
unto which the city of London cometh very near." These exhibitions were
more splendid, and, though quaint and whimsical, savoured more of
intellect and invention than the similar "triumphs" of the present
day.--_Quarterly Review_.
* * * * *
Brussels is rapidly advancing in the art of printing; one individual
published no less than 250,000 volumes in the year 1827. Books are
published much cheaper than in Paris, which creates no small jealousy
there. Didot projected to bring his press into Brussels, but found that
he had been forestalled by the labours of more than one printer. Neither
the type nor the paper equal the printing of London or Edinburgh, or
perhaps Paris; but they are daily improving, and an immense number of
books are exported.--_New Mon. Mag_.
* * * * *
Huber, a German priest, relates a curious instance, in his own
experience, of the mischief done by hasty proceedings. When he first
went to his parish, he found, to his great disgust, only the common
books of devotion, viz.:--P. Cochem, the Great and Little Garden, the
Spiritual Soul-watcher, &c. The very first occasion which offered, he
attacked these books publicly and vehemently from the pulpit. The people
were shocked and offended; they said that their fathers knew how to pray
as well as fresh teachers, and would not look at his new volumes of
prayer. Taught by his ill success to vary his plan, on a subsequent
occasion he took occasion to speak in proper terms of respect of the
piety of the composers of those early books, but added that many
improvements, as they all knew, were constantly making in agriculture,
masonry, &c., and so they must see that this might be the case with
books. He then proceeded in the pulpit to compare the old and one of his
new books of devotion, and before the evening he had numerous
applications for copies.--_Foreign Quarterly Review_.
* * * * *