The Queer, the Quaint and the Quizzical Part 9

In 1815 a noted London professor occupied a window which overlooked the college garden. Amid the trees in the latter a number of rooks had taken up their abode. A young gentleman, who lodged in an attic opposite, frequently amused himself by shooting the rooks with a cross-bow. The professor noticed that the birds frequently dropped senseless from their perches, no sound being heard, no person being visible. It was a strange phenomenon, and he set his wits to work to account for the cause of it.

At length he became fully satisfied that he had made a great ornithological discovery which would add vastly to his fame. He actually wrote a _learned treatise_, stating what he had seen, and declaring that it was a settled conviction in his mind that _rooks_ were subject to _falling sickness_.

_Posies from Wedding Rings._

_Hamlet._-Is this a prologue, or a posy of a ring?

The following posies were transcribed by an indefatigable collector, from old wedding rings, chiefly of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The orthography is, in most cases, altered:-

Death never parts Such loving hearts.

In thee, my choice, I do rejoice. 1677.

A heart content Need ne'er repent.

All I refuse, And thee I choose.

In thee, dear wife, I find new life.

This ring doth bind Body and mind.

Joy day and night Be our delight.

Endless as this, Shall be our bliss. 1719.

G.o.d alone Made us two one.

I change the life Of maid to wife.

No gift can show The love I owe.

In love abide, Till death divide.

_Private Expenses of Charles II._

Malone, the well-known editor of Shakespeare, possessed a curious volume-an account of the privy expenses of Charles II., kept by Baptist May. A few extracts from Malone's transcripts are here subjoined:-

_s._ _d._ My Lord St. Alban's bill, 1,746 18 11 Lady Castlemaine's debts, 1,116 1 0 For grinding cocoanuts, 5 8 0 Paid Lady C, play-money, 300 0 0 For a band of music, 50 0 0 For a receipt for chocolate 227 0 0 Lady C, play-money, 300 0 0 Mr. Knight, for bleeding the king, 10 0 0 Mr. Price, for milking the a.s.ses, 10 0 0 Lady C, play-money, 300 0 0 To one that showed tumbler's tricks, 5 7 6 For weighing the King, 1 0 0 The Queen's allowance, 1,250 0 0 Lost by the King at play on twelfth-night, 220 0 0 Nell Gwyn, 100 0 0 For 3,685 ribbons for healing, 107 10 4 Lord Landerdale, for ballads, 5 0 0 Paid what was borrowed for the Countess of Castlemaine, 1,650 0 0

_First Brick House in Philadelphia._

The following editorial announcement is taken from the Philadelphia _Weekly Mercury_ of November 30th, 1752, because it is a novelty in its way, and also affords an insight into the degree of communication which existed at the time between large towns and the provinces:-

"On Monday next the Northern Post sets out from New York, in order to perform his stage but once a fortnight, during the winter quarter; the Southern Post changes also, which will cause this paper to come out on Tuesdays during that time. The colds which have infested the Northern Colonies have also been troublesome here; few families have escaped the same, several have been carry'd off by the cold, among whom was David Brintnall, in the 77th year of his age; he was the first man that had a brick house in the city of Philadelphia, and was much esteem'd for his just and upright dealing. There goes a report here that the Lord Baltimore and his lady are arrived in Maryland, but the Southern Post being not yet come in, the said report wants confirmation."

_The Pillory in Philadelphia._

Among the local items of news in the _Pennsylvania Gazette_, published in Philadelphia, and bearing date of November 4th, 1772, is recorded the following:-

"At the Mayor's Court, held in this city last week, John Underwood, for counterfeiting and pa.s.sing counterfeit money, of this province, was ordered to be whipt, stand in the pillory, and have both his ears cut off and nailed to the post; others were ordered to be whipt and stand in the pillory for divers felonies, and five more to receive the discipline of the post, which was put in execution on Sat.u.r.day last."

_One Hundred Years too Soon._

The following appears in _Baker's Chronicle, sub anno 1524_:

"In this yeere, through bookes of prognostications, fore-showing much hurt by waters and floods, many persons withdrew themselves to high grounds for feare of drowning; specially one Bolton, prior of St.

Bartholomew's, in Smithfield, builded him an house upon Harrow on the hill, and thither went and made provision for two moneths. These great waters should have fallen in February, but, no such thing happening, the astronomers excused themselves by saying, that, in the computation, they had miscounted in their number an hundred yeeres."

_The Manner of Watchmen Imitating the Clock at Herrnhuth, in Germany._

VIII.-Past eight o'clock! O, Herrnhuth, do thou ponder; Eight souls in Noah's Ark were living yonder.

IX.-'Tis nine o'clock! ye brethren, hear it striking; Keep hearts and houses clean, to our Saviour's liking.

X.-Now, brethren, hear, the clock is ten and pa.s.sing; None rest but such as wait for Christ's embracing.

XI.-Eleven is past! Still at this hour eleven The Lord is calling us from earth to heaven.

XII.-Ye brethren, hear, the midnight clock is humming; At midnight our great Bridegroom will be coming.

I.-Past one o'clock! The day breaks out of darkness; Great Morning Star appear, and break our hardness.

II.-'Tis two! On Jesus wait this silent season, Ye two so near related, Will and Reason.

III.-The clock is three! The blessed three doth merit The best of praise, from body, soul and spirit.

IV.-'Tis four o'clock! When three make supplication, The Lord will be the fourth on that occasion.

V.-Five is the clock! Five virgins were discarded, While five with wedding garments were rewarded.

VI.-The clock is six, and I go off my station.

Now, brethren, _watch yourselves for your salvation_.

_Household Rules in the Sixteenth Century._

From Sir J. Harrington's (the translator of Ariosto) rules for servants, we obtain a very clear conception of the internal government of a country gentleman's house in 1566-

A servant who is absent from prayers to be fined.

For uttering an oath, 1_d._; and the same sum for leaving a door open.

A fine of 2_d._ from Michaelmas to Lady Day, for all who are in bed after seven, or out after nine.