Liverpool a few years since: by an old stagerAspinall, James
History
Liverpool a few years since: by an old stager
Aspinall, James
Liverpool (England) -- Biography; Liverpool (England) -- History
But it is time that we should finish this chapter, and we will do so with
copying an anecdote touching hair powder, which greatly struck us as we
lately read it in the _History of Hungary_. Some great measure was under
discussion in the diet of that country, when Count Szechenyi appeared in
the Chamber of Magnates, on the 28th of October, 1844, in splendid
uniform, his breast covered with stars and ribbons of the various orders
to which he belonged. “It is now thirty-three years,” said he, “and
eleven days since I was sent to the camp of Marshal Blucher. I arrived
at the dawn of day, and at the entrance of the tent found a soldier
occupied in powdering his hair before a looking-glass. I was rather
surprised, but, on passing on a little further, I found a page engaged in
the same way. At last I reached the tent of the old general himself, and
found him, like the others, powdering and dressing his hair also.
‘General,’ said I, ‘I should have thought this was the time to put powder
in the cannon and not in the hair.’ ‘We hope,’ was the reply, ‘to
celebrate a grand _fête_ to-day, and we must, therefore, appear in our
best costume.’ On that day the battle of Leipsic was fought. For a
similar reason, gentlemen, I appear here to-day, dressed in this singular
manner. I believe that we are to-day about to perform one of the
brightest acts in the history of our nation.” The address was received
with loud acclamations. But hair-powder and gunpowder have, we believe,
long since been divorced, even in the camp. It was inconvenient. It was
found, as touching the former, that, on a hot day, it was impossible “to
keep your powder dry.”
CHAPTER XVIII.
Whether we consider the magnificence of its estate, the amount of its
revenue, or the extent of its influence, the Liverpool Corporation might
ever be compared to a German principality put into commission. We have,
in a former chapter, alluded briefly to its state and condition in those
old days, when
“All went merry as a marriage bell,”
and no Municipal Reform Bill ever loomed in the distance. But we feel
that we must say something more about such an important body. The old
Liverpool self-elected Corporation was always looked up to and spoken of
with respect from one end of the country to the other. It was, indeed,
considered to be a kind of model Corporation by all others, and quoted,
and emulated, and imitated on all occasions and in all directions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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