Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 62, Jan 27, 1872Various
History
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 62, Jan 27, 1872
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
Five more London churches are to be immediately destroyed. Down with
them! First down with St. Mildred's, in the Poultry. It was built by SIR
CHRISTOPHER WREN, and somewhere about it rest the remains of THOMAS
TUSSER, who wrote the "Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry." Sweep it
away, and then batter down St. Dionis Backchurch, also built by SIR
CHRISTOPHER. There are monuments in it to the great benefactor to the
Bodleian Library, and to the founder of the Saxon Lectureship in St.
John's College, Oxford. Who cares? St. James's, Aldgate, is to be
demolished: 'tis enough that Hebrews chiefly abide around that fane, and
need it not. Out with St. Martin of Outwich; it hath stood less than a
hundred years, and though it was consecrated by BISHOP PORTEUS, and
holdeth fine old monuments, conserved through three centuries, away with
it! Lastly (for the present) turn this pictured clown's pickaxe upon St.
Anthony's, or St. Antholin's, Sise Lane. That, too, was the work of the
Architect of St. Paul's, and sundry be the memories which our old
dramatists and our WALTER SCOTT have hung on "St. Anthing's." It is very
meet and right that the old City churches should all go, few persons now
abiding near them on Sunday, and religion being a thing for Sunday. SIR
CHRISTOPHER'S Cathedral, as it is also a Mausoleum, will probably be
spared until some railway or tramway shall want the site.
Yours, delighted,
EROSTRATUS VANDAL.
* * * * *
ORGANS OF OFFENCE.
ON Thursday last week a modification of the American Gatling Gun, called
the "British Mitrailleuse," was tried for the first time at Woolwich.
The following is a description of this benevolent machine:--
"It consists of ten barrels hooped together and revolving in the
centre, and fitted into a carriage like that of an ordinary
field-gun, which, at a short distance, it greatly resembles. The
barrels and cartridges are similar to those of the Henry-Martini
rifle--in diameter .45 in.; the cartridge-cases being of brass,
and bottle-necked."
Tremendous, however, as may be the execution which this weapon is
capable of doing among a flock of soldiers, authorities are of opinion
that, "like small arms generally, it must give way to rifled ordnance."
On its trial:--
"Indeed, most of the Royal Artillery Officers present seemed to
think that the machine-gun can never stand against Artillery,
even if its delicate machinery did not become disarranged by
mere musket-shot."
So that a comparison is suggested to those who read, that when the
"British Mitrailleuse" is made ready and placed in position--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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