Ten Thousand Wonderful Things: Comprising whatever is marvellous and rare, curious, eccentric and extraordinary in all ages and nations
History
Ten Thousand Wonderful Things: Comprising whatever is marvellous and rare, curious, eccentric and extraordinary in all ages and nations
Curiosities and wonders; Encyclopedias and dictionaries; Folklore
In Ayrshire there is a tradition, that the family motto of De
Bruce--"We have been," originated from a lady named Fullarton, married
to a cadet of the family of Cassilis. They had been gained to favour
England during the chivalrous achievements of Wallace, and still
continued zealous partisans of Edward. Before Bruce avowed his purpose
to emancipate his country, he came, disguised as a palmer, to acquaint
himself how far he could rely on aid from the people. A storm compelled
him, and a few faithful adherents, to take shelter on the coast of
Ayrshire. Extreme darkness, and the turbulence of the billows, deprived
them of all knowledge where they landed; and as, in those unhappy
times, the appearance of a few strangers would create alarm, the chiefs
dispersed in different directions. Bruce chanced to go into the house
of Mr. Kennedy, where the servants treated him with great reverence.
The lady had gone to bed, and the prince wished they would not disturb
her, but permit him to sit by the fire till day; however, one damsel
had given her immediate notice of the visitor. He was ushered into her
presence. She eyed him with scrutinizing earnestness. "We hae been--we
hae been fause," said she, in the Scottish dialect, "but a royal ee
takes me back to haly loyalty. I seid ye, mes royal de Bruce, I ken
ye weel. We hae been baith untrue to Scotland, but rest ye safe: and
albiet a' that's gane, Meg Fullarton wad dee in your cause."
ORIGIN OF THE PENNY POST.
The penny-post was devised in 1683, by one Mr. David Murray, an
upholder in Paternoster Row. It soon became an object of attention to
Government; but so low were its profits that one Dockwra, who succeeded
Murray, had a pension of only L200 a year given him in lieu of it. This
occurred in 1716.
A RAFFLE IN 1725.
May 8. The following copy of an advertisement, in the _Newcastle
Courant_ of this date, may be considered curious:--"On Friday in the
race week, being the 28th of May, at the Assembly House, in Westgate,
will be raffled for, 12 fine Fans, the highest three guineas, the worst
5s., at half a Crown per Ticket. Note: the lowest throw is to have the
second best Fan, value L3, the other according to the height of the
numbers which shall be thrown. There will be an assembly after for
those who raffle."
A VISIT TO THE RESIDENCE OF DR. JOHNSON, IN INNER TEMPLE LANE, LONDON.
In one of the dreary, old-fashioned houses leading from the arched
entrance to the Temple, which almost every passenger through Temple
Bar must have remarked, whether he is a stranger, or a resident in the
metropolis, Dr. Johnson, who occupies one of the most distinguished
positions in the literature of our country, resided for several years.
[Illustration: Dr. Johnson's Residence in Inner Temple Lane.]
It was in this place that Dr. Johnson became acquainted with his future
biographer, Boswell, who thus describes their first meeting:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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