The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 343, November 29, 1828Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 343, November 29, 1828
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
Even the tamest are under no subjection, for they
act merely to please themselves."
The dog is a very different animal. He is really attached to his master,
and only lives to serve him. A dog is a perfect gentleman, and I love to
fight with gentlemen.
The Apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Philippians, says,--"Beware of
dogs!" c. iii. v. 2. Now, I cannot help always having thought, that he
must have meant cats. It is very easy to suppose the Greek word "[Greek:
kunas]," may have crept in instead of "[Greek: galas]" and this, indeed,
is I believe, corroborated by the folio manuscript copy of the Bible, of
1223, in the British Museum.
Our race is generally said to have come from some of the islands in the
Levant, or according to others, from Sweden; but I can ascertain with
certainty, that my family came to France along with the Huns, and that my
immediate ancestors came over to England with William the Conqueror, in
1066. I consider my blood, therefore, as purely British as any of the
inhabitants of the island. There is a tradition among us, that the
descendants of the pair who cruised with old Noah, settled in the north
of Asia, and that we were to be found no where else for about 500 years
afterwards. As to this, however, I do not pretend to speak with certainty;
but one thing I know, that wherever man is seen to inhabit, we are to be
found--wherever he goes, we attend him. We sent out parties to make
discoveries with Vasquez de Gama, Dampier, Anson, and Cook, and although
we English gentlemen (who have no blood-relationship with the Norwegians)
are known to have such a natural abhorrence at cold, the love of science
prevailed, and a strong party were sent to the frozen seas with Ross,
Lyon, and Parry. Pontoppidan sagely observes, that "neither the wood nor
water R*ts can live farther north than Norway; that there are several
districts, as that of Hordenvor, in the diocese of Bergen, and others in
the diocese of Aggerhum, where no R*ts are to be found; and that the R*ts
on the south banks of the Vormen soon perish, when carried to the north
side of it." But we do not reckon Mr. Pontoppidan a historian implicitly
to be believed, and indeed the Admiralty took such care of us, that we
might have remained for years at the Pole itself, without even having the
toothache!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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