The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 363, March 28, 1829Various
General
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 363, March 28, 1829
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
It is now a-days extremely common to style the tumble-down-dick exploits or
posture masters, balancers, conjurers, &c. an art. To ridicule such an
abuse of the term by applying it to mere adroitness, skill in trifles, and
labour-in-vain performances, Quinctilian gives us this merry
instance--"Qualis illius fuit, qui grana ciceris ex spatio distante missa,
in acum continue, et sine frustratione inserebat; quem cum spectasset
Alexander, donasse eum dicitur leguminis modio--quod quidem praemium fuit
illo opere dignissimum." Translation--Of this kind of art, was his, who,
standing at a certain distance, could continually, without missing, stick a
small pea upon the point of a needle; which when Alexander had witnessed,
he ordered him a bushel of that grain for his trouble, a reward quite
adequate to such an exploit. We have a similar story related, I think, of
Charles II.: a posture master climbed up Grantham steeple, and then stood
on his head upon the weathercock. The facetious monarch, after witnessing
his ascent, told him he might forthwith have a patent that none should do
the like but himself.
* * * * *
TO MAKE BUBBLE AND SQUEAK.
_Published by request of the gentlemen of both Universities._
First--Take of beef, or mutton, or lamb, or veal, or any other meat, two
pounds and a half, or any other quantity; be sure to keep it in salt till
the saline particles have locked up all the animal juices, and rendered
the fibres hard of digestion; then boil it over a turf or peat fire, in a
brass kettle, covered with a copper lid, until it is over much done.
Second--Take a large turned cabbage, and boil it in a bell metal pot until
it is done enough, or (if you think proper) too much.
Thirdly--Slice the meat, and souse that and the cabbage both in a frying
pan together, and let them bubble and squeak over a charcoal fire for half
an hour, three minutes, and two seconds.
Lastly--Devour the whole, which will not weigh more than _four_ pounds, for
a quantum sufficit; drink six pints of good, fat ale; sit, smoke, sleep,
snore, and forget your book.
* * * * *
ADVERTISEMENT.
_In defence of the two Universities._
We can assure the public that the malicious report of the Greek language
being expelled from the abovenamed seats of Minerva, is entirely without
foundation; there being, at this moment, many thousand volumes written in
that tongue, actually extant, and quite unmolested in the several
libraries.
* * * * *
HONEST PREJUDICES,
_Or bona fide extracts from celebrated authors._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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