The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 372, May 30, 1829Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 372, May 30, 1829
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
The architect is Mr. W. Trendall; and the builder Mr. Chadwick.
By a neat plan from a survey by Mr. Mogg, the "Stand" is about ten
poles from the Winning Post. It must have a most commanding view of
the surrounding country--but, anon, "may we be there to see."
* * * * *
HISTORY OF COALS.
(_For the Mirror_.)
Coals are found in several parts of the continent of Europe, but the
principal mines are in this country. They have been discovered and
wrought in Newfoundland, Cape Breton, Canada, and in some of the
provinces of New England. China abounds in them, and they are well
known in Tartary, and in the Island of Madagascar.
We find (says Brand) express mention of coals, used as a fuel by
artificers about 2,000 years ago, in the writings of Theophrastus, the
scholar of Aristotle, who, in his book on Stones, gives the substance;
though some writers have not scrupled to affirm, that coal was unknown
to the Ancient Britons, yet others have adduced proofs to the
contrary, which seem, to carry along with them little less than
conviction. The first charter for the license of digging coals, was
granted by King Henry III. in the year 1239; it was there denominated
sea coal; and, in 1281, Newcastle was famous for its great trade in
this article; but in 1306, the use of sea coal was prohibited at
London, by proclamation. Brewers, dyers, and other artificers, who had
occasion for great fires, had found their account in substituting our
fossil for dry wood and charcoal; but so general was the prejudice
against it at that time, that the nobles and commons assembled in
parliament, complained against the use thereof as a public nuisance,
which was thought to corrupt the air with its smoke and stink. Shortly
after this, it was the common fuel at the King's palace in London;
and, in 1325, a trade was opened between France and England, in which
corn was imported, and coal exported. Stowe in his "Annals" says,
"within thirty years last the nice dames of London would not come into
any house or roome where sea coales were burned; nor willingly eat of
the meat that was either sod or roasted with sea coal fire."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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