The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 484, April 9, 1831Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 484, April 9, 1831
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
I've found for thee, my lady love, the freshest flowing springs,
Whose cooling waters ever burst in crystal sparklings;
It is for thee my shaft will wing the wild bird in the air,
Or strike the swift gazelle to deck our simple mountain fare.
Oh 'tis thou canst bid my spirit throb with rapture's warmest sigh,
As gushing winds will make a lute's strings sleeping melody;
When other hopes have faded like the flow'rets of the spring,
Thou'lt be to me a joyous wreath for ever blossoming.
Then fly with me my lady love, my island borne is free,
And its flowers will bloom more sweetly still, when gazed upon by thee;
Come, lady, come, the stars are bright in all their radiant power,
As if they gave their fairy light to guide thee to my bower.
* * * * *
WRITING INK.
(_To the Editor._)
I see in your admirable work one of the never ending disquisitions about
making writing ink. As I have used as much as most people in the
threescore and ten years of my life, and my father used perhaps three
times as much, and we never were nor are troubled, I suppose we manage as
well as most folks--and as it is begged of me to a great amount, I infer
that others like it.
I improve a little on my father's plan, by substituting a better vehicle,
and the knowledge of this improvement I obtained from a lady to whom a
Princess Esterhazy communicated it.
It is so convenient, that whenever I go to Leamington, Brighton,
Tunbridge, or such places of temporary residence, I send to a chemist's my
recipe, reduced to the quantity of half a pint; and my ink is in use as
soon as it comes, improving daily.
My home quantities are these:
Three quarts of stale good beer, _not porter_.
Three quarters of a pound fresh blue Aleppo galls, beaten.
Four ounces of copperas.
Four ounces of gum Arabic in powder.
Two ounces of rock alum.
This is kept for a week in a wide-mouthed pitcher close to the fire, never
ON it, frequently stirred with a stick, and slightly covered with a large
cork or tile.
My small quantity is--
Half a pint of good beer.
Two ounces of galls.
Half an ounce of copperas.
Ditto of gum Arabic.
Quarter of an ounce of rock alum.
It will never mould or lose its substance or colour. The large quantity
will bear half as much beer for future use. If it thickens, thin it with
beer.
I adopt the Italian ladies' method of keeping the roving of a bit of silk
stocking in the glass, which the pen moving, preserves the consistency of
the liquid and keeps the fingers from it.
If you have seen better ink than this, I yield my pre-eminence.[4]
BLACKY.
[4] Our correspondent's communication is in appearance "full,
fair, and free," as all "representations" ought to be.--ED.
* * * * *
SONG.
(_For the Mirror._)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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