The Queer, the Quaint and the Quizzical: A Cabinet for the CuriousStauffer, Frank H.
History
The Queer, the Quaint and the Quizzical: A Cabinet for the Curious
Stauffer, Frank H.
Literary curiosa
On the 14th day of October, 1766, Mr. Wildman, of Plymouth, who had made
himself famous throughout the west of England for his command over bees,
was sent for to wait on Lord Spencer, at his seat at Wimbledon, in
Surrey, and he attended accordingly. Several of the nobility and
persons of fashion were assembled, and the countess had provided three
stocks of bees. The first of his performances was with one hive of bees
hanging on his hat, which he carried in his hand, and the hive they came
out of in his other hand; this was to show that he could take honey and
wax without destroying the bees. Then he returned to his room, and came
out with them hanging on his chin with a very venerable beard. After
showing them to the company, he took them out upon the grass walk facing
the windows, where, a table and a table-cloth being provided, he set the
hive upon the table and made the bees hive therein. Then he made them
come out again and swarm in the air, the ladies and nobility standing
amongst them, and no person stung by them. He made them go on the table
and took them up by handfuls, and tossed them up and down like so many
peas; he then made them go into the hive at the word of command.
At five o'clock in the afternoon he exhibited again with the three
swarms of bees, one on his head, one on his breast, and the other on his
arm, and waited on Lord Spencer in his room, who had been too much
indisposed to see the former experiment; the hives which the bees had
been taken from were carried by one of the servants. After this
exhibition he withdrew, but returned once more to the room with the bees
all over his head, face and eyes, and was led blind before his
lordship's window. One of his lordship's horses being brought out in his
body clothes, Mr. Wildman mounted the horse, with the bees all over his
head and face (except his eyes); they likewise covered his breast and
left arm: he held a whip in his right hand, and a groom led the horse
backwards and forwards before his lordship's window for some time. Mr.
W. afterwards took the reins in his hand, rode round the house,
dismounted, and at his word of command the bees sought their hives. The
performance surprised and gratified the earl and countess and all the
spectators who assembled to witness the bee-master's extraordinary
exhibition.—_Annual Register_, 1766.
_A Treacherous Talisman._
Gübner mentions that a Jew once presented himself before Duke Albrecht,
of Saxony, and offered him a charm, engraved with rare signs and
characters, which should render him invulnerable. The duke, determined
to try it, had the Jew led out in the field, with his charm round his
neck; he then drew his sword, and at the first thrust ran the Jew
through.
_The Cavern Chapel._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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