The Comic Almanack, Volume 1: An Ephemeris in Jest and Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humerous Poetry, Quips, and Oddities
David Hume · en
A Deputation from the Female Temperance Society will wait on the section
devoted to the investigation of mesmerism, to know if they may take
infinitesimal doses of brandy in their tea; and the section of moral
science will be requested, for the satisfaction of the scrupulous, to
state whether persons who abjure gin, rum, and brandy, because they do
not like them, are, therefore, fit members of a temperance society.
Professor Murphy will announce his discovery of the real philosopher's
stone, by which he will prove to them the possibility of converting all
sorts of rubbish into gold. It is intended to present to him the freedom
of the town in a brass snuff-box.
Dr. Crow will read a paper on the sagacity of rooks, in which he will
propound and defend the extraordinary conjecture that they never make a
noise without caws.
A Deputation from the Fellows of the Zoological Society will attend, to
request the Homœopathic section to devise some means for the application
of animal magnetism to the purpose of drawing more visitors to the
menagerie. Many of the public, it seems, are cured of their wish for
seeing "by smelling only;" and as it is supposed that the council "nose"
all about it, they will now begin to _vent-too-late_.
Mr. Owen will attempt to explain his plans for getting rid of old
discord by the establishment of New Harmony, and his peculiar notions of
the preservation of peace, by the disposal of the ladies on the
circulating library principle. Should he prove unable to make his views
clear, either to his auditors or himself, he will finish with a
catalogue of his own perfections, accompanied on the trumpet stop of the
town organ.
Mrs. Graham and her husband will cause to be read to the meeting a
paper, detailing numerous experiments, all tending to prove that it is a
popular fallacy to suppose that balloons have a tendency to rise in the
air.
Mr. Curtis will exhibit his celebrated acoustic chair, and explain its
capabilities. He will display the gold medal presented to him by
Government for the loan of it during the last year, and will show how a
foreign or colonial secretary may slumber in it from morn till night,
and yet hear what is going on all over the world. Mr. Curtis will
further develope, by experiments on all who choose to try, its amazing
property, by which a gentleman has only to sit in the chair, and appear
to sleep, when he will be astonished to hear what all the world says of
him.