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Read Ebook: The Mirror of Literature Amusement and Instruction. Volume 10 No. 281 November 3 1827 by Various
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Ebook has 91 lines and 21476 words, and 2 pages
My football's laid upon the shelf; I am a shuttlecock, myself The world knocks to and fro;-- My archery is all unlearn'd, And grief against myself has turn'd My sorrow and my bow!
No more in noontide sun I bask; My authorship's an endless task, My head's ne'er out of school; My heart is pain'd with scorn and slight; I have too many foes to fight, And friends grown strangely cool!
The very chum that shar'd my cake Holds out so cold a hand to shake, It makes me shrink and sigh:-- On this I will not dwell and hang, The changeling would not feel a pang Though these should meet his eye!
No skies so blue or so serene As these;--no leaves look half so green As cloth'd the play-ground tree! All things I lov'd are altered so, Nor does it ease my heart to know That change resides in me.
O, for the garb that mark'd the boy! The trousers made of corduroy. Well ink'd with black and red; The crownless hat, ne'er deem'd an ill-- It only let the sunshine still Repose upon my head!
O, for that small, small beer anew! And that mild sky-blue That wash'd my sweet meals down! The master even!--and that small turk That fagg'd me!--worse is now my work,-- A fag; for all the town!
ENGLISH DRESS.
G.W.N.
In conclusion, I would advise the reader to refer to a few of Hogarth's prints, for they will admirably serve to illustrate the above observations on the fashions and habits of our forefathers.
Should the afternoon of Saturday, the 3rd of the month, prove favourable, we shall be afforded an opportunity of witnessing another of those interesting phenomena--eclipses, at least the latter part of one, a portion of it only being visible to the inhabitants of this island; the defect above alluded to is a lunar one. The passage of the moon through the earth's shadow commences at 3 h. 29 m. 34 s. afternoon; she rises at Greenwich at 4 h. 45 m. 34 s. with the northern part of her disk darkened to the extent of nearly 10 digits. The greatest obscuration will take place at 5 h. 7 m. 42 s. when 10-1/2 digits will be eclipsed; she then recedes from the earth's shadow, when the sun's light will first be perceived extending itself on her lower limb towards the east; it will gradually increase till she entirely emerges from her veil of darkness, the extreme verge of which leaves her at her upper limb 32 deg. from her vertex, or highest point of her disc.
We have the following in "Moore," some years ago, on the nature and causes of eclipses of the sun and moon:--
"Far different sun's and moon's eclipses are, The moon's are often, but the sun's more rare The moon's do much deface her beauty bright; Sol's do not his, but hide from us his sight: It is the earth the moon's defect procures, 'Tis the moon's shadow that the sun obscures. Eastward, moon's front beginneth first to lack, Westward, sun's brows begin their mourning black: Moon's eclipses come when she most glorious shines, Sun's in moon's wane, when beauty most declines; Moon's general, towards heaven and earth together, Sun's but to earth, nor to all places neither."
Venus is in conjunction with the above planet on the 24th, at 9 h. evening; she sets on the 1st at 5 h. 7 m., and on the 30th at 4 h. 47 m. evening.
Jupiter may be seen before sunrise making his appearance above the horizon about 5 h.; he is not yet distant enough from the sun to render the eclipses of his satellites visible to us.
PASCHE.
RETROSPECTIVE GLEANINGS.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY OF THE ROMANS IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.
A recent discovery has added to our information the most extensive series of statistical data, which make known from an official act, and by numerical figures, the state of the Roman empire 1500 years ago; the price of agricultural and ordinary labour; the relative value of money; the abundance or scarcity of certain natural productions; the use, more or less common, of particular sorts of food; the multiplication of cattle and of flocks; the progress of horticulture; the abundance of vineyards of various qualities; the common use of singular meats, and dishes, which we think betrays a corruption of taste; in short the relation of the value existing between the productions of agriculture and those of industry, from whence we obtain a proof of the degree of prosperity which both had reached at this remote period.
This precious archaeological monument is an edict of Diocletian, published in the year 303 of our era, and fixing the price of labour and of food in the Roman empire. The first part of this edict was found by Mr. William Hanks, written upon a table of stone, which he discovered at Stratonice, now called Eskihissar in Asia Minor. The second part, which was in the possession of a traveller lately returned from the Levant, has been, brought from Rome to London by M. de Vescovali, and Colonel Leake intends to publish a literal translation of it. This agreement of so many persons of respectable character, and known talents, excludes all doubts respecting the authenticity of the monument.
The following is the table drawn up by M. Moreau de Jonnes. The slightest inspection of it will enable us to appreciate the importance of this archaeological discovery, for no monument of antiquity has furnished so long a series of numerical terms, of statistical data, and positive testimony of the civil life and domestic economy of the Greeks and Romans:--
Maximum Mean Price in Roman in English Money. Money.
?. s. d. To a day labourer 25 Den. 0 4 8 Do. for interior works 50 0 9 4 To a mason 50 0 9 4 To a maker of mortar 50 0 9 4 To a marble-cutler, or maker of mosaic work 60 0 11 4 To a tailor for making clothes 50 0 9 4 Do. for sewing only 6 0 1 1-1/2 For making shoes for the patricians 150 1 8 1 Do. shoes for workmen 120 1 2 8 for the military 100 0 18 8 for the senators 100 0 18 8 for the women 60 0 11 4 Military sandals 75 0 14 0-1/2 To a barber for each man 2 0 0 4-1/2 To a veterinary surgeon for shearing the animals and trimming their feet 6 0 1 1-1/2 Do. for currycombing and cleaning them 20 0 9 9 For one month's lessons in architecture 100 0 18 8 To an advocate for a petition to the tribunal 250 2 6 9 For the hearing a cause 1000 9 7 6
Maximum Mean Price of of the the English Sextarius. Pint, Wine Measure.
?. s. d. Picene, Tiburtine, Sabine, Aminean, Surentine, Setinian, and Falernian wines 30 Den. 0 5 4 Old wines of the first quality 24 0 4 2-3/4 Do. of second quality 16 0 2 10 Country wine 8 0 1 5 Beer 4 0 0 4-3/4 Beer of Egypt 2 0 0 2 Spiced wine of Asia 30 0 5 4 Barley wine of Attica 24 0 4 2-3/4 Decoction of different raising 16 0 2 10
Maximum Mean Price of of the Roman the French pound. pound.
?. s. d. Flesh of oxen 8 Den. 0 2 0 Do. of mutton, or of goat 8 0 2 0 Do. of lamb, or of kid 12 0 3 0 Do. of pork 12 0 3 0 The best lard 16 0 4 0 The best ham from Westphalia, from Cerdagne, or from the country of the Marses 20 0 5 0 Fat fresh pork 12 0 3 0 Belly and tripe 16 0 4 0 Pig's liver, enlarged by being fattened upon figs 16 0 4 0 Pig's feet, each 4 0 0 9 Fresh pork sausages, weighing one ounce 2 0 0 4-1/2 Do. of fresh beef 16 0 2 9-1/2 Pork sausages and seasoned 16 0 4 0 Do. of smoked beef 10 0 2 9-1/2
Maximum Mean Price of of each each in English in Roman Money. Money. ?. s. d. One fat male peacock 250 Den. 2 6 9 One fat female peacock 200 1 17 9 One male wild peacock 125 1 3 4-1/2 One female wild peacock 100 0 18 8 One fat goose 200 2 6 9 Do. not fat 100 0 18 8 One hen 60 0 11 4 One duck 40 0 7 4 One partridge 30 0 5 8 One hare 150 1 8 1 One rabbit 40 0 7 4
Maximum Mean Price of of each each in English in Roman Money. Money. ?. s. d. Sea fish, first quality 24 Den. 0 4 6 Do. second quality 16 0 3 0 River fish, first quality 12 0 2 3 Do. second quality 8 0 1 6 Salt fish 6 0 1 1-1/2 Oysters, per hundred 100 0 18 8
Lettuces, the best, five together 4 0 0 9 Do. second quality, ten together 4 0 0 9 Common cabbages, the best, single 4 0 0 9 Cauliflower, the best, five together 4 0 0 9 Do. second quality, ten together 4 0 0 9 Beet root, the best, five together 4 0 0 9 Do. second quality, ten together 4 0 0 9 Radishes, the largest 4 0 0 9
Maximum Mean Price of of the each in English Sextarius in Money. Roman Money.
?. s. d. Honey, the best 40 Den. 0 15 0 Do. second quality 20 0 7 6 Oil, the best quality 40 0 15 0 Do. the second quality 24 0 9 1 Vinegar 6 0 3 3 A stimulant to excite the appetite, made of the essence of fish 6 0 2 3 Dried cheese, the Roman pound 12 0 3 4 Fr. lb.
We are much surprised at the very high prices in this table. Labour and provisions cost ten and twenty times as much as with us. But when we come to compare the price of provisions with the price of labour the dearness of all the necessaries of life appears still more excessive. M. Moreau de Jonnes makes this comparison. He brings together from the edicts of Diocletian a great many facts given by historians, and he shows, that, if the abundance of the precious metals has any influence on raising the prices, the want of labour, industry, and of produce, must cause it also.
THE GATHERER.
EPIGRAMS,
ON SIR JOHN ANSTRUTHER.
Necessity and Law are alike each other: Necessity has no Law--nor has Anstruther.
EPITAPH ON A CONTROVERSIALIST.
Here lay ye John; lay Lilburne thereabout, For if they both should meet, they would fall out.
This alluded to a saying, that John Lilburne was so quarrelsome, that if he were the only man in the world, John would quarrel with Lilburne, and Lilburne with John. Lilburne, it will be remembered, was a sad thorn in Cromwell's sore side, for which the protector amply repaid him.
HOSPITAL OF SURGERY.
A new surgical hospital is to be forthwith erected in the neighbourhood of Charing Cross, where the King, with his usual and characteristic munificence, has given a spot of ground on which it is to be erected. A benevolent individual has given, within these few days, 1,500 l. towards a fund for the building.
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