A hard-hearted man. “The proper species of rush,” says White, in his ‘Natural History of Selborne,’ “seems to be the Juncus effusus, or common soft rush, which is to be found in moist pastures, by the sides of streams, and under hedges. These rushes are in best condition in the height of summer, but may be gathered so as to serve the purpose well quite on to autumn. The largest and longest are the best. Decayed labourers, women, and children make it their business to procure and prepare them. As soon as they are cut, they must be flung into water, and kept there; for otherwise they will dry and shrink, and the peel will not run. When these junci are thus far prepared, they must lie out on the grass to be bleached and take the dew for some nights, and afterwards be dried in the sun. Some address is required in dipping these rushes in the scalding fat or grease; but this knack is also to be attained by practice. A pound of common grease may be procured for fourpence, and about six pounds of grease will dip a pound of rushes and one pound of rushes may be bought for one shilling; so that a pound of rushes, medicated and ready for use, will cost three shillings.” The author has seen a pair of shoes, such as here described, made in a few hours. Goody is not a word used in Ireland. Collyogh is the Irish appellation of an old woman: but as Collyogh might sound strangely to English ears, we have translated it by the word Goody. What are in Ireland called moats, are, in England, called Danish mounds, or barrows. Near Kells, in Ireland, there is a round tower, which was in imminent danger of being pulled down by an old woman’s rooting at its foundation, in hopes of finding treasure. This is a true anecdote. Salt, the cant name given by the Eton lads to the money collected at Montem. Young noblemen at Oxford wear yellow tufts at the tops of their caps. Hence their flatterers are said to be dead-shots at yellow-hammers. From beginning to end. This is the name of a country dance. It is necessary to observe that this experiment has never been actually tried upon raspberry-plants. Vide “Priestley’s History of Vision,” chapter on coloured shadows. Lobe. This atrocious practice is now happily superseded by the use of sweeping machines. This custom of “Barring Out” was very general (especially in the northern parts of England) during the 17th and 18th centuries, and it has been fully described by Brand and other antiquarian writers.
Dr. Johnson mentions that Addison, while under the tuition of Mr. Shaw, master of the Lichfield Grammar School, led, and successfully conducted, “a plan for barring out his master. A disorderly privilege,” says the doctor, “which, in his time, prevailed in the principal seminaries of education.”
In the Gentleman’s Magazine of 1828, Dr. P. A. Nuttall, under the signature of H. A. N., has given a spirited sketch of a “Barring Out” at the Ormskirk Grammar School, which has since been republished at length (though without acknowledgment), by Sir Henry Ellis, in Bohn’s recent edition of Brand’s “Popular Antiquities.” This operation took place early in the present century, and is interesting from its being, perhaps, the last attempt on record, and also from the circumstance of the writer himself having been one of the juvenile leaders in the daring adventure, “quo rum pars magna fuit.”—Ed. Lucifer matches were then unknown.—Ed. Varieties of Literature, vol. i. p. 299. Chi compra ha bisogna di cent’ occhi; chi vende n’ha assai di uno. E meglio esser fortunato che savio. Butta una sardella per pigliar un luccio. see anted. Il cane scottato dell’ acqua calda ha paura poi della fredda. The Duke de Rochefoucault.—“On peut Être puls fin qu’un autre, mais pas plus fin que tous les autres.” Chartres. Poco e spesso empie il l’orsetto. Chi te fa piu carezza che non vuole,
O ingannato t’ha, o inganuar et vuole. This word comes from two Italian words, bunco rotto—broken bench. Bankers and merchants used formerly to count their money, and write their bills of exchange upon benches in the streets; and when a merchant or banker lost his credit, and was unable to pay his debts, his bench was broken. We must give those of our young English readers who may not be acquainted with the ancient city of Herculaneum, some idea of it. None can be ignorant that near Naples is the celebrated volcanic mountain of Vesuvius;—that, from time to time, there happen violent eruptions from this mountain; that is to say, flames and immense clouds of smoke issue from different openings, mouths, or craters, as they are called, but more especially from the summit of the mountain, which is distinguished by the name of the crater. A rumbling, and afterwards a roaring noise is heard within, and prodigious quantities of stones and minerals burnt into masses (scoriÆ), are thrown out of the crater, sometimes to a great distance. The hot ashes from Mount Vesuvius have often been seen upon the roofs of the houses of Naples, from which it is six miles distant. Streams of lava run down the sides of the mountains during the time of an eruption, destroying everything in their way, and overwhelm the houses and vineyards which are in the neighbourhood.
About 1700 years ago, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Titus, there happened a terrible eruption of Mount Vesuvius; and a large city called Herculaneum, which was situated at about four miles’ distance from the volcano, was overwhelmed by the streams of lava which poured into it, filled up the streets, and quickly covered over the tops of the houses, so that the whole was no more visible. It remained for many years buried. The lava which covered it became in time fit for vegetation, plants grew there, a new soil was formed, and a new town called Portici was built over this place where Herculaneum formerly stood. The little village of Resina is also situated near the spot. About fifty years ago, in a poor man’s garden at Resina, a hole in a well about thirty feet below the surface of the earth was observed. Some persons had the curiosity to enter into this hole, and, after creeping underground for some time, they came to the foundations of houses. The peasants, inhabitants of the village, who had probably never heard of Herculaneum, were somewhat surprised at their discovery. [327] About the same time, in a pit in the town of Portici, a similar passage underground was discovered, and, by orders of the King of Naples, workmen were employed to dig away the earth, and clear the passage. They found, at length, the entrance into the town, which, during the reign of Titus, was buried under lava. It was about eighty-eight Neapolitan palms (a palm contains near nine inches) below the top of the pit. The workmen, as they cleared the passages, marked their way with chalk when they came to any turning, lest they should lose themselves. The streets branched out in many directions, and, lying across them, the workmen often found large pieces of timber, beams, and rafters; some broken in the fall, others entire. These beams and rafters are burned quite black like charcoal, except those that were found in moist places, which have more the colour of rotten wood, and which are like a soft paste, into which you might run your hand. The walls of the houses slant, some one way, some another, and some are upright. Several magnificent buildings of brick, faced with marble of different colours, are partly seen, where the workmen have cleared away the earth and lava with which they were encrusted. Columns of red and white marble, and flights of steps, are seen in different places; and out of the ruins of the palaces some very fine statues and pictures have been dug. Foreigners who visit Naples are very curious to see this subterraneous city, and are desirous to carry with them into their own country some proofs of their having examined this wonderful place. Philosophical Transactions, vol. ix. p. 440. Tutte le volpi si trovano in pellicera. Assai ben balla a chi fortuna suona. Odi, vedi, taci, se vuoi viver in pace. La vita il fine,—e di loda la sera.
“Compute the morn and evening of their day.”—Pope.
Vien presto consumato l’ingiustamente acquistato. I fatti sono maschii, le parole femmine. Phil. Trans. vol. ix. These facts are mentioned in Sir William Hamilton’s account of an eruption of Mount Vesuvius.—See Phil. Trans. 1795, first part. La mala compagnia È quella che mena uomini a la forca. Pescar col hamo d’argento. “Their whole study was how to please and to help one another.” This was about the close of the 18th century.
