248 



Cornucopia. 



[April 1, 



SOUn KBOUT. 



The Germans frequently present nt 

 table cabbage shred fine, exposed to a 

 slight degree of fermentation, salted, 

 and boiled with soine pepper kernels 

 and some bacon ; this tliey call sour 

 hrout : it keeps well, and is useful at sea 

 as an antiscorbutic. It seems to have 

 been introduced into this country by 

 William the cou(|ueror, who granted 

 to his cook Tezclin, tiie manor of Ad- 

 dington, for making a moss called 

 gerout, and bringing it to the king's 

 table. 



ROYAL DISPUTATION. 



King James VI. after an absence of 

 fourteen years in England, resolved to 

 visit his native country of Scotland. 

 Being arrived in Edinburgh, he was 

 willing, it seems, to shew his great 

 dexterity and learning; to which 

 end he intended to have a philoso- 

 phical disputation in the college of 

 Edinburgh : but by his great apj)iica- 

 tion to public atfairs, could not accom- 



Elish his design in that city : wherefore 

 e commanded the professors of the 

 said college to attend him at his castle 

 of Stirling, on the 2ytli of July follow- 

 ing, for that purpose : whitju-r James, 

 with the llower of his nobility, and 

 many of the most learned men, both of 

 Scotland ami England repaired, and, 

 in the royal chapel, the disputation 

 began about four o'clock in the after- 

 noun. The subjects to be controveited 

 were those which were thought would 

 be most agreeable and entertaining to 

 the King and the illustrious assembly. 

 The first thesis was, that sherijjfs, 

 and other inferior magistrates, ought 

 not to be hereditari/. 



This was opposed by a v\ariety of 

 arguments brought by the opponent, 

 wherewith the king was so well pleased, 

 that after divers reasons given by him 

 in support thereof, and heiiring the re- 

 spondent's answers, he turned to the 

 Marquis of Hamilton, who stood behind 

 hischaii, (at that time hereditary sherift" 

 of Clydesdale) and said, " James, you 

 see your cause is lost, and all that can 

 be said for it clearly answered and re- 

 futed." 



The second thesis was, on the nature 

 of local motion. 



The opposition to this was so very 

 great, that the respondent produced 

 numerous arguments from Aristotle in 

 support of his thesis ; which occasioned 

 the King to say, " these men know the 

 mind of Aristotle as well as lie Uid 

 himself when alive." 



The third thesis was concerning the 

 origin of fountains or springs. 



The King was so well pleased with 

 this controversy, that although three 

 quarters of an hour, the time allotted 

 for the disputation, were expired, he 

 caused them to proceed, sometimes 

 speaking for and against both respon- 

 dent and opponent, seldom letting an 

 argument on either side pass without 

 proper remarks. 



The disputations being over, the 

 King withdrew to sapper ; after which, 

 he sent for tiie disputants, whose names 

 were John Adamson, James Fairlie, 

 Patrick Sands, Andrew Young, James 

 Rcid, and William King, liefoix^ wtiom 

 he learnedly discoursed on their several 

 names: and said, " these gentlemen, 

 by their names, were destined for the 

 acts tlicy had in hand this day :*' and 

 proceeded as followeth. 



" Adam was father of all, and Adani't 

 son had the first part of this act ; the 

 defender is justly called Fairlie (won- 

 der;) his thesis had some fair lies iu 

 it, and he sustained them very fairly, 

 and with many fair lies given to the 

 oppugners. 



" And why should not Mr. Sands be 

 the first to enter the sands ? But now 1 

 clearly see, that all sands niti not barren, 

 for certainly he hath shewn a fertile 

 wit. 



" Mr. Young is very old in Aristotle ; 

 Mr. Reid need not be red with blushing 

 for his acting this day ; Mr. King dis- 

 puted very kingly, and of a kingly pur- 

 pose, concerning the royal supremacy 

 of reason above anger, and all passions." 

 Adding, "• I am so well pleased with 

 this day's exercise, that 1 will be god- 

 father to the college of Edinburgh, and 

 have it cal'.edthecollegeof King James: 

 for, after its founding, it stoppe«l sun- 

 dry years in my minority. After I 

 came toknowledge,! held my hand toit, 

 and caused it ta be Cvstablished : and 

 although I see many look upon it with 

 an evil eye, yet I will have them know, 

 that having given it my name, I have 

 espoused its quarrel ; and at a proper 

 time will give it a royal godbarn-gift, 

 to enlarge its revenues." 



The king being told, that there was ] 

 one in company his Majesty had taken 

 no notice of, namely, Henry Charterls, i 

 principal of the College, who though a 

 man of gi-eat learning, yet, by his in- 

 nate bashfulness, was rendered unfit to 

 speak in such an august assembly. — 

 James answered, his name agrees well 

 with hisnatuio; for charters contain 

 much 



