288 
BAILEY, » 
In his Dictionary, defines#Thunder by 
a. noise, well-known to persons not 
deaf ;”and Gregorian as a Wig, so called. 
NILE—=-PERERIUS, 
Pererius in Gen. lib. 3. de Paradiso 
‘mentions the discovery of the fountain 
of the Nile. 
DON JUAN——TIRSO DE MOLINA. 
The original of this terrific Pantomime, 
is a Spanish Play, whose title is, El Com- 
bibado de Piedra; the author, Firso de 
Molina. The Fesfin de Pierre, of Mo- 
Jiere, is the same thing. 
SPANISH COMEDY. 
Remarkable for multiplicity of inei- 
dents, which follow in succession, with- 
out any necessary connection. 
BACON OF DUNMOW. 
This curious ceremony was not pecu- 
har to Dunmow. A similar custom was 
observed at the Manor of Whickenor, in 
Staffordshire, where corn, as well as 
bacon, was given to the happy pair. It 
was left off in 1751, probably from an 
idea that it occasioned much perjury. 
CAREW. 
He wrote a work of Criticism: in 
which he makes the following sertous 
gom parisons. Will you have Plato’s 
veine, read Sir Thomas Smith; the Jo- 
nick, Sir Thomas Moore; Cicero's, Ascham, 
Varro’s, Chaucer ; Demosthenes, Sir John 
Cheeke. He then assimilates Virgil and 
the Earl of Surrey ; Catullus and Shake- 
Speare, Ovid and Daniel, Lucan and 
Spenser, Martial and Sir John Davies ; 
and ‘ends with, ‘‘ Will you have all in ali 
for prose and verse? take the miracle of 
our age, Sir Phil. Sidney. Little did he 
think that Lord Orford would.-say, a 
girl in love could not get through the 
Arcadia. 
CUCKOLD. 
Moliere’s lines on the word cuckold, 
are admirable : 
Peste soit qui premier trouva P invention 
De s’affliger l’esprit de cette vision 5 
Er d? attacher ’ honaear de Phomme le plus 
sage, 
Aux choses, que peut faire une femme volage : 
Puisque on tient a bon droit tout ccime per- 
sonnel, 
Que fait la notre honneur pour etre criminel ? 
Des actions d? autrui l’on nous donne le 
blame. 
Si nos femmes sans nous ont ua commerce 
infame, 
Ti faut que tout Je mal tombe sur notre dos: 
Elles font la sottise; et nous sommes les sots. 
Com. Imaginaire, A. it. scy ult. 
MARRIAGE LIFE. 
The following is the very curious ac- 
@ount given in an old French novel, 
Extracts from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. 
[April 1, 
called Le Doyen de Killerane, T. 2 
. 230. Ns, 
“ You cannot conceive how great the 
- force of habit is between. two people, who 
for a length of time have used the same 
house, the same table, the same occupa- 
tions, the same pleasures ; ; and who, in 
short, passing day and night without 
scarcely a moment’s separation, have 
learnt mutually to discover their faults, © 
to take no notice of them, to consider 
themselves as removed from all kinds of 
_bienséances and constraints; to have a. 
right to speak or be silent, when they 
please ; ; never to disguise their thoughts ; 
and have their pleasures and pains in 
common. It is not interest which thus 
connects them, fur they could lead an 
easy life separate: it is not precisely a 
taste for the same pleasures, for they do 
not expect any very lively, and one half 
of their time is passed in finding out the 
fallacy of every thing which bears thac 
name. It is not inclination for good 
living ; for if they had every thing upon 
the table, they have not a grain more 
appetite : "and very often they leave it, 
without having touched the finest dishes : 
it is still less love, for they see one an- 
other without. desire, and part without ~ 
pain; it scarcely happens that they even 
use one kind expression, or the simple 
attentions which they pay to the greatest 
stranver; and though they occupy the 
same bed, they ‘commonly lie down, and 
get up with perfect indifference. Ne- 
vertheless try, if you think it possible, te. 
make them live apart: they will laugh at 
your etforts.” 
SINGULAR READING. 
Joseph Scott, esq. of Birmingham, 
who lived in 1%51, is said to have read 
Bailey’s Dictionary, and the Common 
Prayer Book, glen through, twice 
a year. . 
PUNNING SERMONS. | 
During Cromwell’s government, one 
Slater, a broken apothecary of Birming- 
ham, got possession of the rectory of St. 
Martin’ s, in opposition to one Jennings, 
an iron master, possessor of Aston Fur- 
nace; one Smallbroke, a wealthy inhag » 
bitant; and Sir Thomas Holt, who “wished 
for.it.? et 
In his first Sermon he told his people, 
“The Lord had carried him through 
many troubles, for he had passed like 
Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego, 
through the fiery furnace : and as thé 
Lord had enabled the children of Israel 
to pass over the Red Sea, so he had as- 
sisted him in passing over the . smadl 
brooks, and to overcome the strong, helte. 
of sim and satap.” 
POETRY 
