A veritable potpourri of interesting anecdotes, &c.

The items herein, are a hotch-potch of newspaper accounts, stories, anecdotes, &c. The range of thought and interest is too broad to categorize, but you will find many things of interest.

1. Doctor Johnson at Edinburgh, on his return from a visit to the Hebrides, was asked by the Lord Provost, which scene in Scotland he gave preference to. “The Road to London, my Lord!” was the Doctor’s reply.

2. An old priest granted to James the First, on his coming into England, the following blessing: “May Heaven bless you, and make a man of you, though it has but bad stuff to make it of!”

3. A witty knave coming into a Lace-shop upon Ludgate Hill, said, he had occcasion for a small quantity of very fine lace; and having pitch'd upon that he liked, ask'd the woman of the shop, how much she would have for as much as would reach from one of his ears to the other, and measure which way she pleased, either over his head, or under his chin; after some words they agreed, and he paid the money down, and began to measure, saying One of my Ears is here, and the other is nailed to the Pillory in Bristol, therefore I fear you have not enough to make good your Bargain; however, I will take this piece in Part, and desire you will provide the rest with all Expedition.

4. The following strange but well-attested occurrence, which actually took place lately in the neighbourhood of Taunton, will remind our readers of

"Him who took the Doctor's bill,
and swallowed it instead of the pill."

A man servant in the employ of the Rev. Dr. Palmer, of Yarcombe, being taken ill, the medical attendant of the family was sent for, who prepared for the man a bolus from the family medicine-chest, and having wrapped up in paper the grain weights used in weighing out the proper proportions of the drugs, left them on the table, and near to them the bolus, which he desired one of the females of the house to carry to the man servant, with instructions to take it immediately in treacle. Some hours afterwards his master came to enquire about the patient, and found him suffering under very uneasy symptoms, which the man attributed to the strange kind of medicine the doctor had ordered for him, and which he said he 'should never have got through with, had he not cut it into smaller pieces,' but he thanked God,' that though it was rather rough and sharpish, he had got it all down.' This account puzzled his master exceedingly, who, however, soon discovered that the man had actually swallowed, in treacle, a complete set of brass grain-weights, instead of the bolus, which was found lying harmlessly on the table in his master's room. Proper remedies were immediately adopted for dislodging this uncommon dose from the man's stomach, who subsequently recovered from his illness. It would be difficult to find a parallel to this instance of implicit faith in the powers of the curative art, or a similar exhibition of astounding ignorance among 'unfledged animals walking on two legs.' (1824)

5. SATURDAY, May 7, 1785.
This day Mr Blanchard made another experiment in his new balloon and apparatus, and afforded a most brilliant spectacle of the new and wonderful invention of aerostation. At twelve he fixed himself in his boat, and began to manoeuvre, ascending higher than the houses, and then descending, after moving from the end of the yard to the other, which he accomplished with infinite ease, by the means of machines invented by himself. After having satisfied his numerous subscribers, he got out of the boat, and, by particular desire of several persons of distinction, Miss Simonet, (his companion in his last voyage) was elevated alone several times. Amidst the acclamations and huzzas of the beholders, for the space of a quarter of an hour, after which time she descended, and Mr Blanchard, having placed the cords to which the balloon was attached in the boat, and ordered a small balloon to be let off (which bore its course nearly East) he seated himself in his boat and rose in the most majestic manner possible, making a beautiful appearance; he saluted the populace very often, waving his flag, standing up several times, and turning round his hat. The reflection of the sun on his balloon, and particularly on his oars, which were red and green, formed a pleasing coup d'oiel, that could be scarcely conceived by the most fanciful and romantic imagination; the balloon continued in sight for a long time, bearing its course down the Thames, and is said to have been seen with glasses in the evening in a direct line for the river Texel in Holland.

Mr Blanchard's weight is exactly ----114 lbs.
Boat and apparatus------------------ 45 lbs.
Ballast he took with him------------- 70 lbs.

6. Where the title of Viscount had its first rise has been disputed. Some have said in England; but it seems more probable that it was brought hither by the Normans. It was anciently the name of an office under an earl, vice-comes, who, being oftentimes required at court, was his deputy to look after the affairs of the country; and in our old law-books it signifies the same with sheriff. But in the reign of Henry VI. it became a degree of honour between an earl and a baron, and was made hereditary. The first viscount in England created by patent, was John Lord Beaumont, who was by the above king, created Viscount Beaumont, and took precedence above all barons. The creation, like that of all the other degrees of nobility, is now made entirely by letters patent. The coronation robes of the viscount are the same as an earl’s, except that the former has only two rows of plain white fur, which are likewise the distinction on his parliamentary robes. His cap is the same; but his coronet has only a row of pearls close to the circle. The written address of a viscount is, To the Right Hon. Lord Viscount..... The oral address, My Lord.

7. A novelty was seen at St. Alban’s in October of 1811, which proves, that pigs, if managed with address, are not of such a doltish material, as admits of no improvement. A man, who holds a small farm near St. Alban’s, and who has ever been looked upon as a most eccentric being, made his entre into the latter place in the following manner, viz. mounted on a small car, which was actually drawn by four large hogs. He entered the town at a brisk trot, amidst the acclamations of hundreds, who were soon drawn together to witness this uncommon spectacle. After making the tour of the market-place three or four times, he came into the Woolpack-yard, had his swinish cattle regularly unharnessed, and taken into a stable together, where they were regaled with a trough full of beans and wash. They remained about two hours, whilst he dispatched his business as usual at the market, when they were put to, and driven home again, multitudes cheering them. A gentleman on the spot offered him fifty pounds for the concern as it stood, but it was indignantly refused.

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