第2章

’Timehavingbeenallowedforaslightconfusion,occasionedbythefallingdownofthegreaterpartoftheplatforms,tosubside,thepresidentcalledononeofthesecretariestoreadacommunicationentitled,\"Someremarksontheindustriousfleas,withconsiderationsontheimportanceofestablishinginfant—schoolsamongthatnumerousclassofsociety;ofdirectingtheirindustrytousefulandpracticalends;andofapplyingthesurplusfruitsthereof,towardsprovidingforthemacomfortableandrespectablemaintenanceintheiroldage。\"

’Theauthorstated,that,havinglongturnedhisattentiontothemoralandsocialconditionoftheseinterestinganimals,hehadbeeninducedtovisitanexhibitioninRegent—street,London,commonlyknownbythedesignationof\"TheIndustriousFleas。\"Hehadthereseenmanyfleas,occupiedcertainlyinvariouspursuitsandavocations,butoccupied,hewasboundtoadd,inamannerwhichnomanofwell—regulatedmindcouldfailtoregardwithsorrowandregret。Oneflea,reducedtothelevelofabeastofburden,wasdrawingaboutaminiaturegig,containingaparticularlysmalleffigyofHisGracetheDukeofWellington;

whileanotherwasstaggeringbeneaththeweightofagoldenmodelofhisgreatadversaryNapoleonBonaparte。Some,broughtupasmountebanksandballet—dancers,wereperformingafigure—dance(heregrettedtoobserve,that,ofthefleassoemployed,severalwerefemales);otherswereintraining,inasmallcard—boardbox,forpedestrians,—meresportingcharacters—andtwowereactuallyengagedinthecold—bloodedandbarbarousoccupationofduelling;apursuitfromwhichhumanityrecoiledwithhorroranddisgust。Hesuggestedthatmeasuresshouldbeimmediatelytakentoemploythelabourofthesefleasaspartandparceloftheproductivepowerofthecountry,whichmighteasilybedonebytheestablishmentamongthemofinfantschoolsandhousesofindustry,inwhichasystemofvirtuouseducation,baseduponsoundprinciples,shouldbeobserved,andmoralpreceptsstrictlyinculcated。Heproposedthateveryfleawhopresumedtoexhibit,forhire,music,ordancing,oranyspeciesoftheatricalentertainment,withoutalicence,shouldbeconsideredavagabond,andtreatedaccordingly;inwhichrespectheonlyplacedhimuponalevelwiththerestofmankind。Hewouldfurthersuggestthattheirlabourshouldbeplacedunderthecontrolandregulationofthestate,whoshouldsetapartfromtheprofits,afundforthesupportofsuperannuatedordisabledfleas,theirwidowsandorphans。Withthisview,heproposedthatliberalpremiumsshouldbeofferedforthethreebestdesignsforageneralalmshouse;fromwhich—asinsectarchitecturewaswellknowntobeinaveryadvancedandperfectstate—wemightpossiblyderivemanyvaluablehintsfortheimprovementofourmetropolitanuniversities,nationalgalleries,andotherpublicedifices。

’THEPRESIDENTwishedtobeinformedhowtheingeniousgentlemanproposedtoopenacommunicationwithfleasgenerally,inthefirstinstance,sothattheymightbethoroughlyimbuedwithasenseoftheadvantagestheymustnecessarilyderivefromchangingtheirmodeoflife,andapplyingthemselvestohonestlabour。Thisappearedtohim,theonlydifficulty。

’THEAUTHORsubmittedthatthisdifficultywaseasilyovercome,orratherthattherewasnodifficultyatallinthecase。Obviouslythecoursetobepursued,ifHerMajesty’sgovernmentcouldbeprevailedupontotakeuptheplan,wouldbe,tosecureataremunerativesalarytheindividualtowhomhehadalludedaspresidingovertheexhibitioninRegent—streetattheperiodofhisvisit。Thatgentlemanwouldatoncebeabletoputhimselfincommunicationwiththemassofthefleas,andtoinstructtheminpursuanceofsomegeneralplanofeducation,tobesanctionedbyParliament,untilsuchtimeasthemoreintelligentamongthemwereadvancedenoughtoofficiateasteacherstotherest。

’ThePresidentandseveralmembersofthesectionhighlycomplimentedtheauthorofthepaperlastread,onhismostingeniousandimportanttreatise。Itwasdeterminedthatthesubjectshouldberecommendedtotheimmediateconsiderationofthecouncil。

’MR。WIGSBYproducedacauliflowersomewhatlargerthanachaise—

umbrella,whichhadbeenraisedbynootherartificialmeansthanthesimpleapplicationofhighlycarbonatedsoda—waterasmanure。

Heexplainedthatbyscoopingoutthehead,whichwouldaffordanewanddeliciousspeciesofnourishmentforthepoor,aparachute,inprinciplesomethingsimilartothatconstructedbyM。Garnerin,wasatonceobtained;thestalkofcoursebeingkeptdownwards。Headdedthathewasperfectlywillingtomakeadescentfromaheightofnotlessthanthreemilesandaquarter;andhadinfactalreadyproposedthesametotheproprietorsofVauxhallGardens,whointhehandsomestmanneratonceconsentedtohiswishes,andappointedanearlydaynextsummerfortheundertaking;merelystipulatingthattherimofthecauliflowershouldbepreviouslybrokeninthreeorfourplacestoensurethesafetyofthedescent。

’THEPRESIDENTcongratulatedthepublicontheGRANDGALAinstoreforthem,andwarmlyeulogisedtheproprietorsoftheestablishmentalludedto,fortheirloveofscience,andregardforthesafetyofhumanlife,bothofwhichdidthemthehighesthonour。

’AMemberwishedtoknowhowmanythousandadditionallampstheroyalpropertywouldbeilluminatedwith,onthenightafterthedescent。

’MR。WIGSBYrepliedthatthepointwasnotyetfinallydecided;buthebelieveditwasproposed,overandabovetheordinaryilluminations,toexhibitinvariousdeviceseightmillionsanda—

halfofadditionallamps。

’TheMemberexpressedhimselfmuchgratifiedwiththisannouncement。

’MR。BLUNDERUMdelightedthesectionwithamostinterestingandvaluablepaper\"onthelastmomentsofthelearnedpig,\"whichproducedaverystrongimpressionontheassembly,theaccountbeingcompiledfromthepersonalrecollectionsofhisfavouriteattendant。Theaccountstatedinthemostemphatictermsthattheanimal’snamewasnotToby,butSolomon;anddistinctlyprovedthathecouldhavenonearrelativesintheprofession,asmanydesigningpersonshadfalselystated,inasmuchashisfather,mother,brothersandsisters,hadallfallenvictimstothebutcheratdifferenttimes。Anuncleofhisindeed,hadwithverygreatlabourbeentracedtoastyinSomersTown;butashewasinaveryinfirmstateatthetime,beingafflictedwithmeasles,andshortlyafterwardsdisappeared,thereappearedtoomuchreasontoconjecturethathehadbeenconvertedintosausages。Thedisorderofthelearnedpigwasoriginallyaseverecold,which,beingaggravatedbyexcessivetroughindulgence,finallysettleduponthelungs,andterminatedinageneraldecayoftheconstitution。A

melancholyinstanceofapresentimententertainedbytheanimalofhisapproachingdissolution,wasrecorded。Aftergratifyinganumerousandfashionablecompanywithhisperformances,inwhichnofallingoffwhateverwasvisible,hefixedhiseyesonthebiographer,and,turningtothewatchwhichlayonthefloor,andonwhichhewasaccustomedtopointoutthehour,deliberatelypassedhissnouttwiceroundthedial。Inpreciselyfour—and—

twentyhoursfromthattimehehadceasedtoexist!

’PROFESSORWHEEZYinquiredwhether,previoustohisdemise,theanimalhadexpressed,bysignsorotherwise,anywishesregardingthedisposalofhislittleproperty。

’MR。BLUNDERUMreplied,that,whenthebiographertookupthepackofcardsattheconclusionoftheperformance,theanimalgruntedseveraltimesinasignificantmanner,andnoddinghisheadashewasaccustomedtodo,whengratified。Fromthesegesturesitwasunderstoodthathewishedtheattendanttokeepthecards,whichhehadeversincedone。Hehadnotexpressedanywishrelativetohiswatch,whichhadaccordinglybeenpawnedbythesameindividual。

’THEPRESIDENTwishedtoknowwhetheranyMemberofthesectionhadeverseenorconversedwiththepig—facedlady,whowasreportedtohavewornablackvelvetmask,andtohavetakenhermealsfromagoldentrough。

’AftersomehesitationaMemberrepliedthatthepig—facedladywashismother—in—law,andthathetrustedthePresidentwouldnotviolatethesanctityofprivatelife。

’THEPRESIDENTbeggedpardon。Hehadconsideredthepig—facedladyapubliccharacter。Wouldthehonourablememberobjecttostate,withaviewtotheadvancementofscience,whethershewasinanywayconnectedwiththelearnedpig?

’TheMemberrepliedinthesamelowtone,that,asthequestionappearedtoinvolveasuspicionthatthelearnedpigmightbehishalf—brother,hemustdeclineansweringit。

’SECTIONB。—ANATOMYANDMEDICINE。

COACH—HOUSE,PIGANDTINDER—BOX。

PRESIDENT—Dr。Toorell。VICE—PRESIDENTS—ProfessorsMuffandNogo。

DR。KUTANKUMAGEN(ofMoscow)readtothesectionareportofacasewhichhadoccurredwithinhisownpractice,strikinglyillustrativeofthepowerofmedicine,asexemplifiedinhissuccessfultreatmentofavirulentdisorder。Hehadbeencalledintovisitthepatientonthe1stofApril,1837。Hewasthenlabouringundersymptomspeculiarlyalarmingtoanymedicalman。Hisframewasstoutandmuscular,hisstepfirmandelastic,hischeeksplumpandred,hisvoiceloud,hisappetitegood,hispulsefullandround。

HewasintheconstanthabitofeatingthreemealsPERDIEM,andofdrinkingatleastonebottleofwine,andoneglassofspirituousliquorsdilutedwithwater,inthecourseofthefour—and—twentyhours。Helaughedconstantly,andinsoheartyamannerthatitwasterribletohearhim。Bydintofpowerfulmedicine,lowdiet,andbleeding,thesymptomsinthecourseofthreedaysperceptiblydecreased。Arigidperseveranceinthesamecourseoftreatmentforonlyoneweek,accompaniedwithsmalldosesofwater—gruel,weakbroth,andbarley—water,ledtotheirentiredisappearance。

Inthecourseofamonthhewassufficientlyrecoveredtobecarrieddown—stairsbytwonurses,andtoenjoyanairinginaclosecarriage,supportedbysoftpillows。Atthepresentmomenthewasrestoredsofarastowalkabout,withtheslightassistanceofacrutchandaboy。Itwouldperhapsbegratifyingtothesectiontolearnthatheatelittle,dranklittle,sleptlittle,andwasneverheardtolaughbyanyaccidentwhatever。

’DR。W。R。FEE,incomplimentingthehonourablememberuponthetriumphantcurehehadeffected,beggedtoaskwhetherthepatientstillbledfreely?

’DR。KUTANKUMAGENrepliedintheaffirmative。

’DR。W。R。FEE。—Andyoufoundthathebledfreelyduringthewholecourseofthedisorder?

’DR。KUTANKUMAGEN。—Ohdear,yes;mostfreely。

’DR。NEESHAWTSsupposed,thatifthepatienthadnotsubmittedtobebledwithgreatreadinessandperseverance,soextraordinaryacurecouldnever,infact,havebeenaccomplished。Dr。

Kutankumagenrejoined,certainlynot。

’MR。KNIGHTBELL(M。R。C。S。)exhibitedawaxpreparationoftheinteriorofagentlemanwhoinearlylifehadinadvertentlyswallowedadoor—key。Itwasacuriousfactthatamedicalstudentofdissipatedhabits,beingpresentatthePOSTMORTEMexamination,foundmeanstoescapeunobservedfromtheroom,withthatportionofthecoatsofthestomachuponwhichanexactmodeloftheinstrumentwasdistinctlyimpressed,withwhichhehastenedtoalocksmithofdoubtfulcharacter,whomadeanewkeyfromthepatternsoshowntohim。Withthiskeythemedicalstudententeredthehouseofthedeceasedgentleman,andcommittedaburglarytoalargeamount,forwhichhewassubsequentlytriedandexecuted。

’THEPRESIDENTwishedtoknowwhatbecameoftheoriginalkeyafterthelapseofyears。Mr。KnightBellrepliedthatthegentlemanwasalwaysmuchaccustomedtopunch,anditwassupposedtheacidhadgraduallydevouredit。

’DR。NEESHAWTSandseveralofthememberswereofopinionthatthekeymusthavelainverycoldandheavyuponthegentleman’sstomach。

’MR。KNIGHTBELLbelieveditdidatfirst。Itwasworthyofremark,perhaps,thatforsomeyearsthegentlemanwastroubledwithanight—mare,undertheinfluenceofwhichhealwaysimaginedhimselfawine—cellardoor。

’PROFESSORMUFFrelatedaveryextraordinaryandconvincingproofofthewonderfulefficacyofthesystemofinfinitesimaldoses,whichthesectionweredoubtlessawarewasbaseduponthetheorythattheveryminutestamountofanygivendrug,properlydispersedthroughthehumanframe,wouldbeproductiveofpreciselythesameresultasaverylargedoseadministeredintheusualmanner。

Thus,thefortiethpartofagrainofcalomelwassupposedtobeequaltoafive—graincalomelpill,andsooninproportionthroughoutthewholerangeofmedicine。Hehadtriedtheexperimentinacuriousmanneruponapublicanwhohadbeenbroughtintothehospitalwithabrokenhead,andwascuredupontheinfinitesimalsystemintheincrediblyshortspaceofthreemonths。

Thismanwasaharddrinker。He(ProfessorMuff)haddispersedthreedropsofrumthroughabucketofwater,andrequestedthemantodrinkthewhole。Whatwastheresult?Beforehehaddrunkaquart,hewasinastateofbeastlyintoxication;andfiveothermenweremadedeaddrunkwiththeremainder。

’THEPRESIDENTwishedtoknowwhetheraninfinitesimaldoseofsoda—waterwouldhaverecoveredthem?ProfessorMuffrepliedthatthetwenty—fifthpartofateaspoonful,properlyadministeredtoeachpatient,wouldhavesoberedhimimmediately。ThePresidentremarkedthatthiswasamostimportantdiscovery,andhehopedtheLordMayorandCourtofAldermenwouldpatronizeitimmediately。

’AMemberbeggedtobeinformedwhetheritwouldbepossibletoadminister—say,thetwentiethpartofagrainofbreadandcheesetoallgrown—uppaupers,andthefortiethparttochildren,withthesamesatisfyingeffectastheirpresentallowance。

’PROFESSORMUFFwaswillingtostakehisprofessionalreputationontheperfectadequacyofsuchaquantityoffoodtothesupportofhumanlife—inworkhouses;theadditionofthefifteenthpartofagrainofpuddingtwiceaweekwouldrenderitahighdiet。

’PROFESSORNOGOcalledtheattentionofthesectiontoaveryextraordinarycaseofanimalmagnetism。Aprivatewatchman,beingmerelylookedatbytheoperatorfromtheoppositesideofawidestreet,wasatonceobservedtobeinaverydrowsyandlanguidstate。Hewasfollowedtohisbox,andbeingonceslightlyrubbedonthepalmsofthehands,fellintoasoundsleep,inwhichhecontinuedwithoutintermissionfortenhours。

’SECTIONC。—STATISTICS。

HAY—LOFT,ORIGINALPIG。

PRESIDENT—Mr。Woodensconce。VICE—PRESIDENTS—Mr。LedbrainandMr。Timbered。

’MR。SLUGstatedtothesectiontheresultofsomecalculationshehadmadewithgreatdifficultyandlabour,regardingthestateofinfanteducationamongthemiddleclassesofLondon。Hefoundthat,withinacircleofthreemilesfromtheElephantandCastle,thefollowingwerethenamesandnumbersofchildren’sbooksprincipallyincirculation:—

’JacktheGiant—killer7,943

DittoandBean—stalk8,621

DittoandElevenBrothers2,845

DittoandJill1,998

Total21,407

’HefoundthattheproportionofRobinsonCrusoestoPhilipQuarllswasasfourandahalftoone;andthatthepreponderanceofValentineandOrsonsoverGoodyTwoShoeseswasasthreeandaneighthoftheformertohalfaoneofthelatter;acomparisonofSevenChampionswithSimpleSimonsgavethesameresult。Theignorancethatprevailed,waslamentable。Onechild,onbeingaskedwhetherhewouldratherbeSaintGeorgeofEnglandorarespectabletallow—chandler,instantlyreplied,\"TaintGeorgeofIngling。\"Another,alittleboyofeightyearsold,wasfoundtobefirmlyimpressedwithabeliefintheexistenceofdragons,andopenlystatedthatitwashisintentionwhenhegrewup,torushforthswordinhandforthedeliveranceofcaptiveprincesses,andthepromiscuousslaughterofgiants。NotonechildamongthenumberinterrogatedhadeverheardofMungoPark,—someinquiringwhetherhewasatallconnectedwiththeblackmanthatsweptthecrossing;andotherswhetherhewasinanywayrelatedtotheRegent’sPark。Theyhadnottheslightestconceptionofthecommonestprinciplesofmathematics,andconsideredSindbadtheSailorthemostenterprisingvoyagerthattheworldhadeverproduced。

’AMemberstronglydeprecatingtheuseofalltheotherbooksmentioned,suggestedthatJackandJillmightperhapsbeexemptedfromthegeneralcensure,inasmuchastheheroandheroine,intheveryoutsetofthetale,weredepictedasgoingUPahilltofetchapailofwater,whichwasalaboriousandusefuloccupation,—

supposingthefamilylinenwasbeingwashed,forinstance。

’MR。SLUGfearedthatthemoraleffectofthispassagewasmorethancounterbalancedbyanotherinasubsequentpartofthepoem,inwhichverygrossallusionwasmadetothemodeinwhichtheheroinewaspersonallychastisedbyhermother\"’ForlaughingatJack’sdisaster;\"

besides,thewholeworkhadthisonegreatfault,ITWASNOTTRUE。

’THEPRESIDENTcomplimentedthehonourablememberontheexcellentdistinctionhehaddrawn。SeveralotherMembers,too,dweltupontheimmenseandurgentnecessityofstoringthemindsofchildrenwithnothingbutfactsandfigures;whichprocessthePresidentveryforciblyremarked,hadmadethem(thesection)thementheywere。

’MR。SLUGthenstatedsomecuriouscalculationsrespectingthedogs’—meatbarrowsofLondon。Hefoundthatthetotalnumberofsmallcartsandbarrowsengagedindispensingprovisiontothecatsanddogsofthemetropoliswas,onethousandsevenhundredandforty—three。Theaveragenumberofskewersdelivereddailywiththeprovender,byeachdogs’—meatcartorbarrow,wasthirty—six。

Now,multiplyingthenumberofskewerssodeliveredbythenumberofbarrows,atotalofsixty—twothousandsevenhundredandforty—

eightskewersdailywouldbeobtained。Allowingthat,ofthesesixty—twothousandsevenhundredandforty—eightskewers,theoddtwothousandsevenhundredandforty—eightwereaccidentallydevouredwiththemeat,bythemostvoraciousoftheanimalssupplied,itfollowedthatsixtythousandskewersperday,ortheenormousnumberoftwenty—onemillionsninehundredthousandskewersannually,werewastedinthekennelsanddustholesofLondon;which,ifcollectedandwarehoused,wouldintenyears’

timeaffordamassoftimbermorethansufficientfortheconstructionofafirst—ratevesselofwarfortheuseofherMajesty’snavy,tobecalled\"TheRoyalSkewer,\"andtobecomeunderthatnametheterrorofalltheenemiesofthisisland。

’MR。X。LEDBRAINreadaveryingeniouscommunication,fromwhichitappearedthatthetotalnumberoflegsbelongingtothemanufacturingpopulationofonegreattowninYorkshirewas,inroundnumbers,fortythousand,whilethetotalnumberofchairandstoollegsintheirhouseswasonlythirtythousand,which,upontheveryfavourableaverageofthreelegstoaseat,yieldedonlytenthousandseatsinall。Fromthiscalculationitwouldappear,—nottakingwoodenorcorklegsintotheaccount,butallowingtwolegstoeveryperson,—thattenthousandindividuals(one—halfofthewholepopulation)wereeitherdestituteofanyrestfortheirlegsatall,orpassedthewholeoftheirleisuretimeinsittinguponboxes。

’SECTIOND。—MECHANICALSCIENCE。

COACH—HOUSE,ORIGINALPIG。

PRESIDENT—Mr。Carter。VICE—PRESIDENTS—Mr。TruckandMr。

Waghorn。

’PROFESSORQUEERSPECKexhibitedanelegantmodelofaportablerailway,neatlymountedinagreencase,forthewaistcoatpocket。

Byattachingthisbeautifulinstrumenttohisboots,anyBankorpublic—officeclerkcouldtransporthimselffromhisplaceofresidencetohisplaceofbusiness,attheeasyrateofsixty—fivemilesanhour,which,togentlemenofsedentarypursuits,wouldbeanincalculableadvantage。

’THEPRESIDENTwasdesirousofknowingwhetheritwasnecessarytohavealevelsurfaceonwhichthegentlemanwastorun。

’PROFESSORQUEERSPECKexplainedthatCitygentlemenwouldrunintrains,beinghandcuffedtogethertopreventconfusionorunpleasantness。Forinstance,trainswouldstarteverymorningateight,nine,andteno’clock,fromCamdenTown,Islington,Camberwell,Hackney,andvariousotherplacesinwhichCitygentlemenareaccustomedtoreside。Itwouldbenecessarytohavealevel,buthehadprovidedforthisdifficultybyproposingthatthebestlinethatthecircumstanceswouldadmitof,shouldbetakenthroughthesewerswhichunderminethestreetsofthemetropolis,andwhich,welllightedbyjetsfromthegaspipeswhichrunimmediatelyabovethem,wouldformapleasantandcommodiousarcade,especiallyinwinter—time,whentheinconvenientcustomofcarryingumbrellas,nowsogeneral,couldbewhollydispensedwith。Inreplytoanotherquestion,ProfessorQueerspeckstatedthatnosubstituteforthepurposestowhichthesearcadeswereatpresentdevotedhadyetoccurredtohim,butthathehopednofancifulobjectiononthisheadwouldbeallowedtointerferewithsogreatanundertaking。

’MR。JOBBAproducedaforcing—machineonanovelplan,forbringingjoint—stockrailwaysharesprematurelytoapremium。Theinstrumentwasintheformofanelegantgiltweather—glass,ofmostdazzlingappearance,andwasworkedbehind,bystrings,afterthemannerofapantomimetrick,thestringsbeingalwayspulledbythedirectorsofthecompanytowhichthemachinebelonged。Thequicksilverwassoingeniouslyplaced,thatwhentheactingdirectorsheldsharesintheirpockets,figuresdenotingverysmallexpensesandverylargereturnsappearedupontheglass;butthemomentthedirectorspartedwiththesepiecesofpaper,theestimateofneedfulexpendituresuddenlyincreaseditselftoanimmenseextent,whilethestatementsofcertainprofitsbecamereducedinthesameproportion。Mr。Jobbastatedthatthemachinehadbeeninconstantrequisitionforsomemonthspast,andhehadneveronceknownittofail。

’AMemberexpressedhisopinionthatitwasextremelyneatandpretty。Hewishedtoknowwhetheritwasnotliabletoaccidentalderangement?Mr。Jobbasaidthatthewholemachinewasundoubtedlyliabletobeblownup,butthatwastheonlyobjectiontoit。

’PROFESSORNOGOarrivedfromtheanatomicalsectiontoexhibitamodelofasafetyfire—escape,whichcouldbefixedatanytime,inlessthanhalfanhour,andbymeansofwhich,theyoungestormostinfirmpersons(successfullyresistingtheprogressoftheflamesuntilitwasquiteready)couldbepreservediftheymerelybalancedthemselvesforafewminutesonthesilloftheirbedroomwindow,andgotintotheescapewithoutfallingintothestreet。

TheProfessorstatedthatthenumberofboyswhohadbeenrescuedinthedaytimebythismachinefromhouseswhichwerenotonfire,wasalmostincredible。NotaconflagrationhadoccurredinthewholeofLondonformanymonthspasttowhichtheescapehadnotbeencarriedontheverynextday,andputinactionbeforeaconcourseofpersons。

’THEPRESIDENTinquiredwhethertherewasnotsomedifficultyinascertainingwhichwasthetopofthemachine,andwhichthebottom,incasesofpressingemergency。

’PROFESSORNOGOexplainedthatofcourseitcouldnotbeexpectedtoactquiteaswellwhentherewasafire,aswhentherewasnotafire;butintheformercasehethoughtitwouldbeofequalservicewhetherthetopwereupordown。’

WiththelastsectionourcorrespondentconcludeshismostableandfaithfulReport,whichwillneverceasetoreflectcredituponhimforhisscientificattainments,anduponusforourenterprisingspirit。Itisneedlesstotakeareviewofthesubjectswhichhavebeendiscussed;ofthemodeinwhichtheyhavebeenexamined;ofthegreattruthswhichtheyhaveelicited。Theyarenowbeforetheworld,andweleavethemtoread,toconsider,andtoprofit。

Theplaceofmeetingfornextyearhasundergonediscussion,andhasatlengthbeendecided,regardbeinghadto,andevidencebeingtakenupon,thegoodnessofitswines,thesupplyofitsmarkets,thehospitalityofitsinhabitants,andthequalityofitshotels。

Wehopeatthisnextmeetingourcorrespondentmayagainbepresent,andthatwemaybeoncemorethemeansofplacinghiscommunicationsbeforetheworld。UntilthatperiodwehavebeenprevailedupontoallowthisnumberofourMiscellanytoberetailedtothepublic,orwholesaledtothetrade,withoutanyadvanceuponourusualprice。

Wehaveonlytoadd,thatthecommitteesarenowbrokenup,andthatMudfogisonceagainrestoredtoitsaccustomedtranquillity,—thatProfessorsandMembershavehadballs,andSOIREES,andsuppers,andgreatmutualcomplimentations,andhaveatlengthdispersedtotheirseveralhomes,—whitherallgoodwishesandjoysattendthem,untilnextyear!

SignedBOZ。

FULLREPORTOFTHESECONDMEETINGOFTHEMUDFOGASSOCIATIONFORTHE

ADVANCEMENTOFEVERYTHING

InOctoberlast,wedidourselvestheimmortalcreditofrecording,atanenormousexpense,andbydintofexertionsunnpralleledinthehistoryofperiodicalpublication,theproceedingsoftheMudfogAssociationfortheAdvancementofEverything,whichinthatmonthhelditsfirstgreathalf—yearlymeeting,tothewonderanddelightofthewholeempire。WeannouncedattheconclusionofthatextraordinaryandmostremarkableReport,thatwhentheSecondMeetingoftheSocietyshouldtakeplace,weshouldbefoundagainatourpost,renewingourgiganticandspiritedendeavours,andoncemoremakingtheworldringwiththeaccuracy,authenticity,immeasurablesuperiority,andintenseremarkabilityofouraccountofitsproceedings。Inredemptionofthispledge,wecausedtobedespatchedpersteamtoOldcastle(atwhichplacethissecondmeetingoftheSocietywasheldonthe20thinstant),thesamesuperhumanly—endowedgentlemanwhofurnishedtheformerreport,andwho,—giftedbynaturewithtranscendentabilities,andfurnishedbyuswithabodyofassistantsscarcelyinferiortohimself,—hasforwardedaseriesofletters,which,forfaithfulnessofdescription,poweroflanguage,fervourofthought,happinessofexpression,andimportanceofsubject—matter,havenoequalintheepistolaryliteratureofanyageorcountry。Wegivethisgentleman’scorrespondenceentire,andintheorderinwhichitreachedouroffice。

’SALOONOFSTEAMER,THURSDAYNIGHT,HALF—PASTEIGHT。

’WhenIleftNewBurlingtonStreetthiseveninginthehackneycabriolet,numberfourthousandtwohundredandeighty—five,I

experiencedsensationsasnovelastheywereoppressive。AsenseoftheimportanceofthetaskIhadundertaken,aconsciousnessthatIwasleavingLondon,and,strangerstill,goingsomewhereelse,afeelingoflonelinessandasensationofjolting,quitebewilderedmythoughts,andforatimerenderedmeeveninsensibletothepresenceofmycarpet—bagandhat—box。IshalleverfeelgratefultothedriverofaBlackwallomnibuswho,bythrustingthepoleofhisvehiclethroughthesmalldoorofthecabriolet,awakenedmefromatumultofimaginingsthatarewhollyindescribable。Butofsuchmaterialsisourimperfectnaturecomposed!

’IamhappytosaythatIamthefirstpassengeronboard,andshallthusbeenabledtogiveyouanaccountofallthathappensintheorderofitsoccurrence。Thechimneyissmokingagooddeal,andsoarethecrew;andthecaptain,Iaminformed,isverydrunkinalittlehouseupondeck,somethinglikeablackturnpike。I

shouldinferfromallIhearthathehasgotthesteamup。

’YouwillreadilyguesswithwhatfeelingsIhavejustmadethediscoverythatmyberthisinthesameclosetwiththoseengagedbyProfessorWoodensconce,Mr。Slug,andProfessorGrime。ProfessorWoodensconcehastakentheshelfaboveme,andMr。SlugandProfessorGrimethetwoshelvesopposite。Theirluggagehasalreadyarrived。OnMr。Slug’sbedisalongtintubeofaboutthreeinchesindiameter,carefullyclosedatbothends。Whatcanthiscontain?Somepowerfulinstrumentofanewconstruction,doubtless。’

’TENMINUTESPASTNINE。

’Nobodyhasyetarrived,norhasanythingfreshcomeinmywayexceptseveraljointsofbeefandmutton,fromwhichIconcludethatagoodplaindinnerhasbeenprovidedforto—morrow。Thereisasingularsmellbelow,whichgavemesomeuneasinessatfirst;butasthestewardsaysitisalwaysthere,andnevergoesaway,Iamquitecomfortableagain。IlearnfromthismanthatthedifferentsectionswillbedistributedattheBlackBoyandStomach—ache,andtheBoot—jackandCountenance。Ifthisintelligencebetrue(andI

havenoreasontodoubtit),yourreaderswilldrawsuchconclusionsastheirdifferentopinionsmaysuggest。

’Iwritedowntheseremarksastheyoccurtome,orasthefactscometomyknowledge,inorderthatmyfirstimpressionsmaylosenothingoftheiroriginalvividness。Ishalldespatchtheminsmallpacketsasopportunitiesarise。’

’HALFPASTNINE。

’Somedarkobjecthasjustappeareduponthewharf。Ithinkitisatravellingcarriage。’

’AQUARTERTOTEN。

’No,itisn’t。’

’HALF—PASTTEN。

Thepassengersarepouringineveryinstant。Fouromnibusesfullhavejustarriveduponthewharf,andallisbustleandactivity。

Thenoiseandconfusionareverygreat。Clothsarelaidinthecabins,andthestewardisplacingblueplates—fullofknobsofcheeseatequaldistancesdownthecentreofthetables。Hedropsagreatmanyknobs;but,beingusedtoit,picksthemupagainwithgreatdexterity,and,afterwipingthemonhissleeve,throwsthembackintotheplates。Heisayoungmanofexceedinglyprepossessingappearance—eitherdirtyoramulatto,butIthinktheformer。

’Aninterestingoldgentleman,whocametothewharfinanomnibus,hasjustquarrelledviolentlywiththeporters,andisstaggeringtowardsthevesselwithalargetrunkinhisarms。Itrustandhopethathemayreachitinsafety;buttheboardhehastocrossisnarrowandslippery。Wasthatasplash?Graciouspowers!

’Ihavejustreturnedfromthedeck。Thetrunkisstandingupontheextremebrinkofthewharf,buttheoldgentlemanisnowheretobeseen。Thewatchmanisnotsurewhetherhewentdownornot,butpromisestodragforhimthefirstthingto—morrowmorning。Mayhishumaneeffortsprovesuccessful!

’ProfessorNogohasthismomentarrivedwithhisnightcaponunderhishat。Hehasorderedaglassofcoldbrandyandwater,withahardbiscuitandabasin,andhasgonestraighttobed。Whatcanthismean?

’ThethreeotherscientificgentlementowhomIhavealreadyalludedhavecomeonboard,andhavealltriedtheirbeds,withtheexceptionofProfessorWoodensconce,whosleepsinoneofthetopones,andcan’tgetintoit。Mr。Slug,whosleepsintheothertopone,isunabletogetoutofhis,andistohavehissupperhandedupbyaboy。Ihavehadthehonourtointroducemyselftothesegentlemen,andwehaveamicablyarrangedtheorderinwhichweshallretiretorest;whichitisnecessarytoagreeupon,because,althoughthecabinisverycomfortable,thereisnotroomformorethanonegentlemantobeoutofbedatatime,andevenhemusttakehisbootsoffinthepassage。

’AsIanticipated,theknobsofcheesewereprovidedforthepassengers’supper,andarenowincourseofconsumption。YourreaderswillbesurprisedtohearthatProfessorWoodensconcehasabstainedfromcheeseforeightyears,althoughhetakesbutterinconsiderablequantities。ProfessorGrimehavinglostseveralteeth,isunable,Iobserve,toeathiscrustswithoutpreviouslysoakingtheminhisbottledporter。Howinterestingarethesepeculiarities!’

’HALF—PASTELEVEN。

’ProfessorsWoodensconceandGrime,withadegreeofgoodhumourthatdelightsusall,havejustarrangedtotossforabottleofmulledport。Therehasbeensomediscussionwhetherthepaymentshouldbedecidedbythefirsttossorthebestoutofthree。

Eventuallythelattercoursehasbeendeterminedon。DeeplydoI

wishthatbothgentlemencouldwin;butthatbeingimpossible,I

ownthatmypersonalaspirations(Ispeakasanindividual,anddonotcompromiseeitheryouoryourreadersbythisexpressionoffeeling)arewithProfessorWoodensconce。Ihavebackedthatgentlemantotheamountofeighteenpence。’

’TWENTYMINUTESTOTWELVE。

’ProfessorGrimehasinadvertentlytossedhishalf—crownoutofoneofthecabin—windows,andithasbeenarrangedthatthestewardshalltossforhim。Betsareofferedonanysidetoanyamount,buttherearenotakers。

’ProfessorWoodensconcehasjustcalled\"woman;\"butthecoinhavinglodgedinabeam,isalongtimecomingdownagain。Theinterestandsuspenseofthisonemomentarebeyondanythingthatcanbeimagined。’

’TWELVEO’CLOCK。

’Themulledportissmokingonthetablebeforeme,andProfessorGrimehaswon。Tossingisagameofchance;butoneveryground,whetherofpublicorprivatecharacter,intellectualendowments,orscientificattainments,IcannothelpexpressingmyopinionthatProfessorWoodensconceOUGHTtohavecomeoffvictorious。ThereisanexultationaboutProfessorGrimeincompatible,Ifear,withtruegreatness。’

’AQUARTERPASTTWELVE。

’ProfessorGrimecontinuestoexult,andtoboastofhisvictoryinnoverymeasuredterms,observingthathealwaysdoeswin,andthatheknewitwouldbea\"head\"beforehand,withmanyotherremarksofasimilarnature。SurelythisgentlemanisnotsolosttoeveryfeelingofdecencyandproprietyasnottofeelandknowthesuperiorityofProfessorWoodensconce?IsProfessorGrimeinsane?

ordoeshewishtoberemindedinplainlanguageofhistruepositioninsociety,andthepreciselevelofhisacquirementsandabilities?ProfessorGrimewilldowelltolooktothis。’

’ONEO’CLOCK。

’Iamwritinginbed。Thesmallcabinisilluminatedbythefeeblelightofaflickeringlampsuspendedfromtheceiling;ProfessorGrimeislyingontheoppositeshelfonthebroadofhisback,withhismouthwideopen。Thesceneisindescribablysolemn。Theripplingofthetide,thenoiseofthesailors’feetoverhead,thegruffvoicesontheriver,thedogsontheshore,thesnoringofthepassengers,andaconstantcreakingofeveryplankinthevessel,aretheonlysoundsthatmeettheear。Withtheseexceptions,allisprofoundsilence。

’Mycuriosityhasbeenwithinthelastmomentverymuchexcited。

Mr。Slug,wholiesaboveProfessorGrime,hascautiouslywithdrawnthecurtainsofhisberth,and,afterlookinganxiouslyout,asiftosatisfyhimselfthathiscompanionsareasleep,hastakenupthetintubeofwhichIhavebeforespoken,andisregardingitwithgreatinterest。Whatraremechanicalcombinationcanbecontainedinthatmysteriouscase?Itisevidentlyaprofoundsecrettoall。’

’AQUARTERPASTONE。

’ThebehaviourofMr。Sluggrowsmoreandmoremysterious。Hehasunscrewedthetopofthetube,andnowrenewshisobservationsuponhiscompanions,evidentlytomakesurethatheiswhollyunobserved。Heisclearlyontheeveofsomegreatexperiment。

Prayheaventhatitbenotadangerousone;buttheinterestsofsciencemustbepromoted,andIampreparedfortheworst。’

’FIVEMINUTESLATER。

’Hehasproducedalargepairofscissors,anddrawnarollofsomesubstance,notunlikeparchmentinappearance,fromthetincase。

Theexperimentisabouttobegin。Imuststrainmyeyestotheutmost,intheattempttofollowitsminutestoperation。’

’TWENTYMINUTESBEFORETWO。

’Ihaveatlengthbeenenabledtoascertainthatthetintubecontainsafewyardsofsomecelebratedplaster,recommended—asI

discoveronregardingthelabelattentivelythroughmyeye—glass—

asapreservativeagainstsea—sickness。Mr。Slughascutitupintosmallportions,andisnowstickingitoverhimselfineverydirection。’

’THREEO’CLOCK。

’Preciselyaquarterofanhouragoweweighedanchor,andthemachinerywassuddenlyputinmotionwithanoisesoappalling,thatProfessorWoodensconce(whohadascendedtohisberthbymeansofaplatformofcarpet—bagsarrangedbyhimselfongeometricalprincipals)dartedfromhisshelfheadforemost,and,gaininghisfeetwithalltherapidityofextremeterror,ranwildlyintotheladies’cabin,undertheimpressionthatweweresinking,andutteringloudcriesforaid。Iamassuredthatthescenewhichensuedbafflesalldescription。Therewereonehundredandforty—

sevenladiesintheirrespectiveberthsatthetime。

’Mr。Slughasremarked,asanadditionalinstanceoftheextremeingenuityofthesteam—engineasappliedtopurposesofnavigation,thatinwhateverpartofthevesselapassenger’sberthmaybesituated,themachineryalwaysappearstobeexactlyunderhispillow。Heintendsstatingthisverybeautiful,thoughsimplediscovery,totheassociation。’

’HALF—PASTTEN。

’Wearestillinsmoothwater;thatistosay,inassmoothwaterasasteam—vesselevercanbe,for,asProfessorWoodensconce(whohasjustwokeup)learnedlyremarks,anothergreatpointofingenuityaboutasteameris,thatitalwayscarriesalittlestormwithit。Youcanscarcelyconceivehowexcitingthejerkingpulsationoftheshipbecomes。Itisamatterofpositivedifficultytogettosleep。’

’FRIDAYAFTERNOON,SIXO’CLOCK。

’IregrettoinformyouthatMr。Slug’splasterhasprovedofnoavail。Heisingreatagony,buthasappliedseverallarge,additionalpiecesnotwithstanding。Howaffectingisthisextremedevotiontoscienceandpursuitofknowledgeunderthemosttryingcircumstances!

’Wewereextremelyhappythismorning,andthebreakfastwasoneofthemostanimateddescription。Nothingunpleasantoccurreduntilnoon,withtheexceptionofDoctorFoxey’sbrownsilkumbrellaandwhitehatbecomingentangledinthemachinerywhilehewasexplainingtoaknotofladiestheconstructionofthesteam—

engine。Ifearthegravysoupforlunchwasinjudicious。Welostagreatmanypassengersalmostimmediatelyafterwards。’

’HALF—PASTSIX。

’Iamagaininbed。Anythingsoheart—rendingasMr。Slug’ssufferingsithasneveryetbeenmylottowitness。’

’SEVENO’CLOCK。

’Amessengerhasjustcomedownforacleanpocket—handkerchieffromProfessorWoodensconce’sbag,thatunfortunategentlemanbeingquiteunabletoleavethedeck,andimploringconstantlytobethrownoverboard。FromthismanIunderstandthatProfessorNogo,thoughinastateofutterexhaustion,clingsfeeblytothehardbiscuitandcoldbrandyandwater,undertheimpressionthattheywillyetrestorehim。Suchisthetriumphofmindovermatter。

’ProfessorGrimeisinbed,toallappearancequitewell;butheWILLeat,anditisdisagreeabletoseehim。Hasthisgentlemannosympathywiththesufferingsofhisfellow—creatures?Ifhehas,onwhatprinciplecanhecallformutton—chops—andsmile?’

’BLACKBOYANDSTOMACH—ACHE,OLDCASTLE,SATURDAYNOON。

’YouwillbehappytolearnthatIhaveatlengtharrivedhereinsafety。Thetownisexcessivelycrowded,andalltheprivatelodgingsandhotelsarefilledwithSAVANSofbothsexes。Thetremendousassemblageofintellectthatoneencountersineverystreetisinthelastdegreeoverwhelming。

’Notwithstandingthethrongofpeoplehere,Ihavebeenfortunateenoughtomeetwithverycomfortableaccommodationonveryreasonableterms,havingsecuredasofainthefirst—floorpassageatoneguineapernight,whichincludespermissiontotakemymealsinthebar,onconditionthatIwalkaboutthestreetsatallothertimes,tomakeroomforothergentlemensimilarlysituated。Ihavebeenovertheouthousesintendedtobedevotedtothereceptionofthevarioussections,bothhereandattheBoot—jackandCountenance,andammuchdelightedwiththearrangements。Nothingcanexceedthefreshappearanceofthesaw—dustwithwhichthefloorsaresprinkled。Theformsareofunplaneddeal,andthegeneraleffect,asyoucanwellimagine,isextremelybeautiful。’

’HALF—PASTNINE。

’Thenumberandrapidityofthearrivalsarequitebewildering。

Withinthelasttenminutesastage—coachhasdrivenuptothedoor,filledinsideandoutwithdistinguishedcharacters,comprisingMr。Muddlebranes,Mr。Drawley,ProfessorMuff,Mr。X。

Misty,Mr。X。X。Misty,Mr。Purblind,ProfessorRummun,TheHonourableandReverendMr。LongEers,ProfessorJohnKetch,SirWilliamJoltered,DoctorBuffer,Mr。Smith(ofLondon),Mr。Brown(ofEdinburgh),SirHookhamSnivey,andProfessorPumpkinskull。

Thetenlast—namedgentlemenwerewetthrough,andlookedextremelyintelligent。’

’SUNDAY,TWOO’CLOCK,P。M。

’TheHonourableandReverendMr。LongEers,accompaniedbySirWilliamJoltered,walkedanddrovethismorning。Theyaccomplishedtheformerfeatinboots,andthelatterinahiredfly。Thishasnaturallygivenrisetomuchdiscussion。

’IhavejustlearntthataninterviewhastakenplaceattheBoot—

jackandCountenancebetweenSowster,theactiveandintelligentbeadleofthisplace,andProfessorPumpkinskull,who,asyourreadersaredoubtlessaware,isaninfluentialmemberofthecouncil。IforbeartocommunicateanyoftherumourstowhichthisveryextraordinaryproceedinghasgivenriseuntilIhaveseenSowster,andendeavouredtoascertainthetruthfromhim。’

’HALF—PASTSIX。

’Iengagedadonkey—chaiseshortlyafterwritingtheabove,andproceededatabrisktrotinthedirectionofSowster’sresidence,passingthroughabeautifulexpanseofcountry,withredbrickbuildingsoneitherside,andstoppinginthemarketplacetoobservethespotwhereMr。Kwakley’shatwasblownoffyesterday。

Itisanunevenpieceofpaving,buthascertainlynoappearancewhichwouldleadonetosupposethatanysucheventhadrecentlyoccurredthere。FromthispointIproceeded—passingthegas—

worksandtallow—melter’s—toalanewhichhadbeenpointedouttomeasthebeadle’splaceofresidence;andbeforeIhaddrivenadozenyardsfurther,IhadthegoodfortunetomeetSowsterhimselfadvancingtowardsme。

’Sowsterisafatman,withamoreenlargeddevelopmentofthatpeculiarconformationofcountenancewhichisvulgarlytermedadoublechinthanIremembertohaveeverseenbefore。Hehasalsoaveryrednose,whichheattributestoahabitofearlyrising—

sored,indeed,thatbutforthisexplanationIshouldhavesupposedittoproceedfromoccasionalinebriety。HeinformedmethathedidnotfeelhimselfatlibertytorelatewhathadpassedbetweenhimselfandProfessorPumpkinskull,buthadnoobjectiontostatethatitwasconnectedwithamatterofpoliceregulation,andaddedwithpeculiarsignificance\"Neverwossitchtimes!\"

’Youwilleasilybelievethatthisintelligencegavemeconsiderablesurprise,notwhollyunmixedwithanxiety,andthatI

lostnotimeinwaitingonProfessorPumpkinskull,andstatingtheobjectofmyvisit。Afterafewmoments’reflection,theProfessor,who,Iamboundtosay,behavedwiththeutmostpoliteness,openlyavowed(Imarkthepassageinitalics)THATHE

HADREQUESTEDSOWSTERTOATTENDONTHEMONDAYMORNINGATTHEBOOT—

JACKANDCOUNTENANCE,TOKEEPOFFTHEBOYS;ANDTHATHEHADFURTHER

DESIREDTHATTHEUNDER—BEADLEMIGHTBESTATIONED,WITHTHESAME

OBJECT,ATTHEBLACKBOYANDSTOMACH—ACHE!

’NowIleavethisunconstitutionalproceedingtoyourcommentsandtheconsiderationofyourreaders。Ihaveyettolearnthatabeadle,withouttheprecinctsofachurch,churchyard,orwork—

house,andactingotherwisethanundertheexpressordersofchurchwardensandoverseersincouncilassembled,toenforcethelawagainstpeoplewhocomeupontheparish,andotheroffenders,hasanylawfulauthoritywhateverovertherisingyouthofthiscountry。IhaveyettolearnthatabeadlecanbecalledoutbyanyciviliantoexerciseadominationanddespotismovertheboysofBritain。Ihaveyettolearnthatabeadlewillbepermittedbythecommissionersofpoorlawregulationtowearoutthesolesandheelsofhisbootsinillegalinterferencewiththelibertiesofpeoplenotprovedpoororotherwisecriminal。IhaveyettolearnthatabeadlehaspowertostopuptheQueen’shighwayathiswillandpleasure,orthatthewholewidthofthestreetisnotfreeandopentoanyman,boy,orwomaninexistence,uptotheverywallsofthehouses—ay,betheyBlackBoysandStomach—aches,orBoot—

jacksandCountenances,Icarenot。’

’NINEO’CLOCK。

’IhaveprocuredalocalartisttomakeafaithfulsketchofthetyrantSowster,which,ashehasacquiredthisinfamouscelebrity,youwillnodoubtwishtohaveengravedforthepurposeofpresentingacopywitheverycopyofyournextnumber。Iencloseit。

[Picturewhichcannotbereproduced]

Theunder—beadlehasconsentedtowritehislife,butitistobestrictlyanonymous。

’Theaccompanyinglikenessisofcoursefromthelife,andcompleteineveryrespect。EvenifIhadbeentotallyignorantoftheman’srealcharacter,andithadbeenplacedbeforemewithoutremark,I

shouldhaveshudderedinvoluntarily。Thereisanintensemalignityofexpressioninthefeatures,andabalefulferocityofpurposeintheruffian’seye,whichappalsandsickens。Hiswholeairisrampantwithcruelty,noristhestomachlesscharacteristicofhisdemoniacpropensities。’

’MONDAY。

’Thegreatdayhasatlengtharrived。Ihaveneithereyes,norears,norpens,norink,norpaper,foranythingbutthewonderfulproceedingsthathaveastoundedmysenses。Letmecollectmyenergiesandproceedtotheaccount。

’SECTIONA。—ZOOLOGYANDBOTANY。

FRONTPARLOUR,BLACKBOYANDSTOMACH—ACHE。

PRESIDENT—SirWilliamJoltered。VICE—PRESIDENTS—Mr。

MuddlebranesandMr。Drawley。

’MR。X。X。MISTYcommunicatedsomeremarksonthedisappearanceofdancing—bearsfromthestreetsofLondon,withobservationsontheexhibitionofmonkeysasconnectedwithbarrel—organs。Thewriterhadobserved,withfeelingsoftheutmostpainandregret,thatsomeyearsagoasuddenandunaccountablechangeinthepublictastetookplacewithreferencetoitinerantbears,who,beingdiscountenancedbythepopulace,graduallyfelloffonebyonefromthestreetsofthemetropolis,untilnotoneremainedtocreateatastefornaturalhistoryinthebreastsofthepooranduninstructed。Onebear,indeed,—abrownandraggedanimal,—hadlingeredaboutthehauntsofhisformertriumphs,withawornanddejectedvisageandfeeblelimbs,andhadessayedtowieldhisquarter—stafffortheamusementofthemultitude;buthunger,andanutterwantofanyduerecompenseforhisabilities,hadatlengthdrivenhimfromthefield,anditwasonlytooprobablethathehadfallenasacrificetotherisingtasteforgrease。Heregrettedtoaddthatasimilar,andnolesslamentable,changehadtakenplacewithreferencetomonkeys。Thesedelightfulanimalshadformerlybeenalmostasplentifulastheorgansonthetopsofwhichtheywereaccustomedtosit;theproportionintheyear1829

(itappearedbytheparliamentaryreturn)beingasonemonkeytothreeorgans。Owing,however,toanalteredtasteinmusicalinstruments,andthesubstitution,inagreatmeasure,ofnarrowboxesofmusicfororgans,whichleftthemonkeysnothingtositupon,thissourceofpublicamusementwaswhollydriedup。

Consideringitamatterofthedeepestimportance,inconnectionwithnationaleducation,thatthepeopleshouldnotlosesuchopportunitiesofmakingthemselvesacquaintedwiththemannersandcustomsoftwomostinterestingspeciesofanimals,theauthorsubmittedthatsomemeasuresshouldbeimmediatelytakenfortherestorationofthesepleasingandtrulyintellectualamusements。

’THEPRESIDENTinquiredbywhatmeansthehonourablememberproposedtoattainthismostdesirableend?

’THEAUTHORsubmittedthatitcouldbemostfullyandsatisfactorilyaccomplished,ifHerMajesty’sGovernmentwouldcausetobebroughtovertoEngland,andmaintainedatthepublicexpense,andforthepublicamusement,suchanumberofbearsaswouldenableeveryquarterofthetowntobevisited—sayatleastbythreebearsaweek。Nodifficultywhateverneedbeexperiencedinprovidingafittingplaceforthereceptionoftheseanimals,asacommodiousbear—gardencouldbeerectedintheimmediateneighbourhoodofbothHousesofParliament;obviouslythemostproperandeligiblespotforsuchanestablishment。

’PROFESSORMULLdoubtedverymuchwhetheranycorrectideasofnaturalhistorywerepropagatedbythemeanstowhichthehonourablememberhadsoablyadverted。Onthecontrary,hebelievedthattheyhadbeenthemeansofdiffusingveryincorrectandimperfectnotionsonthesubject。Hespokefrompersonalobservationandpersonalexperience,whenhesaidthatmanychildrenofgreatabilitieshadbeeninducedtobelieve,fromwhattheyhadobservedinthestreets,atandbeforetheperiodtowhichthehonourablegentlemanhadreferred,thatallmonkeyswereborninredcoatsandspangles,andthattheirhatsandfeathersalsocamebynature。Hewishedtoknowdistinctlywhetherthehonourablegentlemanattributedthewantofencouragementthebearshadmetwithtothedeclineofpublictasteinthatrespect,ortoawantofabilityonthepartofthebearsthemselves?

’MR。X。X。MISTYreplied,thathecouldnotbringhimselftobelievebutthattheremustbeagreatdealoffloatingtalentamongthebearsandmonkeysgenerally;which,intheabsenceofanyproperencouragement,wasdispersedinotherdirections。

’PROFESSORPUMPKINSKULLwishedtotakethatopportunityofcallingtheattentionofthesectiontoamostimportantandseriouspoint。

Theauthorofthetreatisejustreadhadalludedtotheprevalenttasteforbears’—greaseasameansofpromotingthegrowthofhair,whichundoubtedlywasdiffusedtoaverygreatand(asitappearedtohim)veryalarmingextent。Nogentlemanattendingthatsectioncouldfailtobeawareofthefactthattheyouthofthepresentageevinced,bytheirbehaviourinthestreets,andatallplacesofpublicresort,aconsiderablelackofthatgallantryandgentlemanlyfeelingwhich,inmoreignoranttimes,hadbeenthoughtbecoming。Hewishedtoknowwhetheritwerepossiblethataconstantoutwardapplicationofbears’—greasebytheyounggentlemenabouttownhadimperceptiblyinfusedintothoseunhappypersonssomethingofthenatureandqualityofthebear。Heshudderedashethrewouttheremark;butifthistheory,oninquiry,shouldprovetobewellfounded,itwouldatonceexplainagreatdealofunpleasanteccentricityofbehaviour,which,withoutsomesuchdiscovery,waswhollyunaccountable。

’THEPRESIDENThighlycomplimentedthelearnedgentlemanonhismostvaluablesuggestion,whichproducedthegreatesteffectupontheassembly;andremarkedthatonlyaweekprevioushehadseensomeyounggentlemenatatheatreeyeingaboxofladieswithafierceintensity,whichnothingbuttheinfluenceofsomebrutishappetitecouldpossiblyexplain。Itwasdreadfultoreflectthatouryouthweresorapidlyvergingintoagenerationofbears。

’Afterasceneofscientificenthusiasmitwasresolvedthatthisimportantquestionshouldbeimmediatelysubmittedtotheconsiderationofthecouncil。

’THEPRESIDENTwishedtoknowwhetheranygentlemancouldinformthesectionwhathadbecomeofthedancing—dogs?

’AMEMBERreplied,aftersomehesitation,thatonthedayafterthreeglee—singershadbeencommittedtoprisonascriminalsbyalatemostzealouspolice—magistrateofthemetropolis,thedogshadabandonedtheirprofessionalduties,anddispersedthemselvesindifferentquartersofthetowntogainalivelihoodbylessdangerousmeans。Hewasgiventounderstandthatsincethatperiodtheyhadsupportedthemselvesbylyinginwaitforandrobbingblindmen’spoodles。

’MR。FLUMMERYexhibitedatwig,claimingtobeaveritablebranchofthatnobletreeknowntonaturalistsastheSHAKSPEARE,whichhastakenrootineverylandandclimate,andgatheredundertheshadeofitsbroadgreenboughsthegreatfamilyofmankind。Thelearnedgentlemanremarkedthatthetwighadbeenundoubtedlycalledbyothernamesinitstime;butthatithadbeenpointedouttohimbyanoldladyinWarwickshire,wherethegreattreehadgrown,asashootofthegenuineSHAKSPEARE,bywhichnamehebeggedtointroduceittohiscountrymen。

’THEPRESIDENTwishedtoknowwhatbotanicaldefinitionthehonourablegentlemancouldaffordofthecuriosity。

’MR。FLUMMERYexpressedhisopinionthatitwasADECIDEDPLANT。

’SECTIONB。—DISPLAYOFMODELSANDMECHANICALSCIENCE。

LARGEROOM,BOOT—JACKANDCOUNTENANCE。

PRESIDENT—Mr。Mallett。VICE—PRESIDENTS—Messrs。LeaverandScroo。

’MR。CRINKLESexhibitedamostbeautifulanddelicatemachine,oflittlelargersizethananordinarysnuff—box,manufacturedentirelybyhimself,andcomposedexclusivelyofsteel,bytheaidofwhichmorepocketscouldbepickedinonehourthanbythepresentslowandtediousprocessinfour—and—twenty。TheinventorremarkedthatithadbeenputintoactiveoperationinFleetStreet,theStrand,andotherthoroughfares,andhadneverbeenonceknowntofail。

’Aftersomeslightdelay,occasionedbythevariousmembersofthesectionbuttoningtheirpockets,’THEPRESIDENTnarrowlyinspectedtheinvention,anddeclaredthathehadneverseenamachineofmorebeautifulorexquisiteconstruction。Wouldtheinventorbegoodenoughtoinformthesectionwhetherhehadtakenanyandwhatmeansforbringingitintogeneraloperation?

’MR。CRINKLESstatedthat,afterencounteringsomepreliminarydifficulties,hehadsucceededinputtinghimselfincommunicationwithMr。FogleHunter,andothergentlemenconnectedwiththeswellmob,whohadawardedtheinventiontheveryhighestandmostunqualifiedapprobation。Heregrettedtosay,however,thatthesedistinguishedpractitioners,incommonwithagentlemanofthenameofGimlet—eyedTommy,andothermembersofasecondarygradeoftheprofessionwhomhewasunderstoodtorepresent,entertainedaninsuperableobjectiontoitsbeingbroughtintogeneraluse,onthegroundthatitwouldhavetheinevitableeffectofalmostentirelysupersedingmanuallabour,andthrowingagreatnumberofhighly—

deservingpersonsoutofemployment。

’THEPRESIDENThopedthatnosuchfancifulobjectionswouldbeallowedtostandinthewayofsuchagreatpublicimprovement。

’MR。CRINKLEShopedsotoo;buthefearedthatifthegentlemenoftheswellmobperseveredintheirobjection,nothingcouldbedone。

’PROFESSORGRIMEsuggested,thatsurely,inthatcase,HerMajesty’sGovernmentmightbeprevailedupontotakeitup。

’MR。CRINKLESsaid,thatiftheobjectionwerefoundtobeinsuperableheshouldapplytoParliament,whichhethoughtcouldnotfailtorecognisetheutilityoftheinvention。

’THEPRESIDENTobservedthat,uptothistimeParliamenthadcertainlygotonverywellwithoutit;but,astheydidtheirbusinessonaverylargescale,hehadnodoubttheywouldgladlyadopttheimprovement。Hisonlyfearwasthatthemachinemightbewornoutbyconstantworking。

’MR。COPPERNOSEcalledtheattentionofthesectiontoapropositionofgreatmagnitudeandinterest,illustratedbyavastnumberofmodels,andstatedwithmuchclearnessandperspicuityinatreatiseentitled\"PracticalSuggestionsonthenecessityofprovidingsomeharmlessandwholesomerelaxationfortheyoungnoblemenofEngland。\"Hispropositionwas,thataspaceofgroundofnotlessthantenmilesinlengthandfourinbreadthshouldbepurchasedbyanewcompany,tobeincorporatedbyActofParliament,andinclosedbyabrickwallofnotlessthantwelvefeetinheight。Heproposedthatitshouldbelaidoutwithhighwayroads,turnpikes,bridges,miniaturevillages,andeveryobjectthatcouldconducetothecomfortandgloryofFour—in—handClubs,sothattheymightbefairlypresumedtorequirenodrivebeyondit。Thisdelightfulretreatwouldbefittedupwithmostcommodiousandextensivestables,fortheconvenienceofsuchofthenobilityandgentryashadatasteforostlering,andwithhousesofentertainmentfurnishedinthemostexpensiveandhandsomestyle。Itwouldbefurtherprovidedwithwholestreetsofdoor—knockersandbell—handlesofextrasize,soconstructedthattheycouldbeeasilywrenchedoffatnight,andregularlyscrewedonagain,byattendantsprovidedforthepurpose,everyday。Therewouldalsobegaslampsofrealglass,whichcouldbebrokenatacomparativelysmallexpenseperdozen,andabroadandhandsomefootpavementforgentlementodrivetheircabrioletsuponwhentheywerehumorouslydisposed—forthefullenjoymentofwhichfeatlivepedestrianswouldbeprocuredfromtheworkhouseataverysmallchargeperhead。Theplacebeinginclosed,andcarefullyscreenedfromtheintrusionofthepublic,therewouldbenoobjectiontogentlemenlayingasideanyarticleoftheircostumethatwasconsideredtointerferewithapleasantfrolic,or,indeed,totheirwalkingaboutwithoutanycostumeatall,iftheylikedthatbetter。Inshort,everyfacilityofenjoymentwouldbeaffordedthatthemostgentlemanlypersoncouldpossiblydesire。

Butaseventheseadvantageswouldbeincompleteunlessthereweresomemeansprovidedofenablingthenobilityandgentrytodisplaytheirprowesswhentheysalliedforthafterdinner,andassomeinconveniencemightbeexperiencedintheeventoftheirbeingreducedtothenecessityofpummellingeachother,theinventorhadturnedhisattentiontotheconstructionofanentirelynewpoliceforce,composedexclusivelyofautomatonfigures,which,withtheassistanceoftheingeniousSignorGagliardi,ofWindmill—street,intheHaymarket,hehadsucceededinmakingwithsuchnicety,thatapoliceman,cab—driver,oroldwoman,madeupontheprincipleofthemodelsexhibited,wouldwalkaboutuntilknockeddownlikeanyrealman;nay,more,ifsetuponandbeatenbysixoreightnoblemenorgentlemen,afteritwasdown,thefigurewouldutterdiversgroans,mingledwithentreatiesformercy,thusrenderingtheillusioncomplete,andtheenjoymentperfect。Buttheinventiondidnotstopevenhere;forstation—houseswouldbebuilt,containinggoodbedsfornoblemenandgentlemenduringthenight,andinthemorningtheywouldrepairtoacommodiouspoliceoffice,whereapantomimicinvestigationwouldtakeplacebeforetheautomatonmagistrates,—quiteequaltolife,—whowouldfinetheminsomanycounters,withwhichtheywouldbepreviouslyprovidedforthepurpose。Thisofficewouldbefurnishedwithaninclinedplane,fortheconvenienceofanynoblemanorgentlemanwhomightwishtobringinhishorseasawitness;andtheprisonerswouldbeatperfectliberty,astheywerenow,tointerruptthecomplainantsasmuchastheypleased,andtomakeanyremarksthattheythoughtproper。Thechargefortheseamusementswouldamounttoverylittlemorethantheyalreadycost,andtheinventorsubmittedthatthepublicwouldbemuchbenefitedandcomfortedbytheproposedarrangement。

’PROFESSORNOGOwishedtobeinformedwhatamountofautomatonpoliceforceitwasproposedtoraiseinthefirstinstance。

’MR。COPPERNOSEreplied,thatitwasproposedtobeginwithsevendivisionsofpoliceofascoreeach,letteredfromAtoG

inclusive。Itwasproposedthatnotmorethanhalfthisnumbershouldbeplacedonactiveduty,andthattheremaindershouldbekeptonshelvesinthepoliceofficereadytobecalledoutatamoment’snotice。

’THEPRESIDENT,awardingtheutmostmerittotheingeniousgentlemanwhohadoriginatedtheidea,doubtedwhethertheautomatonpolicewouldquiteanswerthepurpose。Hefearedthatnoblemenandgentlemenwouldperhapsrequiretheexcitementofthrashinglivingsubjects。

’MR。COPPERNOSEsubmitted,thatastheusualoddsinsuchcasesweretennoblemenorgentlementoonepolicemanorcab—driver,itcouldmakeverylittledifferenceinpointofexcitementwhetherthepolicemanorcab—driverwereamanorablock。Thegreatadvantagewouldbe,thatapoliceman’slimbsmightbeallknockedoff,andyethewouldbeinaconditiontododutynextday。Hemightevengivehisevidencenextmorningwithhisheadinhishand,andgiveitequallywell。

’PROFESSORMUFF。—Willyouallowmetoaskyou,sir,ofwhatmaterialsitisintendedthatthemagistrates’headsshallbecomposed?

’MR。COPPERNOSE。—Themagistrateswillhavewoodenheadsofcourse,andtheywillbemadeofthetoughestandthickestmaterialsthatcanpossiblybeobtained。

’PROFESSORMUFF。—Iamquitesatisfied。Thisisagreatinvention。

’PROFESSORNOGO。—Iseebutoneobjectiontoit。Itappearstomethatthemagistratesoughttotalk。

’MR。COPPERNOSEnosoonerheardthissuggestionthanhetouchedasmallspringineachofthetwomodelsofmagistrateswhichwereplaceduponthetable;oneofthefiguresimmediatelybegantoexclaimwithgreatvolubilitythathewassorrytoseegentlemeninsuchasituation,andtheothertoexpressafearthatthepolicemanwasintoxicated。

’Thesection,aswithoneaccord,declaredwithashoutofapplausethattheinventionwascomplete;andthePresident,muchexcited,retiredwithMr。Coppernosetolayitbeforethecouncil。Onhisreturn,’MR。TICKLEdisplayedhisnewly—inventedspectacles,whichenabledthewearertodiscern,inverybrightcolours,objectsatagreatdistance,andrenderedhimwhollyblindtothoseimmediatelybeforehim。Itwas,hesaid,amostvaluableandusefulinvention,basedstrictlyupontheprincipleofthehumaneye。

’THEPRESIDENTrequiredsomeinformationuponthispoint。Hehadyettolearnthatthehumaneyewasremarkableforthepeculiaritiesofwhichthehonourablegentlemanhadspoken。

’MR。TICKLEwasratherastonishedtohearthis,whenthePresidentcouldnotfailtobeawarethatalargenumberofmostexcellentpersonsandgreatstatesmencouldsee,withthenakedeye,mostmarvelloushorrorsonWestIndiaplantations,whiletheycoulddiscernnothingwhateverintheinteriorofManchestercottonmills。Hemustknow,too,withwhatquicknessofperceptionmostpeoplecoulddiscovertheirneighbour’sfaults,andhowveryblindtheyweretotheirown。IfthePresidentdifferedfromthegreatmajorityofmeninthisrespect,hiseyewasadefectiveone,anditwastoassisthisvisionthattheseglassesweremade。

’MR。BLANKexhibitedamodelofafashionableannual,composedofcopper—plates,goldleaf,andsilkboards,andworkedentirelybymilkandwater。

’MR。PROSEE,afterexaminingthemachine,declaredittobesoingeniouslycomposed,thathewaswhollyunabletodiscoverhowitwentonatall。

’MR。BLANK。—Nobodycan,andthatisthebeautyofit。