-True Source of Civilization, 66.-The Lowest Civilization,—Why
do we shake Hands? 67.--Various Modes of Salutation, 68.-What
is Comfort? 69.-What is Luxury? What do we know of Life? 70.
-The truest Patriot the greatest Hero,-The old Philosophers, 71.
-Glory of the Past, 72.-Wild Oats,-How Shyness spoils Enjoy-
ment, 73.-" Custom, the Queen of the World," 74.-Ancient
Guilds and Modern Benefit Clubs,-The Oxford Man and the Cam-
bridge Man, 75-- -"Great Events from Little Causes spring," 76.
-Great Britain on the Map of the World, 80.-Ancient and
Modern London,-Potatoes the national food of the Irish, 81.-
Irish-speaking Population,-Our Colonial Empire, 82.-The English
People, 84.
III. DIGNITIES AND DISTINCTIONS, 85-102:
Worth of Heraldry, 85.-Heralds' College, 86.-The Shamrock,-Irish
Titles of Honour, 87.-The Scotch Thistle, 88.-King and Queen, 89.
-Title of Majesty, and the Royal" We," 90.-" Dieu et Mon Droit,"
-Plume and Motto of the Prince of Wales, 91.-Victoria, 92.-
English Crowns, the Imperial State Crown, 93.-Queen's Mes-
sengers, Presents and Letters to the Queen, 95.-The Prince of
Waterloo,-The See of London, 96.-Expense of Baronetcy and
Knighthood, 97.-The Aristocracy, 98.- Precedence in Parlia-
ment,-Sale of Seats in Parliament, Placemen in Parliament, 99.
-New Peers,- The Russells,- Political Cunning, 100.- -The
Union-Jack,-Field-Marshal, 101.-Change of Surname, 102.
IV. CHANGES IN LAWS, 104-144:
The Statute Law and the Common Law, 104.-Curiosities of the Statute
Law, 105.-Secret of Success at the Bar,-Queen's Serjeants, Queen's
Counsel, and Serjeants-at-Law, 107.-Do not make your Son an
Attorney,-Appellate Jurisdiction of the House of Lords, 108.-
Payment of an advocate,-Utter-Barristers, 109.-What was Special
Pleading? What is Evidence? 110.- What is Trial?-Trial by
Jury, 111.-Attendance of Jurors, The Law of Libel, 113.-In-
duction of a Rector, 115.-Benefit of Clergy,―The King's Book, 116.
Compulsory Attendance at Church, 117.-The Mark of the Cross,
-Marriage-Law of England, 118.-Marriage Fines, 119.-Irregular
Marriages, 120.-Solemnization of Marriage, 123.-The Law of
Copyright, 124.-Holding over after Lease, Abolition of the Hop
Duty, 125.-Customs of Gavelkind,-Treasure Trove, 126.-Prin-
cipal and Agent,—Legal Hints, 129.—Vitiating a Sale, 130.— Law
of Gardens,-Giving a Servant a Character, 131.-Deodands, 132.
Arrest of the Body after Death,-The Duty of making a Will, 133.-
Don't make your own Will, 134.- Bridewell, 135.-Cockfight-
ing, 136. Ignorance and Irresponsibility, Ticket-of-Leave
Men, 137.-Cupar and Jedburgh Justice,-What is to be done with
our Convicts, 138.-The Game Laws, -The Pillory, 139.-
V.—MEASURE and Value, 146—169:
Numbers descriptive of Distance,-Precocious Mental Calculation, 146.—
The Roman Foot, 147.-The Peruvian Quipus, 418.-Distances
measured,-Uniformity of Weights and Measures, 149.—Trinity
High-water Mark,-Origin of Rent, 150.-Curiosities of the Exche-
quer, 151.-What becomes of the Public Revenue, 153.-Queen
Anne's Bounty, 154.-Ecclesiastical Fees,-Burying Gold and Silver,
155.-Results of Gold-seeking, 157.- What becomes of the Pre-
cious Metals? 158.-Tribute-money, 159.-The First Lottery,-
Coinage of a Sovereign, 160.-Wear and Tear of the Coinage,-
Counterfeit Coin, 161.—Standard Gold,—Interest of Money, 162.-
Interest of Money in India,-Origin of Insurance, 163.-Stock-
brokers, 164.-Tampering with Public Credit,-Overspeculation,
165.-Value of Horses,-Friendly Societies, 166.-Wages heightened
by Improvement in Machinery, 167.-Giving Employment,― Never
sign an Accommodation Bill, 168.-A Year's Wills, 169.
VI.-PROGRESS OF SCIENCE, 171-232:
What human Science has accomplished,-Changes in Social Science, 171.
-Discoverers not Inventors, 172.-Science of Roger Bacon, 173.
-The One Science, 174.-Sun-force, 175.-"The Seeds of Inven-
tion," 176.-The Object of Patents,-Theory and Practice,-Watt
and Telford, 177.-Practical Science,-Mechanical Arts, 178.-
Force of Running Water,-Correlation of Physical Forces,-Oil on
Waves, 180.-Spontaneous Generation,-Guano,-What is Perspec-
tive? 181.-The Stereoscope,-Burning Lenses, 182.-How to wear
Spectacles, Vicissitudes of Mining, 183.-Uses of Mineralogy, 185.
-Our Coal Resources,-The Deepest Mine, 186.—Iron as a Building
Material, 189.-Concrete, not new,-Sheathing Ships with Copper,
190.-Copper Smelting,-Antiquity of Brass,-Brilliancy of the
Diamond, 191.-Philosophy of Gunpowder, New Pear-flavouring,
192.-Methylated Spirit, 193.-What is Phosphate of Lime?-
What is Wood?-How long will Wood last? 194.-The Safety
Match, 195.-Pottery,-Wedgwood, 196.-Imposing Mechanical
Effects, 197-Horse-power,-The First Practical Steam-boat, 198.-
Effect of Heavy Seas upon Large Vessels, 199.-The Railway,-Ac-
cidents on Railways, 200.-Railways and Invasions, 202.-What the
English owe to naturalized Foreigners, 203.-Geological Growth,
204.-The Earth and Man compared,—Why the Earth is presumed
to be Solid, "Implements in the Drift," 205.-The Centre of the
Earth, 206.-The Cooling of the Earth, 207.-Identity of Heat and
Motion, 208-Universal Source of Heat, 209.-Inequalities of the
Earth's Surface, 210.-Chemistry of the Sea, 212.-The Sea: its
Perils, 213.-Limitations of Astronomy, 214.-Distance of the Earth
from the Sun, 215.-Blue Colour of the Sky, 216.-Beauty of the
Sky, 217.-High Temperatures in Balloon Ascents, -Value of Me-
teorological Observations, Telegraph, and Forecasts, 218.-Weather
Signs, 220.-Barometer for Farmers, 222.-Icebergs and the Wea-
ther, 223.
St. Swithun: his true History, 224.
Rainfall in
London, 225.-The Force of Lightning, 226.—Effect of Moon-
light, Contemporary Inventions and Discoveries, 227.—The Bayonet,
228.-Loot,-Telegram, -Archæology and Manufactures, 229. -
Good Art should be Cheap, 230.-Imitative Jewellery, 231.-French
Enamel, 232.
VII.-LIFE AND HEALTH, 233-266:
Periods and Conditions of Life,-Age of the People, 233.-The Human
Heart, The Sense of Hearing, 234.-Care of the Teeth,-On
Blindness, 235.-Sleeping and Dreaming, 236.-Position in Sleeping,
-Hair suddenly changing Colour, 237.-Consumption not hopeless,
238.-Change of Climate,-Perfumes, 239.-Cure for Yellow Fever,
-Nature's Ventilation, 240.-Artificial Ventilation,-Worth of
Fresh Air, 241.-Town and Country, 243.-Recreations of the
People, The Druids and their Healing Art, 244.-Remedies for
Cancer, 245.-Improved Surgery,-Restoration of a Fractured Leg,
246.-The Original "Dr. Sangrado,"-False Arts advancing true,
247.-Brief History of Medicine, 248.-What has Science done for
Medicine? 249.-Element of Physic in Medical Practice, 250.-
Physicians' Fees,-Prevention of Pitting in Small-pox, 251.-Un-
derneath the Skin, 252.-Relations of Mind and Organization, 253.
-Deville, the Phrenologist, 254.-"Seeing is believing," 255.-
Causes of Insanity, 256.-Brain-Disease, 257.-The Half-mad, 258.
-Motives for Suicide,-Remedy for Poisoning, 259.-New Remedy
for Wounds,-Compensation for Wounds, The Best Physician, 260.
-The Uncertainty of Human Life, 262.
VIII.-RELIGIOUS THOUGHT, 266—286:
Moveable Feasts,-Christmas, 266.-Doubt about Religion, 267.—Our
Age of Doubt, 270.-A Hint to Sceptics,-What is Egyptology? 271.
-Jerusalem and Nimroud, 272.-What is Rationalism? 273.-
What is Theology? 274.-Religious Forebodings, 275.-Folly of
Atheism, The First Congregational Church in England, 276.-
Innate Ideas, and Pre-existence of Souls, 277.-Sabbath of Profes-
sional Men, 278.-"In the Beginning," 279.-The last Religious
Martyrs in England,-Liberty of Conscience, 281.-Awful Judg-
ments,-Christian Education,-The Book of Psalms, 283.-The
Book of Job, 285.
Historico-Political Information.
Politics not yet a Science.
MR. BUCKLE, in his thoughtful History of Civilization, remarks: "In the present state of knowledge, Politics, so far from being a science, is one of the most backward of all the arts; and the only safe course for the legislator is to look upon his craft as consisting in the adaptation of temporary contrivances to temporary emergencies. His business is to follow the age, and not at all to attempt to lead it. He should be satisfied with studying what is passing around him, and should modify his schemes, not according to the notions he has inherited from his fathers, but according to the actual exigencies of his own time. For he may rely upon it that the movements of society have now become so rapid that the wants of one generation are no measure of the wants of another; and that men, urged by a sense of their own progress, are growing weary of idle talk about the wisdom of their ancestors, and are fast discarding those trite and sleepy maxims which have hitherto imposed upon them, but by which they will not consent to be much longer troubled.”
The Philosopher and the Historian.
"I have read somewhere or other," says Lord Bolingbroke, "in Dionysius Halicarnassus, I think, that History is Philosophy teaching by Example."
Walter Savage Landor has thus distinguished the respective labours of the Philosopher and the Historian. "There are," Mr. Landor writes, "quiet hours and places in which a taper may be carried steadily, and show the way along the ground; but you must stand a tip-toe and raise a blazing torch above your head, if
you would bring to our vision the obscure and time-worn figures depicted on the lofty vaults of antiquity. The philosopher shows everything in one clear light; the historian loves strong reflections and deep shadows, but, above all, prominent and moving characters."
In writing of the Past, it behoves us to bear in mind, that while actions are always to be judged by the immutable standard of right and wrong, the judgment which we pass upon men must be qualified by considerations of age, country, situation, and other incidental circumstances; and it will then be found, that he who is most charitable in his judgment, is generally the least unjust.
It is curious to find one of the silken barons of civilization and refinement, writing as follows. The polite Earl of Chesterfield says: "I am provoked at the contempt which most historians show for humanity in general: one would think by them that the whole human species consisted but of about a hundred and fifty people, called and dignified (commonly very undeservedly too) by the titles of emperors, kings, popes, generals, and ministers."
Sir Humphry Davy has written thus plainly in the same vein : "In the common history of the world, as compiled by authors in general, almost all the great changes of nations are confounded with changes in their dynasties; and events are usually referred either to sovereigns, chiefs, heroes, or their armies, which do, in fact, originate entirely from different causes, either of an intellectual or moral nature. Governments depend far more than is generally supposed upon the opinion of the people and the spirit of the age and nation. It sometimes happens that a gigantic mind possesses supreme power, and rises superior to the age in which he is born: such was Alfred in England, and Peter in Russia. Such instances are, however, very rare; and in general it is neither amongst sovereigns nor the higher classes of society that the great improvers and benefactors of mankind are to be found."-Consolations in Travel, pp. 34, 35.
Whig and Tory Ministries.
The domestic history of England during the reign of Anne, is that of the great struggles between Whig and Tory; and Earl Stanhope, in his History of England, thus points out a number of precisely parallel lines of policy, and instances of unscrupulous resort to the same censurable set of weapons of party warfare, in the Tories of the reign of Queen Anne and the Whigs of the reign of William IV.
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