The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-07-02 00:00:00

MARMONTEL

When Marmontel was a school-boy, his master chas-
tised him for some youthful offences, which he menu('
by so severe a lampoon. that he was under the neces-
sity of running away. Being afraid of returning to his
parents, he entered himself as a private soldier in a re-
giment commanded by the Prince of Conde ; and in the
year that he obtained a halbert, the celebrated poet wrote
his charming Hishwylisarins. Many applications
were made for his discharge, which the Prince always
withstood, declaring it to be the most flattering honour he
could possibly receive, to have such a man as Marmontel •
serjeant in his regiment. Once a year, at the general re-
view, this distinguished individual appeared in his station,
an I whole multitudes flocked to we him. After the re-
view was ever, Marmontel had invarlally the honour to
dine with his illustrious Colonel and the principal Officers
of the army, by whom he was esteemed to admiration.

PRESERUATIONS AG.IINST HUNGER AND

TIIIIIST.

There were sonic compositions in vogue among the an-
cients, for averting the direful effects of hunger and thirst,
and were held by them to be extremely necessary in time
of scarcity, long voyages, and warlike expeditions. Pliny
says, that a small portion of some things allays the hunger
and thirst, and preserves strength ; such as butter, cheese
made of mare's milk, and liquorice. The American In-
dians us.. a composition of the juice of tobacco, with cal-
cined shells of snails, cockles, oysters, &c. which they
make into pilis, and dry in the shade. Whenever they
go open a long journe y. and are likely to be destitute of
provisions by the way, they put one of these pills between
the lower lip and the teeth, and by swallowing what they
sus-k from it, feel neither hunger, thirst, nor fatigue, fur
four or five days together.
The following composition is an extract from a manu-
script scholium on a book of Ileron in the Vatican li-
, briery: and one much to the same etfet, with some others,
may be seen in Philip's fitth hook of 31ilitary affairs. It
was reputed an excel ding nutritive medicament, and also
very ettetual for banishing thirst. Both the besiegers of
cities, and the besieged, fed upon it, in time of extremity,
and called it the Epimenislian Composition, from the reel-
onion, which was an ingredient in its composition. The
process is thus:—
The sea-onion be;ng boiled, washed with water, and
afterwards dried, it was cut into very thin slices, to which
a fifth part of sesame was added, and a 15th of poppy ; 111
which being mixed and worked up into a mous with honey,
the whole was divided into portions shout the bigness of a
walnut, whereof two in the day, taken morning and even-
ing, were sufficient to prevent hunger and thirst.
There was another way of preparing it, by taking a pint
of sesame, the same quantity of oil, and two quarts of un-
shelled sweet almonds ; when the sesame was dried, and
the almonds ground and gilled. the sea-onions were to be
peeled and sliced, the roots and leeves being cut elf: then.
polluting them in a mortar, till reduced to a pap, an equal
part of honey was to be added, and both worked up with
the oil ; afterwards all the ingredients were to be put into
a pot, en the tire, and stirred with a wooden ladle, till
thoroughly mixed. Il.hen the mass acquired a solid con-
sistence, it was taken off the tire, and formed into lozenges,
of which two only, as thews:, were very sufficient for a
day's subsisteuce.

Avicenna relates, that a person setting out upon a
journey tlrat:k one pound or oil of violets, mixed with
melted be. suet, and afterwards continued fasting for ten
days together, without the least hunger. Ile rays, that
the oil of almonds and beef suet will ctfect the same by
their viscidity. Hence it was that this celebrated phy-
sician, who knew things Inure by unquestionable experi-
ments than by idle speeulation• and conjectures, prescribed
the following composition, which, in time of famine, by
sett or land, might he extremely yerxiceable.
Take of sweet almonds, unshelled, one pound, the like
quantity of inched beef sue; ; of oil of violets two outlets;
a sultieient quantity of mucilage ; and of the roots of
marsh-mallows one ounce : let all together be brayed in a
mortar, and made into boluses about the bigne:ar of a
osmium nut. They must hi kept so ks to prevent their
melting by the heat of the sun.

We are happy to inform the public, that the large
sum fraudulently abstracted from one of the Hanks of
this town has been movered.--Whinharcis Gazttic.