The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-07-25 00:00:00

NOTICES.

Abbotsford edition of Waverley. Part 33. Cadel
Edinburgh Philip; South Castle-street.

. .
- - ----
Volume IV of this noble edition of our great novelist
commences with "The Bride of Lammermoor ; " and it
will be gratifying to the subscribers to observe that, in
every respect, this part is equal to those which have
preceded it. The steel engraving represents " Fast
Castle, Berwickshire," and is a very beautiful specimen
of drawing as well as of engraving. The wood illustra-
tions are all of a high order; but one in particular is quite
a gem. The subject is " Dick Tinto and the author of
the Bride of Lammermoor;" or, we may as well say, the
author of Waverley, for his is the portraiture which is
presented to us, more life-like and spirited than any of
the more pretending likenesses which we possess in such
abundance. The painter is Lauder; and it is admirably
cut by T. Williams. " Dick Tinto and the Sign Painter"
is a scarcely less perfect production.

Lancaster Castle, its History, and Associations. By J.
Hall. Whittaker, London : Taylor, Liverpool.
The object of this pamphlet is to supply all the infor-
mation which can be obtained relative to Lancaster Castle
and its associations. Much interesting and important
matter connected with the history of the place has been
gathered by the author, and many curious circumstances
are narrated connected with the unfortunate inmates. It
appears that annually a mock election takes place, amongst
those confined as debtors, for the representation of the

THE LIVERI'O

ancient borough of John O'Gaunt. "On this occasion,"
says Mr. Hall, " the business is carried on with equally
as much spirit and opposition as any election in the
country. Deputations wait on individuals most likely to
become candidates ; committee meetings take place ; ban-
ners are suspended from the windows of the various rooms ;
in short, every preliminary relative to an election is gone
through. Hustings are erected purposely in the yard ;
and some days previous to the nomination, the castle
pump, which stands in the centre of the yard, is plenti-
fully bedecked with addresses, squibs, &c., &c. Some of
the addresses, we are told, are written with talent of the
highest order, and would do honour to an occasion of the
sort under any circumstance, in any borough or county
in the kingdom.
In the instance of nomination, speeches of an hour's
duration are not unfrequently made by the respective can-
didates to parliamentary honours for this very ancient bo-
rough ; these speeches, often most eloquently delivered,
are listened to by the constituency with all the gravity or
derision becoming the occasion. Questions are put to
the candidates in the usual form ; the answers to which
are greeted, as the case may be, either with cheers or
groans.
We are told the hustings, on the day of election, pre-
sent a very animated appearance.
There may be seen the returning officer, town-clerk,
poll-clerks, proposers and seconders ; reporters, com-
mittee-men, together with a host of friends and admirers
of the various candidates ; In some instances, the latter
amount to half a score ; indeed there has been known a
dozen candidates. On the last election there were four ;
two conservatives, and two holding liberal principles. We
are informed the conservatives were returned in 1842, as
is generally the case ; and, from what we can learn,
liberals have in no instance had the honour of a majority
of the suffrages of the constituency of the borough of John
O'Gaunt.

The day of election is one of much bustle and anima-
tion ; even bribery is very frequent ; the value or amount
being generally from half a gallon of ale to a leg of mutton ;
the latter bribe being most in vogue.
This day is generally carried on with so much spirit,
that it is not unfrequently found necessary, for the better
preservation of the peace of the borough, to adjourn the
poll. This occurred at the last election, when the poll
was adjourned two hours. To such a height is party
spirit carried, that the excellent governor of the castle
permits the various officers on the debtors' side of the
gaol to vote, when the numbers are nearly even.
At the close of the poll last year, the numbers were as
follow :

Torie5....
Liberals......
Giving a majority to the tories of 63."

SELECTIONS.

No VARIETY IN ENGLISH DRINKS.—The drinks ain't
good here ; they hante no variety in them neither ; no
white-nose, apple-jack, stone-wall, chain-lightning, rail-
road, hail stormginsling-calabogus, sivitchelflip, gum-
ticklers, phelm-cutters, juleps, skate-iron, cast-steel,
cock-tail, or nothin'. but that heavy stupid black fat
porter.—The Attache"; or, Sam Slick in England.

FAMILY FLEA s.—When the late Lord Erskine, then
going the circuit, was asked by his landlord how he had
slept, he replied—" Union is strength; a fact of which
some of your inmates seem to be unaware; for had the
fleas been unanimous last night, they might have pushed
me out of bed." " Fleas exclaimed Boniface, affect-
ing great astonishment, " I was not aware that I had a
single one in the house." " I don't believe you have,"
retorted his lordship, " they are all married, and have un-
commonly large families.—New Monthly Magazine.

TORIES, WHIGS, AND RADICALS.—" He said he could
tell a man's politics by his shirt. 'A. Tory, Sir,' said he,
for he was a pompious old boy was old Blue-Nose ; a
Tory, Sir,' said he, is a gentleman every inch of him,
stock, lock, and barrel ; and he puts a clean frill shirt on
every day. ' A Whig, Sir,' says he, 'is a gentleman every
inch of him, and he puts an unfrilled one on every other
day. A Radical, Sir, ain't no gentleman at all, and he
only puts one on of a Sunday. But a Chartist, Sir, is a
loafer ; he never puts one on till the old one won't hold
together no longer, and drops off in pieces.' "—Sam Slick
in England.
FASHIONABLE COOKERY.—VeaI, to be good, must look
like anything else but veal; you mustn't know it when
you see it, or it's vulgar; mutton must be incog., too;
beef must have a mask on ; any thin' that looks solid,
take a spoon to ; any thin' that looks light, cut with a
knife; if a thin' looks like fish, you may take your oath
it is flesh ; and if it seems rael flesh, it's only disguised,
for it's sure to be fish ; nothin' must be nateral ; natur is
out of fashion here. This is a manufacturin' country ;
everything is done by machinery, and that that ain't must
be made to look like it ; and I must say, the dinner
machinery is parfect.—The Allachi; or, Sam Slick in
England.
GARRICK'S OTFlELLo.—Determined to judge for him-
self in regard to the merits of Garrick's acting, Quin, on
the night on which his rival was announced to perform
Othello, secured himself a place in the pit of the rival
theatre. About this period had been published Hogarth's
famous prints of " Marriage a la Mode," in one of which
it will be remembered, is introduced a negro footboy en-
tering the aparment with a tea equipage. To the quick
fancy of Quin (naturally on the watch to turn his rival
into ridicule), it may really be imagined that there appear-
ed a ludicrous similarity, between the appearance of the
footboy and the blackened face and diminutive figure of
Garrick. Accordingly, when the latter made his re-ap-
pearance in the third or fourth act, Quin suddenly exclaim-
ed, loud enough to afford amusement to half the pit—
" Here is Pompey, but where are the tea-things?"—
George Selwyn and his Cotemporaries.

AMERICAN CONVERSATION.—It was rather barren of
interest, to say the truth ; and the greater part of it may
be summed up in one word--dollars. All their cares,
hopes, joys, affections, virtues, and associations, seemed
to be melted down into dollars. Whatever the chance
contributions that fell into the slow cauldron of their talk,
they made the gruel thick and slab with dollars. Men
were weighed by their dollars, measures gauged by their
dollars ; life was auctioneered, appraised, put up, and
knocked down for its dollars. The next respectable thing
to dollars was any venture having their attainment for its
end. The more of that worthless ballast, honour and fair-
dealing, which any man cast overboard from the ship of
his Good Name and Good Intent, the more ample stowage
room he had for dollars. Make commerce one huge lie
and mighty theft. Deface the banner of the nation for an
idle rag; pollute it star by star; and cut out stripe by
stripe as from the arm of a degraded soldier. Do any-
thing for dollars! What is a flag to them!--Martin
Chuzzlewit.

AN OLD MAN'S REMINISCENCES.—" I have seen and
remember so much, that my life already appears very long ;
nay, the first part seems to have been a former life, so
entirely are the persons worn out who were on the stage
when I came into the world. You must consider, as my
father was minister then, that I almost came into the
world at three years old. I was ten when I was presented
to George I. two nights before he left England for the last
time. This makes me appear very old to myself, and
Methuselah to young persons, if I happen to mention it
before them. If I see another reign, which is but too
probable, what shall I seem then? I will tell you an odd
circumstance. Nearly ten years ago I had already seen
six generations in one family, that of Waldegrave. I
have often seen, and once been in a room with, Mrs.
Godfrey, mistress of James 11. It is true she doted ;
then came her daughter, the old Lady Waldegrave; her
son, the Ambassador; his daughter, Lady Harriet; her
daughter, the present Lady Powis ; and she has children
who may be married in five or six years ; and yet I shall
not be very old, if I see two generations more! but if I
do, I shall be superannuated, for I think I talk already
like an old nurse."—Letters of Horace Walpole.
MODE OF DEFENCE FROM THE ATTACKS OF ELE-

PHANTS.-Troops of slingers were also employed ; the
effects of their missives, however, on the elephants them-
selves, were not of much avail, but the skill of the slinger
was directed against the guide, at whose death the animal
was left without control, and became useless, if not hurt-
ful, to the troops on his own side. Soldiers fully armed,
and from whose armour long sharp points projected, were
sent especially against the elephant, which, on account of
the nature of the armour, was unable to take the man in
his trunk without inflicting on himself a dangerous wound.
These were supplied with long spears. Another class,
armed with a species of axe, sought nothing else but an
opportunity of ham-stringing their huge opponent; a
mode of warfare borrowed from the Eastern nations,
dangerous, but most effectual. Carrobalistas were also
brought into service against them : these were usefnl only
while the elephant was stationary, as neither the nature
of the machine nor the skill of balisters enabled them to
hit an object in motion. Fire, however, afforded the best
means of stopping their attack and putting them to flight;
torches, arrows, and javelins, to which some lighted com-
bustible was attached, were used with invariable success.
All animals are afraid of fire, and the elephant shares in
the general dread. Mr. Crawfurd, however, relates a
very singular anecdote, showing how far training and dis-
cipline will get the better even of his fear. " A mock
fight was represented at Saigun, in which sixty elephants
charged a fence made of fascines, and branches of trees,
and defended by a line of soldiers discharging rockets and
small arms. The elephants broke through it, and pursued
those who defended it, until stopped by their riders. Good
order and discipline were preserved, and the commands
for advance and retreat given by trumpet and beat of drum.
In another instance they did not succeed so well. The
elephants were made to attack, two and two, the effigy of
a lion and tiger spitting fire, and accompanied by many
soldiers discharging fire-arms. Very few of the elephants
ventured to attack these objects ; but, in spite of all the
efforts of the riders, ran away. One of the conductors
received twenty blows on the spot for not doing his duty."
The last means of defence against elephants which we
shall mention, was that of the inhabitants of Megara.
This city, says Xlian, was besieged by Antipater, who
had brought before it a great number of elephants. The
Megareans procured some hogs, besmeared them with a
resinous gum, set fire to this, and drove the burning
brutes towards the camp of Antipater. The elephants,
terrified at the horrible cries of the hogs, took flight, and
spread disorder through the army. Some centuries after,
Khosroo the Great was besieging Edessa, and had, by
means of his elephants, who were fnrnished with towers,
iotawnetrs:toAtlhlem wall,eans
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come so near the ramparts as to be enabled to throw a
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soldier
er irtvhee recommendedt
o away
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of the wall, which. was accordingly done.
We can easily fancy the noise which would ensue. The
elephants, frightened at the cries, quickly turned, and,
in spite of all the efforts of their conductors, rushed
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and
Colonial Quarterly Review.