Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-01-15
MISCELLANY Y.
Lost a.Arts.

was Qultc clear now tney arrived al tnlS COLI
ciusion-how they learned the exact degree of
accuracy that might be assigned to descrip-
tion Of some Tmbuctoo woman's housekeep-
ing, or discovered whether they were savages
who really ate earth, when they themselves
had never been beyond seas, nor ever seen
creature more outlandish than their own coun
try cousins come up from Somersetshire.
However, assert it they did and the veracity
of such a man as James Bruce was question
they settled at once off-hand.
The fashion is now gone out not, however,
because travellers have changed one whit in
their variations, but because fewer people stay
at home than formerly; and they who have
seen some wonders, and heard of others well
authenticated, deem it no longer quite impos-
sible that there may be others still as yet un-
dreampt of in even their philosophy. The
ends of the earth having been brought together
and the hitherto unknown discovered and well
ransacked, there is now hardly anything which
appears beyond orr belief. We are staggered
by nothing. New Holland furnishes goodly
share of startling animal wonders. The opos-
sum, which was first heard of, lifting its young
in and out of a natural pouch just as we put
our handkerchief in our coat-pocket, was hard
lY more strange than the quadruped recently
discovered there-a creature not unlike an OF
ter, with the bill of duck Ornithor hynchus
paradorus.) The isles of the Indian Arch-
pelago showed US fantastic world, whether
vegetable or animal we al first could hardly
tell. Here thing like monkey, seemed
suspended in the air; there as it appeared, a
gorgeously-spo,ted butterfly had alighted on
dead stick the forceps of horrid beetle were
stretched towards one somewhere else; in
short, you could not make out how such va
rious graesqne shapes could have thus got
huddled together. If you asked, you were
told it was not monkeys, moths, nor beetles
you were looking at, but plants-new sorts
called Ophrys and Orchide. In time we get
used TO everything, and at last cease to wonder
Birds-nest soup is no more thoughtof now than
our own turtle. That Chinese women should
lace up their feet SO tightly as to change the
original shape, seems as natural TO us now as
that our own women should do the same with
their waists.
And yet, hand in hand with this general ab-
sence of astonishment at whatever may happen
in our own time, will be found vast amount
of incredibly for certain wonders of the past
There is the same inclination TO doubt them,
as there once was 10 doubt the travellers tale
1t may be that vanity has somewhat 10 do with
this that people do not like to hear that the
men Of earlier centuries knew anything which
is as yet secret from them. They seem to
feel themselves aggrieved by such assertions,
and not being able to deal with them, deny
them. Yet it would appear as if other arts
besides glass or mural painting, or the famed
purple dye, did once exist, which we are una
bic to imitate-to initiate at least in equal per-
fection. Though now ridiculed as fabulous,
there is still the record that glass was made
malleable. What reason have We for doubt
ing the story of the glass cup that was dashed
on the ground, and which bent but did not
break1 That our glasses are shivered by such
experiment is no proof of the falsehood of the
narrative. If, but few years ago, we had
read in some hitherto undiscovered ancient
manuscript, that in the anthor's time were per-
sons who possessed the ART of arresting anoth-
ers' shadow, Of holding it fast and keeping i,
when the person himself was gone, who is
there that would not at once have pronounced
it to be untrue! And why! Because then
we had not seen the possibility of doing it +; but
we should believe it now, being able to do it
ourselves. Shallow reasoning, forsooth; yet
nevertheless it makes its way.
In curious old book written by Abrahama
Sancta Clara, born 1912, died 1909, and en-
titled 'Etwas fur Alle,' ('Something for Ev-
cry One,) is mentioned juggling trick,
which, incomprehensible as it seems to US,
was, it appears, practised in those days, whose
performances are specified with the time and
place of their occurrence. Sancta Clara can
hardly be looked on as person not worthy Of
credit. He was court-preacher at Vienna, and
was as famous for his great love of truth as his
sermons are well known for the severe attacks
they contained on the lusts and vani,ies Of the
world, and for a curious account Of the art Of
Vomiting Water One person in particular
-Blasio Madfredo, Maliese-who practised
| in nerfectiOn is thus described
=" He would have vessel brought full Of
,epid water, and fifteen or twenty glasses
which were large at the top, and he would
then rinse his mouth out to show that he had
nothing between his teeth. When he had
swallowed some glasses full, he would spurl
out liquid like red wine; then would follow
brandy, rose-water, orange-wa,er, while-wine,
and the like, which things were all to be known
by their taste. II was observed, however, tina,
he always began with the red-wine. Some
times he swallowed twenty glasses of water,
and spurted it ont again like a jet d'cau. Car.
dinal Richelieu caused this Manfredo, whose
scholars were all the like sort of jugelers, to
be put in prison, and threatened to hang him
unless he proved his art TO be natural, and no,
connected with magic. This the Maltese did
in great secresy, and was then liberated, to
earn his living as before" With this descrip
tion woOdcut is given, in which the perform.
er is represented standing upright, with hi.
head thrown back, while from his mouth je
Of water is seen TO play. There could have