Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-07
BLUNDRS AND BLUNDERERS.

Bulls, stumbIes,l and SIistakes---.
Mixed Metaphor and Lapsus lin
gum.
The four estates of the realm, the
kings, lords, commons, and public press
have all practically Illustrated their APP
probation of blunders. For royalty let
one example suffice.
When George II, was on a sea excur-
sion there appeared signs of an APP
preaching storm. The noise occasion
ed on deck by the preparation to meet
it called his Majesty from below to in
quire into the cause. On being inform
ed that they were preparing for
Storm" his Majesty's instant COM
mands were Double my guardsl'
Lord Oxford instances an amusing
blunder of those "in high places" at
the coronation of George III:
'"The hall was glorious. The blaze
of lights, the richness and variety of
habits, the ceremonial, the benches Of
peers and peeresses, frequent and full,
was as awful as a pageant can be; and
yet, for the kings sake and my own,
| never wish to see another; nor am i'm
patient to have my lord Efingham's
promise fulfilled. The king complained
that SO few preeedents were found for
their proceedings. Lord Effngham
owned the Earl Marshal's Office had
been strangely neglected; but he had
taken such care for the future, that the
rleSt coronation would be regulated in
the most exact manner imaginable"
| It is not a hundred years since a
member of the lower House grandilo-
quently inquired whether certain per-
sons would still submit to be covered
with dust from the chariot-wheels of
those who were always standing still.
In their collective capacity, the es-
tates of Parliament have sanctioned
laundering; for the act of 81 George Ill,
C. 26, for repeating the duties of Gus
toms on madden, and granting other
duties in lieu thereof, enacted ''that
from and after the passing of this act
the several duties and customs shall
cease and determine complete re-
peal of all the duties ON customs. Three
days afterward another bill was brought
in to rectify this blunder.
The Parish Registry act (55 Geo.
Ill, C 146) provides that any person or
persons willfully making, or causing to
be made, false returns in the books of
baptisms, burials, or marriages, ''be-
ing thereof lawfully convicted, shall be
deemed and adjudged to be guilty of
felony, and shall be transported for the
term of fourteen years" And the sue
ceeding clause enacts, chat one-half of
all the fines and penalties to be levied
in pursuance of this act, shall go to the
person who shall inform or sue for the
same; and the remainder of such fines
as shall be imposed on any church-war
den, shall 90 to the poor of the parish. y
So the only penalty imposed by this act
is transportation for fourteen years, and
that is to be equally divided between
the informer and the poor of the parish.
A rector of parish going to law with
his- parishiencrs about paving the
church, quoted the authority from St.
Peter: "Paueaat Ill, non pdUeat ego. !"
Which he construed: 'They are to
pave the church, not l." This was al
lowed to be good law by the judge, and
the rector gained his cause.
When Pope Sixtus V. secretly aspir-
ed to Popedom, he counterfeited illness
and old age for several years. During
the conclave which assembled to create
a Pope, he continually leaned on his
crutch, and very frequently interrupted
the sage deliberations of the conclave
by hollow cough and violent splitting.
The Cardinals fell into the trap, blum
dered egregiously, elected him unani-
mously, and after the election the new
Pope recovered by miracle.
How much is science indebted to
blunders To what else do we owe the
telescope, and some of the most effec-
tive improvements in that mightiest of
inventions, the steam engine? How
much have blunders contributed to the
Injuries and the comforts of private
life To the former, let the widely
spread votaries of Lundy Foot's manu-.
facture testify, who are indebted to the
careless blunders of o boy for one OF
the most gratifying compounds that
ever irritated nasal organs. The at
tendant whose duty it was to watch the
kiln neglected it, the snuff was burned
irrecoverably, and supposed to be spoil
ed; but was tried accidentally, pro
nounced excellent, and christened
Irish BLACKBOARD"
. For the value of bldnder In con
J: tlibuting to domestic satisfaction, one
instance may suffice:
, GA respectable gentleman of OXFORD
= was so fascinated with Robinson Cru
: Soc that he read it through every year
Q considering every part to be as true a.
I'll otalx f,eIo 1n
2 | last told him that it was little NOR,
than a fiction, the plain story of tn,
. sailors shipwreck having been thu
D: worked up by Daniel Defoe. Your IN
: formation said the gentleman ma,
: bevery correct, but l wish you haC
q withheld it, as in correcting my blunde
: you have deprived me of one of tn
f greatest pleasures of my old age
IS We cannot fail from transcribing
5 these following exquisite blunders 0
|. painters:
G ''Tintoret, in picture which repre-
-e sents the 1sraelites gathering mann;
e in the Desert, has armed the Hebrew
Ii with guns; and a modern Neapolita1
r artisthas represented the Holy Famil,
T. T. during their journey in Egypt as pass
~ ing the Nile in barge, as richly orna
:" nented as that of Cleopatra.
"Brengheh, Dutch painter, in
picture of the Eastern Magi,' ha
in drawn the Indian king in large whit
O. surplice, with boots and spurs, an
:, bearing in his hand, as a present to th
is Holy Child, the model of Dutch sew
$, enty-four.
y "Lanfranc has thrown churchmen i
81 their robes at the feet Of our Saviou
10 when an infant, and Paul Verones
introduced several Benedictines anon
+ the guests at the feast of Cana.
10 "a painter of the 'Crucifxion' req
If scented a confessorholding out crucifi
4 to the good thief who was crucifed wit
o our Saviour.
10 Itisno slight token in favor of blunder
le that they not unfrequently throw bright
~ though it might be transient, CLEANS c
- hilarity on the dull routine of daily life
err What zest do they give to conversation
What life and animation do they impair
to circumstances utterly uninterestin
Or in their plain propriety of detail
lg The story of Frederick the Great