The Blackpool Herald. — 1888-11-23 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

WEDDING FEAST THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEMIS AGO. —l9 an account of the expenses incurred at a wedding in 1530, the following items are remarkable in the menu of the dinner :—Two oxen, £3; seven calves, 19s. ; seven lambs, 10s. ; six wethers. 14s. • twelve swans, ; eight cranes, £1 63. Bd.; sixteen hearonfews (herons presumably), everyone 141. ; ten butters (bitterns), everyone 14d.; sixty cowple conys (rabbits), eviry cowple SJ. ; sixteen capons of grease (fat capons), everyone 61 ; thirty other capons, ten pigs, four dozen chickens, &c. BpiceB innumerable are mentioned, and materials for sweet dishes. Among them are 21b. marmelet, lib. turnesall, 2ib. fl uir of portingale, 31b. orange budds, 41bs orange syrroppe, &c. Among the dress items are twenty - one yards russet damask, every yard Bs. ; six yards tawney velvet,' every yard 14s. ; twelve white beer skins, twelve black coneys' skins; thirty white lambs' skins; three black velvet bonnets, each 175.; wedding ring of gold, 12s. 4d. ; a milieu bonnet dressed with aglotts, 12s. 4d.; a pair of mytten sleeves of white satin, Bs. ; Sze. Thus we see that in those days a yard of velvet was worth as much as six wethers (sheep), and that eight lambs would just about equal the wedding ring in value.  A PRopngr.—Zadkel, the astrologer, who compiles the almamac of that name, must rank either as one of the latter or as that more intellecutual but more depraved personage, a knave. In his almanac for 1889, just published, he foretells, or rather makes a pretence of foretelling, with an amusing reliance on his fatidical powers, the principal events that will take place during that year oflgrace. It is thus that he prates to his more amused than credulous readers : —ln January the martial star of England a ill shine with its old-timed lustre, which means that we shall be engaged in war, and be victorious. In February wits will bring trouble upon the Czar of Russia and the King of Italy, who had better take care of their lives. During the same month sensation lovers will be entertained by a cause celebre in the Divorce Court. The British Army is to be increased in March, and in May the Emperor of Germany will probably come into contact with a " powerful neighbour." Zadkiel is very kind and considerate in increasing our defensive forces before this rupture occurs. August will he a very prosperous mouth for Great Britain,as November will be a yen), critical one; and the Czar will undergo great personal danger in September, which he will perhaps not sustain. Sad intelligence? Wet and unsettled weather is to preponderate during 1889, but luckily the few fine da,.s we are to have are iadicated to us. This is a great boon when we ourselves cannot reliably determine the state of the weather live minutes in advance. It is a carious coincidence—for we cannot take it to be anything more that Za.dkiel's almanac for 1888, issued in 1887, should have contained the following remarkable paragraphs : "We must be cu our guard against a surprise. Criminals will give a good deal of trouble, and robberies with violence will be very numerous. In fact, murderous outrages, will be appalling.' And, sorry as we are to say it, so they have been.  l we